Detection of anisotropic biological tissue

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11202606-B2
Application number	US-201615567178-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 12, 2016
Priority date	Apr 17, 2015
Publication date	Dec 21, 2021
Grant date	Dec 21, 2021

Abstract

A system for detection of optically anisotropic tissue is provided. The system comprises an optical source, an optical detector, a processing unit and a probe. The probe has a shaft with a longitudinal axis and a front end, and a plurality of optical fibers; wherein an end of each of the optical fibers is arranged at the front end of the shaft, and at least one of the optical fibers is a source optical fiber adapted to transmit optical radiation emitted from the optical source to a tissue adjacent to the front end of the shaft. Another one of the optical fibers is a detector optical fiber adapted to transmit optical radiation reflected from the tissue to the optical detector, so that an optical path through the tissue is defined, wherein the optical paths differ from each other with respect to their spatial orientation, and wherein the optical paths cross each other. The processor is configured to control the optical source to emit optical radiation, to receive a signal generated by the optical detector based on the optical radiation reflected by the tissue, to determine a plurality of optical spectra of the reflected optical radiation based on the received signal, wherein the optical spectra are obtained of the same location from at least two different directions, wherein the measurement of the optical spectra is performed either simultaneously or sequentially, and to compare the plurality of optical spectra, wherein the optical spectra relate to optical radiation of the different optical paths thus allowing the detection of anisotropic tissue using differences between the optical spectra.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for detecting tissue anisotropy, the system comprising:
an optical source;
an optical detector;
a processor; and
a probe comprising a shaft with a longitudinal axis and a front end, and a plurality of optical fibers, wherein an end of each optical fiber of the plurality of optical fibers is arranged at the front end of the shaft;
wherein the plurality of optical fibers includes at least one source optical fiber configured to transmit optical radiation emitted from the optical source to irradiate a tissue and at least one detector optical fiber configured to transmit optical radiation reflected from the tissue to the optical detector;
wherein optical fibers of the plurality of optical fibers are arranged to define a plurality of optical paths between the at least one source optical fiber and the at least one detector optical fiber, wherein optical paths of the plurality of optical paths intersect at a point of intersection for optically probing the tissue at the point of intersection from a plurality of transversely-oriented directions; and
wherein the processor is configured to:
control the optical source to emit optical radiation,
receive signals generated by the optical detector as received signals,
determine from the received signals a plurality of optical spectra, wherein each spectrum of the plurality of optical spectra corresponds to a corresponding optical path of the plurality of optical paths,
measure optical spectra of the plurality of optical spectra, and
detect anisotropy of the tissue based on differences between optical spectra of the plurality of optical spectra.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of optical fibers comprises one detector optical fiber and two source optical fibers, wherein an optical path from a first source optical fiber to the one detector optical fiber is oriented transversely to an optical path from a second source optical fiber to the one detector optical fiber.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of optical fibers comprises two detector optical fibers and two source optical fibers, wherein an optical path from a first source optical fiber to a first detector optical fiber is oriented transversely to an optical path from a second source optical fiber to a second detector optical fiber.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein an angle of at least 60 degrees is defined between two optical paths of the plurality of optical paths.

5. The system of claim 3 , wherein an angle of at least 70 degrees is defined between two optical paths of the plurality of optical paths.

6. The system of claim 2 , wherein the system comprises two optical sources.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system comprises an optical switch or modulator configured to distribute the optical radiation from the optical source to optical fibers of the plurality of optical fibers.

8. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a driver configured to rotate the probe about the longitudinal axis of the probe.

9. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
polarizers configured to polarize the optical radiation emitted from the optical source.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the probe further comprises a channel for injecting or extracting a fluid.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system is a diffuse reflectance spectroscopy system.

12. The system of claim 2 , wherein an angle of at least 60 degrees is defined between two optical paths of the plurality of optical paths.

13. The system of claim 3 , wherein an angle of at least 60 degrees is defined between two optical paths of the plurality of optical paths.

14. The system of claim 3 , wherein the system comprises two optical sources.

15. The system of claim 4 , wherein the system comprises two optical sources.

16. The system of claim 2 , wherein the system comprises an optical switch or modulator configured to distribute the optical radiation from the optical source to optical fibers of the plurality of optical fibers.

17. The system of claim 3 , wherein the system comprises an optical switch or modulator configured to distribute the optical radiation from the optical source to optical fibers of the plurality of optical fibers.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that when executed by processing circuitry cause the processing circuitry to:
control an optical source to emit optical radiation, wherein at least one source optical fiber of a plurality of optical fibers is configured to transmit optical radiation emitted from the optical source to irradiate a tissue, wherein at least one detector optical fiber of the plurality of optical fibers is configured to transmit optical radiation reflected from the tissue to an optical detector, and wherein an end of each optical fiber of the plurality optical fibers is arranged at a front end of a shaft of a probe comprising a longitudinal axis;
receive signals generated by the optical detector as received signals;
determine from the received signals a plurality of optical spectra, wherein each spectrum of the plurality of optical spectra corresponds to a corresponding optical path of a plurality of optical paths between the at least one source optical fiber and the at least one detector optical fiber, wherein optical fibers of the plurality of optical fibers are arranged to define the plurality of optical paths, wherein optical paths of the plurality of optical paths intersect at a point of intersection for optically probing the tissue at the point of intersection from a plurality of transversely-oriented directions;
measure optical spectra of the plurality of optical spectra, and
detect anisotropy of the tissue based on differences between optical spectra of the plurality of optical spectra.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18 , further comprising instructions stored thereon that when executed by the processing circuitry cause the processing circuitry to control a rotational orientation of the probe.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18 , further comprising instructions stored thereon that when executed by the processing circuitry cause the processing circuitry to control a polarization direction of emitted optical radiation.

Assignees

• Koninklijke Philips Nv

Inventors

• Mueller Manfred
• Hendriks Bernardus Hendrikus Wilhelmus
• Lucassen Gerhardus Wilhelmus
• Bydlon Torre Michelle

Classifications

• A61B5/0075

  by spectroscopy, i.e. measuring spectra, e.g. Raman spectroscopy, infrared absorption spectroscopy (A61B5/0071 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61B5/0082

  adapted for particular medical purposes · CPC title

• A61B5/4893 Primary

  Nerves · CPC title