Implantable medical device having optical fiber for sensing electrical activity
First Claim
1. A method for monitoring gene expression in a target tissue site in a human or animal patient, the method comprising:
- co-transfecting the target tissue site in the humag or animal patient with a composition comprising a marker gene that expresses a fluorescent protein and a therapeutic gene;
providing an optical fiber having a proximal lead end and a distal lead end, the distal lead end positioned at the target tissue site;
wherein the distal lead end comprises a fiber umbrella;
transmitting an excitation light by the optical fiber to the distal lead end positioned at the target tissue site;
the excitation light providing the excitation energy needed for the fluorescent protein expressed by the marker gene to emit a fluorescence signal; and
transmitting the emitted fluorescence signal to the proximal end of the optical fiber to monitor gene expression at the target tissue site.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An implantable medical device for optically sensing action potential signals in excitable body tissue. The device includes an elongated tubular lead body carrying an optical fiber extending from a proximal lead end to a distal lead end to position the optical fiber at a target site. The lead body additionally carries a conduit for dispensing a voltage-sensitive fluorescent dye into tissue surrounding the target site. The optical fiber transmits excitation light to the fluorescent dye to cause the dye to fluoresce with varying intensity as the transmembrane potentials of local tissue cells vary due to passing depolarization wavefronts. The optical fiber transmits the fluorescence signal to the device to generate an action potential signal or fiducial points of an action potential signal for use in accurately measuring and characterizing electrical activity of excitable tissue.
-
Citations
23 Claims
-
1. A method for monitoring gene expression in a target tissue site in a human or animal patient, the method comprising:
-
co-transfecting the target tissue site in the humag or animal patient with a composition comprising a marker gene that expresses a fluorescent protein and a therapeutic gene; providing an optical fiber having a proximal lead end and a distal lead end, the distal lead end positioned at the target tissue site; wherein the distal lead end comprises a fiber umbrella; transmitting an excitation light by the optical fiber to the distal lead end positioned at the target tissue site; the excitation light providing the excitation energy needed for the fluorescent protein expressed by the marker gene to emit a fluorescence signal; and transmitting the emitted fluorescence signal to the proximal end of the optical fiber to monitor gene expression at the target tissue site. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 22, 23)
-
-
20. A method for monitoring gene expression in a target tissue site co-transfected with a marker gene that expresses a fluorescent protein and a therapeutic gene in a human or animal patient, the method comprising:
-
providing an optical fiber having a proximal lead end and a distal lead end, the distal lead end positioned at the target tissue site; wherein the distal lead end comprises a fiber umbrella; transmitting an excitation light by the optical fiber to the distal lead end positioned at the target tissue site; the excitation light providing the excitation energy needed for the fluorescent protein expressed by the marker gene to emit a fluorescence signal; and transmitting the emitted fluorescence signal to the proximal end of the optical fiber to monitor gene expression in the target tissue site co-transfected with a marker gene.
-
-
21. A method for monitoring gene expression in a target tissue site co-transfected with a composition comprising a marker gene that expresses a fluorescent protein and a therapeutic gene in a human or animal patient, the method comprising:
-
providing an optical fiber having a proximal lead end and a distal lead end, the distal lead end positioned at the target tissue site; wherein the distal lead end comprises a fiber umbrella; transmitting an excitation light by the optical fiber to the distal lead end positioned at the target tissue site; the excitation light providing the excitation energy needed for the fluorescent protein expressed by the marker gene to emit a fluorescence signal; and transmitting the emitted fluorescence signal to the proximal end of the optical fiber to monitor gene expression in the target tissue site co-transfected with the marker gene.
-
Specification