Libraries and data structures of materials removed by debulking catheters

Abstract

Material removed by a debulking catheter from a body lumen can be preserved. Materials can be collected from many different patients and/or from multiple procedures on individual patients. Data which describe the properties or qualities of the removed material and/or the patient and/or the patient's family or environment can be stored on computer readable media. The stored data can be used to draw correlations, to stratify groups of patients, to provide risk assessments, to provide diagnoses and/or prognoses. Further tests can be done on the stored materials at later times after the procedures have been completed.

1 . An article of manufacture, said article comprising:
 a computer readable media having computer executable instructions stored thereon, which when executed by a computer causes the computer to perform an operation comprising:   receiving a set of data fields derived from a patient sample, wherein the set of data fields comprise:
 a first value corresponding to a property of a first tissue sample comprising tissue excised from an inner surface of a vascular lumen of a patient, and 
 a second value corresponding to data identifying the patient; 
   storing the set of data fields;   correlating the first and second values; and   diagnosing the patient.   
     
     
         2 . The computer readable media of  claim 1  further comprising: a third data field comprising a value corresponding to cardiac health of the patient. 
     
     
         3 . The computer readable media of  claim 1  wherein the property is a level of a marker in the tissue. 
     
     
         4 . The computer readable media of  claim 1  wherein the property is composition of the tissue sample. 
     
     
         5 . The computer readable media of  claim 1  wherein the property is histologic characterization of the tissue. 
     
     
         6 . The computer readable media of  claim 1  wherein the property is an immunochemical characterization of the tissue. 
     
     
         7 . The computer readable media of  claim 1  wherein the property is a genomic characteristic. 
     
     
         8 . The computer readable media of  claim 1  wherein the property is level of a mRNA. 
     
     
         9 . The computer readable media of  claim 1  wherein the property is location of the vascular lumen from which the tissue was excised. 
     
     
         10 . The computer readable media of  claim 1  wherein the property is volume or mass of the excised tissue. 
     
     
         11 . The computer readable media of  claim 1  further comprising: a fourth data field comprising a value corresponding to a characteristic of the patient's blood. 
     
     
         12 . The computer readable media of  claim 11  wherein the patient's blood was withdrawn at the time of or before tissue excision. 
     
     
         13 . The computer readable media of  claim 1  further comprising: a fifth data field comprising a value corresponding to family history of the patient. 
     
     
         14 . The computer readable media of  claim 1  further comprising: a sixth data field comprising a value corresponding to the patient's medical history. 
     
     
         15 . The computer readable media of  claim 1  further comprising: a seventh data field comprising a value corresponding to a property of a second tissue sample excised from a vascular lumen of the patient at a distinct time. 
     
     
         16 . The computer readable media of  claim 15  wherein the second tissue sample is excised from the same vascular lumen as the first tissue sample. 
     
     
         17 . The computer readable media of  claim 1  further comprising: an eighth data field comprising a value corresponding to a property of a second tissue sample excised from distinct vascular lumen of the patient on the same day as the first tissue sample. 
     
     
         18 . The computer readable media of  claim 1  wherein said media are associated with one or more excised tissue samples in labeled storage containers, wherein the computer readable media comprise a ninth data field which comprises a value which links the labeled storage containers with a value in the second data field. 
     
     
         19 . The computer readable media of  claim 1  wherein said media are associated with one or more excised tissue samples in labeled storage containers, wherein the storage containers are labeled with a value in the second data field. 
     
     
         20 . The computer readable media of  claim 1  wherein said media are associated with one or more samples in labeled storage containers, wherein the one or more samples comprise a component extracted or processed from an excised vascular tissue from a vascular lumen of the patient, wherein the component is selected from the group consisting of DNA, RNA, cDNA, and protein, and wherein the computer readable media comprise a tenth data field which comprises a value which links the labeled storage containers with a value in the second data field. 
     
     
         21 . The computer readable media of  claim 1  wherein said media are associated with one or more samples in labeled storage containers, wherein the storage containers are labeled with a value in the second data field, wherein the samples comprise a component extracted or processed from an excised vascular tissue from a vascular lumen of the patient, wherein the component is selected from the group consisting of DNA, RNA, cDNA, and protein.