Optical process and apparatus for non-invasive detection of melanoma

Inventors

Noto, John • Kerr, Robert • Ferre, Maurice

Assignees

Dermasensor Inc

Abstract

A non-invasive, optical method and device for the detection of melanoma in skin lesions. The detection of the presence of melanoma is accomplished optically by looking for specific changes (signatures) in the spectrum of optical light elastically scattered off melanoma molecules. Elastic scattering spectroscopy (ESS) converts subcellular morphological changes into scattering spectrum signatures. A melanoma discrimination analysis is performed by illuminating the lesion with a handheld device that also collects a portion of the scattered light, converts it into digital signals, analyzes the requisite spectral signatures, and provides a logical output showing the user the presence (or absence) of melanoma in the subject lesion.

Core Innovation

The disclosed subject matter provides optical detection of melanoma lesions by illuminating a volume of a segment of skin sequentially with light at a plurality of wavelengths within a range of approximately 300 nm and 950 nm. The system receives an elastic scattering spectrum from the segment of skin at each of the plurality of wavelengths and determines a measure of intensity of the received elastic scattering spectrum over the plurality of wavelengths. The analysis is based on comparing the determined intensity measure across wavelengths to melanoma-indicative spectral signatures.

The melanoma-indicative spectral signatures are derived at least in part from a ratio of an amount of light scattered by melanoma-containing lesion tissue to an amount of light scattered by healthy skin in each of at least two spectral regions. The signatures further include a difference between an average rate of change in the amount of light scattered by the melanoma-containing lesion tissue at a first wavelength and a second wavelength, and an average rate of change in the amount of light scattered by the healthy skin at the first wavelength and the second wavelength.

An apparatus aspect includes a spectrophotometric apparatus having two or more light sources, a detector configured to receive an elastic scattering spectrum from the segment of skin at each of the plurality of wavelengths, a memory storing a set of spectral signatures of melanoma, and a processor configured to scan the segment of skin for the presence of melanoma. The processor illuminates the segment sequentially with light at the plurality of wavelengths in response to a command, determines a measure of intensity over the plurality of wavelengths, compares that measure to stored melanoma spectral signatures derived using the ratio and average rate-of-change difference, and sends a message to a display indicative of presence or absence.

Claims Coverage

The provided excerpt includes two independent claims, one process claim and one apparatus claim. Across these claims, the coverage centers on sequential multi-wavelength illumination in the 300 nm to 950 nm range, receiving an elastic scattering spectrum, intensity-based measurement over the plurality of wavelengths, comparison to melanoma spectral signatures derived using a ratio across spectral regions and a difference between average rates of change, and displaying a presence/absence output.

The independent claims collectively cover an optical approach that sequentially illuminates skin with wavelengths in the 300 nm to 950 nm range, measures elastic scattering intensity over the plurality of wavelengths, compares the measure to melanoma spectral signatures derived from a ratio across spectral regions and a difference between average rates of change, and outputs a melanoma presence/absence message via a display. The apparatus claim further specifies the structural components used to perform the scanning, stored-signature comparison, and display messaging.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications