Monitoring systems
First Claim
1. A method for monitoring various body parameters which comprises the steps of installing an electrode in place in vivo, providing, at a site of introduction of the said electrode, a liquid protecting medium having the properties of (a) suppressing adverse depressive effects on the electrode'"'"'s output induced by the biological environment at the site of introduction of the electrode in the absence of the protecting medium and (b) not injuring the biological environment around the site of introduction of the electrode, and flowing the protecting medium into the biological environment, and wherein the liquid protecting medium is introduced into the site in which the electrode is to be used prior to the insertion of the electrode, and measuring signal outputs of the electrode to provide a measure of the body parameter being monitored.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Method and electrode assemblies for using or installing an electrode (especially enzyme electrode) in vivo, in which a protecting medium is introduced at the installation site to suppress adverse effects on the electrode'"'"'s output. The medium is preferably an isotonic solution (e.g. saline) and/or a buffer solution and/or an anti-coagulant, and may be of increased viscosity (e.g. a gel or hydrogel), and may be coated on the electrode assembly. The preferred electrode assembly is a needle within a trocar cannula, preferably with the needle tip set back to form a recess to contain gelled medium which can then be fed with liquid medium. The assembly can be made as a sterilised, sealed pack bearing calibration and/or other data relevant to its use, especially in machine-readable form.
318 Citations
17 Claims
- 1. A method for monitoring various body parameters which comprises the steps of installing an electrode in place in vivo, providing, at a site of introduction of the said electrode, a liquid protecting medium having the properties of (a) suppressing adverse depressive effects on the electrode'"'"'s output induced by the biological environment at the site of introduction of the electrode in the absence of the protecting medium and (b) not injuring the biological environment around the site of introduction of the electrode, and flowing the protecting medium into the biological environment, and wherein the liquid protecting medium is introduced into the site in which the electrode is to be used prior to the insertion of the electrode, and measuring signal outputs of the electrode to provide a measure of the body parameter being monitored.
- 11. In a method for monitoring various body parameters of a biological environment in which an electrode is installed at a site in the biological environment and then measurements of signal outputs of the electrode provide a measure of the parameters of the biological environment being monitored, the improvement which comprises supplying at the site of introduction of the electrode an effective amount of a liquid protecting medium sufficient to suppress the adverse depressive effects of the biological environment on the electrode'"'"'s output at the time of and subsequent to introduction of the electrode into tissue at the site, and introducing the liquid protecting medium into the site prior to insertion of the electrode into tissue at the site.
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13. A method for installing and using an electrode for monitoring parameters of a biological environment which comprises the steps of installing an electrode in place in vivo at a site in the biological environment, providing at the site of introduction of the said electrode, a liquid protecting medium having the properties of (a) suppressing adverse depressive effects on the electrode'"'"'s output induced by the biological environment at the site of introduction of the electrode in the absence of the protecting medium and (b) not injuring the biological environment around the site of introduction of the electrode, and allowing the protecting medium freedom to flow into the biological environment, and introducing the liquid protecting medium through a cannula into the site at which the electrode is to be used, prior to insertion of the electrode, and measuring the electrode'"'"'s output to provide a measure of the parameters of the biological environment being monitored.
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14. In a method for using an electrode in place in vivo in a monitoring system for monitoring various body parameters, the improvement which comprises supplying at a site of introduction of the electrode an effective amount of a liquid protecting medium sufficient to suppress the adverse depressive effects of the biological environment on the electrode'"'"'s output at the time of and subsequent to introduction of the electrode into tissue at the site, introducing the liquid protecting medium through a cannula into the site prior to insertion of the electrode into tissue at the site, and measuring the electrode'"'"'s output to provide a measure of the parameters of the biological environment being monitored.
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15. In a method for electrochemical monitoring parameters of a biological environment in which an electrode is installed in place by insertion into the biological environment and then measurements of signal outputs of the electrode are used to provide a measure of the parameters of the biological environment in which the electrode is installed, the improvement which comprises introducing, at the site of introduction of the electrode where measurements are to be made and prior to the insertion of the electrode into tissue at the site, an amount of a liquid protecting medium which serves to intervene between the electrode and the biological environment surrounding it, and
(1) suppresses any adverse effects which the biological environment could have on the unprotected electrode'"'"'s output at the time of and subsequent to the introduction of the electrode into tissue at the site, (2) prevents injury to the biological environment around the site of introduction of the electrode and (3) allows the introduced liquid protecting medium freedom to flow into the surrounding biological environment.
Specification