INTRA-OPERATIVE USE OF FLUORESCENCE SPECTROSCOPY AND APPLICATIONS OF SAME

• US 20170105623A1
• Filed: 12/27/2016
• Published: 04/20/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vanderbilt University
• Original Assignee: Vanderbilt University
• Inventors: Bartz, Elizabeth Kanter, Pence, Isaac J., Mahadevan-Jansen, Anita, White, Lisa, Phay, John, Paras, Constantine A., Keller, Matthew D., Gasparino, Nicole, Whisenant, Jennifer Gray
• Granted Patent: US 10,258,275 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2055 Optical tracking systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2505/05 Surgical care
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/20 Surgical navigation systems; Devices for tracking or guiding surgical instruments, e.g. for frameless stereotaxis
• 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 5/0086 using infrared radiation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/415 the glands, e.g. tonsils, adenoids or thymus
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/418 lymph vessels, ducts or nodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4227 endocrine glands, i.e. thyroid, adrenals, hypothalamic, pituitary
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/742 using visual displays A61B5/339 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/6439 with indicators, stains, dyes, tags, labels, marks
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6456 Spatial resolved fluorescence measurements; Imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/65 Raman scattering
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/0221 Portable; cableless; compact; hand-held

Abstract

In one aspect, the present invention relates to a process for intra-operatively providing anatomical guidance in endocrine surgery. In one embodiment, the process includes the steps of illuminating tissues in the neck area of a living subject with a beam of light having a predetermined wavelength, obtaining Raman data from light scattered from the illuminated tissues, finding Raman signatures corresponding to thyroid or parathyroid tissues from the obtained Raman data, and identifying the thyroid or parathyroid tissues from the corresponding Raman signatures.

Claims

1. A process for intra-operatively providing anatomical guidance in endocrine surgery, comprising the steps of:

(a) illuminating tissues in the neck area of a living subject with a beam of light having a predetermined wavelength;

(b) obtaining Raman data from light scattered from the illuminated tissues;

(c) finding Raman signatures corresponding to thyroid or parathyroid tissues from the obtained Raman data; and

(d) identifying the thyroid or parathyroid tissues from the corresponding Raman signatures.

2. The process of claim 1, wherein the step of obtaining the Raman data comprises collecting the scattered light with a collection probe and obtaining a corresponding Raman spectrum with a Raman spectrometer.

3. The process of claim 2, wherein the predetermined wavelength is in the near-infrared range and the obtained Raman data comprises near-infrared Raman data, and wherein the step of finding Raman signatures from the obtained Raman data comprises processing the obtained Raman spectrum.

4. A system for intra-operatively providing anatomical guidance in endocrine surgery, comprising:

(a) a light source configured to emit light having a predetermined wavelength;

(b) an optical probe optically connected to the light source and configured to deliver a beam of light to tissues in the neck area of a living subject and to collect light scattered from the tissues;

(c) a detector optically coupled with the optical probe, for obtaining Raman data from the collected scattered light and rejecting signals from within the optical probe; and

(d) a controller in communication with the detector and programmed for finding Raman signatures corresponding to thyroid or parathyroid tissues from the obtained Raman data and identifying tissues that correspond to the Raman signatures as thyroid or parathyroid tissues.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the predetermined wavelength is in the near-infrared range.

6. The system of claim 4, further comprising an optical fiber means optically coupled to the light source, for receiving the beam of light from the light source and delivering the beam of light to the tissues.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein the optical probe comprises a collection probe and the detector comprises a spectrometer.

8. A process for intra-operatively providing disease detection in endocrine surgery, comprising the steps of:

(a) illuminating tissues in the neck area of a living subject;

(b) obtaining Raman data from light scattered from the illuminated tissues;

(c) finding Raman signatures corresponding to diseased thyroid or parathyroid tissues from the obtained Raman data; and

(d) identifying the diseased thyroid or parathyroid tissues from the corresponding Raman signatures.

9. The process of claim 8, wherein the illuminating step comprises illuminating the tissues with a beam of light from a near-infrared light source.

10. The process of claim 8, wherein the step of obtaining the Raman data comprises collecting the scattered light in a collection probe and obtaining Raman spectra from the Raman data with a Raman spectrometer.

11. The process of claim 10, wherein the step of finding Raman signatures from the obtained Raman data comprises processing the obtained Raman spectra.

12. A system for intra-operatively providing disease detection in endocrine surgery, comprising:

(a) a light source;

(b) an optical probe optically connected to the light source and configured to deliver a beam of light to tissues in the neck area of a living subject and collect light scattered from the tissues;

(c) a detector optically coupled with the optical probe, for obtaining Raman data from the collected light while rejecting signals generated from within the probe itself; and

(d) a computer in communication with the detector and programmed for finding Raman signatures from the obtained Raman data and identifying tissues corresponding to the Raman signatures as representing thyroid or parathyroid disease.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the light source comprises a near-infrared laser.

14. The system of claim 12, further comprising an optical fiber means optically coupled to the light source, for receiving the beam of light from the light source and delivering the received beam of light to the tissues.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the detector comprises a spectrometer.