Methods and devices to expand applications of intraoperative radiation probes
First Claim
1. A catheter for in vivo detection of nuclear or fluorescent radiation emitted from tagged biological tissue within a human body comprising:
- an elongated tube having at least one lumen, the lumen extending from a distal end of the tube, for positioning within the human body and a length sufficient such that, in use, a proximal end of the tube is external to the human body, an expandable portion located on the distal end of said tube, drive means for causing the expandable portion to increase in diameter being operatively connected to the expandable portion, control means for the drive means being located at the proximal end of the tube, at least one radiation detector mounted on or in the expandable portion, a signal conduit positioned in said at least one lumen, said signal conduit connected at a first end to the at least one radiation detector and at a second end to diagnostic instrumentation external of the human body wherein the radiation detector is a scintillator, the signal conduit is an optical transmitting liquid that is operatively connected to an external photo multiplier tube or a photosensor, the photo multiplier tube or a photo sensor in turn connected to a signal processor.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Labeling, such as with radio pharmaceuticals, fluorescence emitting compounds or other probe detectable materials, of diseased or malfunctioning candidate cells for subsequent treatment with a medicinal compound, the identification in situ of the candidate cells using a probe sensitive to the presence of the label and then treatment of the identified cell is disclosed.
The invention also covers in situ gene therapy using a beta or gamma radiation detection probe to locate radio-labeled cells, and the delivery of corrective or therapeutic genes to the candidate cells identified by the radiation detection probe while the probe is positioned adjacent to the labeled and located cells. Also covered is the identification of vulnerable plaque in atherosclerotic vessels and diseased myocardial tissue in the heart, treatment of that plaque or diseased tissue and the subsequent determination of the efficacy of the treatment.
Devices for use in the procedures include, intraoperative radiation detection probes, intraoperative radiation detection probes, intraoperative radiation imaging probes, catheter mounted radiation detection probes and probes attached to surgical gloves so that the probe tip can be manually manipulated by the physician and placed adjacent to suspect tissue at an operative site.
115 Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A catheter for in vivo detection of nuclear or fluorescent radiation emitted from tagged biological tissue within a human body comprising:
- an elongated tube having at least one lumen, the lumen extending from a distal end of the tube, for positioning within the human body and a length sufficient such that, in use, a proximal end of the tube is external to the human body, an expandable portion located on the distal end of said tube, drive means for causing the expandable portion to increase in diameter being operatively connected to the expandable portion, control means for the drive means being located at the proximal end of the tube, at least one radiation detector mounted on or in the expandable portion, a signal conduit positioned in said at least one lumen, said signal conduit connected at a first end to the at least one radiation detector and at a second end to diagnostic instrumentation external of the human body wherein the radiation detector is a scintillator, the signal conduit is an optical transmitting liquid that is operatively connected to an external photo multiplier tube or a photosensor, the photo multiplier tube or a photo sensor in turn connected to a signal processor.
- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
-
8. A catheter for in vivo detection of nuclear or fluorescent radiation emitted from tagged biological tissue within a human body comprising:
- an elongated tube having at least one lumen, the lumen extending from a distal end of the tube, for positioning within the human body and a length sufficient such that, in use, a proximal end of the tube is external to the human body, an expandable portion located on the distal end of said tube, drive means for causing the expandable portion to increase in diameter being operatively connected to the expandable portion, control means for the drive means being located at the proximal end of the tube, at least one radiation detector mounted on or in the expandable portion, a signal conduit positioned in said at least one lumen, said signal conduit connected at a first end to the at least one radiation detector and at a second end to diagnostic instrumentation external of the human body wherein the expandable portion located on the distal end comprises a tubular extension hinged at a first end to the distal end of the tube, the tubular extension comprising two or more elongated pieces capable of being moved radially outward from a central axis along the length of the tube and being returned to their original position, each elongated piece canying a radiation detector in a central part thereof.
- View Dependent Claims (9, 10)
-
11. A catheter for in vivo detection of nuclear radiation emitted from tagged biological tissue within a human body comprising:
-
an elongated tube having at least one lumen extending from a distal end of the tube for positioned within the human body and a length sufficient such that, in use, a proximal end of the tube is external to the human body, a detector portion located on the distal end of said tube, at least one scintillation radiation detector comprising a scintillation material mounted on or in the detector portion, a light transmission conduit positioned in said at least one lumen, said light transmission conduit connected at a first end to the at least one scintillation radiation detector and at a second end to diagnostic instrumentation external of the human body, wherein the at least one scintillation radiation detector includes an integral microlens formed on a surface at an interface between the scintillation detector and the light transmission conduit connected to the radiation detector said integral micro lens functioning to focus scintillation light generated into the light transmission conduit. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
-
-
19. A catheter for in vivo detection of nuclear or fluorescent radiation emitted from tagged biological tissue within a human body comprising:
- an elongated tube having at least one lumen, the lumen extending from a distal end of the tube, for positioning within the human body and a length sufficient such that, in use, a proximal end of the tube is external to the human body, an expandable portion located on the distal end of said tube, drive means for causing the expandable portion to increase in diameter being operatively connected to the expandable portion, control means for the drive means being located at the proximal end of the tube, at least one radiation detector mounted on or in the expandable portion, a signal conduit positioned in said at least one lumen, said signal conduit connected at a first end to the at least one radiation detector and at a second end to diagnostic instrumentation external of the human body, wherein the at least one radiation detector is a scintillation detector and the signal conduit is a light transmitting conduit and the signal conduit is an optical fiber or optical transmitting fluid and scintillation light from the scintillation detector is amplified in the optical fiber by pumping ultraviolet light into the fiber using an external source of light, the ultraviolet light being filtered from entering the PMT while allowing the scintillation light to enter.
-
20. A catheter for in vivo detection of nuclear or fluorescent radiation emitted from tagged biological tissue within a human body comprising:
- an elongated tube having at least one lumen, the lumen extending from a distal end of the tube, for positioning within the human body and a length sufficient such that, in use, a proximal end of the tube is external to the human body, an expandable portion located on the distal end of said tube, drive means for causing the expandable portion to increase in diameter being operatively connected to the expandable portion, control means for the drive means being located at the proximal end of the tube, at least one radiation detector mounted on or in the expandable portion, a signal conduit positioned in said at least one lumen, said signal conduit connected at a first end to the at least one radiation detector and at a second end to diagnostic instrumentation external of the human body, wherein the at least one radiation detector is a scintillation detector and the signal conduit is a light transmitting conduit and the signal conduit is an optical fiber or optical transmitting fluid and a source of light is used to deliver therapeutic light to diseased tissue or vulnerable plaque, for the purpose of photodynamic therapy or ablation, through said optical fiber, said optical fiber also providing transmission of the scintillation light from the scintillation detector to the diagnostic instrumentation.
Specification