Method and apparatus of determination of chemical species in perspiration
AssigneeSudormed, Inc.
InventorDonald W. Schoendorfer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A dermal patch to be worn on the skin for increasing the concentration of an analyte expressed through the skin in perspiration to a conveniently measurable level. Included are patches and methods of using such patches to determine the quantity of an analyte in a given volume of perspiration, to determine a subject's sensitivity to an allergen, to allow an analyte to be detected with conventional detection systems, and to dissolve the structural components of a patch to facilitate analyte detection.
Claims15
A dermal patch to be worn on the skin of a subject mammal for determining the sensitivity of said subject to an allergen, comprising:
- a fluid permeable support layer having a first side, a second side and an outer perimeter;
- an absorbent material located adjacent to said second side of said support layer and adapted to be in fluid communication with said support layer for collecting non-aqueous components of perspiration;
- an allergen located in said absorbent material;
- and
- a gas permeable layer having a first and second side and an outer perimeter said first side of the gas permeable layer being adjacent to said absorbent material, whereby water expressed through the subject's skin is permitted to escape in vapor phase from said absorbent material through said gas permeable layer.
A method of determining whether a subject mammal is allergic to a particular allergen, comprising:
- placing a patch on a surface of the subject's skin, wherein said patch comprises an absorbent material having an allergen located therein, such that said absorbent material is in fluid communication with the subject's skin;
- inducing the migration into said absorbent material of non-aqueous components of perspiration associated with an allergic reaction to said allergen;
- and
- detecting said non-aqueous components to determine whether said subject has expressed an allergic response to said allergen.
A method for determining whether a subject mammal is allergic to a particular allergen, comprising the steps of:
- exposing the subject's skin to said allergen;
- accumulating perspiration from said subject's skin proximate to an area of the subject's skin exposed to said allergen;
- and
- detecting an analyte in said perspiration, wherein said analyte is indicative of an allergic reaction to said allergen.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.