Method and device for measuring and processing light

• US 4,768,513 A
• Filed: 03/30/1987
• Issued: 09/06/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Square Enix
• Original Assignee: Agency for Industrial Science and Technology, Ministry of International Trade & Industry (Government of Malaysia)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Susumu
• Primary Examiner(s): Wayner, William E.
• Application Number:
  US07/031,370
• Time in Patent Office: 526 Days
• Field of Search: 128/633, 128/634, 128/665, 250/461.2, 356/317, 356/318 X, 356/73 X
• US Class Current: 600/476
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/043 for fluorescence 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: A61N 5/0601 Apparatus for use inside the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/062 Photodynamic therapy, i.e. excitation of an agent
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/6417 Spectrofluorimetric devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/6484 Optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6428 Measuring fluorescence of fluorescent products of reactions or of fluorochrome labelled reactive substances, e.g. measuring quenching effects, using measuring "optrodes" in vivo A61B5/00; immunoassay G01N33/53
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6456 Spatial resolved fluorescence measurements; Imaging

Abstract

A method and device for measuring and processing light whereby laser light is irradiated onto positions of an organism which has been injected with a fluorescent substance having a strong affinity for tumors, the fluorescence and the reflected light produced by this irradiation are detected, and the detected intensity of the fluorescence is calculated and analyzed by means of the intensity of the reflected light.

Claims

1. A method for measuring light, comprising the steps of:

injecting an organism with a fluorescent substance having a strong affinity for tumors,

irradiating predetermined positions of said organism with laser light to excite fluorescence and allow said laser light to reflect from said predetermined positions of said organism,

detecting said fluorescence and reflected light, and

calculating and analyzing the intensity of the detected fluorescence based on the intensity of the detected light.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said fluorescent substance is a hematoporphyrin derivative and said laser light has a wavelength of about 405 nm.

3. A device for measuring light, comprising:

a light-irradiating means for irradiating with laser light predetermined positions of an organism injected with a fluorescent substance having a strong affinity for tumors,

a light-detecting means for detecting fluorescence excited by the irradiation of said laser light and laser light reflected by said predetermined positions of said organism, and

an analyzer means for calculating and analyzing the intensity of said fluorescence based on the intensity of said reflected light.

4. A device according to claim 3, wherein said light-irradiating means comprises a light source for said laser light and a first light guide for transmitting this laser light.

5. A device according to claim 3, wherein said light-detecting means comprises a second light guide for transmitting the reflected light and fluorescence output from the organism, a spectroscopic means for dividing the light transmitted from said second light guide into fluorescence and laser light and outputting them as spectral images, and a pickup means for picking up said spectral images and outputting them as spectral video signals.

6. A device according to claim 3, wherein said light-irradiating means comprises a light source for said laser light and a first light guide for transmitting said laser light, and said light-detecting means comprises a second light guide for transmitting the reflected light and fluorescence output from said organism, a spectroscopic means for dividing the light transmitted from said second light guide into fluorescence and laser light and outputting them as spectral images, and a pickup means for picking up said spectral images and outputting them as spectral video signals.

7. A device according to claim 6, wherein said first light guide has a first polarizing filter mounted at its tip, and said second light guide has a second polarizing filter mounted at its tip so as to have a polarizing direction which is orthogonal to the polarizing direction of said first light guide.

8. A device according to claim 3, wherein said analyzer means is adapted to receive input of spectral video signals, normalize the amplitudes of said signals by arithmetic processing on the basis of information contained in said signals on the intensity of the reflected light, convert the normalized amplitudes into graphic images, display fluorescence spectrum patterns on a monitor and, when said reflected light has dropped below a first standard value or has risen above a second standard value, also display this information.

9. A method for measuring and processing light, comprising the steps of:

injecting an organism with a fluorescent substance having a strong affinity for tumors,

irradiating predetermined positions of said organism with first laser light to excite fluorescence and allow said first laser light to reflect from said predetermined positions of said organism,

detecting said fluorescence and reflected light, and

calculating and analyzing the intensity of the detected fluorescence based on the intensity of the detected light and, depending on the calculated and analyzed results, irradiating said predetermined positions of said organism with a second laser light to perform processing of said predetermined positions of said organism.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein said fluorescent substance is a hematoporphyrin derivative, and said first laser light has a wavelength of about 405 nm.

11. A device for measuring and processing light, comprising:

a light-irradiating means for irradiating with first laser light predetermined positions of an organism injected with a fluorescent substance having a strong affinity for tumors,

a light-detecting means for detecting fluorescence excited by the irradiation of said first laser light and first laser light reflected by said predetermined positions of said organism,

an analyzer means for calculating and analyzing the intensity of said fluorescence based on the intensity of said reflected light, and

a second irradiating means for irradiating said predetermined positions of said organism with second laser light depending on the calculated and analyzed results.

12. A device according to claim 11, wherein said first light-irradiating means comprises a light source for said first laser light and a first light guide for transmitting said first laser light.

13. A device according to claim 11, wherein said light-detecting means comprises a second light guide for transmitting the reflected light and fluorescence output from said organism, a spectroscopic means for dividing the light transmitted from said second light guide into fluorescence and laser light and outputting them as spectral images, and a pickup means for picking up said spectral images and outputting them as spectral video signals.

14. A device according to claim 11, wherein said first light-irradiating means comprises a light source for said first laser light and a first light guide for transmitting said first laser light, and said light-detecting means comprises a second light guide for transmitting the reflected light and fluorescence output from said organism, a spectroscopic means for dividing the light transmitted from said second light guide into fluorescence and laser light and outputting them as spectral images, and a pickup means for picking up said spectral images and outputting them as spectral video signals.

15. A device according to claim 14, wherein said first light guide has a first polarizing filter mounted at its tip, and said second light guide has a second polarizing filter mounted at its tip so as to have a polarizing direction which is orthogonal to the polarizing direction of said first light guide.

16. A device according to claim 11, wherein said analyzer means is adapted to receive input of spectral video signals, normalize the amplitudes of said signals by arithmetic processing on the basis of information contained in said signals on the intensity of the reflected light, convert the normalized amplitudes into graphic images, display fluorescence spectrum wave patterns on a monitor and, when said reflected light has dropped below a first standard value or has risen above a second standard value, also display this information.