Method and system for externally treating human blood
First Claim
1. A method for reducing the population of lymphocytes with intense metabolic activity in the blood supply of a human subject, comprising the steps of:
- withdrawing whole blood from said subject, forming said whole blood into an extracorporeal stream, flowing said stream through a treatment station which comprises a thin chamber substantially transparent to UV radiation, irradiating said withdrawn whole blood in said treatment station with UV radiation in the presence of about 1 nanogram to 100 micrograms of a dissolved psoralen capable when activated by said UV radiation to effect chemical bonding between said psoralen and said lymphocytes, thereby selectively inhibiting the metabolic processes of said lymphocytes; and
returning the irradiated whole blood to said subject.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and system are disclosed for externally treating human blood, with the objective of reducing the functioning lymphocyte population in the blood system of a human subject. According to the method, blood is withdrawn from the subject and passed through an ultraviolet radiation field in the presence of from about 1 nanogram to 100 micrograms per ml of blood, of a dissolved psoralen capable of forming photoadducts with DNA, to thereby effect covalent bonding between the psoralen and the nucleic acid of the lymphocytes, thereby altering the said nucleic acid and inhibiting the metabolic processes of the lymphocytes; and thereupon returning the irradiated blood to the subject. The withdrawn blood may be formed into an extracorporeal stream and flowed through a treatment station whereat the irradiation is effected, as for example by exposure to UV energy in the wave length range of from about 3200 to 4000 Angstroms; and such flow process may be conducted on a continuous basis. If desired, at least portions of the treated blood may then be separated, as for example by a continuous centrifuge, before returning the remaining diverted blood to the subject.
141 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A method for reducing the population of lymphocytes with intense metabolic activity in the blood supply of a human subject, comprising the steps of:
withdrawing whole blood from said subject, forming said whole blood into an extracorporeal stream, flowing said stream through a treatment station which comprises a thin chamber substantially transparent to UV radiation, irradiating said withdrawn whole blood in said treatment station with UV radiation in the presence of about 1 nanogram to 100 micrograms of a dissolved psoralen capable when activated by said UV radiation to effect chemical bonding between said psoralen and said lymphocytes, thereby selectively inhibiting the metabolic processes of said lymphocytes; and
returning the irradiated whole blood to said subject.- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method for reducing the population of lymphocytes with intense metabolic activity in the blood supply of a human subject, comprising the steps of:
withdrawing whole blood from said subject, forming said whole blood into an extracorporeal stream, flowing said stream through a treatment station which comprises a thin chamber substantially transparent to UV radiation, irradiating said withdrawn whole blood in said treatment station with UV radiation in the presence of an effective amount of 8-methoxypsoralen within the range of from about 1 nanogram to 100 micrograms per ml of blood capable when activated by said UV radiation to effect chemical bonding between said 8-methoxypsoralen and said lymphocytes, thereby selectively inhibiting the metabolic processes of said lymphocytes; and
returning the irradiated whole blood to said subject, wherein said process is carried out continuously.- View Dependent Claims (15, 16)
Specification