Body fluid analysis system

• US 5,787,885 A
• Filed: 10/13/1994
• Issued: 08/04/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Jerome H. Lemelson
• Original Assignee: Jerome H. Lemelson
• Inventors: Lemelson, Jerome H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lacyk, John P.
• Application Number:
  US08/322,640
• Time in Patent Office: 1,391 Days
• Field of Search: 128/632, 128/635, 128/637, 128/718, 128/719, 128/730, 128/760-71, 422/68.1, 422/83, 422/84, 422/93
• US Class Current: 600/309
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/083 Measuring rate of metabolism by using breath test, e.g. measuring rate of oxygen consumption
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4233 oesophagus

Abstract

A device and method for sampling and testing the breath of human beings to detect maladies in the esophagus, stomach or gastrointestinal tract by the automatic analysis of the chemical contents of the sampled breath includes a container and a microprocessor-controlled valve for allowing a select portion of the breath to enter and be stored in the container upon exhaling through an inlet to the container so as to avoid storing air which is first exhaled. A normally open pressure switch or sensor activated by the pressure of the initial flow of the breath into an inlet tube from the mouth provides a start signal for controlling an electronic timer or microprocessor, which thereafter controls the sampling operation. The apparatus also includes passageways to several collection chambers, to permit multiple samples of the same or different body fluids to be collected and analyzed with a self-contained sensor or a remote analysis system.

Claims

1. A method for collecting and analyzing body fluid comprising:

(a) sensing the flow of a body fluid of a living being to a first chamber of a multi-chamber collection device;

(b) generating a control signal indicative of a predetermined parameter representative of fluid flow;

(c) employing said control signal to initiate the select operation of a control computer;

(d) operating said control computer thereafter in a manner to control collection of a user-selected amount of said body fluid;

(e) causing a second sample of body fluid to flow to a second chamber of the collection device;

(f) sensing the contents of at least one of the collected samples with a fluid sensor and generating signals; and

(g) computer-analyzing said signals to determine the chemical composition of said sample.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the body fluid flowing to at least one of the chambers is the breath of a human being.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising filtering air passed to the human being, before collecting exhaled air from said human being.

4. The method of claim 2 further comprising altering the chemical composition of air passed to the human being, before collecting exhaled air from said human being.

5. The method of claim 2 further comprising passing the breath sample through a fluid trap before the sample flows to said collection device.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the body fluid flowing to at least one of the chambers is the urine of a human being.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the body fluid flowing to at least one of the chambers is the blood of a human being.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the body fluid flowing to a least one of the chambers is the sweat of a human being.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the body fluid flowing to at least one of the chambers is the lymph fluid of a human being.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said first and second samples comprise different body fluids.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein one of said fluid samples is collected in gaseous phase and the other of said samples is collected in liquid phase.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising causing the body fluid to flow through a filter.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the acts in parts (d) and (g) are performed by a single, multi-function control computer.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein part (d) comprises controlling operation of a entry valve disposed at an inlet to said collection device.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein part (d) further comprises controlling operation of an exit valve disposed at an outlet from said collection device.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein part (g) is performed at a location remote from the point at which the fluid is collected.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein part (g) comprises generating signals modulated with information relating to the composition of at least a portion of said body fluid, computer analyzing said signals and generating codes representative thereof, and applying said codes to indicate a proposed diagnosis of a detected malady of the living being whose body fluid is so collected.

18. The method of claim 17

wherein part (g) further comprises generating second signals modulated with information relating to the composition of at least a portion of said second sample, computer analyzing said second signals, and generating second codes representative thereof, and wherein said act of indicating a proposed diagnosis comprises

applying said first and second codes in combination.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein said multi-chamber collection device is portable, and further comprising transporting said samples to a location remote from the point at which the fluid is collected and performing said analysis at said remote location.

20. A method for collecting and analyzing body materials comprising:

(a) sensing the flow of a body fluid of a living being to a first chamber of a multi-chamber collection device;

(b) generating a control signal indicative of a predetermined parameter representative of fluid flow;

(c) employing said control signal to initiate the select operation of a control computer;

(d) operating said control computer thereafter in a manner to control collection of a select amount of said body fluid;

(e) collecting an amount of solid material from a body duct in a second chamber of the collection device;

(f) sensing the contents of at least one of the collected amounts with a sensor and generating signals; and

(f) computer-analyzing said signals to determine the chemical composition of the contents.

21. An apparatus for collecting a body fluid and analyzing its contents comprising:

(a) a housing;

(b) a fluid inlet at the exterior of said housing adapted to be disposed at an opening of a body cavity containing fluid;

(c) a inlet passageway extending from said fluid inlet into said housing;

(d) a reservoir supported by said housing and coupled to said inlet passageway;

(e) an inlet valve in said inlet passageway;

(f) a first actuator coupled to open and close said inlet valve;

(g) an exhaust passageway extending from said reservoir to the exterior of said housing;

(h) an outlet valve in said exhaust passageway;

(i) a second actuator coupled to open and close said outlet valve;

(j) a sensor positioned to detect and determine the chemical composition of body fluid in the reservoir;

(k) an electronic computing device supported by said housing, coupled to the two actuators, and coupled to the sensor; and

(l) an indicating device coupled to said electronic computing device.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the electronic computing device comprises a micro-controller.

23. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the fluid inlet is a mouthpiece.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 further comprising an air intake coupled to the mouthpiece, and an air filter positioned to filter air passing through said air intake to the mouthpiece.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein the air filter comprises a fluid trap.

26. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the reservoir comprises a plurality of chambers, the inlet passageway leads to the plurality of chambers, further comprising a valve coupling the inlet passageway to only one of the chambers at a time, and wherein the electronic computing device is coupled to and controls the valve.

27. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the valve comprises a rotary valve.

28. An apparatus for collecting and analyzing body fluid comprising:

(a) means for sensing the flow of a body fluid of a living being through a passageway system leading to a multi-chamber reservoir and generating a control signal indicative of a predetermined flow of said body fluid;

(b) means for controlling the amount of said body fluid passing through a passageway leading to a first chamber;

(c) means for controlling the passage of a select amount of a second quantity of body fluid through a passageway leading to a second chamber;

(d) means for generating signals representative of the chemical composition of at least one of said body fluid amounts; and

(e) means for classifying said chemical composition and reporting the determined classification.

29. The apparatus of claim 28 wherein said means (d) is further operable on said second quantity of body fluid, and wherein the body fluids in parts (b) and (c) are of different types.

30. A method for collecting and analyzing body fluid comprising:

(a) sensing the flow of a body fluid of a living being to a collection device;

(b) generating a control signal indicative of a predetermined parameter representative of fluid flow;

(c) employing said control signal to initiate the select operation of a control computer;

(d) operating said control computer thereafter in a manner to control collection of a user-selected amount of said body fluid by causing the control computer to direct operation of an entry valve disposed at an inlet to said collection device and an exit valve disposed at an outlet from said collection device;

(e) sensing the contents of said collected body fluid with a fluid sensor and generating signals; and

(f) computer-analyzing said signals to determine the chemical composition of said body fluid.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein said computer:

(a) first causes said exit valve to open for a select period of time while said body fluid is flowing to said collection device, (b) then causes said exit valve to close, and (c) then, some time later, causes said entry valve to close.

32. The method of claim 31 further comprising measuring the flow rate of the body fluid through the entry valve, wherein said control signal is generated when the flow exceeds a predetermined flow rate, and wherein said flow-rate measurements are used to control the timing of the operation of the computer-controlled entry and outlet valves.

33. The method of claim 30 wherein the body fluid flowing to the collection device is the breath of a human being.

34. The method of claim 33 further comprising filtering air passed to the human being, before collecting exhaled air from said human being.

35. The method of claim 33 further comprising altering the chemical composition of air passed to the human being, before collecting exhaled air from said human being.

36. The method of claim 33 further comprising passing the breath sample through a fluid trap before the sample flows to said collection device.

37. The method of claim 30 wherein the body fluid flowing to the collection device is the urine of a human being.

38. The method of claim 30 wherein the body fluid flowing to the collection device is the blood of a human being.

39. The method of claim 30 wherein the body fluid flowing to the collection device is in gaseous phase.

40. The method of claim 30 wherein the acts in parts (d) and (f) are performed by a single, multi-function control computer.

41. The method of claim 30 wherein part (f) is performed at a location remote from the point at which the fluid is collected.

42. The method of claim 30 wherein part (f) comprises generating signals modulated with information relating to the composition of at least a portion of said body fluid, computer analyzing said signals and generating codes representative thereof, and applying said codes to indicate a proposed diagnosis of a detected malady of the living being whose body fluid is so collected.

43. An apparatus for collecting a body fluid comprising:

(a) a housing;

(b) a fluid inlet at the exterior of said housing adapted to be disposed at an opening of a body cavity containing fluid;

(c) a inlet passageway extending from said fluid inlet into said housing;

(d) an inlet valve in said inlet passageway;

(e) a first actuator coupled to open and close said inlet valve;

(f) an exhaust passageway extending from said inlet passageway to the exterior of said housing;

(g) an outlet valve in said exhaust passageway;

(h) a second actuator coupled to open and close said outlet valve; and

(i) an electronic computing device supported by said housing and coupled to the two actuators.

44. The apparatus of claim 43 further comprising a plurality of chambers, wherein the inlet passageway leads to the plurality of chambers, further comprising a valve coupling the inlet passageway to only one of the chambers at a time, and wherein the electronic computing device is coupled to and controls the valve.

45. The apparatus of claim 44 wherein the valve comprises a rotary valve.

46. The apparatus of claim 43 further comprising a reservoir supported by said housing and coupled to said inlet passageway.

47. The apparatus of claim 46 wherein the reservoir comprises a plurality of chambers, the inlet passageway leads to the plurality of chambers, further comprising a valve coupling the inlet passageway to only one of the chambers at a time, and wherein the electronic computing device is coupled to and controls the valve.

48. The apparatus of claim 47 wherein the valve comprises a rotary valve.

49. The apparatus of claim 43 further comprising a sensor coupled to the electronic computing device and positioned to detect and determine the chemical composition of body fluid passed through the inlet valve, and an indicating device coupled to said electronic computing device.

50. The apparatus of claim 43 wherein the electronic computing device comprises a micro-controller.

51. The apparatus of claim 43 wherein the fluid inlet is a mouthpiece.

52. The apparatus of claim 51 further comprising an air intake coupled to the mouthpiece, and an air filter positioned to filter air passing through said air intake to the mouthpiece.

53. The apparatus of claim 52 wherein the air filter comprises a fluid trap.

54. An apparatus for collecting a body fluid comprising:

(a) a catheter sized and shaped for insertion into a body duct of a human being;

(b) a fluid inlet at the exterior of said catheter;

(c) a inlet passageway extending from said fluid inlet into said catheter;

(d) an inlet valve in said inlet passageway;

(e) a first actuator coupled to open and close said inlet valve;

(f) an exhaust passageway extending from said inlet passageway to the exterior of said catheter;

(g) an outlet valve in said exhaust passageway;

(h) a second actuator coupled to open and close said outlet valve; and

(i) an electronic computing device supported by said catheter and coupled to the two actuators.

55. The apparatus of claim 54 further comprising a reservoir coupled to said inlet passageway.

56. The apparatus of claim 55 wherein the coupling between the reservoir and the inlet passageway comprises a flexible tube.

57. The apparatus of claim 54 further comprising a sensor coupled to the electronic computing device and positioned to detect and determine the chemical composition of body fluid passed through the inlet valve.

58. The apparatus of claim 54 wherein the electronic computing device comprises a micro-controller.

59. The apparatus of claim 54 wherein the electronic computing device is coupled to an external computer.

60. The apparatus of claim 54 further comprising an endoscope sized and shaped for insertion into a body duct of a human being and supported by said catheter.