'Micro-Patch' for Assessment of the Local Microvasculature and Microcirculatory Vasoreactivity

摘要

A method is disclosed for assessing local microvasculature and local microcirculatory vasoreactivity of a patient or research subject by selective noninvasive and nondisturbing monitoring of local microvasculature and local microcirculatory vasoreactivity at an accessible site to noninvasive and nondisturbing trans-surface delivery of a study agent with a known microvascular effect in normal subjects. The method includes noninvasively delivering a vasoactive study agent to skin of the subject for trans-surface delivery to the microvasculature. The microvasculature consists of arteriolar-capillary-venule components of an arterial to venous network and the delivery is performed in a non-iontophoretic manner to exclusively affect local microvascular vasoreactivity without systemic effects or changes, wherein the step of delivering includes application of a micro-patch containing the study agent to the skin of the subject. The method also includes determining the subject's microvascular responsiveness by measuring changes in microvascular perfusion in the area of the skin of the subject beneath the micro-patch (including blood flow, blood volume, and/or transfer of blood and tissue components), ensuring that drug delivery does not induce alterations in measurements by delivery to remote sites or by systemic effects and assessing local microvasculature and local microcirculatory vasoreactivity based upon the steps of delivering, determining, and ensuring.