METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR EXAMINING TISSUE FOR PREDEFINED TARGET CELLS, PARTICULARLY CANCEROUS CELLS, AND A PROBE USEFUL IN SUCH METHOD AND APPARATUS

• US 20120238867A1
• Filed: 05/31/2012
• Published: 09/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dune Medical Devices Ltd. (Dilon Technologies LLC)
• Original Assignee: Dune Medical Devices Ltd. (Dilon Technologies LLC)
• Inventors: HASHIMSHONY, Dan
• Granted Patent: US 9,226,979 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/424
• 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 5/0091 for mammography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0538 invasively, e.g. using a catheter
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/065 Determining position of the probe employing exclusively positioning means located on or in the probe, e.g. using position sensors arranged on the probe
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/411 Detecting or monitoring allergy or intolerance reactions to an allergenic agent or substance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/416 the spleen
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 49/00 Preparations for testing in vivo
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 607/901 Cancer detection

Abstract

A method, apparatus and probe for examining tissue for the presence of target cells, particularly cancerous cells, by subjecting the tissue to be examined to a contrast agent containing small particles of a physical element conjugated with a biological carrier selectively bindable to the target cells. Energy pulses are applied to the examined tissue. The changes in impedance and/or optical characteristics of the examined tissue produced by the applied energy pulses are detected and utilized for determining the presence of the target cells in the examined tissue. In a described preferred embodiment, the applied energy pulses include laser pulses, and the physical element conjugated with a biological carrier is a light-sensitive semiconductor having an impedance which substantially decreases in the presence of light. The same probe used for detecting the targeted cells may also be used for destroying the cells so targeted.

Claims

1. An apparatus for use in real-time examining of an excised tissue region for the presence of predefined target cells therein, the apparatus comprising:

a probe having an operative end for contacting an exposed surface of the excised tissue region, the probe being configured and operable for detecting properties of the tissue region during movement of its operative end over the exposed surface and generating data indicative of the detected properties of the tissue region; and

a processor system connectable to the probe and being configured and operable for processing and analyzing the data indicative of the properties of a tissue region to identify predefined target cells in the tissue region, determine extent of the target cells in said tissue region, define margins of the target cells within said tissue region, and generate output data indicative of the margins of the target cells, thereby enabling removal of additional tissues at locations corresponding to those where said margins of the examined tissue region include said target cells.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the probe comprises at least one pair of spaced conductors at the operative end of the probe for applying voltage pulses to the examined tissue, and an optical fiber for applying optical pulses to the examined tissue.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said spaced conductors are coaxially arranged conductors, and said optical fiber is a core extending centrally of said coaxial conductors.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said spaced conductors at the operative end of the probe are configured to clamp between them the tissue to be examined.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an end of said probe opposite to said operative end is configured to be manually graspable for manipulation with respect to the tissue to be examined.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said probe is flexible so as to be capable of being introduced into a subject'"'"'s body via a catheter.

7. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said probe is flexible so as to be capable of being introduced into a subject'"'"'s body via a catheter.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, comprising a memory unit for storing data.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the output data includes at least one of visual and audio data.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said probe is configured and operable for detecting the properties of the tissue region by applying energy pulses within a probe area of the tissue region and detecting changes in electrical properties of the tissue within the probe area produced by said applied energy pulses.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said applied pulses include voltage pulses.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said probe comprises an array of optical sensors at a known location with respect to said operative end, the array of sensors being configured and operable for sensing the location and orientation of said operative end of the probe.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the probe comprises a 3-D coordinate orientation sensor for determining the location and orientation of the probe.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the probe comprises a 3-D coordinate orientation sensor for determining the location and orientation of the examined tissue.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the 3-D coordinate orientation sensor is in the form of a rectangular array or matrix.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said applied pulses include laser pulses.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the probe is configured and operable for detecting reflections of said laser pulses from the tissue within the probe area, the processor being configured and operable for comparing optical characteristic of the laser pulses applied to the tissue with that of the laser reflections from the examined tissue;

and utilizing comparison results for determining presence of said target cells in said tissue.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the probe is configured and operable for determining impedance of the tissue within the probe area, the processor being configured and operable for detecting changes in impedance in said tissue and utilizing data indicative of said changes for determining presence of said target cells in said tissue.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the probe is configured and operable for applying voltage pulses to the tissue in the probe area, and determining impedance of the tissue within the probe area, and is configured for applying the optical pulses to a central region of the probe area, the processor being configured and operable for detecting changes in impedance in said tissue and utilizing data indicative of said changes for determining presence of said target cells in the tissue in the probe area, and utilizing the comparison results with respect to the optical characteristics to determine presence of said target cells in the tissue in the central region of the probe area.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the probe is configured and operable for applying said laser pulses at a predetermined rate, said changes in impedance being detected at said predetermined rate to thereby increase the signal-to-noise ratio of said detected changes in impedance.