System and Method for Laser Imaging and Ablation of Cancer Cells Using Fluorescence

Abstract

A fluorescence imaging device detects fluorescence in parts of the visible and invisible spectrum, and projects the fluorescence image directly on the human body, as well as on a monitor, with improved sensitivity, video frame rate and depth of focus, and enhanced capabilities of detecting distribution and properties of multiple fluorophores. Direct projection of three-dimensional visible representations of florescence on three-dimensional body areas advantageously permits view of it during surgical procedures, including during cancer removal, reconstructive surgery and wound care, etc. A NIR laser and a human visible laser (HVL) are aligned coaxially and scanned over the operating field of view. When the NIR laser passes over the area where the florescent dye is present, it energizes the dye which emits at a shifted NIR frequency detected by a photo diode. The HVL is turned on when emission is detected, providing visual indication of those positions.

1 . A method of identifying cancer cells of a target surgical area by illuminating only the cancer cells within the target surgical area with greater accuracy by reducing noise, said method comprising:
 introducing fluorophores having affinity for targeted cancer cells into biologic tissues of the target surgical area;   emitting a beam of light at a first infrared wavelength from a first laser and a beam of visible light at a visible wavelength from a second laser within each of a plurality of alternate imaging frames;   forming a co-axially aligned beam of light by combining the beams of infrared and visible light using a means for aligning;   scanning the co-axially aligned beam of light, using a scanner, in a pattern scanned across the target surgical area, exciting the fluorophores and causing emitting of fluorescent excitation light at a second infrared wavelength during the alternate imaging frames;   converting each image of the fluorescent excitation light of the fluorophores for each of the alternate imaging frames into an analog signal by a detector;   converting the analog signal of each fluorophore image into a digital image by an image processor, and successively storing each in a memory;   creating black frames succeeding each of the alternate image frames by shutting off the first and second lasers for capturing only ambient noise using the detector,   subtracting the captured noise of the black frame from the digital fluorophore image of a previous alternate image frame using the image processor;   successively outputting each noise-subtracted digital fluorophore image to the second laser as an analog signal by the image processor, and illuminating the fluorophores of the target surgical area with visible light from the second laser during the alternate imaging frames using the analog signal of the noise-subtracted fluorophore image.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1  further comprising:
 selectively emitting a beam of ablation light at a selective wavelength using a third laser; 
 aligning the beam of ablation light with the co-axially aligned beam of light; and 
 controlling said selectively emitting of ablation light by the third laser by the image processor for occurring only when directed at the tluorophores causing ablating of the targeted cancer cells. 
 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1  further comprising: transmitting each noise-subtracted fluorophore image, by the image processor, to a monitor for displaying of each noise-subtracted fluorophore image on the monitor. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1  further comprising: capturing a combined image of the target surgical area and the illuminated fluorophores of the target surgical area using a camera, and displaying said captured combined image on a monitor. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 4  further comprising synchronizing a frame rate of the camera with a frame rate of the scanner. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1  further comprising emitting the first infrared wavelength of light at a wavelength of 780 nm. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 6  further comprising emitting the visible wavelength of light at a wavelength of 640 nm. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 7  wherein said second infrared wavelength of light is approximately at a wavelength of 820 nm. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 1  further comprising blocking the first infrared wavelength of light from entering the detector using a filter. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 1  further comprising creating the black frames and the alternate image frames at a rate of 60 to 100 frames per second.