Polarization Adapter for Colposcope

E-161-2009

Keywords: Medical Devices, Diagnostic Imaging, Colposcope, Cervical Cancer, Polarization Adaptor

Background
The Eunice Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Section on Analytical and Functional Biophotonics is seeking statements of capability or interest from parties interested in collaborative research to further develop, evaluate, or commercialize the polarization camera for cervical tissue characterization. 

Description of Invention: 
This invention is directed to a polarization adaptor for colposcopes. The colposcope is a medical diagnostic device that examines an illuminated magnified view of a patient''''s cervical, vaginal, and vulva tissues during a colposcopy procedure. Specifically, the invention provides for a specialized polarized camera (polarization adaptor) for integration into commercially available colposcopes. The addition of polarization to currently available colposcope results in an enhanced image video output that allows the user to view hidden subsurface tissue structures and textures, thereby allowing for better diagnosis of pathological conditions.

Although the use of polarized light in the imaging of biological tissues is not new to the field of diagnostic imaging and is well described in the literature, the subject invention is directed to the specific device (i.e., the polarization adapter) used in the  imaging process. The device which can readily be adapted to commercial colposcope enables the separation of specularly reflected light from diffusely backscattered light, coming from deeper tissue layers. In combination with suggested data processing algorithm, based on correlation analysis, this allows one to enhance imaging of the hidden subsurface tissue structure (texture).

Applications:

• The polarization adaptor of the invention can enhance the quality of imaging and diagnostics of conventional colposcope and thus improve early detection of pathologies, especially the status of the collagen network beneath the surface of the cervix.
• Screening and diagnostics of cervical abnormalities which can lead to cancer or pre-term delivery.

Advantages:

• Improved characterization of cervical tissue for better diagnosis of abnormalities in cervical, vaginal, and vulva tissues.
• Minimally invasive measurement and analysis of diffusely backscattered light using specific image processing procedures as provided in the invention, may contribute useful information about internal structures of biological tissues in more detail as compared with existing methods.
• The device can improve early detection of cervical cancer and thus save lives.
• Recent large-scale National Cancer Institute-sponsored clinical trial demonstrated that colposcopy failed to detect 33% of high-grade precancerous lesions in women referred with questionable Pap results. An improvement in detection capabilities is thus very much needed (http://biomedreports.com/articles/most-popular/12449-non-invasive-device-for-cervical-cancer).
• Enhanced diagnostics may result in the reduction of repeat examinations usually used for a definitive diagnostics for cervical cancer. Thus it may have favorable impact on healthcare costs.
• Can be readily adapted to any conventional colposcope.

Development Status:

• A working prototype was built.
• Need to gather clinical data and demonstrate clinical utility.

Patent Status: 
U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/242,652 filed September 15, 2009, entitled "Polarization Adapter for Colposcope"

Contact Information:
Joseph Conrad, Ph.D., J.D.
NCI Technology Transfer Center
Tel: 240-276-5495
Email: jmconrad@mail.nih.gov

Please reference advertisement #1024

Revised 4/6/2010

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