GLUCOSE ELECTROLYSIS METHOD AND APPARATUS

Abstract

A glucose electrolysis apparatus for breaking down glucose and reducing osmolality of the blood includes a catheter having an anode located at a distal end of the catheter. A cathode is connected to the anode by a reduction wire located within the catheter. A mesh covers the anode to exclude molecules from the catheter. A power source is connected to the reduction wire to drive a reaction forward on the anode surface.

Claims

1. A glucose electrolysis apparatus for reducing osmolality of blood, comprising: a catheter having: an anode located at a distal end of said catheter; and a cathode connected to said anode by a wire located within said catheter; a mesh covers said anode to exclude molecules from said catheter; and a power source connected to said wire to drive a reduction reaction forward on the anode surface.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said anode comprises a bio enzyme cascade.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said bio enzyme cascade comprises multiple enzymes on a surface of said anode to drive said reduction reaction forward and to oxidize blood glucose to carbon dioxide and water.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said enzymes comprise one or more of the following: pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) dependent glucose dehydrogenase, PQQ-dependent 2-gluconate dehydrogenase, aldolase, PQQ-dependent alcohol dehydrogenase, PQQ-dependent aldehyde dehydrogenase, and oxalate oxidase.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said cathode comprises one or more of the following: silver, silver chloride, platinum, and lithium.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a conductor is provided to allow a conduit to be completed between said anode and said cathode.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said conductor comprises one or more of the following: copper, aluminum, silver, steel, iron, gold, or a combination thereof.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a medium is provided between said anode and said cathode to transfer ions.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said medium comprises one of a salt bridge, a semi-permeable membrane, and a semi-porous material.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein oxidation of glucose occurs according to a reaction as follows:
60.sub.2(g)+Glucose(aq).Math.6C0.sub.2(g)+6H.sub.20(l)ΔG.sup.0=−2870kJ/mol

11. A method of oxidation of glucose in blood comprising: providing a catheter; providing an anode at a distal end of said catheter; connecting a cathode to said anode by a reduction wire located within said catheter; covering said anode with a mesh cover to exclude molecules from entering said catheter; connecting a power source to said reduction wire to drive a reaction forward on the anode surface; and inserting said catheter into said bloodstream to break down glucose and reduce osmolality of the blood.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said anode comprises a bio enzyme cascade.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said bio enzyme cascade comprises multiple enzymes on a surface of said anode to drive said reduction reaction forward and to oxidize blood glucose to carbon dioxide and water.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said enzymes comprise one or more of the following: pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) dependent glucose dehydrogenase, PQQ-dependent 2-gluconate dehydrogenase, aldolase, PQQ-dependent alcohol dehydrogenase, PQQ-dependent aldehyde dehydrogenase, and oxalate oxidase.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein said cathode comprises one or more of the following: silver, silver chloride, platinum, and lithium.

16. The method of claim 11, further including providing a conductor to allow a conduit to be completed between said anode and said cathode.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said conductor comprises one or more of the following: copper, aluminum, silver, steel, iron, gold, or a combination thereof.

18. The method of claim 11, further including providing a medium between said anode and said cathode to transfer ions.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said medium comprises one of a salt bridge, a semi-permeable membrane, and a semi-porous material.

20. The method of claim 11, further including oxidation of glucose according to a reaction as follows:
60.sub.2(g)+Glucose(aq).Math.6C0.sub.2(g)+6H.sub.20(l)ΔG.sup.0=−2870 kJ/mol

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] The disclosure is best understood by utilizing the accompanied drawings within the detailed description.

[0017] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the cathode in a bloodstream and a power supply in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the disclosure.

[0018] FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the catheter and power supply in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the disclosure.

[0019] FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of an electrode at an end of the catheter of FIG. 2.

[0020] FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of a power supply attached to the catheter of the present disclosure.

[0021] FIG. 5 is an enlarged side elevational cross section view of the electrode at the end of the catheter of the present disclosure.

[0022] FIG. 6 is an enlarged side elevational view of the electrode at the end of the catheter in accordance with the disclosure.

[0023] FIG. 7A is a perspective view of the end of the catheter of the present disclosure.

[0024] FIG. 7B is a perspective view in cross section of the end of the catheter of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0025] Before any specific details are described, it should be noted that this disclosure is not limited to the applications described, as applications may vary. It should be understood that the terminology used is for describing particular embodiments only, and the range of applications for this device should not be limited by the appended claims.

[0026] All terms not distinctly defined have the same meaning as used by a member of ordinary skill in the field which this invention may be used in.

[0027] The following definitions are used for clarification:

[0028] An “electrode” is a conducting surface where a reaction of electron gain or loss takes place.

[0029] A “working electrode” is the electrode where the reaction of interest takes place.

[0030] A “counter electrode” is an electrode used in conjunction with a working electrode to provide a circuit for which electrons to flow.

[0031] “Electrolysis” is the process by which a molecule is broken down by gain or loss of electrons.

[0032] An “electrolytic cell” uses electrical energy to drive a non-spontaneous redox reaction forward.

[0033] A “galvanic cell” uses a spontaneous redox reaction to drive a circuit forward.

[0034] “Oxidation” is the loss of electrons by a molecule.

[0035] “Reduction” is the gain of electrons by a molecule.

[0036] An “anode” is an electrode where electrons leave a substance by oxidation to flow towards a cathode.

[0037] A “cathode” is an electrode where electrons leave a circuit to be gained by a substance by reduction.

[0038] Gibbs free energy is a thermodynamic term used to define the spontaneous nature of a chemical reaction by incorporating both enthalpy and entropy into its use. A negative Gibbs free energy reaction is thought to be spontaneous meaning that it will happen under normal conditions. A positive Gibbs free energy reaction is thought to be nonspontaneous, meaning that the reaction will not occur under normal conditions. Gibbs free energy only defines if a reaction will occur or not, but it does not reflect on the kinetics or timing of a reaction.

[0039] A “catheter” is a flexible tube that is inserted into the body through a small hole, often with the purpose of removing fluids or other materials from the body.

[0040] A “sheath” is a tube that is inserted partially into the body to help a medical professional insert catheters and wires into and out of the body.

[0041] The device of the present disclosure includes a catheter 10 on the outside of the body. Referring to FIGS. 2, 3, 4, 7A and 7B, catheters 10 are elongated flexible cylinders or tubes that are inserted through a sheath into the bloodstream 12 (FIG. 1). An anode 14 would be placed at the distal end of the catheter which would be placed into the bloodstream. The anode 14 would cover most of the surface area of the cathode tip. The anode would be connected to a cathode 16 by a metal wire inside of the catheter 10 which would provide a means for a circuit to be completed. The cathode would not necessarily have to be encased inside the catheter; rather, it could be placed outside of the catheter. The anode 14 would preferably have a porous mesh 18 over an outer surface to provide a means for simple size exclusion selection of molecules. The rest of the catheter would be a flexible cylinder with a wire 20 running through it to drive the reaction. The proximal end of the catheter would be connected to an energy source 22 to drive the reaction forward.

[0042] The metal anode 14 would preferably have a bio enzyme cascade. This would involve multiple enzymes on the surface of the metal anode to drive the reaction forward as well as completely oxidize glucose to carbon dioxide and water. Currently available is a paper electrode anode coated with a polymer necessary to hold the enzymes on the surface. The bio enzyme cascade is completed with six steps. The enzymes used are pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) dependent glucose dehydrogenase, PQQ-dependent 2-gluconate dehydrogenase, aldolase, PQQ-dependent alcohol dehydrogenase, PQQ-dependent aldehyde dehydrogenase, and oxalate oxidase. The anode 14 would come into direct contact with the bloodstream 12 of the user.

[0043] The cathode 16 used could be any conventional cathode material. For example, some common materials are silver/silver chloride, platinum, and lithium based metal combinations. The cathode material does not have to have a specific material type; rather, it has to be capable of having a reduction reaction occur on its surface to drive the chemical reaction forward. The cathode would also not come into contact with any part of the human body. Rather, it would be placed inside the catheter 10 or at or near the proximal end of the catheter which is never advanced into the body.

[0044] The anode 14 and cathode 16 would have to be connected with a material or conductor that would allow the circuit to be completed. There are myriad materials available to the common user; typically, the best material has low electrical resistance to increase conductance, and would not react at the potential ranges used for the electrical circuit. The conductor could be, but is not limited to, copper, aluminum, silver, steel, iron, gold, a combination or conductors, a synthetic polymer substance, or any other conductive material known to the common user. The conductor would be insulated with a dielectric material to decrease loss of electrical flow. The dielectric material could be, but is not limited to, flexible plastic or any other dielectric material known to the common user.

[0045] The anode 14 and cathode 16 would be connected to a power source 22 to drive the reaction forward through the blood stream. This reaction is a spontaneous redox reaction, so it does not need a power source for it to happen. However, the reaction on its own is relatively slow, so a power source is preferably used to speed up the reaction. The power source 22 could be, but is not limited to, a battery, an electrical outlet, or any other conventional source of power.

[0046] The anode 14 and cathode 16 would need to be connected to each other with a medium 21 for which ions can transfer to keep solutions neutral. A galvanic cell or electrolytic cell operated most effectively when it is electrically neutral, which means it does not have a net positive or negative charge. The medium 21 could be, but is not limited to, a salt bridge, a semipermeable membrane, or any other conventional semi-porous medium known to the common user. The ions crossing the solution would be the ions present in the blood, which has a high concentration of sodium chloride 24. Other ions are physiologically in the blood including potassium, magnesium, calcium, and others.

[0047] The oxidation of glucose takes place via the following simplified reaction:

60.sub.2(g)+Glucose (aq).Math.6C0.sub.2(g)+6H.sub.20(l)ΔG.sup.0=−2870kJ/mol

[0048] However, physiologically, this takes place multiple separate steps in the human body involving electron transfer. This reaction is commonly known as glycolysis and is a ten step reaction involving human enzymes. The net Gibbs free energy value is negative, stating that this reaction is spontaneous at normal human conditions. However, this does not reflect on the kinetics of the reaction, namely that not every step of the ten step reaction is negative, which slows the reaction down. The addition of the power source to this disclosure allows the reaction to proceed at a quicker speed by creating a disequilibrium in the natural reaction, driving the reaction away from the reactants, which are glucose and oxygen, and toward the products, which are carbon dioxide and water. The addition of the six step synthetic reaction also speeds up the reaction by eliminating the positive Gibbs free energy steps of glycolysis. The goal of this disclosure is to push electrons to the cathode faster than they would normally go spontaneously, making the reaction nonspontaneous. The role of pushing makes this now a non-spontaneous reaction which requires energy, which the power source can provide; the now, nonspontaneous reaction, would occur at a quicker speed than the spontaneous reaction would without a power source. As electrons are driven towards the cathode 16, electrons are drawn from the anode 14 to take their place. These electrons would come from glucose in the bloodstream, thus, driving its breakdown into carbon dioxide and water.

[0049] The exemplary embodiment has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments. Obviously, modifications and alterations will occur to others upon a reading and understanding of the detailed description. It is intended that the exemplary embodiment be construed as including all such modifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope of the disclosure and the appended claims.