US 8,262,575 B2Granted

Method and system for detecting electrophysiological changes in pre-cancerous and cancerous tissue

AssigneeEpi-Sci, LLC

InventorRichard J. Davies

Life of this patent

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Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for determining a condition of a selected region of epithelial tissue and/or an organ in a body as well as to diagnose disease, susceptibility, premalignancy or cancer and to measure response to therapy, introduction of a drug and to assess the margins of a tumor or resection. The methods utilize through the tissue or organ electrical measurements with alternating current applied using one or more surface or internal electrodes and measuring the electrical response using one or more surface electrodes, preferably in combination with one or more electrodes in direct or indirect contact with epithelium comprising the organ or tissue under test. The methods are also useful in combination with DC measurements on the surface of the organ or tissue under test. Measurement of impedance, admittance, electropotential and dielectric properties is particularly useful, particularly as a function of frequency and position on and in the tissue or organ.

Claims8

Dependent claims

A method for determining a condition of a region of organ or mucosal epithelial tissue comprising:

(A) placing at least two current-passing electrodes in contact with or in proximity to a surface of the selected region of tissue;
(B) placing a plurality of measuring electrodes in contact with or in proximity to the surface of the selected region of tissue;
(C) establishing an electrical signal between the current-passing electrodes;
(D) measuring, at one or more of the measuring electrodes, an electrical measurement associated with the established signal;
(E) introducing at least one agent into the selected region of tissue while electrically probing said tissue, said agent comprising one or more pharmacological agent, hormone, chemical compound or mixture thereof, added to an electroconductive medium (ECM) or otherwise introduced to the tissue, which modulates, inhibits or stimulates electrical activity of said tissue and selected to differentially alter, reveal and accentuate electrophysiological characteristics indicative of abnormal or cancerous tissue compared to benign tissue;
(F) measuring, at one or more of the measuring electrodes, an electrical measurement associated with the established signal while introducing the at least one agent;
and
(G) applying at least one probe comprising a plurality of probe elements to said tissue such that individual ones of the probe elements are arranged for sensing or measuring characteristics of individual localized regions of the said tissue;
(H) selectively applying an electrical signal to the probe elements for determining the dielectric constants of the localized regions of said tissue;
and
(1) determining the condition of the selected region of tissue based on the electrical measurement, following the introduction of the at least one agent;
or
(2) detecting a possible tumor by sensing or measuring variations in the dielectric constants over a plurality of the regions;
or both (1) and (2);
and
further comprising the step of determining the rate of change of dielectric constant with frequency or log of frequency at each of the localized regions.

13 more elements

A method for determining a condition of a region of organ or mucosal epithelial tissue comprising:

(A) placing at least one current-passing electrode in contact with or in proximity to a surface of the selected region of tissue;
(B) placing a plurality of measuring electrodes in contact with or in proximity to the surface of the selected region of tissue;
(C) establishing an electrical signal between at least one current-passing electrode and at least one of the measuring electrodes;
(D) measuring, at one or more of the measuring electrodes, an electrical measurement associated with the established signal;
(E) introducing at least one agent into the selected region of tissue while electrically probing said tissue, said agent comprising one or more pharmacological agent, hormone, chemical compound or mixture thereof, added to an electroconductive medium (ECM) or otherwise introduced to the tissue, which modulates, inhibits or stimulates electrical activity of said tissue and selected to differentially alter, reveal and accentuate electrophysiological characteristics indicative of abnormal or cancerous tissue compared to benign tissue;
(F) measuring, at one or more of the measuring electrodes, an electrical measurement associated with the established signal while introducing the at least one agent;
and
(G) applying at least one probe comprising a plurality of probe elements to said tissue such that individual ones of the probe elements are arranged for sensing or measuring characteristics of individual localized regions of said tissue;
(H) selectively applying an electrical signal to the probe elements for determining the dielectric constants of the localized regions of said tissue;
and
(1) determining the condition of the selected region of tissue based on the electrical measurement, following the introduction of at least one agent;
or
(2) detecting a possible tumor by sensing or measuring variations in the dielectric constants over a plurality of the regions;
or both (1) and (2);
and
further comprising the step of determining the rate of change of dielectric constant with frequency or log of frequency at each of the localized regions.

13 more elements

A method for determining a condition of a region of organ or mucosal epithelial tissue comprising:

(A) placing at least two current-passing electrodes in contact with or in proximity to a surface of the selected region of tissue;
(B) placing a plurality of measuring electrodes in contact with or in proximity to the surface of the selected region of tissue;
(C) establishing an electrical signal between the current-passing electrodes;
(D) measuring, at one or more of the measuring electrodes, an electrical measurement associated with the established signal;
(E) introducing at least one agent into the selected region of tissue while electrically probing said tissue, said agent comprising one or more pharmacological agent, hormone, chemical compound or mixture thereof, added to an electroconductive medium (ECM) or otherwise introduced to the tissue, which modulates, inhibits or stimulates electrical activity of said tissue and selected to differentially alter, reveal and accentuate electrophysiological characteristics indicative of abnormal or cancerous tissue compared to benign tissue;
(F) measuring, at one or more of the measuring electrodes, an electrical measurement associated with the established signal while introducing the at least one agent;
and
(G) applying at least one probe comprising a plurality of probe elements to said tissue such that individual ones of the probe elements are arranged for sensing or measuring characteristics of individual localized regions of the said tissue;
(H) selectively applying an electrical signal to the probe elements for determining the dielectric constants of the localized regions of said tissue;
and
(1) determining the condition of the selected region of tissue based on the electrical measurement, following the introduction of the at least one agent;
or
(2) detecting a possible tumor by sensing or measuring variations in the dielectric constants over a plurality of the regions;
or both (1) and (2);
wherein said electrical signal is at a frequency of about 0.2 Hz to about 6000 Hz.

12 more elements

A method for determining a condition of a region of organ or mucosal epithelial tissue comprising:

(A) placing at least one current-passing electrode in contact with or in proximity to a surface of the selected region of tissue;
(B) placing a plurality of measuring electrodes in contact with or in proximity to the surface of the selected region of tissue;
(C) establishing an electrical signal between at least one current-passing electrode and at least one of the measuring electrodes;
(D) measuring, at one or more of the measuring electrodes, an electrical measurement associated with the established signal;
(E) introducing at least one agent into the selected region of tissue while electrically probing said tissue, said agent comprising one or more pharmacological agent, hormone, chemical compound or mixture thereof, added to an electroconductive medium (ECM) or otherwise introduced to the tissue, which modulates, inhibits or stimulates electrical activity of said tissue and selected to differentially alter, reveal and accentuate electrophysiological characteristics indicative of abnormal or cancerous tissue compared to benign tissue;
(F) measuring, at one or more of the measuring electrodes, an electrical measurement associated with the established signal while introducing the at least one agent;
and
(G) applying at least one probe comprising a plurality of probe elements to said tissue such that individual ones of the probe elements are arranged for sensing or measuring characteristics of individual localized regions of said tissue;
(H) selectively applying an electrical signal to the probe elements for determining the dielectric constants of the localized regions of said tissue;
and
(1) determining the condition of the selected region of tissue based on the electrical measurement, following the introduction of at least one agent;
or
(2) detecting a possible tumor by sensing or measuring variations in the dielectric constants over a plurality of the regions;
or both (1) and (2);
wherein said electrical signal is at a frequency of about 0.2 Hz to about 6000 Hz.

12 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 11/294,916Filed 6 Dec 2005 · continuation in part
Priority: 20 May 2002
Published: US 2006/0100488 A111 May 2006
Granted: 11 Sep 2012
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification10 codes

A61B 5/0531
Measuring electrical impedance or conductance of a portion of the body: measuring skin impedance
A61B 5/0538
Measuring electrical impedance or conductance of a portion of the body: invasively, e.g. using a catheter
A61B 5/2415
Detecting, measuring or recording bioelectric or biomagnetic signals of the body or parts thereof: measuring direct current [DC] or slowly varying…
A61B 5/4312
For evaluating the female reproductive systems, e.g. gynaecological evaluations: breast evaluation or disorder diagnosis

Family

Application10/151,233Parent of this division · filed 20 May 2002
Application11/096,665Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 1 Apr 2005
US 2006/0100488 A1Pre-grant publication · published 11 May 2006
US 6,922,586 B2Parent of this division
Application11/096,665Parent of this division
US 2003/0216661 A1Published application
US 2005/0203436 A1Published application
US 8,280,504 B2Related patent
US 8,262,575 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.