Patent ID: 7738946
Filing Date: 2010-06-15
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
1. A method for the surgical treatment of patients afflicted with neoplastic tissue, which comprises the steps: (a) administering to a patient an effective amount of a locator incorporating a fluorescing tracer and which specifically binds a marker produced by or associated with neoplastic tissue; (b) permitting time to elapse following step (a) for said locator to preferentially concentrate at any said marker and for unbound locator to be cleared so as to increase the ratio of fluorescing-based radiation from specifically bound locator to fluorescing-based radiation representing background in said patient; (c) after said time has elapsed in step (b) surgically accessing an operative field of the patient; (d) providing a hand manipulative probe having forwardly disposed excitation components energizable to cause any said fluorescing tracer to fluoresce at a detection wavelength or wavelengths and a forwardly disposed photo-detector configured for response to non-imaged said detection wavelengths so as to develop detection outputs corresponding with fluorescing radiation intensity; (e) using said probe, determining and storing the fluorescing radiation intensity at said background; (f) based upon the fluorescing radiation intensity at said background, determining a statistically significant fluorescing radiation intensity value whereat a perceptible cue is generated; (g) removing tumor burden from the patient using the probe where necessary to locate and differentiate neoplastic tissue; and (h) using the probe, determine and remove lymph tissue sites exhibiting detection outputs.