US5836877A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
System for facilitating pathological examination of a lesion in tissue
Assignee: Caliber Imaging and Diagnostics Inc
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Filing: 1997-02-24
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Granted: 1998-11-17
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Expires: 2017-02-24
Abstract
Abstract In order to facilitate pathological examination of a lesion in in-vivo tissue, a system and method are provided having a computer system in which both a camera for producing a digital macroscopic picture of the lesion and an imager are coupled to the computer system. The imager is responsive to the computer system and has optics for scanning the lesion to generate images representing microscopic sections of the lesion which provide sufficient information for pathological examination of the lesion. The computer system generates location information, referencing the location in the macroscopic picture of the lesion where the lesion was scanned to the images, and stores data in an electronic file structure which contains at least a representation of the images, a representation of the macroscopic picture, and the location information. The file structure may then be sent to another computer system for viewing the images stored in the file structure to facilitate pathological examination of the lesion by persons trained to interpret such images, adding a diagnostic report about the lesion to the data of the file structure, and sending back the file structure to the computer system that originated it.
Inventors
- 👤 James M. Zavislan
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 06:07
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B5/00; A61B5/0059; A61B5/0062; A61B5/0068; G; G16; G16H; G16H30/00; G16H30/20; G16H50/00; G16H50/20; G16H80/00; A61B5/0066; G16H10/00; G16H10/40; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S128/00; Y10S128/92; Y10S128/922
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
115 words
A method for facilitating pathological examination of a lesion located in tissue comprising the steps of: producing a macroscopic picture of the lesion; generating images representing microscopic sections of said lesion which provide sufficient information for pathological examination of the lesion; generating location information referencing the location in said macroscopic picture of the lesion to said sections; and storing data in an electronic file structure which comprises at least a representation of said images, a representation of said macroscopic picture of the lesion, and said location information, wherein said generating step further comprises the step of scanning the lesion with the aid of confocal optics to generate confocal images representing microscopic sections of said lesion.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
115 words
A method for facilitating pathological examination of a lesion located in tissue comprising the steps of: producing a macroscopic picture of the lesion; generating images representing microscopic sections of said lesion which provide sufficient information for pathological examination of the lesion; generating location information referencing the location in said macroscopic picture of the lesion to said sections; and storing data in an electronic file structure which comprises at least a representation of said images, a representation of said macroscopic picture of the lesion, and said location information, wherein said generating step further comprises the step of scanning the lesion with the aid of confocal optics to generate confocal images representing microscopic sections of said lesion.
Claim 3
Independent Claim
111 words
A method for facilitating pathological examination of a lesion located in tissue comprising the steps of: producing a macroscopic picture of the lesion; generating images representing microscopic sections of said lesion which provide sufficient information for pathological examination of the lesion; generating location information referencing the location in said macroscopic picture of the lesion to said sections; and storing data in an electronic file structure which comprises at least a representation of said images, a representation of said macroscopic picture of the lesion, and said location information, wherein said generating step further comprises the step of generating images representing microscopic sections by one of optical coherence tomography, and two-photon laser microscopy.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
111 words
A method for facilitating pathological examination of a lesion located in tissue comprising the steps of: producing a macroscopic picture of the lesion; generating images representing microscopic sections of said lesion which provide sufficient information for pathological examination of the lesion; generating location information referencing the location in said macroscopic picture of the lesion to said sections; and storing data in an electronic file structure which comprises at least a representation of said images, a representation of said macroscopic picture of the lesion, and said location information, wherein said generating step further comprises the step of generating images representing microscopic sections by one of optical coherence tomography, and two-photon laser microscopy.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
138 words
An apparatus for facilitating pathological examination of a lesion located in tissue comprising: a computer system; means coupled to said computer system for producing a digital macroscopic picture of the lesion; an imager coupled to said computer system for generating, responsive to said computer system, images representing microscopic sections of said lesion which provide sufficient information for pathological examination of the lesion; and said computer system further comprises means for generating location information referencing the location in said macroscopic picture of the lesion to said sections, and means for storing data in an electronic file structure which comprises at least a representation of said images, a representation of said macroscopic picture, and said location information, wherein said imager further comprises means for scanning the lesion through confocal optics to generate confocal images representing microscopic sections of said lesion.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
138 words
An apparatus for facilitating pathological examination of a lesion located in tissue comprising: a computer system; means coupled to said computer system for producing a digital macroscopic picture of the lesion; an imager coupled to said computer system for generating, responsive to said computer system, images representing microscopic sections of said lesion which provide sufficient information for pathological examination of the lesion; and said computer system further comprises means for generating location information referencing the location in said macroscopic picture of the lesion to said sections, and means for storing data in an electronic file structure which comprises at least a representation of said images, a representation of said macroscopic picture, and said location information, wherein said imager further comprises means for scanning the lesion through confocal optics to generate confocal images representing microscopic sections of said lesion.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
51 words
The method according to claim 1 further comprising the steps of: performing said producing, generating images, generating location information, and storing steps at a first location; sending said electronic file structure from said first location to a second location; and receiving and storing said electronic file structure at said second location.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method according to claim 4 further comprising the step of: performing at said second location a pathological examination of said lesion in accordance with said data in said received electronic file structure.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
52 words
The method according to claim 5 further comprising the steps of: adding a diagnostic report about said pathological examination to said data in said electronic file structure at said second location; and sending said electronic file structure from said second location to said first location after said adding step is carried out.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method according to claim 1 wherein said images represent a standard suite of images of the lesion.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
51 words
The method according to claim 2 further comprising the steps of: performing said producing, generating images, generating location information, and storing steps at a first location; sending said electronic file structure from said first location to a second location; and receiving and storing said electronic file structure at said second location.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method according to claim 8 further comprising the step of; performing at said second location a pathological examination of said lesion in accordance with said data in said received electronic file structure.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
52 words
The method according to claim 9 further comprising the steps of: adding a diagnostic report about said pathological examination to said data in said electronic file structure at said second location; and sending said electronic file structure from said second location to said first location after said adding step is carried out.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method according to claim 2 wherein said images represent a standard suite of images of the lesion.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
57 words
The apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said computer system represents a first computer system, and said apparatus further comprises: a second computer system; means for sending said electronic file structure from said first computer system to said second computer system; and said second computer system further comprises means for receiving and storing said electronic file structure.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
36 words
The apparatus according to claim 12 wherein said second computer system further comprises means for viewing images responsive to said data stored in said electronic file structure to assist in the pathological examination of said lesion.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
49 words
The apparatus according to claim 13 wherein said second computer system further comprises: means for adding a diagnostic report about the pathological examination to said data in said electronic file structure; and means for sending said electronic file structure from said second computer system to said first computer system.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
18 words
The apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said images represent a standard suite of images of the lesion.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2001-11-16 | 2002-05-18 | 2002-11-17 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2005-11-16 | 2006-05-18 | 2006-11-17 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2009-11-16 | 2010-05-18 | 2010-11-17 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |