1. A method for detecting or predicting toxicity induced by radiation therapy, said method comprising:
receiving a urine sample from a human subject; and,
detecting or predicting radiation toxicity using one or more biomarkers within the urine sample, wherein each biomarker corresponds to a polypeptide, wherein the detecting or predicting includes:
analyzing the urine sample for one or more biomarkers, each including a different mass from the group consisting of 4478\xb19 Da, 6716\xb113 Da, 8293\xb117 Da, 8840\xb118 Da, 10571\xb121 Da, 2863\xb16 Da and 6732\u224513 Da, to detect or predict toxicity induced by radiation therapy of prostate, bladder, bowel, rectum, endometrial, cervix, ovarial or vaginal cancer.
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the detecting or predicting includes:
analyzing the urine sample for one or more biomarkers having a mass from the group consisting of 2863\xb16 Da and 6732\xb113 Da, to detect bowel toxicity caused by radiation therapy.
3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the detecting or predicting includes:
analyzing the urine sample for a biomarker with a mass of 6732\xb113 Da to predict bowel toxicity in radiation therapy of prostate cancer.
4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the detecting or predicing includes:
analyzing the urine sample for one or more biomarkers having a mass of at least one of 4478\xb19 Da, 6716\xb113 Da, 8293\xb117 Da, 8840\xb118 Da and 10571\xb121 Da, to detect urinary toxicity caused by radiation therapy.
5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the detecting or predicing includes:
analyzing the urine sample for one or more biomarkers with a mass of at least one of 8293\xb117 Da and 10571\xb12.1 Da, to predict urinary toxicity in radiation therapy of prostate cancer.
6. (canceled)
7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the detecting or predicting includes performing a mass spectrometry (MS) analysis of the urine.
8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the detecting or predicing is performed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) antibody assays.
9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the detecting or predicting further uses data from one or more of genetic tests, tumor grading, scaling, histology, concurrent patient medication, patient file data, medical imaging, and in vitro diagnostics.
10. The method according to claim 1, further including:
based on the detecting or predicting, at least one of:
displaying an indication of the radiation toxicity induced or an indication of susceptibility to the radiation toxicity; and,
generating or updating a radiation treatment plan, wherein doses are reduced in response to toxicity or in response to susceptibility to toxicity.
11. A system for detecting or predicting toxicity induced by radiation therapy, said system comprising:
a device configured for determining polypeptide biomarkers present in a urine sample from a human subject;
at least one processor programmed to:
detect or predict radiation toxicity based on one or more polypeptide biomarkers determined to be in the urine sample wherein the at least one processor is programmed to:
analyze the polypeptide biomarkers for polypeptides with a mass of at least one of 4478\xb19 Da, 6716\xb113 Da, 8293\xb117 Da, 8840\xb118 Da, 10571\xb121 Da, 2863\xb16 Da and 6732\xb113 Da to detect or predict toxicity induced by radiation therapy of prostate, bladder, bowel, rectum, endometrial, cervix, ovarial or vaginal cancer.
12. (canceled)
13. (canceled)
14. The system according to claim 11, wherein the device determines whether peptides with a mass of at least one of 4478\xb19 Da, 6716\xb113 Da, 8293\xb117 Da, 8840\xb118 Da and 10571\xb121 is present in the urine sample.
15. (canceled)
16. The system according to claim 11, wherein the device includes:
a mass spectrometer used to perform the detecting or predicting;
wherein the at least one processor is programmed to:
extract features from mass spectrometry (MS) peaks of the urine sample, the features being one or more of p-value, receiver operating characteristic limits, and intensity; and,
input the extracted features into a classifier trained on a training set of urine samples.
17. The system according to claim 11, wherein the detecting or predicing is performed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) antibody assays.
18. The system according to claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is programmed to:
use data from one or more of genetic tests, tumor grading, scaling, histology, concurrent patient medication, patient tile data, medical imaging, and in vitro diagnostics to detect or predict the radiation toxicity.
19. The system according to claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is further programmed to:
control a display device to display an indication of the radiation toxicity or susceptibility; and,
generate or update a radiation treatment plan, wherein doses are reduced in response to toxicity or in response to susceptibility to toxicity.
20. (canceled)
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An attachment for a blower vacuum device comprising:
a collection bag;
a coupler for removeably coupling the attachment to an air outlet of the blower vacuum device and for directing air from the air outlet into the collection bag; and
a rotatable cuff fixed to the collection bag and rotatably mounted to the coupler such that the collection bag is rotatable with respect to the air outlet.
2. The attachment according to claim 1 wherein the coupler comprises stopping elements for limiting the axial movement of the rotatable cuff with respect to the coupler.
3. The attachment according to claim 2 wherein the stopping elements comprise circumferential flanges.
4. The attachment according to claim 1 wherein the rotatable cuff comprise resilient clips configured to provide a snap fit around the coupler.
5. The attachment according to claim 1 wherein the collection bag is releasably fixed with respect to the rotatable cuff.
6. The attachment according to claim 1 wherein the coupler comprises a clip receiving portion configured to receive a clip mounted on the air outlet.
7. The attachment according to claim 1 wherein the attachment comprises a diffuser configured to direct the air into the bag in a direction different from the direction of the air ejected from the coupler.
8. The attachment according to claim 7 wherein the diffuser is fixedly mounted to the coupler or the rotatable cuff.
9. The attachment according to claim 1 wherein the coupler comprises a neck portion having a width smaller than the width at another part of the coupler wherein the neck portion provides a bearing surface for receiving the rotatable cuff.
10. The attachment according to claim 1 wherein the collection bag comprises a shoulder strap for orientating the bag in a position to the side of the user.
11. The attachment according to claim 1 wherein the collection bag comprises a fastener for fastening the collection bag to a vacuum tube of the blower vacuum tube and for orientating the bag in a position under the vacuum tube.
12. The attachment according to claim 1 wherein the rotatable cuff is mounted over an outside surface of the coupler.
13. The attachment according to claim 12 wherein the rotatable cuff comprises ribs for engaging the outer surface of the coupler.
14. The attachment according to claim 1 wherein the rotatable cuff comprises a clamping member moveable between a release position and a clamp position, wherein in the clamp position the clamping member is configured to clamp the collection bag against the rotatable cuff.
15. A blower vacuum device comprising:
a housing having an air inlet and an air outlet;
a motor mounted in the housing and configured to drive a fan for generating an air flow;
a vacuum tube attachment mounted to the air inlet for receiving air and debris into the blower vacuum;
a collection bag;
a coupler for removeably coupling the attachment to the air outlet of the blower vacuum device and for directing air from the air outlet into the collection bag; and
a rotatable cuff fixed to the collection bag and rotatably mounted to the coupler such that the collection bag is rotatable with respect to the air outlet.