OPTICAL METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR CERVICAL SCREENING

摘要

A method and a system is provided for discriminating between healthy cervica l tissue and pathologic cervical tissue based on the fluorescence response of the tissue to laser excitation (LIF) and the backscatter response to illumination by white light (in the spectral range of 360 to 750 nm). Combining LIF and white light responses, as well as evaluating a spatial correlation between proximate cervical tissue sites in conjunction with a statistically significant "distance" algorithm, such as the Mahalanobis distance between data sets, can improve the discrimination between normal an d abnormal tissue. The results may be displayed in the form of a map of the cervix representing the suspected pathology.