Collagen Density and Structural Change Measurement And Mapping in Tissue

Abstract

A method and system for two and three dimensional mapping of tissue density and/or structural changes from image data and/or spatial reflected or transmitted signals and correlating the maps to collagen density.

1 . A system for measuring collagen structural changes responsive to collagen treatment, comprising:
 a source for producing ultrasound energy to probe collagen containing tissue which has undergone a change from treatment;   a detector for receiving an acoustic signal from the collagen containing tissue;   a memory unit;   a data analysis system for operating on the acoustic signal for assigning a value to a pixel of a plane in the collagen containing tissue, such value to be based on acoustic characteristics derived from acoustic backscattered signal from that two dimensional region of a plane in the collagen containing tissue;   the data analysis system using the changes in the acoustic value of at least one pixel to provide a qualitative metric of the change in collagen containing tissue properties within the collagen containing tissue as represented by the at least one pixel.   
     
     
         2 . The system as defined in  claim 1  wherein the data analysis system includes computer software executed by a computer to define a region of interest in said image of the collagen containing tissue and segregates said region of interest into groups of at least one pixel. 
     
     
         3 . The system as defined in  claim 1  wherein the data analysis system includes computer software executed by a computer to assign color values to at least one pixel corresponding to differing changes in properties in the collagen containing tissue represented by at least one pixel. 
     
     
         4 . The system as defined in  claim 1  wherein at least one pixel comprises a voxel. 
     
     
         5 . The system as defined in  claim 1  further including a collagen treatment device. 
     
     
         6 . The system as defined in  claim 5  wherein the collagen treatment device comprises at least one of a microwave unit, a laser unit, an RF unit, an electrocautery unit, a thermal unit, and an ultrasound unit. 
     
     
         7 . The system as defined in  claim 1  further including computer software executable by the data analysis system for analyzing the acoustic signal. 
     
     
         8 . The system as defined in  claim 4  wherein the data analysis system assigns color values to the voxel corresponding to differing changes in the collagen containing tissue properties in the tissue region represented by the voxel; and
 generating an overlay data to display said color-coded voxel over a standard acoustic image.