Multispectral/hyperspectral medical instrument

• US 6,937,885 B1
• Filed: 10/30/1998
• Issued: 08/30/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hypermed, Inc. (Hypermed Imaging Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Hypermed, Inc. (Hypermed Imaging Incorporated)
• Inventors: Lewis, Edgar N., Freeman, Jenny E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mercader, Eleni Mantis
• Application Number:
  US09/182,898
• Time in Patent Office: 2,496 Days
• Field of Search: 600/473, 600/475, 600/476, 600/477, 600/478, 600/479, 356/301, 356/302, 356/303, 356/307, 356/308, 356/311, 356/317, 356/318, 356/319, 356/320, 250/461.2, 128/920
• US Class Current: 600/476
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00009 of image signals during a use of endoscope
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/05 characterised by the image sensor, e.g. camera, being in the distal end portion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2505/05 Surgical care
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2576/00 Medical imaging apparatus involving image processing or analysis A61B1/00009, A61B6/52 and A61B8/52 take precedence; image processing per se G06T; details of algorithms for analysing medical images G06T7/0012
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0064 Body surface scanning
• 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 5/0086 using infrared radiation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/92 Computer assisted medical diagnostics

Abstract

A medical instrument that comprises: a first-stage optic responsive to a tissue surface of a patient; a spectral separator optically responsive to the first stage optic and having a control input; an imaging sensor optically responsive to the spectral separator and having an image data output; and a diagnostic processor having an image acquisition interface with an input responsive to the imaging sensor and a filter control interface having a control output provided to the control input of the spectral separator.

Claims

1. A medical instrument comprising:

a first-stage optic responsive to illumination of a viable tissue of a patient;

a spectral separator optically responsive to the first stage optic and having a control input;

an imaging sensor optically responsive to the spectral separator and having an image data output; and

a diagnostic processor having an image acquisition interface with an input responsive to the imaging sensor;

a filter control interface having a control output provided to the control input of the spectral separator, which directs the spectral separator independently of the illumination to receive wavelengths of the illumination that provide multispectral or hyperspectral information as determined by a set of instructions from a diagnostic protocol module; and

a general-purpose operating module, and a plurality of diagnostic protocol modules;

wherein each diagnostic protocol module is organ or tissue specific and contains the set of instructions for operating the spectral separator via the filter control interface and for operating the image acquisition interface.

2. The medical instrument of claim 1, wherein the spectral separator is a filter.

3. The medical instrument of claim 1, wherein the imaging sensor is a two-dimensional imaging array.

4. The medical instrument of claim 1, wherein the imaging sensor includes a charge coupled device.

5. The medical instrument of claim 1, wherein the imaging sensor includes an infra-red sensitive focal plane array.

6. The medical instrument of claim 1, includes memory for storing the image data acquired from the image sensor.

7. The medical instrument of claim 1, wherein the first-stage optic is a macro lens.

8. The medical instrument of claim 1, wherein the first stage optic is an adjustable lens.

9. The medical instrument of claim 1, further including a stand connected relative to the first-stage optic to position the first-stage optic relative to the patient.

10. The medical instrument of claim 1, further comprising:

a probe; and

an imaging fiber optic cable.

11. The medical instrument of claim 10, further including a surgical implement attached to the probe.

12. The diagnostic processor of claim 10, wherein the optical acquisition system comprises a lens optically responsive to a viable tissue of a patient.

13. The diagnostic processor of claim 10, wherein the optical acquisition system comprises a probe.

14. The medical instrument of claim 1, wherein the filter control interface is operable to adjust the spectral separator at least two times to acquire multispectral data for redisplay in real time.

15. The medical instrument of claim 1, wherein the set of instructions in each of the diagnostic protocol modules includes an image processing protocol, wherein the general-purpose operating module is operative to instruct the spectral separator to successively collect a plurality of images from the patient, wherein the general-purpose operating module is operative to acquire from the imaging sensor the plurality of images, and wherein the general-purpose operating module is operative to process the acquired plurality of images according to the diagnostic processing protocol to obtain a processed display image.

16. The medical instrument of claim 15, wherein the general-purpose operating module is a real-time processor operative to generate a processed display image within a time period on the order of the persistence of human vision.

17. The medical instrument of claim 15, wherein the general-purpose operating module is a processor operative to generate a processed display image within about five minutes.

18. The medical instrument of claim 15, wherein the general-purpose operating module is operative to acquire images within different time constraints depending on a number of wavelengths, and a complexity and a sensitivity of the diagnostic protocols.

19. The medical instrument of claim 1, wherein the set of instructions in each of the diagnostic protocol modules includes a predetermined image processing protocol adapted to detect particular characteristics of one or more types of tissue, organ disease or trauma, wherein the general-purpose operating module is operative to instruct the spectral separator to collect a plurality of images from the patient, wherein the general-purpose operating module is operative to acquire from the imaging sensor the plurality of images collected, and wherein the general-purpose operating module is operative to process the acquired images according to the diagnostic processing protocol to obtain a processed display image.

20. The medical instrument of claim 1, wherein the diagnostic processor includes a real-time processor operative to generate a processed display image within a time period on the order of the persistence of human vision.

21. The medical instrument of claim 1, wherein the diagnostic processor is operable to perform diagnostic processing for images acquired from a source that includes visible light.

22. The medical instrument of claim 1, wherein the filter and sensor are operable in the visible and far infra-red regions.

23. The medical instrument of claim 1, wherein the filter and sensor are operable in the ultra-violet, visible, and infra-red regions.

24. The medical instrument of claim 1, wherein the diagnostic processor performs spectral data processing.

25. The medical instrument of claim 1, wherein the diagnostic processor is modular and upgradeable by adding additional diagnostic protocol modules, thereby expanding diagnostic capabilities.

26. The medical instrument of claim 1, further comprising a supplemental light source.

27. The medical instrument of claim 26, wherein both light emission and reflectance modes are combined in a diagnostic procedure either simultaneously or sequentially.

28. The diagnostic processor of claim 1, wherein the imaging sensor is a charged-coupled device.

29. The diagnostic processor of claim 1, further comprising an optical acquisition system.

30. The diagnostic processor of claim 1, wherein the imaging processor provides processed images to the image output device within a time period on the order of the persistence of human vision.

31. A method for acquiring an image, comprising the steps of:

receiving light at a first-stage optic collected from a viable tissue of a patient;

transmitting the light using the first-stage optic through a spectral separator, wherein the spectral separator has a control input;

removing all of the light except for a wavelength region of interest in the spectral separator, wherein the remaining light is spectrally resolved light;

transmitting the spectrally resolved light to an imaging sensor, wherein the imaging sensor has an image data output;

generating an image signal;

outputting the image signal to a diagnostic processor; and

acquiring the image signal at the diagnostic processor, wherein the diagnostic processor has an image acquisition interface with an input responsive to the imaging sensor, a filter control interface having a control output provided to the control input of the spectral separator, which directs the spectral separator independently of the illumination to receive multiple selected wavelengths of the illumination that provides multispectral or hyperspectral information as determined by a set of instructions from one or more diagnostic protocol modules, a general-purpose operating module, wherein each diagnostic protocol module is organ specific disease specific, trauma specific or tissue specific and contains a set of instructions for operating the spectral separator via the filter control interface and for operating the image acquisition interface.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the spectral separator is a filter.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein the imaging sensor is a two-dimensional imaging array.

34. The method of claim 31, wherein the imaging sensor includes an infra-red sensitive focal plane array.

35. The method of claim 31, further comprising the steps of storing the image data acquired from the image sensor.

36. The method of claim 31, wherein the first-stage optic is a macro lens.

37. The method of claim 31, wherein the first-stage optic is an adjustable lens.

38. The method of claim 31, wherein the first-stage optic is disposed in a probe that includes an imaging fiber optic cable.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the probe is a surgical instrument.

40. The method of claim 31, further comprising the step of operating the control interface to adjust the filter at least two times to acquire multispectral data for redisplay in real-time.

41. The method of claim 31, further comprising the steps of:

instructing the spectral separator to successively collect a plurality of images from the patient, wherein the set of instructions in each of the diagnostic protocol modules includes an image processing protocol;

acquiring from the imaging sensor the plurality of images of the collected light; and

processing the acquired images according to the diagnostic processing protocol to obtain a processed display image.

42. The method of claim 41, further comprising the step of generating a processed display image within a time period on the order of the persistence of human vision.

43. The method of claim 41, wherein the general-purpose operating module is a processor operative to generate a processed display image within about five minutes.

44. The method of claim 41, wherein the general-purpose operating module is operative to acquire some images within different time constraints depending on a number of wavelengths, and a complexity and a sensitivity of the diagnostic protocols.

45. The method of claim 31, further comprising the steps of:

instructing the spectral separator to successively collect a plurality of images from the patient, wherein the set of instructions in each of the diagnostic protocol modules includes a predetermined image processing protocol adapted to detect particular characteristics of the one or more types of tissues;

acquiring from the imaging sensor the plurality of images of the collected light; and

processing the acquired images according to the diagnostic processing protocol to obtain a processed display image.

46. The method of claim 31, wherein the diagnostic processor includes a real-time processor operative to generate a processed display image within a time period on the order of the persistence of human vision.

47. The method of claim 31, wherein the diagnostic processor is operable to perform diagnostic processing for images acquired from a source that includes visible light.

48. The method of claim 31, wherein the filter and sensor are operable in the visible and far infra-red regions.

49. The method of claim 31, wherein the filter and sensor are operable in the ultra-violet, visible, and infra-red regions.

50. The method of claim 31, further comprising the step of:

selecting a diagnostic protocol module from a plurality of diagnostic protocol modules, wherein the selected diagnostic protocol is adapted to detect particular characteristics of one or more types of tissue.

51. The method of claim 50, further comprising the step of directing the first-stage optic to a tissue area of interest.

52. The method of claim 31, wherein the diagnostic processor is operable to perform diagnostic processing for images acquired from a supplemental light source which may filtered to emphasize particular special characteristics of the light it emits.

53. The method of claim 31, wherein the diagnostic processor performs statistical techniques to compute an image.

54. The method of claim 31, wherein the diagnostic processor is modular and upgradeable by adding additional diagnostic protocol modules, thereby expanding diagnostic capabilities.

55. The method of claim 31, further comprising the step of generating light from a supplemental light source.

56. The method of claim 31, wherein both light emission and reflectance modes are combined in a diagnostic procedure either simultaneously or sequentially.

57. The method of claim 31, wherein the diagnostic protocol performs tissue oxygenation mapping.

58. The method of claim 31, wherein the diagnostic protocol performs tissue viability mapping.

59. The method of claim 31, wherein the diagnostic protocol performs a diagnosis of normal versus abnormal tissue.

60. The method of claim 31, wherein the diagnostic protocol performs tissue ischemia detection.

61. The method of claim 31, wherein the diagnostic protocol performs cancer detection or diagnosis.

62. A multi-spectral diagnostic imaging method comprising the steps of:

collecting broad-band light from a viable tissue surface of a patient;

acquiring a number of images, wherein said number is equal to or greater than two; and

each image is acquired by an acquisition method comprising the step of;

applying a filter to filter out all but a particular region of interest from the light collected from said patient surface;

specifying said region of interest according to a diagnostic protocol, wherein said diagnostic protocol is adapted to detect characteristics of said patient surface area, independently of the wavelength of illumination to provide multispectral or hyperspectral information as determined by a set of instructions from the diagnostic protocol module; and

processing said number images to obtain a display image.

63. The method of claim 62, wherein said light is selected from the group consisting of:

infra-red, ultraviolet, visible, and any combination thereof.

64. The method of claim 62, wherein said particular wavelength region of interests are not identical.

65. The method of claim 62, wherein said number is equal to or greater than twenty.

66. The method of claim 62, wherein said number is equal to or greater than one hundred.

67. The method of claim 62, further comprising the step of adjusting said area to collect light from larger or smaller patient tissue surface areas.

68. The method of claim 62, wherein said processing step comprises, alternatively, the step of:

combining said number of images;

comparing relative amplitudes of the collected light at different wavelengths;

adding amplitudes of the collected light at different wavelengths;

or

performing statistical techniques.

69. The method of claim 68, further comprising the step of:

displaying said display image;

storing said display image;

or

printing said display image.

70. The method of claim 62, wherein said processing step is based on a diagnostic knowledge base.

71. The method of claim 62, further comprising the step of

exciting said patient surface area with an excitation source, wherein said excitation source is an ultraviolet lamp, IR source, laser, or other means of spectral illumination.

72. The method of claim 62, wherein said characteristics are selected from the group consisting of:

tissue viability, tissue ischemia, malignancy, infection, pathology, blood chemistry, blood flow, or any combination thereof.

73. A diagnostic processor configured to control acquisition, processing and display of images, comprising:

a source for illuminating a viable tissue;

a plurality of diagnostic protocol modules comprising instructions for the acquisition and processing of images that provide hyperspectral or multispectral information, wherein the diagnostic protocol modules are tissue specific, organ specific, disease specific or trauma specific;

a user input for allowing a user to select a diagnostic protocol module from the plurality of diagnostic protocol modules;

a spectral separator configured to filter broad-band light reflected or emitted from the viable tissue, wherein the spectral separator is controlled by instructions from the selected diagnostic protocol module, and further wherein the spectral separator is operated independently of a wavelength of the source;

an imaging sensor configured to collect light filtered by the spectral separator, wherein the imaging sensor is controlled by instructions from the selected diagnostic protocol module;

an image processor configured to process images collected by the imaging sensor, wherein the image processor is controlled by instructions from the selected diagnostic protocol module; and

an image output device for providing output of the hyperspectral or mulspectral information from the image processor.

74. The diagnostic processor of claim 73, wherein one or more of the diagnostic protocol modules comprises instructions that the image processor process multispectral images.

75. The diagnostic processor of claim 73, wherein one or more of the diagnostic protocol modules comprises instructions that the image processor process hyperspectral images.

76. The diagnostic processor of claim 73, wherein one or more of the diagnostic protocol modules comprises instructions that the image processor process ultraspectral images.

77. The diagnostic processor of claim 73, wherein one or more of the diagnostic protocol modules comprises instructions for the display of images.

78. The diagnostic processor of claim 73, wherein the image output device is controllable by instructions from a diagnostic protocol module.

79. The diagnostic processor of claim 73, wherein one or more of the diagnostic protocol modules is modifiable by user input.

80. The diagnostic processor of claim 73, wherein the diagnostic protocol modules may be added or removed by a user.

81. A method of imaging a tissue comprising:

illuminating a tissue;

selecting a diagnostic protocol module from a diagnostic processor, wherein the diagnostic processor comprises a plurality of tissue-specific, organ-specific, disease specific or trauma specific diagnostic protocol modules, further wherein the diagnostic protocol modules comprise instructions for the acquisition and processing of images;

filtering broad-band light reflected and/or emitted from the tissue using a spectral separator controlled by instructions from the selected diagnostic protocol module, wherein the spectral separator is operated independent of the illumination wavelength;

collecting the light passed by the spectral separator with an imaging sensor, wherein the imaging sensor is controlled by the selected diagnostic protocol module;

processing images collected by the imaging sensor with an image processor, wherein the image processor is controlled by instructions from the selected diagnostic protocol module; and

displaying one or more processed images.

82. The method of claim 81, wherein the step of illuminating the viable tissue comprises illumination with an unfiltered light.

83. The method of claim 81, wherein the step of illuminating the viable tissue comprises illumination with filtered light.

84. The method of claim 81, wherein the filtering of the spectral separator is independent of the illumination wavelength.

85. The method of claim 81, wherein the step of processing images comprises multispectrally processing images.

86. The method of claim 81, wherein the step of processing images comprises hyperspectrally processing images.

87. The method of claim 81, wherein the step of processing images comprises ultraspectrally processing images.