DRILL DEVICE AND METHOD FOR FORMING MICROCONDUITS
First Claim
1. A method of removing an analyte, which comprises the steps of painlessly drilling into a target area, monitoring an electrical impedance of the target area, stopping the drilling into the target area when a change in the electrical impedance is detected, thereby forming a microconduit, and removing the analyte via the formed microconduit.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention relates to methods and devices for formation of microconduits in tissue, particularly using an impedance sensing drill to form microconduits. One embodiment of the invention is an impedance sensing drill comprising a drilling assembly, a control module, mechanically connected to the drilling assembly for controlling the depth of drilling by the drilling assembly; and a sensor, electrically connected to the drilling assembly and control module for detecting a change in an electrical impedance of a material being drilled. Another embodiment is a method of forming a microconduit in a material, which comprises the steps of drilling into the material, monitoring an electrical impedance of the material, and stopping the drilling into the material when a change in the impedance is detected, thereby forming microconduit.
58 Citations
6 Claims
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1. A method of removing an analyte, which comprises the steps of painlessly drilling into a target area, monitoring an electrical impedance of the target area, stopping the drilling into the target area when a change in the electrical impedance is detected, thereby forming a microconduit, and removing the analyte via the formed microconduit.
- 2. A method of removing the stratum corneum from the epidermis to permit extraction of analyte from the body, which comprises the steps of drilling into a target area, monitoring an electrical impedance of the target area, stopping the drilling into the target area when a change in the electrical impedance is detected, thereby forming a microconduit, and extracting analyte from the body through the microconduit.
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6. A method of removing the stratum corneum from the epidermis to permit blood collection from the body for analysis, which comprises the steps of drilling into a target area, monitoring an electrical impedance of the target area, stopping the drilling into the target area when a change in the electrical impedance is detected, thereby forming a microconduit, and removing blood from the body through the microconduit.
Specification