Method for detecting fluorescence and ablating cancer cells of a target surgical area
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 viewing 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 for three-dimensional imaging of cancer cells of a target surgical area comprising:
introducing fluorophores having affinity for binding to targeted cancer cells into biologic tissues of internal body structures of the target surgical area;
emitting a beam of light from a first laser at an infrared wavelength and a beam light from a second laser at a visible wavelength within each of a respective first and second plurality of alternating imaging frames, said infrared wavelength selected for causing excitation of the fluorophores and emission of a fluorescent excitation wavelength of light by the excited fluorophores;
co-axially aligning said emitted beams of infrared light and visible light using a means for aligning;
scanning said co-axially aligned beam of light, using a means for scanning, in a two dimensional pattern, spanning across the target surgical area, exciting the fluorophores and causing emitting of the fluorescent excitation light at a second infrared wavelength during each of the first plurality of alternating imaging frames;
receiving, by a detector, each of said first plurality of alternating image frames;
converting into an analog signal, by the detector, each image of the fluorescent excitation light of the fluorophores for each of the first plurality of alternating imaging frames;
transmitting each analog signal output by the detector to a processing unit;
converting the analog signal of each fluorophore image into a digital image by the image processor, and successively storing each in a memory;
creating black frames succeeding each set of the first and second plurality of alternating image frames by shutting off the first and second lasers for capturing only ambient noise using the detector;
subtracting the captured noise of each black frame from the digital fluorophore image of a previous one of said first alternating image frames using the image processor;
and
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 each of the second alternating imaging frames using the analog signal of the noise-subtracted fluorophore image.
2. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:
configuring a camera for simultaneously capturing an image of both visible wavelengths of light and the fluorescent excitation wavelength of light;
using the camera for capturing an image of the target surgical area and the fluorophores; and
displaying the captured image of the target surgical area and the fluorophores on a display monitor.
3. The method according to claim 2 further comprising storing said captured image of the target surgical area and the fluorophores for record keeping.
4. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:
selectively emitting light from a third laser at a cancer cell ablation wavelength usable for ablating cancer cells;
co-axially aligning said selectively emitted light from the third laser with said co-axially aligned beam of light from said first laser and second laser, using the means for aligning, for scanning of said selectively emitted ablation wavelength of light in the pattern, using the means for scanning; and
using the signal, by said processing unit, for causing said selectively emitting of light by the second laser at said cancer cell ablation wavelength for only occurring when directed at a position in said scanning corresponding to the received excitation wavelength of light from the fluorophores in the image, for ablating of the targeted cancer cells.