Method and system for detecting electrophysiological changes in pre-cancerous and cancerous tissue
First Claim
1. A method for determining a condition of ductal epithelial tissue of the breast comprising:
- (A) placing at least one current-passing electrode in contact with or in proximity to a surface of the breast, at least one of said current-passing electrode is in electrical communication with said ductal epithelium;
(B) placing a plurality of measuring electrodes in contact with or in proximity to said surface;
(C) establishing an electrical signal between said at least one current-passing electrode and at least one of said measuring electrodes;
(D) measuring, at one or more of said measuring electrodes, an impedance associated with said signal;
(E) introducing at least one agent into said ductal epithelial tissue so as to instantaneously reveal and accentuate changes in impedance in said ductal epithelial tissue and measuring, at one or more of said measuring electrodes, an impedance associated with said signal following the introduction of said at least one agent; and
(F) determining the condition of said ductal epithelial tissue based on said impedance.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and system are provided for determining a condition of a selected region of epithelial tissue. At least two current-passing electrodes are located in contact with a first surface of the selected region of the tissue. A plurality of measuring electrodes are located in contact with the first surface of the selected region of tissue as well. Electropotential and impedance are measured at one or more locations. An agent may be introduced into the region of tissue to enhance electrophysiological characteristics. The condition of the tissue is determined based on the electropotential and impedance profile at different depths of the epithelium, tissue, or organ, together with an estimate of the functional changes in the epithelium due to altered ion transport and electrophysiological properties of the tissue.
-
Citations
25 Claims
-
1. A method for determining a condition of ductal epithelial tissue of the breast comprising:
-
(A) placing at least one current-passing electrode in contact with or in proximity to a surface of the breast, at least one of said current-passing electrode is in electrical communication with said ductal epithelium; (B) placing a plurality of measuring electrodes in contact with or in proximity to said surface; (C) establishing an electrical signal between said at least one current-passing electrode and at least one of said measuring electrodes; (D) measuring, at one or more of said measuring electrodes, an impedance associated with said signal; (E) introducing at least one agent into said ductal epithelial tissue so as to instantaneously reveal and accentuate changes in impedance in said ductal epithelial tissue and measuring, at one or more of said measuring electrodes, an impedance associated with said signal following the introduction of said at least one agent; and (F) determining the condition of said ductal epithelial tissue based on said impedance. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
-
-
9. A method for measuring electrical properties of ductal epithelial tissue of the breast, said breast having a surface, using a combination of DC electrical measurements and impedance spectroscopy, comprising the steps of:
-
(A) measuring a DC potential at the surface of the ductal epithelial tissue with a first and a second voltage-measuring electrode, wherein said voltage-measuring electrodes are spaced apart from one another and associated with a reference point; (B) placing a pair of current-passing electrodes in contact with or in proximity to said ductal epithelial tissue; (C) detecting, via said voltage-measuring electrodes, an electrical signal at different points on said epithelial tissue; (D) applying an electrical signal to said pair of current-passing electrodes at a plurality of frequencies at said different points on said epithelial tissue; (E) monitoring an electrical signal at said voltage-measuring electrodes associated with each of said plurality of frequencies; (F) determining impedance of said epithelial tissue associated with the voltage-measuring electrodes based on each of the plurality of frequencies; wherein said reference point includes an intravenous electrode or a skin electrode with low skin impedance and wherein at least one of which electrodes is in electrical communication with said ductal epithelium. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
-
-
18. A method for measuring electrical properties of ductal epithelial tissue of the breast, said breast having a surface, using a combination of DC electrical measurements and impedance spectroscopy, comprising the steps of:
-
(A) measuring a DC potential of the ductal epithelial tissue with a first and a second voltage-measuring electrodes, wherein the voltage-measuring electrodes are associated with a reference point; (B) placing at least one current-passing electrode in contact with or in proximity to said ductal epithelial tissue; (C) detecting, via said voltage-measuring electrodes, a resulting electrical signal at different points on said epithelial tissue; (D) applying an electrical signal to at least one of said current-passing electrodes and at least one of the voltage-measuring electrodes at a plurality of frequencies at said different points on said epithelial tissue; (E) monitoring an electrical signal at said voltage-measuring electrodes associated with each of said plurality of frequencies; (F) determining impedance of said region of epithelial tissue associated with said voltage-measuring electrodes based on each of said plurality of frequencies and said resulting electrical signal associated with each of said plurality of frequencies; (G) introducing at least one agent into said region of ductal epithelial tissue so as to instantaneously reveal and accentuate changes in;
(i) DC potential;
or (ii) impedance;
or both (i) and (ii) in said epithelial tissue following the introduction of said at least one agent;(H) measuring, at one or more of said voltage-measuring electrodes, a DC potential of the epithelial tissue as in (A) and impedance associated with said signal as in (D), (E) and (F) following the introduction of said at least one agent; and (I) determining a condition of said region of ductal epithelial tissue based on said change step (G).
-
-
19. An apparatus for determining the condition of tissue of a ductal epithelium of the breast using a combination of surface DC electrical measurements and impedance spectroscopy and specific ionic conductance, the apparatus comprising:
-
(A) a first pair of spaced electrodes for applying an electrical signal to the ductal epithelium; (B) a second pair of spaced electrodes for detecting an electrical signal at different points on the ductal epithelium; (C) a means for applying the electrical signal to the first pair of electrodes at a plurality of frequencies; (D) a means for measuring an electrical signal at the second pair of electrodes at said plurality of frequencies; (E) a means for obtaining a measure of the impedance of a part of the ductal epithelium based on said electrical signal in (D); and (F) a means for obtaining a difference signal representing a change in impedance with frequency, wherein each electrode of the second pair of electrodes includes an electroconductive medium concentration that differs from the other for estimating said specific ionic conductance of said epithelium. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
-
Specification