Apparatus, systems, and methods for rapid cancer detection
Assignee4D Path Inc.
InventorsSatabhisa Mukhopadhyay, Tathagata Dasgupta, Supratim Guha Ray
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Abstract
Presented herein are systems, methods, and apparatus that analyze molecular imprints for detecting cancerous cells. Embodiments of the present disclosure include systems, methods, and apparatus that analyze metabolic imprints of cells for cancer detection. In certain embodiments, the methods/systems comprise extracting thermal and thermodynamic quantities and properties from the molecular imprints. The thermal/thermodynamic quantities and/or further-processed quantities can be mapped on a universal cancer diagnostic scale for disease stratification, thereby providing/determining a normality status of the subject cells.
Claims40
A method for detecting one or more types of cancers (e.g., deciding a normality status, e.g., subtle cases of cancers) from metabolic imprints of cells, the method comprising:
- (i) accessing an image in a database;
- (e.g., selecting an area to be analyzed in the image)
- (ii) identifying, by a processor of a computing device, one or more cells in the image;
- (iii) segmenting, by the processor, each of the one more cells into a nucleus area and a cellular area;
- (iv) for each of the one or more cells, extracting, by the processor, an information surface value associated with a nuclear contrast feature (e.g., temperature difference between the nucleus area and the cellular area, e.g., contrast difference between the nucleus area and the cellular area), and a nuclear area feature (e.g., a ratio of a nucleus area to a nuclear volume projection)
- (e.g., wherein the nuclear contrast feature and/or the nuclear area feature are obtained at a wavelength corresponding to a maximal radiant power of the naturally emitted IR from one or more cells),
- (e.g., wherein the nuclear contrast feature is an averaged value of one or more nuclear contrast features obtained at one or more wavelengths of naturally emitted IR from one or more cells),
- (e.g., wherein the nuclear area feature is an averaged value of one or more nuclear area features obtained at one or more wavelengths of the naturally emitted IR from one or more cells);
- (v) calculating, by the processor, a specificity index, a log thermal capacity and a diagnostic score from the information surface values;
- and
- (vi) determining, by the processor, a normality status for at least a portion of the image by mapping the diagnostic score on a reference scale (e.g., identifying one or more portions of the cells in the image that are cancerous) (e.g., identifying one or more stages of cancer for one or more portions of the cells in the image).
A system for detecting one or more types of cancers (e.g., deciding a normality status) from metabolic imprints of cells, the system comprising:
- a processor;
- a memory having instructions stored thereon, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
- (i) accessing an image in a database;
- (e.g., selecting an area to be analyzed in the image)
- (ii) identifying one or more cells in the image;
- (iii) segmenting each of the one more cells into a nucleus area and a cellular area;
- (iv) for each of the one or more cells, extract an information surface value associated with a nuclear contrast feature (e.g., temperature difference between the nucleus area and the cellular area, e.g., contrast difference between the nucleus area and the cellular area), and a nuclear area feature (e.g., a ratio of a nucleus area to a nuclear volume projection)
- (e.g., wherein the nuclear contrast feature and/or the nuclear area feature are obtained at a wavelength corresponding to a maximal radiant power of the naturally emitted IR from one or more cells),
- (e.g., wherein the nuclear contrast feature is an averaged value of one or more nuclear contrast features obtained at one or more wavelengths of naturally emitted IR from one or more cells),
- (e.g., wherein the nuclear area feature is an averaged value of one or more nuclear area features obtained at one or more wavelengths of the naturally emitted IR from one or more cells);
- (v) calculating a specificity index, a log thermal capacity and a diagnostic score from the information surface values from the information surface values;
- (vi) determining a normality status for at least a portion of the image by mapping the specificity index on a reference scale (e.g., identify one or more portions of the cells in the image that are cancerous, e.g., identify one or more stages of cancer for one or more portions of the cells in the image).
An apparatus for creating a long wavelength infrared (e.g., naturally emitted IR from one or more cells, e.g., having a wavelength of 4 μm to 20 μm) image (e.g., 1-dimensional, 2-dimensional, 3-dimensional) for detecting one or more types of cancers, the apparatus comprising:
- a spatial magnification module (e.g., having a resolution of 20 microns or less) providing an optical path;
- an infrared radiation detector (e.g., comprising a focal-plane array, comprising a vanadium oxide surface, and/or comprising a mercury cadmium telluride surface) for detecting long wavelength infrared radiation emitted from a subject (e.g., measuring photon flux);
- a signal processing module;
- and
- a memory, the signal processing module operable with the memory to record a signal corresponding to infrared radiation detected by the infrared radiation detector and to cause rendering of an image (e.g., 1D, 2D, or 3D image) corresponding to the signal
- (e.g., wherein the apparatus is operable to measure photon flux from the subject)
- (e.g., wherein the apparatus is operable without an external light source)
- (e.g., wherein the apparatus further comprises a heat source for enhancing the infrared radiation emitted from the subject)
- (e.g., wherein the apparatus is operable to produce the long wavelength infrared radiation image in any one of the preceding claims).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.