JPS5940869A - Apparatus for treating cancer by using laser beam pulse - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention involves pre-absorbing hematoporphyrin derivatives and other photosensitizers that have an affinity for tumors into the lesion.
The present invention relates to a cancer treatment device that treats a cancer focus by irradiating that area with laser light.

A treatment and disconnection device that uses a continuous wave of an argon dye laser to treat a krypton laser light source for cancer diagnosis has already been proposed (Utility Application No. 159142/1982).

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an apparatus related to the above proposal. When diagnosing cancer with this device, the cancer focus area (A)
The hematoporphyrin derivative is previously absorbed into the surrounding area (13).

The endoscope 1 is then placed to face the lesion (A) and its surrounding area (B).

The light from the krypton laser light source 5 is switched and irradiated to (A) and (B) through the mirror 7 and the light pipe 12.

Images of portions ('A) and (B) are taken out by an image guide 11, and projected onto an image intensifier tube 3 via a bandpass filter (color filter) 2 to be intensified and observed.

During treatment, light from an argon direde light source 6 is projected onto the affected area through a light pipe 12.

Although this device has made new diagnosis and treatment possible, the problem remains that the therapeutic argon laser light does not penetrate the affected area.

Generally, cancer foci exist not only on the surface of tissues, but also inside the tissues.

Laser and cancer photochemistry (Dainori Kato) Laser research Vol.

10 No. 2 (May 1982), the penetration rate of this type of therapeutic laser light is about 5000 yen from the surface. Therefore, it is not easy to completely treat the interior seats.

Therefore, the inventors of the present invention investigated the transmission characteristics of laser light with respect to living tissue and obtained data as shown in FIG. 4. As can be understood from FIG. 4, the transmission characteristics of laser light through living tissue attenuate exponentially with depth. Therefore, if the intensity of the laser beam is increased, the degree of penetration will be improved.

However, conventionally used continuous wave lasers are unable to deliver sufficient energy to the interior due to lack of power.

The mechanism of the photochemical reaction within cancer tissues that absorb hematoporphyrin derivatives and its cell-killing effect has not yet been elucidated.

Generally speaking, the rate of a photochemical reaction is proportional to the instantaneous intensity when the reaction occurs within the time interval of the pulsed light.

Additionally, photochemical reactions generally have nonlinear effects, and the larger the instantaneous intensity, the larger the amount of reaction.

Based on these findings, we focused on the need to increase the instantaneous strength in order to increase the cell-killing effect and penetration level.

An object of the present invention is to provide a cancer treatment device that uses a pulsed laser light source as an irradiation light source, improves the degree of invasion, and can completely treat cancer on the surface and inside of a tissue.

To achieve the above object, a cancer treatment device using laser light pulses according to the present invention includes a light pipe for transmitting light from a light source for treatment and diagnosis, and an endoscope tip having an image guide for observation. in a cancer treatment device that treats a cancer focus by irradiating the cancer focus with therapeutic light by irradiating the cancer focus with therapeutic light by irradiating the cancer focus with therapeutic light, which The light source used for this purpose is a pulsed light source and is configured to improve the degree of penetration into the lesion by concentrating energy.

According to the above structure, the object of the present invention can be completely achieved.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the drawings and the like. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the cancer treatment apparatus according to the present invention.

In Figure 2, (A) shows the cancer site, (B) the surrounding area, and (C) the main examination area.

Prior to diagnosis and treatment, hematoporphyrin hydrochloride, a photosensitizer with an affinity for tumors, is purified with sulfuric acid and acetic acid.
A hematoporphyrin derivative adjusted to H7.4 is injected intravenously into the patient's blood vessel.

Hematoporphyrin is a harmless substance that is specifically absorbed by cancer tissues and hardly absorbed by normal tissues. When the hematoporphyrin derivative absorbed by the cancerous tissue is irradiated with a laser light pulse (wavelength of approximately 405 nm) from the second pulse light source, fluorescence having two peaks at wavelengths of 630 nm and 690 nm is generated.

Cancer diagnosis is performed using this feature.

The endoscope 21 has a built-in light pipe that transmits pulsed light to irradiate a lesion site or the like.

In this example device, a first pulsed light source 2 for treatment is provided.
4. A second pulsed light source 23 for precise diagnosis and a white light source 26 for overall diagnosis are provided.

The light from the first pulsed light source 24 and the second pulsed light source 23 are switched and connected to the same light pipe, and the light from the white light source 26 is further transmitted to the lesion from another light pipe.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an embodiment of the first and second pulsed light sources. The part surrounded by the broken line indicated by the number 24 in the figure is 63
The part that generates the first laser light pulse of 0 nm, number 23
The part surrounded by the broken line indicated by is the part where the second laser light pulse of 405 nm is generated.

The excimer laser 50 is connected to the first pulsed light source 24 and the second pulsed light source 24.
A first dye laser DLI, which is commonly used in the pulsed light source 23 of the first nopulse light source 24, emits light with a wavelength of 630 rzn using an ethanol solution of the dye rhodamine 610.
(630 nm), the dye PB of the second pulsed light source 24
Wavelength 405n using toluene and ethanol solution of BO
A second dye laser DL2 (405n
m) can be excited. L4 and L5 are focusing lenses, MI
SM4 is a semitransparent mirror, and M2 and M3 are total reflection mirrors. The switching section 25 is a shutter having two openings 25a and 25b. It can be moved by manual operation, and during treatment, it forms an optical path of the excimer laser 50, aperture 25a, and lens L4 to excite the dye laser DLI, and during detailed diagnosis, it forms an optical path of the excimer laser 50, aperture 25b, and lens L5, and excites the dye laser DL2. excite.

The oscillation wavelength of the excimer laser 50 is 308 nm, the pulse width is 30 ns, the energy is variable from several mJ to 100 mJ, and it is repeatedly oscillated at a frequency of 60 Hz or an integer fraction thereof.

The wavelength of the first pulsed light source is set to 630 nm because when a laser beam of this wavelength is irradiated inside a living tissue, it is hardly absorbed by the living tissue and is efficiently absorbed by the hematoporphyrin derivative. The wavelength of the second pulsed light source is 4
The reason why the wavelength was set to 0.05 nm is that it is possible to excite the fluorescent light unique to the cancer focus site explained in FIG.

Light from a typical observation white pulsed light source 26 shown in FIG. 2 is directed to a second light pipe of the endoscope. The images of the parts (A) and (B) irradiated with white light are observed on a television monitor as described later.

The entire system of the apparatus according to the present invention, activation of each of the light sources, image reproduction, spectrum analysis, etc. are controlled by the control unit 27 at 60Hz.
It is controlled by the basic timing of

This timing will be explained in detail in the section describing the overall operation.

A semi-transparent mirror 31 is provided at the output section of the image guide of the endoscope 21.
is being addressed. This semi-transparent mirror 21 separates the image from the image guide into two directions. The image transmitted through the semi-transparent mirror 31 is released by a shutter 41 only during diagnosis.
is inputted to the television camera 27 via. An image of the (A) CB> region irradiated by the second pulsed light source 23 or irradiated by the white pulsed light source 26, or an image resulting from both irradiation is captured by the television camera 27 at the time of diagnosis and observed on the television monitor 28. .

The image reflected by the semi-transparent mirror 21 is input to the spectrometer 29 via the shutter 42 and the focusing lens L1. The spectroscope 29 spectrally separates images of the parts (A) and (B). This separated image is projected onto the photocathode 32a of the image intensifier tube 32 by the focusing lens L2.

FIG. 7 schematically shows the relationship between the output of the spectrometer 29 and the photocathode of the image intensifier tube 32.

The image intensifier tube 32 multiplies the spectrum of the affected area projected onto the photocathode 32a using the microchannel plate 32b, and outputs the multiplied spectrum onto the fluorescent surface 32C.

The relationship between the image intensifier tube 32 and the SIT image pickup tube 35 is schematically illustrated in FIG.

The SIT image pickup tube 35 includes a face plate 35a1, a photocathode 35b formed on the inner surface thereof, and an image target 3.
It has a 5C1 electron gun 35e and is used to extract signals for graphical drawing of the spertle.

An image of an image target 35c formed corresponding to the photocathode 35b of the image pickup tube 35 is scanned by a scanning beam 35d. FIG. 9 schematically shows the relationship between spectra and scanning lines. The output of the image pickup tube 35 is integrated for each scanning line by a spectrum analyzer 36.

FIG. 10 shows the extracted video signal (A) and the integral waveform of the video signal. Figure 10(A) is n of Figure 9.
-The video signals extracted by the first scanning line and the nth scanning line are shown. The figure (B) shows the spectrum analysis section 3.
6 shows the integrated waveform of the video signal of each scanning line in 6. 1st
Diagram O shows that the spectral intensity of the wavelength corresponding to the n-th scanning line is greater than the spectral intensity of the wavelength corresponding to the n-1th scanning line. In other words, the spectrum is sampled and integrated at the spatial intervals of the scanning lines to obtain the spectral intensity of the relevant portion.

Next, the operation of the apparatus having the above configuration will be explained in relation to the operation of the control section 40.

The device has two modes: a diagnosis mode in which cancer is first detected; a treatment mode in which the discovered cancer is irradiated with the first laser light pulse to kill only cancer cells that have absorbed hematoporphyrin derivatives, which are photosensitizers; The diagnostic mode is used repeatedly in the order of diagnosis mode in which the result of the treatment is re-diagnosed to confirm complete recovery.

FIG. 5 shows the first and second light sources, the emission timing of white pulsed light, and the imaging timing in the diagnosis and treatment mode.

All pulsed light sources are based on the television system vertical synchronization pulse (60
The timing is controlled by the control unit 40 so as to be synchronized with Hz).

In the diagnostic mode, the first looser bulb is emitted within the vertical blanking of the television system in synchronization with the vertical synchronization signal. The wavelength is about 405 nm and the pulse width is about 30 ns.

When a lesion is irradiated with this light, the hematoporphyrin derivative locally absorbed in the cancer lesion generates fluorescence, as described below. At this time, the image from the lesion is divided into spectra using a spectroscope in order to minimize the influence of scattered light and self-luminescence of the host tissue and diagnose it as a spectrum.

In addition, images obtained when the lesion is irradiated with white light are used for qualitative visual judgment.

The timing of turning on the white light is inserted between the turning on of the second light source and that shown in FIG. 5(A), as shown in FIG. 5(C).

FIG. 5(D) shows fluorescence emission from the cancerous lesion excited by the laser light pulse from the second light source shown in FIG. 5(A).

FIG. 5(E) is a waveform showing the period when the gate of the image intensifier 32, which is an imaging device, is opened. Information generated during this period, i.e., the fireflies from the cancer lesion shown in FIG. 5(D). It enhances only the spectrum of fluorescence caused by photoluminescence. The enhanced spectra are sequentially extracted by scanning with the SIT image pickup tube 35 and sent to the spectrum analysis section 36.
The signal is integrated for each scanning line and displayed on the display 37 as a spectral figure.

Precise diagnosis can be made using this spectral figure, and qualitative diagnosis can be made using a television monitor.

Treatment of the cancerous focus is performed by irradiating the cancerous focus with a light pulse from the first light source 24.

Since the apparatus according to the present invention is configured and operates as described above, the following effects can be expected.

By pulsing the light source, it is possible to concentrate the energy and increase the degree of penetration into the interior, making it possible to treat deep lesions.

The inventors of the present invention excited a dye laser using rhodamine 610 with the emitted light of an excimer laser using XeCl gas with a pulse energy of 100 mj/nols to excite a laser beam with a wavelength of 630 nm that resembles human tissue. When the tumor of a mouse was irradiated through the sample, ie, a piece of pork with a thickness of 5Q+am, it was confirmed that cancer cells could be destroyed.

As explained in detail above, the device according to the present invention can destroy cancer cells deep within the body, and therefore can be widely applied to the treatment of various cancers including lung cancer.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a conventional cancer diagnosis and treatment device. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the cancer treatment apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a graph showing the fluorescence characteristics of hematoporphyrin derivatives contained in cancerous lesions. FIG. 4 is a graph showing the penetration characteristics of laser light into living tissue. FIG. 5 is a timing chart for explaining the operating characteristics of the device according to the present invention. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a laser light source section. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the relationship between the spectrum output from the spectrometer and the image on the photocathode of the image intensifier tube. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing the relationship between an image intensifier tube and an image pickup tube. FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing the positional relationship between the scanning lines and the spectrum of a television. FIG. 10 is a waveform diagram showing a video signal and its integral waveform. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a spectrum waveform display. 21... Endoscope 23... Second pulse light source 24... First pulse light source 25... Switching unit 2
6...White pulse light source 27...TV camera 2
8...TV monitor 29...Spectrometer 31...
- Semi-transparent mirror 32... Image intensifier tube 33... Gate pulse generator 35... SIT image pickup tube 36... Spectrum analysis unit 37... Display unit 4
1... Applicant for the patent for shutters for television cameras Hamamatsu Television Co., Ltd. Yoshihiro Hayata Katsuo Aizawa Harufumi Kato Atago Bussan Co., Ltd. Agent Patent attorney Hisashi Inoro Continued from page 1 0 Inventor Harufumi Kato Nishi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 6-7-1 Shinjuku Tokyo Medical University Department of Surgery Inventor Keiji Kainuma Atago Bussan Co., Ltd., Sanei Building, 5-23-7 Shinbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo Applicant Yoshihiro Hayata 6-7 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo -1 Department of Surgery, Tokyo Medical University Hospital @Applicant Katsuo Aizawa 6-1-1 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo Tokyo Medical University Second Department of Physiology 0 Applicant Harufumi Kato 6-7-1 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo Tokyo Inside Sanei Building, 5-23-7 Shinbashi, Miyakominato-ku

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] +1) The tip of an endoscope that has a light pipe that transmits light from a light source for treatment and diagnosis and an image guide for observation is pre-absorbed by a photosensitizer that has an affinity for tumors. In a cancer treatment device that treats a cancerous focus by irradiating the cancerous focus with therapeutic light facing the affected focus, the light source for treatment is a pulsed light source, and the focused energy is focused on the cancerous focus. A cancer treatment device using laser light pulses, characterized in that it is configured to improve the degree of penetration into the inside. (2) The cancer treatment device using laser light pulses according to claim 1, wherein the photosensitizer having affinity for tumors is a hematoporphyrin derivative. (3) The cancer treatment apparatus using laser light pulses according to claim 2, wherein the light source for treatment is a dye laser with an oscillation wave of about 630 nm excited by a pulsed laser. (4) The cancer treatment device using laser light pulses according to claim 3, wherein the pulse laser is an excimer laser.