Minimally invasive collection probe and methods for the use thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11737671-B2
Application number	US-202117453740-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 5, 2021
Priority date	Nov 27, 2017
Publication date	Aug 29, 2023
Grant date	Aug 29, 2023

Abstract

Method and devices are provided for assessing tissue samples from a plurality of tissue sites in a subject using molecular analysis. In certain aspects, devices of the embodiments allow for minimally invasive collection of liquid tissue samples and delivery of the samples for mass spectrometry analysis.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a chamber comprising a solvent;
a mass spectrometer; and
a probe comprising a reservoir, a first conduit, a second conduit and a third conduit, wherein:
the probe is, or is comprised in, a cannula of a surgical instrument;
the first conduit is in fluid communication with the chamber;
the second conduit is in fluid communication with a gas supply; and
the third conduit is in fluid communication with the mass spectrometer.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the surgical instrument is a laparoscope, a trocar needle, a biopsy guide, or a multiple-lumen catheter.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the reservoir is a space formed in said first, second or third conduits.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the reservoir is a space formed in said first conduit.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the reservoir comprises from 0.01 to 1.0 ml of fluid.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the surgical instrument comprises a fin that can be gripped.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a fourth conduit, wherein: the first conduit, the second conduit and the third conduit are each in fluid communication with the fourth conduit.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising:
a first valve configured to control flow between the first conduit and the fourth conduit; and
a second valve configured to control flow between the second conduit and the fourth conduit.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising a third first valve configured to control flow between the third conduit and the fourth conduit.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the gas supply provides air from an atmosphere of the probe, nitrogen or carbon dioxide to the probe.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the probe comprises a tracking device or dye to track a location of the probe.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a control system configured to control:
a solvent flow from the chamber through the first conduit; and
a sample flow through the third conduit to the mass spectrometer.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the mass spectrometer is in electronic communication with a computer that can provide sample analysis, and the computer provides a visual or auditory read-out of the sample analysis.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a waste container in fluid communication with the third conduit.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a pump in fluid communication with the third conduit.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a heating element coupled to the third conduit.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an ionization device in fluid communication with the third conduit.

18. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the third conduit is not directly coupled to the mass spectrometer.

19. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a venturi device in fluid communication with the third conduit.

20. A method for assessing tissue samples from a subject, the method comprising:
(a) applying a fixed or discrete volume of a solvent to a tissue site in the subject through a cannula of a surgical instrument via a probe;
wherein the probe is, or is comprised in, the cannula of the surgical instrument;
wherein the probe comprises a reservoir, a first conduit, a second conduit, and a third conduit,

wherein:
the first conduit is in fluid communication with a chamber comprising the solvent;
the second conduit is in fluid communication with a gas supply; and
the third conduit is in fluid communication with a mass spectrometer;

(b) collecting the applied solvent with the probe to obtain a liquid sample; and
(c) subjecting the sample to mass spectrometry analysis using the mass spectrometer.

Assignees

• Univ Texas

Inventors

• Eberlin Livia Schiavinato
• Milner Thomas
• Zhang Jialing
• Giese Noah
• Katta Nitesh

Classifications

• A61B5/0075 Primary

  by spectroscopy, i.e. measuring spectra, e.g. Raman spectroscopy, infrared absorption spectroscopy (A61B5/0071 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61B1/3132

  for laparoscopy · CPC title

• A61B10/02

  Instruments for taking cell samples or for biopsy {(A61B10/0038 and A61B10/0045 take precedence; needle locating or guiding means A61B17/3403; samplers for enzymology or microbiology C12M1/26; sampling or preparing biological specimens G01N33/48)} · CPC title

• A61B17/34

  Trocars; Puncturing needles · CPC title

• A61B34/30

  Surgical robots · CPC title