Medical imaging, diagnosis, and therapy using a scanning single optical fiber system
First Claim
1. Apparatus for selectively providing imaging and at least one other function for a region of interest in a patient, comprising:
- (a) at least one light source that produces light;
(b) a light guide having a proximal end and a distal end, the at least one light source being optically coupled to the proximal end of said light guide, so that light from all of said at least one light source is conveyed along a single optical path defined by the light guide toward a region of interest, said distal end of the light guide being adapted to be positioned adjacent to a region of interest;
(c) a scanning actuator disposed adjacent to the distal end of the light guide, said scanning actuator driving a distal end of the light guide into a resonance movement mode, causing light produced by the at least one light source that is conveyed through the light guide to scan a region of interest, illuminating only a pixel at a time in regard to an image of a region of interest;
(d) a light detector that receives light from each pixel that is illuminated by the scanning actuator in a region of interest, producing a signal corresponding to an intensity of said light for use in producing an image of a region of interest;
(e) a display adapted to enable a user to visualize an image of a region of interest; and
(f) a control circuit that is coupled to control the scanning actuator, the at least one light source, and the light guide, said control circuit being adapted to selectively energize the at least one light source to image a region of interest and render at least one other function to a region of interest, said at least one other function including at least one of diagnosing a condition, rendering a therapy, sensing a condition, and monitoring a condition.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An integrated endoscopic image acquisition and therapeutic delivery system for use in minimally invasive medical procedures (MIMPs). The system uses directed and scanned optical illumination provided by a scanning optical fiber or light waveguide that is driven by a piezoelectric or other electromechanical actuator included at a distal end of an integrated imaging and diagnostic/therapeutic instrument. The directed illumination provides high resolution imaging, at a wide field of view (FOV), and in full color that matches or excels the images produced by conventional flexible endoscopes. When using scanned optical illumination, the size and number of the photon detectors do not limit the resolution and number of pixels of the resulting image. Additional features include enhancement of topographical features, stereoscopic viewing, and accurate measurement of feature sizes of a region of interest in a patient'"'"'s body that facilitate providing diagnosis, monitoring, and/or therapy with the instrument.
532 Citations
86 Claims
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1. Apparatus for selectively providing imaging and at least one other function for a region of interest in a patient, comprising:
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(a) at least one light source that produces light;
(b) a light guide having a proximal end and a distal end, the at least one light source being optically coupled to the proximal end of said light guide, so that light from all of said at least one light source is conveyed along a single optical path defined by the light guide toward a region of interest, said distal end of the light guide being adapted to be positioned adjacent to a region of interest;
(c) a scanning actuator disposed adjacent to the distal end of the light guide, said scanning actuator driving a distal end of the light guide into a resonance movement mode, causing light produced by the at least one light source that is conveyed through the light guide to scan a region of interest, illuminating only a pixel at a time in regard to an image of a region of interest;
(d) a light detector that receives light from each pixel that is illuminated by the scanning actuator in a region of interest, producing a signal corresponding to an intensity of said light for use in producing an image of a region of interest;
(e) a display adapted to enable a user to visualize an image of a region of interest; and
(f) a control circuit that is coupled to control the scanning actuator, the at least one light source, and the light guide, said control circuit being adapted to selectively energize the at least one light source to image a region of interest and render at least one other function to a region of interest, said at least one other function including at least one of diagnosing a condition, rendering a therapy, sensing a condition, and monitoring a condition. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A method for using an integral light guide system to selectively image and carry out at least one other substantive function in connection with a region of interest in a patient, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) directing a light at the region of interest in the patient through a light guide;
(b) scanning the region of interest with the light by moving the light guide, wherein the step of scanning comprises the step of driving a distal end of the light guide into a resonance movement mode, so that the region of interest is illuminated with the light a pixel at a time, in regard to an image of the region of interest;
(c) detecting light from the region of interest and in response thereto, producing signals indicative of characteristics of said light, including an intensity of the light received from the region of interest;
(d) imaging the region of interest, using the signals produced by the step of detecting; and
(e) controlling the administration of the light to the region of interest through the light guide, to selectively carry out at least one of the steps of;
(i) monitoring the region of interest;
(ii) determining a biophysical condition of the region of interest; and
(iii) rendering therapy to the region of interest with the light directed thereon. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 66, 67)
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39. The method of claim 39, further comprising the step of mounting the lens at a distal end of the light guide.
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40. The method of claim 40, wherein the lens is of sufficient mass that as the light guide moves, the lens is rotated about a center of the lens, but otherwise remains generally fixed.
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47. The method of claim 47, wherein the step of detecting the absorption spectrum includes the step of mapping at least one of an absorption ratio, an emitted fluorescence ratio, and a phosphorescence ratio for the tissue to identify any pathological condition of the tissue.
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65. The method of claim 65, wherein the step of electronically stabilizing comprises the step of freezing an image of the region of interest on a display, and processing the signals produced by scanning to maintain a boundary of the region of interest stable on the display.
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68. Apparatus for automatically scanning a region of interest within a patient'"'"'s body, comprising:
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(a) a light source;
(b) a light guide that is optically coupled to the light source and having a proximal end and a distal end, said light guide being adapted to convey light emitted by the light source from the proximal end of the light guide along a single light path to a region of interest within a patient'"'"'s body; and
(c) a scanning actuator that is disposed adjacent to the distal end of the light guide, said scanning actuator being coupled to the light guide and adapted to cause the distal end of the light guide to move about so that light conveyed through the light guide produces a scanning pattern on a region of interest, illuminating a region of interest a pixel at a time.
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- 69. The apparatus of claim 69, wherein the scanning actuator comprises a pair of electromechanical actuators that respectively move the distal end of the light guide in substantially transverse directions.
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73. The apparatus of claim 73, wherein said at least one lens comprises a lens mounted at the distal end of the light guide, said scanning actuator being adapted to drive the distal end of the light guide in a resonance mode to scan a region of interest, said lens that is mounted at the distal end of the light guide having sufficient mass so that the lens generally rotates as the light guide moves to change a direction in which light is emitted, when scanning a region of interest.
- 75. The apparatus of claim 75, wherein the scanning actuator is disposed adjacent to the thin film optical waveguide and moves the thin film optical waveguide in the scanning pattern.
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78. A method for automatically scanning a region of interest in a patient'"'"'s body, comprising the steps of:
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(a) conveying light from a source along a single path through a light guide having a distal end that is disposed adjacent to the region of interest;
(b) automatically moving the distal end of the light guide in a desired scanning pattern in response to a scanning signal; and
(c) scanning the region of interest with light directed at the region of interest through the distal end of the light, directing the light at the region of interest in said scanning pattern, to illuminate the region of interest a pixel at a time, wherein the step of scanning comprises the step of driving a distal end of the light guide into a resonance movement mode.
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- 79. The method of claim 79, wherein the step of scanning comprises the step of causing the distal end of the light guide to move so that the light emitted from the light guide scans over the region of interest in two generally orthogonal directions.
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83. The method of claim 83, wherein the lens is of sufficient mass that as the light guide moves, the lens is rotated.
Specification