Method and means for detection of arterial lesions
AssigneeMassachusetts Institute of Technology
InventorRobert S. Lees
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The atherosclerotic plaques which form arterial lesions have been found to take up lipoproteins from the blood flowing through the arteries. Accordingly, the early detection of arterial disease is accomplished by preparing an infusate composed of radiolabeled low-density lipoproteins and introducing the infusate into the patient's arterial system. A gamma radiation detector is then used to detect and quantify concentrations of the radiolabeled proteins thereby to indicate the locations and sizes of the lesions.
Claims8
The method for the early detection of arterial disease including atherosclerosis comprising the steps of
- A. preparing an infusate composed of
- 1. low density lipoproteins, and
- 2. tracer means linked to said proteins and capable of being viewed extracorporeally,
- B. injecting the infusate into the vascular system of a patient;
- C. subsequently viewing the patient's vascular system with extracorporeally-located detecting means capable of detecting the tracer means;
- D. determining from said detecting means the locations of tracer means in the patient's vascular system;
- and
- E. quantifying concentrations of the tracer means by said detecting means at one or more of said locations.
Apparatus for detecting vascular disease comprising
- A. an infusate for infusing into the vascular system of a patient, said infusate including
- 1. low density blood lipoproteins having a selected density range;
- and
- 2. tracer means linked to said proteins and capable of being viewed estracorporeally;
- B. tracer detecting means for positioning opposite the patient's body to detect concentrations of said tracer means in said vascular system;
- and
- C. means for quantifying the detected tracer means concentrations.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.