Optical spectroscopic device for the identification of cervical cancer
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.
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The present application, pursuant to 35 U.S.C. 111(b), claims the benefit of the earlier filing date of provisional application Ser. No. 60/966,382 filed Aug. 27, 2007, and entitled “Medical Examination Device” and provisional application Ser. No. 60/999,095 filed Oct. 16, 2007, and entitled “Apparatus for Optical Spectroscopic Identification of Cancer in Clinical Use.”
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a medical device for use in a clinical environment that utilizes optical spectroscopic means for the identification of cervical pre-cancerous and cancerous conditions. More particularly, the present invention relates to a medical examination apparatus having an illumination source, an optical probe, a visualization unit, a detector, and a processing unit for identifying pre-cancerous and cancerous conditions.
2. Description of the Related Art
Cervical cancer is the second most common malignancy in women worldwide. The mortality associated with cervical cancer can be reduced if this disease is detected at the early stages of development or at the pre-cancerous state. A pap smear is used to screen the general female population for cervical cancer with more than 70 million performed each year in the United States. In spite of its broad acceptance as a screening test for cervical cancer, pap smears probably fail to detect 50-80% 0f low grade cancerous lesions and about 15-30% of high grade lesions.
While the pap smear is designed for initial screening, colposcopy and related procedures are typically used to confirm pap smear abnormalities and to grade cancerous and potential cancerous lesions. Although it is generally recognized that colposcopy is highly effective in evaluating patients with abnormal pap smears, colposcopy has its own limitations. Conventional colposcopy is a subjective assessment based on the visual observation of the clinician and the quality of the results depends greatly on the expertise of the practitioner.
Commercially available colposcopes are large free-standing instruments and are generally maintained in a single location (i.e., one examination room). Furthermore, colposcopes are expensive and are typically shared by multiple doctors. Accordingly, when a colposcopic examination is required, the patient has to be brought to the colposcope. Based on the limited availability of the colposcope, a special appointment time separate from the initial appointment is usually required resulting in additional time and cost to a patient as well as delayed examinations.
Accordingly, a portable apparatus, which allows for a close-up visual medical examination would be advantageous for providing an examination without relocation of the patient or providing a separate appointment time. Such an apparatus should be readily useable and economical, thereby making diagnosis and treatment more readily available and cost efficient.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONOne embodiment of the invention provides a medical examination device used for the detection of pre-cancerous and cancerous tissue having an illumination source, a visualization unit, a contacting optical probe, a detector and a process unit. A preferred embodiment of the apparatus includes both a non-contacting macroscopic viewing device (the visualization unit) for visualizing the cervix, as well as a fiber optic wand (contacting optical probe) for spectrally analyzing a microscopic view of the tissue.
A second embodiment of the invention is 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 a first direction or in a second direction; a visualization unit that receives the beam of light directed in the first direction from the illumination source and radiates a tissue with the received beam of light, the visualization unit visualizes a macroscopic view of the tissue from the light emanating from the tissue illuminated with the beam of light; 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 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 and transmits the light to a detector for spectral analysis.
Another embodiment of the present invention is a medical examination device comprising: an illumination source, wherein the illumination source includes a lamp and a plurality of selectably engaged filters for preparing a beam of light with a selected wavelength; a light beam directing device for directing the beam of light into 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 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 with a distal end of the probe, and wherein the collection fiber optic strand receives the light emanating from the tissue illuminated with the second beam of light and transmits the light to a detector for spectral analysis.
Yet another embodiment of the present invention is a method of screening for cervical cancer using spectral analysis comprising the steps of: illuminating a portion of a cervix with a first beam of light; visualizing a macroscopic view of the cervix from the light emanating from the tissue illuminated with the first beam of light; examining the macroscopic view of the cervix to select a tissue site for further investigation; placing a distal end of a fiber optic probe in contact with the selected tissue site while visualizing the macroscopic view of the cervix; transmitting a second beam of light though a fiber optic cable to illuminate the selected tissue site with the second beam of light to generate fluorescence or reflectance light at the selected tissue site; collecting the generated fluorescence or reflectance light; conducting a spectral analysis of the collected light using a spectrometer; and examining the spectral analysis to determine if the selected tissue site is cancerous.
The foregoing has outlined rather broadly several embodiments of the present invention in order that the detailed description of the invention that follows may be better understood. Additional features and advantages of the invention will be described hereinafter which form the subject of the claims of the invention. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the conception and the specific embodiment disclosed might be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or redesigning the structures for carrying out the same purposes as the invention. It should be realized by those skilled in the art that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.
For a more complete understanding of the present invention, and the advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for obtaining diagnostic evaluations of potential precancerous tissues and cancerous tumors on externally exposed body surfaces. Specifically, the apparatus is suitable for the identification of skin cancers, oral cancers and cervical cancers. The configuration of the apparatus may be specifically arranged depending on the anatomical location of the potential cancer. By way of example, a preferred embodiment of the apparatus for the diagnosis of cervical cancer includes both a non-contacting colposcope (a macroscopic visualization unit) and a contacting fiber optic wand (a microscopic spectral analysis unit).
A colposcope is a device that provides a magnified view of an illuminated area of the cervix, the vagina or the vulva. Cancer and precancerous conditions are usually indicated by the differing appearance of tissues, including for example the presence of abnormal vessels and whitening after application of acetic acid. Cancer is also indicated by different fluorescence than that of normal tissue.
As illustrated in
The Illumination Source
One of the basic components of the medical examination device is the illumination source 100. The illumination source includes a lamp 105, an emergency shutter 102, optional filters and a light directing device.
One embodiment of the lamp 105 is a Xenon or Mercury arc lamp, while other embodiments include LEDs (light emitting diodes), a Helium Cadmium laser, a halogen lamp, and the like. For example, one embodiment uses a plurality of selectable LEDs. Since LEDs are available that emit a variety of colors or emitted wavelength bands, the use of one or more LEDs can be used to provide the desired wavelength band of the light beam emitted.
The generated light is typically transmitted via a liquid light guide and/or fiber optic cable. The schematic representation of the examination device shown in
The illumination source also includes a light directing device that directs the light to either the visualization unit 200 or the optical probe 300. The medical examination device uses the same illumination source to provide the light beam for the visualization unit 200 or the optical probe 300. The light directing device selectably uses the illumination source for either the visualization unit 200 or the optical probe 300. An advantage of using a single illumination source for both the visualization unit 200 and the optical probe 300 is that the light beam from the light source can be selectably conditioned or filtered at one location before the beam is directed to the visualization unit 200 or the optical probe 300.
A preferred embodiment of the light directing device can reciprocably direct the emitted light beam in either a first direction to the visualization unit 200 or in a second direction to the optical probe 300. For example, one such embodiment of the light directing device is illustrated in
The mirror 120 is biased into the 1st mirror position 122. The 1st mirror position 122 is up and allows the light beam to continue in a forward horizontal direction to enter the excitation fibers 310 of the wand fiber bundle 302. The mirror 120 is moved into the 2nd mirror position 124 whenever the solenoid 130 is selectably actuated. The 2nd mirror position 124 reflects the light upward to the mirror 210 in the visualization unit 200 which then reflects the light beam 97 to the tissue 99 for assessment by the visualization unit 200. One advantage of using the reciprocable mirror as the light directing device is that a greater percentage of the light intensity is delivered to the tissue than when the light is directed using a beam splitter or dichroic mirror.
An alternative embodiment of the light directing device is shown in
Commonly the generated light is conditioned and/or filtered with optical lenses and filters to obtain the desired wavelength band for the light beam used for the medical examination. The light is optionally conditioned or filtered using either one or more selected lenses or filters, or one or more actuated filter wheels containing a number of filters. If the light beam is to be conditioned using a lens and/or a filter, the lens or filter is typically positioned between the lamp 105 emitting the light beam and the light directing device.
The embodiment illustrated in
Fluorescent and/or reflectance spectra are typically used to characterize the pre-cancerous or cancerous condition of the tissue being examined. One or more excitation fluorescence bandwidths may be used, such as 455-465 nm, 410-430 nm, 375-385 nm and/or 340-360 nm, to excite the tissue. Similarly if reflectance is used to examine the tissue, then white light (400-700 nm), or narrower bands such as 455-465 nm, 410-430 nm or 550-590 nm may be used to illuminate the tissue. Parallel and/or cross-polarized light may also be used to enhance different tissue structures.
The Visualization Unit
The visualization unit 200 provides a wide field macroscopic view of the tissue 99. The visualization unit 200 is a non-contacting viewer of the tissue 99 and includes an ocular viewer, like a colposcope, and is referred to herein as the colposcope mode. The visualization unit 200 may optionally include a camera 230. Preferred embodiments will typically include a binocular viewer 250 and an electronic digital camera 230 for displaying, capturing and storing reflectance and fluorescence images of the illuminated tissue 99.
One embodiment of the visualization unit 200 shown in
The nature of the light beam 98 will depend on the nature of the impinging light beam 97. For example, if the light beam 97 is white light, then the returning light beam 98 is reflected light. Alternatively, if the light beam 97 is fluorescent light that impinges on the surface of the tissue 99 causing it to fluoresce, then the light beam 98 will be the resultant fluorescence from the tissue 99.
A second embodiment of the visualization unit 200 is illustrated in
Alternatively, the same location on the sample may be viewed simultaneously through the ocular viewer 240 and the camera 230 by removing the beam splitter 128 and independently adjusting the optics of the camera 230 and the ocular device 240.
The Fiber Optic Wand
The fiber optic wand or probe 300 provides a microscopic view of a specific site on the tissue 99. The fiber optic wand 300 is a contacting optical probe that delivers a light beam 95 to the tissue 99 via an array of multiple fiber optic excitation strands or fibers 310 and collects the emanated light 95 from the tissue with one or more fiber optic collection strands or fibers 312.
An oblique view of the optical probe 300 is shown in
A continuous bi-directional fiber optic bundle 302 runs through the handle 380 and the shaft 370 to the transverse distal end 310 of the shaft 370. The fiber optic bundle 302 may be constructed with any number of excitation 310 and collection fibers 312 in any configuration. A cross section of one embodiment of the fiber optic bundle 302 is shown in
The optical probe 300 has an optional disposable sheath 350 for isolating the shaft 370 from the tissue sample, when the wand 300 is to be used in the clinic. The distal tip 355 of the sheath 350 is used to contact the tissue specimen of interest. The sheath 350 and/or its distal tip 355 is constructed of a material that is non- or minimally light scattering and transparent to the emitted wavelength band of light used for the spectrographic investigation and any reflected or fluorescent light passing back into the wand from the tissue 99. In addition, the material should generate minimal autofluorescence. It should be noted here that when the disposable sheath 350 is positioned on the probe 300 that it is considered a part of the probe and the distal end 355 of the sheath 350 becomes the distal end of the probe 300.
The Detector Unit
The detector unit 400 is used to analyze the collected light emanating from the tissue 99 that is transmitted through the collection or reception strand(s) 312 through fiber optic cable 74. Typically, the detector unit 400 obtains the spectra of the light beam 96 received from the wand 300. The detector unit is primarily a spectrometer 400, although it may include optical components for conditioning and filtering the spectral data transmitted through the collection fiber(s) 312. Such optical components may be a motor actuated collection filter wheel 410 as shown in
The Processor Unit
The processing unit 500 includes a computer and/or one or more controllers (hereinafter referred to as the computer/controller 580). The processing unit 500 is programmed to configure the operating mechanical and optical components of the medical examination device that are not manually operated. In addition, the computer/controller 580 processes measured and derived data and is able to store and/or transfer such data.
Typically the medical examination device has a computer that coordinates the overall operation of the device and saves patient data, as well as several controllers for activating components such as the solenoid 130 for moving the mirror 120 or activating the motors for positioning the filter wheels to align the desired filter/lens into a beam of light.
One embodiment of the computer/controller 580 and its interaction with other components of the medical device system is shown in
The bidirectional data line 73 from the computer/controller 580 to the user interface 550 permits the input of instructions to the computer/controller 580 and the reporting of status to the user through the user interface 550. Furthermore, a data line 68 from the spectrometer 400 to the computer/controller 580 permits data from the spectrometer 400 to be processed by the computer/controller 580 and then stored.
The Power Supply
The power supply 600 for the medical examination device may either be a rechargeable battery pack or supplied through an electrical cord.
Referring to
In
The lamp 105 may be located in the base unit 710 or the viewer unit 701, depending on the amount of heat generated by the lamp and the heat's dissipation by fans, heat sinks, heat pipes, and the like. Too much heat can adversely affect the life of the lamp 105, as well as the electronics in the spectrometer 400 and in the computer/controller 580.
The visualization unit 200, as see in the schematic representation of
In this first embodiment 700, the lamp 105 is positioned in the visualization unit 200. Fiber optic cable 66 transmits light from the lamp 105 through any selected lenses/filters and to the light directing device. The beam of light is then directed either in a first direction to the tissue 99 as beam 97, or the beam of light is directed to the excitation fibers 310 of the wand fiber optic cable 302 and transmitted to the tissue 99 as beam 95.
Reflectance or fluorescence light from the target specimen 99 in response to beam 97 is returned in a beam 98 to the viewer unit 701, where it is filtered and visually displayed by binoculars 250 and photographed by an electronic camera 230. The camera data is transferred to the computer/controller 580, located in the base unit 710, by an instrument cable (not shown) and images of the tissue 99 from the returning beam 98 may be seen on an external display screen 92.
When the wand 300 of the device 700 is used, the light from the fiber-optic cable 66 is filtered and then focused into the bidirectional fiber optic cable 302. Excitation fibers 310 of the fiber optic cable 302 transfers that light to the wand 300, where it is emitted in a beam 95 upon the target tissue 99.
The light reflected back in a beam 96 from the tissue 99 typically has a different spectral content that the incident light, depending on the character of the cells illuminated in the specimen. This reflected light is transmitted back through the collection fiber(s) 312 of the fiber optic cable 302 to the spectrometer 400 in the base unit 710. The spectrometer 400 is in communication with the computer/controller 580, which is typically positioned in the base unit 710. The computer/controller 580 is generally used to analyze the spectral data obtained from the spectrometer 400 and stored in the data storage device 91.
The base unit 710 has a housing 79 which is mounted on a three leg base 75. The base 75 has three approximately equispaced horizontal arms, two of which have nonswiveling fixed casters 76, while the third has a swiveling caster 17 which can be selectably locked.
Extending vertically from the base 75 is a right circular cylindrical tubular mast mount 77. At its upper end, the mast mount 77 is an aperture mounting a mast 78. At the upper end of the mast mount 77 is located a mast height adjustment and lock 9. The mast height adjustment and lock 9 consists of a radially inwardly extending screw with an enlarged handle which is manually operated to loosen or tighten the lock 9 against the mast 78.
The housing 79 mounted on the base unit 710 is typically a blow-molded plastic box having a rectangular horizontal cross-section and a horizontal flat bottom, along with rounded corners. The long horizontal dimension of the housing 79 is oriented with the radially extending horizontal leg of the three-leg base 75 upon which it is mounted. The upper face of the housing 79 slopes slightly downwardly in a radial direction.
On its vertical rear face adjacent the mast mount 77, the housing 79 has an inwardly recessed mounting pocket in which are positioned electrical/electronic connection sockets such as communication ports 10, 60, 61, and 62. On its right side near the bottom is another recessed pocket where the electrical power cord 640 enters the housing 79. A main power switch is also positioned there. Various other penetrations for electrical and fiber-optical cables are provided as needed in the housing 79.
An array of cooling vents 16 is positioned on the rear vertical face of the housing 79 to assist in dissipating any excessive heat buildup within the housing. If necessary, a fan (not shown) can be provided inside the housing 79 to aid maintaining a suitable operating temperature within the housing 79.
An indicator light 12 is shown in
Planar tray 13 is parallel to and attached to the upper face of the housing 79 and provides additional working space for writing and the like, while a through hole in the right side of the tray provides a stowage position for the loose stabbing mounting of the wand 300. Additionally, the user interface 550 is mounted either to the upper side of housing 79 or to the upper side of tray 13.
The base unit 710 contains the electric power cord 640 in series with the main power switch 610 and a power supply 600. Power from the power supply 600 is fed to the user interface 550 via power cable 59e, to the computer/controller 580 by cable 59b, to the spectrometer 400 by cable 59c, to the xenon arc lamp 105 by cable 59d, and to the viewer unit 701 by power cable 59a.
The computer/controller 580 is programmed to configure the operating mechanical and optical components of the viewer unit 701 and the base unit 710 that are not manually operated. In addition, the computer/controller 580 processes measured and derived spectral data from the spectrometer 400 and then stores, calculates and/or transfers such data.
The computer/controller 580 has communication ports 10, 60, 61, and 62 respectively connected to data lines 72, 71, 70, and 69. A number of optional external electronic accessories are useable with the examination device 700.
The wand 300 has an elongated central small diameter hollow right circular cylindrical stainless steel shaft 370 which is coaxial with the bidirectional fiber optic cable 302 and a coaxial rectangular cross-section handle 380 located at the proximal end of the wand 300. Handle 380 mounts a switch 360 on one side for selectably activating data acquisition by the device.
The distal end of the shaft 370 is reduced in diameter. A continuous bidirectional coaxial light path is provided by fiber optic cable 302 through the handle 380 and the shaft 370 to the transverse distal end 310 of the shaft 370. When in clinical use, a close fitting tubular transparent disposable plastic sheath 350 having a thin transverse distal end 355 is typically interposed over the shaft 370 for sanitary reasons.
The light used by the wand 300 is transmitted to and from the device 700 over the bidirectional fiber optic cable 302. Reflected or emitted light received from the illuminated target tissue 99 is received by a single centrally positioned reception fiber 312 and sent to the spectrometer 400. The coaxial emission fibers 310 that surround the reception fiber 312 send light passed from the viewer unit 701 to the wand 300.
The viewer unit 701 is mounted on top of the extendable mast 78. The viewer unit 701 in turn supports the wand 300. The viewer unit 701 serves a light distribution and capture function for the overall apparatus 700.
The viewer unit 701 has, from its lower end, a tilt and tilt lock adjustment 7 attached to the top end of the extendable mast 78 of the base unit 710, a fine focus and focus lock adjustment 6, and a housing 120 which supports and contains most of the subassemblies and components of the viewer unit 701.
The housing 120 of the viewer unit 701 is hollow and made of blow-molded plastic so that its corners are rounded. The lower portion of housing 120 has a rectangular horizontal cross-section which linearly tapers upwardly where it joins an enlarged upper head portion. The upper head portion extends slightly forward and a relatively larger distance rearward. The upper head is tapered so that it widens and gets taller as it extends rearwardly from the front vertical face. A vertically elongated window 5 is centrally located on the forward vertical face of the upper head, while the rearward vertical face has a central recess where the binocular 250 viewing unit and its rearwardly horizontally extending binocular eyepieces are mounted. The housing 120 is pierced in its lower section to admit the power cable 59a and one or more other electrical data cables (not shown) into the interior of housing 120.
The user interface 550 is shown in
Referring to
On the left side of the user interface 550 below the new patient button switch 21, a view button switch 24, a display wand button switch 25, and a display image button switch 26 are sequentially downwardly positioned. These operator selectable switches provide operator instructions to the computer/controller 580. On the right side of the user interface 550 below the patient completion button switch 22, an up button switch 27, a select/acquire button switch 28, and a down button switch 29 are sequentially downwardly positioned.
The LCD display has several different text or symbolical status displays which are programmed to appear in predetermined locations on the display. These symbols are illustrated in
When the visualization unit 200 is on and the display image 26 is pressed, the macroscopic image of the illuminated area of the cervix is displayed through the ocular viewer, the camera, or an external monitor display.
In
A second embodiment 800 of the medical examination device is seen in use in an oblique side view in
The second embodiment of the examination device 800 consists of a viewer unit 803, a base unit 801, and a wand 300 as interconnected primary subassemblies. The base unit 801 is functionally similar to base unit 710 of the first embodiment 700, although the base unit is repackaged in order to permit it to stow more compactly and the casters are eliminated. The wand in the device 800 is substantially similar to wand of the first device embodiment 700, except that the wand extends from the base unit 801 rather than the viewer unit 803.
The light directing device illustrated in
A third, simplified embodiment 900 of the examination device is seen in use in an oblique side view in
It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the conception and the specific embodiment disclosed might be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or redesigning the structures for carrying out the same purposes as the invention. It should be realized by those skilled in the art that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.
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 a first direction or in a second direction;
- a visualization unit that receives the beam of light directed in the first direction from the illumination source and radiates a tissue with the received beam of light, the visualization unit visualizes a macroscopic view of the tissue from the light emanating from the tissue illuminated with the beam of light;
- 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 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 and transmits the light to a detector for spectral analysis.
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 light directing device includes a beam splitter.
6. The medical examination device of claim 1, wherein the visualization unit includes an occular device for visualizing the macroscopic view of the tissue.
7. The medical examination device of claim 1, wherein the visualization unit includes a camera for recording the macroscopic view 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 engaged filters for preparing a beam of light with a selected wavelength;
- a light beam directing device for directing the beam of light into 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 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 with a distal end of the probe, and wherein the collection fiber optic strand receives the light emanating from the tissue illuminated with the second beam of light and transmits the light to a detector for spectral analysis.
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 light directing device includes a beam splitter.
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.
26. A method of screening for cervical cancer using spectral analysis comprising the steps of:
- illuminating a portion of a cervix with a first beam of light;
- visualizing a macroscopic view of the cervix from the light emanating from the tissue illuminated with the first beam of light;
- examining the macroscopic view of the cervix to select a tissue site for further investigation;
- placing a distal end of a fiber optic probe in contact with the selected tissue site while visualizing the macroscopic view of the cervix;
- transmitting a second beam of light though a fiber optic cable to illuminate the selected tissue site with the second beam of light to generate fluorescence or reflectance light at the selected tissue site;
- collecting the generated fluorescence or reflectance light;
- conducting a spectral analysis of the collected light using a spectrometer; and
- examining the spectral analysis to determine if the selected tissue site is cancerous.
27. The medical examination device of claim 26, wherein the first 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.
28. The medical examination device of claim 26, wherein the first 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.
29. The medical examination device of claim 28, wherein the beam of light is polarized or unpolarized.
30. The medical examination device of claim 26, 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.
31. The medical examination device of claim 26, 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.
32. The medical examination device of claim 31, wherein the beam of light is polarized or unpolarized.
Type: Application
Filed: Aug 25, 2008
Publication Date: Mar 5, 2009
Applicant: Remicalm, LLC (Houston, TX)
Inventor: Andres Felipe Zuluaga (Houston, TX)
Application Number: 12/229,541
International Classification: A61B 6/00 (20060101); A61B 1/06 (20060101);