System and method for non-endoscopic optical biopsy detection of diseased tissue

• US 20070093703A1
• Filed: 10/23/2006
• Published: 04/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: SpectraScience, Inc.
• Original Assignee: SpectraScience, Inc.
• Inventors: Pokorney, Jim, Wilson, Scott, Sievert, Chester, Zimmerman, Ron
• Application Number:
  US11/585,785
• Publication Number:
  US 20070093703A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/343
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1492 having a flexible, catheter-like structure, e.g. for heart ablation A61B18/1477 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00061 spectrum
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/2238 with means for selectively laterally deflecting the tip of the fibre
• 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 5/6855 with a distal curved tip

Abstract

A catheter has an elongated catheter shaft adapted for introduction into a body passageway of a patient. At least one optical fiber extends through the catheter shaft. The optical fiber has a distal end positioned at or near a distal end of the catheter for illuminating tissue and receiving light energy from tissue at the location of the distal end of the tip. A distal region of the catheter includes a deformed portion having a crest offset from a longitudinal axis of the catheter shaft. A distal tip of the optical fiber is positioned at the crest to increases the likelihood of the distal tip contacting tissue of a wall of the body passageway.

Claims

1. A catheter, comprising:

an elongated catheter shaft adapted for introduction into a body passageway of a patient;

at least one optical fiber extending through the catheter shaft, the optical fiber having a proximal end coupled to electro-optical spectral analysis equipment and a distal end positioned at or near a distal end of the catheter for illuminating tissue and receiving light energy from tissue at the location of the distal end of the tip; and

wherein a distal region of the catheter includes a deformed portion having a crest offset from a longitudinal axis of the catheter shaft and wherein a distal tip of the optical fiber is positioned at the crest to increases the likelihood of the distal tip contacting tissue of a wall of the body passageway.

2. A catheter as in claim 1, wherein the deformed portion is curved.

3. A catheter as in claim 1, wherein the deformed portion is c-shaped.

4. A catheter as in claim 1, wherein the deformed portion follows an annular path.

5. A catheter as in claim 1, wherein the deformed portion is bent.

6. A catheter as in claim 1, further comprising a pull wire coupled to the deformed portion, wherein the deformed portion is straight in a default state and wherein the deformed portion assumes a deformed shape upon actuation of the pull wire.

7. A catheter as in claim 1, wherein the catheter shaft is sufficiently flexible such that the catheter shaft can be at least temporarily straightened when positioned into a straight catheter or when a stiff, straight catheter is positioned inside the catheter shaft.

8. A catheter as in claim 1, further comprising an inflatable balloon that extends radially-outward from the deformed portion opposite the direction of the crest.

9. A catheter as in claim 8, wherein the balloon inflates to causes the crest to press against the wall of the body cavity thereby encouraging contact between the distal tip of the optical fiber and the tissue on the wall.

10. A catheter as in claim 1, wherein at least one optical fiber is positioned around an outer wall of the balloon such that inflation of the balloon moves the optical fibers radially-outward to encourage contact between the optical fiber and the tissue.

11. A catheter as in claim 1, wherein the deformed portion comprises a wire structure movably positioned at the distal region of the catheter, the wire structure biased toward an expanded state wherein distal tips are radially offset from the longitudinal axis of the catheter and wherein the distal tip of optical fiber is positioned at the radially-offset portion of the wire structure such that the wire structure

12. A catheter as in claim 11, wherein the wire structure is configured to be retracted or withdrawn into the catheter shaft so that the wire structure assumes a smaller radial size to facilitate passage of the catheter shaft into the body passageway.

13. A catheter as in claim 1, further comprising an interventional device located at the distal end of the catheter shaft for engaging tissue diagnosed by the spectroscopic diagnosis system in order to perform an interventional procedure on the tissue.

14. A catheter as in claim 13, wherein the interventional device comprises forceps.

15. A catheter as in claim 1, further comprising a control handle portion at a proximal region of the catheter.

16. A method of using a catheter comprising:

providing a catheter having at least one optical fiber extending through a catheter shaft wherein a distal region of the catheter includes a deformed portion having a crest offset from a longitudinal axis of the catheter shaft and wherein a distal tip of the optical fiber is positioned at the crest to increases the likelihood of the distal tip contacting tissue of a wall of the body passageway;

inserting the catheter into a body passageway of a patient; and

manipulating the catheter such that the crest is adjacent tissue to be examined.

17. A method as in claim 16, further comprising using the optical fiber to optically scan the tissue by moving the crest along a segment of the tissue.

18. A method as in claim 17, wherein the optical scan includes excitation of the tissue with electro-optical energy of one or more wavelengths and reading of the auto-fluorescence spectra emitted from the exited tissue.

19. A method as in claim 18, further comprising delivering excitation light to the tissue to obtain a spectral signal;

and

returning the collected spectral signal to spectrophotometry equipment for analysis and tissue diagnosis.