Analysis of gases

• US 8,903,474 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2006
• Issued: 12/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pen Inc.
• Original Assignee: Pen Inc.
• Inventors: Yaniv, Zvi, Soundarrajan, Prabhu
• Primary Examiner(s): Humphrey, Louise
• Application Number:
  US11/566,919
• Publication Number:
  US 20070167832A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,919 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 600/475
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14551 for measuring blood gases
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/0427 Flexural waves, plate waves, e.g. Lamb waves, tuning fork, cantilever

Abstract

Systems and techniques for the analysis of gases for medical purposes are described. In one aspect, a system includes a sample collector to collect a physical sample associated with an individual and present a gas sample for analysis, a gas analysis device to analyze the gas sample presented by the sample collector to determine a concentration of one or more non-aqueous gases in the gas sample, a data storage device that includes information reflecting a correlation between concentration of the one or more non-aqueous gases in the gas sample and a disease state, and a data analysis device to determine a medical condition of the individual based on the concentration of one or more non-aqueous gases in the gas sample and the information.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

using photoacoustic spectroscopy to determine data describing infrared absorption at a collection of wavelengths of a gas sample taken from an individual;

based on the data describing the infrared absorption, determining measurements of concentrations of a plurality of different non-aqueous species in the gas sample taken from the individual;

receiving, by a data processing device, the measurements of concentrations of the plurality of different non-aqueous species in the gas sample taken from the individual;

correlating, by the data processing device, the concentration measurements with a medical condition of the individual; and

making a result of the correlation available over an output device of the data processing device,

wherein analysis information is used, by the data processing device, in conjunction with concentration measurement results to characterize a medical condition of the individual, the analysis information including generalized information, the generalized information reflecting a correlation between concentrations of the non-aqueous species in gas samples associated with a population of individuals and a medical condition of the population,

wherein the concentrations of the non-aqueous species in gas samples is compared, by the data processing device, with the generalized information until sufficient gas samples have been taken and analyzed to assemble a statistically useful database of individualized information for a given individual, and comparing the concentrations of the non-aqueous species also with the individualized information once such a database has been assembled.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the correlating the concentration measurements with the medical condition of the individual is further based on a historical record of previously received concentration measurements of at least one of the plurality of different non-aqueous species in gas samples taken from the individual over a period of time at least longer than twenty-four hours.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

supplementing the historical record with information describing the concentration measurements; and

correlating a subsequent concentration measurement with the medical condition based on the supplemented historical record.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the subsequent concentration measurement is taken from the individual one or more months later than the concentration measurements of the non-aqueous species in the gas sample taken from the individual.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the historical record of the concentration of the species in gas samples associated with the individual represents one or more concentration measurements of the species in gas samples taken from the individual one or more days previous to a day when the concentration measurements of the non-aqueous species in the gas sample taken from the individual was received by the data processing system.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the result of the correlation is a determination of an efficacy of a treatment protocol for a disease possessed by the individual, wherein the historical record includes concentration measurements of the species in gas samples previously taken from the individual one day or more earlier than a day when the concentration measurements of the non-aqueous species in the gas sample associated with the individual was received by the data processing system, wherein the individual was on the treatment protocol before at least one of the concentration measurements of the species in gas samples previously taken from the individual one day or more earlier than a day when the concentration measurements of the non-aqueous species in the gas sample associated with the individual was received by the data processing system.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the historical record includes a determination of a baseline medical condition of the individual to which the result of the correlation is compared.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying, by the data processing device, a disease state of the individual based on the concentrations of the non-aqueous species in the gas sample and the generalized information.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein using photoacoustic spectroscopy comprises:

generating infrared electromagnetic radiation;

interacting the gas sample with the infrared electromagnetic radiation;

varying incidence of the infrared electromagnetic radiation on the gas sample; and

transducing consequences of time varying interaction between the incident infrared electromagnetic radiation and the gas sample.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the result of the correlation is a determination that the individual has a specified disease.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the result of the correlation is a diagnosis that the individual has a specified disease not previously identified in the individual.

12. A method comprising:

measuring infrared absorption of a first gas sample associated with an individual using photoacoustic spectroscopy;

receiving, by a data processing device, data representing the infrared absorption of the first gas sample associated with the individual;

correlating, by the data processing device, the data representing the infrared absorption of the first gas sample with a medical condition of the individual based on generalized information reflecting a correlation between characteristics of gas samples associated with a population of individuals and a medical condition of the population;

adding, by the data processing device, information describing the infrared absorption to a collection of individualized information reflecting a correlation between characteristics of gas samples associated with the individual and a medical condition of the individual;

measuring infrared absorption of a second gas sample associated with the individual using photoacoustic spectroscopy;

receiving, by the data processing device, data representing the infrared absorption of the second gas sample associated with the individual; and

subsequently correlating, by the data processing device, the data representing the infrared absorption of the second gas sample with a medical condition of the individual based on the collection of individualized information,

wherein analysis information is used, by the data processing device, in conjunction with concentration measurement results to characterize a medical condition of the individual, the analysis information including generalized information, the generalized information reflecting a correlation between concentrations of non-aqueous species in gas samples associated with a population of individuals and a medical condition of the population,

wherein the concentrations of the non-aqueous species in gas samples is compared, by the data processing device, with the generalized information until sufficient gas samples have been taken and analyzed to assemble a statistically useful database of individualized information for a given individual, and comparing the concentrations of the non-aqueous species also with the individualized information once such a database has been assembled.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the receiving the data representing the infrared absorption of the first gas sample further comprises receiving, by the data processing device, a concentration of a breath trace compound.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein a result of the correlation is a diagnosis that the individual has a specified disease not previously identified in the individual.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein using photoacoustic spectroscopy comprises:

generating infrared electromagnetic radiation;

interacting the gas sample with the infrared electromagnetic radiation;

varying incidence of the infrared electromagnetic radiation on the gas sample; and

transducing consequences of time varying interaction between the incident infrared electromagnetic radiation and the gas sample.

16. A method implemented in a data processing system, comprising:

using photoacoustic spectroscopy to determine data describing infrared absorption at a collection of wavelengths of a gas sample taken from an individual;

based on the data describing the infrared absorption, determining measurements of concentrations of a non-aqueous species in the gas sample taken from the individual;

receiving, by the a data processing system, the measurements of concentrations of the non-aqueous species in the gas sample taken from the individual;

correlating, by the data processing system, the concentration measurements with a medical condition of the individual; and

making a result of the correlation available over an output device of the data processing system,

wherein analysis information is used in conjunction with concentration measurement results to characterize a medical condition of the individual, the analysis information including generalized information, the generalized information reflecting a correlation between concentrations of the non-aqueous species in gas samples associated with a population of individuals and a medical condition of the population, the method further comprising identifying, by the data processing system, a disease state of the individual based on the concentration of the non-aqueous species in the gas sample and the generalized information,

wherein the concentrations concentration of the non-aqueous species in gas samples is compared with the generalized information until sufficient gas samples have been taken and analyzed to assemble a statistically useful database of individualized information for a given individual, and comparing the concentrations of the non-aqueous species also with the individualized information once such a database has been assembled.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the correlating the concentration measurements with the medical condition of the individual is further based on a historical record of previously received concentration measurements of at least one of a plurality of non-aqueous species in gas samples taken from the individual over a period of time at least longer than twenty-four hours.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

supplementing, by the data processing system, the historical record with information describing the concentration measurements; and

correlating, by the data processing system, a subsequent concentration measurement with the medical condition based on the supplemented historical record.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the subsequent concentration measurement is taken from the individual one or more months later than the concentration measurements of the non-aqueous species in the gas sample taken from the individual.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the historical record of the concentration of the species in gas samples associated with the individual represents one or more concentration measurements of the species in gas samples taken from the individual one or more days previous to a day when the concentration measurements of the non-aqueous species in the gas sample taken from the individual was received by the data processing system.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the result of the correlation is a diagnosis that the individual has a specified disease not previously identified in the individual.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein using photoacoustic spectroscopy comprises:

generating infrared electromagnetic radiation;

interacting the gas sample with the infrared electromagnetic radiation;

varying incidence of the infrared electromagnetic radiation on the gas sample; and

transducing consequences of time varying interaction between the incident infrared electromagnetic radiation and the gas sample.