Apparatus and methods for early stage peritonitis detection and for in vivo testing of bodily fluid
First Claim
1. An apparatus for in vivo testing of fluids in a patient'"'"'s body, comprising:
- A) an illuminant source and illuminant detector, both disposed external to a patient,B) a first fiber optic bundle that carries illuminant from the source into the patient'"'"'s body,C) a second fiber optic bundle that carries illuminant scattered by fluid in the patient'"'"'s body to the detector,D) wherein distal ends of the first and second fiber optic bundles are configured so that the second fiber optic bundle captures and transmits to the detector reflected and/or scattered (collectively, “
scattered”
) illuminant at a cellular scale of resolution such that selected cellular-sized biological components are distinguished and counted, andE) a lens that resolves the scattered illuminant at a cellular scale of distances such that separate cellular-sized components of a same type are distinguished from one another and so counted, where those components are any of white blood cells, red blood cells, fibrin, bubbles, and other cellular-sized components of the fluid and wherein the number of counts are analyzed over time and/or from a baseline.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention provides, inter alia, automated medical methods and apparatus that test PD effluent in a flow path (e.g., with an APD system or CAPD setup) to detect, for example, the onset of peritonitis, based on optical characteristics of the effluent resolved at cellular scales of distance. For example, according to one aspect of the invention, an APD machine includes, in an effluent flow path, apparatus for early stage peritonitis detection comprising an illumination source and a detector. The source is arranged to illuminate peritoneal effluent in a chamber that forms part of the flow path, and the detector is arranged to detect illuminant scattered by the effluent. The detector detects that reflected or scattered illuminant at a cellular scale of resolution, e.g., on a scale such that separate cellular-sized biological (or other) components in the effluent can be distinguished from one another based on scattering events detected by the detector. Other aspects of the invention provide automated medical testing methods and apparatus that detect the onset of peritonitis and other bodily conditions by testing fluids in the body in vivo, e.g., the patient'"'"'s peritoneum. Such apparatus and methods utilize a first fiber optic bundle to carry illuminant from a source of the type described above into a bodily organ or cavity, and a second fiber optic bundle to carry illuminant scattered by fluid in that organ or cavity to a detector as described above.
25 Citations
34 Claims
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1. An apparatus for in vivo testing of fluids in a patient'"'"'s body, comprising:
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A) an illuminant source and illuminant detector, both disposed external to a patient, B) a first fiber optic bundle that carries illuminant from the source into the patient'"'"'s body, C) a second fiber optic bundle that carries illuminant scattered by fluid in the patient'"'"'s body to the detector, D) wherein distal ends of the first and second fiber optic bundles are configured so that the second fiber optic bundle captures and transmits to the detector reflected and/or scattered (collectively, “
scattered”
) illuminant at a cellular scale of resolution such that selected cellular-sized biological components are distinguished and counted, andE) a lens that resolves the scattered illuminant at a cellular scale of distances such that separate cellular-sized components of a same type are distinguished from one another and so counted, where those components are any of white blood cells, red blood cells, fibrin, bubbles, and other cellular-sized components of the fluid and wherein the number of counts are analyzed over time and/or from a baseline. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An apparatus for in vivo testing of fluid in a bodily organ or cavity of a patient, comprising:
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A) a catheter, B) an illuminant source and illuminant detector, both disposed external to a patient, C) a first fiber optic bundle that carries illuminant from the source into the bodily organ or cavity, D) a second fiber optic bundle that carries to the detector illuminant scattered by fluid, including biological or other components therein, contained in the bodily organ or cavity, E) the first and second fiber optic bundles being disposed at least partially in the catheter, F) a tip disposed at a distal end of the catheter that secures distal ends of the first and second fiber optic bundles such that the second fiber optic bundle captures and transmits to the detector illuminant reflected and/or scattered (collectively, “
scattered”
) in the bodily organ or cavity at a cellular scale of resolution such that selected cellular-sized biological components are distinguished and counted, andG) a lens that resolves the scattered illuminant at a cellular scale of distances such that separate cellular-sized components of a same type are distinguished from one another and so counted, where those components are any of white blood cells, red blood cells, fibrin, bubbles, and other cellular-sized components of the fluid and wherein the number of counts are analyzed over time and/or from a baseline. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. An apparatus for in vivo testing of peritoneal fluid, comprising:
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A) at least one of a catheter and a transfer set, B) an illuminant source and illuminant detector, both disposed external to a patient, C) a first fiber optic bundle that carries illuminant from the source into the patient'"'"'s peritoneum, D) a second fiber optic bundle that carries to the detector illuminant scattered by fluid, including biological or other components therein, contained in the peritoneum, E) the first and second fiber optic bundles being disposed at least partially in the catheter, F) distal ends of the first and second fiber optic bundles being disposed in the peritoneum such that the second fiber optic bundle captures and transmits to the detector illuminant reflected and/or scattered (collectively, “
scattered”
) in the peritoneum, andG) a lens that resolves the scattered illuminant at a cellular scale of distances such that separate cellular-sized components of a same type are distinguished from one another and counted, where those components are any of white blood cells, red blood cells, fibrin, bubbles, and other cellular-sized components of the fluid and wherein the number of counts are analyzed over time and/or from a baseline. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A method for in vivo testing of peritoneal fluid, comprising:
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A) illuminating fluid in a patient'"'"'s peritoneum, B) resolving with a lens detecting illuminant any of reflected and scattered (collectively, “
scattered”
) by the fluid at a cellular scale of resolution such that at least selected separate cellular-sized components of a same type in the fluid are distinguished from one another,C) detecting from the resolved scattered illuminant cellular-sized components of a same type and counting them, where those components are any of white blood cells, red blood cells, fibrin, bubbles, and other cellular-sized components of the fluid and wherein the number of counts are analyzed over time and/or from a baseline. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A method for testing fluid in any body cavity or organ, comprising:
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A) illuminating fluid in the body cavity or organ, B) resolving with a lens illuminant any of reflected and scattered (collectively, “
scattered”
) by the fluid at a cellular scale of resolution such that at least selected separate cellular-sized components of a same type in the fluid are distinguished from one another,C) detecting from the resolved scattered illuminant cellular-sized components of a same type and counting them, where those components are any of white blood cells, red blood cells, fibrin, bubbles, and other cellular-sized components of the fluid and wherein the number of counts are analyzed over time and/or from a baseline.
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Specification