Patent ID: 8644912

Claim:
An apparatus for determining tissue characteristics which indicate the presence of cancerous or pre-cancerous tissue on a patient cervix, comprising: a base unit comprising an illumination unit, a separate tissue interface unit comprising an excitation unit for delivering illumination from the illumination unit to the tissue and a detection unit capable of detecting responses in the tissue resulting from the illumination, said excitation and detection units being confocal and facing the tissue from the same side so that they converge at the tissue, a fixation stand off tube of predetermined length selected for optimal interrogation of the cervix, said tube being interposed between said units and the tissue to maintain alignment and focus with the tissue, said tube being of such diameter that it surrounds, the cervix entirely so that the tube maintains a fixed distance between the cervix and the units and so that any movement of the patient during tissue interrogation is not transmitted to the cervix so that the cervix and tube are fixed together during interrogation with the cervix surrounded by the inner periphery of the tube and whereby no portion of the interrogated tissue is blanched by the tube, said tube having a non reflective inner surface.