Detection of tissue abnormality through blood perfusion differentiation
First Claim
1. A method for accentuating differences in blood perfusion between normal and tumorous tissue by means of an applied or induced change in the local thermal environment of a region of normal tissue to be examined which contains tumuous tissue comprising the steps of:
- measuring blood perfusion in said region;
changing the thermal environment of said region;
measuring the response of blood perfusion to the thermal change to detect variations or inhomogenieties in blood perfusion of said region;
wherein the step of changing the thermal environment of said region comprises heating said region; and
wherein the step of measuring the response of blood perfusion to the thermal change comprises sensing for a decrease in the blood flow of local vasculature as the temperature of said region increases.
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Abstract
A method for accentuating the differences in blood perfusion between normal and tumorous tissue is provided which comprises the steps of measuring the blood perfusion in a local area of the body, heating the local area, then measuring the blood perfusion for variations or inhomogenieties in blood perfusion after the local area has been subjected to heating. As a result of heating normal tissue will generally exhibit increased blood perfusion compared with its preheated condition and as compared with blood perfusion in tumorous tissue, rendering the tumorous tissue more susceptible to detection by techniques such as ultrasonic Doppler blood flow measurement. Apparatus for performing the inventive method is described, including an ultrasonic scanhead which includes a high intensity transducer for heating tissue to be scanned, and an array transducer for performing Doppler measurements of the tissue before and after it has been heated.
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Citations
9 Claims
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1. A method for accentuating differences in blood perfusion between normal and tumorous tissue by means of an applied or induced change in the local thermal environment of a region of normal tissue to be examined which contains tumuous tissue comprising the steps of:
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measuring blood perfusion in said region; changing the thermal environment of said region; measuring the response of blood perfusion to the thermal change to detect variations or inhomogenieties in blood perfusion of said region; wherein the step of changing the thermal environment of said region comprises heating said region; and wherein the step of measuring the response of blood perfusion to the thermal change comprises sensing for a decrease in the blood flow of local vasculature as the temperature of said region increases. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. An ultrasonic system for inducing heating of a subject tissue and for measuring differences in blood perfusion resulting therefrom comprising:
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means for measuring blood perfusion in said subject tissue; means for changing the thermal environment of said subject tissue by heating by a predetermined amount through the application of ultrasonic energy; means for measuring the response of blood perfusion to the thermal change to detect variations or inhomogenieties in blood perfusion of said subject tissue which have been accentuated by heating; wherein said means for measuring the response of blood perfusion to the thermal change includes a means for sensing for a decrease in the blood perfusion as the temperature of said subject tissue increases; and means for controlling said means for heating said subject tissue and said means for measuring the response of blood perfusion. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9)
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Specification