OPTICAL SPECTROSCOPIC DEVICE FOR THE IDENTIFICATION OF CERVICAL CANCER

• US 20120220880A1
• Filed: 05/09/2012
• Published: 08/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Remicalm LLC
• Original Assignee: Remicalm LLC
• Inventors: Zuluaga, Andrés Felipe
• Granted Patent: US 9,157,862 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/478
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00048 Constructional features of the display
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00193 adapted for stereoscopic vision
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00195 with eyepieces
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/042 characterised by a proximal camera, e.g. a CCD camera
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/043 for fluorescence imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/045 Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0646 with illumination filters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/07 using light-conductive means, e.g. optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/303 for the vagina, i.e. vaginoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0437 Trolley or cart-type apparatus
• 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 5/742 using visual displays A61B5/339 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/31 Investigating relative effect of material at wavelengths characteristic of specific elements or molecules, e.g. atomic absorption spectrometry G01N21/72 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6486 Measuring fluorescence of biological material, e.g. DNA, RNA, cells G01N21/6428 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/084 Fibres for remote transmission

Abstract

A medical examination device used for the detection of pre-cancerous and cancerous tissue has an illumination source, a visualization unit, a contacting optical probe, a detector and a process unit. One embodiment of the apparatus includes both a non-contacting macroscopic viewing device (the visualization unit) for visualizing an interior surface of the cervix, as well as a fiber optic wand (contacting optical probe) for spectrally analyzing a microscopic view of the tissue.

Claims

1. A medical examination device comprising:

an illumination source, wherein the illumination source includes a lamp and a light directing device for selectably directing a beam of light from the lamp in either a first beam direction or in a second beam direction;

a visualization unit that receives the beam of light directed in the first beam direction from the illumination source and radiates a tissue with the received beam of light, the visualization unit visualizes a first image of a first view of the tissue from the light emanating from the tissue illuminated with the beam of light directed in the first beam direction;

a fiber optic probe including both an excitation fiber optic strand and a reception fiber optic strand, wherein the excitation fiber optic strand receives the beam of light directed in the second beam direction from the illumination source and transmits the received beam of light to radiate the tissue at a site of contact with a distal end of the probe, and wherein the collection fiber optic strand receives the light emanating from the tissue illuminated with the beam of light from the excitation fiber optic strand to generate an optical measurement of a second field of view of the tissue and transmits the measurement to a detector.

2. The medical examination device of claim 1, further comprising a filter wheel between the lamp and the light directing device.

3. The medical examination device of claim 1, wherein the lamp includes a plurality of selectable LEDs.

4. The medical examination device of claim 1, wherein the light directing device includes a mirror that is reciprocable between a first mirror position and a second mirror position.

5. The medical examination device of claim 1, wherein the first field of view of the tissue is larger than the second field of view of the tissue comprises a wider field of view than the second image.

6. The medical examination device of claim 1, wherein the visualization unit includes an ocular device for visualizing the first image of the tissue.

7. The medical examination device of claim 1, wherein the visualization unit includes a camera for recording the first image of the tissue.

8. The medical examination device of claim 1, wherein the fiber optic probe has a transverse distal end for contacting the tissue.

9. The medical examination device of claim 1, wherein the fiber optic probe includes a handle, a shaft, and a bi-directional fiber optic bundle with the reception fiber optic strand centrally positioned and surrounded by multiple coaxial excitation fiber optic strands.

10. The medical examination device of claim 9, further comprising a disposable sheath for covering the shaft of the fiber optic probe.

11. The medical examination device of claim 1, wherein the beam of light used to radiate the tissue for fluorescence excitation has a′

wavelength band of about 455-465 nm, 410-430 nm, 375-385 nm, or 340-360 nm.

12. The medical examination device of claim 1, wherein the beam of light used to radiate the tissue for reflectance visualization has a wavelength band of about 400-700 nm, 455-465 nm, or 410-430 nm.

13. The medical examination device of claim 12, wherein the beam of light is polarized or unpolarized.

14. A medical examination device comprising:

an illumination source, wherein the illumination source includes a lamp and a plurality of selectably engageable filters for preparing a beam of light from the illumination source having a selected wavelength band;

a light beam directing device for directing the entire beam of light into either a first beam position or a second beam position;

a visualization unit that receives the beam of light in the first beam position and radiates a tissue with the received beam of light, the visualization unit further comprising an ocular device that visualizes a macroscopic field of view of the tissue from the light emanating from the tissue illuminated with the beam of light;

a fiber optic probe having a shaft, a handle, and, a fiber optic bundle having a plurality of excitation fiber optic strands and a reception fiber optic strand, wherein the excitation fiber optic strands receive the beam of light in the second beam position and transmit the received beam of light to radiate the tissue at a site of contact between a distal end of the probe and the tissue, and wherein the collection fiber optic strand receives the light emanating from the tissue illuminated with the beam of light at the site of contact and transmits the light to a detector to generate a spectral analysis of a microscopic field of view.

15. The medical examination device of claim 14, wherein the plurality of filters are in a filter wheel.

16. The medical examination device of claim 14, wherein the lamp is a plurality of selectable LEDs, a Xenon arc lamp, a Mercury arc lamp or a halogen lamp.

17. The medical examination device of claim 14, wherein the light directing device includes a mirror that is reciprocable between a first mirror position and a second mirror position.

18. The medical examination device of claim 14, wherein the detector detects a plurality of emission wavelengths from the light emanating from the tissue at the site of contact between the tissue and the probe.

19. The medical examination device of claim 14, wherein the visualization unit includes a camera for recording the macroscopic view of the tissue.

20. The medical examination device of claim 14, wherein the fiber optic probe has a transverse distal end for contacting the tissue.

21. The medical examination device of claim 14, wherein the reception fiber optic strand is centrally positioned and surrounded by multiple coaxial excitation fiber optic strands.

22. The medical examination device of claim 14, further comprising a disposable sheath for covering the shaft of the fiber optic probe.

23. The medical examination device of claim 14, wherein the beam of light used to radiate the tissue for fluorescence excitation has a wavelength band of about 455-465 nm, 410-430 nm, 375-385 nm, or 340-360 nm.

24. The medical examination device of claim 14, wherein the beam of light used to radiate the tissue for reflectance visualization has a wavelength band of about 400-700 nm, 455-465 nm, or 410-430 nm.

25. The medical examination device of claim 24, wherein the beam of light is polarized or unpolarized.