Abstract: Method and system for imaging tissue, including (i) causing a macroscopic image of a tissue surface to be displayed on a visual display; (ii) receiving a selection of at least one portion of the macroscopic image; (iii) causing a plurality of confocal images captured by a confocal imager at different depths in a portion of the tissue to be displayed; (iv) receiving a selection of at least one target depth image; and (v) for each selected target depth image, instructing the confocal imager to capture a plurality of additional images at different locations and at a common depth with the target depth image. A system for imaging tissue having a macroscopic display module; a first selection module; a confocal display module; a second selection module; and an instruction module for instructing a confocal imager to capture a plurality of images at different locations over a selected region of the tissue.

Abstract: Method and system for imaging tissue, including (i) causing a macroscopic image of a tissue surface to be displayed on a visual display; (ii) receiving a selection of at least one portion of the macroscopic image; (iii) causing a plurality of confocal images captured by a confocal imager at different depths in a portion of the tissue to be displayed; (iv) receiving a selection of at least one target depth image; and (v) for each selected target depth image, instructing the confocal imager to capture a plurality of additional images at different locations and at a common depth with the target depth image. A system for imaging tissue having a macroscopic display module; a first selection module; a confocal display module; a second selection module; and an instruction module for instructing a confocal imager to capture a plurality of images at different locations over a selected region of the tissue.

Abstract: An improved system for confocal imaging within dermal tissue of a patient is provided which minimizes instability in confocal images by reducing the relative motion of the tissue with respect to the confocal imaging optics of the system. The system includes a mechanism for maintaining an area of skin tissue under stress by application of force at the edges of the area, and an imaging head coupled to this mechanism for imaging the stressed skin. The mechanism includes a mechanical structure, such as a platen, brace, or attachment, which both supports the imaging head of the system and applies stress to a limited surface area of the tissue to minimize skin motion during confocal imaging.

Abstract: Meissner's Corpuscles (MCs) are touch-pressure sensation receptors in glabrous skin. They are imaged by reflectance confocal microscopy to provide a non-invasive, in vivo quantification of their density or size to allow screening for, diagnosis or monitoring of sensory neuropathy and other peripheral nervous system disorders related to diabetes, HIV, or other conditions.

Abstract: An improved system for confocal imaging within dermal tissue of a patient is provided which minimizes instability in confocal images by reducing the relative motion of the tissue with respect to the confocal imaging optics of the system. The system includes a mechanism for maintaining an area of skin tissue under stress by application of force at the edges of the area, and an imaging head coupled to this mechanism for imaging the stressed skin. The mechanism includes a mechanical structure, such as a platen, brace, or attachment, which both supports the imaging head of the system and applies stress to a limited surface area of the tissue to minimize skin motion during confocal imaging.

Abstract: Encapsulated tissue is contained in an optically transparent cassette (34). The cassette (34) or an endcap (38) enclosing the cassette is marked with a fiducial (40) indicating and corresponding to the location of the excision on the patient's body. An image, which is preferably a representation of a surface of the tissue specimen and the vertical section(s) area of the tissue internal of the specimen and adjacent to a surface thereof, is obtained by an imaging system (10). The cassette is moved, preferably in a stage (22) which rotates the cassette while translating it, so that the head (12) of the imaging system provides a linear scan in a direction perpendicular to the wall of the cassette (also perpendicular to the surface of the tissue encapsulated in the cassette). The imaging system's display (28) indicates the morphology at and in proximity to the surface of the specimen as well as the location thereof.

Abstract: Automatic gain control is provided for a confocal imaging system to improve the quality of images produced by the system. The confocal imaging system utilizes an illumination source, such as a laser, to produce illumination which enables imaging of an object. The automatic gain control is provided by an automatic gain controller which operates in accordance with the counted number of pixels which are too bright, the counted number of pixels which are too dim, and the counted total number of pixels, or in accordance with the average value of pixels, of each two-dimensional frame of the images from the confocal imaging system to control the intensity of the illumination source. The automatic gain controller may be operative over either the entire frame, or a region thereof.

Abstract: A system for macroscopic and confocal imaging of tissue having a macroscopic imager for capturing a macroscopic image of the tissue's surface, a confocal imager for capturing one or more optically formed sectional microscopic images on or within tissue, a computer for receiving images from such imagers, and a tissue attachment device in which the macroscopic imager and confocal imager are each individually presented to the tissue utilizing the tissue attachment device in a predefined alignment, such that imaging locations of the confocal imager with respect to the tissue surface spatially correlate with macroscopic image. A user interface is operable on the computer to enable display of the macroscopic image on a display coupled to the computer, and to indicate a region within the macroscopic image associated with the field of view of the tissue imagable by the confocal imager.

Abstract: A confocal imaging microscope, especially for the cellular imaging of the skin at selected locations, is ergonomic in use, compact, and positionable at the locations thereby providing for patient comfort during imaging. The head (28) contains an integrated assembly of the optical and mechanical components of the microscope. The assembly includes a main chassis plate (82). The optical components are mounted principally on one side of the plate while a PC board (130) is mounted on the opposite side of the plate. The board (130) mounts the electronic components, including interfaces, a microprocessor (222), and drivers (206, 208, 210) for motors (105, 106, 108) which control scanning and may also control fine positioning of the locations being imaged. The head (28) is detachable from the arm for manual disposition which is useful when imaging, not only the skin but other tissues, especially for research in investigating living processes at the cellular level.

Abstract: A handheld confocal imaging system for in vivo observation of dermal and subdermal tissue allows diagnosis of conditions substantially beneath the surface of the skin. A confocal head has optics which scan the tissue so as to provide images of vertical sections of the tissue. Both two and three dimensional imaging may be provided for diagnosis and location of basal cell carcinomas and melanomas, and so as to enable visualization of tumor borders prior to excision.

Abstract: A system is provided for marking on a recording medium (36), such as a label, the location of imaged tissue with respect to an exposed surface of the tissue (34). Tissue is imaged by a microscope (11) capable of imaging sections of the tissue below the exposed tissue surface through optics. A ring (32) applied to the surface of the tissue stabilizes the tissue to the optics and localizes a portion of the tissue surface through an aperture in the ring. An actuator (38) is connected to both the ring and the microscope for moving the ring to adjust the position of the tissue with respect to the optics, thereby allowing an operator of the system to survey different images of tissue sections with the microscope.

Abstract: A system and method for enhancing images of ex-vivo or in-vivo tissue produced by confocal microscopy, optical coherence tomography, two-photon microscopy, or ultrasound, is provided by applying to the tissue a solution or gel having an effective concentration of citric or other alpha-hydroxy acid which enhances tissue structures, such as cellular nuclei, in such images. Such concentration may be 3-20% acid, and preferably 5% acid.

Abstract: A confocal scanning microscope system (10) using cross polarization effects and an enhancement agent (acetic acid) to enhance confocal microscope reflectance images of the nuclei of BCCs (basal cell carcinomas) and SCCs (squamous cell carcinomas) in the confocal reflectance images of excised tumor slices. The confocal scanning microscope system having a laser (11) for generating an illumination beam (12), a polygon mirror (18) for scanning the beam to a tissue sample (22) and for receiving a returned beam from the tissue sample and detector (28) for detecting the returned beam to form an image. The system further includes a half-wave plate (13) having a rotatable stage (14) and a quarter-wave plate (21) having a rotatable stage (20) disposed in the optical path of the illumination beam and at least a linear polarizer (24) having a rotatable stage (25) disposed in the optical path of the returned beam from the tissue sample.

Abstract: A confocal imaging microscope, especially for the cellular imaging of the skin at selected locations. An imaging head (28) is gimble mounted on a multi-axis compound arm (34) to allow for precise placement of a confocal objective (116) extending from the head at selected locations against the skin of the patient. The arm (34) attaches the head to an upright station (10) which may be movable along the floor on which the station is disposed. The station (10) has a platform (16) on which a keyboard (24) and a display (22) for monitoring the images is supported. The head (28) contains an integrated assembly of the optical and mechanical components of the microscope, which control scanning and may also control fine positioning of the locations being imaged. The head (28) is detachable from the arm for manual disposition.

Abstract: Automatic gain control is provided for a confocal imaging system to improve the quality of images produced by the system. The confocal imaging system utilizes an illumination source, such as a laser, to produce illumination which enables imaging of an object. The automatic gain control is provided by an automatic gain controller which receives a raster scan video of two-dimensional frames of images from the confocal imaging system, converts the raster scan video into pixels, where each pixel has a brightness value, and then counts, in each frame, the number of pixels which are too bright, the number of pixels which are too dim, and the total number of pixels.

Abstract: In order to determine, rapidly and without the delay required by conventional tissue preparation techniques for pathological examination (freezing, sectioning, staining, etc.), whether, an excision, which may be a biopsy sample, is representative of the morphology of interest of whether an excisional biopsy in which the tissue taken completely removes the abnormality is, in either case, the tissue which is desired to be excisioned, the tissue specimen (18) in encapsulated, preferably as part of the biopsy procedure. The encapsulated tissue is contained in an optically transparent cassette (34). The cassette (34) or an endcap (38) enclosing the cassette is marked with a fiducial (40) indicating and corresponding to the location of the excision on the patient's body.

Abstract: An improved system for confocal imaging within dermal tissue of a patient is provided which minimizes instability in confocal images by reducing the relative motion of the tissue with respect to the confocal imaging optics of the system. The system includes a mechanism for maintaining an area of skin tissue under stress by application of force at the edges of the area, and an imaging head coupled to this mechanism for imaging the stressed skin. The mechanism includes a mechanical structure, such as a platen, brace, or attachment, which both supports the imaging head of the system and applies stress to a limited surface area of the tissue to minimize skin motion during confocal imaging.

Abstract: A display (34) provides from digital images of an excised tissue specimen the orientation and location of tissue and regions of interest (cancers). Images of slices through excised specimen are obtained using a confocal microscope (10) to obtain confocal maps to provide a mosaic of images each of which corresponds to a different map element. A macroscopic image of significant map elements and high resolution images of selected elements are provided to locate and mark regions which are cancerous thereby assisting the surgeon to excise such regions.

Abstract: An improved system for cellular surgery which includes a laser for producing a laser beam, and confocal optics for scanning and focusing the laser beam in tissue and generating confocal images of the tissue in accordance with returned light from the tissue. The confocal images are visualized on a display. The system includes a controller for enabling the operator to select one or more cells of the tissue in the displayed confocal images for surgical treatment. The controller operates the laser and confocal optics in a first mode to treat the tissue when the confocal optics focus the laser beam at least one region associated with the selected cells in the tissue, but at all other times operates the laser and confocal optics in a second mode which does not damage the tissue.

Abstract: A system using cross polarization effects and an enhancement agent having citric or other similar alpha hydroxy acid to enhance confocal microscope reflectance images and particularly images of the nuclei of BCCs (basal cell carcinomas) and SCCs (squamous cell carcinomas) in the confocal reflectance images of excised tumor slices obtained during Mohs surgery by illuminating the tissue being imaged (a tumor slice) using polarized light. The reflected illumination is passed to a polarization analyzer, which passes the polarization component which is crossed with respect to the polarization of the illuminating light. The light from the analyzer is passed through the confocal aperture and detected. The section of the tissue either at the surface or within the tissue is scanned and the reflectance image is produced with enhanced visualization of the cellular or nuclear structure thereof thereby enabling determination of the extent of the tumor (cancerous cells) in the section.