Sensors for detecting substances indicative of stroke, ischemia, infection or inflammation
View Patent ↗A system is disclosed that extracts bodily fluid to a reaction chamber for monitoring a substance or property of the patient fluid. In one embodiment, a pump is used to advance the sample of bodily fluid through a filter to produce a filtrate. Another pump advances filtrate into the reaction chamber, while another pump advances reactant into the reaction chamber. A sensor in communication with the reaction chamber determines a concentration of nitric oxide or one of its metabolic products. Methods are also disclosed.
1. A method of measuring a level of one or more metabolic products of nitric oxide in bodily fluid, comprising the steps of:
directing a stream of bodily fluid through a filter to produce a filtrate;
directing the filtrate into a reaction chamber;
providing a reactant;
directing the reactant into the reaction chamber to react with the filtrate to produce a reaction product; and
measuring a concentration of one or more metabolic products of nitric oxide in the reaction product.
2. A method of claim 1 , wherein the directing a stream of bodily fluid step is accomplished using a first pump.
3. A method of claim 1 , wherein the directing the reactant step is accomplished using a second pump.
4. A method of claim 1 , wherein the directing the filtrate step is accomplished using a third pump.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the bodily fluid is blood.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the bodily fluid is interstitial fluid.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the bodily fluid is cerebrospinal fluid.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the providing step further includes mixing an acid and iodide to produce the reactant.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reactant comprises Cr 2 O 3 .