US6421559B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Tissue characterization based on impedance images and on impedance measurements
Assignee: Mirabel Medical Systems Ltd
•
Filing: 2001-08-13
•
Granted: 2002-07-16
•
Expires: 2021-08-13
Abstract
Abstract Apparatus for aiding in the identification of tissue type for an anomalous tissue in an impedance image comprising: means for providing an polychromic immitance map of a portion of the body; means for determining a plurality of polychromic measures from one or both of a portion of the body; and a display which displays an indication based on said plurality of polychromic measures.
Inventors
- 👤 Andrew L. Pearlman
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-22 22:03
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B5/00; A61B5/68; A61B5/6846; A61B5/6847; A61B5/6848; A61B17/00; A61B17/34; A61B17/3403; A61B5/05; A61B5/053; A61B5/0536; A61B90/00; A61B90/10; A61B90/14; A61B90/17; A61B10/00; A61B10/02; A61B10/0233; A61B2017/00017; A61B2017/00022; A61B2017/00026; A61B2017/00199; A61B2017/0042; A61B2017/00438; A61B2017/3413; A61B90/36; A61B90/37; A61B2090/378; A61B2562/00; A61B2562/02; A61B2562/0209; A61B2562/0215; A61B2562/04; A61B2562/046; A61B5/72; A61B5/7235; A61B5/7239
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 46
Claim 1
Independent Claim
69 words
A method of examining a body portion, comprising: acquiring at least one image of the body portion; identifying a suspicious lesion on the at least one image; bringing an impedance sensing probe in contact with the body portion in proximity of the identified suspicious lesion; sensing electrical signals from the body portion by the impedance probe; and providing an indication on the lesion responsive to the sensed electrical signals.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
69 words
A method of examining a body portion, comprising: acquiring at least one image of the body portion; identifying a suspicious lesion on the at least one image; bringing an impedance sensing probe in contact with the body portion in proximity of the identified suspicious lesion; sensing electrical signals from the body portion by the impedance probe; and providing an indication on the lesion responsive to the sensed electrical signals.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
21 words
A method according to claim 1 , wherein acquiring the at least one image comprises acquiring by an endoscopic camera system.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
25 words
A method according to claim 1 , wherein providing an indication on the lesion responsive to the sensed electrical signals comprises providing a sound indication.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
32 words
A method according to claim 3 , wherein providing the sound indication comprises providing a tone whose frequency is proportional to a parameter which is a function of the sensed electrical signals.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
27 words
A method according to claim 1 , wherein bringing the impedance sensing probe in contact with the body portion comprises extending the sensing probe through a catheter.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
25 words
A method according to claim 1 , wherein providing an indication on the lesion responsive to the sensed electrical signals comprises providing an impedance image.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
31 words
A method according to claim 6 , comprising acquiring a second image of the body portion with the impedance probe, while the impedance probe is in contact with the body portion.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method according to claim 7 , comprising superimposing the impedance image on the acquired image based on information from the acquired second image.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method according to claim 1 , wherein sensing the electrical signals comprises sensing by a multi-element probe having at least sixteen sensing elements.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method according to claim 1 , wherein sensing the electrical signals comprises sensing by a probe including a two-dimensional array of sensing elements.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
87 words
A method of examining a body portion, comprising: acquiring a first image of a body portion; bringing an impedance probe in contact with the imaged body portion; acquiring a second image of the body portion with the impedance probe, while the impedance probe is in contact with the body portion; acquiring an impedance image of at least a region of the body portion, based on signals sensed by the impedance probe; and superimposing the impedance image on the first image based on information from the second image.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
87 words
A method of examining a body portion, comprising: acquiring a first image of a body portion; bringing an impedance probe in contact with the imaged body portion; acquiring a second image of the body portion with the impedance probe, while the impedance probe is in contact with the body portion; acquiring an impedance image of at least a region of the body portion, based on signals sensed by the impedance probe; and superimposing the impedance image on the first image based on information from the second image.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
18 words
A method according to claim 11 , wherein acquiring the first and second images comprises acquiring video images.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method according to claim 11 , wherein acquiring the first and second images comprises acquiring by a fiber-optic imager.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method according to claim 11 , wherein the impedance probe comprises at least one fiduciary mark visible in the second image.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
75 words
A method of displaying impedance image information of a patient, comprising: displaying at least one impedance image of a first body region of the patient; displaying a representation of the physiology of a second body region of the patient, the first and second body regions are at least partially non-overlapping; and displaying an indication of the body region displayed in the at least one impedance image on the representation of the physiology of the patient.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
75 words
A method of displaying impedance image information of a patient, comprising: displaying at least one impedance image of a first body region of the patient; displaying a representation of the physiology of a second body region of the patient, the first and second body regions are at least partially non-overlapping; and displaying an indication of the body region displayed in the at least one impedance image on the representation of the physiology of the patient.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
31 words
A method according to claim 15 , wherein the scale of the representation of the physiology of the patient is different from the scale of the at least one impedance image.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
27 words
A method according to claim 15 , wherein displaying at least one impedance image comprises displaying a plurality of impedance images of at least one body region.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method according to claim 17 , wherein displaying the plurality of impedance images of the at least one body region comprises displaying maps of a plurality of impedance measures.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
34 words
A method according to claim 18 , wherein displaying the plurality of impedance images of the at least one body region comprises displaying both a capacitance map and a conductance map of the region.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
35 words
A method according to claim 17 , wherein displaying the plurality of impedance images of the at least one body region comprises displaying maps of at least one impedance measure at a plurality of frequencies.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
47 words
A method according to claim 15 , wherein displaying at least one impedance image comprises displaying impedance images of a plurality of body regions of the patient and wherein displaying the indication of the body region displayed comprises displaying indications for each of the body regions displayed.
Claim 25
Independent Claim
86 words
A method of displaying impedance image information of a patient, comprising: displaying a plurality of first impedance images of a body region of the patient, the first images being generated based on impedance signals sensed responsive to stimulation at a common first frequency; and displaying, simultaneously with the first images, a plurality of second impedance images of a body region of the patient, the second images being generated based on impedance signals sensed responsive to stimulation at a common second frequency, different from the first frequency.
Claim 26
Independent Claim
86 words
A method of displaying impedance image information of a patient, comprising: displaying a plurality of first impedance images of a body region of the patient, the first images being generated based on impedance signals sensed responsive to stimulation at a common first frequency; and displaying, simultaneously with the first images, a plurality of second impedance images of a body region of the patient, the second images being generated based on impedance signals sensed responsive to stimulation at a common second frequency, different from the first frequency.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
19 words
A method according to claim 22 , wherein at least one of the images comprises a real time image.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
19 words
A method according to claim 22 , wherein at least one of the first images comprises a conductance image.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
19 words
A method according to claim 24 , wherein at least one of the first images comprises a capacitance image.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
45 words
A method according to claim 22 , comprising displaying a representation of the physiology of the patient, and displaying an indication of the body region displayed in at least one of the first and second images on the representation of the physiology of the patient.
Claim 31
Independent Claim
50 words
A method of displaying impedance image information of a patient, comprising: computing a capacitance map of a region of the patient; computing a conductance map of the region of the patient; and displaying a map having pixel values which are functions of respective pixels of the capacitance and conductance maps.
Claim 32
Independent Claim
50 words
A method of displaying impedance image information of a patient, comprising: computing a capacitance map of a region of the patient; computing a conductance map of the region of the patient; and displaying a map having pixel values which are functions of respective pixels of the capacitance and conductance maps.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method according to claim 27 , wherein displaying the map comprises displaying a map having pixel values which are sums of respective pixels of the capacitance and conductance maps.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method according to claim 27 , wherein displaying the map comprises displaying a map having pixel values which are products of respective pixels of the capacitance and conductance maps.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method according to claim 27 , wherein displaying the map comprises displaying a map having pixel values which are ratios of respective pixels of the capacitance and conductance maps.
Claim 36
Independent Claim
45 words
A method of impedance imaging, comprising: acquiring a first image of a body region, by a camera positioned external to the body; acquiring a second, impedance, image by an impedance probe positioned within the body; and displaying the second image, overlaid on the first image.
Claim 37
Independent Claim
45 words
A method of impedance imaging, comprising: acquiring a first image of a body region, by a camera positioned external to the body; acquiring a second, impedance, image by an impedance probe positioned within the body; and displaying the second image, overlaid on the first image.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
17 words
A method according to claim 31 , wherein acquiring the first image comprises acquiring an impedance image.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
17 words
A method according to claim 31 , wherein acquiring the first image comprises acquiring an x-ray image.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
17 words
A method according to claim 31 , wherein acquiring the first image comprises acquiring an ultrasound image.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method according to claim 31 , wherein acquiring the first image comprises acquiring the first image before the second image is positioned within the body.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method according to claim 31 , wherein acquiring the first image comprises acquiring the first image after the second image is positioned within the body.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
25 words
A method according to claim 31 , wherein acquiring the second image comprises acquiring an image by a probe including more than six sensing elements.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
19 words
A method according to claim 31 , wherein the first image has a greater extent than the second image.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
23 words
A method according to claim 31 , wherein acquiring the second image comprises acquiring by an impedance probe coupled to a biopsy needle.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
23 words
A method according to claim 31 , wherein acquiring the second image comprises acquiring by an impedance probe coupled to an endoscopic probe.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2005-07-15 | 2006-01-14 | 2006-07-16 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2009-07-15 | 2010-01-14 | 2010-07-16 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2013-07-15 | 2014-01-14 | 2014-07-16 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |