Multi modal spectroscopy

• US 20070167836A1
• Filed: 07/25/2006
• Published: 07/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Original Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Inventors: Feld, Michael, Gardecki, Joseph, Scepanovic, Obrad
• Application Number:
  US11/492,301
• Publication Number:
  US 20070167836A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/476
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0068 Confocal scanning
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0071 by measuring fluorescence emission
• 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 5/0086 using infrared radiation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0091 for mammography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/42 Detecting, measuring or recording for evaluating the gastrointestinal, the endocrine or the exocrine systems A61B1/00, A61B5/4857, A61B5/486, A61B5/4866, A61B5/4869 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4312 Breast evaluation or disorder diagnosis A61B5/0091 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/656 Raman microprobe
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/64 Fluorescence; Phosphorescence

Abstract

The present invention relates to multimodal spectroscopy (MMS) as a clinical tool for the in vivo diagnosis of disease in humans. The MMS technology combines Raman and fluorescence spectroscopy. A preferred embodiment involves diagnosis cancer of the breast and of vulnerable atherosclerotic plaque, esophageal, colon, cervical and bladder cancer. MMS is used to provide a more comprehensive picture of the metabolic, biochemical and morphological state of a tissue than afforded by either Raman or fluorescence and reflectance spectroscopies alone.

Claims

1. A system for spectroscopic measurement of tissue comprising:

a light source providing light for Raman and fluorescence collection;

a probe that delivers light onto tissue; and

a detector that detects Raman and fluorescent light from the tissue.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a data processing system.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the processing system processes reflectance data detected by the detector.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the probe comprises a plurality of optical fibers and distally mounted filters.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the light source comprises a Raman excitation light source and a fluorescence excitation light source.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the detector detects a reflectance spectrum.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the light source further comprises a broadband light source for obtaining the reflectance spectrum.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the probe comprises at least one excitation optical fiber coupled to the light source and a plurality of collection optical fibers.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the collection optical fibers are optically coupled to a spectrograph which disperses the collected light for detection by the detector.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the probe comprises a flexible catheter having a side-looking distal end.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the probe has a ball lens on a distal end.

12. The system of claim 8 wherein the excitation optical fiber has a first filter and the collection optical fibers have a second filter.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the detector detects Raman fluorescence and reflected light.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein the probe comprises an endoscope.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein the probe has a diameter for insertion through an endoscope channel.

16. The system of claim 2 wherein the processing system determines a size of a cellular structure in tissue.

17. The system of claim 1 further comprising coupling the collected Raman light to a first dispersive element and coupling the collected fluorescence light to a second dispersive element.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the first dispersive element couples light to a first detector region and the second dispersive element couples light to a second detector region.

19. The system of claim 4 wherein the distally mounted filters include a short pass filter at a distal end of a light delivery fiber and a long pass filter at a distal end of a collection fiber.

20. The system of claim 1 wherein the light source includes a Raman excitation light source emitting light in a range between 750 nm and 1000 nm and further includes a fluorescence source emitting between 300 nm and 500 nm.

33. The system of claim 1 wherein the probe comprises an endoscope.

21. A system for-spectroscopic measurement of tissue comprising:

a light source providing light for Raman and reflectance collection;

a probe that delivers light onto tissue; and

a detector that detects Raman and reflected light from the tissue.

22. The system of claim 21 further comprising a data processing system.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the processing system processes fluorescence data detected by the detector.

24. The system of claim 21 wherein the probe comprises a plurality of optical fibers and distally mounted filters.

25. The system of claim 21 wherein the light source comprises a Raman excitation light source and a broadband excitation light source.

26. The system of claim 21 wherein the detector detects a reflectance spectrum.

27. The system of claim 23 wherein the light source further comprises plurality of laser diodes for obtaining a fluorescence spectrum.

28. The system of claim 21 wherein the probe comprises at least one excitation optical fiber coupled to the light source and a plurality of collection optical fibers.

29. The system of claim 28 wherein the collection optical fibers are optically coupled to a spectrograph which disperses the collected light for-detection by the detector.

30. The system of claim 21 wherein the probe comprises a flexible catheter having a side-looking distal end.

31. The system of claim 21 wherein the probe has a ball lens on a distal end.

32. The system of claim 28 wherein the excitation optical fiber has a first filter and the collection optical fibers have a second filter.

34. The system of claim 21 wherein the probe has a diameter for insertion through an endoscope channel.

35. The system of claim 22 wherein the processing system determines a size of a cellular structure in tissue.

36. The system of claim 21 further comprising coupling the collected Raman light to a first dispersive element and coupling the collected reflected light to a second dispersive element.

37. The system of claim 36 wherein the first dispersive element couples light to a first detector region and the second dispersive element couples light to a second detector region.

38. The system of claim 21 wherein the distally mounted filters include a short pass filter at a distal end of a light delivery fiber and a long pass filter at a distal end of a collection fiber.

39. The system of claim 23 wherein the light source includes a Raman excitation light source emitting light in a range between 750 nm and 1000 nm and further includes a fluorescence source emitting between 300 nm and 500 nm.

40. The system of claim 22 further comprising a processing system for measuring arterial plague.

41. The system of claim 22 wherein the system measures cellular structure for cancer diagnosis.

42. A method for spectroscopic measurement of a material comprising:

providing a light source system for Raman and fluorescence excitation light;

illuminating a material with light from the light source system; and

detecting Raman and fluorescent light from the material.

43. The method of claim 42 further comprising processing spectral data detected by the detector with a processing system.

44. The method of claim 42 further comprising processing reflectance data detected by the detector.

45. The method of claim 42 further comprising providing a probe having a plurality of optical fibers and distally mounted filters.

46. The method of claim 42 further comprising providing a light source having a Raman excitation light source and a fluorescence excitation light source.

47. The method of claim 42 further comprising providing a broadband light source for obtaining a reflectance spectrum.

48. The method of claim 42 further comprising providing a probe having at least one excitation optical fiber coupled to the light source and a plurality of collection optical fibers.

49. The method of claim 48 further comprising coupling the collection optical fibers to a spectrograph which disperses the collected light for detection by the detector.

50. The method of claim 42 further comprising providing a flexible catheter having a side-looking or forward looking distal end.

51. The method of claim 42 further comprising detecting Raman fluorescence and reflected light.

52. The method of claim 50 further comprising inserting the probe through an endoscope channel.

53. The method of claim 42 further comprising determining a size of a cellular structure in tissue.

54. The method of claim 42 illuminating tissue with a Raman excitation light source emitting light in a range between 750 nm and 1000 nm and illuminating the tissue with a fluorescence source emitting between 300 nm and 500 nm.

55. The method of claim 42 wherein the method comprises measuring a tissue sample removed from a body.

56. A method for spectroscopic measurement of a material comprising:

providing a light source for Raman and reflectance light delivery;

illuminating the material with light; and

detecting Raman and reflected light from the material.

57. The method of claim 56 further comprising processing Raman and reflectance spectra of tissue with a data processor.

58. The method of claim 56 further comprising providing a Raman excitation light source and a fluorescence excitation light source.

59. The method of claim 57 further comprising providing a broadband light source for obtaining the reflectance spectrum.

60. The method of claim 56 further comprising providing a probe having at least one excitation optical fiber coupled to a light source and a plurality of collection optical fibers.

61. The method of claim 56 further comprising illuminating tissue with light from a plurality of light sources in sequence with a single light delivery probe.

62. The method of claim 56 further comprising simultaneously collecting Raman and reflected light from tissue.