Method and device for the optical spectroscopic identification of cervical cancer

• US 20090099460A1
• Filed: 10/14/2008
• Published: 04/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Remicalm LLC
• Original Assignee: Remicalm LLC
• Inventors: Zuluaga, Andres Felipe
• Application Number:
  US12/287,801
• Publication Number:
  US 20090099460A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/478
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00042 for mechanical operation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00186 with imaging filters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/042 characterised by a proximal camera, e.g. a CCD camera
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/043 for fluorescence imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0646 with illumination filters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/303 for the vagina, i.e. vaginoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0437 Trolley or cart-type apparatus
• 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

Abstract

A medical examination device used for the detection of pre-cancerous and cancerous tissue has an illumination source, a visualization unit, a contacting optical probe, a detector and a process unit. One embodiment of the apparatus includes both a non-contacting macroscopic viewing device (the visualization unit) for visualizing an interior surface of the cervix, as well as a fiber optic wand (contacting optical probe) for spectrally analyzing a microscopic view of the tissue.

Claims

1. A medical examination device comprising:

an illumination source, wherein the illumination source includes a lamp and a plurality of selectably engageable filters for generating a beam of light of a selected wavelength;

a light directing device for selectably directing the beam of light from the lamp in a first beam direction or in a second beam direction;

a visualization unit that receives the beam of light whenever the beam of light is directed in the first beam direction and radiates a tissue with the received beam of light, the visualization unit visualizes and captures a macroscopic view of the tissue from a first emitted light beam emanating from the tissue illuminated with the received beam of light;

a fiber optic probe having a shaft, a handle, and a fiber optic bundle having a plurality of excitation fiber optic strands and a collection fiber optic strand, wherein whenever the beam of light is directed in the second beam direction the excitation fiber optic strands receive and transmit the beam of light to a selected microscopic tissue area at a site of contact with a distal end of the fiber optic probe, and wherein the collection fiber optic strand collects a second emitted light beam emanating from the tissue area illuminated with the beam of light transmitted by the excitation fiber optic strands;

a detector for detecting a plurality of emission wavelengths from the second emitted light beam; and

a processor for calculating from the emission wavelengths a probability that the tissue is diseased.

2. The medical examination device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of filters are in a filter wheel.

3. The medical examination device of claim 1, wherein the lamp includes a plurality of selectable LEDs.

4. The medical examination device of claim 1, wherein the light directing device includes a mirror that is reciprocable between a first mirror position and a second mirror position.

5. The medical examination device of claim 1, wherein the light directing device includes a beam splitter.

6. The medical examination device of claim 1, wherein the visualization unit includes an ocular device for visualizing the macroscopic view of the tissue.

7. The medical examination device of claim 1, wherein the visualization unit includes a camera for capturing the macroscopic view of the tissue.

8. The medical examination device of claim 1, wherein the distal end of the probe is a blunted surface for optimizing contact with the tissue.

9. The medical examination device of claim 1, wherein the collection fiber optic strand is centrally positioned in the fiber optic bundle and is surrounded by multiple coaxial excitation fiber optic strands.

10. The medical examination device of claim 1, wherein the fiber optic probe further comprising a disposable sheath for covering the shaft of the fiber optic probe.

11. The medical examination device of claim 1, wherein the lamp is a plurality of selectable LEDs, a Xenon arc lamp, a Mercury arc lamp or a halogen lamp.

12. The medical examination device of claim 1, wherein the beam of light used to illuminate the tissue for fluorescence excitation has a wavelength band of about 455-465 nm, 410-430 nm, 375-385 nm, or 340-360 nm.

13. The medical examination device of claim 1, wherein the beam of light used to illuminate the tissue for reflectance visualization has a wavelength band of about 400-700 nm, 455-465 nm, or 410-430 nm.

14. The medical examination device of claim 13, wherein the beam of light is polarized or unpolarized.

15. A medical examination device comprising:

an illumination source, wherein the illumination source includes a lamp and a plurality of selectably engageable filters for generating a beam of light of a selected wavelength;

a light directing device for selectably directing the beam of light from the lamp in a first beam direction or in a second beam direction;

a visualization unit that receives the beam of light whenever the beam of light is directed in the first beam direction and radiates a tissue with the received beam of light, the visualization unit captures an image of a macroscopic view of the tissue from a first emitted light beam emanating from the tissue illuminated with the received beam of light;

a fiber optic probe having a shaft, a handle, and a fiber optic bundle having a plurality of excitation fiber optic strands and a collection fiber optic strand, wherein whenever the beam of light is directed in the second beam direction the excitation fiber optic strands receive and transmit the beam of light to a selected microscopic tissue area at a site of contact with a distal end of the fiber optic probe, and wherein the collection fiber optic strand collects a second emitted light beam emanating from the tissue area illuminated with the beam of light transmitted by the excitation fiber optic strands;

a detector for detecting a plurality of emission wavelengths from the second emitted light beam;

a user interface unit; and

a processor in communication with the illumination source, the light directing device, the visualization unit, the fiber optic probe, the detector and the user interface unit.

16. The medical examination device of claim 15, wherein the user interface unit informs the processor to selectably activate the visualization unit or the fiber optic probe.

17. The medical examination device of claim 16, wherein the processor activates the light directing device to selectably direct the beam of light in the first beam direction or in the second beam direction.

18. The medical examination device of claim 15, wherein the user interface unit informs the processor to select and engage one of the filters in the illumination source.

19. The medical examination device of claim 15, wherein the visualization unit includes a camera for capturing the macroscopic view of the tissue.

20. The medical examination device of claim 15, wherein the visualization unit captures a first set of images including one image of the macroscopic view of the tissue for each wavelength of a first set of selected wavelengths.

21. The medical examination device of claim 20, wherein the first set of captured images is displayed on a monitor.

22. The medical examination device of claim 15, wherein the fiber optic probe further comprises a disposable sheath for covering the shaft of the fiber optic probe.

23. The medical examination device of claim 22, wherein the distal end of the fiber optic probe and the distal end of the sheath is blunted to provide close contact with the microscopic tissue area.

24. The medical examination device of claim 15, wherein the fiber optic probe sequentially transmits a beam of light to the selected microscopic tissue area for each wavelength of a second set of selected wavelengths.

25. The medical examination device of claim 24, wherein the collection strand of the fiber optic probe collects the second emitted light beam for each wavelength of the second set of wavelengths.

26. The medical examination device of claim 25, wherein the processor calculates a probability that the microscopic tissue area is diseased from the emission wavelengths detected by the detector in second emitted light beams collected for the second set of wavelengths.

27. The medical examination device of claim 15, wherein the processor calculates from the emission wavelengths of the second emitted light beam a probability that the microscopic tissue area is cancerous.

28. The medical examination device of claim 15, wherein the detector includes a spectrophotometer and a plurality of selectably engageable filters for filtering the second emitted light beam before the second emitted light beam enters the detector.

29. A method of detecting cervical cancer comprising the steps of:

filtering a beam of light from an illumination source with a selection of filters to produce a plurality of desired wavelengths;

sequentially transmitting a first set of wavelengths produced from the beam of light to a visualization unit;

illuminating a portion of a cervix with the first set of wavelengths transmitted to the visualization unit;

capturing an image of a macroscopic view of the cervix illuminated with each of the first set of wavelengths;

selecting a microscopic tissue site within the macroscopic view for further investigation;

watching the placement of a distal end of a fiber optic probe in contact with the selected microscopic tissue site;

activating a light directing device to direct a second set of wavelengths to a plurality of excitation fibers in the fiber optic probe;

sequentially transmitting the second set of wavelengths though the excitation fibers to illuminate the selected tissue site;

collecting an emitted light beam emanating from the illuminated tissue site through a reception fiber optic strand;

conducting a spectral analysis of the collected light using a spectrometer; and

calculating a probability that the selected tissue site is cancerous.