System and method using fluorescence to examine within a patient's anatomy
First Claim
1. A system for examining an area of a patient'"'"'s anatomy comprising:
- a) a probe capable of fluorescing, the probe configured to be deliverable within the anatomy; and
b) a medical instrument including at least part of a scanning beam assembly and having an outer surface that includes, at least in part, a fluorophore, wherein the scanning beam assembly scans the probe with a beam comprising imaging radiation and excitation radiation and detects the probe'"'"'s fluorescence while simultaneously detecting imaging radiation returned from a field-of-view, the scanning beam assembly comprising;
a radiation source configured for simultaneously emitting one or more wavelengths of imaging radiation and excitation radiation, the excitation radiation being configured for exciting the probe and the fluorophore and causing the probe and the fluorophore to fluoresce;
a scanning device that includes an oscillating reflector that directs the imaging and excitation radiation onto the field-of-view to create a scan of the field-of-view;
a separator that separates radiation returned from the field-of-view into imaging radiation and fluorescence radiation;
a first detector configured to detect the imaging radiation and a second detector configured to detect the fluorescence radiation; and
a controller configured to convert the detected imaging radiation into a displayable image of the field-of-view and the detected fluorescence radiation into a displayable fluorescence image of both the probe and the fluorophore;
wherein the fluorophore while fluorescing enables the visualization of the movement of the outer surface of the instrument.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system for examining an area of a patient'"'"'s anatomy that comprises a probe capable of fluorescing, and a scanning beam assembly that scans the probe with a beam of excitation radiation and detects the probe'"'"'s fluorescence. The scanning beam assembly including a radiation source capable of emitting one or more wavelengths of radiation that are capable of exciting the probe and causing the probe to fluoresce, a scanning device that directs the radiation onto a field-of-view to create a scan of the field-of-view, a detector to detect radiation returned from the field-of-view, and a controller to convert the detected radiation into a displayable fluorescence image.
384 Citations
29 Claims
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1. A system for examining an area of a patient'"'"'s anatomy comprising:
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a) a probe capable of fluorescing, the probe configured to be deliverable within the anatomy; and b) a medical instrument including at least part of a scanning beam assembly and having an outer surface that includes, at least in part, a fluorophore, wherein the scanning beam assembly scans the probe with a beam comprising imaging radiation and excitation radiation and detects the probe'"'"'s fluorescence while simultaneously detecting imaging radiation returned from a field-of-view, the scanning beam assembly comprising; a radiation source configured for simultaneously emitting one or more wavelengths of imaging radiation and excitation radiation, the excitation radiation being configured for exciting the probe and the fluorophore and causing the probe and the fluorophore to fluoresce; a scanning device that includes an oscillating reflector that directs the imaging and excitation radiation onto the field-of-view to create a scan of the field-of-view; a separator that separates radiation returned from the field-of-view into imaging radiation and fluorescence radiation; a first detector configured to detect the imaging radiation and a second detector configured to detect the fluorescence radiation; and a controller configured to convert the detected imaging radiation into a displayable image of the field-of-view and the detected fluorescence radiation into a displayable fluorescence image of both the probe and the fluorophore; wherein the fluorophore while fluorescing enables the visualization of the movement of the outer surface of the instrument. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method for observing fluorescence within an area of a patient'"'"'s anatomy comprising:
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delivering a probe capable of fluorescing into a patient'"'"'s anatomy; introducing an instrument into the anatomy to scan the area of the anatomy that includes the probe, wherein the instrument includes at least part of a scanning beam assembly and has an outer surface that includes a fluorophore, the scanning beam assembly comprising; a radiation source configured for simultaneously emitting one or more wavelengths of imaging radiation and excitation radiation, the excitation radiation being capable of exciting the probe and the fluorophore and causing the probe and the fluorophore to fluoresce; a scanning device that directs the imaging and excitation radiation onto the area of the anatomy to create a scan of the area; a separator that separates radiation returned from the area of the anatomy into imaging radiation and fluorescence radiation; a first detector configured to detect the imaging radiation and a second detector configured to detect the fluorescence radiation; and a controller configured to convert the detected imaging and fluorescence radiation into a displayable image of the anatomy that includes a fluorescence image; scanning the area of the anatomy that includes the probe and at least a portion of the medical instrument that includes the fluorophore with imaging radiation and excitation radiation; detecting the probe'"'"'s fluorescence with the second detector; converting the probe'"'"'s fluorescence into a displayable fluorescence image; detecting the fluorescence of the fluorophore with the second detector; converting the detected fluorescence of the fluorophore into a fluorescence image of the outer surface of the portion of the instrument comprising the fluorophore; detecting the imaging radiation returned from the anatomy with the first detector; converting the imaging radiation returned from the anatomy into an image of the anatomy; and displaying the fluorescence image of the outer surface of the instrument on a display system combined with the fluorescence image of the probe and the image of the anatomy. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A method for examining an area of a patient'"'"'s anatomy comprising:
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introducing a medical instrument into the anatomy to scan the anatomy, wherein the medical instrument has an outer surface that includes, at least in part, a fluorophore and includes at least part of a scanning beam assembly;
the scanning beam assembly comprising;a radiation source configured for simultaneously emitting one or more wavelengths of imaging radiation and excitation radiation, the excitation radiation being capable of exciting a naturally occurring autofluorescent cell constituent and the fluorophore; a scanning device that directs the imaging and excitation radiation onto a field-of-view to create a scan of the field-of-view, the scanning device including a reflector that receives both the imaging and the excitation radiation from the radiation source onto the anatomy, wherein the reflector oscillates in at least two directions to create a scan of the anatomy with both the imaging and excitation radiation; a separator that separates radiation returned from the field-of-view into imaging radiation and fluorescence radiation; a first detector configured to detect the imaging radiation and a second detector configured to detect the fluorescence radiation; and a controller configured to convert the detected imaging and fluorescence radiation into a displayable image of the anatomy that includes a fluorescence image; scanning the area of the anatomy that includes the autofluorescent cell constituent and at least a portion of the medical instrument that includes the fluorophore with at least the excitation radiation; detecting the fluorescence of the autofluorescent cell constituent with the second detector; and converting the fluorescence into a displayable fluorescence image of the autofluorescent cell constituent; detecting the fluorescence of the fluorophore with the second detector; converting the detected fluorescence of the fluorophore into a fluorescence image of the outer surface of the portion of the instrument having the fluorophore; detecting the imaging radiation returned from the anatomy with the first detector; converting the imaging radiation returned from the anatomy into an image of the anatomy; and displaying the fluorescence image of the outer surface of the instrument on a display system combined with the fluorescence image of the autofluorescent cell constituent and the image of the anatomy; wherein the second detector is a tunable spectrometer that is tunable to various wavelengths including at least one fluorescence wavelength of the autofluorescent cell constituent. - View Dependent Claims (29)
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Specification