Measuring properties of an anatomical body
AssigneeMassachusetts Institute of Technology
InventorIan W. Hunter
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A medical device includes a sensor that is configured to measure a property of an outer layer of an anatomical body surface. The sensor includes a source probe configured stimulate a local surface of the outer layer of an anatomical body surface. The sensor also includes a detector configured to measure a response of the outer layer resulting from the source probe stimulation. A controller coupled to the source probe and the sensor drives the source probe using a tailored stochastic sequence and determines the property of the outer layer using the measured response received from the detector. The sensor can be used with medical devices, such as drug delivery devices including microneedle transport devices and needleless injection devices.
Claims25
A medical device comprising:
- a sensor configured to measure a property of an outer layer of an anatomical body surface, the sensor including:
- a source probe configured stimulate a local surface of the outer layer of an anatomical body surface,
- a detector configured to measure a response of the outer layer resulting from the source probe to stimulation;
- and
- a controller coupled to the sensor, wherein the controller drives the source probe using a tailored stochastic sequence and determines the property of the outer layer using the measured response received from the detector.
A method for measuring properties of an outer layer of an anatomical body comprising:
- placing a sensor against an outer layer of an anatomical body;
- stimulating the outer layer of an anatomical body with the sensor using a tailored stochastic sequence;
- measuring a response of the outer layer of an anatomical body to the stimulation;
- and
- determining a property of the outer layer of an anatomical body based on the measured response to the tailored stochastic sequence stimulation.
An apparatus for injecting drug into a biological body comprising:
- a drug injector for holding the drug to be delivered to the body;
- a skin sensor that measures skin properties of the body;
- and
- servo-controller coupled to the drug injector and the skin sensor, the servo-controller adjusting the injection pressure of the drug injector to selectively deliver the drug to the body based on the skin properties.
A method for injecting drug into a biological body comprising:
- holding a drug to be delivered to the body in a drug injector;
- measuring skin properties of the body;
- adjusting the injection pressure of the drug injector with a servo-controller based on the skin properties;
- and
- injecting the drug into the body.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.