Apparatus, systems and methods for determining tissue oxygenation

Abstract

A surgical instrument may be configured to sense a light re-emitting probe to resolve tissue oxygenation, the surgical instrument including: an optical emitter configured to excite the light re-emitting probe within an absorption band of the light re-emitting probe; an optical detector configured to receive the re-emitted light from the probe; and a signal processor configured to resolve the tissue oxygenation based on the received light. The surgical instrument can be a surgical stapler anvil or a flexible substrate having a tissue interfacing surface. Further, a monitoring device may be configured to map oxygenation of a tissue containing a light re-emitting probe, the monitoring device including: an optical emitter configured to excite the light re-emitting probe; at least one optical detector configured to receive the re-emitted light from the probe; and a signal processor that is configured to resolve the tissue oxygenation at multiple points to generate an oxygen map.

We claim that: 
     
         1 . A surgical instrument configured to sense a light re-emitting probe to resolve tissue oxygenation, the surgical instrument comprising:
 at least one optical emitter that is configured to excite the light re-emitting probe within an absorption band of the light re-emitting probe;   at least one optical detector configured to receive the re-emitted light from the probe; and   a signal processor that is configured to resolve the tissue oxygenation based on the received light.   
     
     
         2 . The surgical instrument according to  claim 1 , further comprising an applicator configured to provide a target tissue with a medium, the medium containing the light re-emitting probe. 
     
     
         3 . The surgical instrument according to  claim 1 , wherein the signal processor is configured to resolve the tissue oxygenation based on a lifetime of the re-emitted light. 
     
     
         4 . The surgical instrument according to  claim 1 , wherein the surgical instrument is a surgical stapler anvil. 
     
     
         5 . The surgical instrument according to  claim 2 , wherein the applicator is at least one injector that is configured to inject the medium into the target tissue. 
     
     
         6 . The surgical instrument according to  claim 1 , further comprising an interrogator instrument that is configured to interrogate the tissue. 
     
     
         7 . The surgical instrument according to  claim 1 , wherein the surgical instrument is a flexible substrate having a tissue interfacing surface. 
     
     
         8 . The surgical instrument according to  claim 1 , wherein the signal processor makes a determination of an operation success based on the resolution of the tissue oxygenation. 
     
     
         9 . The surgical instrument according to  claim 1 , further comprising a temperature sensor that is configured to detect a temperature of the tissue. 
     
     
         10 . The surgical instrument according to  claim 1 , further comprising at least one sensor configured to monitor interaction forces of at least one of compression pressure and tissue tension of the tissue. 
     
     
         11 . The surgical instrument according to  claim 1 , wherein the probe is a phosphorescent probe that has multiple absorption wavelengths. 
     
     
         12 . The surgical instrument according to  claim 1 , wherein the surgical instrument is communicatively coupled to a base station. 
     
     
         13 . A surgical stapler anvil configured to sense a light re-emitting probe to resolve tissue oxygenation, the surgical stapler anvil comprising:
 at least one optical emitter that is configured to excite the light re-emitting probe;   at least one optical detector that is configured to receive the re-emitted light from the probe; and   a signal processor that is configured to resolve the tissue oxygenation based on the received light.   
     
     
         14 . The surgical stapler anvil according to  claim 13 , wherein the surgical stapler anvil is communicatively coupled to a base station. 
     
     
         15 . The surgical stapler anvil according to  claim 13 , wherein the signal processor makes a determination of an operation success based on the resolution of the tissue oxygenation. 
     
     
         16 . The surgical stapler anvil according to  claim 13 , further comprising a temperature sensor that is configured to detect a temperature of the tissue. 
     
     
         17 . The surgical stapler anvil according to  claim 13 , further comprising at least one sensor configured to monitor interaction forces of at least one of compression pressure and tissue tension of the tissue. 
     
     
         18 . A monitoring device configured to sense a light re-emitting probe to resolve tissue oxygenation, the monitoring device comprising:
 a flexible substrate having a tissue interfacing surface, the tissue interfacing surface containing (1) at least one optical emitter that is configured to excite the light re-emitting probe; and (2) at least one optical detector configured to receive the re-emitted light from the probe; and   a signal processor that is configured to resolve the tissue oxygenation based on the received light.   
     
     
         19 . The monitoring device according to  claim 18 , wherein the monitoring device comprises at least one injector configured to inject a medium into target tissue, the medium containing the light re-emitting probe. 
     
     
         20 . The monitoring device according to  claim 18 , wherein the monitoring device is communicatively coupled to a base station. 
     
     
         21 . The monitoring device according to  claim 18 , wherein the signal processor makes a determination of an operation success based on the resolution of the tissue oxygenation. 
     
     
         22 . The monitoring device according to  claim 18 , further comprising a temperature sensor that is configured to detect a temperature of the tissue. 
     
     
         23 . The monitoring device according to  claim 18 , wherein the flexible substrate is configured to be one or more of: (1) affixed to skin and (2) affixed to an internal tissue. 
     
     
         24 . The monitoring device according to  claim 18 , wherein the monitoring device is at least partially bioabsorbable. 
     
     
         25 . A monitoring device configured to map oxygenation of a tissue containing a light re-emitting probe, the monitoring device comprising:
 at least one optical emitter that is configured to excite the light re-emitting probe;   at least one optical detector configured to receive the re-emitted light from the probe; and   a signal processor that is configured to resolve the tissue oxygenation at multiple points to generate an oxygen map.   
     
     
         26 . The monitoring device according to  claim 25 , further comprising at least one injector configured to inject a medium into target tissue, the medium containing the light re-emitting probe. 
     
     
         27 . The monitoring device according to  claim 25 , further comprising a temperature sensor that is configured to detect a temperature of the tissue. 
     
     
         28 . The monitoring device according to  claim 25 , wherein the optical detector is at least one of a CCD array, a CMOS image sensor and a camera. 
     
     
         29 . The monitoring device according to  claim 25 , wherein the monitoring device is an endoscopic instrument. 
     
     
         30 . The monitoring device according to  claim 25 , wherein the monitoring device is ingestible.