Method and apparatus for diagnosing bone tissue conditions

• US 20050010130A1
• Filed: 06/29/2004
• Published: 01/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Board of Regents of the University of Michigan (University of Michigan)
• Original Assignee: Board of Regents of the University of Michigan (University of Michigan)
• Inventors: McCreadie, Barbara R., Chen, Tso-Ching, Morris, Michael D., Goldstein, Steven A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,417,322 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/562
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0059 using light, e.g. diagnosis by transillumination, diascopy, fluorescence A61B5/0093, A61B5/1455, A61B5/02416 and A61B5/0261 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4504 Bones A61B5/4547 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4509 Bone density determination
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4514 Cartilage
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4523 Tendons
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4533 Ligaments
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/656 Raman microprobe
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/35 using infrared light G01N21/39 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/65 Raman scattering

Abstract

In a method for diagnosing or helping to diagnose a bone tissue condition of a patient, a portion of bone tissue of the patient is irradiated using a light source. The bone tissue may be irradiated in vivo through the skin or via an incision, for example. Alternatively, a biopsy of the bone tissue may be irradiated. Then, spectral content information for light scattered, reflected, or transmitted by the bone tissue is determined, and is used, at least in part, to determine whether the patient has a bone tissue condition.

Claims

1. A method for determining whether a patient has a condition related to bone tissue of the patient, the method comprising:

irradiating a portion of bone tissue of the patient using a light source;

receiving light from the portion of the bone tissue;

determining spectral content information associated with the received light; and

determining, based at least on the spectral content information, whether the patient has a bone tissue condition.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein irradiating the portion of bone tissue of the patient using the light source comprises irradiating the portion of bone tissue of the patient using a substantially monochromatic light source.

3. A method as defined in claim 2, wherein irradiating the portion of bone tissue of the patient using the substantially monochromatic light source comprises irradiating the portion of bone tissue of the patient using a substantially monochromatic light source that produces light having a wavelength substantially between 700 nanometers and 1100 nanometers.

4. A method as defined in claim 3, wherein irradiating the portion of bone tissue of the patient using the substantially monochromatic light source comprises irradiating the portion of bone tissue of the patient using a substantially monochromatic light source that produces light having a wavelength of substantially 830 nanometers.

5. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein irradiating the portion of bone tissue of the patient using the light source comprises irradiating the portion of bone tissue of the patient using an infrared light source.

6. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein irradiating the portion of bone tissue of the patient comprises irradiating the portion of bone tissue in vivo.

7. A method as defined in claim 6, wherein irradiating the portion of the bone tissue comprises irradiating the portion of the bone tissue through the skin of the patient.

8. A method as defined in claim 6, wherein irradiating the portion of the bone tissue comprises irradiating the portion of the bone tissue via an incision in the patient.

9. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein irradiating the portion of bone tissue comprises irradiating a biopsy of bone tissue removed from the patient.

10. A method as defined in claim 9, wherein irradiating the biopsy of bone tissue comprises irradiating an iliac crest biopsy.

11. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein receiving light from the portion of the bone tissue comprises receiving light scattered from the portion of the bone tissue.

12. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein receiving light from the portion of the bone tissue comprises receiving light transmitted through the portion of the bone tissue.

13. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein receiving light from the portion of the bone tissue comprises receiving light reflected by the portion of the bone tissue.

14. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein determining spectral content information comprises determining Raman spectra.

15. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein determining spectral content information comprises determining infrared spectra.

16. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein determining whether the patient has the bone tissue condition comprises determining whether the patient has at least one of a susceptibility to fracture, osteoporosis, a genetic disorder, and an acquired disorder.

17. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein determining whether the patient has a bone tissue condition comprises estimating a susceptibility to fracture of bone tissue of the patient based at least in part on the spectral content information.

18. A method as defined in claim 17, wherein the spectral content information includes a plurality of bands corresponding to received light at one or more wavelengths;

wherein estimating the susceptibility to fracture includes determining at least one area of at least one band.

19. A method as defined in claim 18, wherein estimating the susceptibility to fracture further comprises fitting a curve to the at least one band.

20. A method as defined in claim 18, wherein estimating the susceptibility to fracture further comprises:

determining a first area of at least a first band;

determining a second area of at least a second band; and

determining a first ratio of the first area and the second area.

21. A method as defined in claim 20, wherein estimating the susceptibility to fracture further comprises estimating the susceptibility to fracture based on the first ratio.

22. A method as defined in claim 20, wherein estimating the susceptibility to fracture further comprises:

determining a third area of at least a third band;

determining a second ratio of the third area and the first area.

23. A method as defined in claim 22, wherein estimating the susceptibility to fracture further comprises estimating the susceptibility to fracture based on the first ratio and the second ratio.

24. A method as defined in claim 17, wherein estimating the susceptibility to fracture further comprises estimating the susceptibility to fracture further based at least in part on at least one of an age of the patient, a height of the patient, a weight of the patient, a bone mineral density of the patient, and a family history of the patient.

25. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein determining whether the patient has a bone tissue condition comprises determining whether the patient has a bone tissue condition further based at least in part on at least one of an age of the patient, a height of the patient, a weight of the patient, a bone mineral density of the patient, and a family history of the patient.

26. An apparatus for determining bone tissue susceptibility to fracture, comprising:

a light source;

a light receiver to receive light from a portion of bone tissue of a patient irradiated by the light source;

a spectrum analyzer optically coupled to receive light received by the light receiver, the spectrum analyzer configured to generate spectral content information associated with the received light; and

a computing device communicatively coupled to the spectrum analyzer, the computing device configured to generate diagnostic information indicative of whether the patient has a bone tissue condition based at least in part on the spectral content information.

27. An apparatus as defined in claim 26, wherein the light source comprises a substantially monochromatic light source.

28. An apparatus as defined in claim 27, wherein the light source produces light having a wavelength substantially between 700 nanometers and 1100 nanometers.

29. An apparatus as defined in claim 26, wherein the light source comprises an infrared light source.

30. An apparatus as defined in claim 26, wherein the light receiver comprises a microscope.

31. An apparatus as defined in claim 26, wherein the light receiver comprises an optical probe.

32. An apparatus as defined in claim 26, wherein the light receiver comprises a lens coupled to a needle.

33. An apparatus as defined in claim 32, wherein the light receiver further comprises at least one optical fiber coupled to the lens.

34. An apparatus as defined in claim 26, wherein the computing device comprises a digital circuit.

35. An apparatus as defined in claim 26, wherein the computing device comprises an analog circuit.

36. An apparatus as defined in claim 26, wherein the computing device comprises a mixed analog and digital circuit.

37. An apparatus as defined in claim 26, wherein the computing device comprises a processor coupled to a memory.

38. An apparatus as defined in claim 26, wherein the bone tissue condition comprises at least one of a susceptibility to fracture, osteoporosis, a genetic disorder, and an acquired disorder.

39. An apparatus as defined in claim 26, wherein the computing device is configured to estimate a susceptibility to fracture of bone tissue of the patient based at least in part on the spectral content information.

40. An apparatus as defined in claim 39, wherein the spectral content information includes a plurality of bands corresponding to received light at one or more wavelengths;

wherein the computing device is configured to determine at least one area of at least one band.

41. An apparatus as defined in claim 40, wherein the computing device is configured to fit a curve to the at least one band.

42. An apparatus as defined in claim 40, wherein the computing device is configured to determine a first area of at least a first band;

wherein the computing device is configured to determine a second area of at least a second band; and

wherein the computing device is configured to determine a first ratio of the first area and the second area.

43. An apparatus as defined in claim 42, wherein the computing device is configured to estimate the susceptibility to fracture based at least in part on the first ratio.

44. An apparatus as defined in claim 42, wherein wherein the computing device is configured to determine a third area of at least a third band;

wherein the computing device is configured to determine a second ratio of the third area and the first area.

45. An apparatus as defined in claim 44, wherein the computing device is configured to estimate the susceptibility to fracture based at least in part on the first ratio and the second ratio.

46. An apparatus as defined in claim 32, wherein the computing device is configured to estimate the susceptibility to fracture further based at least in part on at least one of an age of the patient, a height of the patient, a weight of the patient, a bone mineral density of the patient, and a family history of the patient.

47. An apparatus as defined in claim 26, wherein the computing device configured to generate diagnostic information further based at least in part on at least one of an age of the patient, a height of the patient, a weight of the patient, a bone mineral density of the patient, and a family history of the patient.

48. A method for determining bone tissue susceptibility to fracture, the method comprising:

irradiating a portion of bone tissue of a patient using a light source;

receiving light scattered from the portion of the bone tissue;

determining Raman spectra information from the received scattered light;

estimating a susceptibility to fracture of the bone tissue of the patient based at least in part on the Raman spectra information.

49. An apparatus for determining bone tissue susceptibility to fracture, comprising:

a light source;

a Raman probe to receive light scattered from a portion of bone tissue of a patient irradiated by the light source;

a spectrum analyzer coupled to receive light received by the light receiver and to determine Raman spectra information for the received light; and

a computing device coupled to the spectrum analyzer, the computing device configured to generate diagnostic information indicative of a susceptibility to fracture of the bone tissue of the patient based at least in part on the Raman spectra information.