Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim
327 words
In a surgical procedure wherein an animal suspected of containing neoplastic tissue is surgically accessed and the tissue therein examined visually and by palpation for evidence of neoplastic tissue, the improved methodology which comprises: (a) administering to said animal an effective amount of a labelled antibody specific for neoplastic tissue and being labelled with a radioactive isotope exhibiting photon emissions of select energy levels; (b) delaying said surgery for a time interval following said administering for permitting said labelled antibody to preferentially concentrate in any neoplastic tissue present in said animal and for the unbound labelled antibody in the blood pool to be cleared to a blood pool background level, so as to increase the ratio of photon emissions from neoplastic tissue to background photon emissions in said animal; (c) after said delaying, surgically accessing the operative field of said animal; (d) determining the background photon emission count for tissue within said operative filed which is to be examined for neoplastic tissue; (e) manually positioning a hand-held probe within said operative field adjacent tissue suspected of being neoplastic, said probe configured for facile hand positioning and maneuvering within said operative field of said animal and characterized by having a collimatable radiation detector having a selective photon entrance and having an output deriving discrete signals responsive to photon emissions when said entrance is positioned immediately adjacent thereto, amplifier means having an input coupled with said radiation detector output pulses, and readout means responsive tos aid output pulses and actuable to an initial condition for commencing the provision of a perceptible indication of an inidica corresponding to the number of said output pulses received; (f) determining from said perceptible indication the extent of tissue exhibiting a number of said output pulses having a value above said background output pulses for tissue within said operative field as determined in step (d); and (g) surgically removing a sample of said tissue determined in step (f) for histological analysis of said sample.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
327 words
In a surgical procedure wherein an animal suspected of containing neoplastic tissue is surgically accessed and the tissue therein examined visually and by palpation for evidence of neoplastic tissue, the improved methodology which comprises: (a) administering to said animal an effective amount of a labelled antibody specific for neoplastic tissue and being labelled with a radioactive isotope exhibiting photon emissions of select energy levels; (b) delaying said surgery for a time interval following said administering for permitting said labelled antibody to preferentially concentrate in any neoplastic tissue present in said animal and for the unbound labelled antibody in the blood pool to be cleared to a blood pool background level, so as to increase the ratio of photon emissions from neoplastic tissue to background photon emissions in said animal; (c) after said delaying, surgically accessing the operative field of said animal; (d) determining the background photon emission count for tissue within said operative filed which is to be examined for neoplastic tissue; (e) manually positioning a hand-held probe within said operative field adjacent tissue suspected of being neoplastic, said probe configured for facile hand positioning and maneuvering within said operative field of said animal and characterized by having a collimatable radiation detector having a selective photon entrance and having an output deriving discrete signals responsive to photon emissions when said entrance is positioned immediately adjacent thereto, amplifier means having an input coupled with said radiation detector output pulses, and readout means responsive tos aid output pulses and actuable to an initial condition for commencing the provision of a perceptible indication of an inidica corresponding to the number of said output pulses received; (f) determining from said perceptible indication the extent of tissue exhibiting a number of said output pulses having a value above said background output pulses for tissue within said operative field as determined in step (d); and (g) surgically removing a sample of said tissue determined in step (f) for histological analysis of said sample.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
12 words
The surgical procedure of claim 1 wherein said perceptible output comprises sound.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
30 words
The surgical procedure of claim 1 wherein said antibody is selected from the group consisting of a whole polyclonal antibody, a whole monoclonal antibody, a fragment antibody, or mixtures thereof.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
19 words
The surgical procedure of claim 1 wherein said isotope exhibits select energy levels of not above about 300 kev.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
21 words
The surgical procedure of claim 1 wherein said surgery is delayed for a time period of at least about 7 days.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
298 words
In a surgical procedure wherein an animal suspected of containing neoplastic tissue is surgically accessed and the tissue therein examined visually and by palpation for evidence of neoplastic tissue, the improved methodology which comprises: (a) administering to said animal an effective amount of a labelled antibody specific for neoplastic tissue and being labelled with a radioactive isotope exhibiting photon emissions of select energy levels; (b) delaying said surgery for a time interval following said administering for permitting said labelled antibody to preferentially concentrate in any neoplastic tissue present in said animal and for the unbound labelled antibody in the blood pool to be cleared to a blood pool background level, so as to increase the ratio of photon emissions from neoplastic tissue to background photon emissions in said animal; (c) after said delaying, surgically accessing the operative field of said animal; (d) determining tissue within the operative field which is suspected of being neoplastic; (e) surgically removing a sample of said tissue determined in step (d); (f) manually positioning a hand-held probe adjacent said removed tissue suspected of being neoplastic, said probe characterized by having a collimatable radiation detector having a selective photon entrance and having an output deriving discrete signals responsive to photon emissions when said entrance is positioned immediately adjacent thereto, amplifier means having an input coupled with said radiation detector output and responsive to said discrete signals to provide corresponding amplified output pulses, and readout means responsive to said output pulses and actuable to an initial condition for commencing the provision of a perceptible indication of an indicia corresponding to the number of said output pulses received; and (g) determining from said perceptible indication the extent of any tissue in said sample which exhibits a number of said output pulses having a value above background.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
298 words
In a surgical procedure wherein an animal suspected of containing neoplastic tissue is surgically accessed and the tissue therein examined visually and by palpation for evidence of neoplastic tissue, the improved methodology which comprises: (a) administering to said animal an effective amount of a labelled antibody specific for neoplastic tissue and being labelled with a radioactive isotope exhibiting photon emissions of select energy levels; (b) delaying said surgery for a time interval following said administering for permitting said labelled antibody to preferentially concentrate in any neoplastic tissue present in said animal and for the unbound labelled antibody in the blood pool to be cleared to a blood pool background level, so as to increase the ratio of photon emissions from neoplastic tissue to background photon emissions in said animal; (c) after said delaying, surgically accessing the operative field of said animal; (d) determining tissue within the operative field which is suspected of being neoplastic; (e) surgically removing a sample of said tissue determined in step (d); (f) manually positioning a hand-held probe adjacent said removed tissue suspected of being neoplastic, said probe characterized by having a collimatable radiation detector having a selective photon entrance and having an output deriving discrete signals responsive to photon emissions when said entrance is positioned immediately adjacent thereto, amplifier means having an input coupled with said radiation detector output and responsive to said discrete signals to provide corresponding amplified output pulses, and readout means responsive to said output pulses and actuable to an initial condition for commencing the provision of a perceptible indication of an indicia corresponding to the number of said output pulses received; and (g) determining from said perceptible indication the extent of any tissue in said sample which exhibits a number of said output pulses having a value above background.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
18 words
The surgical procedure of claim 6 wherein tissue determined in step (g) then is subjected to histological analysis.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
29 words
The surgical procedure of claim 6 wherein for a sample which is determined to be neoplastic in step (g), tissue in said animal adjacent said sample is surgically removed.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
24 words
The surgical procedure of claim 6 wherein said perceptible output is selected from the group consisting of sound, light, a chart, or combinations thereof.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
30 words
The surgical procedure of claim 6 wherein said antibody is selected from the group consisting of a whole polyclonal antibody, a whole monoclonal antibody, a fragment antibody, or mixtures thereof.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
19 words
The surgical procedure of claim 6 wherein said isotope exhibits select energy levels of not above about 300 kev.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
21 words
The surgical procedure of claim 6 wherein said surgery is delayed for a time period of at least about 7 days.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
390 words
In a surgical procedure wherein an animal suspected of containing neoplastic tissue is surgically accessed and the tissue therein examined visually and by palpation for evidence of neoplastic tissue, the improved methodology which comprises: (a) administering to said animal an effective amount of a labelled antibody specific for neoplastic tissue and being labelled with a radioactive isotope exhibiting photon emissions of select energy levels; (b) delaying said surgery for a time interval following said administering for permitting said labelled antibody to preferentially concentrate in any neoplastic tissue present in said animal and for the unbound labelled antibody in the blood pool to be cleared to a blood pool background level, so as to increase the ratio of photon emissions from neoplastic tissue to background photon emissions in said animal; (c) after said delaying, surgically accessing the operative field of said animal; (d) determining the background photon emission count for tissue within said operative field which is to be examined for neoplastic tissue; (e) manually positioning a hand-held probe within said operative field adjacent tissue suspected of being neoplastic, said probe configured for facile hand positioning and maneuvering within said operative field of said animal and characterized by having a collimatable radiation detector having a selective photon entrance and having an output deriving discrete signals responsive to photon emissions when said entrance is positioned immediately adjacent thereto, amplifier means having an input coupled with said radiation detector output and responsive to said discrete signals to provide corresponding amplified output pulses and readout means responsive to said output pulses and actuable to an initial condition for commencing the provision of a perceptible indication of an indicia corresponding to the number of said output pulses received; (f) determining from said perceptible indication the extent of tissue exhibiting a number of said output pulses having a value above said background output pulses for tissue within said operative field as determined in step (d); (g) surgically removing said tissue determined in step (f); (h) manually positioning said probe adjacent said tissue surrounding said surgically removed tissue to determine from said perceptible indication whether any of said surrounding tissue exhibits a number of output pulses having a value above said tissue background output pulses; (i) surgically removing any tissue determined in step (h); and (j) repeating steps (h) and (i) until no more tissue is determined.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
390 words
In a surgical procedure wherein an animal suspected of containing neoplastic tissue is surgically accessed and the tissue therein examined visually and by palpation for evidence of neoplastic tissue, the improved methodology which comprises: (a) administering to said animal an effective amount of a labelled antibody specific for neoplastic tissue and being labelled with a radioactive isotope exhibiting photon emissions of select energy levels; (b) delaying said surgery for a time interval following said administering for permitting said labelled antibody to preferentially concentrate in any neoplastic tissue present in said animal and for the unbound labelled antibody in the blood pool to be cleared to a blood pool background level, so as to increase the ratio of photon emissions from neoplastic tissue to background photon emissions in said animal; (c) after said delaying, surgically accessing the operative field of said animal; (d) determining the background photon emission count for tissue within said operative field which is to be examined for neoplastic tissue; (e) manually positioning a hand-held probe within said operative field adjacent tissue suspected of being neoplastic, said probe configured for facile hand positioning and maneuvering within said operative field of said animal and characterized by having a collimatable radiation detector having a selective photon entrance and having an output deriving discrete signals responsive to photon emissions when said entrance is positioned immediately adjacent thereto, amplifier means having an input coupled with said radiation detector output and responsive to said discrete signals to provide corresponding amplified output pulses and readout means responsive to said output pulses and actuable to an initial condition for commencing the provision of a perceptible indication of an indicia corresponding to the number of said output pulses received; (f) determining from said perceptible indication the extent of tissue exhibiting a number of said output pulses having a value above said background output pulses for tissue within said operative field as determined in step (d); (g) surgically removing said tissue determined in step (f); (h) manually positioning said probe adjacent said tissue surrounding said surgically removed tissue to determine from said perceptible indication whether any of said surrounding tissue exhibits a number of output pulses having a value above said tissue background output pulses; (i) surgically removing any tissue determined in step (h); and (j) repeating steps (h) and (i) until no more tissue is determined.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
12 words
The surgical procedure of claim 13 wherein said perceptible output comprises sound.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
30 words
The surgical procedure of claim 13 wherein said antibody is selected from the group consisting of a whole polyclonal antibody, a whole monoclonal antibody, a fragment antibody, or mixtures thereof.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
19 words
The surgical procedure of claim 13 wherein said isotope exhibits select energy levels of not above about 300 kev.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
17 words
The surgical procedure of claim 16 wherein said select energy levels are not above about 150 kev.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
29 words
The surgical procedure of claim 13 wherein said isotope is selected from the group consisting of Iodine 131, Iodine 125, Indium 111, Selenium 75, Cobalt 57, and mixtures thereof.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
21 words
The surgical procedure of claim 13 wherein said surgery is delayed for a time period of at least about 7 days.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
22 words
The surgical procedure of claim 19 wherein said surgery is delayed for a time interval ranging from about 7 to 21 days.