KR20180099153A - Smart multi-probe capable of tracking molecules - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a smart multi-probe for tracking molecules, which tracks molecules in real time to determine the position of a tumor. The smart multi-probe comprises: an optical detector detecting Cherenkov light or near-infrared rays discharged from the tumor, into which radiopharmaceuticals or optical imaging compound-coupled radiopharmaceuticals are injected; and a gamma ray detector detecting light generated by gamma rays discharged from the tumor, into which the radiopharmaceuticals are injected. Accordingly, real time tumor tracking and remaining cancer identifying performance can be further improved, and an existing gamma probe can be minimized and reduced.

Description

[0001] SMART MULTI-PROBE CAPABLE OF TRACKING MOLECULES [0002]

The present invention relates to a multi-probe for tracking molecules in real time, and more particularly to a multi-probe which tracks a gamma ray signal emitted from a radiopharmaceuticals, Detection of optical signals such as near-infrared (NIR) emitted from radiopharmaceuticals coupled with a Cerenkov light or an optical imaging compound emitted from a radiopharmaceutical may be detected in a gamma probe The new concept of smart multi-probe capable of tracking molecules, which can detect the tumor in real time at the molecular level during cancer surgery and confirm the residual cancer by combining an optical probe ).

Cancer surgery generally depends on the palpation and visual inspection of the surgeon. Promotion of cancer tissue location and inherent characteristics is facilitated by the physician directly touching the cancer tissue to diagnose it as tactile sense, and the diagnosis is visual diagnosis.

However, since there is a limit to precisely checking microscopic cancer cells only by the physician's touch or the naked eye, molecular imaging devices are widely used for diagnosis before surgery.

F-18 FDG PET / CT is widely used for the diagnosis of cancer, and it is generally used in conventional anatomies such as CT, The sensitivity and specificity of the cancer diagnosis are higher than that of the cancer diagnosis. Recently, F-18 FLT, Ga-68 PSMA, and F-18 NaF have been developed and applied to clinical practice in addition to the existing F-18 FDG, and sensitivity and specificity of F- And higher results.

However, it is difficult for the above-mentioned molecular imaging apparatus to simultaneously monitor images while the surgeon performs surgery. Thus, in recent years, there has been an attempt to utilize a device such as a gamma probe that enables a physician to directly track the tumor in real time and to perform surgery immediately.

Gamma probes are commonly used to find lymph nodes to be biopsied by acquiring a gamma count on gamma rays emitted from a patient's lymph nodes during sentinel lymph node biopsy during cancer surgery.

According to Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 10-2016-0012391 (Patent Document 1), as an example of a conventional gamma probe, a radiation detector and a radio communication control unit are incorporated to detect a radiation dose A surgical radio probe is described.

However, the conventional gamma probe can only detect gamma rays emitted from a radiopharmaceutical. Since the gamma rays have a high permeability and a low attenuation in the tissue, the detection sensitivity is high. However, There is a limit to the means for providing more accurate location information.

Also, since the conventional gamma probe must keep a tungsten collimator more than a certain thickness in order to block gamma rays incident from undesired directions, the probe becomes heavy and is difficult to handle.

Therefore, it is possible to improve the problem of the conventional gamma probe as described above, to enable tracking of tumor and identification of remaining cancer in real time at the molecular level in cancer surgery, and also to miniaturize and lighten the probe, There is a need to develop probes.

KR 10-2016-0012391 A

The present invention is to solve the problems of the conventional gamma probe described above, and it is possible to combine a Gamma probe with an optical probe capable of detecting a Cerenkov light or a near-infrared ray, And to provide a smart molecular tracking multi-probe capable of further improving the detection performance of the cancer and at the same time being capable of reducing the size and weight of the probe.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a smart molecular tracking multi-probe for tracking a molecule in real time to determine the location of a tumor,

An optical detector for detecting a near infrared ray emitted from a radiopharmaceutical drug injected into a tumor and bound to a cherenkov light or an optical imaging compound released from the radiopharmaceutical,

A scintillator for emitting a gamma ray emitted from a tumor injected with a radiopharmaceutical and emitting light,

A sighting device for blocking the gamma rays coming from the undesired direction,

A gamma ray detector for detecting light generated from the scintillator and converting the light into an electric signal,

A signal processor for receiving and amplifying an electric signal from the optical detector and the gamma detector, converting the amplified electric signal into a digital signal,

A control unit for determining the position of the tumor based on the numerical value of the signal processing unit,

And a display unit for displaying the position of the tumor and the signal value determined by the control unit.

It is preferable that the optical detection unit is a Cherenkov optical detection unit.

It is preferable that the optical detection unit is a near-infrared ray detection unit.

The scintillator and the gamma ray detector are preferably located behind the optical detector.

It is preferable that a shielding film for blocking ultraviolet rays, visible rays, and infrared rays be additionally provided between the optical detector and the scintillator.

The optical detection unit and the gamma ray detection unit are preferably each composed of a PMT that converts light into electrons and outputs the converted light.

Preferably, the light pipe is a silicon light pipe (SIPM).

The signal processing unit includes a preamplifier for amplifying the input electrical signal, an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) for converting the amplified electrical signal into a digital signal, and a counter for digitizing the digitized electrical signal desirable.

Wherein the control unit determines that a tumor is found when the numerical value of the signal processing unit is equal to or greater than a reference value and if it is determined that the tumor is found through both the optical detector unit and the gamma ray detector unit, And if it is determined that the tumor has been found only through the gamma ray detection unit, it can be assumed that the position of the tumor is a deep depth far from the contact point with the affected part of the current probe.

According to the smart molecular tracking multi-probe of the present invention, first, by tracking the tumor using the gamma ray and the tracking of the tumor using the Cherenkov light or the near-infrared ray simultaneously, it is possible to perform the tumor tracking in real- And depth information of the tumor can be confirmed. Thus, by improving the accuracy and promptness of tumor tracking and reducing the operation time and anesthesia time, it is possible to achieve the improvement of the cancer surgery and to reduce the incidence of surgical complications and side effects simultaneously. Second, the tracking of the tumor using the Cherenkov light or the near-infrared ray can secure the straightness of the signal arriving at the optical probe. Therefore, the thickness of the gamma ray probe can be made thinner by compensating for the error in tracking the tumor using the gamma ray . Therefore, the optical probe can be downsized and lightweight, and the ease of use and operation can be improved. Third, after the tumor removal surgery, it is possible not only to confirm only a part of the surgical site like the histological examination but also to scan the entire surgical site using the multi-probe and to confirm the remaining cancerous tissue without histological examination. do. Fourth, since the multi-probe of the present invention can be used in combination with a conventional surgical instrument, it is possible to perform surgery such as incision while simultaneously tracking the tumor in real time. That is, the use of the surgical instrument and the multi-probe at the same time without using alternately in cancer surgery can improve the speed of tumor tracking more rapidly.

1 is a block diagram schematically illustrating the function of a smart molecular tracking multi-probe according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a block diagram schematically illustrating the function of a smart molecular tracking multi-probe according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a block diagram illustrating a detailed configuration of a signal processing unit in a smart molecular tracking multi-probe according to a first embodiment or a second embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a perspective view schematically showing the outline of a smart molecular tracking multi-probe according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view schematically showing an outline of a smart molecular tracking multi-probe according to a first embodiment of the present invention, in which a ball-shaped connector capable of rotating in various directions is installed.
FIG. 6 is a perspective view schematically showing an outline of a smart molecule tracking multi-probe according to a first embodiment of the present invention, in which a coupling plate for attaching other surgical instruments is installed.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail.

In radiopharmaceuticals, not only gamma rays but also Cerenkov light, which is mainly distributed in the ultraviolet region, is emitted. Cerenkov luminescence is a phenomenon in which charged particles generate cone cherenkov light when traveling faster than the flux in the medium, which is generated by charged particles above a certain energy.

Although Cherenkov light has a weak penetration power, it has a merit that it does not need a tungsten sighting device for light detection because it has weak penetration power and it is easy to recognize a difference in detection depth.

Since widely used radiopharmaceuticals such as the existing F-18 FDG emit not only gamma rays but also Cherenkov light, the present inventor has designed a multi-probe capable of simultaneously detecting gamma rays and Cherenkov light. The multi-probe of the present invention can improve the real-time tumor tracking performance while complementing the shortcomings of gamma ray detection and Cherenkov light detection.

In addition to the detection of Cherenkov light, it is also possible to use a multi-probe capable of simultaneously detecting near-infrared rays and gamma rays by taking in a cancer tissue a radiopharmaceutical drug to which an optical image compound capable of emitting near-infrared light is additionally combined. The near-infrared detection is relatively superior to the Cherenkov light detection in sensitivity and penetration power, and thus real-time tumor tracking performance can be further improved.

The smart molecular tracking multi-probe of the present invention can be used for resection or laparoscopic surgery for the removal of tumors, as well as for non-tumors such as atheroscerotic plaque, thrombus, granuloma, abscess, It is also applicable to the resection of nonneoplastic lesions.

Thus, the present invention is a smart molecular tracking multi-probe that tracks molecules in real time to determine the location of tumors,

An optical detector for detecting light emitted from a tumor injected with a radiopharmaceutical or a radiopharmaceutical drug conjugated with an optical imaging compound and converting the detected light into an electrical signal;

A gamma ray detector for detecting light emitted from the scintillator and converting the detected gamma ray into an electric signal; a gamma ray detector for detecting the light emitted from the scintillator and converting the detected gamma ray into an electric signal;

A signal processor for receiving and amplifying an electric signal from the optical detector and the gamma detector, converting the amplified electric signal into a digital signal,

A control unit for determining the position of the tumor based on the numerical value of the signal processing unit,

And a display unit for displaying the position of the tumor and the signal value determined by the control unit.

It is preferable that the optical detection unit is a Cherenkov optical detection unit.

It is preferable that the optical detection unit is a near-infrared ray detection unit.

The scintillator and the gamma ray detector are preferably located behind the optical detector.

It is preferable that a shielding film for blocking ultraviolet rays, visible rays, and infrared rays be additionally provided between the optical detector and the scintillator.

The optical detection unit and the gamma ray detection unit are preferably each composed of a PMT that converts light into electrons and outputs the converted light.

Preferably, the light pipe is a silicon light pipe (SIPM).

The signal processing unit includes a preamplifier for amplifying the input electrical signal, an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) for converting the amplified electrical signal into a digital signal, and a counter for digitizing the digitized electrical signal desirable.

Wherein the control unit determines that a tumor is found when the numerical value of the signal processing unit is equal to or greater than a reference value and if it is determined that the tumor is found through both the optical detector unit and the gamma ray detector unit, And if it is determined that the tumor has been found only through the gamma ray detection unit, it can be assumed that the position of the tumor is a deep depth far from the contact point with the affected part of the current probe.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

(Embodiment 1)

FIG. 1 schematically shows a configuration of a smart molecular tracking multi-probe according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 schematically shows the appearance of a multi-probe.

The multi-probe according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a cherenkopy optical detector 100 and a gamma ray detector 200 so as to simultaneously detect Cherenkov light and gamma rays.

First, the Cherenkop photodetector 100 detects the cherenkov light emitted from the tumor into which the radiopharmaceutical is injected. For this detection, the Cherenkop light detection unit 100 may be implemented as a photomultiplier tube (PMT) that converts and outputs cherenkov light to electrons. The light pipe is a silicon photomultiplier (SIPM) rather than a vacuum tube pipe ) Is preferably used. The Cherenkov light detection unit 100 converts the detected light into an electric signal and outputs the electric signal to the signal processing unit 500.

Next, the gamma ray detector 200 detects the gamma ray from the tumor and is located behind the Cherenkop light detector 100. Since the gamma rays have high transmittance, the gamma rays emitted from the tumor can reach the gamma ray detection unit 200 through the Cherenkov light detection unit 100. [

The gamma ray detector 200 is provided with a collimator 300 and a scintillator 400 in front to effectively detect gamma rays.

The aiming device 300 is a focusing device that blocks radiation of high energy such as a gamma ray from coming in an undesired direction, and tungsten is mainly used.

The scintillator 400 emits light by a gamma ray, and emits light by a gamma ray incident on a sphygmoman. The scintillator 400 may further include a reflector 410 for preventing leakage of light.

The gamma ray detector 200 may be implemented as a photomultiplier tube (PMT) to detect light emitted from the scintillator 400, and it is preferable to use a silicon photomultiplier tube (SIPM) as in the Cherenkop light detector 100 . The gamma ray detector 200 converts the detected light into an electric signal and outputs the electric signal to the signal processor 300.

In order to prevent the gamma ray detector 200 from malfunctioning in detecting the Cherenkov light, a blocking film 110 may be additionally provided between the cherenkopy optical detector 100 and the scintillator 400 to block the light. Such a shielding film is preferably made of a material having a thickness and a thickness capable of blocking both ultraviolet rays, visible rays and infrared rays.

The lights detected by the Cherenkop light detection unit 100 and the gamma ray detection unit 200 are respectively converted into electric signals and input to the signal processing unit 500. 3 is a block diagram showing the detailed configuration of the signal processing unit 500. As shown in FIG.

The signal processing unit 500 receives electrical signals from the Cherenkop light detection unit 100 and the gamma ray detection unit 200, amplifies the electrical signals, converts the electrical signals into digital signals, and counts the Cherenkov light amount or the gamma radiation amount. Such a signal processing process is performed in parallel with respect to the Cherenkop light detection unit 100 and the gamma ray detection unit 200.

At this time, the electric signal generated by the Chernenkov optical detector 100 passes through the scintillator 400 and the gamma ray detector 200 and is input to the signal processor 500. Accordingly, the electric cable connecting the output of the Cherenkop light detection unit 100 and the input of the signal processing unit 500 must pass through the scintillator 400 and the gamma ray detection unit 200. In the multi-probe of the present invention, a penetration groove (not shown) is formed in the inner wall of the probe, and an electric cable for connecting the output of the Cherenkop light detection unit 100 and the input of the signal processing unit 500 is inserted do.

3, the signal processing unit 500 includes a preamplifier 510 for signal amplification, an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) 520 for conversion to a digital signal, and a dose processor (530).

Although not shown in the drawing, the signal processing unit 500 may further include noise filters for removing noise of an analog signal or a digital signal.

The control unit (600) determines the discovery position of the tumor based on the amount of radiation quantified in the signal processing unit (500). That is, when the counted radiation dose is greater than or equal to a specific reference value, it is determined that the tumor is found from the photodetection unit. Here, the reference value can be preset to an appropriate value according to the circuit characteristics of the light pipe, the preamplifier, the analog-digital converter, and the like.

At this time, if it is judged that the tumor has been found through both the Cherenkov light detecting part 100 and the gamma ray detecting part 200, the position of the tumor is presumed to be a " shallow depth " near the contact point with the affected part of the current probe. On the other hand, if it is determined that the tumor is found only through the gamma ray detector 200, the position of the tumor is presumed to be a " deep depth " remote from the contact point of the current probe. If it is determined that the tumor has been found only through the Cherenkov optical detection unit 100, it is determined as a detection error and retry detection is attempted.

Meanwhile, since the multi-probe of the present invention can complement and track the position of the tumor with the Cherenkov optical detector 100, the thickness of the sphygmomanometer 300 can be made thinner than the conventional one. In other words, an error may occur in the position of the tumor detected by the gamma ray detector 100 due to a gamma ray emitted from a portion deviating from the contact point with the lesion portion of the probe. However, the Cherenkop light detector 100 detects a signal So that this error can be compensated for. Therefore, even if the sphygmomanometer 300 is thinned to a certain extent, the position of the tumor can be accurately tracked.

The tumor detection result determined by the control unit 600 is displayed on the display unit 700 so that the surgeon can immediately check the tumor detection result. The display unit 700 may display the detection result in a graphic, numerical value, or color, or may include a separate acoustic speaker to generate a specific sound.

As described above, the multi-probe according to the first embodiment of the present invention detects radiation and converts it into image information as in the conventional radiographic imaging method, and does not use it remotely, but counts gamma rays and Cherenkov light in real time It is possible to determine the presence or absence of the tumor at the probe contact position, so that the detection result of the multi-probe can be utilized in real time in addition to the facilitation and the prognosis information of the surgeon.

In addition, an operation button 800 for operating the probe is provided on the body surface of the multi-probe, and a power supply unit (not shown) for supplying power to the multi-probe is further included. The power unit may be installed in the form of a battery in the multi-probe, or may be configured separately from the multi-probe so as to supply power to the cable.

In addition, in order to enhance the operability of the multi-probe, a ball-shaped connector 910 for allowing the first half of the multi-probe to be rotated in various directions can be provided as shown in Fig. By such a connector 910, the tip of the multi-probe can be more accurately brought into contact with a desired position.

Further, although not shown, the multi-probe of the present invention may be formed into a telescopic structure that can be stretched and contracted. That is, if the body is formed in a multi-stage shape so that the body length of the multi-probe can be adjusted, a multi-probe can be used in a length optimized for a surgical site even in laparoscopic surgery or robot surgery.

Further, as shown in FIG. 6, a coupling plate 920 for attaching the multi-probe of the present invention to other surgical tools may be provided on the side surface of the probe. By doing so, the surgeon can use the multi-probe of the present invention and other surgical tools at the same time, so that the tumor can be tracked quickly.

(Second Embodiment)

FIG. 2 schematically shows a configuration of a smart molecular tracking multi-probe according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

The multi-probe according to the second embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the near infrared ray detector 800 is provided in front of the gamma ray detector 200 in place of the Cherenkov light detector 100 in the first embodiment, The probe is a multi-probe.

The multi-probe according to the second embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the near infrared ray detector 800 is provided in place of the Cherenkop light detector 100 and the radioactive ray detector 800 in which the optical imaging compound emitting near- Only the difference is that the medicine is used, and the remaining configuration is the same as the first embodiment described above.

2, the near-infrared ray detector 800 is also located in front of the gamma ray detector 200, and the gamma rays emitted from the tumor can reach the gamma ray detector 200 through the near-infrared detector 800. FIG.

3, the signal processor of the near-infrared ray detector 800 includes a preamplifier 510 for signal amplification, an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) 520 for conversion to a digital signal, And a dose processor 530 for counting and digitizing the dose.

Since the near infrared rays have an advantage of better signal detection sensitivity and penetration power than the Cherenkov light, the near infrared ray detection can be expected to further improve the tumor tracking performance as compared with the Cherenkov light detection of the first embodiment.

As described above, in the smart molecular tracking multi-probe according to the embodiment of the present invention, the tumor can be traced by using the gamma ray and the Cherenkov light or the near-infrared ray, and all of the acceleration, Can be used. Such a smart molecular tracking multi-probe of the present invention can be widely used in the field of surgical diagnostic devices.

While the present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments described above and the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the invention may be embodied in different forms without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims, and is not to be construed as limited to the specific embodiments described herein.

100 --- Cherenkov optical detector
110 --- Barrier
200 --- gamma ray detector
300 --- Sightseeing
400 --- Scintillator
410 --- reflector
500 --- Signal processing section
510 --- Preamplifier
520 --- ADC
530 --- Dose counter
600 --- control unit
700 --- Display unit
800 --- Operation button
910 --- End Connections
920 --- coupling plate

Claims (9)

A smart molecular tracking multi-probe that tracks molecules in real time to determine tumor location,
An optical detector for detecting light emitted from a tumor injected with a radiopharmaceutical or a radiopharmaceutical drug conjugated with an optical imaging compound and converting the detected light into an electrical signal;
A scintillator for emitting a gamma ray emitted from a tumor injected with a radiopharmaceutical and emitting light,
A sighting device for blocking the gamma rays coming from the undesired direction,
A gamma ray detector for detecting light generated from the scintillator and converting the light into an electric signal,
A signal processor for receiving and amplifying an electric signal from the optical detector and the gamma detector, converting the amplified electric signal into a digital signal,
A control unit for determining the position of the tumor based on the numerical value of the signal processing unit,
And a display unit for displaying the position of the tumor and the numerical value of the signal determined by the control unit. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the optical detection unit is a Cherenkov optical detection unit. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the optical detection unit is a near-infrared ray detection unit. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the scintillator and the gamma ray detector are located behind the optical detector. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein a shielding film for blocking ultraviolet rays, visible rays, and infrared rays is additionally provided between the optical detector and the scintillator. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the optical detection unit and the gamma ray detection unit are each composed of a photomultiplier tube (PMT) for converting light into electrons and outputting the same. The method according to claim 6,
Wherein the light pipe is a silicon light pipe (SIPM). The method according to claim 1,
The signal processing unit,
A preamplifier for amplifying the input electrical signal,
An analog-to-digital converter (ADC) for converting the amplified electrical signal into a digital signal,
And a counter for numerically digitizing the digitized electrical signal. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein,
When the numerical value by the signal processing unit is equal to or greater than the reference value,
If it is determined that a tumor has been found through both of the optical detection unit and the gamma ray detection unit, it is assumed that the position of the tumor is a shallow depth close to the contact point with the affected part of the current probe,
Wherein when it is determined that the tumor is found only through the gamma ray detection unit, the position of the tumor is estimated to be a deep depth far from the contact point with the affected part of the current probe.

Images