Detection, diagnosis, and monitoring of a medical condition or disease with artificial olfactometry

• US 20070265509A1
• Filed: 07/20/2007
• Published: 11/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smiths Detection (Smiths Group International Holdings Ltd.), Trustees Of The University Of Pennsylvania (University of Pennsylvania)
• Original Assignee: Smiths Detection (Smiths Group International Holdings Ltd.), Trustees Of The University Of Pennsylvania (University of Pennsylvania)
• Inventors: Hanson, C., Burch, Timothy, Thaler, Erica
• Granted Patent: US 7,819,803 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/300
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/00 Measuring for diagnostic purposes radiation diagnosis A61B6/00; diagnosis by ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves A61B8/00; Identification of persons
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/097 Devices for facilitating collection of breath or for directing breath into or through measuring devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/412 Detecting or monitoring sepsis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4547 Evaluating teeth
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0036 Specially adapted to detect a particular component all the other sub-groups of G01N33/0004 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/497 of gaseous biological material, e.g. breath

Abstract

Methods and devices for rapid diagnosis and monitoring a patient for disease or effectiveness of treatment in real time. In preferred embodiments, the methods and devices comprise contacting an array of sensors with a sample from a mammal suspected of having a disease to generate a sensor array profile, measuring a clinical diagnostic marker for the suspected disease, and then developing a diagnosis using the sensor array profile in combination with the clinical diagnostic marker.

Claims

1. A method of determining a physiological condition in a mammal, said method comprising:

(a) contacting an array of sensors with a sample from a mammal suspected of having a physiological condition to generate a sensor array response profile;

(b) measuring a clinical diagnostic marker for said physiological condition; and

(c) developing a diagnosis using said sensor array response profile in combination with a clinical diagnostic marker, thereby detecting said physiological condition,

wherein the array of sensors includes a chemical sensor electrically coupled to first and second conductive leads, and

wherein the contacting step comprises;

a1) measuring a first response between the first and second conductive leads when the chemical sensor is contacted with a first marker gas at a first concentration; and

a2) measuring a second response between the first and second conductive leads when the chemical sensor is contacted with the first marker gas at a second concentration different from the first concentration; and

a3) generating the sensor array response profile based on the first and second responses.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second responses are measured by changes in magnetic or optical characteristics.

3. A system for determining a physiological condition in a mammal, said system comprising:

an array of sensors configured to be placed in contact with a sample from a mammal suspected of having a physiological condition to generate a sensor array response profile;

a measuring unit configured to measure a clinical diagnostic marker for said physiological condition; and

a diagnosis unit configured to receive the sensor array response profile output by the array of sensors and the clinical diagnostic marker output by the measuring unit, and to develop a diagnosis using said sensor array response profile in combination with a clinical diagnostic marker, thereby detecting said physiological condition,

wherein the array of sensors includes a chemical sensor electrically coupled to first and second conductive leads, and

wherein the sensor array response profile is generated by;

a) measuring a first response between the first and second conductive leads when the chemical sensor is contacted with a first marker gas at a first concentration; and

b) measuring a second response between the first and second conductive leads when the chemical sensor is contacted with the first marker gas at a second concentration different from the first concentration; and

c) generating the sensor array response profile based on the first and second responses.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the first and second responses are measured by changes in magnetic or optical characteristics.

5. A method of determining a physiological condition in a mammal, said method comprising:

(a) contacting an array of sensors with a sample from a plurality of mammals known to have a physiological condition to generate a first sensor array response profile;

(b) contacting the array of sensors with a sample from a plurality of mammals known not to have the physiological condition to generate a second sensor array response profile;

(c) contacting the array of sensors with a sample from a mammal to generate a third sensor array response profile;

(c) developing a diagnosis of the mammal with respect to the physiological condition by comparing the third sensor array response profile with the first and second sensor array response profiles.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first, second and third responses are measured by changes in magnetic or optical characteristics.