Autofluorescent imaging and target ablation

• US 8,936,629 B2
• Filed: 08/24/2007
• Issued: 01/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gearbox LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Boyden, Edward S., Hyde, Roderick A., Ishikawa, Muriel Y., Leuthardt, Eric C., Myhrvold, Nathan P., Rivet, Dennis J., Weaver, Thomas Allan, Wood, Lowell L. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rodriquez, Cris L
• Assistant Examiner(s): SEWARD, MATTHEW JOHN
• Application Number:
  US11/901,299
• Publication Number:
  US 20080103355A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,706 Days
• Field of Search: 606 10- 15, 607/88, 607/89, 607/90, 607/92, 607/94, 600/302, 600/10, 600/593, 128/898
• US Class Current: 607/88
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/20 using laser
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/201 with beam delivery through a hollow tube, e.g. forming an articulated arm through a flexible conduit A61B18/22; Hand-pieces therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/203 applying laser energy to the outside of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00066 intensity
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00208 actively driven, e.g. by a motor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00345 Vascular system
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00452 Skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00505 Urinary tract
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00559 Female reproductive organs
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00577 Ablation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00642 with feedback, i.e. closed loop control
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/0066 without feedback, i.e. open loop control
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00702 Power or energy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00785 Reflected power
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00904 Automatic detection of target tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00922 by switching or controlling the treatment energy directly within the hand-piece
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00982 combined with or comprising means for visual or photographic inspections inside the body, e.g. endoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/20361 with redirecting based on sensed condition, e.g. tissue analysis or tissue movement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/207 mixing two wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0071 by measuring fluorescence emission
• 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 5/0086 : using infrared radiation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0088 : for oral or dental tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0091 : for mammography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0097 : by applying acoustic waves and detecting light, i.e. acoustooptic measurements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0507 : using microwaves or terahertz waves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/07 : Endoradiosondes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/412 : Detecting or monitoring sepsis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4547 : Evaluating teeth
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0602 : for treatment of blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0606 : Mouth
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0607 : Nose
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0609 : Stomach and/or esophagus
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/061 : Bladder and/or urethra
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0626 : Monitoring, verifying, controlling systems and methods
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0644 : Handheld applicators
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0651 : Diodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0654 : Lamps
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0659 : infrared
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0661 : ultraviolet
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0663 : Coloured light
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1087 : Ions; Protons
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1089 : Electrons
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/01 : Devices for producing movement of radiation source during therapy A61N5/1077 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0603 : for treatment of body cavities
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/062 : Photodynamic therapy, i.e. excitation of an agent
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0624 : for eliminating microbes, germs, bacteria on or in the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/067 : using laser light
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/10 : X-ray therapy; Gamma-ray therapy; Particle-irradiation therapy A61N5/01 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1001 : using radiation sources introduced into or applied onto the body; brachytherapy

Abstract

Apparatus, devices, methods, systems, computer programs and computing devices related to autofluorescent imaging and ablation are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for treating or ameliorating a pathogenic condition associated with at least one of Enterococcus faecalis, Bacteroides vulgatis, Serratia marcescens, Propinibacterium acnes, Bifidobacterium, Actinomyces, Candida albicans, Escherichia coli, Salmonella, Vibrio cholera, Campylobacter, Listeria monocytogenes, shigella, Helicobacter pylori, rotovirus, Calicivirus, Giardia lamblia, Entamoeba histolytica, Cryptosporidium, neoplastic cells, or cancerous cells, the method comprising:

providing to the digestive tract of the subject an untethered ingestible mass having a core;

passing cells through the core of the untethered ingestible mass;

emitting electromagnetic energy from a first optical energy source in the untethered ingestible mass in a manner selected to induce fluorescence in some of the cells;

identifying target cells by analyzing the fluorescence with control circuitry located in the untethered ingestible mass, wherein the target cells are associated with the pathogenic condition;

aligning a second optical energy source with the first optical energy source; and

emitting variable directional electromagnetic energy at the target cells from the second optical energy source in the untethered ingestible mass in a manner selected to induce photodynamic cell death in some of the target cells.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the untethered ingestible mass comprises:

a motor coupled to a movable mass.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

inducing variable moments of inertia by moving the movable mass.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

inducing the movable mass to undergo unbalanced rotation.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

inducing the movable mass to undergo linear oscillatory movement.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

inducing the movable mass to undergo eccentric movement.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the untethered ingestible mass includes a power source.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring the untethered ingestible mass from one or more external sources.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing one or more outputs from the untethered ingestible mass to one or more external sources.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting one or more environmental parameters.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein emitting variable directional electromagnetic energy from the untethered ingestible mass in a manner selected to induce photodynamic cell death in some of the target cells comprises:

emitting the variable directional electromagnetic energy from the untethered ingestible mass in a spatially variable manner.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein emitting variable directional electromagnetic energy from the untethered ingestible mass in a manner selected to induce photodynamic cell death in some of the target cells comprises:

emitting the variable directional electromagnetic energy from the untethered ingestible mass at one or more intervals at least partially based on pH.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein emitting variable directional electromagnetic energy from the untethered ingestible mass in a manner selected to induce photodynamic cell death in some of the target cells comprises:

emitting the variable directional electromagnetic energy from the second optical energy source of the untethered ingestible mass at one or more intervals at least partially based on orientation of the second optical energy source aligned with the first optical energy source.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

controlling the emission of the variable directional electromagnetic energy from the untethered ingestible mass using the control circuitry located in the untethered ingestible mass.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

detecting one or more environmental parameters using a sensor coupled to the control circuitry located in the untethered ingestible mass.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

emitting the variable directional electromagnetic energy from the untethered ingestible mass at least partially based on the one or more environmental parameters.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein inducing fluorescence of some of the target cells includes inducing autofluorescence of some of the target cells.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein inducing fluorescence of some of the target cells includes inducing fluorescence from one or more fluorescence tags.

19. The method of claim 14, comprising:

detecting fluorescence in some of the target cells using a sensor coupled to the control circuitry located in the untethered ingestible mass.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying a target area by analyzing the fluorescence with control circuitry located in the untethered ingestible mass includes determining one or more of a direction from the first optical energy source, a distance the first optical energy source, a tissue depth at the target area, or coordinates from which the fluorescence originated.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising aligning a second optical energy source with the first optical energy source by analyzing the alignment with the control circuitry located in the untethered ingestible mass.

22. The method of claim 1, further comprising emitting variable directional electromagnetic energy at the target area from the second optical energy source by analyzing the energy emission with the control circuitry located in the untethered ingestible mass in a manner selected to induce photodynamic cell death in some of the abnormal cells.

23. A method for ablating cells, the method comprising:

providing to a digestive tract of a subject an untethered ingestible mass having a core;

passing cells through the core of the untethered ingestible mass;

emitting electromagnetic energy from a first optical energy source in the untethered ingestible mass in a manner selected to induce fluorescence in at least some of the cells;

identifying target cells by analyzing the fluorescence with control circuitry located in the untethered ingestible mass;

aligning a second optical energy source with the first optical energy source; and

emitting variable directional electromagnetic energy at the target cells from the second optical energy source in the untethered ingestible mass in a manner selected to induce photodynamic cell death in at least some of the target cells.