System and method for spectral signal detection

Abstract

The present application relates to systems and methods for spectral signal detection. A system for spectral signal detection can include a spectrometer, a light source emitter configurable to emit a first signal toward a target, and a targeting light source emitter configurable to emit a second signal having a visible spectrum toward the target. The system can include a first optical component, such as a filter, to attenuate or remove noise associated with the second signal from a third signal returned from the target to the spectrometer.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the detection of spectral signals during diagnostic or therapeutic laser surgery. Background Technology

[0002] Therapeutic laser systems are used during surgical laser procedures such as laser lithotripsy, where the physician may need to interact with a target inside the patient's body, such as a tumor or a stone ("stone"). Such systems can employ visible light emission, which can be used as a targeting beam to provide spatial information about the therapeutic laser before or simultaneously with its emission. Spectroscopic techniques can be used to analyze light reflected from or otherwise returned from the target, such as for detecting and characterizing the target, and distinguishing the target from tissue. Summary of the Invention

[0003] A system for detecting spectral signals may include: a spectrometer; a light source emitter configured to emit a first signal toward a target; and a targeting light source emitter configured to emit a second signal having a visible spectrum toward the target. The second signal may be a targeting beam from a source such as a laser diode or a light-emitting diode (LED) that can illuminate an area that an ablation laser can target. The first signal may be a signal from a laser source such as a therapeutic (e.g., ablation) laser, which can be used during medical procedures to ablate tissue, reduce stones, etc. The system may include one or more optical components, such as filters, polarizers, coated lenses, or any similar components, used with a laser fiber to attenuate or remove noise associated with the first and / or second signals from a third signal (such as a scattered signal, a reflected signal, etc.) returning from the target to the spectrometer.

[0004] The spectrometer can be coupled to a laser fiber and / or a surgical fiber, which in turn can be coupled to an endoscope used for performing diagnostic or therapeutic procedures on a patient, included in, or part of such an endoscope. One or more optical components can be located in one or more signal paths, such as a first signal path between the surgical fiber and the spectrometer, a second signal path between the targeting light source emitter and the surgical fiber, and / or an optical path between the target and the spectrometer. The optical connector or other housing or coating coupled to the laser fiber can be formed of a material capable of absorbing light reflected from a reflector or one or more other optical components that may be included in the housing and used with the laser fiber. In this way, the light-absorbing housing can help reduce the amount of stray light directed toward the spectrometer. The system may also include a controller coupled to the light source emitter, the targeting light source emitter, and / or the spectrometer. The controller can be configured to pulse the targeting light source emitter on and off and, when the targeting light source emitter is pulsed off, cause the spectrometer to collect signals from the target.

[0005] The controller can also enable the spectrometer to analyze signals from the target at specific times or intervals (such as when the aiming light source emitter is pulsed off, or at any desired time regardless of whether the aiming light source emitter is on or off). Therefore, the controller can be configured to control the operation or function of any light source and / or spectrometer included in the system. Consequently, the system can improve signal detection, such as for spectral analysis, by helping to reduce, mitigate, or eliminate effects, interference, or noise originating from the aiming beam, which can significantly improve the quality of signals detected from the target. Attached Figure Description

[0006] In accompanying drawings that are not necessarily drawn to scale, similar reference numerals may describe similar components in different figures. The same reference numerals with different letter suffixes may represent different instances of similar components. The accompanying drawings generally illustrate the various embodiments discussed in this document by way of example rather than limitation.

[0007] Figure 1 An example of the placement of optical components within a laser system is shown.

[0008] Figure 2 An example of a portion of a laser system is shown.

[0009] Figure 3 An example of a graph showing the intensity of the aiming beam versus time in flash mode is shown.

[0010] Figure 4 An example diagram illustrates a method for detecting spectral signals during an insertable medical procedure within the body.

[0011] Figure 5 A block diagram illustrating an example of a machine on which one or more implementation methods can be carried out.

[0012] Figure 6 An example of a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary computer-based clinical decision support system (CDSS) is shown.

[0013] Figure 7 An example graph illustrating the effect of optical components on the visible feedback spectrum is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0014] The systems and methods described herein can help improve the detection of spectral signals during diagnostic or therapeutic laser procedures. Surgical laser procedures such as laser lithotripsy can utilize surgical laser systems. Surgical laser systems may include a visible light laser and a working laser. The working laser may include a diagnostic or therapeutic laser. The visible light laser can act as a targeting beam, such as to indicate where the therapeutic laser or other working laser will be aimed. The visible light laser can also help provide spatial information (e.g., beam diameter), such as beam diameter, which can be observed by a physician or other operator or device, such as the observation optics of an endoscope or other observation instrument. Such spatial information can be used (or signal-processed for use) to help guide or otherwise operate the therapeutic laser before and / or while the therapeutic laser is engaged to emit its laser energy. Such laser systems may also include responsive photodetectors, such as spectrometers, to provide spectral analysis of targets (or the material composition of targets) within a patient's body. Spectrometers can be used to detect and characterize targets or to distinguish targets from healthy tissue (e.g., to determine the margin of a tumor). For example, a spectrometer can collect (visible or invisible) light reflected, scattered, or otherwise emitted from a target into a laser system, including, within, or coupled to the laser system, for purposes such as signal processing and spectral analysis. The spectrometer can analyze the signal originating from the target and, based on this, determine characteristics associated with the target. These characteristics may include, for example, the target's composition, hardness, density, or any similar properties. Furthermore, one or more laser setups (e.g., laser intensity) can be adjusted, at least in part, based on these target characteristics.

[0015] A "clean" spectral signal can involve the following:

[0016] The endoscope light source must be "on". The light source can include a xenon light source. It can include a continuous, non-pulsed emitting lamp or an LED light source. The LED light source can be pulsed, such as to achieve a lower average intensity (as determined by the duty cycle of the pulse). When the LED light source is pulsed "on", it can emit high-intensity optical energy. When the LED light source is not pulsed "on", it does not emit optical energy and, as a result, will not have a spectrum.

[0017] Laser emission must be "turned off." This reduces or eliminates the occurrence of high-intensity emission attributable to thermal degradation effects. High-intensity emission can decay over time (e.g., approximately 1 millisecond). Therefore, spectral data can be collected shortly (1 ms) after the laser emission pulse ends.

[0018] The aiming beam must be "off" or at a sufficiently low level so that the optical filter can effectively reduce or minimize the intensity of any distortion in the spectral profile caused by the aiming beam. The effects of a flickering aiming beam can be avoided in the measured spectrum, for example, by collecting the spectrum between aiming beam pulses.

[0019] A targeting beam can pose a challenge to signal detection across a range of wavelengths of interest (spectral extension) in spectroscopic analysis. This is because the targeting beam can have a greater light intensity than the response signal of interest that can be reflected, scattered, or otherwise emitted from the target object. When the targeting beam is emitted, this can result in an undesirable signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in the returned or response signal from the target. For example, the signal from the targeting beam can potentially “swamp out,” interfering with or overwriting the response signal of interest from the target, especially when the response signal from the target falls within the visible spectrum (as is the case with the targeting beam). This disclosure provides examples of methods for improving signal detection, such as those used in spectroscopic analysis, by helping to reduce, lower, or eliminate the effects, interference, or “noise” originating from the targeting beam, which can significantly improve the quality of the signal detected from the target.

[0020] A system for detecting spectral signals may include a spectrometer, a light source emitter configurable to emit a first signal toward a target, a targeting light source emitter configurable to emit a second signal having a visible spectrum toward the target, and a first optical component for attenuating or removing noise associated with the second signal from a third signal returning from the target to the spectrometer. The third signal from the target may be a reflected signal, a scattered signal (e.g., via Raman scattering), fluorescence, etc.

[0021] In the example, the spectrometer can be coupled to a surgical fiber, such as by attaching to or communicatively connecting to it, and a first optical component can be located in a first signal path between the surgical fiber and the spectrometer. The first optical component can be a filter or a polarizer and can be located in any part of the first signal path, such as at the interface between the surgical fiber and the spectrometer, or at any other desired location. Alternatively, the first optical component can be located in a second signal path between the targeting light source emitter and the surgical fiber or spectrometer, or in an optical path between the target and the spectrometer.

[0022] The system may additionally include a second optical component for attenuating or removing noise associated with at least one of the second or third signals. The second optical component may be located in either the first or second signal path, and may include a filter or polarizer. Therefore, the system may include one or more optical components, such as filters or polarizers. The optical components may be located in the signal path between the surgical fiber and the spectrometer, in the signal path between the targeting light source emitter and the surgical fiber or spectrometer, and / or in the optical path between the target and the spectrometer. The system may include a desired number of optical components located in any signal path or optical path where it is desired to attenuate or remove noise associated with the second signal.

[0023] The system may also include a controller coupled to the light source emitter, the aiming light source emitter, and / or the spectrometer. The controller is configurable to turn the aiming light source pulse on and off, and the spectrometer may be configured to collect or analyze at least one of a first signal or a third signal when the aiming light source is pulse-off. Additionally or alternatively, the spectrometer may be configured to collect or analyze the first and / or third signals when a second signal (i.e., the aiming light source) is pulse-off. The controller may also be configured to control the operation of the light source emitter and / or the spectrometer.

[0024] The controller or spectrometer can also be configured to pulse-control the aiming light source to allow a change in the wavelength (first wavelength) of the light emitted from the aiming light source to a different wavelength (second wavelength). When the aiming light source emits at the second wavelength, the spectrometer can analyze a third signal and / or the first signal from the target in response to a second signal at the second wavelength. For example, the aiming light source can be pulse-controlled from a wavelength in the visible spectrum to a wavelength in the invisible spectrum, and the spectrometer can analyze the first signal and / or the third signal when the light source emits light in the invisible spectrum. It should be understood that throughout this disclosure, the terms light source and light source emitter are used interchangeably. Similarly, the terms aiming light source, aiming beam emission source, and aiming light source emitter are used interchangeably. In other words, the terms light source and light source emitter are understood to refer to the same component, and the terms aiming light source, aiming beam emission source, and aiming light source emitter are understood to refer to the same component, regardless of whether a text emitter is included.

[0025] Figure 1 Examples illustrating the placement of one or more optical components within a laser system 100 are shown. The laser system 100 can be coupled to an endoscope system, such as an in vivo insertable therapeutic or diagnostic endoscope system, for performing patient diagnosis or treatment. Details regarding how the laser system 100 can be coupled to an endoscope system can be found in U.S. Patent Application 16 / 984,447, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Figure 1 In the example shown, a first optical component 102, such as a laser filter or polarizer, may be located at the output of the aiming beam emission source (e.g., a laser diode) 116 in the signal path of the aiming beam 104. The system may also include a light source 118 (e.g., a laser module or component) that can emit signals such as laser radiation to ablate tissue, break up stones (e.g., kidney stones or gallstones), or perform any suitable therapeutic or diagnostic procedure, and may emit signals in the visible or invisible spectrum. The first optical component 102 may be at least equal to or slightly larger than the diameter of the aiming beam 104. The first optical component 102 can remove noise sources (e.g., spectral spread of the dominant frequency / wavelength of the aiming beam 104), which can significantly improve the signal detected from the target 106.

[0026] Therefore, in Figure 1In the example, the signal emitted from the aiming beam emission source 116 may be filtered, attenuated, blocked, polarized, or otherwise affected by the first optical component 102, such that only signals of the desired wavelength and intensity are emitted from the surgical fiber 108 and reach the target 106. In the example, at least a portion of the signal emitted from the surgical fiber 108 may be reflected back from the target 106 (as indicated by the arrow). The laser system 100 may additionally include one or more additional optical components (e.g., second optical components), such as one or more notch filters 110 and 112 (or any suitable filter) located in the optical path between the target 106 and the spectrometer located in the feedback box 114. The notch filters 110 and 112 may be used to remove any reflected signals from the target 106 that have a frequency or wavelength around, near, or substantially close to the frequency or wavelength of the aiming beam 104.

[0027] In this example, the width of the high-attenuation wavelength of notch filters 110 and 112 (or any suitable filter) can be greater than the full width at half maximum (FWHM) specification of the aiming beam source 116, because the intensity of the aiming beam 104 can be orders of magnitude greater than the signal (e.g., a spectral signal) from the target. Therefore, even a noticeably steep wavelength rise provided by the first optical component 102 or directly from the aiming beam source 116 can have unacceptable levels of interference at the tail of the emitted pulse or at the first optical component 102.

[0028] Additionally or alternatively, one or more second or third optical components 120, 122 (e.g., lenses) located at or near the output of the aiming beam 104 and / or between the target 106 and the spectrometer in the feedback box 114 as the aiming beam 104 passes through the first optical component 102 (not shown) may be coated with a suitable material to provide, replace or enhance the filtering effect provided by the first optical component 102 and / or the notch filters 110, 112.

[0029] Furthermore, as described above, any one of the first optical component 102, the second optical component 120, and / or the third optical component 122 can be a polarizer that can be used to improve spectral analysis. In another example, the polarizer can be used in conjunction with other optical components such as filters, serving as an alternative to other optical components such as filters. In the example, one or more additional optical components 124, 126 can be used to assist or aid in guiding the aiming beam 104. For example, the first additional optical component 124 can be located in front of the aiming beam emission source 116, which can be a laser diode or a light-emitting diode (LED), and assist in guiding the aiming beam 104 in the first direction (e.g., horizontally or in the "x" direction). Similarly, the second additional optical component 126 can be located near the VIS lens 128 (or any lens optimized to operate in the visible spectrum or in the 400 to 700 nanometer (nm) range) and guide the beam in a direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction (e.g., vertically or in the "y" direction). Therefore, the second additional optical component 126 can block the aiming beam. Therefore, the optical feedback signal from the target can be transmitted to the spectrometer in the feedback box 114 through the VIS optical port.

[0030] The laser radiation emitted from the light source 118 may have the same or different wavelength or frequency as the aiming beam 104 emitted from the aiming beam emission source 116. It should be understood that any optical components discussed above may be used to block, attenuate, redirect, etc., a portion of the laser radiation associated with the aiming beam 104 emitted from the aiming beam emission source 116 or returned from the target 106 during medical procedures.

[0031] The frequencies associated with the specifications of any of the optical components, such as the first optical component 102, notch filters 110, 112, etc., may depend on the wavelength of the aiming beam 104. The wavelength of the aiming beam 104 may drift or vary by an amount such as 1 to 2 nanometers due to external factors (e.g., temperature), and therefore one or more optical components can be selected to account for such drift. For example, one or more optical components having a wavelength range or extension (e.g., a 10 nm range) can be selected to account for the wavelength drift of the aiming beam 104. Additionally or alternatively, optical components such as laser filters can be selected to optimize for the specific aiming beam emission source 116 used (e.g., an aiming beam laser diode). For example, the suppression frequency of one or more optical components can be based on the wavelength of the aiming beam emission source 116 in order to suppress frequencies corresponding to the aiming beam wavelength. The various optical components and filters discussed above can be included within a light-impermeable housing, which can be coupled to an internal laser fiber 130, which can then be coupled to a light source 118, a surgical fiber 108, and / or a feedback box 114.

[0032] Figure 2 An example of a portion of a laser system 200 is illustrated. The laser system 200 may include a laser fiber 202 that can be housed or carried in a light-absorbing housing. Figure 2 An example is illustrated by a system 200 including optical components, which can be used in conjunction with the above-described system. Figure 1 The components illustrated and discussed are the same or similar. Figure 2 In this configuration, the laser fiber 202 can be coupled to a housing 204, which may house certain optical components. The housing 204 can be configured to absorb light reflected back from the optical components housed therein, such as reflector 206. For example, the housing 204 coupled to the internal laser fiber 202 can be formed of or coated with a material that can substantially (e.g., 90% or, in some embodiments, 80%) absorb (e.g., not reflect) light including a specific wavelength or wavelength range of light from the aiming beam 208. In this example, reflector 206 can perform actions such as those targeting... Figure 1 The second additional optical component 126 described has the same or similar function, specifically for guiding light from the aiming beam 208. The reflector 206 can guide light in a direction toward the housing 204 (as indicated by the arrow pointing from the aiming beam 208 to the housing 204). Therefore, in this embodiment, light from the aiming beam 208 and guided by the reflector 206 toward the housing 204 (and / or reflections from the target) can be absorbed by the housing 204. This can effectively block stray light from the aiming beam 208 and / or reflections from the target at least partially, and reduce or decrease their amount before reaching the spectrometer 210.

[0033] Figure 3 An example of graph 300 showing the aiming beam intensity versus time when in flash mode is illustrated. Figure 3 As illustrated in the example, the aiming beam pulses can be modulated to mitigate or reduce their impact on signals returning from the target (e.g., spectral signals to be analyzed by a spectrometer or other signals of interest). In the example, the laser diode of the aiming beam can be switched on and off very rapidly, and the spectrometer can collect data when the aiming beam is off and examine or analyze the data when the beam is switched back on. For example, the aiming beam can be switched off for a period of time such as approximately 250 ms, during which spectral data can be collected. The aiming beam can be switched back on for another period of time, such as 0.5 seconds, to allow the spectrometer to examine and analyze the data. These steps can be performed iteratively until a sufficient amount of data has been collected for analyzing the characteristics of the target or for the medical procedure to be completed. The aiming beam can be pulsed periodically, repeatedly, or at any desired interval. The interval can be determined and controlled by a controller or any similar component connected or coupled to the aiming beam emission source. Although Figure 3 An example of turning off the aiming beam pulse for 250 ms is illustrated, but the pulse can occur at a faster rate (such as 10-20 ms) or a slower rate, depending on the needs or suitability for the medical procedure being performed. In the example, the spectral collection time can be shortened or otherwise adjusted when residual optical effects from the aiming beam or laser emission pulse are present. For example, spectral emission due to thermal degradation may take time to decay after the pulse ends. To avoid capturing this phenomenon in the spectrum, spectral response collection can be triggered after a short delay following the pulse end. Furthermore, while the spectrum can be collected between pulses of the aiming beam, it can also be collected during pulses from any source (e.g., during laser emission pulses, LED source pulses, etc.).

[0034] Figure 4 An example diagram illustrates a method 400 for detecting spectral signals during an insertable medical procedure within the body. Method 400 may include or comprise a plurality of operations or steps (402 to 412). These operations are exemplary, and the method performed may omit one or more of the listed operations, may repeat operations, may include other operations, or may perform operations simultaneously, substantially simultaneously, or in any order, as appropriate or desired.

[0035] At position 402, a first signal can be emitted from the light source toward the target. The target can be a target such as kidney or gallstones, a tumor, a tissue fragment, or any similar target located inside the patient during an insertable medical procedure. The light source can be a laser, such as one emitted from a laser diode, which can be a therapeutic laser (e.g., an ablation laser) used during medical procedures. The light source can be an endoscopic light source such as an LED, and as described above, the laser system can be coupled to, attached to, or connected to an endoscope.

[0036] At point 404, a second signal can be emitted from the aiming beam emission source toward the target. The aiming beam can be visible light emission from a visible light emission source such as a laser diode or LED, which can provide spatial information about the therapeutic laser before or simultaneously with its emission. Spatial information may include the diameter, radius, cross-sectional area, location, or any desired or suitable size and properties of the therapeutic laser.

[0037] At position 406, a third signal can be received from the target at a spectrometer. The third signal from the target can be a reflected signal, a scattered signal (e.g., via Raman scattering), fluorescence, etc. For example, at least a portion of the first signal emitted at position 402 and / or the second signal emitted at position 404 can be reflected back from the target and pass through, for example, at... Figure 1 One or more optical components described herein, and collected by a spectrometer.

[0038] At 408, the emitted aiming beam signal can be pulsed off for a period of time. A controller or processor connected to or attached to the aiming beam emitter can shut off the aiming beam signal for a period of time (e.g., 10ms, 20ms, or any suitable time period), which can represent a time window.

[0039] At 410, when the aiming beam is pulsed off, a third signal can be collected, and at 412, the third signal can be analyzed using a spectrometer. In the example, during the analysis performed at 410, noise or other effects from the second signal can be eliminated, mitigated, or reduced during the time window created when the aiming beam signal is turned off at 408. The third signal can represent a spectral signal, and the spectral signal may not contain any signal associated with the aiming beam or at least a significantly attenuated signal associated with the aiming beam, which allows the third signal to be collected without interference from the second signal. The signal can be analyzed substantially simultaneously at 412 and at 410 (during the period when the aiming beam is turned off), or it can be analyzed when the aiming beam is turned back on. Or in other words, the analysis of the third signal can be performed by the spectrometer regardless of whether the aiming beam is currently on or off.

[0040] At 414, at least a portion of the third signal received from the target can be further attenuated or removed. For example, software such as noise reduction software can be used to remove or attenuate portions of the third signal that correspond to, represent, or have the same wavelength as the first and / or second signals (or any other signals that may interfere with the collection of the third signal). This helps ensure that the third signal contains information specific to the target and not from a light source, a targeting beam, and / or any other signals (e.g., noise) that may interfere with the collection and / or analysis of the third signal.

[0041] Figure 5This is a block diagram illustrating an example of machine 500, on which any one or more of the techniques (e.g., methods) discussed herein can be performed. In some embodiments, machine 500 can operate as a standalone device or can be connected (e.g., networked) to other machines. For example, machine 500 can be coupled to a controller and / or spectrometer or connected to a controller and / or spectrometer to cause the controller or spectrometer to perform one or more of the operations described above. In a networked deployment, machine 500 can operate as a server machine, a client machine, or in a network environment with both server and client capabilities. In the example, machine 500 can act as a peer-to-peer (P2P) (or other distributed) network environment. Machine 500 can be a personal computer (PC), tablet PC, set-top box (STB), personal digital assistant (PDA), mobile phone, web appliance, network router, switch, or bridge, or any machine capable of (sequentially or otherwise) executing instructions specifying actions to be taken by the machine. Furthermore, although only a single machine is illustrated, the term "machine" should also be considered as any collection of machines that individually or jointly execute a set (or more) of instructions to perform any one or more of the methods discussed herein, such as cloud computing, Software as a Service (SaaS), and other computer cluster configurations.

[0042] As described herein, examples may include logic or multiple components or mechanisms, or may be operated by logic or multiple components or mechanisms. A circuit set is a collection of circuits implemented in a tangible entity including hardware (e.g., simple circuits, gates, logic, etc.). Circuit set membership can be flexible with time and the variability of the underlying hardware. A circuit set includes members that can perform a specified operation individually or in combination during operation. In the examples, the hardware of the circuit set may be designed invariably to perform a specific operation (e.g., hardwired). In the examples, the hardware of the circuit set may include physically connected components (e.g., execution units, transistors, simple circuits, etc.) that include physically modified computer-readable media (e.g., magnetic, electrical, movable placement, etc. of massless particles) to encode instructions for a specific operation. When connecting physical components, the underlying electrical properties of the hardware components, for example, change from insulators to conductors, and vice versa. Instructions enable embedded hardware (e.g., execution units or loading mechanisms) to create members of the circuit set in the hardware via variable connections to perform portions of a specific operation during operation. Thus, when the device is operating, computer-readable media can communicatively connect to other components of the circuit set members. In the example, any physical component can be used in more than one member of more than one circuit set. For example, under operation, an execution unit can be used in a first circuit of a first circuit set at one point in time, and reused at different times by a second circuit of the first circuit set or by a third circuit of the second circuit set.

[0043] Machine (e.g., computer system) 500 may include a hardware processor 502 (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), graphics processing unit (GPU), hardware processor core, field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or any combination thereof), main memory 504, and static memory 506, some or all of which may communicate with each other via interconnect (e.g., bus) 530. Machine 500 may also include a display unit 510, an alphanumeric input device 512 (e.g., keyboard), and a user interface (UI) navigation device 514 (e.g., mouse). In the example, display unit 510, input device 512, and UI navigation device 514 may be a touch screen display. Machine 500 may additionally include a storage device (e.g., drive unit) 508, a signal generating device 18 (e.g., speaker), a network interface device 520, and one or more sensors 516, such as a global positioning system (GPS) sensor, compass, accelerometer, or other sensors. Machine 500 may include output controller 528, such as serial (e.g., Universal Serial Bus (USB), parallel or other wired or wireless (e.g., infrared (IR), near field communication (NFC) etc.) connections, to communicate or control one or more peripheral devices (e.g., printers, card readers, etc.).

[0044] Storage device 508 may include machine-readable medium 522 on which data structures or instructions 524 (e.g., software) implementing or used by any one or more of the techniques or functions described herein are stored. Instructions 524 may also reside wholly or at least partially within main memory 504, static memory 506, or hardware processor 502 during execution by machine 500. In this example, one or any combination of hardware processor 502, main memory 504, static memory 506, or storage device 508 may constitute the machine-readable medium.

[0045] Although machine-readable medium 522 is exemplified as a single medium, the term "machine-readable medium" can include a single medium or multiple media (e.g., a centralized or distributed database and / or associated caches and servers) configured to store one or more instructions 524.

[0046] The term "machine-readable medium" can include any medium capable of storing, encoding, or transmitting instructions for execution by machine 500 and causing machine 500 to perform any one or more of the techniques of this disclosure, or any medium capable of storing, encoding, or transmitting data structures used by or associated with such instructions. Examples of non-limiting machine-readable media can include solid-state memory as well as optical and magnetic media. In examples, mass-capacity machine-readable media includes machine-readable media having a plurality of particles having invariant (e.g., rest) masses. Therefore, mass-capacity machine-readable media are not transient propagation signals. Specific examples of mass-capacity machine-readable media can include: non-volatile memory, such as semiconductor memory devices (e.g., electrically programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM)) and flash memory devices; magnetic disks such as internal hard disks and removable disks; magneto-optical disks; and CD-ROM and DVD-ROM disks.

[0047] Instructions 524 can also be sent or received on communication network 526 via a transmission medium through network interface device 520 using any of a variety of transmission protocols (e.g., Frame Relay, Internet Protocol (IP), Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), User Datagram Protocol (UDP), Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), etc.). Example communication networks may include local area networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs), packet data networks (e.g., the Internet), mobile phone networks (e.g., cellular networks), conventional telephone (POTS) networks, and wireless data networks (e.g., referred to as…). The standards include the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 family of standards, the IEEE 802.16 family of standards, the IEEE 802.15.4 family of standards, peer-to-peer (P2P) networks, etc. In the example, network interface device 520 may include one or more physical jacks (e.g., Ethernet, coaxial, or telephone jacks) or one or more antennas for connection to communication network 526. In the example, network interface device 520 may include multiple antennas for wireless communication using at least one of single-input multiple-output (SIMO), multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO), or multiple-input single-output (MISO) technologies. The term "transmission medium" should be considered to include any intangible medium capable of storing, encoding, or transmitting instructions for execution by machine 500, and includes digital or analog communication signals or other intangible media to facilitate communication of such software.

[0048] Figure 6A schematic diagram of an exemplary computer-based clinical decision support system (CDSS) 600 is illustrated. This system is configured to determine information or characteristics of a target, such as size, composition, hardness, density, or any similar characteristics or information, based on spectral analysis of signals from a target. CDSS 600 may include an input interface 602, a processor, and an output interface 608. The input interface 602 provides parameters such as the size of a surgical fiber, information about a light source, information about optical components, and / or information about observation instruments specific to the patient's surgery, as input features to an artificial intelligence (AI) model 604. The processor performs inference operations in which the parameters are applied to the AI ​​model to generate a determination of the target characteristics. The output interface 608 can transmit the determined target characteristics to a user (e.g., a physician).

[0049] Input interface 602 may include a direct data link between CDSS 600 and one or more medical devices that generate at least some input features. For example, input interface 602 may send information directly to CDSS 600 during therapeutic and / or diagnostic medical procedures regarding light sources and / or optical components (e.g., the frequency or wavelength of a signal from a light source or aiming beam emission source, or the suppression frequency of an optical component), or information regarding signals returning from a target. In this example, information about the observation instruments, light sources, and / or optical components used during the procedure may be stored in database 606. Additionally or alternatively, input interface 602 may be a classic user interface that facilitates interaction between a user and CDSS 600. For example, input interface 602 may facilitate a user interface through which a user can manually input information about surgical fibers, observation instruments, optical components, signals to be blocked or allowed, etc. Additionally or alternatively, input interface 602 may provide CDSS 600 with access to components used during the procedure or electronic patient records from which one or more input features can be extracted. In any of these cases, the input interface 602 is configured to collect one or more of the following input features associated with one or more of the specific patient, the type of medical procedure, the type of observation instrument, and signals that should be suppressed during spectral analysis, at or before the time when the CDSS 600 is used to evaluate the input features.

[0050] Examples of input features could include the dimensions of the surgical fiber to be used during surgery.

[0051] Examples of input features can include the type of light source or laser source.

[0052] Examples of input features can include the type of observation instrument used during surgery.

[0053] Examples of input features can include wavelengths or frequencies that are to be blocked or attenuated.

[0054] Examples of input features could include the amount of time it takes to turn off a light source or laser source.

[0055] Examples of input features may include signal information from the return signal 612 received from the target at the spectrometer 610.

[0056] Based on one or more of the input features described above, the processor uses AI model 604 to perform inference operations to generate determined properties of the target, such as the target's size, composition, hardness, density, or any similar characteristics. For example, input interface 602 can deliver one or more of the input features listed above to the input layer of AI model 604, which then propagates these input features through to the output layer. AI model 604 can provide the computer system with the ability to perform tasks without explicit programming by making inferences based on patterns discovered in the analysis of data. AI model 604 explores the research and construction of algorithms (e.g., machine learning algorithms) that can learn from existing data and make predictions about new data. Such algorithms operate by building AI models from example training data to make data-driven predictions or decisions that are expressed as outputs or evaluations.

[0057] Examples of two paradigms used in machine learning (ML) can include supervised ML and unsupervised ML. Supervised ML uses prior knowledge (e.g., examples that correlate inputs with outputs or outcomes) to learn the relationship between inputs and outputs. The goal of supervised ML is to learn a function that optimally approximates the relationship between training inputs and outputs given some training data, so that the ML model can achieve the same relationship to generate the corresponding output given an input. Unsupervised ML is trained using information that is neither classified nor labeled, allowing the algorithm to operate on that information without guidance. Unsupervised ML is useful in exploratory analytics because it can automatically identify structures in the data.

[0058] Supervised ML tasks can include classification and regression problems. Classification problems, also known as categorization problems, aim to classify an item into one of several category values ​​(e.g., is the object an apple or an orange?). Regression algorithms aim to quantify some terms (e.g., by providing scores to values ​​of some input). Some examples of supervised ML algorithms are logistic regression (LR), Naive Bayes, random forest (RF), neural networks (NN), deep neural networks (DNN), matrix factorization, and support vector machines (SVM).

[0059] Some possible tasks for unsupervised ML include clustering, representation learning, and density estimation. Examples of unsupervised ML algorithms include K-means clustering, principal component analysis, and autoencoders.

[0060] Another type of machine learning is federated learning (also known as collaborative learning), which trains algorithms across multiple decentralized entities that maintain local data without exchanging data. This approach contrasts with traditional centralized machine learning techniques where all local datasets are uploaded to a single server, and with more typical decentralized methods that often assume local data samples are distributed similarly. Federated learning enables multiple actors to build a public, robust machine learning model without sharing data, thus allowing for the resolution of critical issues such as data privacy, data security, data access permissions, and access to heterogeneous data.

[0061] In some examples, the AI ​​model 604 can be trained continuously or periodically before the processor performs inference operations. Then, during the inference operation, patient-specific input features provided to the AI ​​model 604 can propagate from the input layer, through one or more hidden layers, and ultimately to the output layer corresponding to information about the target. For example, when evaluating the spectral analysis of the signal from the target, the system can determine one or more properties of the target.

[0062] During and / or after the inference operation, information about the target can be communicated to the user via output interface 608 (e.g., user interface (UI)) and / or the surgical laser connected to the processor can be automatically caused to perform the desired action. For example, based on the composition of the target, the system can cause the surgical laser to emit energy to ablate the target, adjust the amount of ablation energy, move a part of the observation instrument, etc.

[0063] Figure 7 An example of graph 700 illustrating the effect of a first optical component, a second optical component, and / or a third optical component (e.g., a laser and / or a notch filter or any suitable filter, a coated optical component, and / or a polarizer) on the visible feedback spectrum in laser system 100 as described above is illustrated. Figure 7 As shown, when laser filter 102 and at least one notch filter 110, 112 are used, improved detection of spectral signals (e.g., Raman, fluorescence, or reflection) can be substantially achieved even when the aiming beam 104 is effectively emitted. Figure 2 The graphs show the return signals from target 106 when the aiming beam is on (represented by the solid line) and when the aiming beam is off (represented by the dashed line). Therefore, the use of a laser filter and / or a notch filter (or any suitable filter, coated optical components, and / or the aforementioned polarizer) results in a significant overlap between the curves received when the aiming beam is on and the curves received when the aiming beam is off. Therefore, as... Figure 7 As shown, using the optical components described above can help minimize or reduce interference effects (e.g., noise) on the aiming beam signal in the signal received from the target 106.

[0064] In the example, the aiming beam 104 can be pulsed, such as pulsed on and off, to allow a spectrometer to collect signals from the target 106 and analyze or measure the collected signals. In other words, the aiming beam emitter 116 can be pulsed on and off, causing the aiming beam 104 to “blink,” and signals from the target 106 can be collected when the aiming beam 104 is off, and analyzed by a spectrometer when the aiming beam is on. In such an example, the aiming beam 104 can be pulsed fast enough (e.g., 10 to 20 millisecond (ms) pulses) that the blinking does not interfere with or distract the surgeon during medical procedures. In another example, the aiming beam emitter 116 can be pulsed to allow a change in the wavelength of the aiming beam 104 (e.g., from a first wavelength to a different second wavelength (e.g., from a visible wavelength to an invisible wavelength)), so that the aiming beam 104 appears to be continuously on but is not optically visible when signals from the target 106 are collected. In such an example, the optical components discussed above can block or attenuate signals corresponding to the second wavelength.

[0065] Additional notes and examples

[0066] Example 1 is a system for detecting spectral signals, the system comprising: a spectrometer; a light source emitter configured to emit a first signal toward a target; an aiming light source emitter configured to emit a second signal having a visible spectrum toward the target; and a first optical component for attenuating or removing noise associated with the second signal from a third signal that returns from the target to the spectrometer in response to the first signal.

[0067] In Example 2, the subject matter of Example 1 may optionally include: wherein the spectrometer is coupled to a surgical optical fiber, and wherein the first optical component includes at least one of a filter or a polarizer located in a first signal path between the surgical optical fiber and the spectrometer.

[0068] In Example 3, the subject matter of Example 2 may optionally include: wherein the first optical component includes at least one of a filter or polarizer in a second signal path located between at least one of the surgical fiber or spectrometer and the aiming light source emitter.

[0069] In Example 4, the subject matter of any one or more of Examples 2 to 3 may optionally include: a second optical component for attenuating or removing noise associated with at least one of the second or third signals, wherein the second optical component is located in at least one of the first signal paths between the surgical fiber and the spectrometer or in at least one of the second signal paths between the surgical fiber or the spectrometer and the aiming light source emitter.

[0070] In Example 5, the subject of Example 4 may optionally include: wherein the second optical component includes a filter or a polarizer.

[0071] In Example 6, the subject matter of any one or more of Examples 1 to 5 may optionally include: wherein the first optical component includes at least one of a filter or a polarizer located in the optical path between the target and the spectrometer.

[0072] In Example 7, any one or more of the subjects in Examples 1 to 6 may optionally include: wherein the aiming light source emitter includes a laser diode.

[0073] In Example 8, any one or more of the subjects in Examples 1 to 7 may optionally include: wherein the light source emitter includes a light-emitting diode (LED).

[0074] In Example 9, the subject matter of any one or more of Examples 1 to 8 may optionally include: wherein the suppression frequency of the first optical component is based on the wavelength of light emitted from the aiming light source emitter.

[0075] In Example 10, any one or more of the subjects in Examples 1 to 9 may optionally include: wherein the system is configured to be coupled to an insertable therapeutic or diagnostic endoscopic system.

[0076] In Example 11, the subject matter of any one or more of Examples 1 to 10 may optionally include: a controller coupled to the aiming light source emitter, the controller being configurable to pulse the aiming light source emitter on and off, wherein the spectrometer is configured to collect or analyze at least one of a first signal or a third signal when the aiming light source emitter is pulsed off.

[0077] In Example 12, the subject matter of any one or more of Examples 1 to 11 may optionally include: wherein the spectrometer is configured to pulse control the aiming light source emitter to allow the wavelength of light emitted from the aiming light source emitter to be changed to different wavelengths.

[0078] Example 13 is a system for detecting spectral signals, comprising: a spectrometer; a light source emitter configured to emit a first signal toward a target; an aiming light source emitter configured to emit a second signal having a visible spectrum toward the target; and a controller coupled to the aiming light source emitter, the controller being configured to pulse the aiming light source emitter on and off, wherein the spectrometer is configured to collect or analyze at least one of the first signal or a third signal from the target in response to the first signal when the aiming light source emitter is pulsed off.

[0079] In Example 14, the subject matter of Example 13 may optionally include: wherein the spectrometer is configured to collect or analyze at least one of a first signal or a third signal when the aiming light source emitter is pulsed on.

[0080] In Example 15, the subject matter of any one or more of Examples 13 to 14 may optionally include: wherein the spectrometer is configured to pulse control the aiming light source emitter to allow the wavelength of light emitted from the aiming light source emitter to be changed to different wavelengths.

[0081] Example 16 is a method for detecting spectral signals during an insertable medical procedure in vivo, the method comprising the steps of: emitting a first signal from a light source toward a target; emitting a second signal from an aiming beam emission source toward the target; receiving a third signal from the target at a spectrometer in response to the first signal; turning off the aiming beam emission source pulse for a period of time; collecting the third signal received during the period of time; and analyzing the collected third signal using the spectrometer.

[0082] In Example 17, the subject of Example 16 may optionally include the step of attenuating or removing a portion of the third signal received from the target.

[0083] In Example 18, the subject matter of Example 17 may optionally include: wherein at least one optical component is used to attenuate or remove a portion of the third signal, wherein at least one optical component is in at least one of a first signal path between a surgical fiber and a spectrometer or in at least one of a surgical fiber or a spectrometer and a second signal path between a targeting beam emission source.

[0084] Example 19 is a method for detecting spectral signals during an insertable medical procedure in the body, the method comprising the steps of: emitting a first signal from a light source toward a target; emitting a second signal from a targeting beam emission source toward the target; receiving a third signal from the target at a spectrometer in response to the first signal; attenuating or removing noise associated with the second signal from the third signal; and analyzing the collected third signal to determine characteristics of the target.

[0085] In Example 20, the subject matter of Example 19 may optionally include: wherein the noise that is attenuated or removed has the same wavelength as the second signal.

[0086] The above detailed description includes reference to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of the detailed description. The drawings illustrate specific embodiments that can be practiced by way of illustration. These embodiments are also referred to herein as "examples". However, the inventors also contemplate examples in which only those elements shown or described are provided. Furthermore, the inventors also contemplate examples using those elements (or one or more aspects thereof) shown or described relative to a particular example (or one or more aspects thereof) or relative to other examples (or one or more aspects thereof) shown or described herein.

[0087] All publications, patents, and patent documents mentioned in this document are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety, as if they were individually incorporated by reference. In the event of any inconsistency between the usage in this document and those documents incorporated by reference, the usage in the incorporated references shall be considered supplementary to the usage in this document; in the case of irreconcilable inconsistencies, the usage in this document shall prevail.

[0088] In this document, the terms “a” or “an” are used, as is common in patent documents, to include one or more, independent of any other instances or uses of “at least one” or “one or more”. In this document, the term “or” is used to refer to a non-exclusive “or,” such as “A or B” including “A but not B,” “B but not A,” and “A and B,” unless otherwise defined. In the appended claims, the terms “comprising” and “in…” are used as plain English equivalents to the corresponding terms “including” and “wherein.” Furthermore, in the appended claims, the terms “comprising” and “including” are open-ended, meaning that a system, apparatus, article, or method that includes elements other than those listed after such terms in the claim is still considered to fall within the scope of that claim. Additionally, in the appended claims, the terms “first,” “second,” and “third,” etc., are used only as denoting marks and are not intended to impose numerical requirements on their objects.

Claims

1. A system for detecting spectral signals, the system comprising: Spectrometer; A light source emitter, the light source emitter being configured to emit a first signal toward a target; A targeting light source emitter, the targeting light source emitter being configured to emit a second signal having a visible spectrum toward the target; A first optical component is configured to attenuate or remove noise associated with the second signal from a third signal that returns from the target to the spectrometer in response to the first signal; as well as A second optical component, located at the output of the aiming light source emitter, pre-filters the second signal emitted from the aiming light source emitter to remove at least one noise source from the second signal before the second signal reaches the target.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein, The spectrometer is coupled to a surgical optical fiber, and the first optical component includes at least one of a filter or a polarizer located in a first signal path between the surgical optical fiber and the spectrometer.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein, The first optical component includes at least one of a filter or polarizer in a second signal path located between at least one of the surgical optical fiber or the spectrometer and the aiming light source emitter.

4. The system according to claim 2, further comprising: A third optical component is used to attenuate or remove noise associated with at least one of the second signal or the third signal, wherein the third optical component is located in at least one of the first signal path between the surgical fiber and the spectrometer or in at least one of the second signal path between the surgical fiber or the spectrometer and the aiming light source emitter.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein, The third optical component includes a filter or a polarizer.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein, The first optical component includes at least one of a filter or a polarizer located in the optical path between the target and the spectrometer.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein, The aiming light source emitter includes a laser diode.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein, The light source emitter includes a light-emitting diode (LED).

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein, The suppression frequency of the first optical component is based on the wavelength of the light emitted from the aiming light source emitter.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein, The system is configured to connect to an insertable therapeutic or diagnostic endoscope system within the body.

11. The system according to claim 1, further comprising: A controller, connected to the aiming light source emitter, is configured to pulse-on and pulse-off the aiming light source emitter, wherein the spectrometer is configured to collect or analyze at least one of the first signal or the third signal when the aiming light source emitter is pulse-off.

12. The system according to claim 1, wherein, The spectrometer is configured to pulse-control the aiming light source emitter to allow the wavelength of light emitted from the aiming light source emitter to be changed to different wavelengths.

13. A system for detecting spectral signals, the system comprising: Spectrometer; A light source emitter, the light source emitter being configured to emit a first signal toward a target; A targeting light source emitter, the targeting light source emitter being configured to emit a second signal having a visible spectrum toward the target; An optical component located at the output of the aiming light source emitter is provided to pre-filter the second signal emitted from the aiming light source emitter before the second signal reaches the target to remove at least one noise source from the second signal. as well as A controller, coupled to the aiming light source emitter, is configured to pulse-on and pulse-off the aiming light source emitter, wherein the spectrometer is configured to collect or analyze at least one of the first signal or a third signal from the target in response to the first signal when the aiming light source emitter is pulse-off.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein, The spectrometer is configured to collect or analyze at least one of the first signal or the third signal when the aiming light source emitter is pulsed on.

15. The system according to claim 13, wherein, The spectrometer is configured to pulse-control the aiming light source emitter to allow the wavelength of light emitted from the aiming light source emitter to be changed to different wavelengths.

16. A method for detecting spectral signals, the method comprising the following steps: The first signal is emitted from the light source toward the target; A second signal is emitted from the aiming beam source toward the target; When the second signal is emitted from the aiming beam emission source, an optical component located at the output of the aiming beam emission source is used to pre-filter the second signal emitted from the aiming beam emission source before the second signal reaches the target to remove at least one noise source from the second signal; In response to the first signal, a third signal is received from the target at the spectrometer; The pulse of the aiming beam emission source is turned off for a period of time; Collect the third signal received during the said time period; Attenuate or remove additional noise associated with the second signal from the third signal; as well as The collected third signal was analyzed using the spectrometer.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of: Attenuate or remove a portion of the third signal received from the target.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein, At least one optical component is used to attenuate or remove the portion of the third signal, the at least one optical component being in at least one of a first signal path between the surgical fiber and the spectrometer, or in at least one of the surgical fiber or the spectrometer and a second signal path between the aiming beam emission source.

19. A method for detecting spectral signals, the method comprising the following steps: The first signal is emitted from the light source toward the target; A second signal is emitted from the aiming beam source toward the target; When the second signal is emitted from the aiming beam emission source, an optical component located at the output of the aiming beam emission source is used to pre-filter the second signal emitted from the aiming beam emission source before the second signal reaches the target to remove at least one noise source from the second signal; In response to the first signal, a third signal is received from the target at the spectrometer; Attenuate or remove additional noise associated with the second signal from the third signal; as well as The third signal is analyzed to determine the characteristics of the target.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein, The noise that is attenuated or removed is in the same wavelength range as the second signal.

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