Nitric oxide sensors and systems

• US 7,897,399 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2007
• Issued: 03/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gearbox LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Stordal, Leif T., Ishikawa, Muriel Y., Wood, Lowell L. Jr., Hyde, Roderick A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Warden; Jill
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sasaki; Shogo
• Application Number:
  US12/005,132
• Publication Number:
  US 20090112485A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,166 Days
• Field of Search: 422/98, 422/186, 702/24, 604/23, 604/500, 600/40, 600/377, 602/1, 602/41, 607/88, 435/286.1, 436/55
• US Class Current: 436/55
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0037 for NOx
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 50/20 Air quality improvement or preservation, e.g. vehicle emission control or emission reduction by using catalytic converters
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/12 Condition responsive control

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to nitric oxide sensors and systems. In some embodiments one or more devices are provided that include one or more nitric oxide sensors; one or more transmitters; and one or more controllers configured to transmit using the one or more transmitters one or more signals that are associated with controlling one or more nitric oxide generators.

Claims

1. A system for generating nitric oxide from one or more photolyzable nitric oxide donors comprising:

one or more sensors configured to detect nitric oxide;

one or more transmitters;

one or more controllers configured to receive one or more signals of at least one of the one or more sensors and to transmit using at least one of the one or more transmitters one or more signals; and

one or more light sources configured to facilitate release of nitric oxide from at least one of the one or more photolyzable nitric oxide donors in response to at least one of the one or more signals of the one or more controllers.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors configured to detect nitric oxide comprises:

one or more semiconductor sensors configured to detect nitric oxide.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors configured to detect nitric oxide comprises:

one or more electrochemical sensors configured to detect nitric oxide.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors configured to detect nitric oxide comprises:

one or more chemical sensors configured to detect nitric oxide.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors configured to detect nitric oxide comprises:

one or more fluorescent sensors configured to detect nitric oxide.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors configured to detect nitric oxide comprises:

one or more Raman sensors configured to detect nitric oxide.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors configured to detect nitric oxide comprises:

one or more electro-mechanical sensors configured to detect nitric oxide.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors configured to detect nitric oxide comprises:

one or more nitric oxide specific sensors configured to detect nitric oxide.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors configured to detect nitric oxide comprises:

one or more sensors configured to detect nitric oxide at one or more surfaces.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors configured to detect nitric oxide comprises:

one or more sensors configured to detect nitric oxide in vivo.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors configured to detect nitric oxide comprises:

one or more implantable sensors configured to detect nitric oxide.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors configured to detect nitric oxide comprises:

one or more sensors configured to detect nitric oxide within one or more spaces.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors configured to detect nitric oxide comprises:

one or more sensors configured to monitor nitric oxide over a series of time points.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more sensors configured to detect one or more nitric oxide synthases.

15. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more sensors configured to detect one or more nitric oxide donors.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more controllers configured to receive one or more signals of at least one of the one or more sensors and to transmit using at least one of the one or more transmitters one or more signals comprises:

one or more controllers configured to process information.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more controllers configured to receive one or more signals of at least one of the one or more sensors and to transmit using at least one of the one or more transmitters one or more signals comprises:

one or more controllers configured to receive user input.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more controllers configured to receive one or more signals of at least one of the one or more sensors and to transmit using at least one of the one or more transmitters one or more signals comprises:

one or more controllers configured to operate at least one of the one or more sensors in accordance with one or more instructions.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more controllers configured to receive one or more signals of at least one of the one or more sensors and to transmit using at least one of the one or more transmitters one or more signals comprises:

one or more controllers configured to operate at least one of the one or more sensors in response to input.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more controllers configured to receive one or more signals of at least one of the one or more sensors and to transmit using at least one of the one or more transmitters one or more signals comprises:

one or more controllers configured to regulate operation time and/or sensitivity of at least one of the one or more sensors.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more controllers configured to receive one or more signals of at least one of the one or more sensors and to transmit using at least one of the one or more transmitters one or more signals comprises:

one or more controllers configured to receive one or more signals associated with user input.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more controllers configured to receive one or more signals of at least one of the one or more sensors and to transmit using at least one of the one or more transmitters one or more signals comprises:

one or more controllers configured to receive one or more signals associated with at least one of the one or more light sources.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more controllers configured to receive one or more signals of at least one of the one or more sensors and to transmit using at least one of the one or more transmitters one or more signals comprises:

one or more controllers configured to communicate using one or more optical signals, radio signals, wireless signals, hardwired signals, infrared signals, ultrasonic signals, and/or acoustic signals.

24. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more controllers configured to receive one or more signals of at least one of the one or more sensors and to transmit using at least one of the one or more transmitters one or more signals comprises:

one or more controllers configured to transmit one or more signals for facilitating release of one or more quantities of nitric oxide.

25. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more controllers configured to receive one or more signals of at least one of the one or more sensors and to transmit using at least one of the one or more transmitters one or more signals comprises:

one or more controllers configured to transmit one or more signals for facilitating one or more time schedules of nitric oxide release.

26. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more controllers configured to receive one or more signals of at least one of the one or more sensors and to transmit using at least one of the one or more transmitters one or more signals comprises:

one or more controllers configured to transmit one or more signals for facilitating one or more specific durations of nitric oxide release.

27. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more controllers configured to receive one or more signals of at least one of the one or more sensors and to transmit using at least one of the one or more transmitters one or more signals comprises:

one or more controllers configured to wirelessly receive one or more signals of at least one of the one or more sensors.

28. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more controllers configured to receive one or more signals of at least one of the one or more sensors and to transmit using at least one of the one or more transmitters one or more signals comprises:

one or more controllers configured to control at least one of the one or more light sources based upon one or more signals of at least one of the one or more sensors.

29. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more controllers configured to receive one or more signals of at least one of the one or more sensors and to transmit using at least one of the one or more transmitters one or more signals comprises:

one or more controllers configured to control at least one of the one or more light sources based upon one or more program instructions.

30. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more light sources configured to facilitate release of nitric oxide from at least one of the one or more photolyzable nitric oxide donors in response to at least one of the one or more signals of the one or more controllers comprises:

one or more light sources configured to facilitate release of nitric oxide from at least one of the one or more photolyzable nitric oxide donors in response to one or more wireless signals.

31. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more light sources configured to facilitate release of nitric oxide from at least one of the one or more photolyzable nitric oxide donors in response to at least one of the one or more signals of the one or more controllers comprises:

one or more light sources configured to maintain one or more concentrations of nitric oxide in response to at least one of the one or more signals of the one or more controllers.

32. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more light sources configured to facilitate release of nitric oxide from at least one of the one or more photolyzable nitric oxide donors in response to at least one of the one or more signals of the one or more controllers comprises:

one or more light sources configured to decrease and/or discontinue release of nitric oxide from at least one of the one or more photolyzable nitric oxide donors in response to at least one of the one or more signals of the one or more controllers.

33. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more light sources configured to facilitate release of nitric oxide from at least one of the one or more photolyzable nitric oxide donors in response to at least one of the one or more signals of the one or more controllers comprises:

one or more light sources configured to increase release of nitric oxide from at least one of the one or more photolyzable nitric oxide donors in response to at least one of the one or more signals of the one or more controllers.

34. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more sensors;

the one or more controllers; and

the one or more light sources are arranged with one or more substrates.

35. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more sensors;

the one or more controllers; and

the one or more light sources are arranged with one or more bandages and/or patches.

36. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more additional transmitters and/or receivers.

37. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more remote transmitters and/or receivers.

38. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more user interfaces.

39. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

the one or more photolyzable nitric oxide donors.

40. The system of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the system is configured for placement in vivo.

41. The system of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the system is implantable.

42. The system of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the system is configured for arrangement with penile tissue.