Process for identifying and treating cells types within a living organism

• US 20050221270A1
• Filed: 04/24/2002
• Published: 10/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Biomed Solutions, LLC
• Original Assignee: Biomed Solutions, LLC
• Inventors: Connelly, Patrick R., Weiner, Michael L., Foster, Thomas H., Custer, Andrew W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,244,232 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 435/4
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/20 using laser
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/12 Manufacturing methods specially adapted for producing sensors for in-vivo measurements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0071 by measuring fluorescence emission
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0084 for introduction into the body, e.g. by catheters A61B5/1459 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0086 using infrared radiation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14557 specially adapted to extracorporeal circuits
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1459 invasive, e.g. introduced into the body by a catheter A61B5/1464 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/415 the glands, e.g. tonsils, adenoids or thymus
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4839 combined with drug delivery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6862 Stents
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6876 Blood vessel
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 49/0004 Screening or testing of compounds for diagnosis of disorders, assessment of conditions, e.g. renal clearance, gastric emptying, testing for diabetes, allergy, rheuma, pancreas functions
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 49/0013 Luminescence
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 49/0047 Green fluorescent protein [GFP]
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 49/0097 Cells, viruses, ghosts, red blood cells, viral vectors, used for imaging or diagnosis in vivo
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/56966 Animal cells
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/574 for cancer
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/58 involving labelled substances G01N33/53 takes precedence

Abstract

A process for identifying and treating cells in a living organism. The cells are labeled, circulated within the organism, detected with an implanted detector, and then either isolated or ablated.

Claims

1. A process for identifying and treating cells within a living organism, comprising the steps of disposing said cells within a first reservoir, labeling at least a portion of said cells within said first reservoir with a marker from a second reservoir to produce labeled cells, delivering said labeled cells from said first reservoir in a fluid stream through a particle analyzer, and detecting said labeled cells with said particle analyzer to produce detected cells.

2. The process as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of isolating said detected cells.

3. The process as recited in claim 1, wherein said particle analyzer comprises a stent comprising a tube comprising an inner surface and an outer surface, and a multiplicity of optical radiation emitting means adapted to emit radiation with a wavelength from about 30 nanometers to about 30 millimeters, and a multiplicity of optical radiation detecting means adapted to detect radiation with a wavelength of from about 30 nanometers to about 30 millimeters, wherein said optical radiation emitting means and said optical radiation detecting means are disposed on the inner surface of said tube.

4. The process as recited in claim 3, further comprising the step of estimating the positions of said circulating cells by means of a three-dimensional, multivariate particle velocity and location estimation algorithm.

5. The process as recited in claim 3, said stent further comprises at least one ablative laser, and said process further comprises the step of ablating said detected cells with said at least one ablative laser.

6. The process as recited in claim 1, wherein said particle analyzer comprises a flow cytometer.

7. The process as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of stripping said marker from said fluid stream flowing through said particle analyzer to produce a purified fluid stream.

8. The process as recited in claim 1, wherein said marker is a non-toxic fluorescent marker.

9. The process as recited in claim 8, wherein said marker is green fluorescent protein.

10. The process as recited in claim 1, wherein said first reservoir, said second reservoir, and said particle analyzer are implanted within said living organism.

11. An apparatus for identifying and treating cells within a living organism, comprising means for disposing said cells within a reservoir within said living organism, means for labeling said cells within said reservoir with a marker to produce labeled cells, means for circulating said labeled cells within said living organism to produce circulating labeled cells, and means for detecting said circulating cells within said living organism with an implanted detector to produce detected cells.

12. The apparatus as recited in claim 11, further comprising means for isolating said detected cells.

13. The apparatus as recited in claim 11, further comprising means for ablating said detected cells.

14. The apparatus as recited in claim 11, wherein said marker is a non-toxic fluorescent marker.

15. The apparatus as recited in claim 11, wherein said marker is green fluorescent protein.

16. The apparatus as recited in claim 11, wherein said marker is luciferase.

17. The apparatus as recited in claim 11, further comprising means for labeling said cells with a cytotoxic chromophore.

18. The apparatus as recited in claim 11, wherein said cells are detected by means of an implantable stent.

19. The apparatus as recited in claim 18, further comprising means for estimating the positions of said circulating cells with a three-dimensional, multivariate particle velocity and location estimation algorithm.

20. The apparatus as recited in claim 19, further comprising means for monitoring the deformability of said stent with a multiplicity of stress/strain sensors.