Method and apparatus for examining tissue for predefined target cells, particularly cancerous cells, and a probe useful in such method and apparatus

A method of examining an excised tissue region for presence of target cells therein, comprising:

• providing a probe having an operative end for applying pulses to a tissue;
• contacting an exposed surface of the excised tissue region by said operative end of the probe and operating the probe while moving the operative end of the probe over the exposed surface of the excised tissue region, said operating of the probe comprising applying the pulses to examined tissue within a probe area of the exposed surface;
• detecting changes in response of the tissue to said applied pulses within said probe area thereby identifying the target cells;
• determining extent of presence of the target cells within said examined tissue thereby defining margins for the target cells within said exposed surface and providing output data indicative thereof;
• removing additional tissues at locations adjacent to said surface and corresponding to where said margins within the examined tissue include said target cells;
• examining said additional removed tissues;
• and
• removing more additional tissues until there are no target cells in the margins within the examined tissue.