Devices and methods of screening for neoplastic and inflammatory disease
First Claim
1. A device for evaluating a suspected diseased tissue of a patient, the device comprising:
- at least one reactive material which undergoes a spectral change upon exposure to a pre-determined chemical compound; and
a support structure supporting the at least one reactive material, the support structure being adapted for positioning the at least one reactive material within expected diffusion range of the pre-determined chemical compound from the suspected diseased tissue.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and devices are provided for evaluating the presence of disease in a patient. In particular, methods and devices are provided for screening patients for neoplastic and/or inflammatory disease. Such diseases are often indicated by the elevated level of a chemical compound associated with disease, such as nitric oxide (NO) and/or nitrogen dioxide (NO2). Through measuring and/or estimating the chemical compound-concentration, such as by change in fluorescence, absorbance or reflectance, the methods and tools provided distinguish between patients who require further testing and/or treatment and those who do not. The methods and tools also provide information about the effectiveness of treatment, such as treatment to reduce inflammation or control of the growth of malignant tumors. These methods and devices are relatively inexpensive, easy to use, and provide other advantages.
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Citations
42 Claims
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1. A device for evaluating a suspected diseased tissue of a patient, the device comprising:
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at least one reactive material which undergoes a spectral change upon exposure to a pre-determined chemical compound; and
a support structure supporting the at least one reactive material, the support structure being adapted for positioning the at least one reactive material within expected diffusion range of the pre-determined chemical compound from the suspected diseased tissue. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A method of evaluating a suspected diseased tissue of a patient, the method comprising:
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positioning a reactive material within an expected diffusion range of a pre-determined chemical compound from the suspected diseased tissue of the patient, wherein the reactive material is able to undergo a spectral change upon exposure to the pre-determined chemical compound;
observing the spectral change or an absence of the spectral change;
evaluating the suspected diseased tissue based on the observing step. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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Specification