Diagnosis of dysplasia using laser induced fluoroescence

An in vivo method of detecting tissue abnormality in a diagnostic cervical tissue sample in a patient, comprising:

• identifying a presumptively histologically normal cervical tissue sample from the patient;
• illuminating the diagnostic tissue sample and said presumptively histologically normal tissue sample with electromagnetic radiation;
• detecting a first fluorescence intensity spectrum from the diagnostic tissue sample;
• detecting a second fluorescence intensity spectrum from said presumptively histologically normal tissue sample;
• calculating a slope parameter indicative of tissue abnormality from said first fluorescence intensity spectrum;
• calculating an intensity parameter characteristic of normal tissue from said second fluorescence intensity spectrum;
• calculating a discriminant parameter as a function of said slope and intensity parameters;
• detecting tissue abnormality in the diagnostic cervical tissue sample by substituting said discriminant parameter in a predetermined discriminant function.

An in vivo method of detecting CIN in a diagnostic cervical tissue sample in a patient having presumptively known normal cervical tissue, comprising:

• illuminating the diagnostic tissue sample and presumptively known normal cervical tissue with electromagnetic radiation;
• detecting a first fluorescence intensity spectrum from the diagnostic tissue sample;
• detecting a second fluorescence intensity spectrum from the presumptively known normal cervical tissue;
• calculating from a predetermined portion of said first fluorescence intensity spectrum a first slope parameter which is indicative of CIN in the diagnostic cervical tissue sample;
• calculating from a predetermined portion of said second fluorescence intensity spectrum a second slope parameter which characterizes presumptively normal cervical tissue in the patient;
• and
• detecting CIN in the diagnostic cervical tissue sample as a function of said first and second slope parameters.

An apparatus for in vivo detection of tissue abnormality in a diagnostic cervical tissue sample in a patient having presumptively known normal cervical tissue, comprising:

• means for applying electromagnetic radiation to a diagnostic cervical tissue sample and to presumptively known normal cervical tissue;
• radiation detection means for detecting a fluorescence intensity spectrum induced in the diagnostic cervical tissue sample, and for detecting a plurality of normal fluorescence intensity spectra induced in the presumptively known normal cervical tissue by said means for applying;
• a computer, connected to said means for applying and to said means for detecting, including,
• means for measuring a peak normal fluorescence intensity value in each normal fluorescence intensity spectrum,
• means for calculating an average peak normal fluorescence intensity from said peak normal fluorescence intensity values,
• means for measuring a peak fluorescence intensity value from said fluorescence intensity spectrum induced in the diagnostic cervical tissue sample,
• means for calculating from a predetermined portion of said fluorescence intensity spectrum a slope parameter, which is indicative of tissue abnormality,
• means for calculating relative peak fluorescence intensity as a function of said peak fluorescence intensity value and said average peak normal fluorescence intensity, and
• means for detecting tissue abnormality as a function of said slope parameter and said relative peak fluorescence intensity.