Wearable ultrasonic device for circulating tumor cell detection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2015126861-A1
Application number	US-201414531718-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 3, 2014
Priority date	Nov 7, 2013
Publication date	May 7, 2015
Grant date	—

Abstract

An apparatus for detecting circulating tumor cells is provided. A support system for mounting on a patient is provided. An imaging system is attached to the support system. The imaging system comprises a transmitter and receiver system for generating and transmitting signals into the patient and receiving signals from the patient and a controller. The controller comprises a processor and computer readable media. The computer readable media comprises computer readable code for transmitting signals into the patient, computer readable code for receiving signals from the patent, and computer readable code for providing in vivo circulating tumor cell imaging agent data from the received signals from the patient.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An apparatus for detecting circulating tumor cells, comprising:
a support system for mounting on a patient; an imaging system attached to the support system, comprising;
a transmitter and receiver system for generating and transmitting signals into the patient and receiving signals from the patient; and
a controller, comprising:
a processor; and
computer readable media, comprising:
computer readable code for transmitting signals into the patient;
computer readable code for receiving signals from the patent; and
computer readable code for providing in vivo circulating tumor cell imaging agent data from the received signals from the patient.

2 . The apparatus, as recited in claim 1 , wherein the imaging system is an ultrasonic imaging system.

3 . The apparatus, as recited in claim 2 , wherein the transmitter and receiver system comprises:
a transmitter attached to the support system; and a receiver attached to the support system.

4 . The apparatus, as recited in claim 2 , wherein the transmitter and receiver system is an integrated unit that uses a transceiver to both transmit and receive.

5 . The apparatus, as recited in claim 4 , further comprising a remote computer system, comprising:
computer readable code for receiving data from the controller; computer readable code for determining a location of a blood vessel in a patient; computer readable code for providing Doppler analysis data from the received data from the controller; computer readable code for receiving circulating tumor cell imaging agent data from the controller; and computer readable code for determining circulating tumor cell flow per volume flow of blood.

6 . The apparatus, as recited in claim 5 , wherein the remote computer system, further comprises computer readable code for creating an image from the Doppler analysis data and the circulating tumor cell imaging agent data.

7 . The apparatus, as recited in claim 6 , wherein the computer readable media, further comprises computer readable code for determining circulating tumor cell flow per volume flow of blood.

8 . The apparatus, as recited in claim 7 , wherein the remote computer system is a wireless communications device.

9 . The apparatus, as recited in claim 1 , wherein the computer readable media further comprises computer readable code for providing blood flow data from the received signals from the patient.

10 . The apparatus, as recited in claim 9 , wherein the blood flow data comprises volume of blood flow within a blood vessel data.

11 . The apparatus, as recited in claim 10 , wherein the computer readable code for providing in vivo circulating tumor cell imaging data from received signals from patient, comprises computer readable code for providing microbubble data for microbubbles attached to circulating tumor cells.

12 . A method for measuring trace cells, comprising:
administering an imaging agent for the trace cells into a patient; detecting the imaging agent in the patient (in vivo); and using the detected imaging agent to measure a flow of trace cells flowing in blood vessels of the patient.

13 . The method, as recited in claim 12 , wherein the measuring the flow of circulating tumor cells flowing in blood vessels of the patient, comprises:
measuring a volume of blood flowing through sensed blood vessels in the patient; and measuring a number of trace cells flowing through the sensed blood vessels in the patient.

14 . The method, as recited in claim 13 , wherein the trace cells are circulating tumor cells.

15 . The method, as recited in claim 14 , wherein the measuring the volume of blood flowing through the sensed vessels uses a Doppler analysis.

16 . The method, as recited in claim 15 , wherein the imaging agent comprises microbubbles.

17 . The method, as recited in claim 16 , wherein the measuring the number of trace cells, comprises:
transmitting ultrasonic signals into the sensed blood vessels; and receiving ultrasonic signals from the sensed blood vessels.

18 . The method, as recited in claim 17 , wherein the transmitted ultrasonic signals have a different frequency than the received ultrasonic signals.

Assignees

• Univ Leland Stanford Junior

Inventors

• Gambhir Milan S
• De La Zerda Adam
• Knysh Bryan D

Classifications

• A61B8/4427

  Device being portable or laptop-like · CPC title

• A61B8/481

  involving the use of contrast agents, e.g. microbubbles introduced into the bloodstream · CPC title

• A61B8/06

  Measuring blood flow · CPC title

• A61B8/085 Primary

  for locating body or organic structures, e.g. tumours, calculi, blood vessels, nodules · CPC title

• A61B8/4227

  characterised by straps, belts, cuffs or braces · CPC title