Patent 5827190 Issued on October 27, 1998. Estimated Expiration Date: August 19, 2016. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.
An apparatus and method for imaging diseases in tissue are presented. The apparatus employs a light source for producing excitation light to excite the tissue to generate autofluorescence light and for producing illumination light to generate reflected and back scattered light (remittance light) from the tissue. Optical sensors are used to receive the autofluorescence light and the remittance light to collect an autofluorescence light image and a remittance light image. A filter acts to integrate the autofluorescence image over a range of wavelengths in which the autofluorescence intensity for normal tissue is substantially different from the autofluorescence intensity for diseased tissue to establish an integrated autofluorescence image of the tissue. The remittance light image provides a background image to normalize the autofluorescence image to account for image non-uniformity due to changes in distance, angle and illumination intensity. A monitor displays the integrated autofluorescence image and the remittance light image to produce a normalized image in which diseased tissue is distinguishable from normal tissue. The optical sensor can be installed adjacent the end of an endoscope probe inserted into a body cavity. A method for imaging diseased tissue using an integrated fluorescence image and a normalizing remittance image is also disclosed.
Other References
Alfano et al., "Fluorescence Spectra from Cancerous and Normal Human Breast and Lung Tissues," IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics, QE-23(10): 1806-1811 (1987)
Andersson-Engels et al., "Tissue Diagnostics Using Laser-Induced Fluorescence," Ber. Bunsenges, Phys. Chem., 93: 335-342 (1989)
Coffey et al, "Evaluation of Visual Acuity During laser Photoradiation Therapy of Cancer," Lasers in Surgery and Medicine, 4: 65-71 (1984)
Cothren et al., "Gastrointestinal Tissue Diagnosis by Laser-Induced Fluorescence Spectroscopy at Endoscopy," Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, 36(2): 105-111 (1990)
Dougherty et al., "Cutaneous Phototoxic Occurrences in Patients Receiving Photofrin," Lasers in Surgery and Medicine, 10: 485-488 (1990)
Hirano et al., "Photodynamic Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment System Consisting of Pulse Lasers and an Endoscopic Spectro-Image Analyzer," Lasers in Life Sciences, 3(1): 1-18 (1989)
Hung et al., "Autofluorescence of Normal and Malignant Bronchial Tissue," Lasers in Surgery and Medicine, 11: 99-105 (1991)
Ikeda, "New Bronchial TV Endoscopy System," Elsevier Science Publishers B.V. Biomedical Press (1988)
Kapadia et al., "Laser-Induced Fluorescence Spectroscopy of Human Colonic Mucosa," Gastroenterology, 99: 150-157 (1990)
Kato et al., "Early Detection of Lung Cancer by Means of Hematoporphyrin Derivative Fluorescence and Laser Photoradiation," Clinics in Chest Medicine, 6(2): 237-253 (1985)
Kato et al., "Photodynamic Diagnosis in Respiratory Tract Malignancy Using an Excimer Dye Laser System," Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology, B:Biology, 6: 189-196 (1990)
Lam et al., "Fluorescence Detection," Advances in the Diagnosis and Therapy of Lung Cancer, Blackwell Scientific Publication Inc., In Press: 1-32 (1991)
Lam et al., "Detection of Lung Cancer by Ratio Fluorometry With and Without Photofrin II," SPIE 1201: 561-568 (1990)
Lam et al., "Detection of Early Lung Cancer Using Low Dose Photofrin II,"Chest, 97: 333-337 (1990)
Lam et al., "Mechanism of Detection of Early Lung Cancer by Ratio Fluorometry," Lasers in the Life Sciences, 4(2)L 67-73 (1991)
Mullooly et al., "Dihematoporphyrin Ether-Induced Photosensitivity in Laryngeal Papilloma Patients," Lasers in Surgery and Medicine, 10: 349-356 (1990)
Palcic et al., "Development of a Lung Imaging Fluorescence Endoscope," Proceedings of the 12th Annual Int'l Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society, 12(1): 196-197(1990)
Palcic et al., "The Importance of Image Quality for Computing Texture Features in Biomedical Specimens," SPIE, 1205: 155-162 (1990)
Palcic et al. "Lung Imaging Fluorescence Endoscope: A Device for Detection of Occult Lung Cancer," Medical Design and Material, pp. 1-10 (1991)
Palcic et al., "Lung Imaging Fluorescence Endoscope: Development and Experimental Prototype," SPIE, 1448: 113-117 (1991)
Palcic et al., "Detection and Localization of Early Lung Cancer by Imaging Techniques," Chest, 99: 742-743 (1991)
Peak et al., "DNA-to-Protein Crosslinks and Backbone Breaks Caused by FAR-and Near-Ultraviolet and Visible Light Radiations in Mammalian Cells," Mechanism of DNA Damage and Repair, pp. 193-202 (1986)
Profio et al., "Digital Background Subtraction for Fluorescence Imaging," Medical Physics, 13(5): 717-721 (1986)
Profio et al., "Endoscopic Fluorescence Detection of Early Lung Cancer," SPIE, 1426: 44-46 (1991)
Rava et al., "Early Detection of Dysplasia in Colon and Bladder Tissue Using Laser Induced Fluorescence," SPIE, 1426: 68-78 (1991)
Razum et al., "Skin Photosensitivity: Duration and Intensity Following Intravenous Hematoporphyrin Derivatives, Hp D and DHE," Photochemistry and Photobiology, 46(5): 925-928 (1987)
Richards-Kortum et al., "Spectroscopic Diagnosis of Colonic Dysplasia," Biochemistry and Photobiology, 53(6): 777-786 (1991)
Tang et al., "Spectroscopic Differences Between Human Cancer and Normal Lung and Breast Tissues," Lasers in Surgery and Medicine, 9: 290-295 (1989)
Wagnieres et al., "Photodetection of Early Cancer by Laser Induced Fluorescence of a Tumor-Selective Dye: Apparatus Design and Realization," SPIE, 1203: 43-52 (1990)
Andersson-Engels et al., "Fluorescence Characteristics of Atherosclerotic Plaque and Malignant Tumors," SPIE, 1426: 31-43 (1991)
Profio et al., "Laser Fluorescence Bronchoscope for Localization of Occult Lung Tumors," Medical Physics, 6: 523-525 (1979)
Profio et al., "Fluorometer for Endoscopic Diagnosis of Tumores," Medical Physics, 11(4): 516-520 (1984)
Hayata et al., "Fiberoptic Bronchoscopic Laser Photoradiation for Tumor Localization in Lung Cancer," Chest, 82: 10-14 (1982)
Lam et al., "Fluorescence Imaging of Early Lung Cancer," IEEE Eng. Med. Biology, 12: (1990)
Montan et al., "Multicolor Imaging and Contrast Enhancement in Cancer-Tumor Localization Using Laser-Induced Fluorescence in Hematoporphyrin-derivative-bearing Tissue," Optics Letters, 10(2): 56-58 (1985
August 19, 2016. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.
