US 11,145,497 B2Granted

Combined optical and mass spectral tissue identification probe

AssigneeMicromass UK Limited

InventorsSteven Pringle, Emrys Jones, Mike Morris, Keith Richardson, Zoltan Takats

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Abstract

A method of analysing a target is disclosed comprising ablating a portion of a target so as to cause an aerosol plume to be produced and light or other electromagnetic radiation to be emitted. The aerosol plume is analysed using mass spectrometry and/or ion mobility spectrometry and the emitted light or other electromagnetic radiation is analysed using optical spectroscopy in order to determine one or more regions of interest of the target and/or one or more margins or bounds of a region of interest of the target.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A method of analysing a target comprising:

providing a first device comprising a housing including one or more optical fibres and one or more aerosol tubes;
ablating a portion of a target so as to cause an aerosol plume to be produced and light or other electromagnetic radiation to be emitted;
capturing said emitted light or other electromagnetic radiation using said one or more optical fibres;
capturing said aerosol plume using said one or more aerosol tubes, wherein said one or more aerosol tubes comprises one or more aerosol capture tubes configured to capture said aerosol plume and one or more aerosol transfer tubes configured to transfer said aerosol plume to a mass and/or ion mobility spectrometer, and wherein said one or more aerosol capture tubes surround said one or more optical fibres;
and
analysing said aerosol plume using mass spectrometry and/or ion mobility spectrometry and analysing said emitted light or other electromagnetic radiation using optical spectroscopy;
wherein analysing said emitted light or other electromagnetic radiation using optical spectroscopy comprises generating optical spectroscopic data;
and
wherein analysing said aerosol plume using mass spectrometry and/or ion mobility spectrometry comprises:
mass analysing said aerosol and/or said analyte ions in order to obtain mass spectrometric data and/or ion mobility analysing said aerosol and/or said analyte ions in order to obtain ion mobility data;
and
analysing said mass spectrometric data and/or said ion mobility data in order either:
(i) to distinguish between healthy and diseased tissue;
(ii) to distinguish between potentially cancerous and non-cancerous tissue;
(iii) to distinguish between different types or grades of cancerous tissue;
(iv) to distinguish between different types or classes of target material;
(v) to determine whether or not one or more desired or undesired substances are present in said target;
(vi) to confirm the identity or authenticity of said target;
(vii) to determine whether or not one or more impurities, illegal substances or undesired substances are present in said target;
(viii) to determine whether a human or animal patient is at an increased risk of suffering an adverse outcome;
(ix) to make or assist in the making a diagnosis or prognosis;
or (x) to inform a surgeon, nurse, medic or robot of a medical, surgical or diagnostic outcome;
or
(i) to differentiate between different types of foodstuff;
(ii) to identify meat species;
(iii) to identify fish species;
(iv) to determine whether or not a foodstuff has been tampered with;
(v) to determine whether or not a foodstuff includes an undesired substituted component such as a bulking agent or whether or not a foodstuff includes an undesired species of meat such as horse meat;
(vi) for meat speciation purposes;
(vii) for fish speciation purposes;
(viii) to determine whether or not a foodstuff includes an undesired chemical such as a pesticide or fertiliser or an undesired biological agent such as a growth hormone or antibiotic;
(ix) to determine whether or not a foodstuff is safe to consume;
(x) to determine the quality of a foodstuff;
(xi) to determine a region of origin of a foodstuff;
(xii) to determine one or more health, safety, nutritional, quality, speciation or other parameters of a foodstuff;
(xiii) to determine the manner in which a plant or animal was treated prior to being harvested, killed or otherwise prepared as a foodstuff;
(xiv) to determine the manner in which an animal was caught or slaughtered;
or (xv) to determine the manner in which a foodstuff has been handled, stored or transported.

35 more elements

An apparatus comprising:

a first device comprising a housing including one or more optical fibres and one or more aerosol tubes;
an ablator for ablating a portion of a target so as to cause an aerosol plume to be produced and light or other electromagnetic radiation to be emitted, wherein said one or more optical fibres is configured to capture said emitted light or other electromagnetic radiation, wherein said one or more aerosol tubes is configured to capture said aerosol plume, wherein said one or more aerosol tubes comprises one or more aerosol capture tubes configured to capture said aerosol plume and one or more aerosol transfer tubes configured to transfer said aerosol plume to a mass and/or ion mobility spectrometer, and wherein said one or more aerosol capture tubes surround said one or more optical fibres;
a mass spectrometer and/or an ion mobility spectrometer for analysing said aerosol plume;
and
an optical spectroscope or spectrometer for analysing said emitted light or other electromagnetic radiation;
wherein said optical spectroscope or spectrometer is configured to analyse said emitted light or other electromagnetic radiation to generate optical spectroscopic data;
and
wherein said mass spectrometer is configured to mass analyse said aerosol and/or analyte ions in order to obtain mass spectrometric data and/or said ion mobility spectrometer is configured to ion mobility analyse said aerosol and/or analyte ions in order to obtain ion mobility data;
and
wherein said apparatus is configured to analyse said mass spectrometric data in order either:
(i) to distinguish between healthy and diseased tissue;
(ii) to distinguish between potentially cancerous and non-cancerous tissue;
(iii) to distinguish between different types or grades of cancerous tissue;
(iv) to distinguish between different types or classes of target material;
(v) to determine whether or not one or more desired or undesired substances are present in said target;
(vi) to confirm the identity or authenticity of said target;
(vii) to determine whether or not one or more impurities, illegal substances or undesired substances are present in said target;
(viii) to determine whether a human or animal patient is at an increased risk of suffering an adverse outcome;
(ix) to make or assist in the making a diagnosis or prognosis;
or (x) to inform a surgeon, nurse, medic or robot of a medical, surgical or diagnostic outcome;
or
(i) to differentiate between different types of foodstuff;
(ii) to identify meat species;
(iii) to identify fish species;
(iv) to determine whether or not a foodstuff has been tampered with;
(v) to determine whether or not a foodstuff includes an undesired substituted component such as a bulking agent or whether or not a foodstuff includes an undesired species of meat such as horse meat;
(vi) for meat speciation purposes;
(vii) for fish speciation purposes;
(xviii) to determine whether or not a foodstuff includes an undesired chemical such as a pesticide or fertiliser or an undesired biological agent such as a growth hormone or antibiotic;
(ix) to determine whether or not a foodstuff is safe to consume;
(x) to determine the quality of a foodstuff;
(xi) to determine a region of origin of a foodstuff;
(xii) to determine one or more health, safety, nutritional, quality, speciation or other parameters of a foodstuff;
(xiii) to determine the manner in which a plant or animal was treated prior to being harvested, killed or otherwise prepared as a foodstuff;
(xiv) to determine the manner in which an animal was caught or slaughtered;
or (xv) to determine the manner in which a foodstuff has been handled, stored or transported.

33 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/308,214Filed 6 Jun 2017
Priority: GB 16099527 Jun 2016
Published: US 2019/0267221 A129 Aug 2019
Granted: 12 Oct 2021
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification17 codes

H01J 49/0027
Particle spectrometers or separator tubes: methods for using particle spectrometers
A61B 1/3132
For introducing through surgical openings, e.g. laparoscopes: for laparoscopy
A61B 5/0075
Using light, e.g. diagnosis by transillumination, diascopy, fluorescence: by spectroscopy, i.e. measuring spectra, e.g. Raman spectroscopy,…
A61B 5/0084
Adapted for particular medical purposes: for introduction into the body, e.g. by catheters

Family

US 2019/0267221 A1Pre-grant publication · published 29 Aug 2019
US 11,145,497 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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Abstract

A method of analysing a target comprising:

providing a first device comprising a housing including one or more optical fibres and one or more aerosol tubes;
ablating a portion of a target so as to cause an aerosol plume to be produced and light or other electromagnetic radiation to be emitted;
capturing said emitted light or other electromagnetic radiation using said one or more optical fibres;
capturing said aerosol plume using said one or more aerosol tubes, wherein said one or more aerosol tubes comprises one or more aerosol capture tubes configured to capture said aerosol plume and one or more aerosol transfer tubes configured to transfer said aerosol plume to a mass and/or ion mobility spectrometer, and wherein said one or more aerosol capture tubes surround said one or more optical fibres;
and
analysing said aerosol plume using mass spectrometry and/or ion mobility spectrometry and analysing said emitted light or other electromagnetic radiation using optical spectroscopy;
wherein analysing said emitted light or other electromagnetic radiation using optical spectroscopy comprises generating optical spectroscopic data;
and
wherein analysing said aerosol plume using mass spectrometry and/or ion mobility spectrometry comprises:
mass analysing said aerosol and/or said analyte ions in order to obtain mass spectrometric data and/or ion mobility analysing said aerosol and/or said analyte ions in order to obtain ion mobility data;
and
analysing said mass spectrometric data and/or said ion mobility data in order either:
(i) to distinguish between healthy and diseased tissue;
(ii) to distinguish between potentially cancerous and non-cancerous tissue;
(iii) to distinguish between different types or grades of cancerous tissue;
(iv) to distinguish between different types or classes of target material;
(v) to determine whether or not one or more desired or undesired substances are present in said target;
(vi) to confirm the identity or authenticity of said target;
(vii) to determine whether or not one or more impurities, illegal substances or undesired substances are present in said target;
(viii) to determine whether a human or animal patient is at an increased risk of suffering an adverse outcome;
(ix) to make or assist in the making a diagnosis or prognosis;
or (x) to inform a surgeon, nurse, medic or robot of a medical, surgical or diagnostic outcome;
or
(i) to differentiate between different types of foodstuff;
(ii) to identify meat species;
(iii) to identify fish species;
(iv) to determine whether or not a foodstuff has been tampered with;
(v) to determine whether or not a foodstuff includes an undesired substituted component such as a bulking agent or whether or not a foodstuff includes an undesired species of meat such as horse meat;
(vi) for meat speciation purposes;
(vii) for fish speciation purposes;
(viii) to determine whether or not a foodstuff includes an undesired chemical such as a pesticide or fertiliser or an undesired biological agent such as a growth hormone or antibiotic;
(ix) to determine whether or not a foodstuff is safe to consume;
(x) to determine the quality of a foodstuff;
(xi) to determine a region of origin of a foodstuff;
(xii) to determine one or more health, safety, nutritional, quality, speciation or other parameters of a foodstuff;
(xiii) to determine the manner in which a plant or animal was treated prior to being harvested, killed or otherwise prepared as a foodstuff;
(xiv) to determine the manner in which an animal was caught or slaughtered;
or (xv) to determine the manner in which a foodstuff has been handled, stored or transported.

35 more elements

Facts

Application

16/308,214Filed 6 Jun 2017

Priority

GB 16099527 Jun 2016

Published

US 2019/0267221 A129 Aug 2019

Granted

12 Oct 2021

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification17 codes

H01J 49/0027
Particle spectrometers or separator tubes: methods for using particle spectrometers
A61B 1/3132
For introducing through surgical openings, e.g. laparoscopes: for laparoscopy
A61B 5/0075
Using light, e.g. diagnosis by transillumination, diascopy, fluorescence: by spectroscopy, i.e. measuring spectra, e.g. Raman spectroscopy,…
A61B 5/0084
Adapted for particular medical purposes: for introduction into the body, e.g. by catheters