Tissue characterization based on impedance images and on impedance measurements

• US 6,678,552 B2
• Filed: 03/05/2002
• Issued: 01/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mirabel Medical Systems Ltd. (Ronny Ginor, MD)
• Original Assignee: Transscan Medical Ltd.
• Inventors: Pearlman, Andrew L.
• Primary Examiner(s): MANUEL, GEORGE C
• Application Number:
  US09/995,217
• Publication Number:
  US 20030105410A1
• Time in Patent Office: 679 Days
• Field of Search: 600/372, 600/382, 600/384, 600/386, 600/461, 600/476, 600/477, 600/478, 600/547, 601/21, 324/600, 324/601, 324/609, 324/611
• US Class Current: 600/547
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 10/0233 Pointed or sharp biopsy instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3403 Needle locating or guiding means guides for suture needles A61B17/0482; guiding or tracking by nuclear magnetic resonance G01R33/285
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00026 Conductivity or impedance, e.g. of tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00199 with a console, e.g. a control panel with a display
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00438 connectable to a finger
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/3413 guided by ultrasound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/378 using ultrasound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0215 Silver or silver chloride containing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/046 in a matrix array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0536 Impedance imaging, e.g. by tomography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6848 Needles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7239 using differentiation including higher order derivatives
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/17 for soft tissue, e.g. breast-holding devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/36 Image-producing devices or illumination devices not otherwise provided for

Abstract

Apparatus for aiding in the identification of tissue type for an anomalous tissue in an impedance image comprising:

a first device for providing an polychromic immitance map of a portion of the body;

a second device for determining a plurality of polychromic measures from one or both of a portion of the body; and

a display which displays an indication based on the plurality of polychromic measures.

Claims

1. A method of acquiring aligned breast images, comprising:

acquiring a mammogram of a breast in a first compression orientation; and

acquiring an impedance image of the breast while the breast is in the first compression orientation.

2. A method according to claim 1, comprising analyzing both to mammogram and impedance image to determine tumor information of the beast.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein analyzing both the mammogram and the impedance image comprises combining the mammogram and the impedance image into a single image.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein analyzing both the mammogram and the impedance image comprises overlaying the mammogram and the impedance image.

5. A method according to claim 3, wherein combining the mammogram and the impedance image into a single image comprises highlighting areas in the mammogram in which the impedance is relatively low or high.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein acquiring the impedance image comprises acquiring using a pair of probes on opposite sides of the breast.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein the pair of probes comprises a pair of flat probes.

8. A method according to claim 6, wherein acquiring the impedance image comprises acquiring an impedance image by each of the probes in the pair of probes.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein acquiring the mammogram comprises acquiring a film mammogram.

10. A method according to claim 9, comprising digitizing the film mammogram.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein acquiring the mammogram comprises acquiring a digital mammogram.

12. Apparatus for examining a breast, comprising:

at least one impedance probe adapted to generate an impedance image of a breast in a first compression orientation; and

an x-ray imager adapted to generate a mammogram of the breast while the breast is in the first compression orientation.

13. Apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the at least one impedance probe comprises a pair of impedance probes for position on opposite sides of the breast.

14. Apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the pair of impedance probes are adapted to compress the breast therebetween.

15. Apparatus according to claim 12, comprising an image combiner adapted to combine the impedance image and the mammogram into a single image.

16. Apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the image combiner is adapted to overlay the impedance image and the mammogram to form the single image.

17. Apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the image combiner is adapted to highlight those areas of the mammogram in which the impedance is relatively low or high.