Patent ID: 6201989
Filing Date: 2001-03-13
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
A method for determining whether a transplanted tissue comprises one or more characteristics indicative of rejection by a host, the method comprising:a) illuminating the transplanted tissue under conditions suitable to cause the transplanted tissue to fluoresce;b) collecting the fluorescence to provide a transplant fluorescence signature; andc) comparing the transplant fluorescence signature with a known fluorescence signature representative of a same type of tissue as the transplanted tissue, and therefrom determining whether the transplanted tissue exhibits one or more characteristics indicative of rejection,wherein the method is implemented using a catheter or endoscope that comprises at least one illumination light guide that conducts light to the transplanted tissue to illuminate the transplanted tissue and at least one collection light guide that collects fluorescence from the transplanted tissue, and wherein the method further comprises collecting a plurality of transplant fluorescence signatures, wherein at least two of the plurality of transplant fluorescence signatures comprise a significant fluorescence contribution from a plurality of selected different depths of the transplanted tissue to provide at least two different fluorescence signatures.