Method and apparatus for diseased tissue type recognition

Claim 2

A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said stimuli are selected from the group consisting of electrical stimuli, light stimuli, acoustic stimuli, magnetic stimuli, and thermal stimuli.

Claim 3

A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein any one or more of said stimuli are selected from the group consisting of a continuous stimulus signal, a pulsed continuous stimulus signal, a frequency modulated stimulus signal, and a phase modulated stimulus signal.

Claim 4

A method as claimed in claim 3, wherein said light stimuli comprises a sequence of plurality of pulsed light signals each of a separate spectral bandwidth, the sequence being repeated sufficiently rapidly that tissue responses are acquired substantially simultaneously.

Claim 5

A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein all of said stimuli are applied to the tissue substantially simultaneously to cause a quantum sampled response to be detected.

Claim 6

A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein step (c) comprises processing each said response by one or more predetermined process steps to obtain for each said process step a processed result, and combining each of said process results in a predetermined manner to provide a categorisation of said tissue.

Claim 7

A method as claimed in claim 6 wherein ar least N stimuli (N≧2) are used and said responses are processed into at least N+1 said processed results.

Claim 8

A method as claimed in claim 7 wherein said stimuli comprise electrical stimuli and optical stimuli which provide eight of said processed results.

Claim 9

A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein said processed results are combined by a weighted summation of said processed results in which a weight value for each said processed result is predetermined and based upon tissue types within said catalogue and the particular relevance of each said processed result to said catalogue.

Claim 10

A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein said process steps are selected from the group consisting of: - for said electrical stimuli and magnetic stimuli, an amplitude response, a frequency response, an absolute amplitude determination, a phase response, a spectral response, a first differential response with respect to time, and a second differential with respect to time; - for said light stimuli, a spectral response, and a spatial response; and - for said acoustic stimuli, an amplitude response, a frequency response.

Claim 11

A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein said processed results are combined by an algorithmic approach using one of linear-programming, cross-correlation and neural networks.

Claim 12

A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said catalogue of tissue types is obtained through cross-referencing manually examined and pathologically classified identified tissue types of a sample, with processed responses obtained from steps (a), (b) and (c) from said sample, those responses thereby being anticipated to be obtained by use of said method in the absence of manual examination or pathological classification of said tissue.

Claim 13

A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said tissue suspected of being changed is in one or more categories of cervical tissue, breast tissue, skin tissue, prostate tissue and colon tissue.

Claim 14

A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said processing and comparing steps occur in real-time and said identification comprises a statistical comparison of said categorisation with tissue types in said catalogue.

Claim 15

A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said tissue forms part of a living organism.

Claim 16

Apparatus for identifying tissue which is suspected of being physiologically changed as a result of pre-cancerous or cancerous activity, said apparatus comprising: a plurality of energy sources configured to impinge upon said tissue and to stimulate said tissue with a plurality of different stimuli, a plurality of detectors configured to detect responses of said tissue to a respective one of said stimuli and to couple said responses to a controller, said controller including a processor arrangement configured to process said responses in combination in order to categorise said tissue, a memory arrangement comprising a catalogue of expected tissue types, and a comparison arrangement for comparing the categorisation of said tissue with said expected tissue types from said catalogue so as to identify said tissue, and an indicator arrangement for indicating to a user of said apparatus the tissue type identified.

Claim 17

Apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein said energy sources and said detectors are configured in a probe manipulable by an operator to contact said tissue, said tissue being within or on an exterior surface of a living organism under examination.

Claim 18

Apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein through electronic identification the probe which brings the stimulus to the tissue is numerically serialised and each use of that probe is numerically recorded automatically and the number of repeated uses of a given probe is automatically restricted apriori.

Claim 19

Apparatus for identifying different tissue types including those displaying modifications involving pre-cancerous or cancerous activity, said apparatus comprising a probe having one end shaped to face said tissue and comprising at least two paths for electromagnetic radiation, at least one of said paths leading to said one end arranged to convey said electromagnetic radiation in a first direction towards said one end, and at least one of said paths leading from said one end and arranged to convey said electromagnetic radiation in a second direction away from said one end; a first electromagnetic generator means connected to said at least one said first direction path to transmit said electromagnetic radiation at a first or associated with a first wavelength along said at least one first direction path and a second electromagnetic generator means connected to said at least one first direction path to transmit said electromagnetic radiation at a second wavelength along said at least one first direction path, said second wavelength being different from said first wavelength; receiving means connected to said at least one second direction path to receive said radiation at said first and second wavelengths backscattered by said tissue; at least one electrode means to apply electrical signals to said tissue and electrical measuring means to measure resulting electrical response by said tissue; and comparator means to compare the measured electrical signals and the measured received radiation and compare same with known values to thereby identify the tissue type.