Abstract: The present invention relates to a medical needle which comprises an elongate tube and at least one optical fiber, e.g. two fibers, arranged within the elongate tube, for making optical measurements at the distal end of the needle. The optical fibers(s) has a beveled distal end surface, wherein a plane touching the beveled distal end surface and a longitudinal extension axis of the optical fiber forms a bevel angle which is 30°-35°. Such needle is advantageous for providing a medical needle which is reliable and long term stable, can be manufactured in low cost using known optical fiber materials, thus allowing it to form part of disposable medical kits. Still, the bevel angle of 30°-35° provides a needle which is easy to insert and which provides a low tendency to cause tissue sticking. Especially, the elongate tube and the optical fiber end(s) have the same beveled angle within the range 30°-35°, thus allowing a smooth front surface of the needle.

Abstract: A biopsy device is provided comprising a tubular member, a hollow shaft and an elongated fiber body. The hollow shaft may have a distal end and a shaft, wherein a laterally (sidewardly) facing notch is formed in the distal portion of the shaft. The elongated fiber body may include at least one optical fiber, preferably at least two optical fibers, with a distal end. The tubular member is movable relative to the shaft, between a first position in which the notch is covered by the tubular member, and a second position in which the notch is not covered by the tubular member. The fiber body is movable within the shaft, between a first position in which the distal end of the optical fiber is located at the distal end of the shaft with the elongated fiber body extending through the notch, and a second position in which the distal end of the at least one optical fiber is located proximally to the notch.

Abstract: A needle comprises an elongated first shaft element with a C-shaped cross section and an elongated second shaft element with a C-shaped cross section. The first shaft element and the second shaft element are adapted to be detachably connected to each other. This is achieved by an overlap of respective end sections of the first and second shaft elements. Within the channel formed by the shaft elements, an optical probe may be accommodated from which the shaft elements may be removed by separating the two shaft elements from each other.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a medical needle which comprises a needle (1) having at least one channel (21), at least one optical waveguide (22) and a syringe connector (20). The syringe connector (20) is in communication with the at least one channel (21) and permits further communication with an additional syringe (25), thereby permitting the correspondence of fluid between the syringe (25) and the tip of the needle (1). The optical waveguides (22) are arranged within the needle (1) in order to make optical measurements at the tip of the needle (1). The cross section of the distal end of the elongate tube (1) has a dividing line for each channel (21) which separates that channel (21) from the one or more optical waveguides (22).

Abstract: An electro-surgical system (100) with an optical feedback functionality for performing electro-surgery on tissue (200) of patient. An electro-surgical device (105) has an electrode portion (110) with an optical guide (114) integrated therein. An optical unit (160) performs optical characterization of tissue type and/or condition, and is arranged for performing an analysis of the tissue type and/or condition. A control unit (170) generates a feedback control signal (FEEDCON) based on the analysis of the tissue type and/or condition, optical guide allows inspecting the tissue that is e.g. just a few millimeters ahead of the electrode portion (110) performing e.g. the cutting. As a result of the fast and reliable analysis performed by the spectrometer in the optical unit according to the present invention, the system can proactively react to what kind of tissue is in front of the electro-surgical portion i.e. the ‘blade’ of the electro-surgical device or the electro-surgical ‘knife’.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus 100 and, a method and a computer program for determining a first parameter indicative of a concentration of lycopene. In particular, the invention relates to an apparatus 100 comprising a spectrometer 02, which spectrometer comprises a light source 104 and a detector 106, 108 arranged to measure an optical spectrum via an interventional device 112. This enables determination of a first parameter being indicative of a lycopene concentration. Lycopene concentration may serve as a discriminative feature for different tissue types, such as the prostate organ and associated structures. The apparatus may in a specific embodiment be arranged to determine a second parameter indicative of a tissue type based on a concentration of lycopene. According to a specific embodiment, the apparatus relies on Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy (DRS).

Abstract: The invention relates to an imaging apparatus (1). First and second image providing units (2, 9) provide a first image showing a region of an object, which includes a resection part to be resected, and a second image showing the region of the object, after the resection procedure has been performed, or showing a resected part, which has been resected. A smallest margin determination unit (13) determines a smallest margin region being a region where a margin between the resection part and the resected part is smallest based on the first and second images. The smallest margin region is the region which most likely contains a part of the object, which should have been resected, like a cancerous part. An optionally following investigation of the resected part or of the remaining object can be more focused by considering this region, thereby allowing for faster corresponding assessing procedures.

Abstract: The invention relates to a detection apparatus (30) for determining a state of tissue. The detection apparatus (30) comprises a fluorescence spectrum providing unit (2, 3) for providing a fluorescence spectrum of the tissue, a differentiation unit (4) for generating a derivative of the fluorescence spectrum, and a tissue state determination unit (5) for determining the state of the tissue from the derivative. This allows determining the state of the tissue, even if characteristics, which are related to the state of the tissue, are only hardly visible or not visible at all in the fluorescence spectrum. The reliability of determining the state of the tissue, for instance, whether the tissue is cancerous or not, can therefore be improved.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a medical probe which consists of a cannula with a multilumen stylet inside. The multilumen contains at least two lumen. Both the multilumen as well as the cannula may have beveled ends. In the lumen straight optical fibers (i.e.no angle end face) are present that can be connected at the proximal end to a console. The cannula, multilumen, fiber system forming the medical probe comprises at least in one of the lumen of the multilumen more than one optical fiber. Preferably the source and detector fibers for the fluorescence detection are contained in one single lumen of the multilumen.

Abstract: An infrared radiant heating system for raising or maintaining a uniform core temperature of the body of a patient during surgery, substantially without affecting the temperature of the area surrounding the patient's body, includes an infrared radiant heater located near the patient to provide radiant heat to the entire body or one or more parts of the body of the patient. The system further includes a controller in communication with the heater for controlling the intensity level and distribution of intensity of the radiant heat on the patient's body such that the skin temperature of the patient's body is raised or maintained within a predetermined range resulting in the uniform core body temperature, substantially without affecting the temperature of the area surrounding the patient's body.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus 100 and, a method and a computer program for determining a parameter indicative of a tissue type of an associated tissue 116. In particular, the invention relates to an apparatus 100 comprising a spectrometer 102, which spectrometer comprises a light source 104 and a detector 106, 108 arranged to measure an optical spectrum. This enables determination of a first parameter being indicative of a bile concentration. As the inventors of the present invention have made the insight that bile concentration may serve as a discriminative feature for different tissue types, the apparatus is arranged to determine a second parameter indicative of a tissue type based on a concentration of bile. According to a specific embodiment, the apparatus further comprises an interventional device 112.

Abstract: The invention relates to an energy application planning apparatus for planning an application of energy to an object (3) like a tumor. An energy application element representation represents an energy application element (5) like an ablation needle including an energy application part for applying energy and a sensing part (7). An arrangement of the energy application element (5) with respect to the object (3) is determined depending on the positions of the energy application part and the sensing part (7) with respect to the energy application element (5) as defined by the energy application element representation and depending on the object representation. The application of energy can therefore not only be planned such that the application of energy is performed as desired, but also such that the object and/or a surrounding of the object are sensible as desired. In this way, the planning procedure can be improved.

Abstract: A needle is proposed including a cannula or hollow shaft with a multilumen insert inside. The insert comprises at least two lumen. Both the insert as well as the cannula have bevelled ends. In the insert substantially straight cleaved fibers are present that may be connected at the proximal end to a console. At least one of the distal fiber ends in the insert may protrude more than half the fiber diameter out of the insert. Furthermore, the bevel angle of the insert is different from the bevel angle of the cannula such that combination cannula and insert is such that the fiber ends do not protrude the bevel surface of the cannula.

Abstract: In order to improve fluorescence measurements, there is provided an apparatus and, a method and a computer program for optical analysis of an associated tissue sample, the apparatus comprising a spectrometer comprising an optical detector, a light source, a first light emitter 219 arranged for emitting photons into the associated tissue sample, a first light collector 221 arranged for receiving photons from the associated tissue sample, a second light emitter 223, a second light collector 225, wherein a reflectance spectrum is obtained via the first light emitter 219 and collector 221 and a fluorescence spectrum is obtained via the second light emitter 223 and collector 225, and where a first distance d1 between the first light emitter and collector is larger than a second distance d2 between the second light emitter and collector. By combining the data thus obtained, an intrinsic fluorescence spectrum may be obtained.

Abstract: The present invention deals with discrimination of malignant tissue from normal and benign tissue in a single patient on the basis of optical spectroscopic measurements. Starting from spectroscopic measurements in normal tissue, reference values are obtained for the normal class. With spectroscopic measurements in other tissues data points can be assigned to new class(es) when the spectral characteristics fall outside a threshold defining the reference class. Thresholds between different classes can also be defined. Finding (the transition to) malignant tissue is based on comparing the spectroscopic values to the classification threshold discriminating normal and benign versus malignant tissue. Thus, the basis of normal spectroscopic measurements is tuned to the individual patient characteristic. Discriminating the normal plus benign and malignant from that reference is more efficient compared to the reference of the all patient database.

Abstract: A needle comprises an elongated first shaft element with a C-shaped cross section and an elongated second shaft element with a C-shaped cross section. The first shaft element and the second shaft element are adapted to be detachably connected to each other. This is achieved by an overlap of respective end sections of the first and second shaft elements. Within the channel formed by the shaft elements, an optical probe may be accommodated from which the shaft elements may be removed by separating the two shaft elements from each other.

Abstract: An apparatus for depth-resolved measurements of properties of tissue includes an illuminator that illuminates the tissue with light, a collector for collecting light which has not been absorbed by the tissue, and a determination device configured to determine properties of the tissue in different depths from the collected light. A casing for advancing into a hollow object includes at least a part of the illuminator and collector. The illuminator and collector are configured to collect light depth-resolved, and the determination device is configured to determine depth-resolved properties of the tissue from the light which has been collected depth-resolved.

Abstract: A spectroscopic system for determining a property of a fluid flowing through a volume of interest underneath the surface of the skin of a patient is described. The spectroscopic system comprises: a probe head having an objective for directing an excitation beam into the volume of interest and for collecting return radiation from the volume of interest; a base station having a spectroscopic analysis unit and a power supply; and a cable connecting the probe head and the base station for transmission of the return radiation from the probe head to the base station and for providing the probe head with power from the power supply of the base station.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a system for extending microscopy information, where the microscopy information is image information from a first region (118) of an associated sample, the first region being imaged with an imaging system. The extension of the microscopy information originates from probing a larger second region (116) by photons which are emitted at an exit position (128) and collected at en entry position (130). The exit position and the entry position are spatially separated so that so that average spectral information of photons emitted from the exit position and collected at the entry position, is dependent on the second region (116) of the associated sample, the second region (116) being larger than the first region (118).

Abstract: A spectroscopic apparatus for determining a concentration and/or spatial gradient of an analyte of a bodily fluid that provides determination of a position of a capillary vessel within a biological sample in order to focus spectroscopic excitation radiation to a volume that is in close proximity to the capillary vessel but does not overlap with the capillary vessel. The provided apparatus exploits the permeability of the vessel wall with respect to an analyte that is subject to analyte concentration determination. By means of biological transport processes, the concentration of an analyte of a bodily fluid located in the capillary vessel influences the concentration in the surrounding of the capillary vessel. Spectroscopic analysis of a volume outside the capillary vessel can therefore serve for a precise and reliable analyte concentration determination inside the capillary vessel.