Method for monitoring body characteristics
First Claim
1. In a method of dialysis of a patient in which there is an established selected electrical characteristic having a normal magnitude indicative of a normal body fluid condition and which electrical characteristic changes in response to dialysis, the steps comprising:
- attaching a first pair of electrodes to the patient, attaching a second pair of electrodes to the patient, supplying an electrical signal to said first pair of electrodes, operating on said electrical signal via said second pair of electrodes to provide an indication of the measured magnitude of the selected electrical characteristic of the patient, performing dialysis on the patient, monitoring the change in magnitude of the selected electrical characteristic as a result of dialysis on the patient and comparing the change in magnitude of the selected electrical characteristic as measured on the patient with said normal magnitude whereby an indication of the effectiveness of the dialysis can be determined.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for performing electrical measurement of body mutual electrical impedances to determine changes in total body water in normal and deranged states of the body. The apparatus is particularly useful in determining the progression of dialysis cases during the period when renal dialysis is being performed on the patient. The method and apparatus utilizes a special electrical circuit for measuring electrical characteristics at selected body locations. Certain electrical characteristics are measured such as the resistance, the capacitive impedance, and the total reactance of the body, and the phase angle is calculated or measured. Utilizing some of these measurements, the total body water relative to the body weight may be determined.
215 Citations
13 Claims
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1. In a method of dialysis of a patient in which there is an established selected electrical characteristic having a normal magnitude indicative of a normal body fluid condition and which electrical characteristic changes in response to dialysis, the steps comprising:
- attaching a first pair of electrodes to the patient, attaching a second pair of electrodes to the patient, supplying an electrical signal to said first pair of electrodes, operating on said electrical signal via said second pair of electrodes to provide an indication of the measured magnitude of the selected electrical characteristic of the patient, performing dialysis on the patient, monitoring the change in magnitude of the selected electrical characteristic as a result of dialysis on the patient and comparing the change in magnitude of the selected electrical characteristic as measured on the patient with said normal magnitude whereby an indication of the effectiveness of the dialysis can be determined.
- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
Specification