Early detection of breast cancer using transillumination
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A transillumination apparatus for the early detection of breast caner, comprising:
- a source of nonionizing radiation for producing radiation in a specific frequency range, said nonionizing radiation having an intensity which permits passing through a breast;
an optical receiver for receiving radiation from said source of nonionizing radiation which passes through said breast; and
a biochemical marker associated with cancer cells within said breast which absorbs radiation in said specific frequency range.
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Abstract
Several methods have been developed for improving transillumination devices such that they may be effectively used for breast cancer examinations. Each of the methods involves a particluar technique for reducing scattered light. If light which passes straight through a breast can be distinguished from light which is scattered within the breast, better images can be produced. In addition, biochemical markers have been developed which associate with cancerous tissue and enhance the contrast by absorbing light of specific wavelengths.
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Citations
50 Claims
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1. A transillumination apparatus for the early detection of breast caner, comprising:
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a source of nonionizing radiation for producing radiation in a specific frequency range, said nonionizing radiation having an intensity which permits passing through a breast; an optical receiver for receiving radiation from said source of nonionizing radiation which passes through said breast; and a biochemical marker associated with cancer cells within said breast which absorbs radiation in said specific frequency range. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A transillumination apparatus for the early detection of breast caner, comprising:
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a source of non-ionizing radiation for producing nonionizing radiation of sufficient intensity to pass through a breast; an optical receiver for receiving radiation from said source of nonionizing radiation which passes through said breast; a first polarizing means positioned between said source and said breast for polarizing said nonionizing radiation before it impinges on said breast; and a second polarizing means matched with said first polarizing means positioned between said breast and said optical receiver for permitting only radiation having a polarity matched to the radiation produced by said first polarizing means to impinge on said optical receiver. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27)
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28. A transillumination apparatus for the early detection of breast caner, comprising:
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a source of non-ionizing radiation for producing nonionizing radiation of sufficient intensity to pass through a breast; an optical receiver for receiving radiation from said source of nonionizing radiation which passes through said breast; and first and second phase plates having a plurality of polarized sections with adjacent sections being out of phase with respect to one another, said first phase plate being positioned between said source and said breast, said second phase plate being positioned between said breast and said optical receiver. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30)
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31. A transillumination apparatus for the early detection of breast cancer, comprising:
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a source of non-ionizing radiation for producing a collimated beam of radiation of sufficient intensity to pass through a breast; scanning means for scanning said collimated beam of radiation over said breast; a phase conjugated mirror for receiving radiation which has passed through the breast, said phase conjugated mirror returning radiation in the same phase as said radiation in said collimated beam; and an optical receiver for receiving returning radiation from said phase conjugated mirror.
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32. A transillumination apparatus for the early detection of breast cancer, comprising:
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a source of non-ionizing radiation for producing nonionizing radiation of sufficient intensity to pass through a breast; an optical receiver for receiving radiation which passes through said breast; pulsing means for providing pulses of said nonionizing radiation; and discriminating means for discriminating between radiation which passes straight through said breast and radiation which is scattered within said breast based on the time required for a pulse of said nonionizing radiation to traverse said breast. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35)
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36. A transillumination apparatus for the early detection of breast cancer, comprising:
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a light source producing a collimated beam of non-ionizing radiation of sufficient intensity to pass through a breast; an optical receiver for receiving radiation which has passed straight through said breast; first and second light shutters positioned on opposite sides of said breast in the path of said collimated beam; and a controller for opening and closing said first and second light shutters on a timed basis. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38)
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39. A transillumination apparatus for the early detection of breast cancer, comprising:
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a source of non-ionizing radiation for producing nonionizing radiation of sufficient intensity to pass through a breast; a photodetector array comprised of a plurality of photodetectors, each of said photodetectors receiving radiation which has passed through said breast, each of said photodetectors producing an electrical signal which corresponds to the intensity of radiation received; compressing means for compressing said electrical signal to a compressed signal having a frequency range compatible with photographic film; and exposing means for exposing said photographic film to light having an intensity corresponding to said compressed signal. - View Dependent Claims (40)
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41. A transillumination apparatus for the early detection of breast cancer, comprising:
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a source of non-ionizing radiation for producing nonionizing radiation of sufficient intensity to pass through a breast; photographic film for receiving radiation from said source of nonionizing radiation; and a semi-permeable mirror positioned between said source of non-ionizing radiation and said breast, said semi-permeable mirror dividing said non-ionizing radiation into a sample beam and a reference beam, said sample beam being directed through said breast before impinging on said photographic film, said reference beam being directed to said photographic film without passing through said breast, whereby a hologram image is created from the interference of said sample beam with said reference beam.
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42. A method for providing a collimated beam of light with a very narrow diameter, comprising the steps of:
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directing a beam of light through a first plate with a first aperture, said first aperture having a diameter on the order of wavelengths, said first aperture allowing a collimated beam of light having a diameter of said first aperture to pass straight through and refracting the remaining light from said beam of light; and providing a second plate with a second aperture in the path of said collimated beam of light, said second aperture being slightly larger in diameter than said first aperture, said second plate allowing said collimated beam of light having said diameter equivalent to said first aperture to pass through said second aperture and preventing refracted light from passing therethrough.
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43. A method for detecting breast cancer using a transillumination apparatus, comprising the steps of:
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scanning a collimated beam of electromagnetic radiation of a first wavelength which is strongly absorbed by fat over a breast; detecting radiation of said first wavelength which has passed straight through said breast; preventing scattered light of said first wavelength from being detected; creating a fat line image from the detected radiation of said first wavelength; scanning a collimated beam of electromagnetic radiation of a second wavelength which is strongly absorbed by water over said breast; detecting radiation of said second wavelength which has passed straight through the breast; preventing scattered light of said second wavelength from being detected; creating a water line image from the detected radiation of said second wavelength; and comparing said fat line image and said water line image, tumors being detected by an increased absorption in said water line image with a corresponding decrease in said fat line image. - View Dependent Claims (44)
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45. A method for creating a composite image of a breast for the early detection of cancer, comprising the steps of:
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creating an overall absorption image of the breast by imaging the breast at a first wavelength; creating a lesion specific image of said breast by imaging the breast at a second wavelength which is specific to a biochemical marker which associates itself with a breast lesion; and superimposing the lesion specific image on the overall absorption image to create a composite image of the breast.
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46. A method for locating a tumor within a breast, comprising the steps of:
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imaging said breast at a first angle to create a first image, lesions in said breast appearing on said first image at a first location; imaging said breast at a second angle to create a second image, lesions in said breast appearing on said second image at a second location; and determining the three dimensional location of a lesion within the breast from the position of said first location on said first image and the position of the second location on said second image.
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47. A method of preventing scattered light from being detected by a photodetector array positioned under a breast when said breast is imaged with a source of non-ionizing radiation, comprising the steps of:
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pulsing said source of non-ionizing radiation such that pulses of light impinge on said breast; selectively activating each of said photodetectors in said photodetector array to receive light which passes straight through said breast at a first programmed time period after a pulse of radiation is emitted from said source, said first programmed time period being equivalent to the time required for a pulse of light to traverse said breast; and de-activating said each of said photodetectors in said photodetector array such that they cannot receive light at a second programmed time period, said second programmed time period corresponding to a time in which scattered light traverses said breast.
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48. A method for the early detection of breast using a transillumination apparatus, comprising the steps of:
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opening and closing a first shutter in a path of a collimated beam of non-ionizing radiation emitted from a source of non-ionizing radiation, said non-ionizing radiation being of sufficient intensity to pass through a breast under examination, said first shutter being positioned between said source and said breast; opening and closing a second shutter in said path of said collimated beam, said second shutter being positioned between said breast and a photodetector array which detects radiation which passes through said second shutter; and controlling the time of openings and closings of said first and second shutters.
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49. A transillumination apparatus for the early detection of breast cancer, comprising:
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a source of non-ionizing radiation for producing a collimated beam of nonionizing radiation of sufficient intensity to pass through a breast; an optical receiver for receiving radiation from said source of nonionizing radiation which passes through said breast; a modifying means for modifying radiation in said collimated beam to include identifying information, said modifying means modifying said collimated beam before it passes through said breast; and a discriminating means, positioned between said breast and said optical receiver, for allowing only radiation including said identifying information to impinge on said optical receiver.
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50. A method of preventing scattered light produced in a breast that is impinged with a collimated beam of light from being detected by a photodetector array, comprising the steps of:
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modifying said collimated beam of radiation to include identifying information before it passes through said breast; and allowing only radiation including said identifying information to be detected by said photodetector array.
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Specification