Histological Facilitation systems and methods

• US 20100081928A1
• Filed: 09/29/2008
• Published: 04/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Ishikawa, Muriel Y., Wood, Lowell L. JR., Rivet, Dennis J., Hyde, Roderick A., Wood, Victoria Y.H., Leuthardt, Eric C., Olson, Jonathan E.
• Application Number:
  US12/286,550
• Publication Number:
  US 20100081928A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/431
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0005 combining images e.g. side-by-side, superimposed or tiled
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/043 for fluorescence imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 10/0096 Casings for storing test samples A61B10/0038 and A61B10/0045 take precedence; preservation of living parts of the human or animal body A01N1/02; containers for retaining a material to be analysed B01L3/50; containers for enzymology or microbiology C12M1/16; swab-sampler being part of enzymology or microbiology container C12M1/30
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 10/02 Instruments for taking cell samples or for biopsy A61B10/0038 and A61B10/0045 take precedence; needle locating or guiding means A61B17/3403; samplers for enzymology or microbiology C12M1/26; sampling or preparing biological specimens G01N33/48
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 10/06 Biopsy forceps , e.g. with cup-shaped jaws
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/0206 ultrasonic, e.g. for destroying tissue or enhancing freezing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/18 by applying electromagnetic radiation, e.g. microwaves radiation therapy A61N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/20 using laser
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2010/0225 for taking multiple samples
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/0212 using an instrument inserted into a body lumen, e.g. catheter
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/395 with marking agent for marking skin or other tissue
• 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 5/055 involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/076 Permanent implantations telemetry using implanted circuitry A61B5/0031; implanted stimulators for therapy A61N1/3605, A61N1/362, A61N1/372
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4839 combined with drug delivery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/742 using visual displays A61B5/339 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/743 Displaying an image simultaneously with additional graphical information, e.g. symbols, charts, function plots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/12 : in body cavities or body tracts, e.g. by using catheters catheters per se A61M25/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4472 : Wireless probes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/5238 : for combining image data of patient, e.g. merging several images from different acquisition modes into one image for image registration algorithms G06T7/30

Abstract

Systems, methods, and other modalities are described for generating or otherwise handling images or other data indicating (a) an extraction of chemically treated tissue frozen in vivo, (b) a treatment of a tissue sample in a chamber extended into tissue of an organism, and/or (c) cells to which an optical enhancement material was applied in vivo. Several contexts in which such indications facilitate histological evaluation are likewise described.

Claims

1. A medical or veterinary system comprising:

first means for bearing device-detectable data indicating an extraction of chemically treated tissue frozen in vivo; and

second means for indicating the chemically treated tissue frozen in vivo.

2. An apparatus comprising:

one or more physical media bearing device-detectable data indicating an extraction of chemically treated tissue frozen in vivo.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 in which the device-detectable data comprises:

one or more identifiers of a protocol by which the tissue was frozen before the extraction.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 in which the device-detectable data comprises:

one or more identifiers of a protocol by which the tissue was chemically treated.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 in which the device-detectable data comprises:

one or more operational parameters of a protocol by which the tissue was chemically treated.

6. The apparatus of claim 2 in which the device-detectable data comprises:

one or more identifiers of a material by which the tissue was chemically treated.

7. The apparatus of claim 2 in which the device-detectable data comprises:

one or more identifiers of a stain by which the tissue was chemically treated.

8. The apparatus of claim 2 in which the device-detectable data comprises:

a go/no-go indication relating to the chemically treated tissue frozen in vivo.

9. The apparatus of claim 2 in which the device-detectable data comprises:

a laser-scanned image of at least some of a cell to which an optical enhancement material was applied in vivo.

10. The apparatus of claim 2 in which the device-detectable data comprises:

an earlier image depicting at least some of a cell before the cell freezes; and

a later image depicting at least some of the cell after the cell freezes.

11. The apparatus of claim 2 in which the device-detectable data comprises:

an earlier image depicting at least some of a cell before the cell freezes; and

a later image depicting at least some of the cell before the cell freezes.

12. The apparatus of claim 2 in which the one or more physical media comprises:

some of the one or more physical media bearing a component of the device-detectable data indicating an optical treatment in a chamber extended into an organism.

13. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising:

circuitry for causing the chemically treated tissue to be frozen in vivo in response to contemporaneous user input.

14. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising:

circuitry for positioning a dispenser adjacent the tissue.

15. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising:

circuitry for processing a component of the device-detectable data obtained from one or more assay protocols performed upon at least some of the tissue.

16. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising:

circuitry for processing a component of the device-detectable data obtained from one or more biomarker detection protocols performed upon at least some of the tissue.

17. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising:

circuitry for processing a component of the device-detectable data obtained from one or more laser scanning protocols performed upon at least some of the tissue.

18. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising:

one or more other physical media bearing an operational setting value usable in laser scanning equipment for analyzing a portion of the tissue.

19. The apparatus of claim 2 in which the one or more physical media comprises:

at least one of the one or more physical media bearing an operational setting value usable for analyzing a portion of the tissue.

20. The apparatus of claim 2 in which the one or more physical media comprises:

at least one of the one or more physical media having borne an operational setting value usable in a microscope for analyzing a portion of the tissue.

21. The apparatus of claim 2 in which the one or more physical media comprises:

a conduit configured to bear a result of an optical treatment in vivo upon the chemically treated tissue.

22. The apparatus of claim 2 in which the one or more physical media comprises:

a conduit configured to bear a result of an optical treatment upon the chemically treated tissue frozen in vivo.

23. The apparatus of claim 2 in which the one or more physical media comprises:

one or more conduits coupling imaging equipment with a module configured to contain the extraction.

24. The apparatus of claim 2 in which the one or more physical media comprises:

one or more conduits coupling imaging equipment with an instrument configured to perform the extraction.

25. The apparatus of claim 2 in which the extraction comprises:

at least an unfrozen portion of the tissue.

27. The apparatus of claim 2 in which the extraction comprises:

at least some of the tissue that was chemically treated with an aptamer.

28. The apparatus of claim 2 in which the extraction comprises:

at least some of the tissue that was chemically treated with a permeabilizing agent.

31. The apparatus of claim 2 in which a portion of the one or more physical media comprises:

a shape-indicative category relating to a portion of the tissue.

37. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising:

a dispenser configured to inject a stain into a part of a living organism;

a freezing element configured to freeze at least some of the part in vivo of the living organism; and

circuitry for indicating the extraction on at least one of the one or more physical media.

38. The apparatus of claim 2 in which the one or more physical media comprise:

a portable module including at least an auditory interface configured to be operated while the portable module is held or worn.

39. The apparatus of claim 2 in which a portion of the one or more physical media comprises:

an image projection module.

54. The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising at least one of a satellite dish or other signal-reflective element, a transducer, an antenna, or a receiver operated to receive the device-detectable data.

26. (canceled)

29-30. -30. (canceled)

32-36. -36. (canceled)

40-53. -53. (canceled)