Perfusion sensitive biopsy extractor
AssigneeThermal Technologies, Inc.
InventorsHarry Frederick Bowman, Gregory T. Martin
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A technique for quantifying perfusion and removing a biopsy sample at a site in a living body wherein an instrument having a perfusion sensor is introduced into the body at a site to be investigated to there interrogate the tissue. The biopsy specimen is collected when the perfusion sensor produces a signal indicative of perfused, viable tissue.
Claims16
Apparatus for removing a biopsy specimen from a biopsy specimen site in living tissue comprising:
- a biopsy probe;
- perfusion sensor means on said probe for introducing thermal energy into tissue, thereby defining an effective measurement zone within the tissue, and sensing the transport of said thermal energy within the effective measurement zone;
- and
- extraction means on said probe for extracting tissue in the effective measurement zone.
A method for removing a perfused biopsy specimen from a biopsy specimen site in a living subject comprising the steps of:
- introducing into tissue of the living subject a probe having thereon a specimen collector and a sensor at or near said specimen collector to locate both the sensor and the specimen collector at a biopsy specimen site;
- by means of said sensor introducing thermal energy into tissue at the biopsy specimen site;
- producing signals characteristic of perfusion in tissue at the biopsy specimen site in response to the transport of thermal energy from said sensor;
- and
- operating said specimen collector to withdraw tissue from the biopsy specimen site when the signals resulting from said signal producing step correspond to an appropriate specimen site.
Apparatus for removing a tissue specimen from a living subject comprising:
- a biopsy probe;
- a perfusion sensor mounted on said biopsy probe for interrogating tissue within a zone surrounding said sensor when said biopsy probe is introduced into tissue of a living subject;
- a sensor for monitoring baseline tissue temperature;
- means for computing perfusion values as a function of data from said perfusion sensor and said baseline tissue temperature monitoring sensor;
- means on said probe for withdrawing tissue from said zone interrogated by said sensor when computed perfusion values are within a biologically significant range.
Apparatus for removing a perfused biopsy specimen from a site in a living subject comprising:
- a probe having thereon a perfusion sensor defining an effective interrogation zone and a specimen collector located adjacent said perfusion sensor so that said collector is within the effective interrogation zone of said probe;
- means for monitoring tissue perfusion n the effective interrogation zone;
- and
- means for monitoring baseline temperature and compensating for the effect of baseline temperature fluctuations on perfusion values;
- wherein
- said specimen collector is operable to withdraw tissue from the effective interrogation zone when perfusion values are within a biologically significant range.
Apparatus for removing a biopsy specimen comprising:
- a tissue probe;
- means on said probe for introducing thermal energy into tissue and detecting the transport of thermal energy in a volume of tissue adjacent said probe;
- and
- a tissue specimen extractor located on said probe to be at least partially within said volume of tissue when in use.
Apparatus for removing a biopsy specimen comprising:
- a sensor for monitoring the baseline temperature of tissue;
- a thermistor for heating tissue above the baseline temperature at a location from which a biopsy specimen is to be removed;
- means for determining perfusion at the site of said thermistor as a function of data from said sensor and said thermistor;
- and
- means for removing a biopsy specimen from said location when perfusion is within a biologically significant range.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.