Organ rejection monitoring
First Claim
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1. A method comprising:
- sensing an impedance across at least a portion of a transplanted organ in a patient;
determining whether the patient is experiencing rejection of the transplanted organ as a function of the impedance, wherein determining whether the patient is experiencing rejection of the transplanted organ further includes;
monitoring variations in the sensed impedance on a periodic basis; and
determining that the patient is experiencing rejection of the transplanted organ when the variations decrease over time.
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Abstract
The invention is directed to techniques for monitoring organ rejection. An implanted device monitors the impedance of the transplanted organ. When the impedance measurements indicate that the organ is being rejected, the device provides early warning of rejection.
43 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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sensing an impedance across at least a portion of a transplanted organ in a patient; determining whether the patient is experiencing rejection of the transplanted organ as a function of the impedance, wherein determining whether the patient is experiencing rejection of the transplanted organ further includes; monitoring variations in the sensed impedance on a periodic basis; and determining that the patient is experiencing rejection of the transplanted organ when the variations decrease over time. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions for causing a programmable processor to:
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obtain a sensed impedance across at least a portion of a transplanted organ in a patient; and determine whether the patient is experiencing rejection of the transplanted organ as a function of the impedance, wherein the instructions causing the processor to determine whether the patient is experiencing rejection of the transplanted organ cause the processor to; monitor variations in the sensed impedance on a periodic basis; and determine that the patient is experiencing rejection of the transplanted organ when the variations decrease over time. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A system comprising:
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means for measuring an impedance across at least a portion of a transplanted organ in a patient; and means for determining whether the patient is experiencing rejection of the transplanted organ as a function of the impedance measurement; and means for measuring an impedance across at least a portion of a reference organ in the patient, wherein the system is implantable in a human body. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification