CATHETER

• US 20110212478A1
• Filed: 05/11/2011
• Published: 09/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: PA Knowledge Limited
• Original Assignee: PA Knowledge Limited
• Inventors: Fox, Stewart Maddison, OWEN, Richard Harley Grenville, Hughes, Martin Lawrence, Blatcher, Stephen
• Application Number:
  US13/105,726
• Publication Number:
  US 20110212478A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 435/28
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00094 Suction openings
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/15003 for venous or arterial blood
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150236 Pistons, i.e. cylindrical bodies that sit inside the syringe barrel, typically with an air tight seal, and slide in the barrel to create a vacuum or to expel blood
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/150992 Blood sampling from a fluid line external to a patient, such as a catheter line, combined with an infusion line; blood sampling from indwelling needle sets, e.g. sealable ports, luer couplings, valves tubing connectors and couplings A61M39/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/153 Devices specially adapted for taking samples of venous or arterial blood, e.g. with syringes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/154 Devices using pre-evacuated means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/155 Devices specially adapted for continuous or multiple sampling, e.g. at predetermined intervals devices loaded with multiple lancets simultaneously A61B5/15146
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2025/0008 having visible markings on its surface, i.e. visible to the naked eye, for any purpose, e.g. insertion depth markers, rotational markers or identification of type
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0071 Multiple separate lumens multiple separate lumens throughout the catheter A61M25/0026

Abstract

A catheter for insertion into a blood vessel, the catheter having a sampling part arranged to capture a blood sample at a plurality of locations along a length of the blood vessel and an apparatus arranged to analyse blood taken from a plurality of locations along the length of the blood vessel and to provide a profile of concentration levels along the length of the blood vessel.

Claims

1. A method for generating a data profile for one or more biomarkers at a site of interest in a blood vessel, comprising the steps of:

(a) analyzing a plurality of blood samples obtained from respective locations along a length of the blood vessel;

(b) measuring the concentration of the one or more biomarkers in each of the samples, and (c) generating a data profile of the concentration levels for the one or more biomarkers along the length of said blood vessel.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the number of samples is from three to about 100.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the biomarkers tested are selected from the group consisting of CRP, PAPPA, Myeloperoxidase, MMP 9, sCD40L, PLGF, Neopterin, Soluble P-Selectin, SVCAM-1, sICAM-1, soluble CD4OL, VCAM-1, ICAM-1, P-Selectin, E-Selectin and combinations thereof.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the data is displayed as a map of one or more biomarker gradients along the length of said blood vessel.

5. A method of profiling a length of a blood vessel comprising:

(a) obtaining a plurality of blood samples from a plurality of respective locations along the length of the blood vessel; and

, (b) analyzing the plurality of blood samples to develop a profile of the concentration levels of one or more biomarkers along the length of the blood vessel.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the plurality of blood samples are obtained by applying suction to a plurality of vacuum passageways connected to a corresponding plurality of openings.

7. The method of claim 5, comprising:

analyzing the plurality of blood samples so as to locate parts of the blood vessel requiring treatment.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of analyzing includes calculating background levels for markers detected in the plurality of blood samples.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the plurality of samples are obtained substantially simultaneously.

10. The method of claim 5 wherein the profile of one or more biomarkers is used to calculate the background level of said biomarker.

11. A method for identifying a physiological or pathological state of a region of a blood vessel comprising applying at least one test to determine the level of at least one biological marker to a plurality of discrete blood samples, wherein the blood samples to be tested have been collected from along a length of the blood vessel.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said physiological or pathological state is useful in predicting a stroke.

13. A method for predicting a coronary condition caused by a vulnerable plaque, comprising:

obtaining a plurality of blood samples along a length of a blood vessel;

analyzing said plurality of blood samples for the concentration level of one or more biomarkers;

generating a profile for the said biomarkers; and

providing an output map which displays concentration gradient of at least one biochemical marker along the length of the blood vessel.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said coronary condition is myocardial infarction.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the plurality of blood samples are obtained by applying suction to a plurality of vacuum passageways connected to a corresponding plurality of openings.

16. A collection of discrete blood samples that have been extracted from along a length of a blood vessel, the length of the blood vessel being considered to potentially include a region of vulnerable plaque, wherein the discrete blood samples have been collected at a plurality of locations along the length of the blood vessel.