Body-Mountable Sensor Detecting Tumor Probes in Vasculature
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for detecting cancerous tumors, especially those deep within tissues, face challenges due to intervening tissues and the rarity of circulating tumor cells in the blood, making it difficult to accurately determine tumor presence, location, and metastasis status.
Innovation Solution
A body-mountable device with a sensor mounted on the external body surface near subsurface vasculature is used to detect a probe that associates with tumor cells before and after metastasis, allowing for the measurement of the probe's presence and properties in the vasculature to determine tumor status.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional imaging methods are used to detect deep tissue tumors, then tumor presence can be detected, but detection accuracy is reduced due to intervening tissues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a probe as an intermediary substance that binds to circulating tumor cells and serves as a detectable marker. This probe mediates between the tumor cells and the external sensor, allowing detection without direct line-of-sight through intervening tissues. The probe acts as a chemical messenger that carries tumor-specific information to the sensor through the bloodstream, bypassing the physical obstruction of tissues.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical imaging methods (which require physical penetration through tissues) with a biochemical detection system. Instead of using mechanical waves or photons that must physically traverse intervening tissues, the system uses chemical binding between probes and tumor cells, followed by optical or magnetic detection of the probe-tumor complex in the vasculature, substituting mechanical interaction with chemical interaction.
2Measurement precision
If circulating tumor cells are detected in the blood, then tumor metastasis status can be determined, but detection is difficult due to the rarity of circulating tumor cells
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the detection parameter from detecting rare tumor cells directly to detecting probe molecules that bind to tumor cells. By attaching multiple detectable probe molecules to each tumor cell (either directly or via binding), the effective signal concentration is amplified, making detection feasible even when tumor cell concentration is extremely low. This transforms the detection problem from counting rare cells to measuring abundant probe signals.
Solution Approach 2:
The probe serves as an intermediary that amplifies the signal from rare circulating tumor cells. Each probe molecule acts as a signal carrier that binds to tumor cells, and multiple probes can associate with each cell, creating a detectable signal cluster. This intermediary mechanism converts the scarcity problem into a signal amplification opportunity.
3Measurement precision
If frequent monitoring of tumor status is performed, then detection accuracy improves, but invasive monitoring procedures increase patient burden
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces invasive mechanical procedures (biopsies, surgical interventions) with non-invasive or minimally invasive sensing methods. The sensor can detect probe-tumor complexes through the skin or from small blood samples, eliminating the need for repeated surgical biopsies. This substitution enables frequent monitoring without proportional increase in patient burden.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables the patient's own circulatory system to serve as the delivery mechanism for monitoring. Circulating tumor cells naturally transport the probe-bound tumor markers through the bloodstream to various body locations, where they can be detected by external sensors. The body's own physiology performs the sampling function, eliminating the need for active intervention in each monitoring event.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enables non-invasive, frequent monitoring of tumor presence and status over extended periods, improving detection accuracy and convenience compared to traditional imaging methods.
Implementation Method 1
detecting the probe includes measuring an amount of the probe in the portion of subsurface vasculature
Implementation Method 2
The probe is configured to associate with tumor cells before the tumor cells metastasize and to remain associated with the tumor cells after the tumor cells have metastasized
Data Source
AI summary
Body-mountable devices are provided to detect the presence or status of a tumor in a body by detecting probes associated with circulating cells of the tumor that travel to subsurface vasculature of the body. The probe enters a tumor and associates with cells of the tumor before the cells metastasize. A wearable body-mountable device can be worn for a protracted period of time to detect the probe associated with circulating tumor cells in the vasculature at low concentrations and/or at low rates. A body-mounted device could detect the presence of such released, tumor-cell-associated probes to determine a presence or status of a tumor in the body.