Patent ID: 6718196
Filing Date: 2004-04-06
Classification: A61B,G16H,Y10S

Abstract:
A method for characterizing tissue, the method comprising:penetrating a patient's body, adjacent to a selected tissue, with a probe, contained in a needle and having at least first and second sensors incorporated therein that are configured to characterize the tissue, where the at least first sensor is drawn from the group of sensors consisting of: a sensor of elastic resistance of a selected portion of the tissue to mechanical deformation of the selected tissue portion; a wick in needle sensor of interstitial pressure associated with the tissue; a laser Doppler sensor of blood flow associated with the tissue; an ultrasonic probe; an endoscope; a sensor of partial-pressure of oxygen associated with the tissue an optical sensor for measuring at least one selected optical property of the tissue; a sensor of a temperature associated with the tissue; an ion-specific sensor of at least one ion associated with the tissue; a microelectrode sensor for measuring at least one selected electrical property associated with the tissue; a mechanical effector; and a tissue ablation laser; and the second sensor is drawn from the group of sensors consisting of: a sensor of partial pressure of CO2 associated with the tissue; a sensor of a material density associated with the tissue; a fluorescence sensor for measuring fluorescence associated with the tissue; an absorbance sensor for measuring optical absorbance associated with the tissue; a chemical sensor of at least one chemical associated with the tissue; a position sensor for estimating present location of the needle within the patient's body; and a velocity sensor for estimating a velocity of the needle relative to a selected location associated with the patient's body; acquiring sensor signals from the at least first and second sensors at a sequence of times as the needle penetrates the patient's body; and analyzing the sensor signals acquired by the at least first and second sensors using a computer system including a neural network processing system that receives and adaptively analyzes information from said first and second sensors.