Prenatal non-invasive detection of meconium stained amniotic fluid
First Claim
1. A process for a non-invasive in vivo detection of a meconium state pregnancy in a gravid female by detection of fluorescent pigments within meconium stained amniotic fluid, said process comprising steps:
- A. spectrally isolating excitation wavelengths characteristic of said pigments;
B. passing said isolated excitation wavelengths into said amniotic fluid for exciting said fluorescent pigments contained within said meconium;
C. detecting fluorescence emitted by said excited pigments contained within said meconium;
D. spectrally isolating emission wavelengths characteristic of the fluorescence emitted by said pigments contained in the meconium andE. amplifying and analyzing spectra of said detected fluorescence.
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Abstract
This invention describes a process for the diagnosis of meconium stained amniotic fluid. Meconium staining is often the result of ongoing or transient fetal distress or prolonged gestation. This process involves the non-invasive illumination of the amnion with light of a specific wavelength and detecting the fluorescence of certain biological pigments contained within the meconium. The process uses a source of light and a means of selecting the desired wavelength of light, directing the light to the target area, retrieving the fluorescence, converting the fluorescent emission to an electrical signal, amplifying the signal and analyzing the signal with a data processing unit.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. A process for a non-invasive in vivo detection of a meconium state pregnancy in a gravid female by detection of fluorescent pigments within meconium stained amniotic fluid, said process comprising steps:
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A. spectrally isolating excitation wavelengths characteristic of said pigments; B. passing said isolated excitation wavelengths into said amniotic fluid for exciting said fluorescent pigments contained within said meconium; C. detecting fluorescence emitted by said excited pigments contained within said meconium; D. spectrally isolating emission wavelengths characteristic of the fluorescence emitted by said pigments contained in the meconium and E. amplifying and analyzing spectra of said detected fluorescence. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A process for a non-invasive in vivo detection of a meconium state pregnancy in a gravid female by detection of bilirubin and its metabolites within meconium stained amniotic fluid, said process comprising steps:
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A. spectrally isolating excitation wavelengths characteristic of said bilirubin in a range of about 300 to about 525 nm by means of a monochromatic argon laser; B. passing said isolated excitation wavelengths transcervically into said amniotic fluid for exciting fluorescent pigments contained within said bilirubin by said meconium; C. detecting fluorescence emitted by said excited pigments contained within said meconium; spectrally isolating emission wavelengths in a range of about 460 to about 610 nm characteristic of said fluorescence emitted by said bilirubin contained in said meconium by means of a filter and E. amplifying and analyzing spectra of said detected fluorescence. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A process utilizing fluorescent spectroscopy for non-invasively detecting a prenatal meconium state pregnancy in the gravid female by in vivo detection of fluorescent pigments in amniotic fluid wherein said pigments are bilirubin and its metabolites, said process comprising steps:
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A. illuminating amniotic fluid with monochromatic light at a wavelength required for excitation of said fluorescent pigments contained within meconium thereby causing said pigments to fluoresce and emit photons; B. detecting said emitted photons emitted by said excited pigments contained within said meconium thereby generating a signal representative of said emitted photons; and C. amplifying and analyzing said generated signal. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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Specification