Patent ID: 6241672
Filing Date: 2001-06-05
Classification: A61B,G06T,G16H

Abstract:
A method for detecting margins and dimensions of tumor tissue in an area of interest, comprising:(a) illuminating the area of interest with an illumination source emitting electromagnetic radiation (emr) having at least one wavelength which interacts with a dye;(b) administering the dye to the area of interest;(c) detecting one or more optical properties of the area of interest subsequent to administration of the dye and thereby acquiring a subsequent data set representing the one or more optical properties of the area of interest subsequent to the administration of the dye;(d) comparing the subsequent data set with a control data set representing the one or more optical properties of the area of interest prior to administration of the dye to produce a comparison data set; and(e) distinguishing tumor from non-tumor tissue in the area of interest based on differences in the one or more optical properties evidenced in the comparison data set, the differences in the one or more optical properties ""representing"" different dynamics of dye perfusion in tumor and non-tumor tissue.