Systems for multimodal real-time imaging for biopsies and related methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017367682-A1
Application number	US-201715631672-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 23, 2017
Priority date	Jun 24, 2016
Publication date	Dec 28, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A device comprises a cannula having a first end, a second end, and a channel between the first end and the second end; an imaging probe couplable to the first end of the cannula, where the imaging probe includes: a transducer, and a reflective surface; and a biopsy device coupled to the cannula, where the biopsy device is configured to collect a tissue sample from an organ of a patient.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A device comprising:
a cannula having a first end, a second end, and a channel between the first end and the second end; an imaging probe couplable to the first end of the cannula, where the imaging probe includes:
a transducer, and
a reflective surface; and
a biopsy device coupled to the cannula, where the biopsy device is configured to collect a tissue sample from a patient.

2 . The device of claim 1 , where the transducer may be at least partially aligned with a first aperture in the imaging probe and the reflective surface may be at least partially aligned with a second aperture in the imaging probe.

3 . The device of claim 2 , where the first aperture and the second aperture are axially aligned in the imaging probe.

4 . The device of claim 1 , where the device includes a first transmission line configured to extend from the transducer toward the second end of the cannula.

5 . The device of claim 1 , where the device includes a second transmission line configured to extend from proximate the reflective surface toward the second end of the cannula.

6 . The device of claim 1 , where the biopsy device is rotatably fixed relative to the cannula.

7 . The device of claim 1 , where the device is configured to capture a mapped image of an organ and/or location of the patient from inside the organ and/or location, where the mapped image comprises at least one of an optical image, an ultrasound image, and a photoacoustic image.

8 . The device of claim 7 , where the mapped image provides a three-dimensional mapping of at least one of tissue and vasculature of the organ and/or location.

9 . A system comprising:
a device configured to be insertable into a patient, where the device includes:
a cannula having a first end, a second end, and a channel between the first end and the second end,
an imaging probe couplable to the first end of the cannula, where the imaging probe includes:
a transducer, and
a reflective surface; and

a biopsy device coupled to the cannula, where the biopsy device is configured to collect a tissue sample from the patient;
a laser configured to emit a light signal using the reflective surface; a pulser configured to actuate transducer such that the transducer emits an ultrasound signal; a computer configured to construct an image of a location in the patient in in real time based on an ultrasound return signal and/or a photoacoustic signal received by the transducer in response to the ultrasound signal and the light signal, respectively; and an actuator coupled to the device and configured to automatically move the device to a location of interest in the patient based on the ultrasound return signal and/or the photoacoustic signal.

10 . The system of claim 9 , where the actuator includes a rotary motor and/or a linear actuator.

11 . The system of claim 9 , further comprising:
a laser; a fiber optic alignment stage configured to direct the light signal emitted by the laser toward the reflective surface; a receiver configured to receive a signal from the transducer; an amplifier configured to amplify the signal received by receiver; and a data acquisition system configured to receive a signal from the amplifier.

12 . The system of claim 9 , further comprising a position control device configured to direct the actuator to move the device to the location of interest.

13 . The system of claim 9 , where the system is configured to capture at least an optical image, an ultrasound image, and a photoacoustic image.

14 . The system of claim 9 , where the actuator is configured to be disposed externally relative to the location in the patient.

15 . The system of claim 9 , the image of the location in the patient comprises at least one of an optical image, an ultrasound image, and a photoacoustic image.

16 . The system of claim 9 , where the image provides a three-dimensional mapping of at least one of tissue and vasculature of the organ from inside the organ.

17 . A method comprising:
inserting a device into a location of a patient, where the device includes:
a cannula having a first end, a second end, and a channel between the first end and the second end,
an imaging probe couplable to the first end of the cannula, where the imaging probe includes:
a transducer, and
a reflective surface;

a biopsy device coupled to the cannula, where the biopsy device is configured to collect a tissue sample from the patient;
emitting an ultrasound signal using the transducer; emitting a light signal using the reflective surface; receiving an ultrasound return signal and/or a photoacoustic signal in response to emitting the ultrasound signal and the light signal, respectively; forming an image of the location in real time while receiving the ultrasound return signal and/or the photoacoustic signal; and automatically moving the imaging probe to a location of interest in the patient based on the ultrasound return signal and/or the photoacoustic signal.

18 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising collecting a controlled sample of a tissue of the patient after moving the imaging probe to the location of interest.

19 . The method of claim 17 , where the imaging probe is moved while the ultrasound signal and the light signal are emitted.

20 . The method of claim 17 , where forming the image includes providing a three-dimensional mapping of at least one of tissue and vasculature of the location of the patient from inside the location.

Assignees

• Smith Barbara
• Barkley Joel
• Miranda Christopher
• Univ Arizona State

Inventors

• Smith Barbara
• Barkley Joel
• Miranda Christopher

Classifications

• H04N23/671

  in combination with active ranging signals, e.g. using light or sound signals emitted toward objects · CPC title

• G02B23/2423 Primary

  of the distal end · CPC title

• G02B23/2484

  Arrangements in relation to a camera or imaging device (processing or control of video signals generated by an endoscope H04N23/60, H04N23/70) · CPC title

• A61B8/085

  for locating body or organic structures, e.g. tumours, calculi, blood vessels, nodules · CPC title

• A61B5/0059

  using light, e.g. diagnosis by transillumination, diascopy, fluorescence (photoacoustic A61B5/0093; optical measurement of heart rate A61B5/02416; optical measurement of blood flow A61B5/0261; optical measurement of analytes A61B5/1455) · CPC title