System and method for diagnosing and treating a target tissue

• US 6,247,812 B1
• Filed: 04/12/1999
• Issued: 06/19/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Vismed, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Vismed, Inc.
• Inventors: Moore, Bryan, Morgan, Nathan, Miehle, Mark R., Banfiel, Ronald, Ignotz, Keith
• Primary Examiner(s): MANUEL, GEORGE C
• Application Number:
  US09/289,608
• Time in Patent Office: 799 Days
• Field of Search: 351/200, 351/203, 351/206, 351/210, 351/211, 351/221, 606/4, 606/5, 606/6, 128/203.28, 607/17
• US Class Current: 351/206
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/063 for testing light sensitivity, i.e. adaptation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/10 Objective types, i.e. instruments for examining the eyes independent of the patients' perceptions or reactions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/14 Arrangements specially adapted for eye photography apparatus or arrangements for taking photographs per se G03B
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/152 for aligning

Abstract

A device and method for comparing and correlating two or more portions of similar or disparate test data allows a doctor or technician to easily diagnose and/or treat a condition or defect. A device or method embodying the invention can be used for diagnosing vision disorders by correlating visual sensitivity or acuity data to images or data corresponding to biological structures responsible for vision. Such a method allows a doctor to easily identify defects or conditions of a biological structure that causes a loss of vision. In one embodiment of the invention, optical sensitivity data and biological structure data may be stored in multiple data layers, and the data layers can be compared to one another to identify pattern matches between data layers. Similar methods can be used to compare and correlate any two or more types of similar or disparate types of test data. Also, combined presentations of two portions of data can be used to selectively apply treatment to a target tissue. For instance, a previously recorded image can be superimposed on a real-time image to help guide application of a treatment to the target tissue.

Claims

1. A method of treating a target tissue, comprising:

combining a first type of biological data and a second type of biological data to generate a combined presentation; and

using the combined presentation to aid treatment of a target tissue wherein the first type of data and the second type of data are similar types of data and the combining step comprises superimposing the first type of data and the second type of data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first type of data is previously recorded data and wherein the second type of data is real-time data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the combining step further comprises scaling one of the first type of data and the second type of data.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the combining step further comprises rotating one of the first type of data and the second type of data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the combining step further comprises inverting one of the first type of data and the second type of data.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second types of biological data are first and second types of diagnostic data.

7. A method of treating a target tissue, comprising the steps of:

combining a first type of data and a second type of data to generate a combined presentation; and

using the combined presentation to aid treatment of a target tissue,

wherein the first type of data is a previously recorded image of the target tissue, wherein the second type of data is a real-time image of the target tissue, and wherein the combining step comprises superimposing the previously recorded image into the real-time image.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the combining step further comprises selecting a portion of the previously recorded image for superposition onto the real-time image.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the using step comprises using the superimposed image to direct a laser beam to a selected portion of the target tissue.

10. A method of treating a target tissue, comprising:

combining a first type of biological data and a second type of biological data to generate a combined presentation; and

using the combined presentation to aid treatment of a target tissue, wherein the using step comprises using the combined presentation to direct a laser beam to a selected portion of the target tissue.

11. A method of treating a target tissue, comprising:

combining a first type of biological data and a second type of biological data to generate a combined presentation; and

using the combined presentation to aid treatment of a target tissue, wherein the using step comprises using the combined presentation to direct a drug to a selected portion of the target tissue.

12. A method of treating a target tissue, comprising:

combining a first type of biological data and a second type of biological data to generate a combined presentation; and

using the combined presentation to aid treatment of a target tissue, wherein the using step comprises using the combined presentation to direct a treatment to a selected portion of the target tissue.

13. A method of treating a target tissue, comprising:

combining a first type of biological data and a second type of biological data to generate a combined presentation; and

using the combined presentation to aid treatment of a target tissue, wherein the first type of data is different from the second type of data.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the using step comprises using the combined presentation to direct a treatment to a selected portion of the target tissue.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the combining step comprises manipulating at least one of the first and second types of data to create the combined presentation.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the combining step comprises at least one of scaling, rotating and inverting at least one of the first type of data and the second type of data.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the first and second types of biological data are first and second types of diagnostic data.

18. A device for treating a target tissue, comprising:

combining means for combining a first type of biological data and a second type of biological data to generate a combined presentation; and

means for using the combined presentation to aid treatment of a target tissue, wherein the combining means is configured to perform at least one of a scaling operation, a rotation operation and an inversion operation on at least one of the first type of data and the second type of data to create the combined presentation.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the combining means is configured to combine similar types of data.

20. The device of claim 18, wherein the first and second types of biological data are first and second types of diagnostic data.

21. A device for treating a target tissue, comprising:

combining means for combining a first type of biological data and a second type of biological data to generate a combined presentation; and

means for using the combined presentation to aid treatment of a target tissue, wherein the combining means is configured to superimpose the first type of data onto the second type of data to create the combined presentation.

22. The device of claim 21, wherein the combining means is configured to select a portion of the first type of data for superposition onto the second type of data.

23. The device of claim 21, wherein the combining means is configured to combine similar types of data.

24. The device of claim 21, wherein the first and second types of biological data are first and second types of diagnostic data.

25. A device for treating a target tissue, comprising:

combining means for combining a first type of biological data and a second type of biological data to generate a combined presentation; and

means for using the combined presentation to aid treatment of a target tissue, wherein the means for using comprises a device for viewing the combined presentation to aid the treatment of the target tissue.

26. The device of claim 25, wherein the device for viewing the combined presentation aids the aiming of a treatment laser beam to a selected portion of the target tissue.

27. A medical device for aiding the treatment of a target tissue, comprising:

a combining device configured to combine a first type of biological data and a second type of biological data to generate a combined presentation wherein the combining device is configured to perform at least one of a scaling operation, a rotation operation and an inversion operation on at least one of the first type of data and the second type of data to generate the combined presentation; and

a presentation device configured to present the combined presentation in a manner that aids treatment of a target tissue.

28. The medical device of claim 27, wherein the first and second types of biological data are first and second types of diagnostic data.

29. A medical device for aiding the treatment of a target tissue, comprising:

a combining device configured to combine a first type of biological data and a second type of biological data to generate a combined presentation, wherein the combining device is configured to superimpose the first type of data onto the second type of data to generate the combined presentation; and

a presentation device configured to present the combined presentation in a manner that aids treatment of a target tissue.

30. The device of claim 29, wherein the combining device is configured to select a portion of the first type of data for superposition onto the second type of data.

31. The medical device of claim 29, wherein the first and second types of biological data are first and second types of diagnostic data.

32. A medical device for aiding the treatment of a target tissue, comprising:

a combining device configured to combine a first type of biological data and a second type of biological data to generate a combined presentation; and

a presentation device configured to present the combined presentation in a manner that aids treatment of a target tissue, wherein the presentation device is configured to display the combined presentation in such a manner that it can be used to direct a treatment to a selected portion of the target tissue.

33. A medical device for aiding the treatment of a target tissue, comprising:

a combining device configured to combine a first type of biological data and a second type of biological data to generate a combined presentation;

an input device for inputting at least one of the first type of data and the second type of data; and

a presentation device configured to present the combined presentation in a manner that aids treatment of a target tissue.

34. A medical device for aiding the treatment of a target tissue, comprising:

a combining device configured to combine a first type of biological data and a second type of biological data to generate a combined presentation;

a device for generating at least one of the first type of data and the second type of data; and

a presentation device configured to present the combined presentation in a manner that aids treatment of a target tissue.

35. A medical device for aiding the treatment of a target tissue, comprising:

a combining device configured to combine a first type of data and a second type of data to generate a combined presentation; and

a presentation device configured to present the combined presentation in a manner that aids treatment of a target tissue,

wherein the first type of data comprises a previously recorded image of the target tissue, wherein the second type of data comprises a real-time image of the target tissue, and wherein the combining device is configured to superimpose the previously recorded image onto the real-time image to create a combined image.

36. A medical device for treating a target tissue, comprising:

a combining device configured to combine a first type of biological data and a second type of biological data to generate a combined presentation;

a treatment device for applying a treatment to a target tissue; and

a presentation device configured to present the combined presentation in a manner that aids treatment of the target tissue with the treatment device.

37. The medical device of claim 36, wherein the presentation device is configured to present the combined presentation so that it aids in directing the treatment from the treatment device to a selected portion of the target tissue.

38. The medical device of claim 37, wherein the first type of data comprises first image data, wherein the second type of data comprises second image data, and wherein the combining device is configured to combine the first image data and the second image data to generate a combined image.

39. The medical device of claim 38, wherein the treatment device comprises a laser, and wherein the presentation device presents the combined image such that it aids in aiming the laser at a selected portion of the target tissue.

40. The medical device of claim 39, wherein the first image data comprises previously recorded image data, and wherein the second image data comprises real-time image data.

41. The medical device of claim 40, further comprising an optical device for obtaining the real-time image data.

42. The medical device of claim 41, wherein the optical device comprises a charge coupled device for obtaining real-time image data from the target tissue.

43. The medical device of claim 36, wherein the first type of data and the second type of data are disparate types of data, and wherein the presentation device is configured to present the combined presentation to aid in applying treatment from the treatment device to a selected portion of the target tissue.

44. The medical device of claim 36, wherein the first and second types of biological data are first and second types of diagnostic data.

45. A method of treating a target tissue, comprising:

combining a first type of biological data and a second type of biological data to generate a combined presentation; and

using the combined presentation to aid treatment of a target tissue, wherein the first type of data and the second type of data are similar types of data, wherein the first type of data is a previously recorded image of the target tissue, wherein the second type of data is a real-time image of the target tissue, and wherein the combining step comprises superimposing the previously recorded image into the real-time image.

46. A medical device for aiding the treatment of a target tissue, comprising:

a combining device configured to combine a first type of biological data and a second type of biological data to generate a combined presentation; and

a presentation device configured to present the combined presentation in a manner that aids treatment of a target tissue, wherein the first type of data comprises a previously recorded image of the target tissue, wherein the second type of data comprises a real-time image of the target tissue, and wherein the combining device is configured to superimpose the previously recorded image onto the real-time image to create a combined image.