Miniature spectrometer system and method

• US 6,405,073 B1
• Filed: 10/18/2000
• Issued: 06/11/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Scimed Life Systems Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Hamm, Mark, Crowley, Robert J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lateef, Marvin M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MANTIS MERCADER, ELENI M
• Application Number:
  US09/691,554
• Time in Patent Office: 601 Days
• Field of Search: 600/476, 600/477, 600/478, 600/310, 600/474, 600/549
• US Class Current: 600/476
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/00 Surgical instruments, devices or methods for transferring non-mechanical forms of energy to or from the body eye surgery A61F9/007; ear surgery A61F11/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/18 by applying electromagnetic radiation, e.g. microwaves radiation therapy A61N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/24 with a catheter A61B18/26, A61B18/28 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22021 electric leads passing through the catheter
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/1807 using light other than laser radiation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/00 Measuring for diagnostic purposes radiation diagnosis A61B6/00; diagnosis by ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves A61B8/00; Identification of persons
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/036 by means introduced into body tracts A61B5/032 and A61B5/035 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/073 Intestinal transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6848 Needles
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0661 ultraviolet
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0601 Apparatus for use inside the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/062 Photodynamic therapy, i.e. excitation of an agent
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 2003/1213 Filters in general, e.g. dichroic, band
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/3166 using separate detectors and filters
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/25 Colour; Spectral properties, i.e. comparison of effect of material on the light at two or more different wavelengths or wavelength bands
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/33 using ultraviolet light G01N21/39 takes precedence

Abstract

A miniature spectrometer can be used in situ to diagnose tissue and organs through tissue autofluorescence.

Claims

1. A method of performing tissue spectroscopy in a mammalian body, the method comprising:

(a) providing a housing comprising a distal portion and a proximal portion, the distal portion enclosing a spectrometer comprising a light source, a bichromatic filter, and a plurality of sensors, the housing enclosing electronics, the electronics being electrically connected to the plurality of sensors;

(b) inserting the distal portion into the mammalian body;

(c) emitting light from the light source, passing the light through the bichromatic filter to cause a tissue to fluoresce;

(d) detecting tissue fluorescence through at least one of the plurality of sensors;

(e) generating electric signals in response to tissue fluorescence detected by the sensors;

(f) transmitting the electric signals to the electronics for processing the signals and generating information regarding the tissue.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the light source comprises a tungsten-halogen lamp.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the bichromatic filter only passes light of about 420 nm and about 490 nm in wavelength.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein step (c) comprises emitting the light of at least one pre-selected wavelength.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the at least one pre-selected wavelength is about 435 nm.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the light source comprises a light-emitting diode (“

LED”

).

7. The method of claim 1 wherein step (d) comprises filtering the tissue fluorescence before the fluorescence is detected by the sensors.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the filtering in step (d) is performed by at least one bandpass filter.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein step (d) comprises attaching each sensor to a filter.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein fluorescence of about 370 nm is detected.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein fluorescence of about 440 nm is detected.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein fluorescence of about 370 nm and of about 440 nm are detected.

13. The method of claim 7 wherein step (e) comprises generating electric signals by the sensors in response to the filtered fluorescence of a plurality of wavelengths.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the sensors comprise a PIN photodiode.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the sensors are positioned at a beveled angle to a longitudinal axis of the housing.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising a step of filtering out noise in the electric signals.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the step of filtering out noise in the electric signals comprises using a low pass filter.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the distal portion comprises an optically transparent window for light transmission.

19. The method of claim 1 further comprising a step of amplifying the electric signals.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein the electronics comprises a processor for processing the electric signals and generating information regarding the tissue.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein step (e) comprises generating electric signals by the sensors in response to tissue fluorescence of a plurality of wavelengths.

22. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the sensors is able to detect energy as low as 200μ

W.

23. The method of claim 1 further comprising maintaining a temperature of the distal portion below 40°

C.

24. An interventional device comprising:

(1) a distal portion comprising a spectrometer, the spectrometer comprising

a light unit for emitting light at a wavelength sufficient to induce fluorescence of tissue,

a plurality of sensors capable of detecting light at a wavelength at which the tissue fluoresces and emitting an electrical signal in response to detected tissue fluorescence;

(2) electronics for processing the electrical signal emitted by the sensors; and

(3) a meter that moniors a power output of the light unit.