In-vivo information measurement apparatus

• US 8,060,172 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2005
• Issued: 11/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Xie, Tianyu, Takizawa, Hironobu, Miura, Naoki, Ishihara, Yasushige
• Primary Examiner(s): JAWORSKI, FRANCIS J
• Application Number:
  US11/086,152
• Publication Number:
  US 20050267340A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,429 Days
• Field of Search: 600/132, 600/160, 600/178, 600/310, 600/407, 600/437, 600459-467, 600/101, 600/170, 600/182, 600/317, 600323-329, 600342-343, 600473-478, 606 13- 17, 128/916, 128/899
• US Class Current: 600/342
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0233 Special features of optical sensors or probes classified in A61B5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0242 for varying or adjusting the optical path length in the tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/046 in a matrix array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0062 Arrangements for scanning
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0071 by measuring fluorescence emission
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0084 for introduction into the body, e.g. by catheters A61B5/1459 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14552 Details of sensors specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1459 invasive, e.g. introduced into the body by a catheter A61B5/1464 takes precedence

Abstract

An in-vivo information measurement apparatus having an insertion part; a light projection unit, provided at a tip of the insertion part, irradiates an examination site with intensity-modulated light which is intensity modulated at a first frequency; a light receiving unit receives return light from the examination site; an optical detector detects return light; an in-vivo information calculation unit calculates in-vivo information for the examination site based on a phase shift between a modulated detection signal, a detection signal from the optical detector is modulated at a second frequency, and a reference signal having a difference frequency equal to the difference between the first frequency and the second frequency; and a position moving mechanism moves at least one of a position at which the intensity-modulated light is emitted by the light projection unit and the position at which the return light is incident on the light receiving unit.

Claims

1. An in-vivo information measurement apparatus comprising:

an insertion part for insertion into a body cavity;

a tubular cover member disposed at the outermost periphery of the insertion part;

a plurality of transparent window portions disposed with gaps therebetween on the cover member;

a light projection unit, provided at a tip of the insertion part, that irradiates an examination site inside the body cavity via the window portion with intensity-modulated light intensity modulated at a first frequency;

a light receiving unit, provided at the tip of the insertion part, that receives return light from the examination site via the window portion at a different position from the light projection unit;

an optical detector that detects return light from the examination site received at the light receiving unit;

an in-vivo information calculation unit that calculates in-vivo information for the examination site based on a phase shift between a modulated detection signal, formed by modulating a detection signal from the optical detector at a second frequency, and a reference signal having a difference frequency equal to the difference between the first frequency and the second frequency; and

moving mechanism that moves at least one of the light projection unit and the light receiving unit in a disposition direction of the plurality of transparent window portions.

2. An in-vivo information measurement apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the insertion part is an endoscope.

3. An in-vivo information measurement apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the insertion part is an elongated probe.

4. An in-vivo information measurement apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the probe can be inserted into a channel of the endoscope.

5. An in-vivo information measurement apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the insertion part includes an endoscope and an elongated probe,

the elongated probe is disposed inside the endoscope, and

the endoscope includes,

an illumination unit that irradiates the examination site with illumination light;

an objective optical system that forms an image of the examination site; and

an imaging unit that acquires the image formed by the objective optical system.

6. An in-vivo information examination apparatus according to claim 5, wherein at least one of the light projection unit and the light receiving unit is disposed inside the field of view of the objective optical system.

7. An in-vivo information measurement apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising:

an image combining device that superimposes the endoscope image obtained by the endoscope and the in-vivo information for the examination site calculated by the in-vivo information calculation unit.

8. An in-vivo information measurement apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the moving mechanism rotates the light projection unit or the light receiving unit about an axis of an endoscope.

9. An in-vivo information measurement apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the moving mechanism translates the light projection unit or the light receiving unit along an axis of an endoscope.

10. An in-vivo information measurement apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an in-vivo information display unit that displays in-vivo information for the examination site, which is calculated by the in-vivo information calculation unit.

11. An in-vivo information measurement apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

the insertion part is an endoscope, and

the in-vivo information display unit simultaneously displays an image of the surface of the examination site, which is acquired by the endoscope, and the in-vivo information for the examination site.

12. An in-vivo information measurement apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the in-vivo information display unit multi-dimensionally displays the in-vivo information for the examination site.

13. An in-vivo information measurement apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a wavelength selection mechanism, between the light receiving unit and the optical detector, for selectively detecting in the optical detector light of a predetermined wavelength among the return light.

14. An in-vivo information measurement apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the wavelength selection mechanism is formed of a dichroic mirror.

15. An in-vivo information measurement apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the wavelength selection mechanism is formed of a filter that transmits only fluorescence or phosphorescence among the return light.

16. An in-vivo information measurement apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the in-vivo information is the concentration of biological tissue components.

17. An in-vivo information measurement apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the biological tissue components are any of oxygen, hemoglobin, oxygenated hemoglobin, deoxygenated hemoglobin, water, and carbon dioxide.

18. An in-vivo information measurement apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the light projection unit is aligned with one of the window portions, the light receiving unit is disposed so as to always be aligned with another of the window portions.