# US 10,310,097 B2 · Gamma probe with hand-piece control of detection parameters > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,310,097 B2 - Document ID: US10310097B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/902,796 - Filed: 2014-07-01 - Published: 2016-06-16 - Granted: 2019-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2013-07-01 - Assignees: Faxitron Bioptics, LLC - Applicants: Faxitron Bioptics, LLC - Inventors: Stephen T. Yarnall; Joel Kindem; Richard L. Conwell - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10310097B2 ## CPC - G01T 1/161: Applications in the field of nuclear medicine, e.g. in vivo counting {(apparatus for radiation diagnosis A61B6/00)} - A61B 6/12: Arrangements for detecting or locating foreign bodies - A61B 6/4057: {by using radiation sources located in the interior of the body (A61B6/037 takes precedence)} - A61B 6/4258: {for detecting non x-ray radiation, e.g. gamma radiation (A61B6/037 takes precedence)} - A61B 6/4405: {the apparatus being movable or portable, e.g. handheld or mounted on a trolley} - G01T 1/1612: {with scintillation detectors (G01T1/20 takes precedence)} - A61B 6/46: Arrangements for interfacing with the operator or the patient - A61B 6/54: {Control of apparatus or devices for radiation diagnosis} - G01T: MEASUREMENT OF NUCLEAR OR X-RADIATION (radiation analysis of materials, mass spectrometry G01N23/00; tubes for determining the presence, intensity, density or energy of radiation or particles H01J47/00) - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) ## Abstract Apparatus, techniques and systems are described for facilitating identification of a target area during a probe-guided radio-localization surgical procedure. The described apparatus, techniques and systems can be used to implement a nuclear-uptake mode controller integrated into a probe to allow a user to instantly switch between multiple nuclear-uptake modes directly from the probe hand-piece. For example, a nuclear-uptake mode controller integrated into the probe can be used to instantly switch between a high-sensitivity nuclear-uptake mode and a high-resolution nuclear-uptake mode to effectively identify the target area in the presence of interfering nuclear signals by better matching the probe's nuclear detection parameters to a search task for that target area. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A handheld nuclear-uptake surgical probe for performing radio-localization of nuclear-emitting tissues, nuclear-uptake surgical probe comprising: a handle; a nuclear-uptake mode controller configured to selectively set a photon energy acceptance window of the handheld surgical probe; and a switch located on the handle and communicatively coupled to the nuclear-uptake mode controller to selectively initiate setting of the photon energy acceptance window. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The handheld nuclear-uptake surgical probe of claim 1, wherein the nuclear-uptake mode controller is integrated into a handle of the handheld nuclear-uptake surgical probe. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The handheld nuclear-uptake surgical probe of claim 1, wherein the switch comprises a physical switch. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The handheld nuclear-uptake surgical probe of claim 1, wherein the switch comprises a touch screen. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The handheld nuclear-uptake surgical probe of claim 1, wherein the nuclear-uptake mode controller is sealed onto the handle of the handheld nuclear-uptake surgical probe to satisfy a sterile environment. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The handheld nuclear-uptake surgical probe of claim 1, wherein the nuclear-uptake mode controller is configured to receive an enclosure to seal the nuclear-uptake mode controller onto the handle to satisfy a sterile environment. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The handheld nuclear-uptake surgical probe of claim 1, comprising a sensor unit for selectively detecting gamma photons associated with nuclear-emitting tissues based at least in part on changes to the photon energy acceptance window. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The handheld nuclear-uptake surgical probe of claim 1, comprising a communication medium configured to exchange data with an external probe system control unit. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The handheld nuclear-uptake surgical probe of claim 1, wherein the communication medium comprises a wireless communication medium. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The handheld nuclear-uptake surgical probe of claim 1, comprising a report unit configured to provide feedback to a user, wherein the feedback includes information associated with the selectively set photon energy acceptance window. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The handheld nuclear-uptake surgical probe of claim 1, wherein the report unit is integrated into the handle of the handheld nuclear-uptake surgical probe. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The handheld nuclear-uptake surgical probe of claim 10, wherein algorithms for generating the feedback are based at least in part on the selectively set photon energy acceptance window. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The handheld nuclear-uptake surgical probe of claim 10, wherein the feedback information associated with the selectively set photon energy acceptance window includes identification of a currently set photon energy acceptance window. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The handheld nuclear-uptake surgical probe of claim 10, wherein the feedback information comprises audible information. ### Claim 15 A method of operating a handheld nuclear-uptake surgical probe, the method comprising: receiving an input from a switch on the handheld nuclear-uptake surgical probe while the handheld nuclear-uptake surgical probe is in operation; and responsive to the input, switching a photon energy acceptance window of the nuclear-uptake surgical probe. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, comprising: responsive to the input, outputting feedback information from a reporting unit of the handheld nuclear-uptake surgical probe, wherein the feedback information includes information associated with the photon energy acceptance window of the nuclear-uptake surgical probe. ### Claim 17 A handheld nuclear-uptake surgical probe for performing radio-localization of nuclear-emitting tissues, the handheld nuclear-uptake surgical probe comprising: a collimator having an opening, the collimator configured to block gamma photons that are outside of collimator's field of view from passing through the collimator; a gamma photon transparent window configured to block light from entering the opening of the collimator; a scintillator configured to produce scintillation photons in proportion to energy of a gamma photon that passes through the collimator and enters the scintillator; an optically-coupled photodiode configured to convert the scintillation photons produced by the scintillator to an induced charge pulse proportional to a number of the scintillation photons produced; a backshield to block gamma photon signals from entering the optically-coupled photodiode from a backend opposite of the collimator opening; a signal processing unit configured to process the induced charge pulse into a voltage pulse with amplitude representing the energy of the incoming gamma photon for culling into a count of accepted voltage pulses; a switch disposed on the handheld nuclear-uptake surgical probe; a nuclear-uptake mode controller integrated into the handheld nuclear-uptake surgical probe, the nuclear-uptake mode controller operatively coupled to the switch and configured to selectively switch a photon energy acceptance window of the handheld nuclear-uptake surgical probe; and a wireless communication medium configured to exchange data with an external device. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The handheld nuclear-uptake surgical probe of claim 17, wherein the nuclear-uptake mode controller is integrated into a handle of the handheld nuclear-uptake surgical probe. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The handheld nuclear-uptake surgical probe of claim 17, wherein the physical switch located on a handle of the handheld nuclear-uptake surgical probe. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The handheld nuclear-uptake surgical probe of claim 17, wherein the nuclear-uptake mode controller is sealed onto a handle of the handheld nuclear-uptake surgical probe to satisfy a sterile environment. ### Claim 21 (depends on 17) The handheld nuclear-uptake surgical probe of claim 17, wherein the nuclear-uptake mode controller is configured to receive an enclosure to seal the nuclear-uptake mode controller onto the handheld nuclear uptake surgical probe to satisfy a sterile environment.