System for marking the locations of imaged tissue with respect to the surface of the tissue

Abstract

A system is provided for marking on a recording medium ( 36 ), such as a label, the location of imaged tissue with respect to an exposed surface of the tissue ( 34 ). Tissue is imaged by a microscope ( 11 ) capable of imaging sections of the tissue below the exposed tissue surface through optics. A ring ( 32 ) applied to the surface of the tissue stabilizes the tissue to the optics and localizes a portion of the tissue surface through an aperture in the ring. An actuator ( 38 ) is connected to both the ring and the microscope for moving the ring to adjust the position of the tissue with respect to the optics, thereby allowing an operator of the system to survey different images of tissue sections with the microscope.

1 . A system for marking on a recording medium the location of tissue sections imaged by a microscope with respect to the surface of the tissue in which the microscope has optics through which the microscope images the tissue, said system comprising:
 means for stabilizing said tissue to said optics and localizing a portion of the surface of said tissue to said optics in which movement of said stabilizing and localizing means with respect to the said optics of said microscope enables different tissue sections to be imaged by said microscope;   a recording medium coupled to said stabilizing and localizing means to move with said stabilizing and localizing means when said stabilizing and localizing means is moved with respect to the said optics of said microscope; and   means coupled to said optics for producing one or more marks on said a recording medium in which each of said one or more marks when produced on said recording medium represents location information indicating the location with respect to said surface of the tissue of one or more tissue sections imaged by said microscope.   
   
   
       2 . The system according to  claim 1  further comprising means for moving said stabilizing and localizing means to adjust the position of said tissue with respect to said optics. 
   
   
       3 . The system according to  claim 1  wherein said stabilizing and localizing means is provided by a ring against the surface of the tissue, said ring having an aperture to localize the surface of the tissue to said optics. 
   
   
       4 . The system according to  claim 1  wherein said recording medium has indicia. 
   
   
       5 - 6 . (canceled) 
   
   
       7 . The system according to  claim 1  wherein said means for producing one or more marks comprises a pen positioned over said recording medium in which said pen is coupled to said optics. 
   
   
       8 - 9 . (canceled) 
   
   
       10 . The system according to  claim 1  wherein said microscope is a confocal microscope and said images are confocal images. 
   
   
       11 . The system according to  claim 1  wherein said microscope is operative in accordance with one of two-photon microscopy and optical coherence tomography. 
   
   
       12 . The system according to  claim 1  wherein said tissue represents one of naturally or surgically exposed tissue. 
   
   
       13 . (canceled) 
   
   
       14 . The system according to  claim 1  wherein at least one of the marks is of a color in accordance with the depth of the selected tissue section associated with the mark. 
   
   
       15 - 19 . (canceled) 
   
   
       20 . The method according to  claim 25  wherein said stabilizing step further comprises localizing through an aperture a portion of the tissue to said optics. 
   
   
       21 - 24 . (canceled) 
   
   
       25 . A method for marking on a recording medium the location of tissue sections imaged by a microscope with respect to the surface of the tissue in which the microscope has optics through which the microscope images the tissue, said method comprising the steps of:
 stabilizing said tissue to said optics of the microscope;   selecting one or more tissue sections imaged by the microscope by movement of said stabilized tissue with respect to the said optics of said microscope to enable different tissue sections to be imaged by said microscope;   determining location information representing the location in the tissue of each said selected tissue section with respect to the surface of said tissue; and   producing one or more marks on a recording medium in accordance with said location information indicating the location with respect to said surface of the tissue of said selected tissue sections,   
     wherein said selecting, determining, and producing steps are carried out by the steps of:
 positioning a pen over said recording medium in which said pen is coupled to said optics as said microscope provides images of one or more tissue sections; and 
 applying ink from said pen to said recording medium to select each of the tissue sections imaged by said microscope, and to record location information and mark said recording medium. 
 
   
   
       26 . The method according to  claim 25  further comprising the step of placing said recording medium after said applying step is carried out onto the surface of said tissue in which said one or more marks correlate said one or more selected tissue sections. 
   
   
       27 . The method according to  claim 25  wherein said stabilizing step is carried out with the aid of a ring having an aperture through which said microscope images said tissue through said recording medium, in which said ring is attached to said microscope, and said ring is movable with respect to said microscope to enable said selecting step to select different ones of said imaged tissue sections. 
   
   
       28 - 30 . (canceled) 
   
   
       31 . The method according to  claim 25  further comprising the step of imaging one or more tissue sections with the microscope in which said microscope is a confocal microscope. 
   
   
       32 . The method according to  claim 25  further comprising the step of imaging one or more tissue sections with the microscope in which said microscope is operative in accordance with one of two-photon microscopy and optical coherence tomography. 
   
   
       33 . The method according to  claim 25  wherein said tissue represents one of naturally or surgically exposure tissue. 
   
   
       34 . The method according to  claim 25  wherein at least one of said one or more selected tissue sections have abnormalities associated with a lesion in the tissue. 
   
   
       35 - 56 . (canceled) 
   
   
       57 . The system according to  claim 1  further comprising means for supporting said recording medium to couple said recording medium to said stabilizing and localizing means and enable said recording medium and said stabilizing and localizing means to move together with respect to the said optics of said microscope. 
   
   
       58 . The system according to  claim 57  wherein said supporting means represents a platen. 
   
   
       59 . The system according to  claim 57  wherein said supporting means is separate from said stabilizing and localizing means when coupled to each other to move in concert with respect to the said optics of said microscope. 
   
   
       60 . The system according to  claim 57  wherein said recording medium is removable from said supporting means, and when removed said recording medium is locatable onto the surface of said tissue to correlate said one or more marks to said one or more tissue sections imaged by said microscope. 
   
   
       59 . An apparatus for marking on a recording medium the location of one or more tissue sections imaged by a microscope with respect to the surface of the tissue in which the microscope has optics through which the microscope images the tissue, said apparatus comprising:
 a ring attachable to tissue to localize tissue to the optics of the microscope and to enable different tissue sections to be imaged by said microscope by movement of said ring with respect to said optics;   a platen coupled to move with said ring upon which recording medium is locatable; and   means connectable to the microscope to enable application of one or more marks onto said recording medium when present upon said platen.