Optical overlay device
AssigneesAI Biomed Corp., Vanderbilt University
InventorsAdnan Abbas, Melanie McWade, Anita Mahadevan-Jansen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Devices and methods for visibly highlighting areas of a region including an imager configured to image the region with a sensitivity to at least one of wavelength, light level, or contrast greater than the human eye, an overlay element configured to visibly highlight areas of the region and registered to the imager to produce alignment of imaged features with highlighted features at the same location on the region, and at least one of a controller executing a program or logic configured to process acquired images from the imager to identify areas of the region determined not visible to the human eye, and control the overlay element to visibly highlight those areas on the region.
Claims20
A device for distinguishing between thyroid tissue and parathyroid tissue of a patient during surgery, the device comprising:
- an emitter configured to direct radiation having a wavelength of approximately 785 nm toward a neck portion of the patient with the at least portions of the thyroid tissue and the parathyroid exposed to illuminate and stimulate the thyroid tissue and the parathyroid tissue into autofluorescence;
- an imager configured to collect radiation corresponding to areas of autofluorescence of the thyroid tissue and the parathyroid tissue having wavelengths above approximately 800 nm;
- at least one processer for processing images from the imager, the at least one processor configured to distinguish between the radiation from the areas of autofluorescence of the thyroid tissue and the areas of autofluorescence of the parathyroid tissue based on autofluorescence intensity thereof;
- and
- an overlay device controlled by the at least one processor, the overlay device configured to visibly highlight areas corresponding to locations of the parathyroid tissue in the neck portion of the patient via alignment of the highlighted areas with the areas of autofluorescence of the parathyroid tissue collected by the imager;
- wherein the highlighted areas include portions of four parathyroid glands of the patient to facilitate performance of parathyroid surgery thereon.
A method for distinguishing between thyroid tissue and parathyroid tissue of a patient during surgery, the device comprising:
- providing access to a neck portion of the patient to expose at least portions of the thyroid tissue and the parathyroid tissue;
- directing radiation from an emitter having a wavelength of approximately 785 nm toward the neck portion of the patient to illuminate and stimulate the thyroid tissue and the parathyroid tissue into autofluorescence;
- collecting radiation corresponding to areas of autofluorescence of the thyroid tissue and the parathyroid tissue having wavelengths above approximately 800 nm using an imager;
- processing images from the imager using at least one processor to distinguish between the radiation from the areas of autofluorescence of the thyroid tissue and the areas of autofluorescence of the parathyroid tissue based on autofluorescence intensity thereof;
- controlling an overlay device by the at least one processor to visibly highlight areas corresponding to locations of the parathyroid tissue in the neck portion of the patient via alignment of the highlighted areas with the areas of autofluorescence of the parathyroid tissue collected by the imager;
- and
- performing parathyroid surgery on the locations of the parathyroid tissue identified by the highlighted areas;
- wherein the highlighted areas include portions of four parathyroid glands of the patient.
A method for distinguishing between thyroid tissue and parathyroid tissue of a patient during surgery, the device comprising:
- providing access to a neck portion of the patient to expose at least portions of the thyroid tissue and the parathyroid tissue;
- directing radiation from an emitter having a wavelength of approximately 785 nm toward the neck portion of the patient to illuminate and stimulate the thyroid tissue and the parathyroid tissue into autofluorescence;
- collecting radiation corresponding to areas of autofluorescence of the thyroid tissue and the parathyroid tissue having wavelengths above approximately 800 nm using an imager;
- processing images from the imager using at least one processor to distinguish between the radiation from the areas of autofluorescence of the thyroid tissue and the areas of autofluorescence of the parathyroid tissue based on autofluorescence intensity thereof;
- controlling an overlay device by the at least one processor to visibly highlight areas corresponding to locations of the parathyroid tissue in the neck portion of the patient via alignment of the highlighted areas with the areas of autofluorescence of the parathyroid tissue collected by the imager;
- and
- performing parathyroid surgery on the locations of the parathyroid tissue identified by the highlighted areas;
- wherein the highlighted areas include portions of four parathyroid glands of the patient, and the overlay device employing one of laser scanner, and one or more LEDs and/or lasers oriented by X and Y axis motors to visibly highlight the portions of the four parathyroid glands.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.