Apparatus for tissue type recognition within a body canal
First Claim
1. Apparatus for identifying tissue within a body canal which is suspected of being physiologically changed as a result of pre-cancerous or cancerous activity, said apparatus comprisinga plurality of optical and electrode systems, each such system comprisinga light emitting die emitting light in response to a drive signal and configured to irradiate said tissue;
- a detector die configured to receive that radiation after it has been backscattered by said tissue and to provide a responding signal;
a barrier sited between the two dice to provide optical and electrical isolation between the two;
an electrode configured to supply electrical signals to said tissue and to measure the response of the tissue;
the components above being configured in a probe of circular or similar cross section small enough to enter the said canal;
a controller coupled to the emitters, the detectors and the electrodes that supplies the necessary drive signals and receives the responses, said controller comprisinga processor to categorize said tissue, anda comparator for comparing the categorization of said tissue with expected tissue types from a catalogue so as to identify said tissue, andan indicator arrangement for indicating to a user the tissue type identified.
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for tissue type recognition for use within the narrow confines of body canals and which can quickly produce an objective identification of the tissue types including the presence of pre-cancerous and cancerous activity. Possible configurations for the probe include endocervical probe configurations which make measurements in directions orthogonal to the long axis of the probe and configurations where multiple probe "tips" are arranged in a "wood drill" configuration. The apparatus has a measurement section that has at least one source of electromagnetic radiation such as a light emitting diode, a barrier which acts to confine the direction that the radiation can take and a detector such as a photodiode beyond the barrier, which is able to detect the radiation after it has been backscattered from tissue in close proximity to the surface of the cylinder. In the vicinity of these components one or more electrodes may also be positioned on the surface of the cylinder such that they are able to contact the tissue under examination thereby enabling simultaneous electrical property measurements to be made. The radiation source and the electrodes receive electrical signals produced by a programmed controller. The radiation detector and the electrode signals are processed by the controller. Comparator means in the controller are used to compare the signals with known values to thereby identify the tissue type.
110 Citations
7 Claims
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1. Apparatus for identifying tissue within a body canal which is suspected of being physiologically changed as a result of pre-cancerous or cancerous activity, said apparatus comprising
a plurality of optical and electrode systems, each such system comprising a light emitting die emitting light in response to a drive signal and configured to irradiate said tissue; -
a detector die configured to receive that radiation after it has been backscattered by said tissue and to provide a responding signal; a barrier sited between the two dice to provide optical and electrical isolation between the two; an electrode configured to supply electrical signals to said tissue and to measure the response of the tissue; the components above being configured in a probe of circular or similar cross section small enough to enter the said canal; a controller coupled to the emitters, the detectors and the electrodes that supplies the necessary drive signals and receives the responses, said controller comprising a processor to categorize said tissue, and a comparator for comparing the categorization of said tissue with expected tissue types from a catalogue so as to identify said tissue, and an indicator arrangement for indicating to a user the tissue type identified. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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Specification