PERSONAL DIAGNOSTIC DEVICE HAVING AN AIR SAMPLE COLLECTION UNIT AND A FLUIDIC CIRCUIT
Personal diagnostic devices including diagnostic patches (bio-patches) and interactive medical bracelets (bio-bracelets) are provided with a skin/patch interface, at least one analysis layer, a signal processing layer, and a user output interface. Embodiments of the interactive diagnostic devices may include micro-fluidic circuits with reaction chambers, analysis chambers, mixing cambers, and various pre-disposed chemistries or reagents for performing a wide verity of tests by transdermal transport of blood or perspiration. Sample collection chambers for the fluidic circuit may include minimally invasive tubules that penetrate the skin surface to acquire blood samples from capillaries near the epidermis. Alternate implementations of the personal diagnostic device may be equipped with logic processing, input/output devices, acoustic microphones, cryogenic circuits, embedded processors, electrical control circuitry, and battery current sources or photovoltaic sources of electrical power.
1 . A personal diagnostic device, comprising:
at least one air sample collection unit for obtaining an air sample from an ambient environment of a user, said at least one air sample collection unit configured to detect at least one airborne contaminant;
a user sample acquisition layer for obtaining a fluid sample from said user;
a fluidic processing layer in fluid communication with said user sample acquisition layer and configured to process said fluid sample, said fluidic processing layer including a fluidic circuit comprising a plurality of analysis chambers, said fluidic circuit configured to direct said fluid sample to said one or more of said plurality of analysis chambers for sample processing, detection, and analysis;
an assay results detection layer having a detector for detecting diagnostic results derived from said processing of said fluid sample;
a signal processing unit configured to display detection of said at least one air born contaminant and display at least some of said diagnostic results of said fluid sample; said user sample acquisition layer, said fluidic processing layer, and said assay results detection layer being in communication with each other; and said one or more of said plurality of analysis chambers and said detector being in communication with each other such that said one or more of said plurality of analysis chambers is detectable by said detector.
2 . The device according to claim 1 wherein said at least one air sample collection unit is located on a top surface of said personal diagnostic device.
3 . The device according to claim 1 wherein said diagnostic results monitor a response by said user to said at least one airborne contaminant.
4 . The device according to claim 1 wherein said at least one air sample collection unit identifies harmful levels of said at least one airborne contaminant.
5 . The device according to claim 1 further comprising hydrophobic surfaces for retarding fluid flow.
6 . The device according to claim 1 further comprising hydrophilic surfaces for promoting fluid flow.
7 . The device according to claim 1 further comprising a logic processing system with an Internet Protocol address.
8 . The device according to claim 1 further comprising a receiver and a transmitter to provide telemetry information regarding location of said user.
9 . The device according to claim 1 wherein said signal processing unit comprises a receiver, and a controller wherein a return command from a first remote location is received by said receiver, and processed by said controller to thereby activate a desired functionality within said personal diagnostic device.
10 . The device according to claim 1 further configured to perform at least one of the group consisting of: a cellular assay, a small molecule assay, a glucose assay, a stress assay, a cortisol assay, an enzyme assay, a lactate assay, a cardiac marker assay, a creatinine assay, and a hemoglobin assay.
11 . The device according to claim 1 further comprising tubules, lancets, or microprobes configured to draw up blood or fluid samples for testing.
12 . The device according to claim 11 further comprising an anticoagulant in said tubules, lancets, or microprobes.
13 . The device according to claim 11 further comprising programmable valves to flush out any old blood accumulated at tips of said tubules, lancets, or microprobes.
14 . The device according to claim 1 wherein said signal processing unit wirelessly transmits an electronic signal including at least some information about said diagnostic results to a remote location.
15 . The device according to claim 1 further configured to interface with a computer device remotely maintained from said personal diagnostic device, said computer device comprising at least one of the group consisting of: a desk top computer, a lap top computer, a hand-held computer, a receiver that receives at least some information about said diagnostic results, a receiver that receives at least some of said information about said diagnostic results wirelessly, a monitor that displays at least some of said information about said diagnostic results.
16 . The device according to claim 1 wherein said signal processing unit comprises an address so that said personal diagnostic device is addressable remotely over a network.
17 . The device according to claim 1 wherein said detector comprises at least one of the group consisting of: a charged coupled device (CCD), at least one light receiving nano-wire, and a semi-conductor light detecting material.
18 . The device according to claim 1 further comprising at least one drug-release reservoir having supply probes that penetrate into said user and said signal processing unit includes logic and control functionality to release a pre-determined amount of liquid medication from said at least one drug-release reservoir into said user through supply probes in response to a respective control command sent by said medical provider to said personal diagnostic device over said network.
19 . The device according to claim 1 further comprising at least one drug-release reservoir that is subdivided into a pre-selected number of sub-reservoirs each having a pre-determined amount of liquid medication stored therein so that said amount of liquid medication stored in each of said sub-reservoirs is releasable at different times for administration of a time-released application of said liquid medication over an extended period of time.
20 . The device according to claim 19 wherein said liquid medication includes a hormone.
21 . The device according to claim 20 wherein said hormone is insulin.