Raman spectroscopy system, apparatus, and method for analyzing, characterizing, and/or diagnosing a type or nature of a sample or a tissue such as an abnormal growth

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017138860-A1
Application number	US-201515322874-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 2, 2015
Priority date	Jul 2, 2014
Publication date	May 18, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

Characterizing, identifying, or diagnosing the type and/or nature of a sample or a tissue such as an abnormal growth using a Raman spectrum includes analyzing distinct spectral subintervals within the Raman spectrum in two distinct wavelength ranges, such as FP and HW wavelength ranges, to identify a match with one or more reference markers in one or both wavelength ranges; and from the match characterizing, identifying, or diagnosing the type and/or nature of the sample or tissue. FP and HW Raman spectra can be detected or acquired simultaneously using a single diffraction grating.

First claim

1 . A Raman spectroscopy apparatus comprising:
a first illumination source configured for directing illumination into a tissue; a Raman spectrograph configured for simultaneously detecting fingerprint (FP) and high wavenumber (HW) Raman spectra from illumination scattered by the tissue; and a computerized control and analysis module comprising at least one processing unit and a memory storing program instructions executable by the at least one processing unit for analyzing discrete spectral sub-intervals of the detected Raman spectra in FP and HW wavelength ranges to identify a match with one or more reference markers in one or both wavelength ranges.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the Raman spectrograph has a single broadband diffraction grating.

3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the first illumination source comprises a source of collimated illumination for generating an excitation energy to apply to the tissue, and wherein the apparatus further comprises a probe for transmitting the collimated illumination to the tissue and returning the detected Raman spectra from the tissue to the spectrograph.

4 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the one or more reference markers comprise specific peaks in the detected Raman spectra.

5 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the computerized control and analysis module includes program instructions executable by the at least one processing unit for diagnosing an abnormal growth based upon the match.

6 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the probe comprises a confocal fiber-optic probe.

7 . The apparatus of claim 6 , further comprising an endoscope having an elongate shaft having an instrument channel within which the probe is carried.

8 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the computerized control and analysis module includes program instructions executable by the at least one processing unit for dynamically adjusting a power of the collimated illumination.

9 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the computerized control and analysis module includes program instructions executable by the at least one processing unit for dynamically adjusting a time to which the tissue is exposed to the collimated illumination.

10 . The apparatus of claim 3 , further comprising a calibration apparatus configured for standardizing the probe or the entire Raman apparatus with respect to at least one calibration reference.

11 . The apparatus of claim 3 , further comprising:
an additional illumination source configured for outputting additional illumination into the tissue; and a hot mirror filter configured for compensating for illumination interference between the illumination output by the first illumination source and the additional illumination output by the additional illumination source.

12 . A Raman spectroscopy method performed by a Raman spectroscopy apparatus, the method comprising:
directing illumination output by a first illumination source into a tissue; simultaneously detecting by way of a probe fingerprint (FP) and high wavenumber (HW) Raman spectra from illumination scattered by the tissue; and analyzing discrete spectral sub-intervals in the detected Raman spectra in both FP and HW wavelength ranges to identify a match with one or more reference markers in one or both wavelength ranges.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein simultaneously detecting FP and HW Raman spectra comprises diffracting illumination in both FP and HW wavelength ranges using a single broadband diffraction grating.

14 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising diagnosing the nature of an abnormal growth based upon the match.

15 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the one or more reference markers are specific peaks in the detected Raman spectra.

16 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising dynamically adjusting the power of the illumination.

17 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising dynamically adjusting a time to which the tissue is exposed to the illumination.

18 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising performing a calibration or standardization procedure to standardize the probe or the entire Raman apparatus with respect to at least one calibration reference prior to illuminating the tissue.

19 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
directing additional illumination into the tissue using an additional illumination source while directing the illumination output by first illumination source into the tissue; and compensating for illumination interference between the illumination output by the first illumination source and the additional illumination output by the additional illumination source using a hot mirror filter.

Assignees

• Nat Univ Singapore

Inventors

• Huang Zhiwei

Classifications

• A61B1/018

  for receiving instruments · CPC title

• A61B5/0084

  for introduction into the body, e.g. by catheters (A61B5/1459 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01J3/44

  Raman spectrometry; Scattering spectrometry {; Fluorescence spectrometry} · CPC title

• G01N2201/12

  Circuits of general importance; Signal processing · CPC title

• A61B2560/0223

  of calibration, e.g. protocols for calibrating sensors · CPC title