TRANS-RAMAN FOR BREAST CANCER

• US 20090238333A1
• Filed: 04/05/2007
• Published: 09/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: UK Research and Innovation
• Original Assignee: Science and Technology Facilities Council
• Inventors: Stone, Nicholas, Matousek, Pavel, Parker, Anthony William
• Granted Patent: US 8,259,902 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 378/37
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/417 the bone marrow
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/656 Raman microprobe
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/65 Raman scattering
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/1205 Testing spectral properties

Abstract

Non invasive in-vivo measurement of composition of a tissue within a part of a human or animal subject is carried out by detecting a Raman spectral characteristic in light scattered through the part using a transmission, rather than a backscattering geometry. The technique is applied to the detection of calcifications in human breast tissues.

Claims

1. A method of non invasive in vivo measurement of composition of a tissue within a part of a human or animal subject, comprising:

directing radiation into the part through a first exterior surface region of the part;

collecting a portion of said radiation emerging at a second exterior surface region of the part following forward scattering through the part;

detecting, in said collected radiation, characteristics of said radiation arising from Raman scattering by said tissue; and

determining a measurement of composition of said tissue from said characteristics.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the second surface region is spaced from said first surface region such that at least a portion of said tissue lies directly between said first and second exterior surface regions.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said second surface region is on an opposing side of the part from the first surface area, at least during the steps of directing and collecting.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the tissue comprises calcifications and the measurement of composition is a measurement of composition of said calcifications.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the measurement of composition includes a measurement of at least one of a type I, calcium oxalate material and a type II, calcium phosphate or calcium hydroxyapatite material.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said body part is a breast.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising compressing the breast between opposing clamp surfaces such that said first exterior surface and said second exterior surface of the breast are urged towards each other by the clamp surfaces.

8. A method of diagnosing a breast cancer condition comprising carrying out the method steps of claim 1 to determine said measurement of composition and making a diagnosis of a breast cancer condition based on said measurement of composition.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein the tissue comprises at least one of bone, cartilage, bone marrow, brain, nerves, lipids, blood, teeth and breast tissue.

9. A method of probing a sample of living tissue comprising:

directing incident radiation at a first surface of the sample;

collecting forward scattered elements of said incident radiation from a second surface of the sample; and

detecting Raman radiation in the collected radiation.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the tissue comprises at least one of bone, cartilage, bone marrow, brain, nerves, lipids, blood, teeth and breast tissue.

11. Apparatus for non invasive in-vivo measurement of composition of a tissue within human or animal subject, comprising:

illumination optics arranged to direct probe light at a first surface of the subject;

collection optics arranged to collect forward scattered light from a second surface of the subject such that at least a portion of said tissue lies between said first and second surfaces;

a light source arranged to provide said probe light to the illumination optics; and

an analyser adapted to receive collected light from the collection optics and to determine one or more Raman spectral characteristics of the collected light.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising a data processor arranged to receive the determined one or more Raman spectral characteristics and to derive therefrom one or more indications of composition of the tissue.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising a restraint arranged to constrain movement of at least a part of the subject containing said tissue.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising an X-ray source and an X-ray detector arranged to determine characteristics of said tissue.

15. Apparatus for non invasive in vivo measurement of composition of calcified tissue within a breast of a human or animal subject, comprising:

a breast mount comprising at least first and second mount surfaces adapted to be brought into confrontation to compress the breast therebetween;

illumination optics arranged to direct radiation into the breast when compressed within the breast mount;

collection optics arranged to collect a portion of said radiation emerging from the breast; and

a detector adapted to detect, in said collected radiation, characteristics of said radiation arising from Raman scattering by said calcified tissue.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 further comprising a data processor adapted to determine a measurement of composition of said calcified tissue from said characteristics.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 arranged such that the tissue is between the illumination optics and collection optics.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said illumination optics are arranged to direct radiation through a first surface region of said breast in confrontation with said first mount surface, and said collection optics are arranged to collect a portion of said radiation emerging from the breast through a second surface region of the breast in confrontation with said second mount surface.