摘要:
A confocal microscope having a scanning head in the form of a hand piece (102) which may be placed at selected locations on the body of a patient. A laser beam is scanned in orthogonal (horizontal and vertical) directions by scanners (128, 130) which drive scan mirrors (128a, 130a), which are closely adjacent to each other. The optics include an objective lens (138) and a single telescope lens (132, 134). The telescope provides sufficient magnification to overfill the entrance pupil of the objective lens (138) over the entire scan angle produced by the scan mirrors (128a, 130a). The telescope images (has a focus) in the beam path between the mirrors of the scanners, thereby limiting the distance over the entrance pupil of the objective as the beam executes the scan angle. Scanner (128) represents pulse driven resonant scanner (7) which is pulse driven. The pulse duration is controlled to vary the scan angle and obtain dynamic, electronic image zooming without changing the positional relationship of the telescope lenses.
摘要:
A confocal imaging microscope, especially for the cellular imaging of the skin at selected locations, is ergonomic in use, compact, and positionable at the locations thereby providing for patient comfort during imaging. An imaging head (28) is gimble mounted on a multi-axis compound arm (34) to allow for precise placement of a confocal objective (116) extending from the head at selected locations against the skin of the patient while providing for patient comfort. The arm (34) attaches the head to an upright station (10) which may be movable along the floor on which the station is disposed. The station (10) has a platform (16) on which a keyboard (24) and a display (22) for monitoring the images is supported. The station (10) also supports a personal computer (PC) (26) for processing signals providing the images on the display and controlling the microscope. The head (28) contains an integrated assembly of the optical and mechanical components of the microscope. The assembly includes a main chassis plate (82). The optical components are mounted principally on one side of the plate while a PC board (130) is mounted on the opposite side of the plate. The board (130) mounts the electronic components, including interfaces, a microprocessor (222), and drivers (206, 208, 210) for motors (105, 106, 108) which control scanning and may also control fine positioning of the locations being imaged. Controls (50) for the fine positioning and focusing are on the head (28) for ease of use. The head (28) is detachable from the arm for manual disposition which is useful when imaging, not only the skin but other tissues, especially for research in investigating living processes at the cellular level.
摘要:
A hand held microsurgical instrument (10) for applying laser energy to selected locations in an area under the skin to provide localized thermolysis of the tissue. The area is visualized while the laser beam is steered, using a deflection system, in X and Y coordinates. A telecentric optical system, in which a mirror (54) of the deflection system is located, directs the laser light essentially perpendicular to the area to be treated as the beam is scanned over the area. The optical system also focuses illumination light reflected from the area to a sensor matrix of a CCD video camera (48). The reflected illumination light is imaged essentially parallel to the optical axis in the object space thereby providing a precise image corresponding to the area. The laser beam may be tracked as it is deflected over the area by visualization thereof on a display or monitor associated with the camera.
摘要:
A tray or holder for tissue specimens, especially of excised tissue, such as biopsied specimens, is used with a confocal imaging system, especially a laser scanning confocal microscope system. The tray may be disposable after imaging of the specimen carried therein or may archive the specimen. A window supports the specimen. Clamps mounted inside the tray restrain the tissue. A compliant bag is mounted outside the tray on one side of a window of the tray on which the specimen is disposed. During imaging the specimen is immersed in a liquid contained in the tray having an index of refraction which closely matches the index of refraction of the tissue. The bag also contains an index matching liquid preferably having the same index as the liquid in the tray. A stabilizing plate is attached to a surface of the bag which faces the window. An objective lens of the confocal imaging system receives and supports the plate, preferably by a magnetic coupling ring around the plate which is magnetically attached to the barrel of the objective lens. The lens may be fixed and a mechanism for positioning the tray with respect to the lens in a direction along the optical axis of the lens and in orthogonal directions perpendicular to that axis shares a common support with the lens. Wavefront distortion which may result from an effectively corrugated surface of the specimen is minimized by selecting an immersion liquid which equals the refractive index of the near surface tissues. The tissue determines the index of the immersion fluid. The thicknesses and refractive indices of the window and plate are then determined to correct the residual aberration of the optical system. Different trays having different window and plate thicknesses and indices may be provided for different specimen species such as kidney, liver, cervix, et cetera. Thus, a generic confocal imaging system with a generic objective lens is corrected for image aberration and wavefront distortion due to the surface corrugations of the tissue. The correction is simplified since the bag is compliant and compresses so that the optical thickness along the axis between the objective lens and the focal plane in or at the specimen is substantially invariant whether the beam is focused at the interface between the specimen and the window or within the specimen over a focusing range which can extend over several millimeters.
摘要:
A confocal microscope (10) is provided including a confocal imaging system (12) having an objective lens (13), and a device (20) which can be an attachment to the confocal imaging system. The device (20) has a housing (22) with an interior cavity (24), two opposite ends where one end of the housing receives the objective lens (13), and a chamber (26) at the other end of the housing (22). The chamber (26) has first, and second plates with opposing sides. The first plate (30) lies adjacent the tissue (21) to be treated, and the second plate (28) is attached to the housing (22). To freeze the tissue, the chamber (26) receives a cryogenic fluid, thereby there is cryosurgical treatment of the tissue below the chamber. The chamber has an input port (34) to receive the cryogenic fluid, and an output port (35) to vent the cryogenic fluid. The confocal microscope (10) can provide images of the tissue (21) before, during, and after cryosurgical treatment.
摘要:
In order to facilitate pathological examination of a lesion in in-vivo tissue, a system and method are provided having a computer system in which both a camera for producing a digital macroscopic picture of the lesion and an imager are coupled to the computer system. The imager is responsive to the computer system and has optics for scanning the lesion to generate images representing microscopic sections of the lesion which provide sufficient information for pathological examination of the lesion. The computer system generates location information, referencing the location in the macroscopic picture of the lesion where the lesion was scanned to the images, and stores data in an electronic file structure which contains at least a representation of the images, a representation of the macroscopic picture, and the location information. The file structure may then be sent to another computer system for viewing the images stored in the file structure to facilitate pathological examination of the lesion by persons trained to interpret such images, adding a diagnostic report about the lesion to the data of the file structure, and sending back the file structure to the computer system that originated it.
摘要:
A system (8) is provided having a clamping apparatus (10) with a first member (12) and a second member (14), which are spaced apart from each other. An attachment mechanism (20) is connected to the first member (12) for attaching the apparatus (10) to a confocal imaging system (22). This attachment mechanism (20) has a surface with a window facing the tissue to be examined. Opposing this surface is a third member (40) connected to the second member (14). A clamping mechanism includes the first member (12) and the second member (14) for clamping the tissue between the surface of the attachment mechanism (20) and the surface of the third member (40), thereby stabilizing the tissue to the confocal imaging system (22). The window (32) of the attachment mechanism (20) presents the clamped tissue to the confocal imaging system (22).