Method and apparatus for detecting cancerous tissue using luminescence excitation spectra

• US 5,042,494 A
• Filed: 12/04/1989
• Issued: 08/27/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/1985
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mediscience Technology Corp. (Sensivida Medical Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Mediscience Technology Corp. (Sensivida Medical Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Alfano, Robert R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Ruth S.
• Application Number:
  US07/449,510
• Time in Patent Office: 631 Days
• Field of Search: 128/664, 128/665, 128/395, 128/398, 128/633, 606/3, 606/15, 606/16, 356/435
• US Class Current: 600/477
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0059 using light, e.g. diagnosis by transillumination, diascopy, fluorescence A61B5/0093, A61B5/1455, A61B5/02416 and A61B5/0261 take precedence

Abstract

A method and apparatus for detecting the presence of cancerous tissue using native visible luminescence. The tissue to be examined is excited with a beam of monochromatic light that causes the tissue to fluoresce over a spectrum of wavelengths. The intensity at which the excited tissue fluoresces can be measured either over a spectrum or at a predetermined number of preselected wavelengths. By determining the wavelength(s) at which maximum intensity(ies) are attained for the tissue in question and by comparing these peak wavelengths, either visually or electronically, to the peak wavelength(s) derived from a known non-cancerous tissue, or by comparing the luminescence spectrum of the excited tissue with the luminescence spectrum of a known noncancerous tissue and/or known cancerous tissue or the excitation spectra of the excited tissue with the excitation spectra of known cancerous and/or known non-cancerous tissue one can determine the carcinomatoid status of the tissue in question. Once it has been determined that the tissue is cancerous, it may by destroyed by ablation by exposing it to a beam of light from a high power laser. The invention is based on the discovery that the visible luminescence spectra for cancerous and non-cancerous tissue are substantially different and that the differences are such that visible luminescence from tissue can be used to detect the presence of cancer and also on the discovery spectral profiles of excitation spectra are similarly different.

Claims

1. Apparatus for detecting cancerous tissue comprising:

a. means for illuminating a sample tissue with a beam of monochromatic light,

b. means for varying the wavelength of said beam of monochromatic light,

c. means for detecting emitted light from the sample at a predetermined wavelength as said wavelength of monochromatic light is varied, thereby obtaining an excitation spectral profile, and

d. means for comparing the spectral profile so obtained with a spectral profile obtained in the same manner of a normal tissue, or cancerous tissue or cancerous tissue and normal tissue.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 and wherein the illuminating means comprises a light source and a spectrometer.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 and wherein the detecting means comprises a spectrometer and a photomultiplier.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 and wherein the comparing means comprises a computer.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 and further including an endoscope coupled to said illuminating means for directing said beam of light to said sample.

6. A method of determining if a sample tissue is cancerous comprising:

a. illuminating said sample tissue with a beam of monochromatic light having a changing wavelength,

b. detecting emitted light from the sample tissue at a predetermined emission wavelength, obtaining thereby an excitation spectral profile

c. comparing said excitation spectral profile with an excitation spectral profile obtained in the same manner at said same predetermined emission wavelength for a normal tissue or for a cancerous tissue or for cancerous tissue and for normal tissue.