Sensing and interactive drug delivery

Abstract

An interactive drug delivery system includes a drug delivery module, an optical probe, a local controller, and an optional central controller. The drug delivery module is constructed and arranged to deliver selected amounts of a drug into a subject. The optical probe is constructed and arranged to detect in a selected tissue region of the subject a manifestation caused by the delivered drug. The local controller is constructed and arranged to receive data from or transmit data to the optical probe and the drug delivery module. The local controller is arranged to correlate optical data, received from the optical probe, to selected data and provide signals to the drug delivery module for adjusting the amounts of the drug to be delivered into the subject.

1 . An interactive drug delivery system comprising:
 a drug delivery module constructed and arranged to deliver selected amounts of a drug into a subject;   an optical probe constructed and arranged to detect in vivo in two selected tissue regions of said subject a manifestation caused by the delivered drug, a first of said selected tissue region exhibiting normal tissue properties and a second of said selected tissue region exhibiting abnormal tissue properties; and   a local controller constructed and arranged to receive data from or transmit data to said optical probe and said drug delivery module; said local controller being arranged to correlate optical data received from said optical probe to selected data and provide signals to said drug delivery module for adjusting the amounts of the drug to be delivered into said subject.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  further including a central controller remotely located from and in wireless communication with said local controller, central controller constructed and arranged to receive data from said local controller and provide to said local controller data for adjusting the amounts of said drug to be delivered into said subject. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1  further including a temperature probe coupled to said local controller. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3  wherein said temperature probe uses an infra-red beam to measure a local temperature of a tissue region. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1  further including an electrical probe coupled to said local controller. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said optical probe is a time-resolved (TRS) system. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said optical probe is a phase modulation system. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said optical probe is a phased array. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said optical probe is phase cancellation system. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said optical probe is an amplitude cancellation system. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said drug delivery module includes an electrical controller designed to regulate the rate of the delivered drug based on the signals from said local controller. 
     
     
         12 . An interactive drug delivery method comprising:
 delivering by a drug delivery module selected amounts of a drug into a subject;   optically detecting in vivo in two selected tissue regions of the subject a manifestation caused by the delivered drug by an optical probe, a first of said selected tissue region exhibiting normal tissue properties and a second of said selected tissue region exhibiting abnormal tissue properties;   receiving data from or transmitting data to said optical probe and said drug delivery module by a local controller;   correlating data received from said optical probe to selected data stored in said local controller; and   providing signals to said drug delivery module for adjusting the amounts of the drug to be delivered into said subject.   
     
     
         13 . The interactive drug delivery method of  claim 12  further including regulating the rate of the delivered drug based on signals from said local controller. 
     
     
         14 . The interactive drug delivery method of  claim 12  including measuring tissue temperature. 
     
     
         15 . The interactive drug delivery method of  claim 14  wherein said measuring temperature includes using an infra-red beam for measuring a local temperature of a tissue region. 
     
     
         16 . The interactive drug delivery method of  claim 12  further including measuring electrical signals with an electrical probe. 
     
     
         17 . An interactive drug delivery system comprising:
 a drug delivery module constructed and arranged to deliver selected amounts of a drug into a subject;   an optical probe including a light source and a light detector constructed and arranged to examine in vivo in a selected biological tissue region of said subject during the operation of said drug delivery module, said optical probe being constructed to detect optical signal related to a manifestation in the examined biological tissue region caused by the delivered drug in the tissue region; and   a local controller constructed and arranged to communicate with said optical probe and said drug delivery module; said local controller being arranged to correlate data related to said manifestation with selected data and provide signals to said drug delivery module for adjusting the amounts of the drug to be delivered into said subject.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17  said optical probe includes an array of optical input ports optically coupled to several light sources and an array of detection ports optically coupled to several light detectors. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 17  said optical probe is constructed to detect said optical signal including fluorescent light emitted as manifestation of said delivered drug. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 17  further including a central controller remotely located from and in wireless communication with said local controller, central controller constructed and arranged to receive data from said local controller and provide to said local controller data for adjusting the amounts of said drug to be delivered by said drug delivery module into said subject. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein said optical probe is further constructed to detect infra-red light to measure a local temperature of a tissue region. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein said optical probe detects blood volume. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein said optical probe detects blood oxygenation.