Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
247 words
An apparatus for the construction of pO 2 histograms from measurements made in living tissue comprising the combination of a needle probe having a pO 2 measuring site near the tip of said probe at its distal end, the outer diameter of said probe adjacent said measuring site being greater than 10 microns; incremental drive means for axially moving said needle probe in steps to successively position said measuring site at individual measuring locations separated from each other by a predetermined distance, said predetermined distance being greater than the distance between the measuring site and said probe tip plus a predetermined tissue--dependent amount in the order of magnitude of the diameter of said probe at said distal end, said drive means being operative to move said probe tip through said steps of said predetermined distance in a time which is less than an average time constant τ g of the pO 2 decrease in the interstitial tissue after cutoff of the oxygen supply; and signal evaluation means for evaluating the measurement made at each location and producing a signal for display, said evaluation means and measuring site together having a response time constant τ v to pO 2 changes which is at least 30 times smaller than said average time constant τ g , said signal evaluation means including means for producing a signal for display at a time which is between about 3τ v and about 0.1τ g after the end of each said step movement.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
247 words
An apparatus for the construction of pO 2 histograms from measurements made in living tissue comprising the combination of a needle probe having a pO 2 measuring site near the tip of said probe at its distal end, the outer diameter of said probe adjacent said measuring site being greater than 10 microns; incremental drive means for axially moving said needle probe in steps to successively position said measuring site at individual measuring locations separated from each other by a predetermined distance, said predetermined distance being greater than the distance between the measuring site and said probe tip plus a predetermined tissue--dependent amount in the order of magnitude of the diameter of said probe at said distal end, said drive means being operative to move said probe tip through said steps of said predetermined distance in a time which is less than an average time constant τ g of the pO 2 decrease in the interstitial tissue after cutoff of the oxygen supply; and signal evaluation means for evaluating the measurement made at each location and producing a signal for display, said evaluation means and measuring site together having a response time constant τ v to pO 2 changes which is at least 30 times smaller than said average time constant τ g , said signal evaluation means including means for producing a signal for display at a time which is between about 3τ v and about 0.1τ g after the end of each said step movement.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
16 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ratio τ g /τ v is more than 100.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
20 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the probe diameter in the distal area (211) is larger than about 100 microns.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
21 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the measuring site (213) is fastened in the precision ground opening of a metal cannula.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
40 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, having a polarographic measuring site, wherein the measuring site is formed as a precision ground surface (52) of a metal film (54) imbedded between insulating materials (55, 53) and covered by a diffusion-permeable membrane (62).
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
23 words
Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the film (54) is arranged on a fiber core (55) and surrounded by a casting compound (53).
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
34 words
Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the surface (60) of the metal film (54) is arranged below the precision ground surface (52) in a distance of the order of magnitude of the film thickness.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
58 words
Apparatus according to claim 1 for determination within the skeletal muscles of a patient, wherein the probe diameter amounts to about 200 to 500 microns and the step distance to more than about 400 microns, τ v being less than 150 milliseconds and the measured value being determined not later than 1.5 seconds after the termination of movement.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
198 words
A method of making a plurality of measurement in living tissue for presentation in a pO 2 histogram including providing a needle probe having a pO 2 measuring site near its distal end and having a diameter greater than 10 microns, inserting the probe into the tissue and moving the measuring site axially and incrementally to successive measurement locations separated by distances greater than the distance between the measuring site and the probe tip plus a constant having a magnitude in the order of magnitude of the probe tip diameter and selected as a function of tissue characteristics, determining from the tissue characteristics an average time constant τ g representative of the pO 2 decrease in the interstitial tissue after cutoff of the supply of oxygen thereto, moving the measuring site in the incremental movements from one measuring location to the next measuring location in a time which is less than the average time constant τ g by at least an order of magnitude, making the pO 2 measurement at each location in an interval of time which is at least an order of magnitude smaller than the average time constant τ g , and displaying the measurements.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
198 words
A method of making a plurality of measurement in living tissue for presentation in a pO 2 histogram including providing a needle probe having a pO 2 measuring site near its distal end and having a diameter greater than 10 microns, inserting the probe into the tissue and moving the measuring site axially and incrementally to successive measurement locations separated by distances greater than the distance between the measuring site and the probe tip plus a constant having a magnitude in the order of magnitude of the probe tip diameter and selected as a function of tissue characteristics, determining from the tissue characteristics an average time constant τ g representative of the pO 2 decrease in the interstitial tissue after cutoff of the supply of oxygen thereto, moving the measuring site in the incremental movements from one measuring location to the next measuring location in a time which is less than the average time constant τ g by at least an order of magnitude, making the pO 2 measurement at each location in an interval of time which is at least an order of magnitude smaller than the average time constant τ g , and displaying the measurements.