Processes and devices for continuously monitoring levels of analyte
First Claim
1. A process for continuously measuring a concentration of an analyte in tissue, comprising the steps of:
- disposing a hollow fiber in contact with said tissue having a pore size between a size of said analyte and a size of macromolecules;
perfusing said hollow fiber with a macromolecule-free prefusion fluid compatible with said tissue so that said analyte enters said perfusion fluid through said hollow fiber;
feeding said perfusion fluid with said analyte therein from said hollow fiber through a reactor for said analyte, said reactor including a further hollow fiber having a pore size between said size of said analyte and said size of macromolecules, said further hollow fiber being disposed in a non-porous container containing macromolecular reactants so that said perfusion fluid with said analyte therein is exposed to said macromolecular reactants exclusively in said container;
detecting said analyte using macromolecular reactants exclusively in said container and generating an electrical signal corresponding to a detected level of said analyte;
feeding said perfusion fluid from said reactor to an eliminator and, in said eliminator, removing at least 95% of said analyte from said perfusion fluid; and
reintroducing said perfusion fluid, after removing said analyte therefrom, in a closed loop into said hollow fiber with 5% or less of said analyte therein.
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Abstract
In a process and devices or continuously measuring the concentration of an analyte in tissue. The tissue is provided with a hollow fiber having a pore size between the size of the analyte and the size of macromolecules, hollow fiber is perfused with a solution compatible with the tissue, and that solution is supplied from the hollow fiber through a reactor for the analyte. The reactor has a second hollow fiber having a pore size between the size of the analyte and the size of macromolecules, and the second hollow fiber is located in a container which contains macromolecular reactants for detecting the analyte and a signal producing system coupled therewith. The perfusion fluid is fed from the reactor to an eliminator for the analyte, whereby at least 95% of the remaining analyte is removed from the perfusion fluid and the perfusion fluid is reintroduced into said first hollow fiber.
The process and devices operate as a closed circuit and therefore this method can be continued over a longer period of time than known methods, without the need to replace reservoirs.
246 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A process for continuously measuring a concentration of an analyte in tissue, comprising the steps of:
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disposing a hollow fiber in contact with said tissue having a pore size between a size of said analyte and a size of macromolecules; perfusing said hollow fiber with a macromolecule-free prefusion fluid compatible with said tissue so that said analyte enters said perfusion fluid through said hollow fiber; feeding said perfusion fluid with said analyte therein from said hollow fiber through a reactor for said analyte, said reactor including a further hollow fiber having a pore size between said size of said analyte and said size of macromolecules, said further hollow fiber being disposed in a non-porous container containing macromolecular reactants so that said perfusion fluid with said analyte therein is exposed to said macromolecular reactants exclusively in said container; detecting said analyte using macromolecular reactants exclusively in said container and generating an electrical signal corresponding to a detected level of said analyte; feeding said perfusion fluid from said reactor to an eliminator and, in said eliminator, removing at least 95% of said analyte from said perfusion fluid; and reintroducing said perfusion fluid, after removing said analyte therefrom, in a closed loop into said hollow fiber with 5% or less of said analyte therein. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A device for continuously measuring a concentration of an analyte in tissue, comprising:
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a hollow fiber adapted for contact with tissue, said hollow fiber having a pore size between a size of said analyte and a size of macromolecules; means for perfusing said hollow fiber with a macromolecule-free perfusion fluid compatible with said tissue for causing said analyte to enter said perfusion fluid through said hollow fiber; a reactor for said analyte, said reactor including a non-porous container containing macromolecular reactants and containing a further hollow fiber having a pore size between said size of said analyte and said size of macromolecules; means for feeding said perfusion fluid from said hollow fiber through said reactor for exposing said perfusion fluid with said analyte therein to said macromolecular reactants exclusively in said container; means for detecting said analyte using macromolecular reactants exclusively in said container and for generating an electrical signal corresponding to a detected level of said analyte; eliminator means for removing at least 95% of said analyte from said perfusion fluid; means for feeding said perfusion fluid from said reactor to said means for eliminating; and means for reintroducing said perfusion fluid, after the removal of said analyte therefrom in a closed loop, into said hollow fiber adapted for contact with said tissue with 5% or less of said analyte therein. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification