Implantable diagnostic sensor

• US 6,267,724 B1
• Filed: 07/30/1999
• Issued: 07/31/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microfab Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Microfab Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Taylor, David W.
• Primary Examiner(s): WINAKUR, ERIC FRANK
• Application Number:
  US09/364,717
• Time in Patent Office: 732 Days
• Field of Search: 600/309, 600/310, 600/322, 128/897, 128/898
• US Class Current: 600/309
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/145 Measuring characteristics of blood in vivo, e.g. gas concentration, pH value; Measuring characteristics of body fluids or tissues, e.g. interstitial fluid, cerebral tissuemeasuring of blood pressure or blood flow A61B5/02; non-radiation detecting or locating of foreign bodies in blood A61B5/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement

Abstract

A method of using an implantable diagnostic sensor capable of detecting a biologically relevant state or change in state of a human or animal subject. The method includes selecting a dynamic probe to produce a measurable change over a range of changes in responses to a varying biologically relevant state. The method also includes selecting a reference material capable of exhibiting a measurable state within the range of changes of the dynamic probe material that represents a desired response level of the dynamic probe material with respect to the biologically relevant state. Further, the method requires tattooing the probe material into the human or animal skin for comparing the state of the dynamic probe to the reference material.

Claims

1. A method of using an implantable diagnostic sensor capable of detecting a biologically relevant state or change in state of a human or animal subject, comprising:

selecting a dynamic probe material which produces a measurable change of state over a range of changes in response to a varying biologically relevant state in a human or animal subject;

selecting a reference material which exhibits a measurable state within the range of changes of the dynamic probe material that represents a desired response level of the dynamic probe material with respect to the biologically relevant state;

tattooing the dynamic probe material into the skin of the subject and tattooing the reference material for comparison next to the tattooed dynamic probe material in the skin of the subject;

comparing the state of the dynamic probe material to the state of the reference material to ascertain a biologically relevant state of the subject for which the probe was selected.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the reference material is a single reference material which represents a desired level of response of the dynamic probe material to the biologically relevant state.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the reference material has a color and the range of changes of the dynamic probe is a range of colors and the step of comparing the state of the dynamic probe material to the state of the reference material comprises the step of color matching to determine the biologically relevant state of the subject.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the reference material has a color density and the range of changes of the dynamic probe is a range of color densities and the step of comparing the state of the dynamic probe material to the state of the reference material comprises the step of comparing color densities to determine the biologically relevant state of the subject.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of comparing the state of the dynamic probe material to the state of the reference material is performed with the aid of an instrument.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the reference material is segmented material which represents desired levels of responses of the dynamic probe material to the biologically relevant state.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the reference material has a color scale and the range of changes of the dynamic probe is a range of colors and the step of comparing the state of the dynamic probe to the state of the reference material comprises matching the color of the dynamic probe with a color on the color scale of the reference probe.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the reference material has an optical density scale and the range of changes of the dynamic probe is a range of optical density changes and the step of comparing the state of the dynamic probe to the state of the reference material is the step of matching the optical density of the dynamic probe with an optical density on the optical density scale of the reference material.