Excitation, Detection, and Projection System for Visualizing Target Cancer Tissue
AssigneesSbi Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd., Terumo Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsTakeshi Tsubouchi, Katsushi Inoue
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Abstract
A system visually distinguishes diseased tissue from healthy tissue after a treatment is administered to a patient to provide different concentrations of a fluorescent marking substance between the diseased tissue and the healthy tissue. A light source illuminates the tissue with excitation light. A detector detects light returning from the tissue, and a controller characterizes the returning light according to a measured property indicative of the different concentrations. A light projector projects light having a predetermined cue in response to the characterization of the returning light.
Claims23
A system for visually distinguishing diseased tissue from healthy tissue wherein a treatment is administered to a patient to provide different concentrations of a fluorescent marking substance between the diseased tissue and the healthy tissue, the system comprising:
- a light source for illuminating the tissue with excitation light;
- a detector for detecting light returning from the tissue;
- a controller characterizing the returning light according to a measured property indicative of the different concentrations;
- and
- a light projector for projecting light having a predetermined cue in response to the characterization of the returning light.
A method of visually distinguishing diseased tissue from healthy tissue, comprising the steps of:
- providing different concentrations of a fluorescent marking substance between the diseased tissue and the healthy tissue;
- illuminating the tissue with excitation light;
- detecting fluorescent light returning from the tissue;
- characterizing the returning light according to a measured property indicative of the different concentrations;
- and
- projecting light having a predetermined cue in response to the characterization of the returning light.
A method of illuminating an object that has been treated with a fluorescent marking substance, wherein the object covers an area having a plurality of pixel regions, and wherein the concentration of the fluorescent marking substance varies at different respective pixel regions, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) scanning an optical system to a predetermined pixel region;
- (b) illuminating the predetermined pixel region via the optical system with an excitation light for exciting the fluorescent marking substance to fluoresce;
- (c) measuring energies of light emitted from the predetermined pixel regions for a plurality of passbands including a first passband containing a fluorescent wavelength of the marking substance and a second passband containing a wavelengths adjacent the fluorescent wavelength;
- (d) comparing the energies of the plurality of passbands to determine whether the first passband represents a peak energy;
- (e) if the first passband represents a peak energy, then illuminating the predetermined pixel region via the optical system for a first predetermined time with projected light having a predetermined cue;
- (f) storing the determination of whether the first passband represents a peak energy in a memory;
- and
- (g) scanning the optical system to successive pixel regions and repeating steps (b) through (f) for each successive pixel region until the area covered by the object is completed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.