JP2024095405A - Fluorescence detection equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

A fluorescence detection device is provided that is equipped with a scope suitable for irradiating an object to be inspected with excitation light and collecting fluorescence emitted from the object to be inspected.
[Solution] The fluorescence detection device 100 includes a light source 34 that generates excitation light γ ₀ , a scope 10 at least a part of which is inserted into the abdominal cavity 1a of a subject 1 and which has a light-transmitting optical fiber 12 that guides the excitation light output from the light source 34 and emits it toward tissue in the abdominal cavity of the subject, and at least one light-receiving optical fiber 13 that guides fluorescence γ emitted from the tissue in response to irradiation with the excitation light, and a detector 35 that detects the fluorescence collected by the scope. Since the scope has the light-receiving optical fiber 13 independent of the light-transmitting optical fiber 12, it becomes possible to detect the fluorescence guided by the light-receiving optical fiber 13 without detecting the excitation light reflected at the exit end surface of the light-transmitting optical fiber 12.
[Selected figure] Figure 2

Description

The present invention relates to a fluorescence detection device.

A method is known in which a drug is administered into a subject, and excitation light is irradiated onto the tissue, thereby detecting pathogens in the tissue by receiving fluorescence emitted by the drug from within the tissue. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a medical system that uses an optical endoscope to irradiate an area affected by thermal invasion with excitation light, such as blue light, and receives the green autofluorescence emitted by the excitation light, thereby enabling imaging of an internal region of thermal invasion that cannot be seen when illuminated with white light. The optical endoscope of such a medical system is composed of a light guide for transmitting illumination light and a set of relay lenses having a plurality of lenses for transmitting an optical image.
Patent Document 1: International Publication No. 2020/174666

In one aspect of the present invention, a fluorescence detection device is provided that includes a light source that generates excitation light, a scope that is at least partially inserted into the abdominal cavity of a subject, the scope having a first optical fiber that guides the excitation light output from the light source and emits it toward tissue in the abdominal cavity of the subject, and at least one second optical fiber that guides fluorescence emitted from the tissue in response to irradiation with the excitation light, and a detector that detects the fluorescence collected by the scope.

Note that the above summary of the invention does not list all of the features of the present invention. Also, subcombinations of these features may also be inventions.

1 shows a schematic configuration of a fluorescence detection device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2 shows an example of a cross-sectional structure of a scope. The connection arrangement of the scope, cables and detector (part C in FIG. 1) is shown diagrammatically. 2 shows the functional configuration of a control arithmetic unit. 13 shows an example of a display of the analysis results of the fluorescence intensity. 1 shows the use of a fluorescence detection device and a laparoscopic device. 1 shows an example of a screen display of a monitor device. 1 shows a flow of a fluorescence detection method.

The present invention will be described below through embodiments of the invention, but the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims. Furthermore, not all of the combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the solution of the invention.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of a fluorescence detection device 100 according to this embodiment. The fluorescence detection device 100 is a device equipped with a scope 10 suitable for irradiating an object to be inspected with excitation light γ ₀ and collecting fluorescence γ emitted from the object to be inspected. Here, for example, indocyanine green (ICG) can be adopted as the drug 2. ICG is a drug that emits fluorescence (wavelength 820 to 840 nm) when irradiated with near-infrared light (wavelength about 790 nm), and can be used in the wavelength region of the biological window (wavelength 650 to 900 nm), so it is suitable for biological tests such as liver function tests, circulatory function tests, identification of sentinel lymph nodes in diseases such as breast cancer, and evaluation of blood flow in blood vessels and tissues. In particular, the fluorescence detection device 100 is a device that can be used in combination with a laparoscope device 200, and is equipped with a scope 10, a cable 20, and a device main body 30.

2 shows an example of the cross-sectional structure of the scope 10. The scope 10 is an optical scope that is at least partially inserted into the abdominal cavity 1a of the subject 1, guides the excitation light γ ₀ (and the guide light γ _g ) output from the light source 34 to irradiate the tissue in the abdominal cavity 1a, and collects the fluorescence γ emitted by the drug 2 in the tissue in response to the irradiation of the excitation light γ _0. The scope 10 includes tubes 11, 11a, a light-transmitting optical fiber 12, a light-receiving optical fiber 13, and a connector 14.

The tubes 11 and 11a are tubular members that align the tips of the light-transmitting optical fiber 12 and the light-receiving optical fiber 13 on one end face (i.e., the tip face) of the longitudinal axis and restrain them. The tube 11 may be, for example, a SUS tube having an inner diameter of 600 μm and an axial length of 300 mm, which is completely waterproof and can be sterilized in an autoclave. The tube 11a may be, for example, a SUS tube having an inner diameter of 200 μm and an axial length of 300 mm. The tubes 11 and 11a form a double tube in which the tube 11a is disposed within the tube 11, the light-transmitting optical fiber 12 is restrained within the tube 11a, and at least one light-receiving optical fiber 13 is restrained between the tubes 11a and 11. The restraint of the optical fibers by the tubes 11 and 11a will be described in more detail below.

The light transmitting optical fiber 12 is an example of a first optical fiber, and is an optical member for guiding the excitation light γ ₀ output from the light source 34 and emitting it toward tissues in the abdominal cavity 1a of the subject 1. Note that, in order to visually confirm the irradiation location of the excitation light γ ₀ in the near-infrared wavelength range, a guide light γ _g in the visible light wavelength range may be further guided and emitted in a superimposed state on the excitation light γ _0. The light transmitting optical fiber 12 may be an optical fiber having a diameter of 200 μm, for example. Alternatively, the light transmitting optical fiber 12 may be an optical fiber formed of a material such as quartz glass, glass containing other components, fluoride glass, chalcogenide glass, or plastic. Alternatively, the light transmitting optical fiber 12 may be an optical fiber such as a multimode fiber (MMF), a single mode fiber (SMF), a double clad fiber (DCF), or a photonic crystal fiber (PCF).

The light receiving optical fiber 13 is an example of a second optical fiber, and is an optical member for collecting fluorescence emitted from the drug 2 in the tissue by irradiation with the excitation light γ ₀ and sending it to the detector 35. The light receiving optical fiber 13 is not limited to one, and may be multiple, and may particularly include multiple optical fibers (represented as light receiving optical fibers 13a to 13g) arranged around the light transmitting optical fiber 12. In this embodiment, the number of optical fibers is 7 as an example. As the light receiving optical fiber 13, an optical fiber having a diameter of 200 μm may be adopted as an example. The material and structure are the same as those of the light transmitting optical fiber 12.

On a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the scope 10, the light-transmitting optical fiber 12 is covered by the tube 11a and constrained therein, and the multiple light-receiving optical fibers 13a-13g are constrained by being arranged in the circumferential direction between the tubes 11, 11a, either in contact with each other or at a slight distance apart. By selecting the sizes of the light-receiving optical fibers 13a-13g and the tubes 11, 11a as described above, and in particular by selecting the inner diameter of the tube 11 to be approximately three times the diameter of the light-transmitting optical fiber 12 and the light-receiving optical fibers 13a-13g, it is possible to arrange the light-transmitting optical fiber 12 in the center and the seven light-receiving optical fibers 13a-13g densely in the space between the tubes 11, 11a. The light-receiving optical fibers 13a-13g may be constrained by filling the space between the tubes 11, 11a with a material such as resin. The tip of the tube 11, 11a, which thus restrains the light transmitting optical fiber 12 and the multiple light receiving optical fibers 13a-13g, is inserted into the abdominal cavity 1a of the subject 1, and the base end is fixed to the connector 14.

The connector 14 is provided at the base end of the tube 11 and is a member for removably fixing the tube 11 to the gripping portion 24 of the cable 20.

With the above-mentioned configuration, the scope 10 can insert the tip of its longitudinal axis into the abdominal cavity 1a of the subject 1, output the excitation light _γ0 from the tip, and collect the fluorescence γ emitted by the drug 2 in the tissue by irradiating the excitation light _γ0 from the tip. Here, the scope 10 may output guide _{light γg in} the visible light wavelength range superimposed on the excitation light γ0 to irradiate the tissue in the abdominal cavity 1a. This allows the tip of the scope 10 to approach a site of interest in the abdominal cavity 1a and examine only that site of interest.

Furthermore, the scope 10 has the light-receiving optical fiber 13 that collects the fluorescence _γ emitted from the tissue in response to irradiation with the excitation light γ ₀ and guides it to the detector 35, independently of the light-transmitting optical fiber 12 that guides the excitation light γ 0 output from the light source 34 and emits it toward the tissue in the abdominal cavity 1a. This makes it possible for the detector 35 to detect the fluorescence γ collected by the light-receiving optical fiber 13 without receiving the excitation light γ ₀ reflected at the emission end surface of the light-transmitting optical fiber 12.

The cable 20 is a device for connecting the scope 10 to the device body 30 and optically connecting the light transmitting optical fiber 12 and the light receiving optical fiber 13 (13a to 13g) to the light source 34 and the detector 35, respectively. The cable 20 includes a flexible tube 21, a light transmitting optical fiber 22, a light receiving optical fiber 23, and a gripping portion 24.

The flexible tube 21 is a flexible tubular member that bundles the light-transmitting optical fiber 22 and the light-receiving optical fiber 23 and holds them inside. The flexible tube 21 may be, for example, a sheathed SUS tube having a diameter of 5 mm and a length of 300 cm. One end of the flexible tube 21 is connected to the connector 14 of the scope 10, and is formed using an insulating material such as resin (e.g., ABS resin) to prevent electric shock. The other end of the flexible tube 21 is connected to the connector 29 of the device main body 30.

The light-transmitting optical fiber 22 and the light-receiving optical fiber 23 are configured in the same manner as the light-transmitting optical fiber 12 and the light-receiving optical fiber 13 described above. Note that the light-receiving optical fiber 23 includes the same number of optical fibers as the light-receiving optical fiber 13 (represented as light-receiving optical fibers 23a to 23g).

The grip 24 is provided at one end of the cable 20 and is a member that is gripped by the user operating the scope 10 to operate the scope 10. The handle portion that forms the outer surface of the grip 24 may be formed using an insulating material such as a general-purpose plastic such as polyethylene, a thermoplastic resin such as polycarbonate or polyether ether ketone (so-called engineering plastic), or a thermosetting resin such as phenol. The connector 14 of the scope 10 is detachably fixed to the grip 24.

A waterproof momentary switch (SW) 24a is provided on the side of the grip portion 24. A user can start and stop the generation of the excitation light γ ₀ by pressing and releasing the SW 24a with a finger.

When the connector 14 of the scope 10 is properly connected to the gripping portion 24 of the cable 20 and the base end of the cable 20 is properly connected to the connector 29 of the device body 30 with the above-mentioned configuration, the light transmitting optical fiber 22 and the light receiving optical fiber 23 (23a-23g) are positioned coaxially with the light transmitting optical fiber 12 and the light receiving optical fiber 13 (13a-13g) of the scope 10, respectively, and are also positioned coaxially with the optical fibers 32, 33 (33a-33g) of the device body 30. As a result, the light transmitting optical fiber 12 of the scope 10 is optically connected (also called optical connection) to the light source 34 (excitation light source 34a and guide light source 34b), and the light receiving optical fiber 13 is optically connected to the detector 35.

The device main body 30 is a unit equipped with various functional devices within a housing 31, including a light source 34, a detector 35, a control and calculation device 36, a recording device 37, an input/output device 38, and a communication device 39. These functional devices are connected to each other via communication lines so that they can communicate with each other.

The housing 31 houses functional devices such as the light source 34. A connector 29 to which the flexible tube 21 is connected is fixed to the front via an insulating material such as resin (e.g., polycarbonate). A power connector (not shown) is fixed to the rear, through which power is sent from a commercial power source (100V AC) to each functional device. The housing 31 is grounded as a frame ground. Connectors such as a universal serial bus (USB), digital visual interface (DVI)-D, and DVI-I are also provided on the rear.

The front of the housing 31 is provided with an intake port for taking in air, and the rear is provided with an exhaust port for sending air out. By operating a fan (not shown), air flows inside the housing from the front to the rear, cooling each functional device. The front of the housing 31 is also provided with a lamp (not shown) that uses light to indicate that the housing is in operation or that an abnormality has occurred, and a speaker (not shown) that uses sound to indicate such an event. In addition, the front of the housing 31 is provided with a laser key switch, a laser emergency stop button, and a start switch (all not shown), and the rear of the housing 31 is provided with an AC inlet switch, a laser interlock, and a potential equalization terminal (all not shown).

The light source 34 is a device that generates the excitation light γ ₀ and the like, and includes an excitation light source 34a and a guide light source 34b. The excitation light source 34a employs a laser diode (e.g., 40 mW variable) that outputs near-infrared light (e.g., wavelength 785 nm) as the excitation light γ _0. The guide light source 34b employs a laser diode (e.g., 10 mW variable) that outputs visible light (light in the visible light wavelength range, e.g., green light with a wavelength of 520 nm) as the guide light γ _g . Here, since near-infrared light is difficult to see, the light source 34 outputs a guide light γ _g containing visible light superimposed on the excitation light γ ₀ so that the irradiation location of the excitation light γ ₀ can be seen. The light source 34 detects the intensity of the excitation light γ ₀ , the temperature of the excitation light source 34a, an abnormality in the power supply, and the like, and transmits the detection results to the control and arithmetic device 36.

The pumping light source 34a and the guide light source 34b send out pumping light _γ0 and guide light _γg to the optical fibers 32a and 32b, respectively, combine them via an optical fiber coupler (not shown), and send them to the light-transmitting optical fiber 22 of the cable 20 via the optical fiber 32. The pumping light source 34a and the guide light source 34b generate the pumping light _γ0 and the guide light _γg in accordance with a drive signal transmitted from the control and arithmetic device 36. Here, the pumping light source 34a may periodically output (on and off) the pumping light _γ0 .

The detector 35 is a device that detects the fluorescence γ. The detector 35 receives the fluorescence γ collected by the scope 10 (light-receiving optical fibers 13a-13g) via the light-receiving optical fibers 23 (23a-23g) of the cable 20 and the optical fibers 33 (33a-33g) of the device body 30. In this embodiment, the detector 35 detects each of the fluorescence guided by each of the multiple light-receiving optical fibers 13a-13g. The detector 35 has multiple sets of optical filters (not shown) and detectors 35a-35h.

The optical filter is a bandpass filter that cuts the excitation light γ ₀ that is reflected from the surface of the tissue when the tissue in the abdominal cavity 1a is irradiated with the excitation light γ ₀ and is collected by the scope 10 together with the fluorescence γ. The optical filters are disposed in front of each of the detectors 35a to 35h.

Detectors 35a to 35g are optical sensors that measure the intensity of the fluorescence γ, and detector 35h is a spectroscope that spectrally resolves the fluorescence γ and measures the fluorescence intensity for each wavelength (or frequency). In this embodiment, the number of detectors 35a to 35g is the same as the number of light-receiving optical fibers 13a to 13g. For example, a photodiode can be used as the optical sensor. The spectroscope has, for example, a sensitivity wavelength range of 500 to 1100 nm and a wavelength resolution of 2.5 to 3.5 nm.

Figure 3 shows a schematic diagram of the connection configuration of the scope 10, cable 20, and detector 35 located in part C in Figure 1. When the scope 10 is connected to the device body 30 via the cable 20, the light receiving optical fibers 13a to 13g of the scope 10 are optically connected to the detectors 35a to 35g via the light receiving optical fibers 23a to 23g of the cable 20 and the optical fibers 33a to 33g in the device body 30. As a result, the fluorescence γ collected by the light receiving optical fibers 13a to 13g is guided to the detectors 35a to 35g, respectively, and the respective intensities are detected independently. Furthermore, the fluorescence γ guided by the optical fibers 33a to 33g is split via an optical fiber coupler (not shown), and guided by the optical fiber 33h to the detector 35h for spectral analysis. The results of the detection of the fluorescence γ by the detectors 35a to 35h are transmitted to the control and calculation device 36.

The detectors 35 (35a to 35h) alternately obtain detection data during irradiation (on signal) and non-irradiation (off signal) in accordance with a drive signal transmitted from the control and calculation device 36, i.e., in response to the periodic on-off of the excitation light γ _0. The detection results are transmitted to the control and calculation device 36. The control and calculation device 36 integrates the detection data during the on signal and the off signal, respectively, and calculates the difference between the integrated detection data, thereby canceling noise resulting from ambient light.

The control and arithmetic unit 36 is a computer device that controls each functional unit and analyzes the fluorescence state using the detection results of the fluorescence γ by the detector 35, and has a central processing unit (CPU). The CPU executes a dedicated program to cause the control and arithmetic unit 36 to perform a control and arithmetic function. The functional configuration of the control and arithmetic unit 36 will be described later. The dedicated program is activated, for example, by being stored in a ROM (not shown) and read by the CPU, or by being stored in a storage medium such as a CD-ROM and read by the CPU using a reading device (not shown) and expanding it into RAM.

The recording device 37 is a device that records various data such as the results of the detection of the fluorescence γ by the detector 35 and the results of the analysis of the fluorescence state by the control and arithmetic device 36 in a non-transitory storage medium (not shown). The recording device 37 may further record images (i.e., laparoscopic images) of the inside of the abdominal cavity 1a of the subject 1 captured by the laparoscopic device 200. Non-transitory storage media include tangible storage media such as hard disks, compact disks, magneto-optical disks, magnetic tapes, and flash memories. The recording device 37 is incorporated in the device main body 30, but is not limited thereto, and may be disposed outside the device main body 30 so as to be communicable via an interface such as SCSI or SATA or a network.

The input/output device 38 is a device for receiving user input and sending it to the control and arithmetic device 36, as well as outputting various data to the user, such as the results of the detection of fluorescence γ by the detector 35 and the results of the analysis of the fluorescence state by the control and arithmetic device 36. The input/output device 38 can receive user input from an input panel provided on the front of the housing 31, or from external devices such as a keyboard, mouse, or touch panel (none of which are shown) via an interface on the back of the housing 31. The input/output device 38 can also transmit various data to an external monitor device 40 via an interface on the back of the housing 31, and display the data on its display screen 41.

The communication device 39 is a device for communicating with external devices, particularly the laparoscopic device 200, and is connected to the laparoscopic device 200 via a cable such as USB, DVI-D, or DVI-I, and can receive various data such as laparoscopic images, which will be described later. The received data is transmitted to the input/output device 38 and, via this, to the control and arithmetic device 36, etc.

Figure 4 shows the functional configuration realized by the control and calculation device 36 executing a dedicated program. The control and calculation device 36 includes a control unit 36a, an analysis unit 36b, a display unit 36c, and a recording unit 36d.

The control unit 36a is a unit that controls the operation of functional devices such as the light source 34. The control unit 36a generates a drive signal in response to a user input via the SW 24a and transmits it to the light source 34 and the detector 35. Here, the drive signal is generated so as to periodically repeat an on signal and an off signal. As a result, the light source 34 (particularly, the excitation light source 34a) periodically generates (on/off) the excitation light γ ₀ , and the detector 35 alternately acquires detection data during irradiation (on signal) and non-irradiation (off signal) of the excitation light γ ₀ , thereby canceling noise caused by disturbance light.

The control unit 36a may change light emission parameters including any one of the color, intensity, brightness, spread, beam shape, and light emission pattern of the guide light _γg when the excitation light _γ0 is being irradiated and when it is not being irradiated, so that the user can recognize that the excitation light _γ0 is being irradiated through a laparoscopic image described later. For example, when the excitation light _γ0 is irradiated, the control unit 36a may change the color of the guide light _γg from green to a brighter color (e.g., orange), the intensity to be stronger, the brightness to be brighter, the spread to be narrower, the beam shape from a circle to an x or +, and the light emission pattern to be blinking at regular intervals.

The analysis unit 36b is a unit that processes the detection result of the fluorescence γ by the detector 35 to analyze the fluorescence state of the tissue. Here, the fluorescence state includes at least one of the spectrum and intensity of the fluorescence γ, and the time change of the spectrum and intensity of the fluorescence γ. It is known that the drug 2 exhibits a different fluorescence spectrum when bound to, for example, blood, and it is expected that the shape of the fluorescence spectrum will change depending on the location when the fluorescence γ is emitted or the tissue in which the drug 2 is located. Therefore, the analysis unit 36b may analyze the spectral shape of the fluorescence γ to identify the location or tissue in the abdominal cavity 1a that emits the fluorescence γ, i.e., the location or tissue in the abdominal cavity 1a in which the drug 2 is located.

The analysis unit 36b processes the detection results of the fluorescence γ (i.e., the fluorescence intensity) by the detectors 35a to 35g to detect dirt on the light receiving optical fibers 13a to 13g. Here, the analysis unit 36b identifies the fluorescence intensity that is significantly smaller from the fluorescence intensities I1 to I7 detected by the detectors 35a to 35g. Whether or not it is significantly smaller can be determined, for example, by whether it is smaller than a predetermined threshold value. It can also be determined by whether it is smaller than a predetermined threshold value such as the average of the fluorescence intensities I1 to I7. When the analysis unit 36b identifies any of the fluorescence intensities I1 to I7 as significantly smaller, it identifies the corresponding light receiving optical fiber 13a to 13g and displays it on the display screen 41 of the monitor device 40 via the display unit 36c. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, a cross mark is displayed on the identified light receiving optical fiber (light receiving optical fiber 13d in this example). This allows the user to determine that dirt has adhered to the tips of the displayed light-receiving optical fibers 13a to 13g, causing a decrease in the collection efficiency of the fluorescent light γ, and to remove the scope 10 from the abdominal cavity 1a and clean it.

The analysis unit 36b also analyzes the detection results of the fluorescence gamma (i.e., the fluorescence intensity) by the detectors 35a to 35g to determine the emission distribution of the fluorescence gamma. Here, the analysis unit 36b compares the values of the fluorescence intensities I1 to I7 detected by the detectors 35a to 35g, respectively, to identify the highest intensity, the second highest intensity, and the third highest intensity, and displays the results on the display screen 41 of the monitor device 40 via the display unit 36c.

5 shows an example of a display 45a of the analysis results of the fluorescence intensity. In the display 45a, a mark representing the intensity of the excitation light _γ0 guided by the light sending optical fiber 12 is displayed in the center, and seven marks representing the intensity of the fluorescence γ guided by the light receiving optical fibers 13a to 13g are displayed around it. The mark of the light sending optical fiber 12 displays the intensity of the excitation light _γ0 , for example, by changing color. As for the marks of the light receiving optical fibers 13a to 13g, according to the analysis results by the analysis unit 36b, the mark of the light receiving optical fiber with the highest fluorescence intensity is displayed in the darkest color, the mark of the light receiving optical fiber with the second highest fluorescence intensity is displayed in a slightly lighter color, the mark of the light receiving optical fiber with the third highest fluorescence intensity is displayed in an even lighter color, and the rest are displayed in white. In this example, the user can determine that the fluorescence intensity of the light-receiving optical fiber 13a is the greatest, followed by the fluorescence intensity of the light-receiving optical fibers 13b and 13g, and that the source of the fluorescence γ, i.e., the drug 2, is located on the side of the light-receiving optical fiber 13a from the tip of the scope 10, and the fluorescence γ can be collected more efficiently by moving the tip of the scope 10 in that direction.

The display unit 36c performs display control to display various information such as the results of the detection of the fluorescence gamma by the detector 35, the results of the analysis of the fluorescence state by the analysis unit 36b, and the detection conditions on the display screen 41 of the monitor device 40. The display unit 36c also performs display control to acquire captured images (also called laparoscopic images) of the inside of the abdominal cavity 1a of the subject 1 from the laparoscopic device 200 that captures images of the inside of the abdominal cavity 1a of the subject 1, and to display various information together with the laparoscopic images. The screen display of various information will be described in further detail below.

The recording unit 36d is a unit that uses the recording device 37 to record various information such as the results of the detection of fluorescence γ by the detector 35, the results of the analysis of the fluorescence state by the analysis unit 36b, and the detection conditions. The recording unit 36d also reads out various data recorded in the recording device 37 and transmits it to the analysis unit 36b, etc.

Figure 6 shows the use of the fluorescence detection device 100 in combination with the laparoscope device 200. The laparoscope device 200 is a device independent of the fluorescence detection device 100 according to this embodiment, and includes a scope 110, cables 120 and 121, and a device main body 130.

The scope 110 is an optical endoscope that is at least partially inserted into the abdominal cavity 1a of the subject 1, emits illumination light W to illuminate the abdominal cavity 1a, and collects reflected light. The scope 110 includes a tube 111, a light-transmitting optical fiber and a light-receiving optical fiber (not shown), and a connector 114.

The tube 111 is a tubular member that aligns the tips of the light-transmitting optical fiber and the light-receiving optical fiber on one end face (i.e., the tip face) of the longitudinal axis and supports them internally. The tip of the tube 111 is inserted into the abdominal cavity 1a of the subject 1, and the base end is fixed to the connector 114.

The light-transmitting optical fiber and the light-receiving optical fiber are configured in the same manner as the light-transmitting optical fiber 12 and the light-receiving optical fiber 13 described above. The light-transmitting optical fiber sends illumination light (white light) W output from the light source 131 into the abdominal cavity 1a, and the light-receiving optical fiber collects reflected light from within the abdominal cavity 1a and sends it to the camera 132.

The connector 114 is a member that supports the base end of the scope 110, and one end of the cables 120 and 121 is detachably fixed to the connector 114. By connecting the cable 120 to the connector 114, the light-transmitting optical fiber in the scope 110 is optically connected to the light source 131, and by connecting the cable 121 to the connector 114, the light-receiving optical fiber in the scope 110 is optically connected to the camera 132.

The cables 120 and 121 are devices for connecting the scope 110 to the device body 130 and optically connecting the light transmitting optical fiber and the light receiving optical fiber of the scope 110 to the light source 131 and the camera 132, respectively. The cables 120 and 121 are flexible, and each transmits the illumination light W output from the light source 131 to the light transmitting optical fiber of the scope 110, and transmits the reflected light focused on the light receiving optical fiber of the scope 110 to the camera 132.

The device main body 130 is a unit equipped with various functional devices within a housing 130a, including a light source 131, a camera 132, and a communication device 133. These functional devices are connected to each other via communication lines so that they can communicate with each other.

The housing 130a houses functional devices such as the light source 131. Connectors to which the cables 120 and 121 are connected are fixed to the front. A power connector (not shown) is fixed to the rear, through which power is sent from a commercial power source (100V AC) to each functional device. Further connectors such as USB, DVI-D, and DVI-I are provided on the rear.

The light source 131 is a device that generates illumination light W, and may be, for example, an LED that outputs white light. The illumination light W is sent to the scope 110 via the cable 120.

The camera 132 is a device for photographing the inside of the abdominal cavity 1a, and may be, for example, a CCD camera. The camera 132 receives the reflected light collected by the scope 110 via the cable 121. An optical filter (bandpass filter) for cutting near-infrared light including the wavelength range of the excitation light _γ0 and the fluorescence γ may be disposed in front of the camera 132. The obtained laparoscopic image is transmitted to the communication device 133.

The communication device 133 is a device for communicating with the fluorescence detection device 100, and is connected to the fluorescence detection device 100 via a cable such as USB, DVI-D, or DVI-I, and can transmit various data such as laparoscopic images.

The laparoscopic device 200 and the fluorescence detection device 100 are connected using a DVI-D cable (not shown) or the like. In addition, the monitor device 40 is connected to the fluorescence detection device 100. This allows an image of the inside of the abdominal cavity 1a captured by the laparoscopic device 200 (camera 132) (i.e., a laparoscopic image) to be transmitted to the fluorescence detection device 100 and displayed on the display screen 41 of the monitor device 40 together with the analysis results of the fluorescence state processed by the fluorescence detection device 100, etc.

In the laparoscopic device 200 and the fluorescence detection device 100 configured as described above, the user inserts the tip of the longitudinal axis of the scope 110 of the laparoscopic device 200 and the tip of the longitudinal axis of the scope 10 of the fluorescence detection device 100 into the abdominal cavity 1a of the subject 1, respectively. Here, a cylindrical holder may be fitted into the outer skin of the abdomen of the subject 1, and the scopes 110, 10 may be inserted into the abdominal cavity 1a through it. Next, the user operates the light source 131 of the laparoscopic device 200 to generate illumination light W and send it to the scope 110 via the cable 120. As a result, the illumination light W is emitted from the tip of the scope 110 to illuminate the abdominal cavity 1a, and at the same time, the reflected light from the abdominal cavity 1a is collected by the scope 110 and sent to the camera 132 via the cable 121. The camera 132 receives reflected light to capture images of the abdominal cavity 1a, and the images are sequentially transmitted to the fluorescence detection device 100 by the communication device 133, received by the communication device 39 of the fluorescence detection device 100, processed by the input/output device 38, and sequentially displayed on the display screen 41 of the monitor device 40.

7 shows an example of the screen display of the monitor device 40. The display screen 41 of the monitor device 40 has an area 42 on the left that displays a laparoscopic image, an area 44 in the upper center that displays that excitation light γ ₀ is being irradiated, an area 43 on the right center that displays the peak value (fluorescence intensity) of the fluorescence spectrum, an area 45 on the right that displays the fluorescence spectrum, and an area 47 below that displays the detection conditions, etc.

In the area 42, the display unit 36c displays a laparoscopic image of the inside of the abdominal cavity 1a of the subject 1 transmitted from the laparoscopic device 200. Here, the guide light _γg is emitted from the tip of the scope 10, so that the user can confirm, on the display screen 41, the position and spread of the spot Sp irradiated with the excitation light _γ0 , and further, the direction in which the excitation light _γ0 is irradiated from the shape of the spot Sp.

In the area 44 at the top center, the display unit 36c displays, for example, "laser irradiation in progress", which indicates that the excitation light _γ0 is being irradiated. This allows the display screen 41 to show that the excitation light _γ0 is emitted from the scope 10 while being superimposed on the guide light _γg , and that the excitation light _γ0 is being irradiated onto the tissue in the abdominal cavity 1a. Note that, for example, when the intensity of the excitation light _γ0 exceeds a threshold, the display unit 36c may notify the user by displaying the display "laser irradiation in progress" in the area 44 in red or by blinking the display. Also, the user may be notified by voice, for example, by emitting a beep sound that becomes louder or has a faster cycle depending on the intensity of the excitation light _γ0 .

In area 43, the display unit 36c displays the detection results of fluorescence gamma, in particular the peak intensity in the fluorescence spectrum (also called the fluorescence intensity). In addition, the change in the fluorescence intensity over time is displayed in real time. As an example, the fluorescence intensity is displayed as a color bar, that is, as the fluorescence intensity increases, the bar extends from bottom to top, changing color (gradation) from blue to red.

In area 45, the detection results of the fluorescence gamma are displayed by display unit 36c. As a detection result, the spectrum of the fluorescence gamma (which is an intensity distribution with respect to wavelength, also simply called the fluorescence spectrum) and its peak position are displayed. In addition, the upper side of area 45 includes a display 45a (see Figure 5) of the analysis results of the fluorescence intensity described above. Furthermore, in the upper area 46, the wavelength (also called peak wavelength) and intensity (also called peak intensity) of the peak position of the fluorescence spectrum are displayed. Also, the changes over time of the fluorescence spectrum and peak intensity are displayed in real time.

In the area 47, the display unit 36c displays the detection conditions, etc. The detection conditions include, for example, an ID number for identifying the subject 1, an ID number of the scope 10 used to detect the fluorescence γ, an irradiation time for irradiating the excitation light _γ0 (also called an irradiation timer), a standard intensity of the excitation light _γ0 (which may be the intensity of the excitation light _γ0 received from the light source 34), a standard intensity of the guide light _γg , and a date, time, and minute of the biopsy.

The user can operate the fluorescence detection device 100 while viewing the laparoscopic image displayed on the monitor device 40 (area 42). In particular, the user can bring the tip of the scope 10 close to a site of interest in the abdominal cavity 1a, irradiate the spot Sp located at the site of interest with excitation light γ ₀ , and thereby collect and inspect the fluorescence γ emitted by the drug 2 in the tissue in the spot Sp.

The display unit 36c may read various information such as laparoscopic images, fluorescence gamma detection results, fluorescence state analysis results, and detection conditions recorded by the recording device 37 via the recording unit 36d, and play back and display them on the display screen 41 of the monitor device 40.

Figure 8 shows the flow of the fluorescence detection method. Before the flow starts, the laparoscope device 200 and the fluorescence detection device 100 are connected as described above, and the monitor device 40 is connected to the fluorescence detection device 100. As an example, the fluorescence detection flow for evaluating blood flow in blood vessels and tissues in which a drug 2 is administered to the blood vessels of the subject 1 and the circulation of the drug 2 through the tissues in the abdominal cavity 1a is evaluated will be described.

In step S2, the control unit 36a displays an image (i.e., a laparoscopic image) of the inside of the abdominal cavity 1a of the subject 1 captured by the laparoscopic device 200 on the display screen 41 (area 42) of the monitor device 40 connected to the fluorescence detection device 100, as shown in FIG. 7. Here, the guide light _γg in the visible light wavelength _range is output from the tip of the scope 10 so that the position in the abdominal cavity 1a to which the tip of the scope 10 is directed, i.e., the irradiation spot (spot Sp) of the excitation light γ0 and the irradiation direction can be visually confirmed. As a result, the user confirms the position of the spot Sp in the laparoscopic image displayed on the monitor device 40, and moves the scope 10 to direct and/or bring the tip of the scope 10 close to the site of interest in the abdominal cavity 1a. Then, the user turns on the SW 24a to irradiate the site of interest with the excitation light _γ0 .

In step S3, the control unit 36a judges whether or not SW24a has been turned on. If the control unit 36a judges that SW24a has been turned on, it proceeds to step S4 assuming that the user has turned SW24a on, and if it judges that SW24a has not been turned on, it repeats step S3 assuming that the user has not turned SW24a on. Note that if a certain period of time has elapsed without proceeding to step S4 or if step S3 has been repeated a predetermined number of times, it may return to step S2.

In step S4, the control unit 36a transmits a drive signal to the light source 34 to generate excitation light γ ₀ , which is superimposed on the guide light γ _g and emitted from the tip of the scope 10 to irradiate the spot Sp. At this time, as shown in FIG. 7, "laser irradiation in progress" is displayed in an area 44 of the display screen 41. By irradiating the excitation light γ ₀ , the drug 2 located in the tissue in the spot Sp absorbs the excitation light γ ₀ and emits fluorescence γ. The fluorescence γ emitted by the drug 2 is collected from the tip of the scope 10 and sent to the detector 35. The light source 34 generates the excitation light γ ₀ and simultaneously detects its intensity, and transmits the detection result to the control and calculation device 36 (analysis unit 36b).

In step S5, the control unit 36a operates the detector 35 to detect the fluorescence spectrum of the collected light. As a result, the fluorescence spectrum is detected at regular intervals, and the results are sequentially transmitted to the control and calculation device 36 (analysis unit 36b).

In step S6, the analysis unit 36b analyzes the fluorescence state using the detection result of the fluorescence γ by the detector 35. The fluorescence state includes, for example, the fluorescence spectrum, its peak wavelength and peak intensity, and their changes over time.

The fluorescence state may include the spectral shape of the fluorescence γ. The analysis unit 36b may analyze the spectral shape of the fluorescence γ to identify the location or tissue that emits the fluorescence γ, i.e., the location or tissue where the drug is located. The result may be displayed on the display screen 41 in the next step S7.

In step S7, the display unit 36c displays various information such as the detection result of the fluorescence γ and the analysis result of the fluorescence state, the detection conditions, etc. on the display screen 41 of the monitor device 40. As a result, as shown in Fig. 7, the fluorescence intensity is displayed in area 43 of the display screen 41, the fluorescence spectrum is displayed in area 45, and the peak wavelength and peak intensity of the fluorescence spectrum are displayed in area 46. These displays are updated every time a fluorescence spectrum is detected (i.e., displayed in real time). In addition, the recording unit 36d records, using the recording device 37, various information such as the detection result of the fluorescence γ and the analysis result of the fluorescence state, the detection conditions including the intensity of the excitation light _γ0 , together with the detection time, every time a fluorescence spectrum is detected.

When step S7 is completed, return to step S2.

The fluorescence detection flow ends when the user, for example, turns off the switch on the front panel.

The fluorescence detection device 100 according to this embodiment includes a light source 34 that generates excitation light γ ₀ , a scope 10 at least a part of which is inserted into the abdominal cavity 1a of the subject 1 and includes a light-transmitting optical fiber 12 that guides the excitation light γ ₀ output from the light source 34 and emits it toward tissues in the abdominal cavity 1a of the subject 1, and at least one light-receiving optical fiber 13 that guides fluorescence γ emitted from tissues upon irradiation with the excitation light γ ₀ , and a detector 35 that detects the fluorescence γ collected by the scope 10. Since the scope 10 has the light-receiving optical fiber ₁₃ that collects the fluorescence γ emitted from tissues upon irradiation with the excitation light γ ₀ and guides it to the detector 35, independently of the light-transmitting optical fiber 12 that guides the excitation light γ _{0 output from the light source 34 and emits it toward tissues in the abdominal cavity 1a, it becomes possible to detect the fluorescence γ guided by the light-receiving optical fiber 13 with the detector 35 without receiving the excitation light γ 0} reflected at the exit end surface of the light-transmitting optical fiber 12.

The present invention has been described above using an embodiment, but the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiment. It is clear to those skilled in the art that various modifications and improvements can be made to the above embodiment. It is clear from the claims that forms with such modifications or improvements can also be included in the technical scope of the present invention.

The order of execution of each process, such as operations, procedures, steps, and stages, in the devices, systems, programs, and methods shown in the claims, specifications, and drawings is not specifically stated as "before" or "prior to," and it should be noted that the processes may be performed in any order, unless the output of a previous process is used in a later process. Even if the operational flow in the claims, specifications, and drawings is explained using "first," "next," etc. for convenience, it does not mean that it is necessary to perform the processes in this order.

1 ... subject (patient), 1a ... abdominal cavity, 2 ... drug, 10 ... scope, 11, 11a ... tube, 12 ... light transmitting optical fiber, 13, 13a to 13g ... light receiving optical fiber, 14 ... connector, 20 ... cable, 21 ... flexible tube, 22 ... light transmitting optical fiber, 23, 23a to 23g ... light receiving optical fiber, 24 ... grip, 24a ... switch, 29 ... connector, 30 ... device main body, 31 ... housing, 32, 32a, 32b, 33, 33a to 33h ... optical fiber, 34 ... light source, 34a ... excitation light source, 34b ... guide light source, 35, 35a 35h...detector, 36...control and calculation device, 36a...control unit, 36b...analysis unit, 36c...display unit, 36d...recording unit, 37...recording device, 38...input/output device, 39...communication device, 40...monitor device, 41...display screen, 42-47...area, 45a...display, 100...fluorescence detection device, 110...scope, 111...tube, 114...connector, 120, 121...cable, 130...device main body, 130a...housing, 131...light source, 132...camera, 133...communication device, 200...laparoscopic device, Sp...spot, W...illumination light, γ...fluorescence, γ ₀ ...excitation light, γ _g ...guide light.

Claims (8)

A light source that generates excitation light;
a scope at least a part of which is inserted into an abdominal cavity of a subject, the scope including: a first optical fiber that guides the excitation light output from the light source and emits it toward tissue in the abdominal cavity of the subject; and at least one second optical fiber that guides fluorescence emitted from the tissue in response to irradiation with the excitation light;
a detector for detecting the fluorescence collected by the scope;
A fluorescence detection device comprising: The fluorescence detection device according to claim 1, wherein the first optical fiber further guides guide light and emits the guide light superimposed on the excitation light. The fluorescence detection device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one second optical fiber includes a plurality of second optical fibers arranged around the first optical fiber. The fluorescence detection device according to claim 3, wherein the detector detects the fluorescence collected by the scope for each of the fluorescence guided by each of the second optical fibers. The fluorescence detection device according to claim 4, further comprising an analysis unit that analyzes the detection results by the detector and detects contamination of the plurality of second optical fibers. The fluorescence detection device according to claim 4, further comprising an analysis unit that analyzes the detection results by the detector and determines the emission distribution of the fluorescence. The fluorescence detection device of claim 1, further comprising a cable that optically connects the scope to the light source. The fluorescence detection device according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the scope is formed using an insulating material.

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