RU2133584C1 - Infrared endoscope and method of detection of early pathology by image of examined tissues - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: medicine, particularly, medical endoscopes; may be used in detection of early pathology of internal organs. SUBSTANCE: infrared endoscope has endoscopic probe with illuminator attached to one end of probe and optical infrared converter attached to the probe other end. Optical infrared converter is connected to unit of indication and analysis of converter. Optical infrared converter is in the form of microcircuit with optical inlet; and indication and analysis unit is in the form of board or separate unit. Illuminator possesses radiation characteristics allowing formation of three monochromatic rays with at least one of which being in infrared spectrum. Method of detection of early pathology of internal organs is realized as follows. Introduced into patient place of expected pathology is infrared endoscope (in the form of gastro-, broncho-, laparo- or cystoscope or others) and examined tissue is radiated for 1/30 s with successively supplied three monochromatic rays of different spectrums. One of such rays is ray with wave length found in infrared spectrum; the second ray, in infrared or visible region of spectrum, the third ray, in infrared, visible or ultraviolet region of spectrum. Thus, three monochromatic pictures are obtained which are superposed on one another to form colored picture of image of pathology boundaries. Pathology boundaries are measured. The invention may found wide application in criminalistics for detection of counterfeits of artistic values, in particular, pictures, prints, sketches, etc, and also in aviation for detection of defects in the form of fatigue microcracks and cavities in nozzle vanes and rotor blades of turbines of gas turbine engines during maintenance diagnostics of aircraft power plants and engines, etc. EFFECT: higher confidence of detection of early stage of internal organ pathology. 2 cl, 1 dwg

Description

 The invention relates primarily to medicine, namely to devices for medical endoscopes, and can be mainly used to detect early pathology of internal organs (for example, ulcers, tumors).

 The invention can find application in forensic science to identify falsifications of inscriptions, identify fakes of artistic values, in particular, paintings, prints, sketches, etc., as well as in aviation in identifying defects in the form of fatigue microcracks and nozzle shells and rotor blades of a gas turbine engine turbine during technical diagnostics during the operation of power plants of an airplane and engine, etc. etc.

 Known luminescent endoscope containing an endoscopic camera with optical fibers for lighting and observation, a lens, an eyepiece, an illuminator, a beam splitter, exciting and locking light filters [1]. Using this device, the test tissue of the patient is irradiated with ultraviolet light and pathology of the internal organ is detected by changing the level of luminescence.

 The disadvantage of this endoscope and the method for detecting pathology of the internal organ is the heating of the patient’s tissue with a mercury lamp, which can aggravate the severity of the disease, as well as the lack of informativeness of the luminescence level to identify the early stage of the pathology.

 Known laser-endoscopic spectrum analyzer LESA-4, containing an optical spectrum analyzer, a laser source of fluorescence excitation, an optical fiber catheter, a polychromator, an optical filter system that can be connected to a personal computer [2]. Using this device, the patient’s examined tissue is irradiated with white light and a helium-neon laser during medical procedures (gastroscopy, bronchoscopy, intraoperative diagnostics, etc.) and the tumor is detected by the intensity and spectral distribution of tissue fluorescence.

 These devices and a method for detecting pathology can detect a deeply located tumor (up to 5-10 mm under the mucosa), but do not determine its boundaries.

 Closest to the proposed infrared zdoscope device is a diagnostic device based on the use of radiation close to the infrared part of the spectrum [3], consisting of three main units designed to irradiate diagnosed parts of the body with light, collect light not absorbed by the tissues, and determine the amount of absorption with its division into components revealing pathology.

 The main disadvantage of this device is the complexity of its device associated with the use of special photodetectors operating in the spectral range of 1000 ... 2500 nm, for which silicon, which is the most common, are not suitable.

 Known television system company Welch Allyn (USA) and a method for identifying pathology of internal organs using this system, taken by us as a prototype of the claimed method [4]. The television system contains three radiation sources (white light), an optical-electronic converter in the form of a miniature camera head on a CCD matrix, a display and signal analysis unit of the converter in the form of a video monitoring device, and allows sequential transmission of color-separated images to obtain a quantitative picture of the distribution of pathological sections relative to healthy. A method for identifying the pathology of internal organs is carried out by irradiating the test tissue of the patient with three sequentially supplied rays lying in the visible part of the spectrum. A color image of the test tissue is obtained on the display screen.

 The disadvantages of the prototype are insignificant (up to 1-2 mm) the penetration depth of red, green and blue rays under the mucosa and the low reliability of the detection of pathology at an early stage of its development [5].

 The purpose of the invention is to simplify the device of endoscopes and increase the reliability of identifying an early stage of pathology in the image of the studied tissues.

 The drawing shows a block diagram of an infrared endoscope.

 The inventive infrared endoscope contains an endoscopic probe 1, on one side to which a illuminator 2 is attached, and on the other, an optical infrared converter (OIP) 3, which is connected to a signal indication and analysis unit of the converter (BIAS) 4. The OIP is a microcircuit with an optical input. BIAS is a board or a separate unit.

 The illuminator 2 is configured to form three monochromatic rays, at least one of which lies in the infrared region of the spectrum, the second ray in the infrared or visible region, and the third in the infrared, visible or ultraviolet regions of the spectrum.

 The endoscope works as follows. The endoscopic probe 1 transmits the infrared rays of the illuminator 2 to the surface of the tissue under study, picks up the reflected rays and passes them to the optical input of the OIP 3, which generates electrical pulses perceived in the BIAS 4 and displayed on the monitor, which can be either an integral part of the BIAS and as a separate device.

 An example of the implementation of an infrared endoscope is a system kit for detecting early pathology of internal organs by the infrared signal of a laparoscope, which contains an OIP that is optically coupled to a standard laparoscope of domestic or foreign manufacture, BIAS is compatible with IBM OC / AT series PCs and software for outputting an infrared image of the OIP signal to the screen PIM monitor. The IPR has seats for attachment to a laparoscope using adapter sleeves that act as a lens fastener that matches the optical apertures of the laparoscope eyepiece and the photosensitive surface of the photodetector array. The matrix of photodetectors is made in the form of at least 256x256 photovaricaps, photodiodes or photoresistors located on the same substrate, which are charge-coupled devices (CCD). BIAS is a separate unit or board, on its front panel there is an indication of operating modes and plug sockets for connection to the IPR. The BIAS colorimetric system complies with television GOST 14872-69 according to general technical requirements and optical test tables and international RGB color requirements for monochromatic radiation, where R (red) - with a wavelength of 0.700 μm, G (green) - with a wavelength of 0.546 μm, B (blue) - with a wavelength of 0.436 microns. Image recording of internal organs is carried out in the form of pulses of a television signal in accordance with GOST 7845-72. The illuminator is built into the BIAS and has an optical connector that connects through a flexible light guide to the laparoscope illumination channel, which supplies three monochromatic rays, adjustable from 20 to 100% of the power (no more than 20 mW) of infrared and part of the visible radiation at wavelengths of 0.7 μm ; 0.8 microns; 0.9 μm. The illuminator can also be made in the form of laser LEDs located on the same substrate, but having separate regulation of the radiation power at each individual wavelength to ensure a given color level.

 A method for identifying early pathology of internal organs from the image of the studied tissues is as follows. Depending on the location of the alleged pathology, the patient is given an infrared endoscope (in the form of a gastro-, bronchus-, laparo-, cystoscope, etc.) and the test tissue is irradiated for 1/30 with three monochromatic, different-spectral rays successively supplied: one beam of the infrared region of the spectrum , the second - lying in the infrared or visible region, the third - in the infrared, visible or ultraviolet regions of the radiation spectrum. Three monochromatic pictures are obtained on the display screen, which are combined with each other, identify additional pathology and determine the boundaries of the pathology. Measure the boundaries of the pathology.

 Example 1. Patient K. was admitted to the hospital with a diagnosis of gastritis. A survey was carried out using a regular gastroscope. The diagnosis is confirmed. The patient was additionally examined using the detection system for early pathology of internal organs by infrared signal of the gastroscope. The patient was irradiated with red rays with a maximum spectral density of radiation at a wavelength of 0.7 μm. In addition, the patient was irradiated with infrared rays having a maximum spectral radiation density at a wavelength of 0.8 μm and 0.9 μm. We received three images of an ulcer on the display screen, combined them and revealed an additional pathology in the form of an emerging tumor 0.6x06 mm in size.

 Thus, the use of the proposed infrared endoscope and a method for detecting early pathology from the image of the studied tissues makes it possible to more accurately detect the pathology at an early stage of its development and simplifies the device of the endoscope due to the use of low-power laser solid-crystal LEDs as a illuminator.

Sources of information
1. Luminescent endoscope. USSR copyright certificate N 891062 MKI A 01 B 1/00, 1981

 2. Laser-endoscopic spectrum analyzer LESA-4. Prospect of the Institute of General Physics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow Medical Academy, Oncology Center of RAMS, laboratory of laser biospectroscopy. - M., 1993.

 3. The diagnostic tool. Patent EP N 0467459, cl. A 61 B 1/00, 1991

 4. Television endoscope. // Technical means of medical interoscopy (under the editorship of Leonov B.I.). - M., Medicine. -1989. -C.267-268.

 5. Weil, Yu.S., Varinovsky, Y.M. Infrared rays in clinical diagnosis and biomedical research. -Medicine, Leningrad branch. -1969. - 18 p.

Claims (2)

 1. An infrared endoscope containing an endoscopic probe, a illuminator, the radiation characteristics of which allow the formation of rays, at least one of which lies in the infrared region of the spectrum, an optical converter, the characteristics of which allow the reception of rays and convert them into a sequence of electrical pulses, as well as an indication unit and signal analysis of the optical Converter, characterized in that the illuminator is configured to form three monochromatic rays, at least one of which ezhit in the infrared region of the spectrum, a second beam - in the infrared or visible region, and the third - in the infrared, visible or ultraviolet regions of the spectrum.  2. A method for detecting early pathology from the image of the studied tissues, formed on the display screen by irradiating the tissue with a radiation source, characterized in that the tissue is sequentially irradiated with three monochromatic rays, at least one of which lies in the infrared region of the spectrum, the second in the infrared or visible region, and the third - in infrared, visible or ultraviolet, the three monochromatic pictures obtained on the screen are combined with each other, additional pathology is revealed and the borders of the pathology are determined.