Method for predicting stroke and pain in a human patient

• US 20070142740A1
• Filed: 01/28/2005
• Published: 06/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stryker Corporation
• Original Assignee: Stryker Corporation
• Inventors: Martinosky, Joe, Janski, Alvin
• Granted Patent: US 8,246,549 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/532
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/083 Measuring rate of metabolism by using breath test, e.g. measuring rate of oxygen consumption
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4824 Touch or pain perception evaluation A61B5/4821 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7275 Determining trends in physiological measurement data; Predicting development of a medical condition based on physiological measurements, e.g. determining a risk factor
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/30 for calculating health indices; for individual health risk assessment
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 90/10 Information and communication technologies [ICT] supporting adaptation to climate change, e.g. for weather forecasting or climate simulation

Abstract

A method for predicting the onset of any (NO)-related negative influence of hemolysis, such as pain or the likely occurrence of a troske, in a human patient by detecting abnormal levels of hemolysis, through the measurement of one or more breath gas concentrations.

Claims

1. A method for predicting the onset of a medical condition in a human patient, comprising:

measuring concentration levels of at least one breath gas exhaled by the patient over a period of time;

comparing said measured concentration levels with predetermined concentration levels indicative of an onset of said medical condition; and

wherein said medical condition is selected from a set of medical conditions including pain and the occurrence of a stroke.

4. The method of claim 1 for predicting the onset of a medical condition further including the step of generating a profile responsive to said measured concentration levels, said profile representative of a likelihood of onset for said medical condition.

5. The method of claim 1 for predicting the onset of a medical condition wherein said measuring step includes measuring a concentration of carbon monoxide breath gas exhaled by the patient.

2. (canceled)

3. (canceled)

6. A method for predicting the onset of one or more sickle-cell anemia related pathologies in a human patient having sickle-cell anemia, comprising:

measuring a concentration level of at least one breath gas exhaled by the patient over a period of time; and

comparing said measured concentration levels with a predetermined concentration profile indicative of an onset of at least one sickle-cell pathology.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said sickle-cell anemia pathologies include one or more pathologies from a set of pathologies including pain, anemia, stroke, or infection.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein each of said one or more selected sickle-cell anemia related pathologies are each influenced by a decreased nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability.

9. A method for predicting the onset of at least one (NO)-related negative influence in a human patient, comprising:

measuring a concentration level of at least one breath gas exhaled by the patient over a period of time;

comparing said measured concentration levels with a predetermined concentration profile indicative of an onset of at least one selected (NO)-related negative influence; and

wherein said at least one selected (NO)-related negative influence is associated with an ivHb-dependent decrease in (NO) bioavailability.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said (NO)-related negative influence includes (NO)-related negative influences of hemolysis in a human patient and (NO)-related negative influences of chronic hereditary hemolytic disease in a human patient.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said one or more (NO)-related negative influences of chronic hereditary hemolytic disease include one or more pathologies from a set of pathologies including pulmonary hypertension, cutaneous ulceration, renal failure, thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, and malaria.

12. (canceled)

13. An apparatus for predicting the onset of a medical condition in a human patient, comprising:

means for measuring a plurality of concentration levels of at least one breath gas exhaled by the patient;

means for comparing said measured concentration levels with at least one predetermined concentration profile indicative of an onset of said medical condition; and

wherein said medical condition is selected from a set of medical conditions including pain and the occurrence of stroke.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said means for comparing includes a logic circuit.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 further including a display operatively coupled to said means for comparing;

wherein said means for comparing is further configured to generate an profile responsive to said measured concentration levels, said profile representative of a likelihood of onset for said medical condition; and

wherein said means for comparing is further configured to control said display to display said profile.

18. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said means for measuring is configured to measure a concentration of carbon monoxide breath gas exhaled by the patient.

16. (canceled)

17. (canceled)