Apparatus and method for assessment of cancer margin

Abstract

An apparatus for inspecting a biological tissue uses a pH-sensitive coating material to determine whether the tissue is normal or cancerous. The coating material is placed in contact with the tissue to be excited by an excitation light. The coating material is arranged to provide a response signal indicative of the pH value of the tissue. Using a fiber bundle having a plurality of optical fibers forming a linear array or a two-dimensional array adjacent the coating material, the imaging of localized surface pH in the biological tissue can be achieved using the response signal through each of the optical fibers. The fiber bundle can be arranged as a probe to examine the tissue for providing direct mapping of the tumor margin via a display, so that a surgeon can inspect the tissue in real-time.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus for inspecting a biological tissue, comprising:
 an optical medium comprising a coating material arranged to contact the biological tissue, the optical medium arranged to receive an excitation light for providing an optical excitation to the coating material, the coating material having a pH sensitive component configured to provide a response signal indicative of a pH value of the biological tissue in response to the optical excitation; and   a display device arranged to present a visual representation of the response signal.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the optical medium comprises a fiber bundle having a bundle end placed adjacent to the biological tissue, the fiber bundle comprising a plurality of optical fibers, each optical fiber comprising a fiber tip located at the bundle end, the fiber tip having a coating including the coating material, wherein the optical fibers are arranged to receive the excitation light for providing the optical excitation to the coating material, and each of the optical fibers is configured to provide an optical signal indicative of the response signal from the coating material at the fiber tip in response to the excitation, and the visual representation is indicative of the optical signal provided by each of the optical fibers. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the optical fibers are arranged in a linear array or in a two-dimensional array at the bundle end. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the excitation light has a first wavelength range, and wherein the response signal comprises a wavelength range longer than the first wavelength range, and wherein the visual representation comprises a plurality of pixels, each pixel having a brightness indicative of a spectral value of the optical signal, said apparatus further comprising:
 a spectral analyzer arranged to determine the spectral value of the optical signal.   
     
     
         5 . The apparatus according to  claim 4 , further comprising an optical source for providing the excitation light, wherein each of the optical fibers comprises a first fiber end having the fiber tip and a second fiber end arranged to receive the excitation light. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein the spectral analyzer comprises a spectrometer, the spectrometer arranged to receive the optical signal from each of the optical fibers at the second fiber end. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the display device is spaced from the spectral analyzer, the spectral analyzer configured to convey information indicative of the brightness of each of pixels to the display device. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the pH sensitive component comprises one or more pH sensitive dyes. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the optical medium comprises a V-groove block having a groove arranged to hold a sample of the biological tissue, the V-groove block comprising two groove walls, each groove wall having a coating comprising the coating material, the coating having a first coating side arranged to contact the sample of the biological tissue and an opposing second coating side arranged to receive a fiber bundle, the fiber bundle comprising a plurality of optical fibers, each optical fiber comprising a fiber tip located adjacent to the second coating side of the coating, wherein the optical fibers are arranged to receive the excitation light for providing the optical excitation to the coating material, and each of the optical fibers is configured to provide an optical signal indicative of the response signal from the coating material at the fiber tip in response to the optical excitation, and the visual representation is indicative of the optical signal provided by each of the optical fibers. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the optical medium comprises a V-groove block having a groove arrange to hold a sample of the biological tissue, the V-groove block comprising two groove walls, each groove wall having a coating comprising the coating material, the coating having a first coating side arranged to contact the sample of the biological tissue and an opposing second coating side, wherein the V-groove block is arranged to receive the excitation light for providing the optical excitation to the coating material from the second coating side, said apparatus further comprising two imaging sensors, each imaging sensor arranged to capture an optical signal from the second coating side indicative of the response signal from the coating material in response to the optical excitation, and the visual representation is indicative of the optical signal captured in each of the imaging sensors. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the display device comprises a monitor screen or a headset for presenting the visual representation. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the visual representation of the response signal comprises a pH map overplayed on an image of the biological tissue. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the optical medium comprises a sensing plate having the coating material and a fiber bundle having a bundle end placed adjacent to the sensing plate, the fiber bundle comprising a plurality of optical fibers, each optical fiber comprising a fiber tip located at the bundle end, wherein the optical fibers are arranged to receive the excitation light for providing the optical excitation to the coating material, and each of the optical fibers is configured to provide an optical signal indicative of the response signal from the coating material in response to the excitation at the fiber tip, and the visual representation is indicative of the optical signal provided by each of the optical fibers. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the optical medium comprises a sensing plate having the coating material, the sensing plate arranged to receive the excitation light for providing the optical excitation to the coating material, said apparatus further comprising an image sensor configured to capture a spectral image indicative of the response signal from the sensing plate for providing the visual representation to the display device. 
     
     
         15 . A method for inspecting a biological tissue, comprising:
 arranging an optical medium having a coating material arranged to contact the biological tissue;   receiving an excitation light for providing an optical excitation to the coating material, the coating material comprising a pH sensitive component configured to provide a response signal indicative of a pH value of the biological tissue in response to the optical excitation; and   presenting a visual representation of the response signal.   
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein the optical medium comprises a fiber bundle having a bundle end adjacent to the biological tissue, the fiber bundle comprising a plurality of optical fibers arranged in a linear array or a two-dimensional array, each optical fiber comprising a fiber tip located at the bundle end, the fiber tip having a coating comprising the coating material, wherein the optical fibers are arranged to receive the excitation light for providing the optical excitation to the coating material, and each of the optical fibers is configured to provide an optical signal indicative of the response signal from the coating material at the fiber tip in response to the excitation, and the visual representation is indicative of the optical signal provided by each of the optical fibers. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein the optical medium comprises a V-groove block having a groove arranged to hold a sample of the biological tissue, the V-groove block comprising two groove walls, each groove wall having a coating comprising the coating material, the coating having a first coating side arranged to contact the sample of the biological tissue and an opposing second coating side arranged to receive a fiber bundle, the fiber bundle comprising a plurality of optical fibers, each optical fiber comprising a fiber tip located adjacent to the second coating side of the coating, wherein the optical fibers are arranged to receive the excitation light for providing the optical excitation to the coating material, and each of the optical fibers is configured to provide an optical signal indicative of the response signal from the coating material at the fiber tip in response to the optical excitation, and the visual representation is indicative of the optical signal provided by each of the optical fibers. 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein the optical medium comprises a V-groove block having a groove arranged to hold a sample of the biological tissue, the V-groove block comprising two groove walls, each groove wall having a coating comprising the coating material, the coating having a first coating side arranged to contact the sample of the biological tissue and an opposing second coating side, wherein the V-groove block is arranged to receive the excitation light for providing the optical excitation to the coating material from the second coating side, said apparatus further comprising two imaging sensors, each imaging sensor arranged to capture an optical signal from the second coating side indicative of the response signal from the coating material in response to the optical excitation, and the visual representation is indicative of the optical signal captured in each of the imaging sensors. 
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein the optical medium comprises a sensing plate having the coating material and a fiber bundle having a bundle end placed adjacent to the sensing plate, the fiber bundle comprising a plurality of optical fibers, each optical fiber comprising a fiber tip located at the bundle end, wherein the optical fibers are arranged to receive the excitation light for providing the optical excitation to the coating material, and each of the optical fibers is configured to provide an optical signal indicative of the response signal from the coating material at the fiber tip in response to the excitation, and the visual representation is indicative of the optical signal provided by each of the optical fibers. 
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein the optical medium comprises a sensing plate having the coating material, the sensing plate arranged to receive the excitation light for providing the optical excitation to the coating material, said apparatus further comprising an image sensor configured to capture a spectral image indicative of the response signal from the sensing plate for providing the visual representation to the display device.