Method and system for continuous sweat collection and analysis
First Claim
1. A method for obtaining and analyzing sweat from a selected area of a person'"'"'s skin in the substantial absence of air, comprising causing said area of skin to sweat;
- recovering the sweat from said area of skin substantially continuously as it is produced by flowing it substantially continuously as an elongate and relatively narrow stream into and through electrical ion-sensing means to discharge exteriorly thereof; and
electrically monitoring said ion-sensing means substantially continuously to produce electrical output signals indicative of variations in the ion concentration of said stream of flowing sweat on a real-time basis.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The method and system of the invention provide especially for continuously obtaining and analyzing, on a real time basis, sweat from a selected area of skin on the body of a person, especially a neonate, being diagnosed for cystic fibrosis, by causing sweating of the selected area of skin, by placing an electrically positive iontophoretic electrode device of a set of said devices over the selected area of skin preferably within a previously placed receiving and holding device which, following the induction of sweat and removal of the electrically positive iontophoretic electrode device, receives a sweat-sensing electrode device that continuously sends electrical signals to sweat analysis circuitry for providing a digital readout of the ionic composition of the sweat. The receiving and holding device insures recovery and utilization of essentially all of the sweat being produced by the selected area of skin. The sweat-sensing electrode device is of unique construction with respect to the flow of recovered sweat relative to ion-sensing electrodes arranged preferably serially along the path of sweat flow through the body of the sweat-sensing electrode device. The invention is not restricted to the foregoing use, but may be used in whole or in part to analyze sweat on a real time basis however produced and collected, with or without timing of its travel between sequential electrodes and use of the travel time to calculate the rate of sweating within the selected area of skin.
106 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A method for obtaining and analyzing sweat from a selected area of a person'"'"'s skin in the substantial absence of air, comprising causing said area of skin to sweat;
- recovering the sweat from said area of skin substantially continuously as it is produced by flowing it substantially continuously as an elongate and relatively narrow stream into and through electrical ion-sensing means to discharge exteriorly thereof; and
electrically monitoring said ion-sensing means substantially continuously to produce electrical output signals indicative of variations in the ion concentration of said stream of flowing sweat on a real-time basis. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 18, 19)
- recovering the sweat from said area of skin substantially continuously as it is produced by flowing it substantially continuously as an elongate and relatively narrow stream into and through electrical ion-sensing means to discharge exteriorly thereof; and
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9. A method for obtaining and analyzing sweat from a selected area of a person'"'"'s skin, comprising causing said area of skin to sweat;
- recovering the sweat from said area of skin substantially continuously;
flowing the recovered sweat substantially continuously through electrical ion-sensing means; and
electrically monitoring said ion-sensing means substantially continuously to produce electrical signals indicative of variations in ion concentration of the flowing sweat on a real-time basis, wherein the electrical signals indicative of variations in the flowing sweat are monitored by analyzing means, which are electrically associated with electrical control means for sweat induction in respective circuit portions of microprocessor circuitry in common, which circuitry has a manually operated microprocessor; and
operating said microprocessor to activate the respective circuit portions sequentially to proved a first electrical output and a second electrical output;
sending said first electrical output form the sweat induction circuit portion to said electrical control means for regulating the strength of sweat induction; and
sending said second electrical output form the other circuit portion to said ion-sensing means for analyzing the recovered sweat from said area of the person'"'"'s skin. - View Dependent Claims (10)
- recovering the sweat from said area of skin substantially continuously;
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11. A system for obtaining and analyzing sweat from a selected area of a person'"'"'s skin in the substantial absence of air, comprising iontophoretic means for causing a selected area of skin of the person to sweat;
- means for recovering sweat from said selected area of skin substantially continuously as produced by the sweat glands of said area of skin, which sweat-recovery means comprises a body member having an elongate and relatively narrow passage with an entry end and a discharge end;
electrical ion-sensing means confronting the interior of said passage for contact by the recovered sweat as it flows as a substantially continuous stream through said passage past and in contact with said ion-sensing means to produce electrical signals indicative of variations in the ion concentration of the flowing sweat on a real-time basis. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
- means for recovering sweat from said selected area of skin substantially continuously as produced by the sweat glands of said area of skin, which sweat-recovery means comprises a body member having an elongate and relatively narrow passage with an entry end and a discharge end;
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20. A method for the continuous recovery and analysis of sweat from a person, comprising sealingly applying against the absence of air to a selected area of skin of the person a sweat-sensing electrode device having a body member with an exterior surface adapted to cover said selected area of skin and with an elongate and relatively narrow passage having a sweat-receiving end opening into said exterior surface for receiving sweat therefrom substantially immediately as it is produced by the sweat glands of said area of skin to provide a substantially continuously flowing, elongate and relatively narrow stream of sweat, there being at least a pair of electrodes with sweat-sensing ends confronting the interior of said passage and arranged serially along said passage so the received sweat flowing in and through said passage as a substantially continuous stream will pass from electrode to electrode between and in contact therewith providing electrical output from which is obtained an ion concentration verses time profile that varies as freshly produced sweat is added to the flowing stream;
- and using the electrical output from said electrodes substantially continually to present said profile on a real-time basis.
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21. A system for the continuous recovery and analysis of sweat from a selected area of skin of a person in the substantial absence of air, comprising a sweat-sensing device with a body member having an exterior surface adapted to sealingly cover the selected area of skin and having an elongate and relatively narrow passage with a sweat entry end opening into said exterior surface for receiving sweat therefrom substantially immediately as it is produced by the sweat glands of said area of skin to provide a substantially continuously flowing, elongate and relatively narrow stream of sweat, there being at least a pair of electrodes with sweat-sensing ends confronting the interior of said passage and arranged serially along said passage so the received sweat flowing in and through said passage as a substantially continuous stream will pass from electrode to electrode between and in contact therewith providing electrical output from which is obtained an ion concentration verses time profile that varies as freshly produced sweat is added to the flowing stream;
- and means for analyzing the electrical output from said electrodes substantially continually to present said profile on a real-time basis.
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22. A system for attachment to the body of a person to obtain and analyze sweat from a selected area of the skin of said person in the substantial absence of air, comprising iontophoretic means for causing said selected area of skin to sweat;
- means for directing the sweat, that emerges substantially continuously under hydraulic pressure from the seat glands of said selected area of skin, into the entry end of an elongate and relatively narrow passage which has a discharge end and electrical ion-sensing means confronting the inside of such flow passage, so the sweat will flow through said passage in contact with said electrical ion-sensing means; and
means for using electrical signals from said ion-sensing means to provide, on a substantially continuous basis during said sweat production, diagnostic information indicative of the condition of the person with regard to the presence or absence of cystic fibrosis.
- means for directing the sweat, that emerges substantially continuously under hydraulic pressure from the seat glands of said selected area of skin, into the entry end of an elongate and relatively narrow passage which has a discharge end and electrical ion-sensing means confronting the inside of such flow passage, so the sweat will flow through said passage in contact with said electrical ion-sensing means; and
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23. A method for determining the rate of sweating of a living body comprising causing, in the substantial absence of air, a selected area of a person'"'"'s skin to sweat, recovering the sweat from said area as it is produced by flowing it substantially continuously as an elongate and relatively narrow stream into and through electrical sensing means to discharge exteriorly thereof, and electrically monitoring said ion sensing means substantially continuously to produce electrical output signals indicative of the rate of sweating of said area, and determining the rate of sweating from said signals.
Specification