Apparatus and method for intraoperative real-time tumour tissue discrimination

Abstract

Apparatus for discriminating between tumour tissue and non-tumorous tissue in real-time, the apparatus comprising: a handheld bioimpedance probe having an elongate body and at least four stimulator electrodes mounted on a distal end of the elongate body, the electrodes being arranged to be held against a region of tissue in use; a current source configured to generate a stimulation current; a voltage sensor; a multiplexer coupled between the current source, the voltage sensor and the stimulator electrodes and configured to changeably switch between a plurality of switching configurations, wherein, in each switching configuration, a first two of the electrodes are connected to the current source, and a second two of the electrodes are connected to the voltage sensor, the electrodes that constitute the first two electrodes and the electrodes that constitute the second two electrodes changing from one switching configuration to the next; and processor-controlled circuitry configured to: control the switching configuration of the multiplexer; control the generation of the stimulation current by the current source and the application of the stimulation current to the first two electrodes of each switching configuration, such that, in use, the stimulation current flows through the tissue between the first two electrodes; control the measurement, by the voltage sensor, of the voltage between the second two electrodes of each switching configuration, across the tissue in use; determine, based on the applied current and the measured voltage for each switching configuration, a measure of relative impedance of the tissue for each switching configuration; and supply such impedance measurements as output data to a data analyser to enable real-time discrimination of the tissue to be performed, based on the impedance measurements. A handheld surgical tool is also provided, comprising an elongate body and an adjustable handle member that is pivotally coupled to the elongate body.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.