Automated non-invasive real-time acute renal failure detection system
First Claim
1. A computer-based system for determining a flow rate of a liquid stream in substantially real-time, comprising:
- (a) a vessel that will permit the liquid stream to fill the vessel at a natural flow rate of the liquid stream;
(b) a liquid stream control system under computer control for controlling filling and draining the vessel, with the liquid stream control stream controlling filling the vessel at the natural flow rate of the liquid stream;
(c) a first trigger mechanism disposed adjacent to the vessel, with the first trigger mechanism being activated when a level of the liquid filling the vessel is at a predetermined location with respect to the first trigger mechanism;
(d) a second trigger mechanism disposed adjacent to the vessel at a location different from the first trigger mechanism, with the second trigger mechanism being activated at a time after the first trigger mechanism is activated when the level of the liquid filling the vessel is at a predetermined location with respect the second trigger mechanism;
(e) a timer associated with the first and second trigger mechanisms for generating a timing signal indicative of the time interval between when the first trigger mechanism is activated and the second trigger mechanism is activated;
(f) a volume determining means for determining a volume of the vessel that was filled in the time interval between when the first trigger mechanism is activated and the second trigger mechanism is activated; and
(g) the computer for receiving the signal generated by the timer and volume from the volume determining means, and generating a flow rate for the liquid stream based on the signal generated by the timer and the volume from the volume determining means.
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Abstract
A real-time, non-invasive system and method for determining the level of an analyte of interest in the urine of a patient is disclosed. The system and method uses the measured level of an analyte of interest to detect the onset of acute renal failure (ARF) as early as possible to prevent that patient from developing the disease or mitigating the effects of the disease. The system and method may be used to monitor the recovery of a patient after an ARF diagnosis. Preferably, the analyte of interest is creatinine or urea. The system may be placed in the urine drain line of a patient between a Foley catheter or other urinary drain and a urine collection bag. The system makes substantially continuous measurements of the urine flow rate and the concentration of the analyte of interest to determine the mass excretion rate of the analyte so it may be monitored to detect if the patient experiences a delta change in the mass excretion rate of an analyte that is indicative of the onset of ARF or a change in renal function.
60 Citations
70 Claims
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1. A computer-based system for determining a flow rate of a liquid stream in substantially real-time, comprising:
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(a) a vessel that will permit the liquid stream to fill the vessel at a natural flow rate of the liquid stream;
(b) a liquid stream control system under computer control for controlling filling and draining the vessel, with the liquid stream control stream controlling filling the vessel at the natural flow rate of the liquid stream;
(c) a first trigger mechanism disposed adjacent to the vessel, with the first trigger mechanism being activated when a level of the liquid filling the vessel is at a predetermined location with respect to the first trigger mechanism;
(d) a second trigger mechanism disposed adjacent to the vessel at a location different from the first trigger mechanism, with the second trigger mechanism being activated at a time after the first trigger mechanism is activated when the level of the liquid filling the vessel is at a predetermined location with respect the second trigger mechanism;
(e) a timer associated with the first and second trigger mechanisms for generating a timing signal indicative of the time interval between when the first trigger mechanism is activated and the second trigger mechanism is activated;
(f) a volume determining means for determining a volume of the vessel that was filled in the time interval between when the first trigger mechanism is activated and the second trigger mechanism is activated; and
(g) the computer for receiving the signal generated by the timer and volume from the volume determining means, and generating a flow rate for the liquid stream based on the signal generated by the timer and the volume from the volume determining means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A computer-based system for determining a flow rate of a liquid stream in substantially real-time, comprising:
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(a) a vessel that will permit the liquid stream to fill the vessel at a natural flow rate of the liquid stream;
(b) a liquid stream control system under computer control for controlling filling and draining the vessel, with the liquid stream control stream controlling the filling the vessel at the natural flow rate of the liquid stream;
(c) a first trigger mechanism disposed adjacent to the vessel, with the first trigger mechanism being activated when a level of the liquid filling the vessel is at a predetermined location with respect to the first trigger mechanism;
(d) N trigger mechanisms disposed adjacent to the vessel at locations different from the first trigger mechanism and different from each other, with N≧
1, and with the each of the N trigger mechanisms being activated at a time after the first trigger mechanism is activated when the level of the liquid filling the vessel is at a predetermined location with respect to each of the N trigger mechanisms;
(e) a timer associated with the first and N trigger mechanisms for generating a timing signal indicative of the time interval between when the first trigger mechanism and when any selected one of the N trigger mechanisms is activated;
(f) a volume determining means for determining a volume of the vessel that was filled in the time interval between when the first trigger mechanism is activated and when the selected one of the N trigger mechanisms is activated; and
(g) the computer for receiving the signal generated by the timer and volume from the volume determining means, and generating a flow rate for the liquid stream based on the signal generated by the timer and the volume from the volume determining means. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A computer-based method for substantially continuously determining a flow rate of a liquid stream in substantially real-time, comprising the steps of:
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(a) controlling with liquid stream control means for filling and draining a vessel with liquid from the liquid stream;
(b) setting the liquid stream control means for filling the vessel with liquid at a natural flow rate of the liquid stream;
(c) activating a first trigger means when a level of the liquid filling the vessel is at a predetermined location with respect to the first trigger means;
(d) activating a second trigger means at a time after the activation of the first trigger means when the level of the liquid filling the vessel is at a predetermined location with respect to the second trigger means;
(e) measuring with timer means the time interval between when the first trigger means is activated and the second trigger means is activated;
(f) determining with volume determining means a volume of the vessel that was filled in the time interval between when the first trigger means is activated and the second trigger means is activated;
(g) determining the flow rate of the liquid stream based on the time measured at step (e) and the volume determined at step (f);
(h) setting the liquid stream control means for draining the vessel; and
(i) repeating steps (b) to (h) for substantially continuously determining the flow rate of the liquid stream. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
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20. A computer-based method for substantially continuously determining a flow rate of a liquid stream in substantially real-time, comprising the steps of:
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(a) controlling with liquid stream control means filling and draining a vessel with liquid from the liquid stream;
(b) setting the liquid stream control means for filling the vessel with liquid at a natural flow rate of the liquid stream;
(c) activating a first trigger means when a level of the liquid filling the vessel is at a predetermined location with respect to the first trigger means;
(d) activating a selected one of N trigger means at a time after the activation of the first trigger means when a level of the liquid filling the vessel is at a predetermined location with respect to the selected one of N trigger means, with N≧
1;
(e) measuring with timer means the time interval between when the first trigger means is activated and when the selected one of N second trigger means is activated;
(f) determining with volume determining means a volume of the vessel that was filled in the time interval between when the first trigger means is activated and when the selected one of N trigger means is activated;
(g) determining the flow rate of the liquid stream based on the time measured at step (e) and the volume determined at step (f);
(h) setting the liquid stream control means for draining the vessel; and
(i) repeating steps (b) to (h) for substantially continuously determining the flow rate of the liquid stream. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22)
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23. A computer-based system for determining and monitoring a change in a level of a constituent in a liquid stream in substantially real-time to indicate an onset of a condition indicative of such change, comprising:
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(a) a first subsystem for substantially continuously determining a flow rate of the liquid stream according to the expression;
Where, FR=Flow rate of liquid stream Volume=Volume filled at a natural flow rate of the liquid stream according to the “
Time”Time=Time to fill “
Volume;
”(b) a second subsystem for substantially continuously determining a concentration of the constituent in the liquid stream;
(c) the computer for substantially continuously determining a mass excretion rate for the constituent in the liquid stream according to the expression;
Where, ME=Mass excretion rate of constituent FR=Flow rate of liquid stream Volume=Volume filled at a natural flow rate of the liquid stream according to “
Time”Time=Time to fill “
Volume”Mass=Measured mass of constituent in liquid/Volume; and
(d) monitoring means for substantially continuously monitoring the mass excretion rate of the constituent in the liquid stream for changes indicative an onset of the condition indicative of such change. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 67, 68, 69)
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48. A computer-based method for determining and monitoring a change in a level of a constituent in a liquid stream in substantially real-time to indicate an onset of a condition indicative of such change, comprising:
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(a) substantially continuously determining a flow rate of the liquid stream according to the expression;
Where, FR=Flow rate of liquid stream Volume=Volume filled at a natural flow rate of the liquid stream according to the “
Time”Time=Time to fill “
Volume;
”(b) substantially continuously determining a concentration of the constituent in the liquid stream;
(c) substantially continuously determining a mass excretion rate for the constituent in the liquid stream according to the expression;
Where, ME=Mass excretion rate of constituent FR=Flow rate of liquid stream Volume=Volume filled at a natural flow rate of the liquid stream according to “
Time”Time=Time to fill “
Volume”Mass=Measured mass of constituent in liquid/Volume; and
(d) substantially continuously monitoring the mass excretion rate of the constituent in the liquid stream for a change indicative of the onset of the condition indicative of such change. - View Dependent Claims (49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 70)
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Specification