Method and apparatus for detecting abnormal living tissue
First Claim
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1. An apparatus that comprises:
- a cylindrically-shaped probe that has a circumference, wherein said cylindrically-shaped probe comprises;
a plurality of measurement units outwardly disposed circumferentially along and in a raised helical portion of an outer surface of said cylindrically-shaped probe, said plurality of measurement units thereby arrayed in a substantially helical arrangement, wherein said raised helical portion is sufficiently large to contact a tissue that forms an intended cavity of a living body;
wherein each of the plurality of measurement units includes one of a plurality of illuminators and one of plurality of collectors, anda processing unit coupled to the plurality of measurement units, whereineach of the plurality of illuminators of the plurality of measurement units is configured to illuminate a different tissue region within a living body,each of the plurality of collectors is configured to collect interacted light detected by a corresponding one of the plurality of measurement units from one of the different tissue regions illuminated by a corresponding one of the plurality of illuminators, and to transmit the collected interacted light to the processing unit, a blood content estimator of the processing unit configured to generate a signal indicative of blood content measurement, andan indicator is coupled to the processing unit to indicate a parameter based on signals from the plurality of measurement units and configured to guide said cylindrically-shaped probe through a cavity of the living body to locate abnormal tissue.
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Abstract
Light scattering and absorption techniques for the detection of possible abnormal living tissue. Apparatus and methods for utilizing multiple blood content detection sensors and/or contact sensors for beneficially providing data to better guide an endoscope or colonoscope to locate abnormal tissue, tumors, or tissues that precede the development of such lesions or tumors.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. An apparatus that comprises:
a cylindrically-shaped probe that has a circumference, wherein said cylindrically-shaped probe comprises; a plurality of measurement units outwardly disposed circumferentially along and in a raised helical portion of an outer surface of said cylindrically-shaped probe, said plurality of measurement units thereby arrayed in a substantially helical arrangement, wherein said raised helical portion is sufficiently large to contact a tissue that forms an intended cavity of a living body;
wherein each of the plurality of measurement units includes one of a plurality of illuminators and one of plurality of collectors, anda processing unit coupled to the plurality of measurement units, wherein each of the plurality of illuminators of the plurality of measurement units is configured to illuminate a different tissue region within a living body, each of the plurality of collectors is configured to collect interacted light detected by a corresponding one of the plurality of measurement units from one of the different tissue regions illuminated by a corresponding one of the plurality of illuminators, and to transmit the collected interacted light to the processing unit, a blood content estimator of the processing unit configured to generate a signal indicative of blood content measurement, and an indicator is coupled to the processing unit to indicate a parameter based on signals from the plurality of measurement units and configured to guide said cylindrically-shaped probe through a cavity of the living body to locate abnormal tissue. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. An apparatus configured to determine a characteristic of a living tissue that forms a cavity of a living body, wherein the apparatus comprises:
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a cylindrically-shaped probe configured to be inserted into a cavity of a living body, including; an outer surface of said cylindrically-shaped probe that has a plurality of measurement units outwardly disposed thereon, the plurality of measurement units disposed circumferentially along and in a raised helical portion of said outer surface of said cylindrically-shaped probe, said plurality of measurement units thereby arrayed in a substantially helical arrangement, wherein said raised helical portion is sufficiently large to contact a tissue that forms an intended cavity of a living body and facilitate contact between said plurality of measurement units and said tissue, wherein each of the plurality of measurement units includes one of a plurality of illuminators and one of a plurality of collectors, and a processor coupled to the plurality of measurement units, wherein each of the plurality of illuminators is configured to illuminate a different portion of tissue within the living body, each of the plurality of collectors is adapted to collect interacted light detected by a corresponding one of the plurality of measurement units from one of the different portions of tissue illuminated by a corresponding one of the plurality of illuminators and to transmit the collected interacted light to the processor, and the processor includes a blood content estimator configured to provide an indication of blood content within illuminated tissue to guide said cylindrically-shaped probe. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14)
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15. An apparatus for use within a cavity of a living body, wherein the apparatus comprises:
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an endoscope; a sheath to receive the endoscope, wherein said sheath has an inner surface and an outer surface with a raised helical portion; a plurality of measurement units outwardly disposed circumferentially along and in said raised helical portion on the outer surface of the sheath, said plurality of measurement units thereby arrayed in a substantially helical arrangement, wherein each of the plurality of measurement units includes one of a plurality of illuminators and one of a plurality of collectors, and a processing unit coupled to the plurality of measurement units, wherein each of the plurality of illuminators of the plurality of measurement units is configured to illuminate a different region of tissue within the living body, each of the plurality of collectors is configured to collect interacted light from a corresponding one of the plurality of measurement units that detected the interacted light from one of the different tissue regions illuminated by a corresponding one of the plurality of illuminators, said collector being configured to transmit the collected interacted light to the processing unit; the processing unit includes a blood content estimator that is configured to determine blood content within illuminated tissue regions based on the signals transmitted by the plurality of collectors; and an indicator coupled to the processing unit is configured to indicate a parameter based on the determined blood content to guide the endoscope through the cavity of the living body to locate abnormal tissue. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method for guiding an endoscope within a cavity of a living organism, wherein the method comprises the steps of:
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providing said endoscope with a plurality of measurement units disposed circumferentially along and in a raised helical portion on an outer surface of the endoscope, said plurality of measurement units thereby arrayed in a substantially helical arrangement, wherein each of the plurality of measurement units includes one of a plurality of illuminators and one of a plurality of collectors; inserting the endoscope into the cavity of the living organism, contacting the endoscope with a surface of tissue that forms the cavity; illuminating different portions of a contacted tissue surface through said plurality of illuminators; detecting interacted light from an illuminated tissue surface through one of said plurality of measurement units; collecting said detected interacted light by the one collector of the one measurement unit; transmitting the collected light by the one collector to a processing unit; processing said received interacted light by a blood content estimator of the processing unit to determine a parameter indicative of blood content of the illuminated tissue; and guiding the endoscope through said cavity based on said parameter to locate abnormal tissue. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23)
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Specification