Systems, processes and software arrangements for evaluating information associated with an anatomical structure by an optical coherence ranging technique

Abstract

Software systems, arrangements and processes for evaluating an image associated with at least one portion of an anatomical structure are provided. For example, first information associated with the at least one portion of the anatomical structure second information associated with the at least one portion of the anatomical structure can be received. Third information can be generated by determining a relationship between the first information and the second information. Further, the image can be evaluated using a predetermined pathological scoring criteria and the third information.

1 - 23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . A process for evaluating at least one image associated with at least one portion of an anatomical structure, comprising:
 receiving information associated with the at least one portion of the anatomical structure; and   with a computer processing device, evaluating the at least one image using a predetermined pathological scoring criteria and the information, wherein the predetermined pathological scoring criteria includes at least one of (i) a surface maturation score measured by patterns of reflectance of nuclear density or (ii) a glandular irregularity score.   
     
     
         25 . The process according to  claim 24 , wherein the information is associated with a light remitted from the at least one portion. 
     
     
         26 . The process according to  claim 25 , wherein the light is reflected from the at least one portion. 
     
     
         27 . The process according to  claim 25 , wherein the light is fluorescence. 
     
     
         28 . The process according to  claim 24 , wherein the at least one portion is provided in a living subject. 
     
     
         29 . The process according to  claim 24 , wherein the at least one portion of the anatomical structure is situated on a microscope slide. 
     
     
         30 . The process according to  claim 29 , wherein the slide is stained with at least one of Hematoxylin and Eosin, Masson's Trichrome, Papanicolaou's stain, Diff-Qwik, or Periodic Acid Shiff. 
     
     
         31 . The process according to  claim 24 , wherein the information is provided for approximately the same location of the at least one portion of the anatomical structure. 
     
     
         32 . The process according to  claim 24 , wherein the information is obtained based on physical and chemical structures associated with the information. 
     
     
         33 . The process according to  claim 24 , wherein the image is associated with a light remitted from the at least one portion. 
     
     
         34 . The process according to  claim 33 , wherein the light is reflected from the at least one portion. 
     
     
         35 . The process according to  claim 33 , wherein the light is fluorescence. 
     
     
         36 . The process according to  claim 33 , wherein the at least one portion is provided in a living subject. 
     
     
         37 . The process according to  claim 24 , wherein the first information is obtained by an optical coherence tomography system. 
     
     
         38 . The process according to  claim 24 , wherein the information is obtained by a spectrally encoded confocal microscopy system. 
     
     
         39 . The process according to  claim 24 , wherein the anatomical structure resides below the skin. 
     
     
         40 . The process according to  claim 39 , wherein the information is obtained by a confocal microscopy system. 
     
     
         41 . The process according to  claim 40 , wherein the information is obtained by a reflectance confocal microscopy system. 
     
     
         42 . The process according to  claim 24 , wherein the information is obtained by an optical frequency domain imaging system. 
     
     
         43 . The process according to  claim 29 , wherein the slide is stained with an antibody. 
     
     
         44 . An apparatus for evaluating at least one image associated with at least one portion of an anatomical structure, comprising:
 a computer processing device which is configured to:   a) receiving information associated with the at least one portion of the anatomical structure; and   b) evaluating the at least one image using a predetermined pathological scoring criteria and the information, wherein the predetermined pathological scoring criteria includes at least one of (i) a surface maturation score measured by patterns of reflectance of nuclear density or (ii) a glandular irregularity score.   
     
     
         45 . A software system for evaluating at least one image associated with at least one portion of an anatomical structure, the system being provided on a hardware storage arrangement and executed by a computer processing device, the software system comprising:
 a first set of instructions being stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium and which, when execute by the computer processing device, configures the computer processing device to information associated with the at least one portion of the anatomical structure; and   a second set of instructions being stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium and which, when execute by the computer processing device, configures the computer processing device to evaluating the at least one image using a predetermined pathological scoring criteria and the information, wherein the predetermined pathological scoring criteria includes at least one of (i) a surface maturation score measured by patterns of reflectance of nuclear density or (ii) a glandular irregularity score.