Optical methods and systems for rapid screening of the cervix
AssigneeMediSpectra, Inc.
InventorsRobert Nordstrom, Mark Modell
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and a system is provided for discriminating between healthy cervical tissue and pathologic cervical tissue based on the fluorescence response of the tissue to laser excitation (LIF) and the backscatter response to illumination by white light (in the spectral range of 360 to 750 nm). Combining LIF and white light responses, as well as evaluating a spatial correlation between proximate cervical tissue sites in conjunction with a statistically significant “distance” algorithm, such as the Mahalanobis distance between data sets, can improve the discrimination between normal and abnormal tissue. The results may be displayed in the form of a map of the cervix representing the suspected pathology.
Claims29
A diagnostic system for optically classifying cervical tissue, the system comprising:
- an optical illumination unit configured to provide UV light and broad spectrum light for illuminating a plurality of cervical tissue sites;
- a detector configured to detect response signals at the tissue sites;
- and
- a processor configured to classify the tissue by:
- comparing the response signals with reference signals representative of cervical tissue of known pathology;
- and
- comparing response signals from at least two proximate tissue sites, wherein the proximate tissue sites are spaced less than 2 mm apart along a surface of the cervical tissue.
A method of optically classifying cervical tissue, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) illuminating a plurality of tissue sites;
- (b) detecting response signals from the plurality of tissue sites;
- (c) comparing the response signals with reference signals representative of cervical tissue of known pathology and comparing response signals from at least two proximate tissue sites, the proximate tissue sites spaced less than 2 mm apart along a surface of the cervical tissue;
- and
- (d) classifying the cervical tissue following step (c).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.