Ultrasound-guided optical fiber alignment for phototherapy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for delivering light therapy to cancer cells within the digestive tract, such as pancreatic cancer, face challenges in precisely aligning and efficiently radiating near-infrared light due to the difficulty in visualizing the optical fiber core within the body and accurately targeting the cancer cells.
Innovation Solution
A light-irradiation-device delivery apparatus that uses a metal needle tube and a metal marker to visualize the optical fiber's position within the body, allowing precise alignment of the emission area with the cancer cells, and a phototherapy method involving an ultrasound endoscope to guide the needle tube and optical fiber for targeted light delivery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If an optical fiber is inserted into the body to deliver light to cancer cells, then light therapy can be performed on the target site, but it becomes difficult to visualize the optical fiber core and accurately align it with the cancer cells
Solution Approach 1:
A metal marker is introduced as an intermediary element that is easily visualizable by ultrasound, replacing the difficult-to-visualize optical fiber core for positioning purposes. The metal marker serves as a mediator between the ultrasound imaging system and the optical fiber, enabling accurate alignment without requiring direct visualization of the fiber core.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material property of the positioning element from transparent/optical (fiber core) to metallic (marker), which has different acoustic impedance and reflects ultrasound waves, making it highly visible in ultrasound images. This material change enables detection through a different physical modality.
2Loss of energy
If the optical fiber is positioned without precise visualization, then the procedure is simpler, but light is wasted and does not effectively reach the cancer cells
Solution Approach 1:
The metal marker acts as an intermediary that enables precise positioning through ultrasound guidance, ensuring light energy is delivered accurately to the target. This intermediary facilitates energy efficiency by preventing light wastage through misalignment, while adding only a simple marker element to the procedure.
3Measurement precision
If a needle tube is used to deliver the optical fiber, then the fiber can be protected during insertion, but it is difficult to expose and position the emission area of the fiber precisely
Solution Approach 1:
The metal marker attached to the optical fiber serves as an intermediary reference point that can be visualized through the needle tube structure. This marker enables precise positioning of the emission area by providing a visible landmark that correlates the fiber position with the target, simplifying the exposure and positioning operations.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables precise and efficient radiation of near-infrared light onto cancer cells, effectively inducing cell death by aligning the emission area with the cancer cells using the metal marker for improved visualization and reduced light wastage.
Implementation Method 1
radiating light emitted from the exposed optical fiber onto the irradiation target site
Implementation Method 2
visualizing an irradiation target site in a body by means of the ultrasound endoscope introduced into the digestive tract
Implementation Method 3
injection of a drug that accumulates specifically in a cancer cell and that reacts to infrared rays to induce death of the cancer cell
Data Source
AI summary
A phototherapy method includes: introducing an ultrasound endoscope into a digestive tract; visualizing an irradiation target site in a body by the ultrasound endoscope introduced into the digestive tract; puncturing a vicinity of the irradiation target site with a distal-end section of a needle tube that is made to protrude from a distal-end section of the ultrasound endoscope introduced into the digestive tract; exposing an optical fiber from the distal-end section of the needle tube that has punctured the vicinity of the irradiation target site, by making the needle tube retreat with respect to the optical fiber accommodated inside the needle tube; and radiating light emitted from the exposed optical fiber onto the irradiation target site.