Imaging system for screening and diagnosis of breast cancer

Abstract

This invention provides a non-invasive diagnosis system that is not only capable of producing high-resolution, three-dimensional images of abnormalities of tissue growth inside the body but, it can also detect the type of abnormalities and their location using multispectral imaging techniques. It is possible to provide a portable, non-invasive device that is handheld and with which women may use to screen themselves for early detection of breast cancer without the need to visit a physician. As the present invention uses broadband sources and/or multiple coherent sources, secondary factors such as oxygen metabolism or blood volume associated with the cancer tissues could also be detected to provide further verification of the type. This invention would raise the accuracy of diagnosis and reduce the rate of false positives and false negatives.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 .- 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A method for detection of breast cancer using a user device, the method comprising:
 emitting an optical signal via a light source of the user device, the user device having a cavity configured to at least partly enclose a tissue of a user;   enabling interaction between the emitted optical signal and one or more portions of the tissue, the interaction producing one or more returning optical signals;   detecting the one or more returning optical signals via one or more light detectors of the user device;   comparing an optical characteristic associated with each of the one or more returning optical signals with one or more optical characteristics corresponding to an interaction with breast tumor cells;   based on a determination that a correlation exists between the compared optical characteristic and the one or more optical characteristics corresponding to an interaction with breast tumor cells, determining a position of at least one of the one or more portions of the tissue.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein each of the light source and the one or more light detectors is disposed between an inner wall and an outer wall of the cavity. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the comparing of the optical characteristic associated with each of the one or more returning optical signals with the one or more optical characteristics corresponding to the interaction with breast tumor cells comprises determining a match between a wavelength associated with each of the one or more returning optical signals and one or more wavelengths corresponding to the interaction with breast tumor cells. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein:
 the emitting of the optical signal comprises emitting the optical signal from an inner wall of the cavity toward an inner portion of the cavity and toward the tissue of the user; and   the detecting of the one or more returning optical signals comprises detecting the one or more returning signals coming from the inner portion of the cavity.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the interaction between the emitted optical signal and the one or more portions of the tissue comprises reflection of the emitted optical signal from the one or more portions of the tissue. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the interaction between the emitted optical signal and the one or more portions of the tissue comprises diffraction of the emitted optical signal from the one or more portions of the tissue. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising causing rendering of an image based on the one or more returning optical signals. 
     
     
         28 . A user apparatus for detection of breast tumor, the user apparatus comprising:
 a curved cavity having an inner surface and an outer surface, the curved cavity being configured to at least partly enclose a tissue of a user;   a light emitter disposed between the inner surface and the outer surface of the curved cavity, the light emitter being configured to emit a plurality of optical signals from the inner surface toward an inner portion of the curved cavity;   a light detector disposed between the inner surface and the outer surface of the curved cavity;   a processor apparatus configured to cause the user apparatus to:
 emit an optical signal toward the tissue of the user via the light emitter; 
 cause interaction between the emitted optical signal and one or more portions of the tissue, the interaction producing one or more returning optical signals; 
 detect the one or more returning optical signals via the light detector; 
 determine a location of a malignant portion of the tissue based on a correlation between (i) an optical parameter associated with each of the one or more returning optical signals and (ii) one or more optical characteristics corresponding to breast tumor cells. 
   
     
     
         29 . The user apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein the correlation between (i) the optical parameter associated with each of the one or more returning optical signals and (ii) the one or more optical characteristics corresponding to breast tumor cells comprises a match between (i) a wavelength associated with each of the one or more returning optical signals and (ii) one or more wavelengths corresponding to interaction with breast tumor cells. 
     
     
         30 . The user apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein the correlation between (i) the optical parameter associated with each of the one or more returning optical signals and (ii) the one or more optical characteristics corresponding to breast tumor cells comprises a match between (i) a spectral pattern associated with each of the one or more returning optical signals and (ii) one or more spectral patterns corresponding to interaction with breast tumor cells. 
     
     
         31 . The user apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein the inner surface comprises a surface area associated therewith, the user apparatus being configured to enable adjustment of the surface area based on a distance between the inner surface and the tissue of the user. 
     
     
         32 . The user apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein the interaction between the emitted optical signal and the one or more portions of the tissue comprises at least one of diffraction or reflection from the one or more portions of the tissue. 
     
     
         33 . The user apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein the processor apparatus is further configured to produce three-dimensional image based on the one or more returning optical signals. 
     
     
         34 . The user apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein the light emitter comprises a plurality of light sources, and the optical signal comprises a broadband optical signal associated with a range of wavelengths. 
     
     
         35 . A system for detection of breast cancer, the system comprising:
 a receptacle configured to at least partly receive a volume of tissue of a user;   a light source and a light detector embedded within the receptacle; and   a processor apparatus configured to cause a user device to:
 produce, via the light source, an optical signal emitted toward the volume of tissue of the user; 
 detect, via the light detector, the one or more returning optical signals from the volume of tissue of the user subsequent to an interaction with the produced optical signal with the volume of tissue of the user; 
 determine a position of a malignant portion of the volume of tissue based on a comparison between (i) an optical parameter associated with at least some of the one or more returning optical signals and (ii) one or more optical characteristics correlated with an interaction of an optical signal with malignant breast tissue. 
   
     
     
         36 . The system of  claim 35 , wherein the comparison between (i) the optical parameter associated with the at least some of the one or more returning optical signals and (ii) the one or more optical characteristics correlated with the interaction of the optical signal with malignant breast tissue comprises a comparison between (i) a wavelength associated with the at least some of the one or more returning optical signals and (ii) one or more known wavelengths correlated with the interaction of the optical signal with malignant breast tissue. 
     
     
         37 . The system of  claim 35 , wherein the comparison between (i) the optical parameter associated with the at least some of the one or more returning optical signals and (ii) the one or more optical characteristics correlated with the interaction of the optical signal with malignant breast tissue comprises a comparison between (i) a spectral pattern associated with the at least some of the one or more returning optical signals and (ii) one or more known spectral patterns correlated with the interaction of the optical signal with malignant breast tissue. 
     
     
         38 . The system of  claim 35 , further comprising a display screen configured to render one or more images associated with the malignant portion of the volume of tissue. 
     
     
         39 . The system of  claim 35 , wherein a circumference and/or a radius of an inner portion of the receptacle is configured to be modified. 
     
     
         40 . The system of  claim 35 , wherein the light source and the light detector are disposed between an inner surface and an outer surface of the receptacle.