Spectral polarizing tomographic dermatoscope

• US 6,587,711 B1
• Filed: 04/14/2000
• Issued: 07/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: City College of New York
• Original Assignee: The Research Foundation of State University of New York
• Inventors: Luo, Jingcheng, Budansky, Yury, Alfano, Robert R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lateef, Marvin M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shah, Devaang
• Application Number:
  US09/550,094
• Time in Patent Office: 1,173 Days
• Field of Search: 600/476, 600/410, 600/425
• US Class Current: 600/476
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0068 Confocal scanning
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0073 by tomography, i.e. reconstruction of 3D images from 2D projections A61B5/0066 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 5/415 the glands, e.g. tonsils, adenoids or thymus
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/418 lymph vessels, ducts or nodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4331 of the cervix A61B5/435 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/444 Evaluating skin marks, e.g. mole, nevi, tumour, scar

Abstract

An apparatus for use in examining an object, such as skin, mucosa and cervical tissues for the purpose of detecting cancer and precancerous conditions therein. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a gun-shaped housing having a handle portion and a barrel portion. The front end of the barrel portion is open, and a glass cover is mounted therein. Red, green, blue, and white LED'"'"'s are disposed within the handle portion of the housing and are electrically connected to a battery also disposed within the handle portion of the housing. A manually-operable switch for controlling actuation of each of the four LED'"'"'s is accessible on the handle portion of the housing. An optical fiber is disposed inside the housing and is used to transmit light from the four LED'"'"'s through a first polarizer disposed in the barrel portion of the housing and then through the glass cover to illuminate a desired object. Reflected light from the object entering the housing through the glass cover is passed through a second polarizer, which is adjustably mounted in the barrel portion of the housing and which is preferably oriented to pass depolarized light emitted from an illuminated object, and is then imaged by optics onto a CCD detector. The optics may include a lens that is disposed within the barrel portion and is adjustably spaced relative to the CCD detector. The detector is coupled to a wireless transmitter mounted in the housing, the transmitter transmitting the output from the detector to a remotely located wireless receiver. The wireless receiver is coupled to a computer, which then processes the output from the detector. The processed output is then displayed on a display. The display may be remotely situated for remote expert diagnosis.

Claims

1. An apparatus suitable for use in examining skin, mucosa and cervical tissues for the purpose of detecting cancer and precancerous conditions therein, said apparatus comprising:

(a) first illuminating means for illuminating an object with polarized light of a first color;

(b) second illuminating means for illuminating an object with polarized light of a second color, said second color being different from said first color;

(c) a control coupled to each of said first illuminating means and said second illuminating means to permit selective actuation of said first illuminating means and said second illuminating means;

(d) a light detector for outputting an electrical signal in response to light incident thereonto;

(e) an adjustable polarizer positioned between said light detector and the illuminated object;

(f) optics for imaging light emitted from the illuminated object onto said light detector;

(g) a computer for processing the output from said light detector;

(h) means for transmitting the output from said light detector to said computer, wherein said means for transmitting the output from said light detector to said computer comprises a wireless transmitter coupled to said light detector and a wireless receiver coupled to said computer; and

(i) a display for displaying the results of said processing by said computer.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said display is remotely located relative to said computer and is connected to said computer via modem.

3. An apparatus suitable for use in examining skin, mucosa and cervical tissues for the purpose of detecting cancer and precancerous conditions therein, said apparatus comprising:

(a) first illuminating means for illuminating an object with polarized light of a first color;

(b) second illuminating means for illuminating an object with polarized light of a second color, said second color being different from said first color;

(c) a control coupled to each of said first illuminating means and said second illuminating means to permit selective actuation of said first illuminating means and said second illuminating means;

(d) a light detector for outputting an electrical signal in response to light incident thereonto;

(e) an adjustable polarizer positioned between said light detector and the illuminated object, wherein said adjustable polarizer is alternately oriented to selectively transmit depolarized and polarized light emitted from the illuminated object and wherein said computer comprises means for forming an image based on the parallel and perpendicular polarization components of the light emitted from the illuminated object;

(f) optics for imaging light emitted from the illuminated object onto said light detector;

(g) a computer for processing the output from said light detector;

(h) means for transmitting the output from said light detector to said computer; and

(i) a display for displaying the results of said processing by said computer.

4. An apparatus for use in examining an object, said apparatus comprising:

(a) a hand-held housing, said hand-held housing having an opening;

(b) first illuminating means, disposed inside said hand-held housing, for illuminating an object with light of a first color;

(c) second illuminating means, disposed inside said hand-held housing, for illuminating an object with light of a second color, said second color being different from said first color;

(d) a manually operable control switch coupled to each of said first illuminating means and said second illuminating means to permit selective actuation of said first illuminating means and said second illuminating means;

(e) an optical fiber disposed inside said hand-held housing and optically coupled at a first end to said first and second illuminating means and optically aligned at a second end with said opening;

(f) a first polarizer disposed inside said hand-held housing and optically aligned between said second end of said optical fiber and said opening of said hand-held housing;

(g) a light detector disposed inside said hand-held housing for outputting an electrical signal in response to light incident thereonto;

(h) a second polarizer disposed inside said hand-held housing, said second polarizer being positioned in front of and optically aligned with said light detector;

(i) optics for imaging onto said light detector light entering into said hand-held housing through said opening;

(j) a computer, disposed remotely relative to said hand-held housing, for processing the output from said light detector;

(k) a wireless receiver electrically coupled to said computer;

(l) a wireless transmitter electrically coupled to said light detector and mechanically coupled to said hand-held housing; and

(m) a display coupled to said computer for displaying the results of said processing from said computer.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 4 further comprising a glass plate, said glass plate covering said opening in said hand-held housing.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 4 further comprising means extending through said hand-held housing for adjusting the orientation of said second polarizer.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein said light detector is a CCD detector.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein said first illuminating means comprises a first light-emitting diode of said first color and said second illuminating means comprises a second light-emitting diode of said second color.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 8 further comprising third illuminating means, disposed inside said hand-held housing, for illuminating an object with light of a third color, said third color being different from said first and second colors, said third illuminating means being coupled to said manually operable control switch to permit selective actuation of said first, second and third illuminating means, said third illuminating means being optically coupled to the first end of said optical fiber.

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9 wherein said third illuminating means comprises a third light-emitting diode of said third color.

11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10 wherein said first illuminating means comprises a red light-emitting diode, said second illuminating means comprises a green light-emitting diode and said third illuminating means comprises a blue light-emitting diode.

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11 further comprising a white light-emitting diode disposed inside said hand-held housing, said white light-emitting diode being coupled to said manually operable control switch to permit selective actuation of said white, red, green and blue light-emitting diodes, said white light-emitting diode being optically coupled to the first end of said optical fiber.

13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein said imaging optics comprises a lens disposed inside said hand-held housing and positioned in front of said light detector, said lens being adjustably spaced relative to said light detector for imaging.

14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein said computer comprises means for creating an image of the illuminated object.

15. The apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein said computer comprises means for characterizing the carcinomatoid state of the object.

16. The apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein said display is remotely located relative to said computer and is connected to said computer via modem.

17. The apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein said second polarizer is oriented to selectively transmit depolarized light emitted from the illuminated object.

18. The apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein said second polarizer is alternately oriented to selectively transmit polarized and depolarized light emitted from the illuminated object and wherein said computer comprises means for forming an image based on the parallel and perpendicular polarization components of the light emitted from the illuminated object.

19. The apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein said apparatus is used to image cervical tissue.

20. The apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein said apparatus is used to image skin.

21. The apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein said apparatus is used to detect precancerous and cancerous states in skin, cervix and mucosa by structural analysis.

22. The apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein said apparatus is used to transfer images by telemedicine to be analyzed for cancer by an expert at a remote site.

23. The apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein an ABCD matrix and the blue veil are used to detect cancer, in particular, melanoma.

24. The apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein depolarized light in the red, blue and greens is used to get depth information.

25. The apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein the spatial (x,y) distribution of Kubelka-Munk flnction is used to form a KMF map of a tissue area to determine structural changes associated with cancer and precancer.