KR102727722B1 - Apparatus and method for determining fitness for tissue examination based on near-infrared spectroscopy - Google Patents

Abstract

A device and method for determining suitability for a tissue examination based on near-infrared spectroscopy are disclosed. The device for determining suitability for a tissue examination based on near-infrared spectroscopy according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a light supply unit including a light source emitting light in a near-infrared band, a light irradiation unit irradiating light in the near-infrared band to an examination subject, a light acquisition unit obtaining light transmitted by the examination subject of the irradiated near-infrared band, and an analysis unit evaluating suitability for a tissue examination of the examination subject based on characteristics of the transmitted light.

Description

{APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DETERMINING FITNESS FOR TISSUE EXAMINATION BASED ON NEAR-INFRARED SPECTROSCOPY}

The present invention relates to a device and method for determining the suitability of a tissue examination based on near-infrared spectroscopy. For example, the present invention relates to a liver tissue examination system based on near-infrared spectroscopy.

Near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is an imaging technology that can noninvasively detect the brain, muscles, blood, etc. by irradiating a living body with a wavelength in the near infrared band and detecting the light that passes through the body. In particular, it can measure the concentration of oxygenated hemoglobin and reduced hemoglobin, so it can be used to monitor brain activation or applied to mammography to detect breast cancer.

In particular, AccuVein and VeinViewer, which are based on conventional near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) technology, are being used clinically to detect blood vessels hidden in the skin using lasers in the near-infrared band and to visualize the detected blood vessels using visible light on the skin.

In addition, near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS)-based technologies, such as a technique that can confirm the presence of blood vessels in conjunction with a laparoscopic grasper by utilizing the characteristic that blood vessels in the body specifically absorb the wavelength of a near-infrared band light source, are evaluated to have great potential in blood vessel detection.

Meanwhile, liver biopsy is frequently performed during surgery to identify various liver diseases or conditions, and especially in surgeries such as liver transplantation where the condition of the donor's liver tissue is important, a biopsy is always performed before liver resection and liver procurement. However, the current biopsy devices used for these liver biopsy do not have devices that consider the condition of blood vessels in the liver, so in reality, punctures are performed blindly and arbitrarily. This can cause unexpected bleeding and intrahepatic hematoma during the liver biopsy, and in some cases, it can progress to complications that closely affect the outcome of the surgery, so caution is required.

Therefore, there is a need to develop new liver tissue examination methods and biopsy instruments that can obtain accurate tissue examination results while minimizing liver damage.

The technology underlying this application is disclosed in Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2009-0071339.

The present invention is intended to solve the problems of the above-mentioned prior art, and to provide a liver tissue examination system based on near-infrared spectroscopy, which can simply determine local characteristics, such as blood vessel distribution, of an examination subject based on the transmission characteristics of light in the near-infrared band irradiated on the examination subject such as the liver.

However, the technical tasks to be achieved by the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the technical tasks described above, and other technical tasks may exist.

As a technical means for achieving the above technical task, a device for determining suitability for tissue examination based on near-infrared spectroscopy according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a light supply unit including a light source emitting light in a near-infrared band, a light irradiation unit irradiating light in the near-infrared band to an examination subject, a light acquisition unit obtaining light transmitted by the examination subject of the irradiated near-infrared band, and an analysis unit evaluating suitability for tissue examination of the examination subject based on characteristics of the transmitted light.

Additionally, the light irradiation unit may include a first optical fiber that focuses light in the near-infrared band.

Additionally, the light acquisition unit may include a second optical fiber that focuses the transmitted light.

In addition, the device for determining the suitability of a tissue inspection based on near-infrared spectroscopy according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a probe unit in which the first optical fiber and the second optical fiber are accommodated therein.

In addition, the analysis unit can estimate distribution information on real tissue and blood vessel areas included in the test subject based on an absorption spectrum representing the amount of light according to the wavelength of the transmitted light, thereby evaluating the suitability.

In addition, the analysis unit can determine that the test subject includes the blood vessel region as the wavelength characteristic of the absorption spectrum is closer to the wavelength characteristic of oxyhemoglobin than to the wavelength characteristic of deoxyhemoglobin.

In addition, the analysis unit may calculate a fitness score that quantifies the distribution information and compare the fitness score with a preset threshold score, and may calculate a higher fitness score as the test subject includes more of the actual tissue compared to the vascular area.

Additionally, the analysis unit can calculate the suitability score based on the absorbance information of the test subject for each of a plurality of different preset wavelengths.

In addition, the analysis unit can calculate the fitness score based on the distribution of oxyhemoglobin, the distribution of deoxyhemoglobin, and the distribution of total hemoglobin included in the test subject.

In addition, the device for determining the suitability of a tissue examination based on near-infrared spectroscopy according to one embodiment of the present invention may include an output unit that outputs notification information according to a comparison result between the suitability score and the threshold score.

Additionally, the light supply unit may include a multi-wavelength laser that emits light at a plurality of different wavelengths within the range of the near-infrared band.

Additionally, the test subject may include tissue from the liver region of the subject.

Meanwhile, a method for determining suitability for tissue examination based on near-infrared spectroscopy according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a step of irradiating light in a near-infrared band to a test subject, a step of obtaining light transmitted by the test subject from the irradiated light in the near-infrared band, and a step of evaluating suitability for tissue examination of the test subject based on characteristics of the transmitted light.

In addition, the analyzing step can estimate distribution information on real tissue and blood vessel areas included in the test subject based on an absorption spectrum representing the amount of light according to the wavelength of the transmitted light, thereby evaluating the suitability.

In addition, in the analyzing step, the closer the wavelength characteristics of the absorption spectrum are to the wavelength characteristics of oxyhemoglobin compared to the wavelength characteristics of deoxyhemoglobin, the more it can be determined that the test subject includes the vascular region.

In addition, the analyzing step may calculate a fitness score that quantifies the distribution information and compare the fitness score with a preset threshold score, wherein the fitness score may be calculated to be higher when the test subject includes more of the actual tissue compared to the vascular area.

In addition, the method for determining tissue examination suitability based on near-infrared spectroscopy according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a step of outputting notification information according to a comparison result between the suitability score and the threshold score.

The above-described problem solving means are merely exemplary and should not be construed as limiting the present invention. In addition to the above-described exemplary embodiments, additional embodiments may exist in the drawings and detailed description of the invention.

According to the above-described means for solving the problem of the present invention, a liver tissue examination system based on near-infrared spectroscopy can be provided, which can easily determine local characteristics such as blood vessel distribution of an examination subject based on the transmission characteristics of light in the near-infrared band irradiated on the examination subject such as the liver.

According to the aforementioned means for solving the problem of this invention, liver tissue examination can be performed safely without unexpected complications such as vascular damage.

However, the effects that can be obtained from this invention are not limited to the effects described above, and other effects may exist.

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a liver tissue examination system based on near-infrared spectroscopy according to one embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2 is a drawing exemplarily showing an absorption spectrum corresponding to blood that can be obtained from light transmitted by a test subject.
Figure 3 is a drawing showing an example of a liver tissue examination system based on near-infrared spectroscopy that has been implemented so that the operator can grasp and use it.
Figure 4 is a drawing exemplifying a liver tissue examination system based on near-infrared spectroscopy implemented in a form combined with biopsy forceps.
Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a device for determining suitability for tissue inspection based on near-infrared spectroscopy according to one embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 6 is a detailed configuration diagram of the probe section of a tissue inspection suitability judgment device based on near-infrared spectroscopy according to one embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 7 is a flow chart of an operation for a method for determining tissue inspection suitability based on near-infrared spectroscopy according to one embodiment of the present invention.

Below, with reference to the attached drawings, embodiments of the present invention are described in detail so that those with ordinary skill in the art can easily practice the present invention. However, the present invention may be implemented in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. In addition, in order to clearly describe the present invention in the drawings, parts that are not related to the description are omitted, and similar parts are assigned similar drawing reference numerals throughout the specification.

Throughout this specification, when a part is said to be "connected" to another part, this includes not only the case where it is "directly connected," but also the case where it is "electrically connected" or "indirectly connected" with another element in between.

Throughout this specification, when it is said that an element is located “on,” “above,” “below,” “under,” or “below” another element, this includes not only cases where an element is in contact with another element, but also cases where another element exists between the two elements.

Throughout this specification, whenever a part is said to "include" a component, this does not mean that it excludes other components, but rather that it may include other components, unless otherwise specifically stated.

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a liver tissue examination system based on near-infrared spectroscopy according to one embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, a liver tissue examination system (10) based on near-infrared spectroscopy according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a tissue examination suitability judgment device (100) based on near-infrared spectroscopy according to one embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as 'suitability judgment device (100)'), a user terminal (200), and a display terminal (300).

The suitability judgment device (100), the user terminal (200), and the display terminal (300) can communicate with each other through a network (not shown). The network (not shown) means a connection structure in which information can be exchanged between each node, such as terminals and servers, and examples of such a network (not shown) include, but are not limited to, a 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) network, an LTE (Long Term Evolution) network, a 5G network, a WIMAX (World Interoperability for Microwave Access) network, the Internet, a LAN (Local Area Network), a Wireless LAN (Wireless Local Area Network), a WAN (Wide Area Network), a PAN (Personal Area Network), a wifi network, a Bluetooth network, a satellite broadcasting network, an analog broadcasting network, a DMB (Digital Multimedia Broadcasting) network, etc.

The user terminal (200) may be any type of wireless communication device, such as, for example, a Smartphone, a SmartPad, a tablet PC, a PCS (Personal Communication System), a GSM (Global System for Mobile communication), a PDC (Personal Digital Cellular), a PHS (Personal Handyphone System), a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), an IMT (International Mobile Telecommunication)-2000, a CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access)-2000, a W-CDMA (W-Code Division Multiple Access), or a Wibro (Wireless Broadband Internet) terminal. For reference, FIG. 1 illustrates an implementation example of the present invention in which a user terminal (200), corresponding to a personal computer (PC), is linked with a suitability judgment device (100).

Meanwhile, according to an implementation example of the present invention, the suitability judgment device (100) may be equipped with a module that autonomously calculates and analyzes information about light transmitted by the test subject (1) in order to evaluate suitability for tissue examination of a predetermined test subject (1) based on near-infrared spectroscopy. As another example, the suitability judgment device (100) may operate to receive, from the user terminal (200), a suitability evaluation result corresponding to light transmitted by the test subject (1) that has been calculated and analyzed by utilizing the resource of the user terminal (200) through linkage with the user terminal (200). In other words, the suitability judgment device (100) disclosed in the present invention may be equipped with an analysis module (for example, an analysis unit (130) described below, etc.) for evaluating suitability for tissue examination of the test subject (1) or may transmit information about transmitted light acquired from the test subject (1) to the user terminal (200) so that calculation and analysis may be performed.

In addition, in the description of the embodiment of the present invention, the display terminal (300) is a device for displaying the suitability evaluation result of the analysis module or the user terminal (200) described above or outputting a notification signal corresponding to the suitability evaluation result, and may be mounted on the suitability judgment device (100) according to the implementation example of the present invention. As another example, the display terminal (300) may be a separate device from the suitability judgment device (100) disclosed in the present invention and may be equipped to perform an operation of outputting (displaying, etc.) the above-described evaluation result or notification signal.

Below, the specific functions and operations of the suitability judgment device (100) will be described.

The suitability judgment device (100) may include a light source that emits light in a near-infrared band. Here, the light source in the near-infrared band may be, for example, a light source that outputs light in a wavelength band ranging from 600 nm to 1500 nm. In addition, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the suitability judgment device (100) may include a multiwavelength laser (1110) as illustrated in FIG. 1, but is not limited thereto.

More specifically, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the suitability judgment device (100) can operate to emit a plurality of wavelength bands, at least two wavelengths or more, among wavelength bands ranging from 650 nm to 1000 nm, which have specific absorbance in a blood vessel region of the test subject (1). Meanwhile, in the description of the embodiment of the present invention, the test subject (1) may include tissue of a liver region of a given subject, but is not limited thereto.

In addition, the suitability judgment device (100) may include a first optical fiber (1210) that focuses light in the near-infrared band emitted by the aforementioned light source and irradiates it to the inspection subject (1), and a second optical fiber (1220) that focuses light in the near-infrared band irradiated to the inspection subject (1) and transmitted by the inspection subject (1). In addition, referring to FIG. 1, the suitability judgment device (100) may include a probe unit (NIRS probe, 120) in which the first optical fiber (1210) and the second optical fiber (1220) are accommodated inside. For example, the probe unit (120) may include a housing in which the first optical fiber (1210) and the second optical fiber (1220) accommodated inside are provided to extend in a mutually parallel direction, and may be used in a state in which a user (operator) holds the outer surface of the aforementioned housing. For example, the shape of the probe may be a cylindrical shape extending along the length of the optical fiber and having a first optical fiber (1210) and a second optical fiber (1220) introduced inside, but is not limited thereto.

In other words, the suitability judgment device (100) may be equipped with an optical fiber that irradiates a predetermined near-infrared light to the inspection target (1) and another optical fiber that detects the light transmitted through the inspection target (1).

For reference, according to the implementation example of the present invention, as illustrated in FIG. 1, the first optical fiber (1210) may be referred to as an illumination fiber, and the second optical fiber (1220) may be referred to as a detection fiber, respectively.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the separation distance between the first optical fiber (1210) and the second optical fiber (1220) within the probe unit (120) may be determined based on the penetration target depth for the inspection target (1). For example, the separation distance between the first optical fiber (1210) and the second optical fiber (1220) may be in the range of several mm to several tens of mm, but is not limited thereto. In addition, according to an implementation example of the present invention, the probe unit (120) may be implemented in a form in which the separation distance between the first optical fiber (1210) and the second optical fiber (1220) is variably adjusted by a user operation so as to correspond to various penetration target depths. For example, a user operation unit (e.g., a button, a lever, etc.) for adjusting the separation distance between the first optical fiber (1210) and the second optical fiber (1220) may be provided on the outer surface of the housing of the probe unit (120).

Additionally, according to one embodiment of the present invention, each of the first optical fiber (1210) and the second optical fiber (1220) may be a single-mode fiber or a multi-mode fiber as needed.

In addition, the suitability judgment device (100) can judge the local characteristics of the test subject (1) based on the characteristics of the light transmitted by the test subject (1). Meanwhile, in the description of the embodiment of the present invention, the local characteristics of the test subject (1) may include at least one of the distribution of liver tissue and the distribution of blood vessels.

Referring to FIG. 1, the suitability judgment device (100) may include a spectrometer (131) that analyzes a light quantity spectrum according to each wavelength from light transmitted by the inspection target (1). According to one embodiment of the present invention, the suitability judgment device (100) may be implemented to selectively detect a predetermined spectrum set in advance by including two or more spectrometers (131) and filters having different analysis characteristics.

Figure 2 is a drawing exemplarily showing an absorption spectrum corresponding to blood that can be obtained from light transmitted by a test subject.

Referring to Fig. 2, the absorption spectrum when oxygen and hemoglobin molecules are combined in blood (HbO ₂ ) and the absorption spectrum when hemoglobin molecules exist alone (Hb) may show different tendencies. In this regard, the suitability judgment device (100) can estimate the distribution of blood vessels or blood within the test subject (1) through analysis of the light quantity spectrum for light transmitted from the acquired test subject (1).

In particular, referring to FIG. 2, it can be confirmed that the spectral peaks of oxyhemoglobin and deoxyhemoglobin each have a specific shape in the visible light and near-infrared regions, particularly in the region of 600 nm to 1000 nm. Specifically, the absorbances of oxyhemoglobin and deoxyhemoglobin can maintain the same level at about 800 nm, but it can be confirmed that the absorbance of oxyhemoglobin is greater at shorter wavelengths, and the absorbance of deoxyhemoglobin is greater at longer wavelengths.

Therefore, by measuring the spectral change of light transmitted through the test subject (1) with which the probe part (NIRS probe, 120) of the suitability judgment device (100) is in contact and comparing the absorbance in a predetermined wavelength band (e.g., 700 nm, 800 nm, 900 nm, etc.), information on the distribution of oxyhemoglobin (HbO ₂ ), deoxyhemoglobin (Hb), and total hemoglobin (tHb) can be obtained. In particular, when the test subject (1) includes an arterial blood vessel, the ratio of oxyhemoglobin is high, so that the absorbance in the 700 nm wavelength band may be relatively large.

That is, the suitability judgment device (100) can evaluate suitability by estimating distribution information on the actual tissue and blood vessel areas included in the test subject (1) based on the absorption spectrum indicating the amount of light according to the wavelength of the transmitted light.

In addition, the suitability judgment device (100) can measure and store the output signal obtained as a result of analysis by the spectrometer. In addition, the suitability judgment device (100) can perform signal processing on the output signal obtained as a result of analysis by the spectrometer (Data Acquisition).

Specifically, since light emitted from the first optical fiber (1210) can be transmitted to the test subject (1) by the suitability judgment device (100) and then focused through the second optical fiber (1220), specific absorption characteristics by blood present in the test subject (1) can be identified through analysis of the light focused by the second optical fiber (1220). Based on this, the suitability judgment device (100) can determine whether the area of the test subject (1) where the test is performed (in other words, the area where the end of the probe part (120) facing the test subject (1) is in contact) is a tissue suitable for a tissue examination (such as a liver tissue examination) by preserving (learning) information about different characteristics of the distribution of absorption spectra in the area where most of the actual tissue (e.g., liver tissue) is composed and the area where most of the blood vessels are composed.

For example, the suitability judgment device (100) may determine that the tissue examination is suitable (e.g., liver tissue examination) based on the ratio information of the actual tissue and blood vessels in the area (probe contact area) of the examination subject (1) where the examination is performed, if the ratio of the actual tissue is higher than a preset threshold level. As another example, the suitability judgment device (100) may determine whether a dangerous blood vessel that should be avoided for the tissue examination exists (distributed) in the examination subject area that the probe part (120) contacted. For example, the dangerous blood vessel that should be excluded from the tissue examination may be determined based on the thickness information of the blood vessel existing in the probe contact area, etc.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the user terminal (200) may have a signal processing function for a signal representing a spectrum based on transmitted light.

More specifically, the suitability judgment device (100) can determine that the test subject (1) has a distribution characteristic including a blood vessel region as the wavelength characteristic of the absorption spectrum derived through analysis of light transmitted by the test subject (1) is closer to the wavelength characteristic of oxyhemoglobin (HbO ₂ ) than to the wavelength characteristic of deoxyhemoglobin (Hb).

In addition, the suitability judgment device (100) calculates a suitability score that quantifies distribution information on the actual tissue or blood vessel region of the test subject (1), and compares the calculated suitability score with a preset threshold score. The higher the suitability score, the more the test subject (1) is estimated to include actual tissue compared to the blood vessel region.

In addition, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the suitability judgment device (100) can calculate a suitability score based on the absorbance information of the inspection subject (1) for each of a plurality of different preset wavelengths. For example, the plurality of wavelengths for calculating the suitability score can be set to include 700 nm, 800 nm, 900 nm, etc.

To give a more specific example, when the absorption according to the first wavelength among the plurality of wavelengths is referred to as the first absorption, the absorption according to the second wavelength among the plurality of wavelengths is referred to as the second absorption, and the absorption according to the third wavelength among the plurality of wavelengths is referred to as the third absorption, the suitability judgment device (100) can calculate the aforementioned suitability score based on the first to third absorptions through a predetermined formula.

For example, the fitness score can be calculated based on the following equation 1.

[Formula 1]

Here, A ₇₀₀ may represent the absorption corresponding to the 700 nm wavelength band of the first wavelength, A ₈₀₀ may represent the absorption corresponding to the 800 nm wavelength band of the second wavelength, and A ₉₀₀ may represent the absorption corresponding to the 900 nm wavelength band of the third wavelength.

In addition, according to another embodiment of the present invention, the suitability judgment device (100) can calculate a suitability score based on the distribution of oxyhemoglobin, the distribution of deoxyhemoglobin, and the distribution of total hemoglobin included in the test subject (1).

For example, the suitability judgment device (100) may calculate a suitability score based on information about the distribution of oxyhemoglobin (HbO ₂ ), deoxyhemoglobin (Hb), and total hemoglobin (tHb), and based on the ratio of the distribution level of oxyhemoglobin to the distribution level of total hemoglobin (HbO ₂ /tHb) or the ratio of the distribution level of oxyhemoglobin to the distribution level of deoxyhemoglobin (HbO ₂ /Hb).

Additionally, the user terminal (200) may include a display for displaying the analysis results of the suitability judgment device (100) or may be linked with a display terminal (300) for outputting the analysis results.

For example, the user terminal (200) or the suitability judgment device (100) may be equipped with a predetermined output means for outputting a corresponding notification signal for each case in which the test subject (1) is judged to be suitable for a tissue examination and for each case in which the test subject (1) is judged to be unsuitable for a tissue examination based on the analysis results for the test subject (1) described above.

As another example, the user terminal (200) may be equipped with a sound output means that outputs different sounds for each case where the test subject (1) is determined to be suitable for a tissue examination and for each case where the test subject (1) is determined to be unsuitable for a tissue examination based on the analysis results of the suitability judgment device (100). More specifically, the sound output means (sound output unit) may operate so as not to output a separate sound when the test subject (1) is determined to be suitable for a tissue examination based on blood vessel distribution, etc., and conversely, when the test subject (1) is determined to be unsuitable for a tissue examination based on blood vessel distribution, etc., it may operate so as to output a warning sound (e.g., BEEP sound, etc.).

In summary, the near-infrared spectroscopy-based inspection system (10) disclosed in the present application transmits light emitted from a multi-wavelength laser having two or more wavelengths in the near-infrared region (inclusive of light having a wavelength in the visible light band according to an implementation example of the present application) to a tissue along a probe (NIRS probe) through a first optical fiber (Illumination fiber), and the light (light) illuminated on the tissue in this way penetrates the tissue, passes through liver tissue or blood vessels present in the relevant region, and is then detected by a second optical fiber (Detection fiber) of the probe (NIRS probe) and transmitted to a spectrometer (Spectrometer, 131).

In addition, the light transmitted to the spectrometer (131) can be stored as data in a storage unit (132) or a user terminal (200) by measuring the intensity of the light according to the wavelength, and the measurement data of the spectrometer (131) can have different wavelength characteristics depending on the characteristics of the tissue with which the probe (NIRS probe) is in contact.

Specifically, the near-infrared spectroscopy-based inspection system (10) disclosed in the present application quantifies the amount of oxyhemoglobin, deoxyhemoglobin, and total hemoglobin among the analyzed wavelength characteristics, and uses this to determine whether the area where the probe (NIRS probe) is in contact is a safe area for biopsy or a area that is dangerous for biopsy due to a high possibility of the presence of blood vessels, thereby evaluating the suitability of the inspection subject (1) for tissue examination, and the results of this evaluation (judgment) can be presented in a visual output format or an acoustic output format.

Figure 3 is a drawing showing an example of a liver tissue examination system based on near-infrared spectroscopy that has been implemented so that the operator can grasp and use it.

Referring to FIG. 3, a liver tissue examination system based on near-infrared spectroscopy according to one embodiment of the present invention may include an optical fiber-based hand-held probe that can be grasped by hand and can intuitively convey signal detection results such as an LED and a speaker to a user (a practitioner, an examiner, etc.).

Figure 4 is a drawing exemplifying a liver tissue examination system based on near-infrared spectroscopy implemented in a form combined with biopsy forceps.

Referring to FIG. 4, a liver tissue examination system based on near-infrared spectroscopy according to one embodiment of the present invention may be equipped to detect NIRS signals by combining a biopsy forceps and an optical fiber.

For example, referring to FIG. 4, in one embodiment of the present invention, each of the first optical fiber (1210) and the second optical fiber (1220) of the suitability judgment device (100) may be arranged to correspond to each of the two sides of the forceps section of the biopsy forceps.

Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a device for determining suitability for tissue inspection based on near-infrared spectroscopy according to one embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 5, the suitability judgment device (100) may include a light supply unit (110), a probe unit (120), an analysis unit (130), and an output unit (140).

The light supply unit (110) may include a light source that emits light in a near-infrared band. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the light supply unit (110) may include a multi-wavelength laser (1110) that emits light according to a plurality of different wavelengths in a range of the near-infrared band.

Figure 6 is a detailed configuration diagram of the probe section of a tissue inspection suitability judgment device based on near-infrared spectroscopy according to one embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 6, the probe unit (120) may include a light irradiation unit (121) and a light acquisition unit (122).

Specifically, the light irradiation unit (121) of the probe unit (120) can irradiate light in the near-infrared band to the inspection target (1). That is, the light irradiation unit (121) can include a first optical fiber (1210) that focuses light in the near-infrared band emitted from the light supply unit (110).

In addition, the light acquisition unit (122) of the probe unit (120) can acquire light in the near-infrared band irradiated to the inspection subject (1) and transmitted by the inspection subject (1). That is, the light acquisition unit (1220) can include a second optical fiber (1220) that focuses the light transmitted by the inspection subject (1).

The analysis unit (130) can evaluate the suitability of the test subject (1) for tissue examination based on the characteristics of the light transmitted by the test subject (1).

Specifically, the analysis unit (130) can estimate distribution information on the actual tissue and blood vessel areas included in the test subject (1) based on the absorption spectrum indicating the amount of light according to the wavelength of the transmitted light, and evaluate the suitability.

More specifically, the analysis unit (130) can determine that the examination subject (1) has a distribution characteristic including a blood vessel region as the wavelength characteristic of the absorption spectrum derived through the analysis of the light transmitted by the examination subject (1) is closer to the wavelength characteristic of oxyhemoglobin (HbO ₂ ) than to the wavelength characteristic of deoxyhemoglobin (Hb).

In addition, the analysis unit (130) calculates a fitness score that quantifies the distribution information for the actual tissue or blood vessel area of the test subject (1), and compares the calculated fitness score with a preset threshold score. The higher the fitness score, the higher the fitness score can be calculated as the test subject (1) is estimated to include more actual tissue compared to the blood vessel area.

In addition, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the analysis unit (130) can calculate a suitability score based on the absorbance information of the test subject (1) for each of a plurality of different preset wavelengths. For example, the plurality of wavelengths for calculating the suitability score can be set to include 700 nm, 800 nm, 900 nm, etc.

In addition, according to another embodiment of the present invention, the analysis unit (130) can calculate a fitness score based on the distribution of oxyhemoglobin, the distribution of deoxyhemoglobin, and the distribution of total hemoglobin included in the test subject (1).

The output unit (140) can output notification information based on the comparison result between the aforementioned suitability score and the critical score.

Below, we will briefly review the operating flow of this system based on the detailed explanation above.

Figure 7 is a flow chart of an operation for a method for determining suitability for tissue inspection based on near-infrared spectroscopy according to one embodiment of the present invention.

The method for determining the suitability of a tissue examination based on near-infrared spectroscopy as illustrated in Fig. 7 can be performed by the suitability determination device (100) described above. Therefore, even if the content is omitted below, the content described for the suitability determination device (100) can be equally applied to the description of the method for determining the suitability of a tissue examination based on near-infrared spectroscopy.

Referring to FIG. 7, in step S11, the light irradiation unit (121) can irradiate light in the near-infrared band to the inspection target (1).

Next, in step S12, the light acquisition unit (122) can acquire light in the near-infrared band investigated in step S11 transmitted by the inspection target (1).

Next, in step S13, the analysis unit (130) can evaluate the suitability of the test subject (1) for tissue examination based on the characteristics of the light transmitted by the test subject (1).

Specifically, in step S13, the analysis unit (130) can estimate distribution information on the actual tissue and blood vessel areas included in the examination subject (1) based on the absorption spectrum representing the amount of light according to the wavelength of the transmitted light, thereby evaluating suitability for tissue examination.

Specifically, in step S13, the analysis unit (130) can determine that the test subject (1) includes a blood vessel region as the wavelength characteristics of the derived absorption spectrum are closer to the wavelength characteristics of oxyhemoglobin than to the wavelength characteristics of deoxyhemoglobin.

In addition, in step S13, the analysis unit (130) can calculate a fitness score that quantifies the distribution information and then compare the fitness score with a preset threshold score. Specifically, in step S13, the analysis unit (130) can calculate a higher fitness score as the test subject (1) includes more real tissue compared to the vascular area.

Next, in step S14, the output unit (140) can output a notification signal (notification information) based on the evaluation (analysis) result in step S13. For example, in step S14, the output unit (140) can output notification information based on the comparison result between the fitness score calculated through step S13 and the critical score.

In the above description, steps S11 to S14 may be further divided into additional steps or combined into fewer steps, depending on the implementation example of the present invention. In addition, some steps may be omitted as needed, and the order between the steps may be changed.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method for determining suitability for tissue examination based on near-infrared spectroscopy may be implemented in the form of program commands that can be executed through various computer means and recorded on a computer-readable medium. The computer-readable medium may include program commands, data files, data structures, etc., alone or in combination. The program commands recorded on the medium may be those specially designed and configured for the present invention or may be those known to and usable by those skilled in the art of computer software. Examples of the computer-readable recording medium include magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tapes, optical media such as CD-ROMs and DVDs, magneto-optical media such as floptical disks, and hardware devices specially configured to store and execute program commands such as ROMs, RAMs, and flash memories. Examples of the program commands include not only machine language codes generated by a compiler, but also high-level language codes that can be executed by a computer using an interpreter, etc. The above hardware devices may be configured to operate as one or more software modules to perform the operations of the present invention, and vice versa.

In addition, the method for determining the suitability of a tissue examination based on the near-infrared spectroscopy described above can also be implemented in the form of a computer program or application executed by a computer and stored in a recording medium.

The above description of the present invention is for illustrative purposes only, and those skilled in the art will understand that the present invention can be easily modified into other specific forms without changing the technical idea or essential features of the present invention. Therefore, it should be understood that the embodiments described above are exemplary in all respects and not restrictive. For example, each component described as a single component may be implemented in a distributed manner, and likewise, components described as distributed may be implemented in a combined manner.

The scope of the present application is indicated by the claims described below rather than the detailed description above, and all changes or modifications derived from the meaning and scope of the claims and their equivalent concepts should be interpreted as being included in the scope of the present application.

10: Inspection system based on near-infrared spectroscopy
100: Tissue examination suitability judgment device based on near-infrared spectroscopy
110: Light supply section
120: Probe section
121: Light irradiation department
1210: First optical fiber
122: Light acquisition unit
1220: Second optical fiber
130: Analysis Department
140: Output section
200: User Terminal
300: Display terminal
20: Network

Claims (15)

In a device for determining the suitability of tissue examination based on near-infrared spectroscopy,
A light supply unit including a light source that emits light in the near-infrared band;
A light irradiation unit that irradiates light of the near-infrared band to the inspection target;
A light acquisition unit that acquires light of the near-infrared band investigated above transmitted by the inspection target; and
An analysis unit that estimates distribution information on real tissue and blood vessel areas included in the examination subject based on absorption characteristics of the transmitted light, including an absorption spectrum indicating the amount of light according to the wavelength of the transmitted light, and evaluates the suitability of the examination subject for tissue examination;
A device for determining the suitability of a tissue examination based on near-infrared spectroscopy, including: In the first paragraph,
The above light irradiation unit includes a first optical fiber that focuses light in the near-infrared band,
The above light acquisition unit includes a second optical fiber that focuses the transmitted light,
A probe part in which the first optical fiber and the second optical fiber are accommodated inside,
A device for determining the suitability of a tissue examination based on near-infrared spectroscopy, which further includes: delete In the first paragraph,
The above analysis section,
A device for determining suitability for tissue examination based on near-infrared spectroscopy, wherein the closer the wavelength characteristics of the absorption spectrum are to those of oxyhemoglobin compared to those of deoxyhemoglobin, the more the test subject is determined to include the vascular region. In the first paragraph,
The above analysis section,
A tissue examination suitability judgment device based on near-infrared spectroscopy, wherein the suitability score is calculated by quantifying the above distribution information, and the suitability score is compared with a preset threshold score, such that the suitability score is calculated higher the more the test subject includes the above real tissue compared to the above vascular area. In paragraph 5,
The above analysis section,
A tissue examination suitability judgment device based on near-infrared spectroscopy, which calculates the suitability score based on the absorbance information of the examination subject for each of a plurality of preset different wavelengths. In paragraph 5,
The above analysis section,
A tissue examination suitability judgment device based on near-infrared spectroscopy, which calculates the suitability score based on the distribution of oxyhemoglobin, the distribution of deoxyhemoglobin, and the distribution of total hemoglobin included in the above-mentioned examination subject. In paragraph 5,
An output section that outputs notification information based on the comparison result between the above suitability score and the above critical score;
A device for determining the suitability of a tissue examination based on near-infrared spectroscopy, which further includes: In the first paragraph,
A tissue examination suitability judgment device based on near-infrared spectroscopy, wherein the light supply unit includes a multi-wavelength laser that emits light according to a plurality of different wavelengths in the range of the near-infrared band. In the first paragraph,
A device for determining the suitability of a tissue examination based on near-infrared spectroscopy, wherein the above-mentioned examination subject includes tissue from the liver region of the subject. In a method for determining suitability for tissue examination based on near-infrared spectroscopy, performed by a device for determining suitability for tissue examination based on near-infrared spectroscopy,
A step of irradiating a test subject with light in the near-infrared band;
A step of obtaining light transmitted by the inspection target in the near-infrared band investigated above; and
A step of evaluating the suitability of the examination subject for tissue examination by estimating distribution information on the actual tissue and blood vessel areas included in the examination subject based on the absorption characteristics of the transmitted light, which includes an absorption spectrum indicating the amount of light according to the wavelength of the transmitted light.
A method for determining the suitability of a tissue examination based on near-infrared spectroscopy, including: delete In Article 11,
The above evaluation steps are:
A method for determining suitability for tissue examination based on near-infrared spectroscopy, wherein the closer the wavelength characteristics of the absorption spectrum are to those of oxyhemoglobin compared to those of deoxyhemoglobin, the more the subject of examination is determined to include the vascular region. In Article 11,
The above evaluation steps are:
A method for determining suitability for a tissue examination based on near-infrared spectroscopy, wherein a suitability score is calculated by quantifying the above distribution information, and the suitability score is compared with a preset threshold score, wherein the suitability score is calculated to be higher the more the test subject includes the above real tissue compared to the above vascular area. In Article 14,
A step of outputting notification information according to the comparison result between the above suitability score and the above critical score;
A method for determining the suitability of a tissue examination based on near-infrared spectroscopy, which further includes:

Images