Fluorescence diagnostic apparatus

• US 6,161,035 A
• Filed: 04/29/1998
• Issued: 12/12/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Furusawa, Koichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Lateef, Marvin M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHAW, SHAWNA JEANNINE
• Application Number:
  US09/069,210
• Time in Patent Office: 958 Days
• Field of Search: 600/476, 600/160, 600/172, 600/173, 600/174, 600/178, 600/182, 600/477, 600/109, 356/302, 356/303, 250/234, 250/461.2
• US Class Current: 600/476
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/042 characterised by a proximal camera, e.g. a CCD camera
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/043 for fluorescence imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0646 with illumination filters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0071 by measuring fluorescence emission
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0075 by spectroscopy, i.e. measuring spectra, e.g. Raman spectroscopy, infrared absorption spectroscopy A61B5/0071 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0084 for introduction into the body, e.g. by catheters A61B5/1459 takes precedence

Abstract

A fluorescence diagnostic apparatus is provided in which a site to be subjected to spectrometry can be designated in an image of a diagnostic living tissue which is taken via an endoscope, and the designated site can be automatically subjected to spectrometry. Fluorescence from the inner wall of a body cavity of a patient is conveyed in an image guide fiber bundle (14) of an endoscope (10), and then emitted as parallel light from an eye lens (16a). A partial reflection mirror in a mirror box (50) allows most of the light to transmit therethrough, and reflects the other portion of the light. From the transmitted light, an image of the inner wall of the body cavity is formed by an imaging lens. The image is taken by a fluorescence-observation CCD (34), and displayed by a display of a video monitor device (60). On the other hand, from the light reflected by the partial reflection mirror, an aerial image of the inner wall of the body cavity is formed by an imaging lens. A touch panel is disposed on the display of the video monitor device (60). When a part of the touch panel is pressed, the tip end of a spectrometry-fiber probe of a spectroscope (39) is moved by an X-Y table (31) to a position in the aerial image which is equivalent to the pressed site of the touch panel.

Claims

1. A fluorescence diagnostic apparatus comprising:

an excitation light irradiating mechanism which irradiates a living tissue with excitation light;

an optical system which transmits light from the living tissue due to the excitation light from said excitation light irradiating mechanism, and which forms an image of the living tissue;

an optical path splitting mechanism which splits an optical path for the light from the living tissue into first and second optical paths, the light passing through said optical system;

an imaging mechanism which takes an image of the living tissue that is formed in said first optical path split by said optical path splitting mechanism;

a light introducing member disposed in an image plane of the living tissue which is formed along said second optical path split by said optical path splitting means, the light introducing member including a movable tip end that receives only a portion of light corresponding to the image of the living tissue;

a wavelength selecting optical element which eliminates components of the excited light from the living tissue, in said first optical path between the living tissue and said imaging mechanism, and in said second optical path between the living tissue and said light introducing member;

a spectroscope which conducts spectrometry on the light received by said movable tip end of said light introducing member;

a display device which displays the image of the living tissue which is taken by said imaging mechanism from said first optical path;

a pointing device which designates a diagnostic site in the image of the living tissue which is displayed on said display device; and

a moving mechanism which moves said movable tip end of said light introducing member to a site along said second optical path which is equivalent to the diagnostic site in the image of the living tissue, the diagnostic site being designated by said pointing device.

2. A fluorescence diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said light introducing member is an optical fiber or an optical fiber bundle which is connected at a basal end to said spectroscope.

3. A fluorescence diagnostic apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

said moving mechanism has a moving table which moves a tip end of said optical fiber bundle in an image plane of the image of the living body.

4. A fluorescence diagnostic apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

said moving table is an X-Y table.

5. A fluorescence diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said pointing device is a touch panel which is overlaid on a display screen of said display device.

6. A fluorescence diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said pointing device is a mouse which designates the diagnostic site by moving a display position of a cursor displayed on a display screen of said display device.

7. A fluorescence diagnostic apparatus for use in an environment including an endoscope having a light guide with a distal end and a proximal end, said fluorescence diagnostic apparatus comprising:

an image forming optical system forming an image of diagnostic living tissue at the proximal end;

a spectrometry fiber probe movably arranged to move with reference to the image of diagnostic living tissue formed at the proximal end of the light guide of the endoscope, said spectrometry fiber probe picking up light from a diagnostic site that is only a portion of the image of diagnostic living tissue, said spectrometry fiber probe substantially excluding light from the remaining portion of the image of diagnostic living tissue that is not within the diagnostic site.

8. The fluorescence diagnostic apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising:

a display device that receives the image of diagnostic living tissue and displays the image of diagnostic living tissue;

a pointing device that receives a designation from an operator indicating the diagnostic site forming only a portion of the image of diagnostic living tissue; and

a controller that moves said spectrometry fiber probe substantially perpendicularly to the image of diagnostic living tissue formed at the proximal end of the light guide to pick up light from only the diagnostic site, substantially excluding light from the remaining portion of the image of diagnostic living tissue that is not within the diagnostic site.