Bodily sample collection balloon catheter method
First Claim
1. A method for taking a bodily sample from a blood vessel of a patient and collecting said sample outside the body, comprising:
- providing a sampling probe in the form of an elongate vascular catheter having a proximal portion that remains outside the body and a distal portion that can be located in the blood vessel, said distal portion including an expandable portion that can be selectively expanded to larger diameters and contracted to smaller diameters, said expandable portion including a polymer on its outer surface capable of receiving a substantial amount of bodily sample suitable for detecting disease or monitoring a treatment,positioning said expandable portion at a desired location within said blood vessel, andtaking said sample by expanding said expandable portion to contact the wall Of said blood vessel with said polymer with sufficient force to compress said polymer to a reduced thickness,contracting said expandable portion to re-expand said polymer and draw said sample into said polymer by suction forces created by said re-expansion,further contracting said expandable portion to smaller diameter so that said polymer does not contact said wall of said blood vessel,removing said catheter from said patient,collecting said sample outside the body, andanalyzing said sample to detect disease or monitor said treatment.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Treating a patient by collecting a bodily sample from deep within the body of a patient and collecting the sample outside the body to facilitate treatment of the patient. A sampling probe is provided in the form of an elongate catheter having a proximal portion that remains outside the body and a distal portion that can be located within the body. The distal portion includes a polymer on its outer surface capable of receiving a substantial amount of bodily sample. The catheter is positioned within the body and the sample is taken by exposing the polymer by placing it in proximity within a desired location so that said bodily sample is received by the polymer. The catheter is removed from the patient and the sample is collected outside the body.
56 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A method for taking a bodily sample from a blood vessel of a patient and collecting said sample outside the body, comprising:
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providing a sampling probe in the form of an elongate vascular catheter having a proximal portion that remains outside the body and a distal portion that can be located in the blood vessel, said distal portion including an expandable portion that can be selectively expanded to larger diameters and contracted to smaller diameters, said expandable portion including a polymer on its outer surface capable of receiving a substantial amount of bodily sample suitable for detecting disease or monitoring a treatment, positioning said expandable portion at a desired location within said blood vessel, and taking said sample by expanding said expandable portion to contact the wall Of said blood vessel with said polymer with sufficient force to compress said polymer to a reduced thickness, contracting said expandable portion to re-expand said polymer and draw said sample into said polymer by suction forces created by said re-expansion, further contracting said expandable portion to smaller diameter so that said polymer does not contact said wall of said blood vessel, removing said catheter from said patient, collecting said sample outside the body, and analyzing said sample to detect disease or monitor said treatment. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method for taking a bodily sample from a blood vessel of a patient and collecting said sample outside the body, comprising:
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providing a sampling probe in the form of an elongate vascular catheter having a proximal portion that remains outside the body and a distal portion that can be located in the blood vessel, said distal portion including an expandable portion that can be selectively expanded to larger diameters and contracted to smaller diameters, said expandable portion including a hydrogel on its outer surface capable of receiving a substantial amount of bodily sample suitable for detecting disease or monitoring a treatment, positioning said expandable portion at a desired location within said blood vessel, and taking said sample by exposing said hydrogel by expanding said expandable portion sufficient to place said hydrogel in proximity with the wall of said blood vessel so that said bodily sample is received by said hydrogel, contracting said expandable portion to a smaller diameter so that said hydrogel does not contact said wall of said blood vessel, removing said catheter from said patient, collecting said sample outside the body, and analyzing said sample to detect disease or monitor said treatment. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A method for treating a patient by taking a bodily tissue sample from deep within the body of a patient and collecting said sample outside the body to facilitate treatment of the patient, comprising:
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providing a sampling probe in the form of an elongate catheter having a proximal portion that remains outside the body and a distal portion that can be located within the body, said distal portion including an expandable portion that can be selectively expanded to larger diameters and contracted to smaller diameters, said expandable portion including a polymer on its outer surface capable of receiving a substantial amount of said sample suitable for detecting disease or monitoring a treatment, positioning said catheter within the body, and taking said sample by expanding said expandable portion to contact said bodily tissue with said polymer with sufficient force to compress said polymer to a reduced thickness, contracting said expandable portion to re-expand said polymer and draw said sample into said polymer by suction forces created by said re-expansion, removing said catheter from said patient, collecting said sample outside the body, and analyzing said sample to detect disease or monitor said treatment. - View Dependent Claims (24)
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25. A method for treating a patient by taking a bodily tissue sample from deep within the body of a patient and collecting said sample outside the body to facilitate treatment of the patient, comprising:
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providing a sampling probe in the form of an elongate vascular catheter having a proximal portion that remains outside the body and a distal portion that can be located within the body, said distal portion including an expandable portion that can be selectively expanded to larger diameters and contracted to smaller diameters, said expandable portion including a hydrogel on its outer surface capable of receiving a substantial amount of bodily sample suitable for detecting disease or monitoring a treatment, positioning said expandable portion at a desired location within the body, and taking said sample by exposing said hydrogel by expanding said expandable portion sufficient to place said hydrogel in proximity with said bodily tissue so that said bodily sample is received by said hydrogel, contracting said expandable portion to a smaller diameter so that said hydrogel does not contact said bodily tissue, removing said catheter from said patient, collecting said sample outside the body, and analyzing said sample to detect disease or monitor said treatment.
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Specification