OBTAINING OPTICAL TISSUE PROPERTIES

• US 20090326385A1
• Filed: 11/29/2007
• Published: 12/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Kuiper, Stein, Braun, Augustinus Laurentius, Van Beek, Michael Cornelis, Hendriks, Bernardus Hendrikus Wilhelmus, Rensen, Wouter Harry Jacinth, De Boer, Ruth Wilhelmine Ireen
• Application Number:
  US12/517,249
• Publication Number:
  US 20090326385A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/478
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0066 Optical coherence imaging
• 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 5/6848 Needles

Abstract

This application describes a medical device (230) for obtaining optical tissue properties of a target material. The medical device (230) comprises an elongated body (231) having a longitudinal axis (232) and an optical fiber being integrated within the elongated body (231). The optical fiber has a second fiber end (242, 242a, 242b), which is arranged at a side wall (233) of the elongated body (231) and which provides a lateral field of view with respect to the longitudinal axis (232). According to an embodiment many optical fibers are integrated each having an optical outlet (242, 242a, 242b) around the elongated body (231). Using the outlets (242, 242a, 242b) to do diffuse optical tomography and also use optical fibers to do an optical inspection, one can get information on the presence of tumors in a volume around the medical device (230) and a tissue characterization in the vicinity of the medical device (230). Thereby, an optical biopsy may be carried out, wherein no real tissue is removed. According to another embodiment an optical detection system is integrated into a real biopsy needle (330) allowing inspection and taking real biopsy simultaneously.

Claims

1. A medical device, in particular a needle (230, 330), for obtaining optical tissue properties of a human or animal body, the medical device (230, 330) comprising

an elongated body (231, 331) having a longitudinal axis (232, 332), wherein the elongated body (231, 331) is designed to be insertable into tissue of a human or an animal body, and

an optical fiber (340) being integrated within the elongated body (231, 331), the optical fiber (340) having a first fiber end (241) and a second fiber end (242, 342), wherein the first fiber end (241) is adapted to be coupled to an optical instrument (210), the second fiber end (242, 342) is arranged at a side wall (233, 338) of the elongated body (231, 331) and

the second fiber (242, 342) end provides a lateral field of view (144, 349), which is directed in a lateral direction with respect to the longitudinal axis (232, 332).

2. The medical device according to claim 1, further comprising

a reflector element (448a, 548, 548a), which is arranged at the side wall (233, 338) of the elongated body (231, 331,531) and which is optically coupled to the second fiber end (242, 342) of the optical fiber (340).

3. The medical device according to claim 1, wherein

the elongated body (231, 331) comprises a sharpened distal end (234, 334).

4. The medical device according to claim 1, further comprising

an optical waveguide (350) being integrated within the elongated body (231, 331), the optical waveguide (350) having a first waveguide end and a second waveguide end (255, 355), wherein

the first waveguide end is adapted to be coupled to an optical instrument (210), the second waveguide end (255, 355) is arranged at a front end (234, 334) of the elongated body (231, 331) and

the second waveguide end (255, 355) provides a front field of view (256, 356), which is directed in a longitudinal direction with respect to the longitudinal axis (232, 332).

5. The medical device according to claim 1, further comprising

at least one further optical fiber (340a) being integrated within the elongated body (331), the further optical fiber (340a) having a further first fiber end (241a) and a further second fiber end (242a, 342a), wherein

the further first fiber end (241a) is adapted to be coupled to an optical instrument (210), the further second fiber end (242a, 342a) is arranged at a side wall (233, 338) of the elongated body (231, 331) and

the further second fiber end (242a, 342a) provides a further lateral field of view (349a), which is directed in a lateral direction with respect to the longitudinal axis (232, 332).

6. The medical device according to claim 1, wherein

the elongated body (231) is a solid shaft (236).

7. The medical device according to claim 1, wherein

the elongated body (331) is a hollow shaft (338).

8. The medical device according to claim 7, further comprising

a biopsy element (381) being movably accommodated within the hollow shaft (338).

9. The medical device according to claim 7, wherein

the second fiber end (342a) provides an interior lateral field of view (349a), which is directed from the shaft wall (338) towards the central longitudinal axis of the hollow shaft (338).

10. A medical apparatus for obtaining optical tissue properties of a human or animal body, the medical apparatus (100, 200) comprising

a medical device (130, 230, 330) according to claim 1 and

an optical instrument (110, 210), which is optically coupled to the optical fiber (140, 340) of the medical device (130, 230, 330).

11. The medical apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

the optical instrument (110, 210) comprises

a light source (111, 211), which is adapted to generate illumination light (112, 212) for being injected into the optical fiber (140, 340), and

an optical detector (116, 216), which is adapted to receive measurement light (117, 217) being transmitted by the optical fiber (140, 340).

12. The medical apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

the optical instrument (110, 210) is adapted to perform diffused optical tomography and/or

the optical instrument (110, 210) is adapted to perform optical coherence tomography.

13. The medical apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

the optical instrument (110, 210) is adapted to perform at least one of the following optical procedures:

Raman spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, auto fluorescence spectroscopy, two-photon spectroscopy, and differential path length spectroscopy.

14. A method for obtaining optical tissue properties of a human or animal body, the method comprising

illuminating the tissue with illumination light (112, 212), which has been emitted from a light source (111, 211) and which has been transmitted by means of a medical device (130, 230, 330) according to claim 1, and

detecting measurement light (117, 217), which has interacted with the tissue and which has been transmitted by means of the medical device (130, 230, 330).

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising

applying a photosensitive agent.