Patent ID: 6377841
Filing Date: 2002-04-23
Classification: A61B,G01N

Abstract:
A system for brain tumor margin detection comprising:a source of white light; a source of laser light at a wavelength of about 330-360 nm; a fiber optic probe coupled with the source of white light and the source of laser light so as to deliver the white light and the laser light to a working end of the probe; a spectroscope coupled with the fiber optic probe so as to receive autofluorescent and diffuse reflectance light returned from tissue contacted by the working end of the probe and provide a frequency spectrum of the returned light; a system controller including a processor coupled with the spectroscope and programmed to analyze a ratio of fluorescent light and diffuse reflectance light delivered to the spectrometer by the fiber optic probe to distinguish between light returned to the spectroscope from tumorous and from non-tumorous tissues.