APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR EARLY STAGE PERITONITIS DETECTION AND FOR IN VIVO TESTING OF BODILY FLUID
First Claim
1. Apparatus for in vivo testing of fluids in a patient'"'"'s body, comprisingA. an illuminant source and illuminant detector, both disposed external to a patient,B. a first fiber optic bundle that carries illuminant from the source into the patient'"'"'s body,C. a second fiber optic bundle that carries illuminant scattered by fluid patient'"'"'s body to the detector,D. wherein distal ends of the first and second fiber optic bundles are configured so that the latter captures and transmits to the detector reflected and/or scattered (collectively, “
- scattered”
) illuminant at a cellular scale of resolution.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention provides, inter alia, automated medical methods and apparatus that test PD effluent in a flow path (e.g., with an APD system or CAPD setup) to detect, for example, the onset of peritonitis, based on optical characteristics of the effluent resolved at cellular scales of distance. For example, according to one aspect of the invention, an APD machine includes, in an effluent flow path, apparatus for early stage peritonitis detection comprising an illumination source and a detector. The source is arranged to illuminate peritoneal effluent in a chamber that forms part of the flow path, and the detector is arranged to detect illuminant scattered by the effluent. The detector detects that reflected or scattered illuminant at a cellular scale of resolution, e.g., on a scale such that separate cellular-sized biological (or other) components in the effluent can be distinguished from one another based on scattering events detected by the detector. Other aspects of the invention provide automated medical testing methods and apparatus that detect the onset of peritonitis and other bodily conditions by testing fluids in the body in vivo, e.g., the patient'"'"'s peritoneum. Such apparatus and methods utilize a first fiber optic bundle to carry illuminant from a source of the type described above into a bodily organ or cavity, and a second fiber optic bundle to carry illuminant scattered by fluid in that organ or cavity to a detector as described above.
80 Citations
34 Claims
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1. Apparatus for in vivo testing of fluids in a patient'"'"'s body, comprising
A. an illuminant source and illuminant detector, both disposed external to a patient, B. a first fiber optic bundle that carries illuminant from the source into the patient'"'"'s body, C. a second fiber optic bundle that carries illuminant scattered by fluid patient'"'"'s body to the detector, D. wherein distal ends of the first and second fiber optic bundles are configured so that the latter captures and transmits to the detector reflected and/or scattered (collectively, “ - scattered”
) illuminant at a cellular scale of resolution. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
- scattered”
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10. Apparatus for in vivo testing of fluid in a bodily organ or cavity of a patient, comprising
A. a catheter, B. an illuminant source and illuminant detector, both disposed external to a patient, C. a first fiber optic bundle that carries illuminant from the source into the bodily organ or cavity, D. a second fiber optic bundle that carries to the detector illuminant scattered by fluid, including biological or other components therein, contained in the bodily organ or cavity, E. the first and second fiber optic bundles being disposed at least partially in the catheter, F. a tip disposed at a distal end of the catheter for securing distal ends of the first and second fiber optic bundles such that the latter captures and transmits to the detector illuminant reflected and/or scattered (collectively, “ - scattered”
) in the bodily organ or cavity. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
- scattered”
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20. Apparatus for in vivo testing of peritoneal fluid, comprising
A. at least one of a catheter and a transfer set, B. an illuminant source and illuminant detector, both disposed external to a patient, C. a first fiber optic bundle that carries illuminant from the source into the patient'"'"'s peritoneum, D. a second fiber optic bundle that carries to the detector illuminant scattered by fluid, including biological or other components therein, contained in the peritoneum, E. the first and second fiber optic bundles being disposed at least partially in the catheter, F. distal ends of the first and second fiber optic bundles being disposed in the peritoneum such that the latter captures and transmits to the detector illuminant reflected and/or scattered (collectively, “ - scattered”
) in the peritoneum. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
- scattered”
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28. Method for in vivo testing of peritoneal fluid, comprising
A. illuminating fluid in a patient'"'"'s peritoneum, B. detecting illuminant any of reflected and scattered (collectively, “ - scattered”
) by the fluid at a cellular scale of resolution such that at least selected separate cellular-sized components in the fluid can be distinguished from one another based on illuminant that is scattered therefrom. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32)
- scattered”
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33. Method according to claim 33, comprising detecting illuminant scattered from white blood cells (WBCs) in the effluent such that they can be distinguished from red blood cells (RBCs), fibrin and/or other components from which illuminant is scattered in the pertioneum.
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34. Method for testing fluid in any body cavity or organ, comprising
A. illuminating fluid in the body cavity or organ, B. detecting illuminant any of reflected and scattered (collectively, “ - scattered”
) by the fluid at a cellular scale of resolution such that at least selected separate cellular-sized components in the fluid can be distinguished from one another based on illuminant that is scattered therefrom.
- scattered”
Specification