Integrated disease diagnosis and treatment system

• US 20060079762A1
• Filed: 10/17/2005
• Published: 04/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tomophase Corporation
• Original Assignee: Tomophase Corporation
• Inventors: Li, Xiao-Li, Wang, Feiling, Norris, Peter E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,970,458 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/427
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00172 with means for scanning
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/2676 Bronchoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/22 the beam being directed along or through a flexible conduit, e.g. an optical fibre; Couplings or hand-pieces therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00057 Light
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00982 combined with or comprising means for visual or photographic inspections inside the body, e.g. endoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/2065 Multiwave; Wavelength mixing, e.g. using four or more wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0066 Optical coherence imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0073 by tomography, i.e. reconstruction of 3D images from 2D projections A61B5/0066 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0075 by spectroscopy, i.e. measuring spectra, e.g. Raman spectroscopy, infrared absorption spectroscopy A61B5/0071 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0084 for introduction into the body, e.g. by catheters A61B5/1459 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6852 Catheters
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0601 Apparatus for use inside the body

Abstract

Designs, implementations, and techniques for optically measuring a sample and integrated systems that provide CT-scan, optical probing and therapy by electromagnetic radiation treatment (e.g. laser, RF, or microwave). Light at different wavelength bands may be used to detect different absorption features in the sample. Multiple light sources may be used including tunable lasers.

Claims

1. A medical device, comprising:

a bronchoscope comprising a working channel configured for insertion into a passage of a body to reach a target area inside the body;

an optical fiber probe module comprising (1) a probe optic fiber having a portion inserted into the working channel of the bronchoscope and (2) an optical probe head coupled to an end of the probe optic fiber and located inside the working channel, the optical fiber probe device operable to direct probe light to and collect reflected light from the target area in the body through the probe optic fiber and the optical probe head and to further obtain information of the target area from the collected reflected light; and

a laser therapy module comprising a power delivery optic fiber having a portion inserted into the working channel of the bronchoscope to deliver a treatment laser beam to the target area.

2. The device as in claim 1, further comprising:

a computed tomography (CT) module to scan at least a part of the body to obtain CT scan data of the scanned part of the body which is analyzed to identify and locate the target area suspicious of being malignant for further probing and analysis by the optical fiber probe module.

3. The device as in claim 1, wherein the probe optic fiber is structured to support light in a first propagation mode and a second, different propagation mode, and the optical fiber probe module further comprises:

a light source to produce the probe light, wherein the probe optic fiber receives and guides the probe light in the first propagation mode,

wherein the optical probe head is coupled to the probe optic fiber to receive the light from the probe optic fiber and to reflect a first portion of the light back to the probe optic fiber in the first propagation mode and direct a second portion of the light to the targeted area, the probe head collecting reflection of the second portion from the target area and exporting to the probe optic fiber the reflection as a reflected second portion in the second propagation mode;

an optical differential delay unit to produce and control a relative delay between the reflected first portion and the reflected second portion received from the probe optic fiber in response to a control signal;

a detection module to receive the reflected first portion and the reflected second portion from the probe optic fiber and to extract information of the target area carried by the reflected second portion; and

a control unit, which produces the control signal to the optical differential delay unit, to set the relative delay at two different bias values to select a layer of material inside the target area to measure an optical absorption of the selected layer.

4. The device as in claim 3, wherein the detection module comprises:

an optical device to direct light in the first propagation mode along a first optical path and light in the second propagation mode along a second, different optical path;

a first optical element in the first optical path to separate light into a first set of different beams at different wavelengths;

a plurality of first light detectors to respectively receive and detect the first set of different beams from the first optical element;

a second optical element in the second optical path to separate light into a second set of different beams at the different wavelengths; and

a plurality of second light detectors to respectively receive and detect the second set of different beams from the second optical element.

5. The device as in claim 4, wherein the first and second optical elements are optical gratings.

6. The device as in claim 3, wherein the detection module comprises a digital signal processor to process information of the target area in the reflected second portion and to generate spectral absorbance data of the target area.

7. The device as in claim 3, wherein the optical differential delay unit comprises:

a mode splitting unit to separate received light into a first beam in the first propagation mode and a second beam in the second propagation mode; and

a variable optical delay element in one of the first and the second beams to adjust an optical delay between the first and the second beams in response to the control signal.

8. The device as in claim 3, wherein the first and second propagation modes are two orthogonal polarization modes supported by the probe optic fiber, and wherein the detection module comprises:

an optical detector; and

an optical polarizer to receive and mix the reflected first and second portions to produce an optical output to the optical detector.

9. The device as in claim 3, wherein the optical probe head comprises a partial mode converter which sets the reflection from the target in the second propagation mode.

10. The device as in claim 3, wherein the optical probe head comprises:

a partial reflector to reflect the reflected first portion of the probe light and to transmit the second portion of the probe light to the sample; and

a polarization rotator located between the partial reflector and the target area to change a polarization of the reflected second portion in controlling the reflected second portion to be in the second propagation mode.

11. The device as in claim 3, wherein the optical probe head comprises:

a partial reflector to reflect the reflected first portion of the probe light and to transmit the second portion of the probe light to the target area; and

a Faraday rotator located between the partial reflector and the target area to change a polarization of the reflected second portion in controlling the reflected second portion to be in the second propagation mode.

12. The device as in claim 3, wherein the optical probe head comprises:

a partial reflector to reflect the reflected first portion of the probe light and to transmit the second portion of the probe light to the target area; and

a quarter wave plate located between the partial reflector and the target to change a polarization of the reflected second portion in controlling the reflected second portion to be in the second propagation mode.

13. The device as in claim 3, wherein the optical fiber probe module further comprises:

an input waveguide to receive the probe light from the light source and to guide the input beam in the first propagation mode;

an output waveguide to receive the reflected first and second portions from the probe optic fiber and to direct the reflected first and second portions to the optical differential delay unit; and

an optical router coupled to the input waveguide, the probe optic fiber, and the output waveguide, the optical router to direct light coming from the input waveguide to the probe optic fiber and light coming from the probe optic fiber to the output waveguide.

14. The device as in claim 13, wherein the optical router comprises:

an optical circulator;

a first beam splitter in the probe optic fiber to transmit light in the first propagation mode and to reflect light in the second propagation mode;

a second beam splitter in the output waveguide to transmit light in the first propagation mode and to reflect light in the second propagation mode; and

a bypass waveguide coupled between the first and the second beam splitters to direct the reflected second portion reflected by the first beam splitter to the second beam splitter which directs the reflected second portion into the output waveguide by reflection.

15. The device as in claim 13, further comprising a tunable optical filter located in one of the input waveguide, the probe optic fiber, and the output waveguide to select a portion of the spectral response of the target area to measure.

16. The device as in claim 1, further comprising a tunable optical filter to filter the probe light to select a portion of the spectral response of the target area to measure.

17. The device as in claim 1, further comprising a tunable optical filter to filter the reflected first and second portions to select a portion of the spectral response of the target area to measure.

18. The device as in claim 1, wherein the optical fiber probe module further comprises:

a plurality of light sources emitting light at different wavelength bands centered at different wavelengths as the probe light into the probe optic fiber, wherein the optical probe head reflects a first portion of the probe light back to the probe optic fiber in the first propagation mode and directs a second portion of the probe light to the target area, and wherein the probe head collects reflection of the second portion from the target area and exports to the probe optic fiber the reflection as a reflected second portion in a second propagation mode different from the first propagation mode;

an optical differential delay unit to produce and control a relative delay between the reflected first portion and the reflected second portion received from the single waveguide in response to a control signal;

a detection module to receive the reflected first portion and the reflected second portion and to extract information of the target area carried by the reflected second portion; and

a probe control unit, which produces the control signal to the optical differential delay unit, to set the relative delay at two different bias values to select a layer of material inside the target area to measure an optical absorption of the selected layer at each and every wavelength from the different light sources.

19. The device as in claim 1, wherein the optical fiber probe module further comprises:

a plurality of tunable laser sources emitting light within different wavelength bands centered at different wavelengths as the probe light to the probe optic fiber, wherein the probe optic fiber is configured to receive and guide the probe light at the different wavelength bands in a first propagation mode,

wherein the probe head is to reflect a first portion of the probe light back to the probe optic fiber in the first propagation mode and direct a second portion of the light to the target area, and wherein the probe head collects reflection of the second portion from the target area and exports to the probe optic fiber the reflection as a reflected second portion in a second propagation mode different from the first propagation mode;

a detection module to receive the reflected first portion and the reflected second portion in the waveguide and to extract information of the target area carried by the reflected second portion; and

a probe control unit to tune each tunable laser in a corresponding laser emitting wavelength band to obtain absorption measurements of the target area at different wavelengths within each corresponding wavelength band.

20. The device as in claim 1, further comprising:

a tubular unit to hold the probe optic fiber, the probe head and the power delivery optic fiber as a single assembly inserted into the working channel of the bronchoscope.

21. A medical device for lung cancer treatment comprising:

a computed tomography (CT) scan unit to detect and locate pulmonary nodule locations of a lung;

an optical cross-sectional imaging unit to optically measure and analyze each of the pulmonary nodule locations to distinguish between benign and malignant pulmonary nodule locations; and

an irradiation therapy unit to optically treat a selected pulmonary nodule location that is malignant.

22. The device as in claim 21, wherein the irradiation therapy unit comprises microwave ablation therapy unit to treat the selected pulmonary nodule location.

23. The device as in claim 22, further comprising an endoscope which comprises a working channel, wherein the optical cross-sectional imaging unit comprises a probe optical fiber to deliver probe light to each of the pulmonary nodule locations to optically measure each location and a portion of the probe optical fiber in inside the working channel to deliver the probe light.

24. An integrated diagnostic and treatment system, comprising:

a CT scan unit to locate ailing areas in a body part;

a referenced cross-sectional imaging unit to analyze each ailing area; and

a laser irradiation therapy unit to treat a selected area.

25. The system as in claim 24, wherein each ailing area is infected with prostate cancer.

26. The system as in claim 24, wherein each ailing area is part of the lung and is infected with lung cancer.

27. The system as in claim 24, wherein each ailing area is infected with a cancer different from the prostate cancer and the lung cancer.

28. A method for diagnosing and treating a malignant condition of a patient, comprising:

performing a computed tomography (CT) scan in a selected body part of the patient to identify locations in the selected body part that are potentially malignant;

using an optical probe beam to optically probe the identified locations to further identify malignant locations from benign locations; and

delivering radiation energy to each identified malignant location to treat a malignant condition.

29. The method as in claim 28, wherein the radiation energy is obtained from a microwave or RF source.

30. The method as in claim 28, wherein the radiation energy is obtained from a laser.