Tissue structure identification in advance of instrument

• US 20050027199A1
• Filed: 04/11/2002
• Published: 02/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dana S. Clarke
• Original Assignee: Dana S. Clarke
• Inventors: Clarke, Dana S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,046,057 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/473
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3211 Surgical scalpels, knives; Accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/34 Trocars; Puncturing needles pointed biopsy instruments A61B10/0233; devices for piercing the ear-lobes A44C7/001; seals or hemostasis valves A61M39/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00061 spectrum
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/061 for measuring dimensions, e.g. length
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/062 penetration depth
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/306 using optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3614 using optical fibre
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0242 for varying or adjusting the optical path length in the tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0066 Optical coherence imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0084 for introduction into the body, e.g. by catheters A61B5/1459 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6848 Needles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6849 in combination with a needle set
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/37 Surgical systems with images on a monitor during operation
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/8507 Probe photometers, i.e. with optical measuring part dipped into fluid sample

Abstract

A method and apparatus for identifying tissue structures in advance of a mechanical medical instrument during a medical procedure. A mechanical tissue penetrating medical instrument (22) has a distal end for penetrating tissue in a penetrating direction. An optical wavefront analysis system (32-50) provides light to illuminate tissue ahead of the medical instrument and receives light returned by tissue ahead of the medical instrument. An optical fiber (30) is coupled at a proximal end to the wavefront analysis system and attached at a distal end to the medical instrument proximate the distal end of the medical instrument. The distal end of the fiber has an illumination pattern directed substantially in the penetrating direction for illuminating the tissue ahead of the medical instrument and receiving light returned therefrom. The wavefront analysis system provides information about the distance from the distal end of the medical instrument to tissue features ahead of the medical instrument.

Claims

1. An apparatus for identifying tissue structures in advance of a medical instrument during a medical procedure, comprising:

a mechanical tissue penetrating medical instrument having a distal end for penetrating tissue in a penetrating direction ahead of said distal end;

an optical wavefront analysis system for providing light to illuminate tissue ahead of said medical instrument, receiving light returned by tissue ahead of said medical instrument and providing information about the distance from said distal end of said medical instrument to tissue features ahead of said medical instrument; and

an optical fiber coupled at a proximal end to said wavefront analysis system and attached at a distal end to said medical instrument proximate said distal end of said medical instrument, said distal end of said fiber having an illumination pattern directed substantially in said penetrating direction for illuminating the tissue ahead of said medical instrument and receiving light returned therefrom.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said wavefront analysis system comprises a coherent domain reflectometer.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said medical instrument comprises a needle, said fiber being disposed along the longitudinal axis of the needle and terminating with its distal end proximate the tip of the needle.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said needle has a channel formed therein along the longitudinal axis thereof and said fiber is disposed in said channel.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising at least one additional fiber disposed along the longitudinal axis of the needle and terminating with their distal ends proximate the tip of the needle, at least one said additional fiber being coupled at a proximal end to a wavefront analysis system.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said medical instrument comprises a scalpel.

7. A method for identifying a critical boundary in advance of a mechanical tissue penetrating medical instrument during a medical procedure, comprising:

coupling light into a proximal end of an optical fiber attached to a mechanical tissue penetrating medical instrument so as to cause the light to be emitted from a distal end of the fiber disposed proximate a distal end of the medical instrument;

coupling from the proximal end of the fiber to a wavefront analysis system light that is emitted from the distal end of the fiber and returned thereto; and

while the medical instrument is advanced into tissue, analyzing light returned from the tissue to determine the distance from the distal end of the instrument to tissue features in advance of the instrument.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said analyzing light comprises optical coherent domain reflectometry.