Arrangements and methods for providing multimodality microscopic imaging of one or more biological structures

• US 7,872,759 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2006
• Issued: 01/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The General Hospital Corporation (Mass General Brigham, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The General Hospital Corporation (Mass General Brigham, Inc.)
• Inventors: Vakoc, Benjamin J., Yelin, Dvir, Bouma, Brett Eugene, Tearney, Guillermo J., Oh, Wang-Yuhl
• Primary Examiner(s): Lyons; Michael A
• Application Number:
  US11/537,343
• Publication Number:
  US 20070229801A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,572 Days
• Field of Search: 356/477, 356/479, 356/497, 250/227.19, 250/227.27, 385/12
• US Class Current: 356/479
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0062 Arrangements for scanning
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0066 Optical coherence imaging
• 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 5/0075 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 5/6852 Catheters
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 9/02 Interferometers
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 9/02027 Two or more interferometric channels or interferometers
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 9/02049 characterised by particular mechanical design details
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 9/02064 by particular adjustment of coherence gate, i.e. adjusting position of zero path difference in low coherence interferometry
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 9/02087 Combining two or more images of the same region
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 9/02091 Tomographic interferometers, e.g. based on optical coherence
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 9/04 Measuring microscopes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/1765 Method using an image detector and processing of image signal
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/25 Colour; Spectral properties, i.e. comparison of effect of material on the light at two or more different wavelengths or wavelength bands
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/27 using photo-electric detection G01N21/31 takes precedence; circuits for computing concentration logarithmic circuits G06G7/24; photometric circuits in general G01J
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/4795 spatially resolved investigating of object in scattering medium in vivo A61B
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6458 Fluorescence microscopy fluorescence microscopes per se G02B21/0076 and G02B21/16
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6486 Measuring fluorescence of biological material, e.g. DNA, RNA, cells G01N21/6428 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2223/419 : computed tomograph
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 23/046 : using tomography, e.g. computed tomography [CT]
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/4833 : of solid biological material, e.g. tissue samples, cell cultures tissue in vivo A61B5/00; cell suspensions G01N33/48735
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/0028 : specially adapted for specific applications, e.g. for endoscopes, ophthalmoscopes, attachments to conventional microscopes
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/2423 : of the distal end
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/243 : Objectives for endoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/2461 : Illumination
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/2476 : Non-optical details, e.g. housings, mountings, supports

Abstract

Method and apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention can be provided. For example, first data associated with a first signal received from at least one region of at least one sample can be provided based on a first modality, and second data associated with a second signal received from the at least one sample can be provided based on a second modality which is different from the first modality. Third data associated with a reference can be received. Further data can be generated based on the first, second and third data. In addition, third data associated with a second signal received from the at least one sample can be obtained. Each of the third data can be based on a further modality which is different from the first modality and the second modality, and the further data can be further determined based on the third data. Further, the first modality can be a spectral-encoded modality, and the second modality can be a non-spectral-encoding modality.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

first arrangement configured to provide first data associated with a first signal received from at least one region of at least one sample based on a first modality, and second data associated with a second signal received from the at least one sample based on a second modality which is different from the first modality, wherein the at least one first arrangement is further configured to receive third data associated with a reference, wherein the first and second data are provided substantially simultaneously by the first arrangement; and

second arrangement configured to generate further data based on the first, second and third data.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first modality is spectrally-encoded confocal microscopy.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second modality is florescence imaging.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a microscope arrangement which is associated with the first and second arrangements.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a beam-scanning arrangement which is configured to forward electro-magnetic radiation to the at least one region.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second arrangement generates at least one of (i) a two-dimensional image or (ii) a three-dimensional image as a function of the further data.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first and second data are associated with approximately the same location on the at least one sample.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second data is obtained using another respective one of the first and second data.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first and second arrangements are provided in a probe.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first and second arrangements include common components.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the common components are provided in a wavelength swept-source arrangement.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one first arrangement is configured to obtain spectral encoding microscopy information.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one first arrangement is configured to obtain at least one of bright field, dark field, phase contrast, polarization, epireflectance or reflectance microscopy information.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a further arrangement which is configured to change from the first modality to the second modality.

15. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one first arrangement is configured to obtain optical coherence tomography information associated with a signal provided by a source arrangement having a plurality of wavelengths, and further comprising a plurality of detectors configured to detect a spectral interference between the second and third signals as a function of the wavelengths.

16. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first arrangement is configured to obtain optical coherence tomography information associated with a signal provided by a source arrangement whose wavelength varies over time.

17. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first arrangement is further configured to receive third data associated with a reference, and the second arrangement is configured to generate the further data as a function of the third data.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

third arrangement configured to control at least one of the first arrangement or the second arrangement based on at least one of the previously-obtained first data or the second data.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

one fourth arrangement configured to generate an image based on the first and second data.

20. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

fifth arrangement configured to generate at least one first image based on the first data and at least one second image based on the second data, wherein the first and second images are associated with one another as a function of the first and second data.

21. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first arrangement is configured to obtain optical coherence tomography information.

22. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one first arrangement is configured to obtain optical frequency domain interferometry information.

23. A method comprising:

providing first data associated with a first signal received from at least one region of at least one sample based on a first modality, and second data associated with a second signal received from the at least one sample based on a second modality which is different from the first modality, wherein the first and second data are provided substantially simultaneously;

receiving third data associated with a reference; and

using a configured computing arrangement, generating further data based on the first, second and third data.

24. An apparatus comprising:

first arrangement configured to provide first data associated with a first signal received from at least one region of at least one sample based on a first modality, and second data associated with a second signal received from the at least one sample based on a second modality which is different from the first modality, wherein the first arrangement is further configured to receive third data associated with a reference, wherein the first arrangement is provided in at least one of a probe or a single enclosure;

second arrangement configured to generate further data based on the first, second and third data; and

a positioning third arrangement configured to position the at least one of the probe or the single enclosure at a particular location relative to the sample based on at least one of the first data or the second data.