Patent ID: 7989207

Claim:
A method for diagnosing a disease in a patient, the method comprising: a) employing a catheter so as to collect lumenectomy material from an inner surface of a lumen of a body of said patient in a manner sufficient to ensure that the structure of the collected lumenectomy material retains the actual in vivo tissue structure, wherein the catheter is employed in such a manner that it planes across the inner surface of the body lumen and said planing action of the catheter results in the collection of the lumenectomy material; and further wherein the lumenectomy material comprises one continuous strand having: a substantially consistent depth and width, a length that ranges from about 2.0 mm to about 10 cm, and a mass that ranges from 1 mg to about 2000 mg; b) performing a test on said lumenectomy material to obtain test results, wherein the lumenectomy material retains the actual in vivo tissue structure throughout the test and wherein said test results in the identification of at least one marker of a disease selected from the group consisting of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, depression, obesity, metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, kidney damage, and diabetes; and c) diagnosing said patient for said disease based on said test results, wherein the disease is selected from the group consisting of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, depression, obesity, metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, kidney damage, and diabetes.