Method of and apparatus for histological human tissue characterization using ultrasound

• US 6,007,489 A
• Filed: 04/21/1998
• Issued: 12/28/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: University of Maryland, University of Maryland Baltimore County (University of Maryland)
• Original Assignee: United States Of America As Represented By The Administrator Of The National Aeronautics And Space Administration
• Inventors: Tal Er, George A., Yost, William T., Cantrell, John H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jaworski, Francis J.
• Application Number:
  US09/071,452
• Time in Patent Office: 616 Days
• Field of Search: 600/437, 600/442, 600/449, 600/443, 600/438
• US Class Current: 600/449
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/416 the spleen
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4869 Determining body composition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7257 using Fourier transforms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/08 Detecting organic movements or changes, e.g. tumours, cysts, swellings A61B8/02 - A61B8/06 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0858 involving measuring tissue layers, e.g. skin, interfaces

Abstract

A method and apparatus for determining important histological characteristics of tissue, including a determination of the tissue'"'"'s health. Electrical pulses are converted into meaningful numerical representations through the use of Fourier Transforms. These numerical representations are then used to determine important histological characteristics of tissue. This novel invention does not require rectification and thus provides for detailed information from the ultrasonic scan.

Claims

1. A method for detecting histological properties of human tissue, composed of an iterated stacking sequence of cellular and collagen containing structural components, using data obtained from ultrasonic ray inputs, comprising the steps of:

emitting a high-frequency ultrasonic pulse into human tissue;

collecting a subsequent sequence of reflected unrectified echoes from said tissue;

converting said unrectified echoes into a sequence of unrectified electrical pulses;

amplifying said sequence of unrectified electrical pulses;

performing a Fourier transform upon said sequence of unrectified electrical pulses;

selecting any part of said transform;

plotting a display of said transform in terms of said part;

evaluating said display to quantitatively determine a percentage of collagen in said collagen containing structural component, wherein said percentage can be used to assess the quality of said tissue.

2. The method as in claim 1 wherein said selecting comprises using a magnitude value of said transform to determine histological tissue characteristics.

3. The method as in claim 1 wherein said selecting comprises using a real value of said transform to determine histological tissue characteristics.

4. The method as in claim 1 wherein said selecting comprises using an imaginary value of said transform to determine histological tissue characteristics.

5. The method as in claim 1 wherein said selecting comprises using a phase value of said transform to determine histological tissue characteristics.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said selecting step includes selecting any part of said transform to express a relationship among ultrasonic variables, and further comprising the step of

detecting pressure ulcers in muscle tissue based on said expressed relationship among ultrasonic variables.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said selecting step includes selecting any part of said transform to express a relationship among ultrasonic variables, and further comprising the step of

detecting pressure ulcers in adipose tissue based on said expressed relationship among ultrasonic variables.

8. Apparatus for classifying histological characteristics of human tissue comprising:

means for generating ultrasound pulses

transducer means for applying said ultrasound pulses to said tissue and receiving returned ultrasound from said body

means for converting said returned ultrasound pulses into a sequence of unrectified electrical pulses

means for amplifying said pulses

means for performing Fast Fourier Transforms on said amplified pulses

means for determining said histological characteristics using any part of said transform.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said means for determining histological characteristics is adapted to determine a magnitude value of said transform.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said means for determining histological characteristics is adapted to determine a real value of said transform.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said means for determining histological characteristics is adapted to determine an imaginary value of said transform.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said means for determining histological characteristics is adapted to determine a phase value of said transform.

13. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said means for determining is adapted to determine the histological characteristic of pressure ulcers in muscle tissue.

14. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said means for determining is adapted to determine the histological characteristic of pressure ulcers in adipose tissue.