System and method for determining tissue characteristics
First Claim
1. An apparatus for determining tissue characteristics, comprising:
- a base unit comprising illumination, detection and control sub-units, the illumination sub-unit providing illumination optical energy for illuminating a target tissue and the detection sub-unit detecting tissue characteristics of a target tissue;
a separate tissue interface unit; and
a pathway coupling the base unit and the tissue interface unit.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus are provided that interrogate, receive, and analyze full emission spectra for at least one fluorescence excitation wavelength and for at least one reflectance measurement to determine tissue characteristics. The method includes illuminating a first portion of a target tissue with optical energy, forming a first image of the target tissue, illuminating a second portion of the target tissue with optical energy, performing spectroscopic measurements on optical energy reflected and/or emitted by the target tissue upon illumination of the second portion of the target tissue with optical energy, and determining tissue characteristics of the target tissue based on the results of the spectroscopic measurements. The apparatus and system include a base unit having illumination, detection and control sub-units, the illumination sub-unit providing illumination optical energy for illuminating a target tissue and the detection sub-unit detecting tissue characteristics of a target tissue, a separate tissue interface unit, and a pathway coupling the base unit and the tissue interface unit. The system and apparatus may also include a tissue interface unit configured to perform spectroscopic measurements on a target tissue, a docking unit configured to support the tissue interface when not in use, the docking unit including an illumination source and a processor that processes spectrographic measurements results received from the tissue interface unit, and a pathway coupling the docking unit and the tissue interface unit.
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Citations
63 Claims
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1. An apparatus for determining tissue characteristics, comprising:
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a base unit comprising illumination, detection and control sub-units, the illumination sub-unit providing illumination optical energy for illuminating a target tissue and the detection sub-unit detecting tissue characteristics of a target tissue;
a separate tissue interface unit; and
a pathway coupling the base unit and the tissue interface unit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A tissue interface unit for use in an apparatus for determining tissue characteristics, comprising:
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a tube;
a first pathway in optical communication with the tube and configured to deliver optical energy received from a base unit to a target tissue and to receive collected optical energy reflected and/or emitted by the target tissue;
an illumination source; and
a second pathway in optical communication with the tube and configured to deliver illumination optical energy from the illumination source to the target tissue. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A method of detecting tissue characteristics, comprising:
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illuminating a first portion of a target tissue with optical energy;
forming a first image of the target tissue;
illuminating a second portion of the target tissue with optical energy;
performing spectroscopic measurements on optical energy reflected and/or emitted by the target tissue upon illumination of the second portion of the target tissue with optical energy; and
determining tissue characteristics of the target tissue based on the results of the spectroscopic measurements. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A method of detecting tissue characteristics, comprising:
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dividing an area of target tissue into a plurality of detection points arranged in columns;
illuminating the plurality of detection points one column at a time;
performing spectroscopic measurements on optical energy reflected and/or emitted by the target tissue; and
determining tissue characteristics of the target tissue based on the results of the spectroscopic measurements. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46)
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47. An apparatus for determining tissue characteristics, comprising:
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a tissue interface unit configured to perform spectroscopic measurements on a target tissue;
a docking unit configured to support the tissue interface unit when not in use, the docking unit comprising an illumination source and a processor that processes spectrographic measurement results received from the tissue interface unit; and
a pathway coupling the docking unit and the tissue interface unit. - View Dependent Claims (48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63)
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Specification