Method and apparatus for non-invasively evaluating endothelial activity in a patient
First Claim
1. Apparatus for non-invasively evaluating endothelial activity in a patient, comprising:
- an occluding cuff for applying an occluding pressure to a predetermined part of an arm or leg of the patient to occlude blood flow therein for a predetermined time period;
a monitoring digit-probe for monitoring a digit of said arm or leg for changes in the peripheral arterial tone therein before and after the application of said occluding pressure to the arm or leg of the patient;
and a processor for utilizing any detected changes in said peripheral arterial tone for evaluating endothelial activity in the patient;
wherein said processor is controlled by said monitoring digit-probe to indicate when an occluding pressure has been applied to said predetermined part of the patient'"'"'s arm or leg, which is indicated when said monitoring digit-probe measures no pulsatile volume flow in said digit.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for non-invasively evaluating endothelial activity in a patient, particularly for indicating the presence of an endothelial dysfunction condition, by applying an occluding pressure to a predetermined part of an arm or leg of the patient to occlude arterial blood flow therein; maintaining the occluding pressure for a predetermined time period; removing the occluding pressure after the elapse of the predetermined time period to restore arterial blood flow; monitoring a digit of the arm or leg by a digit-probe for changes in the peripheral arterial tone therein before and after the application of the occluding pressure to the arm or leg of the patient; and utilizing any detected changes in the peripheral arterial tone for evaluating endothelial activity in the patient. Particularly important advantages are provided when the occluding cuff is applied to the digit of the patient receiving the monitoring digit-probe, on the proximal side thereof with respect to the patient'"'"'s heart, and also when a reference digit-probe is applied to another digit, not influenced by the occluding pressure, to compensate for shifts inherent to vascular beds.
53 Citations
40 Claims
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1. Apparatus for non-invasively evaluating endothelial activity in a patient, comprising:
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an occluding cuff for applying an occluding pressure to a predetermined part of an arm or leg of the patient to occlude blood flow therein for a predetermined time period;
a monitoring digit-probe for monitoring a digit of said arm or leg for changes in the peripheral arterial tone therein before and after the application of said occluding pressure to the arm or leg of the patient;
and a processor for utilizing any detected changes in said peripheral arterial tone for evaluating endothelial activity in the patient;
wherein said processor is controlled by said monitoring digit-probe to indicate when an occluding pressure has been applied to said predetermined part of the patient'"'"'s arm or leg, which is indicated when said monitoring digit-probe measures no pulsatile volume flow in said digit. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. A method for non-invasively evaluating endothelial activity in a patient, comprising:
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applying an occluding pressure to a predetermined part of an arm or leg of the patient to occlude arterial blood flow therein;
maintaining said occluding pressure for a predetermined time period;
removing said occluding pressure after the elapse of said predetermined time period to restore arterial blood flow;
monitoring a digit of said arm or leg for changes in the peripheral arterial tone therein before, during, and after the application of said occluding pressure to the arm or leg of the patient;
and utilizing any detected changes in said peripheral arterial tone, including changes in the dynamic signal time-course following removal of the occluding pressure, for evaluating endothelial activity in the patient;
wherein said digit of the arm or leg of the patient is monitored for changes in the peripheral arterial tone by a monitoring digit-probe which is received on said digit and which measures peripheral arterial pulsatile flow therethrough while applying a non-occluding pressure to the outer extremity of the digit sufficiently high to prevent blood pooling in the veins and to unload the tension in the arterial walls, but not so high as to occlude the arteries; and
wherein a reference digit-probe is applied to a digit of an arm or leg of the patient not to receive the occluding pressure for measuring changes in the peripheral arterial pulsatile flow therein, said latter changes being used for correcting the measured changes by the monitoring digit-probe to compensate for spontaneous short-term shifts in the peripheral arterial tone of local or systemic origin inherent to vascular beds and/or related to sympathetic nervous system activity due to painful stress resulting from the occlusion. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method for non-invasively evaluating endothelial activity in a patient, comprising:
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applying an occluding pressure to a predetermined part of an arm or leg of the patient to occlude arterial blood flow therein;
maintaining said occluding pressure for a predetermined time period;
removing said occluding pressure after the elapse of said predetermined time period to restore arterial blood flow;
monitoring a digit of said arm or leg for changes in the peripheral arterial tone therein before and after the application of said occluding pressure to the arm or leg of the patient;
and utilizing any detected changes in said peripheral arterial tone, including changes in the dynamic signal time-course following removal of the occluding pressure, for evaluating endotheial activity in the patient. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. Apparatus for non-invasively evaluating endothelial activity in a patient, comprising:
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an occluding cuff for applying an occluding pressure to a predetermined part of an arm or leg of the patient to occlude blood flow therein for a predetermined time period;
a monitoring digit-probe for monitoring a digit of said arm or leg for changes in the peripheral arterial tone therein before and after the application of said occluding pressure to the arm or leg of the patient;
and a processor for utilizing any detected changes in said peripheral arterial tone for evaluating endothelial activity in the patient;
wherein said occluding cuff is designed to be applied to the digit of the patient receiving said monitoring digit-probe on the proximal side thereof with respect to the patient'"'"'s heart; and
wherein part or all of said monitoring digit-probe is itself used to apply occluding pressure to occlude the flow of blood to the tissue contained within. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31)
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32. Apparatus for non-invasively evaluating endothelial activity in a patient, comprising:
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an occluding cuff for applying an occluding pressure to a predetermined part of an arm or leg of the patient to occlude blood flow therein for a predetermined time period;
a monitoring digit-probe for monitoring a digit of said arm or leg for changes in the peripheral arterial tone therein before and after the application of said occluding pressure to the arm or leg of the patient;
and a processor for utilizing any detected changes in said peripheral arterial tone for evaluating endothelial activity in the patient;
wherein the apparatus further includes a reference digit-probe designed to be applied to a digit of an arm or leg of the patient not to receive the occluding pressure for measuring changes in the peripheral arterial pulsatile flow therein; and
wherein said processor utilizes said latter changes for correcting the measured changes by the monitoring digit-probe to compensate for spontaneous short-term shifts in the peripheral arterial tone of local or systemic origin inherent to vascular beds and/or for sympathetic nervous system vasomotor activity due to painful stress resulting from the occlusion. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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Specification