Device for tumor diagnosis and methods thereof

• US 20030009110A1
• Filed: 11/05/2001
• Published: 01/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hosheng Tu, Rodolfo C. Quijano
• Original Assignee: Hosheng Tu, Rodolfo C. Quijano
• Inventors: Tu, Hosheng, Quijano, Rodolfo C.
• Granted Patent: US 6,832,111 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/547
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/053 Measuring electrical impedance or conductance of a portion of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0538 invasively, e.g. using a catheter
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4381 Prostate evaluation or disorder diagnosis

Abstract

A method and devices for differentiating in a given area of tissue a tumorous tissue from a normal tissue, the method comprising measuring a plurality of tissue impedance over a range of tissue temperatures and comparing the measured tissue impedance with reference tissue impedance of the normal tissue adapted for tissue differentiation. The management of tissue temperatures may be accomplished with a probe arrangement comprising two elements of different electromotive potential conductively connected at a probe junction, and passing an electrical current through the elements to reduce or raise a temperature of the probe junction in accordance with the Peltier effect.

Claims

1. A method of differentiating in a given area of tissue a tumorous tissue from a normal tissue, the method comprising measuring a plurality of tissue impedance over a range of tissue temperatures and comparing said measured tissue impedance with reference tissue impedance of the normal tissue adapted for tissue differentiation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said given area of tissue is breast tissue.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said given area of tissue is prostate tissue.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said given area of tissue is brain tissue.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said range of tissue temperatures is between 20°

C. and 45°

C.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said range of tissue temperatures is between 20°

C. and about 38°

C.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said range of tissue temperatures is between about 38°

C. and 45°

C.

8. The method of claim 5 further comprising inserting a probe at about said given area of tissue, wherein said probe is configured to comprise a Peltier effect for achieving said range of tissue temperatures.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said tissue impedance is electrical tissue impedance.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said tissue impedance is acoustic tissue impedance.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said tissue impedance is biochemical tissue impedance.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein said probe comprises elements of different electromotive potential conductively connected at a probe junction;

and means for passing an electrical current through said elements to reduce or raise temperature of said probe junction in accordance with the Peltier effect.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the probe comprises a temperature sensor at about a tip portion of the probe.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the probe is a needle probe comprising a needle tip and a needle body having a diameter less than 5 mm.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising delivering a therapeutic means for treating the tumorous tissue at about said given area of tissue.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the therapeutic means is selected from a group consisting of drug, chemotherapy, radiation, and combination thereof.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising a step of providing thermal energy to treat the tumorous tissue.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the thermal energy is selected from a group consisting of radiofrequency energy, ultrasound energy, infrared energy, microwave energy, and laser energy.

19. The method of claim 1 further comprising a step of providing cryogenic energy to treat the tumorous tissue.

20. The method of claim 8, wherein said probe further comprises at least three spaced apart micro-electrode elements for measuring tissue impedance, the measured tissue impedance from a first and a second of the at least three micro-electrode elements being compared to the measured tissue impedance from the second and a third of the at least three micro-electrode elements for tissue differentiation.