Method for predicting stroke and pain in a human patient

• US 8,246,549 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2005
• Issued: 08/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stryker Corporation
• Original Assignee: Everest Biomedical Instruments Co. (Stryker Corporation)
• Inventors: Janski, Alvin, Martinosky, Joe
• Primary Examiner(s): Natnithithadha, Navin
• Application Number:
  US10/588,221
• Publication Number:
  US 20070142740A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,762 Days
• Field of Search: 600529-543, 600/484, 73/233
• US Class Current: 600/532
• 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 5/4824 Touch or pain perception evaluation A61B5/4821 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7275 Determining trends in physiological measurement data; Predicting development of a medical condition based on physiological measurements, e.g. determining a risk factor
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/30 for calculating health indices; for individual health risk assessment
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 90/10 Information and communication technologies [ICT] supporting adaptation to climate change, e.g. for weather forecasting or climate simulation

Abstract

A method for predicting the onset of any (NO)-related negative influence of hemolysis, such as pain or the likely occurrence of a stroke, in a human patient by detecting abnormal levels of hemolysis, through the measurement of one or more breath gas concentrations.

Claims

1. A method for predicting the onset of at least one nitric oxide-related negative influence in a human patient, said method comprising:

providing an electronic device;

measuring a concentration level of at least one breath gas exhaled by the patient over a period of time;

comparing the measured concentration levels with a predetermined concentration profile indicative of an onset of at least one selected nitric oxide-related negative influence; and

wherein said at least one selected nitric oxide-related negative influence is associated with an intravascular hemoglobin-dependent decrease in nitric oxide bioavailability, wherein said step of comparing is carried out by the electronic device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said nitric oxide-related negative influence includes nitric oxide-related negative influences of hemolysis in a human patient and nitric oxide-related negative influences of chronic hereditary hemolytic disease in a human patient.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said one or more nitric oxide-related negative influences of chronic hereditary hemolytic disease include one or more pathologies from a set of pathologies including pulmonary hypertension, cutaneous ulceration, renal failure, thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, and malaria.