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US 6,471,660 B1Granted
Method and apparatus for measuring factors in mammary fluids
AssigneeChandice Covington
InventorChandice Covington
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Abstract
Provided are methods for non-invasively obtaining mammary fluid from a subject. The method further provides methods for measuring the risk of a mammary disease by measuring a biological factor in the mammary fluid. Further provided is an apparatus useful in obtaining a mammary fluid from the mammary gland of a subject.
Claims37
A method of determining a risk of a mammary gland disease in a subject comprising:
- non-invasively obtaining a mammary gland fluid from the subject, comprising
- warming the mammary gland;
- massaging the mammary gland;
- aspirating the mammary fluid;
- quantifing the amount of a biological factor in the mammary fluid;
- and
- comparing an amount of the biological factor to the amount of a biological factor in a control sample, wherein the ratio of the biological factor in the fluid to the control sample is indicative of the risk of mammary gland disease.
4 more elements
The method of claim 31, wherein the breast milk is a colostrum breast milk.
A method of determining the risk of breast cancer in a subject comprising:
- quantifying the amount of a carotenoid in a biological sample obtained from a mammary gland compared to an amount of a carotenoid in a control sample,
- wherein if a ratio of carotenoids in the biological sample to the carotenoids in the control sample is less than one the ratio is indicative of a risk of breast cancer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.