METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR OPTOACOUSTIC MONITORING OF BLOOD COMPONENTS IN A BLOOD FLOW
First Claim
1. A method of optoacoustically monitoring blood concentrations of one or more constituents therein, comprising:
- directing a flow of a patient'"'"'s blood through a substantially transparent vessel, said blood having an optoacoustically detectable concentration of one or more of said constituents therein;
directing pulses of laser light into said vessel through said blood flow at one or more frequencies capable of inducing detectable acoustic responses from one or more of said constituents, respectively; and
optoacoustically detecting and measuring the induced optoacoustic response for one or more different said one or more constituents.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Described is an apparatus and method of optoacoustic monitoring of blood concentrations of one or more constituents by directing a flow of a patient'"'"'s blood through a substantially transparent vessel to optoacoustically detect a concentration of one or more constituents. To detect constituents, pulses of laser light can be passed through the blood flow at one or more frequencies in order to generate an altered laser emission from the exposed blood, and/or induce detectable optoacoustic responses from the constituents. The detectable responses can be detected and measured by analyzing an alteration of the laser emissions and/or the frequency, slope and/or amplitude of the optoacoustic responses for different constituents in the blood.
16 Citations
43 Claims
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1. A method of optoacoustically monitoring blood concentrations of one or more constituents therein, comprising:
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directing a flow of a patient'"'"'s blood through a substantially transparent vessel, said blood having an optoacoustically detectable concentration of one or more of said constituents therein; directing pulses of laser light into said vessel through said blood flow at one or more frequencies capable of inducing detectable acoustic responses from one or more of said constituents, respectively; and optoacoustically detecting and measuring the induced optoacoustic response for one or more different said one or more constituents. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method of 1, wherein said constituents comprise poisons, drugs or disease-related components.
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11. A method of optoacoustic monitoring blood concentrations of one or more constituents therein comprising:
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directing a flow of a patient'"'"'s blood through a substantially transparent vessel, said blood having an optoacoustically detectable concentration of one or more of said constituents therein; passing pulses of laser light through said blood flow containing vessel at one or more frequencies and inducing altered laser emissions from the exposed blood and/or detectable optoacoustic waves for one or more of said constituents; and detecting and measuring the alteration of the laser emissions and/or the frequency, slope and/or amplitude of said acoustic waves for one or more different ones of said one or more constituents. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. An apparatus for monitoring concentrations of one or more constituents in a bloodstream, comprising:
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means for directing a continuous flow of blood to a detection apparatus; a detection apparatus comprising a substantially transparent vessel for receiving said continuous flow of blood, a laser light source configured for directing pulsed light into said tube which produces an optoacoustic wave response and/or measurable altered laser light emissions from said one or more constituents to said light; and means for measuring said optoacoustic and/or said altered light response. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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Specification