IPC분류정보
| 국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
| 국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
| 출원번호 |
UP-0983371
(2004-11-08)
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| 등록번호 |
US-7627365
(2009-12-16)
|
|
발명자
/ 주소 |
|
| 출원인 / 주소 |
- Non Invasive Technology Inc.
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| 대리인 / 주소 |
|
| 인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
14 인용 특허 :
107 |
초록
▼
An optical examination technique employs an optical system for in vivo non-invasive examination of breast tissue of a subject. The optical system includes an optical module, a controller and a processor. The optical module includes an array of optical input ports and optical detection ports located
An optical examination technique employs an optical system for in vivo non-invasive examination of breast tissue of a subject. The optical system includes an optical module, a controller and a processor. The optical module includes an array of optical input ports and optical detection ports located in a selected geometrical pattern to provide a multiplicity of photon migration paths inside the biological tissue. Each optical input port is constructed to introduce into the examined tissue visible or infrared light emitted from a light source. Each optical detection port is constructed to provide light from the tissue to a light detector. The controller is constructed and arranged to activate one or several light sources and light detectors so that the light detector detects light that has migrated over at least one of the photon migration paths. The processor receives signals corresponding to the detected light and forms at least two data sets, a first of said data sets representing blood volume in the examined tissue region and a second of said data sets representing blood oxygenation of the examined tissue. The processor is arranged to correlate the first and second data sets to detect abnormal tissue in the examined tissue.
대표청구항
▼
The invention claimed is: 1. An optical system for in vivo, non-invasive examination of breast tissue of a female subject comprising: at least one light source constructed to emit visible or infrared light and at least one light detector; an optical module including an array of optical input ports
The invention claimed is: 1. An optical system for in vivo, non-invasive examination of breast tissue of a female subject comprising: at least one light source constructed to emit visible or infrared light and at least one light detector; an optical module including an array of optical input ports and detection ports located in a selected geometrical pattern to provide a multiplicity of photon migration paths inside an examined region of breast tissue, said optical input ports being constructed to introduce visible or infrared light emitted from said at least one light source, said optical detection ports being constructed to receive photons of light that have migrated in the examined tissue region from at least one of said input ports and provide said received light to said at least one light detector; a controller constructed and arranged to control operation of said at least one light source and said at least one light detector to detect light that has migrated over at least one of said photon migration paths; and a processor connected to receive signals from said at least one light detector and programmed to form at least two data sets, wherein each data value of said at least two data sets corresponds to said detected light for a pair of said input and said detection ports, a first of said data sets representing blood volume in the examined tissue region and a second of said data sets representing blood oxygenation in the examined tissue region; said processor being programmed to calculate spatial congruence of said first and second data sets by calculating a maximum value of a difference between said blood volume and oxygenation data divided by a maximum normalized value to detect abnormal tissue in the examined tissue region. 2. The optical system of claim 1 wherein said processor is programmed to form said second data set that includes hemoglobin deoxygenation values. 3. The optical system of claim 1 wherein said processor is programmed to form a third data set being collected by irradiation of a reference breast tissue region. 4. The optical system of claim 1 wherein said processor is programmed to order said first and second data sets as two-dimensional images and to determine said congruence using a formula: 5. The optical system of claim 4 wherein said processor is further programmed to determine a location of said abnormal tissue within the examined tissue region. 6. The optical system of claim 1 wherein said processor is programmed to produce from said data sets an image data set by implementing an optical tomography algorithm. 7. The optical system of claim 6 wherein said processor is programmed to implement said optical tomography algorithm employing factors related to determined probability distribution of photons attributable to the scattering character of the tissue being imaged. 8. The optical system of claim 6 further including a display device constructed to receive said image data set from said processor and to display an image. 9. The optical system of claim 1 wherein said controller is constructed and arranged to activate said at least one light source and said at least one light detector at a first selected distance between said input and detection ports and said processor is programmed to form said data sets for said first distance. 10. The optical system of claim 9 wherein said processor is programmed to produce an image data set from said data sets formed for said first distance. 11. The optical system of claim 9 wherein said controller is further constructed and arranged to activate said at least one light source and said at least one light detector at a second distance between said input and detection ports and said processor is programmed to form said data sets for said second distance. 12. The optical system of claim 1 further comprising a first oscillator constructed to generate a first carrier waveform at a first frequency on the order of 108 Hz, said first frequency having a time characteristic compatible with the time delay of photon migration in the examined tissue region; said at least one light source being coupled to said first oscillator and constructed to generate said light modulated by said first carrier waveform; a phase detector constructed to determine change in a waveform of the detected light relative to the first carrier waveform of the introduced light and measure therefrom a phase shift of said detected light, said measured phase shift being indicative of scattering or absorptive properties of the examined tissue region; and said processor being programmed to form said data sets based on said measured phase shift. 13. The optical system of claim 12 further comprising a second oscillator constructed to generate a second waveform at a second frequency; said at least one light detector being a photomultiplier (PMT) arranged to receive a reference waveform at a reference frequency offset by a frequency on the order of 103 Hz from said first frequency and to produce a signal, at said offset frequency, corresponding to said detected light; and said phase detector being adapted to compare, at said offset frequency, the detected light with the introduced light and to determine therefrom said phase shift. 14. The optical system of claim 1 further comprising: an oscillator constructed to generate a first carrier waveform of a selected frequency compatible with time delay of photon migration in the examined tissue region; said at least one light source being connected to receive from said oscillator said first carrier waveform and constructed to generate light modulated at said frequency; a phase splitter connected to receive said first carrier waveform from said oscillator and produce first and second reference phase signals of predefined substantially different phases; first and second double balanced mixers connected to receive from said phase splitter said first and second reference phase signals, respectively, and connected to receive from said at least one light detector said detector signals and to produce therefrom a in-phase output signal and a quadrature output signal, respectively; and said processor being connected to said double balanced mixers and arranged to receive said in-phase output signal and said quadrature output signal and programmed to form therefrom said data sets. 15. The optical system of claim 14 wherein said processor is programmed to calculate a phase shift (⊖λ) between said light introduced at said optical input ports and said light detected at said optical detection ports prior to forming said data sets. 16. The optical system of claim 14 wherein said processor is programmed to calculate an average migration pathlength of photons scattered in the examined tissue between said optical input ports and said optical detection ports prior to forming said data sets. 17. The optical system of claim 16 wherein said processor is programmed to employ further said pathlength in quantifying hemoglobin saturation (Y) of the examined tissue. 18. The optical system of claim 14 wherein said processor is programmed to calculate a signal amplitude (Aλ) determined as a square root of a sum of squares of said in-phase output signal and said quadrature output signal prior to forming said data sets. 19. The optical system of claim 18 further comprising: a narrow band detector connected to receive from said at least one light detector said detector signals and to produce a DC output signal therefrom; and said processor is programmed to calculate a modulation index (Mλ) as a ratio of values of said signal amplitude and said signal amplitude plus said DC output signal. 20. The optical system of claim 1 further comprising: at least one oscillator constructed to generate a carrier waveform of a selected frequency, said at least one light source being operatively connected to said oscillator constructed to generate light of a visible or infrared wavelength, said light being intensity modulated at said frequency to achieve a known light pattern; said controller constructed to control the emitted light intensity or phase relationship of patterns simultaneously introduced from multiple input ports, said introduced patterns forming resulting light that possesses a substantial gradient of photon density in at least one direction, said resulting light being scattered and absorbed over said migration paths; said at least one light detector constructed and arranged to detect over time the resulting light that has migrated in the tissue to said detection port, and said processor being further programmed to process signals of said detected resulting light in relation to said introduced light to create said data sets indicative of influence of the examined tissue upon said substantial gradient of photon density of said resulting light. 21. The optical system of claim 20 further comprising a phase detector constructed to detect a phase of the detected light and provide said phase to said processor. 22. The optical system of claim 20 further comprising an amplitude detector constructed to detect an amplitude of the detected light and provide said amplitude to said processor. 23. The optical system of claim 20 wherein the phase relationship of light patterns introduced from two input ports is 180 degrees. 24. The optical system of claim 1 wherein said at least one light source produces relatively long light pulses and the processor is programmed to form said data sets by subtracting amplitude of two said pulses emitted from two input ports located symmetrically relative to one detection port. 25. The optical system of claim 1, wherein said at least one light source is constructed to emit photons of two wavelengths selected to provide sensitivity to a tissue constituent. 26. The optical system of claim 1 wherein said at least one light source is constructed to emit photons of two wavelengths providing sensitivity to a tissue constituent including an endogenous pigment. 27. The optical system of claim 1 wherein said at least one light source is constructed to emit photons of two wavelengths providing sensitivity to an endogenous pigment including hemoglobin. 28. The optical system of claim 1 wherein said at least one light source is constructed to emit photons of two wavelengths providing sensitivity to a tissue constituent including an exogenous pigment. 29. The optical system of claim 1 wherein said at least one light source is constructed to emit photons of two wavelengths providing sensitivity to an exogenous pigment including a selected contrast agent. 30. The optical system of claim 1, wherein said at least one light source includes a multiplicity of light sources embedded in said optical module and said at least one light detector includes a multiplicity of light detectors embedded in said optical module. 31. The optical system of claim 1, wherein said optical module includes several said detection ports equally spaced apart from each of said input ports. 32. The optical system of claim 1, wherein said optical module includes several said input ports equally spaced apart from each of said detection ports. 33. An optical system for in vivo, non-invasive examination of breast tissue of a female subject comprising: at least one light source constructed to emit visible or infrared light and at least one light detector; an optical module including an array of optical input ports and detection ports located in a selected geometrical pattern to provide a multiplicity of photon migration paths inside an examined region of breast tissue, said optical input ports being constructed to introduce visible or infrared light emitted from said at least one light source, said optical detection ports being constructed to receive photons of light that have migrated in the tissue from at least one of said input ports and provide said received light to said at least one light detector; a controller constructed and arranged to control operation of said at least one light source and said at least one light detector to detect light that has migrated over at least one of said photon migration paths; and a processor connected to receive signals from said at least one light detector and programmed to form at least two data sets, wherein each data value of said at least two data sets corresponds to said detected light for a pair of said input and said detection ports, a first of said data sets being collected by irradiating said examined tissue region of interest and a second of said data sets being collected by irradiating a reference tissue region having similar light scattering and absorptive properties as the examined tissue region for normal tissue, said processor being programmed to calculate spatial congruence of said first and second data sets by calculating a maximum value of a difference between said first of said data sets and said second of said data sets divided by a maximum normalized value to detect abnormal tissue in the examined tissue region. 34. The optical system of claim 33 wherein said processor is further programmed to calculate blood volume values for said first data set and said second data set and arranged to calculate said congruence for said blood volume values. 35. The optical system of claim 33 wherein said processor is further programmed arranged to calculate oxygenation values for said first data set and said second data set and is arranged to calculate said congruence for said oxygenation values. 36. The optical system of claim 33 wherein said at least one light source produces relatively long light pulses and the processor is programmed to form said data sets by subtracting amplitude of two said pulses emitted from two input ports located symmetrically relative to one detection port. 37. The optical system of claim 33, wherein said at least one light source is constructed to emit photons of two wavelengths selected to provide sensitivity to a tissue constituent. 38. The optical system of claim 33 wherein said at least one light source is constructed to emit photons of two wavelengths providing sensitivity to an endogenous pigment. 39. The optical system of claim 33 wherein said at least one light source is constructed to emit photons of two wavelengths providing sensitivity to an endogenous pigment including hemoglobin. 40. The optical system of claim 33 wherein said at least one light source is constructed to emit photons of two wavelengths providing sensitivity to an exogenous pigment. 41. The optical system of claim 33 wherein said at least one light source is constructed to emit photons of two wavelengths providing sensitivity to an exogenous pigment including a selected contrast agent. 42. The optical system of claim 33, wherein said at least one light source includes a multiplicity of light sources embedded in said optical module and said at least one light detector includes a multiplicity of light detectors embedded in said optical module. 43. The optical system of claim 33, wherein said optical module includes several said detection ports equally spaced apart from of each said input ports. 44. The optical system of claim 33, wherein said optical module includes several said input ports equally spaced apart from each of said detection ports. 45. An optical method for in viva, non-invasive examination of breast tissue of a female subject comprising: providing an optical module including an array of optical input ports and detection ports located in a selected geometrical pattern to provide a multiplicity of photon migration paths inside an examined region of breast tissue; placing said optical module on the breast of a female subject; introducing visible or infrared light from at least one of said optical input ports into the examined tissue region and receiving photons of light that have migrated in the examined tissue region to at least one of said detection ports; detecting said received photons by at least one light detector optically coupled to said at least one detection port; controlling said introducing and detecting steps to collect optical data corresponding to photons of light that have migrated between selected input and detection ports; processing said optical data to form at least two data sets, a first of said data sets representing blood volume in the examined tissue region and a second of said data sets representing blood oxygenation in the examined tissue region; and calculating spatial congruence of said first and second data sets by calculating a maximum value of a difference between said blood volume and oxygenation data divided by a maximum normalized value to detect abnormal tissue in the examined tissue region. 46. The method of claim 45 wherein the female subject is lying supine face upward having her breast spread over her chest. 47. The method of claim 45 further including ordering said first and second data sets as two-dimensional images and determining said congruence using said two-dimensional images. 48. The method of claim 45 further including ordering said first and second data sets as two-dimensional images and determining said congruence using a formula: 49. The method of claim 48 further including determining a location of said abnormal tissue within the examined tissue region. 50. The method of claim 45 wherein said processing includes producing from said data sets an image data set by implementing an optical tomography algorithm. 51. The method of claim 50 in which said optical tomography algorithm employs factors related to determined probability distribution of photons attributable to the scattering character of the tissue being imaged. 52. The method of claim 50 further including displaying said image data set.
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