AUTOMATED SCRATCH DETECTION SYSTEM AND SIGNAL PROCESSING ALGORITHM FOR THE STUDY OF PRURITUS IN ANIMALS

• US 20140046222A1
• Filed: 08/09/2013
• Published: 02/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Regents of the University of California (University of California)
• Original Assignee: Regents of the University of California (University of California)
• Inventors: Yaksh, Tony L., Malkmus, Shelle, Marino, Marc, Skahen, James
• Granted Patent: US 9,770,195 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/595
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 29/005 Monitoring or measuring activity, e.g. detecting heat or mating
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/40 Animals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1123 Discriminating type of movement, e.g. walking or running A61B5/1116, A61B5/112 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1127 using markers

Abstract

The invention provides a method for automated assessment of pruritus comprising detecting movement of a band located on a limb of a subject animal so as to obtain a signal associated with the detection movement, processing the signal associated with the detected movement through an algorithm configured to establish a scratch movement trigger, and translating the processed signal into scratch counts.

Claims

1. A method for automated assessment of pruritus, comprising:

(a) detecting movement of a band located on a limb of a subject animal so as to obtain a signal associated with the detection movement;

(b) processing the signal associated with the detected movement through an algorithm configured to establish a scratch movement trigger; and

(c) translating the processed signal into scratch counts.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising transforming said scratch counts into macrobursts.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said scratch counts are transformed into macrobursts through an algorithm configured to establish a macroburst.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the algorithm is a fast Fourier transform algorithm.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the macrobursts define and quantify the itch-scratch-quiescence cycle in pruritic animals.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing scratch movement triggers onto a storage medium.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing scratch counts onto a storage medium.

8. The method of claim 3 further comprising storing macrobursts onto a storage medium.

9. The method of claim 2 further comprising analyzing macroburst patterns to study integration of pruritic input within a neural axis.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the band comprises an unrestrictive and lightweight band.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the band comprises a electromagnetically-sensitive material.

16. A method for determining whether an agent reduces pruritus comprising:

(a) determining whether a potential pruritogen induces pruritus by the method of claim 1;

(b) mixing the agent with the pruritogen in varying amounts and repeating the method of claim 1;

(c) comparing the generated scratch counts to determine relative reduction of pruritic activity.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

(a) transforming said scratch counts into macrobursts; and

(b) comparing macroburst patterns to determine relative reduction of pruritic activity.

24. A system for automated assessment of pruritus of claim 1, comprising:

(a) a computer;

(b) at least one testing chamber comprising transceiving antennas capable of creating an electromagnetic field and detecting fluctuations in said electromagnetic field; and

(c) a band configured for placement on a subject animal limb, wherein movement of the band perturbs the electromagnetic field resulting in a signal processed by a scratch movement trigger algorithm via the processor, and wherein the processed signal is displayed on the display and translated into scratch counts.

27. The system of claim 24 wherein the band comprises an unrestrictive and lightweight non-ferrous metal band.

31. The method of claim 1, wherein the limb is a hind limb paw or a fore limb paw of a subject animal.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the subject animal is a mouse, rat, squirrel, guinea pig, hamster, rabbit, shrew, mole, mink, cat and dog.

35. A method for classifying pruritogens eliciting similar scratch response of claim 1, comprising:

(a) administering a pruritogen to one or more subject animals;

(b) determining number of scratch counts comprising automated assessment of pruritus;

(c) performing scratch counts over different doses of the pruritogen;

(d) repeating steps (a) to (c) until all pruritogens to be classified have been examined;

(e) comparing scratch counts at a dose of a pruritogen or change in scratch counts at different doses of a pruritogen with other pruritogens;

(f) grouping pruritogens with similar scratch counts at the same dose or similar change in scratch counts as a function of pruritogen doses in a single group; and

,

(g) creating as many groups of (f) as necessary;

thereby classifying pruritogens eliciting similar scratch response.

12. (canceled)

13. A method for determining whether an agent induces pruritus in a subject comprising:

(a) applying the agent to the subject at a predetermined area;

(b) detecting movement of a band located on a limb of a subject animal so as to obtain a signal associated with the detection movement, wherein the movement is a scratch movement to the predetermined area on the subject;

(c) processing the signal associated with the detected movement through an algorithm configured to establish a scratch movement trigger;

(d) translating the processed signal into scratch counts; and

(e) comparing the generated scratch counts to those generated from a nonpruritic agent, an increase indicating that the agent induces pruritus.

14-15. -15. (canceled)

18-23. -23. (canceled)

25-26. -26. (canceled)

28-30. -30. (canceled)

33-34. -34. (canceled)

36-40. -40. (canceled)

41. A method for determining whether an agent induces pruritus in a subject comprising:

(a) attaching a band to a limb of said subject;

(b) attaching a signal detection and processing device to the subject, the device being operatively connected to a memory device capable of storing retrieved signals, the device being able to detect motion of the band on the subject;

(c) detecting movement of the band on the subject that has been administered with the agent so as to obtain a signal associated with the detection movement, wherein the movement is a scratch movement to a predetermined area to which the agent has been administered on the subject; and

(d) comparing the generated scratch counts to those generated from a nonpruritic agent, an increase indicating that the agent induces pruritus;

wherein the signal processing device comprises a processor configured to perform the steps of processing the signal associated with the detected movement through an algorithm configured to establish a scratch movement trigger; and

translating the processed signal into scratch counts.