Contour mapping of spectral diagnostics

Claim 1

A method of processing spectra generated from the induced fluorescence of tissue comprising: irradiating a portion of tissue over a range of periodically separated excitation wavelengths with radiation from a light source to induce autofluorescence of the tissue such that the tissue emits fluorescent radiation at a multiplicity of emission wavelengths; forming a spectrum of the intensity of the emitted radiation from the recorded fluorescing radiation at each of the multiplicity of excitation and emission wavelengths; repeating the irradiating and forming steps to provide a plurality of spectra; averaging the plurality of spectra to produce an average spectrum; and identifying fluorophores present in the tissue that have predetermined fluorescence characteristics which correlate with spectral features in the average spectrum, the feature having identified excitation and emission wavelengths present in the average spectrum.

Claim 2

A method of processing spectra generated from the induced fluorescence of tissue comprising: irradiating a portion of tissue over a range of periodically separated excitation wavelengths with radiation from a light source to induce autofluorescence of the tissue such that the tissue emits fluorescent radiation at a multiplicity of emission wavelengths; forming a spectrum of the intensity of the emitted radiation from the recorded fluorescing radiation at each of the multiplicity of excitation and emission wavelengths; repeating the irradiating and forming steps to provide a plurality of spectra; averaging the plurality of spectra to produce an average spectrum; and identifying fluorophores present in the tissue that have predetermined fluorescence characteristics which correlate with spectral features in the average spectrum, the feature having identified excitation and emission wavelengths present in the average spectrum.

Claim 10

A method of diagnosing bodily tissue comprising: inserting a catheter containing an optical fiber into a body lumen and positioning a distal end of the catheter adjacent to tissue to be diagnosed; coupling a proximal end of the catheter to a radiation source such that the radiation is transmitted along the optical fiber and directed onto the tissue to be diagnosed; inducting autofluorescence with the tissue with the radiation source with a multiplicity of periodically separated excitation wavelengths; recording the autofluorescent radiation emitted by the tissue at a multiplicity of emission wavelengths; forming a spectral matrix of the intensity of the emitted radiation from the recorded radiation at each of the multiplicity of excitation and emission wavelengths; repeating the inducing and recording steps to provide a plurality of the spectral matrices; averaging the plurality of spectral matrix to produce an average spectral matrices; and identifying fluorophores present in the tissue from the average spectral matrix to diagnose a condition of the tissue.

Claim 11

A method of diagnosing bodily tissue comprising: inserting a catheter containing an optical fiber into a body lumen and positioning a distal end of the catheter adjacent to tissue to be diagnosed; coupling a proximal end of the catheter to a radiation source such that the radiation is transmitted along the optical fiber and directed onto the tissue to be diagnosed; inducting autofluorescence with the tissue with the radiation source with a multiplicity of periodically separated excitation wavelengths; recording the autofluorescent radiation emitted by the tissue at a multiplicity of emission wavelengths; forming a spectral matrix of the intensity of the emitted radiation from the recorded radiation at each of the multiplicity of excitation and emission wavelengths; repeating the inducing and recording steps to provide a plurality of the spectral matrices; averaging the plurality of spectral matrix to produce an average spectral matrices; and identifying fluorophores present in the tissue from the average spectral matrix to diagnose a condition of the tissue.

Claim 17

A method of diagnosing vascular tissue comprising: inserting a catheter containing an optical fiber into a vascular lumen and positioning a distal end of the catheter adjacent to vascular tissue to be diagnosed; coupling a proximal end of the catheter to a laser radiation source such that the laser radiation is transmitted along the optical fiber and directed onto the tissue to be diagnosed; inducing inelastically scattered light to be emitted from the vascular tissue with the laser radiation with a multiplicity of periodically separated excitation wavelengths; recording the scattered radiation returning from the tissue at a multiplicity of emission wavelengths; forming a spectral matrix of the intensity of the emitted radiation from the recorded radiation at each of the multiplicity of excitation and emission wavelengths; repeating the inducing and recording steps to provide a plurality of spectral matrices; averaging the spectral matrices to provide an average spectral matrix; and identifying abnormal tissue present in the tissue from the average spectral matrix.

Claim 18

A method of diagnosing vascular tissue comprising: inserting a catheter containing an optical fiber into a vascular lumen and positioning a distal end of the catheter adjacent to vascular tissue to be diagnosed; coupling a proximal end of the catheter to a laser radiation source such that the laser radiation is transmitted along the optical fiber and directed onto the tissue to be diagnosed; inducing inelastically scattered light to be emitted from the vascular tissue with the laser radiation with a multiplicity of periodically separated excitation wavelengths; recording the scattered radiation returning from the tissue at a multiplicity of emission wavelengths; forming a spectral matrix of the intensity of the emitted radiation from the recorded radiation at each of the multiplicity of excitation and emission wavelengths; repeating the inducing and recording steps to provide a plurality of spectral matrices; averaging the spectral matrices to provide an average spectral matrix; and identifying abnormal tissue present in the tissue from the average spectral matrix.