Patent Application
20220192583
The present disclosure generally relates to medical diagnosis, and particularly, to cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Early surgical removal of cancerous tissues, as well as lymph nodes in areas surrounding cancerous tissues is generally carried out to completely arrest cancer progress. However, during a surgical removal of a cancerous tissue, it may be not known if cancer has spread to lymph nodes or not. Therefore, a surgeon may unnecessarily perform a complete lymph node dissection. This procedure may be painful and may impose a heavy burden on patients.
Cancer is not randomly transferred to lymph nodes, but the spread of cancer may follow an orderly pattern, in which cancer may first spread to regional lymph nodes close to a tumor and then, due to directional nature of the flow of a lymph, may spread to other lymph nodes in a predictable fashion. A first draining lymph node or group of lymph nodes may be referred to as sentinel lymph nodes. If a sentinel lymph node corresponding to a primary cancer lesion site is located and found not to have been involved in cancer, a total lymph node dissection may be avoided.
Accordingly, locating a sentinel lymph node before tissue removing surgery may be important. One way to detect a sentinel lymph node is to use a blue colorant method, in which a blue colorant may be injected into a tumor about 20 minutes before tumor removal surgery. The blue colorant may move toward lymph nodes and may reach a sentinel lymph node within 5 to 15 minutes after injection and the surgeon may visually detect the sentinel lymph node. However, fatty tissue surrounding lymph nodes may have to be first peeled away so that visual detection may be possible. This may be time-consuming and an injected blue colorant may have enough time to move forward beyond a sentinel lymph node and reach other lymph nodes and render visual detection of sentinel lymph nodes impossible.
Another method for detecting sentinel lymph nodes is to utilize radioactive materials, radioisotropic materials, or radiopharmaceuticals. In this approach, a radiopharmaceutical such as Technetium 99 m, Indium 111, Iodine 123, or Iodine 125 may be preoperatively injected into a tumor and a gamma probe may be utilized for intraoperative detection of a sentinel lymph node by detecting a gamma radiation emitted by the sentinel lymph node. However, managing of surgical procedure during radiation may be complicated and also utilization of a gamma probe may be time-consuming. As a result, an injected radiopharmaceutical may reach lymph nodes beyond the sentinel lymph node in a short time or an amount of gamma radiation may drop below a detectable level due to the complexity of preparing a patient for surgery. Furthermore, this approach may have a high risk for a patient's health due to utilizing radioactive radiation.
There is, therefore, a need for a method that may provide easier and more accurate intraoperative detection of sentinel lymph nodes while performing sentinel node navigation surgery without a need for injection of hazardous radioactive materials. There is also a need for a system that may be easily utilized for locating sentinel lymph nodes which may allow for avoiding unnecessary lymph node dissection.
This summary is intended to provide an overview of the subject matter of the present disclosure, and is not intended to identify essential elements or key elements of the subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to determine the scope of the claimed implementations. The proper scope of the present disclosure may be ascertained from the claims set forth below in view of the detailed description below and the drawings.
In one general aspect, the present disclosure describes an exemplary method for detecting sentinel lymph nodes during surgery. An exemplary method may include injecting a crystalloid solution into a region, measuring a plurality of electrical parameters utilizing a sensor, and detecting a sentinel lymph node among a plurality of lymph nodes based on the plurality of electrical parameters utilizing one or more processors. An exemplary region may be associated with a tumor in a patient's body. In an exemplary embodiment, measuring the plurality of electrical parameters may include measuring each respective electrical parameter of a respective lymph node of the plurality of lymph nodes. Exemplary plurality of lymph nodes may be associated with the tumor. An exemplary sentinel lymph node may be located at a shortest distance from the tumor among the plurality of lymph nodes.
In an exemplary embodiment, injecting the crystalloid solution may include injecting one of a normal saline, a dextrose solution, or a Ringer's solution into the region. In an exemplary embodiment, injecting the crystalloid solution into the region may include injecting the crystalloid solution into the tumor.
In an exemplary embodiment, utilizing the sensor may include inserting a probe of a flexible gigahertz antenna into each of the plurality of lymph nodes, measuring each of the plurality of electrical parameters by the probe, transmitting each of the plurality of electrical parameters from the probe to a signal transmission unit via a detachable cable, and transmitting the plurality of electrical parameters to the one or more processors from the signal transmission unit. An exemplary flexible gigahertz antenna may include a flexible coplanar waveguide (CPW) antenna. In an exemplary embodiment, inserting the probe into each of the plurality of lymph nodes may include wearing a glove by an operator of the sensor, placing a mounting member on one of a fingers of the glove, and attaching the probe onto the mounting member.
In an exemplary embodiment, detecting the sentinel lymph node may include finding a largest electrical parameter of the plurality of electrical parameters and identifying a lymph node of the plurality of lymph nodes that may include the largest electrical parameter as the sentinel lymph node. An exemplary largest electrical parameter may include a highest magnitude among the plurality of electrical parameters.
In an exemplary embodiment, finding the largest electrical parameter may include measuring respective variations of each of the plurality of electrical parameters in a frequency domain utilizing the sensor, obtaining a plurality of maximum values by finding each respective maximum value of respective variations of each of the plurality of electrical parameters in a predetermined frequency range of the frequency domain, and obtaining the largest electrical parameter by finding a largest maximum value among the plurality of maximum values. In an exemplary embodiment, measuring respective variations of each of the plurality of electrical parameters may include measuring respective variations of one of a plurality of scattering parameters, a plurality of electrical conductivities, or a plurality of relative permittivities in the frequency domain for each respective lymph node of the plurality of lymph nodes.
In an exemplary embodiment, finding each respective maximum value of respective variations of each of the plurality of electrical parameters in the predetermined frequency range may include finding each respective maximum value of respective variations of each of the plurality of relative permittivities for each respective lymph node of the plurality of lymph nodes in a frequency range of 2 GHz to 4 GHz in the frequency domain.
An exemplary method may further include detecting metastatic cancer cells inside the sentinel lymph node by inserting a needle of the sensor into the sentinel lymph node, measuring one of an aqueous carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration or a pH concentration of the sentinel lymph node utilizing the needle, and identifying the metastatic cancer cells inside the sentinel lymph node based on the one of the aqueous CO2 concentration or the pH concentration. An exemplary the needle may include one of a miniaturized CO2 sensor needle or a miniaturized pH sensor needle.
Other exemplary systems, methods, features and advantages of the implementations will be, or will become, apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following figures and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional systems, methods, features and advantages be included within this description and this summary, be within the scope of the implementations, and be protected by the claims herein.
The drawing figures depict one or more implementations in accord with the present teachings, by way of example only, not by way of limitation. In the figures, like reference numerals refer to the same or similar elements.
In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth by way of examples in order to provide a thorough understanding of the relevant teachings. However, it should be apparent that the present teachings may be practiced without such details. In other instances, well known methods, procedures, components, and/or circuitry have been described at a relatively high-level, without detail, in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring aspects of the present teachings.
The following detailed description is presented to enable a person skilled in the art to make and use the methods and devices disclosed in exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. For purposes of explanation, specific nomenclature is set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the present disclosure. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that these specific details are not required to practice the disclosed exemplary embodiments. Descriptions of specific exemplary embodiments are provided only as representative examples. Various modifications to the exemplary implementations will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other implementations and applications without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The present disclosure is not intended to be limited to the implementations shown, but is to be accorded the widest possible scope consistent with the principles and features disclosed herein.
Herein is disclosed an exemplary method and system for locating sentinel lymph nodes associated with primary cancer lesion sites during surgery, for example, during a breast cancer surgery. An exemplary sentinel lymph node may refer to a nearest lymph node to an exemplary tumor. Therefore, if an exemplary solution is injected into the tumor, a larger amount of the solution may be eventually received by the sentinel lymph node than other lymph nodes. As a result, if an electrically conductive solution is injected into the tumor, electrical properties of an exemplary sentinel lymph node may experience a larger change than other lymph nodes due to presence of a larger amount of injected solution in the sentinel lymph node. Therefore, an exemplary sentinel lymph node may be detected by finding a lymph node with a more considerable change in its electrical properties.
Based on the above, an exemplary method for locating sentinel lymph nodes may be designed and implemented. An exemplary method may include injecting a crystalloid solution (such as saline, which is electrically conductive) into a tumor. Next, an exemplary method may measure changes of electrical properties (such as relative permittivity) of lymph nodes around the tumor caused by a discharge of the injected crystalloid solution into regional lymph nodes. An exemplary method may identify a lymph node with a largest change of its electrical properties as the sentinel lymph node.
An exemplary method may utilize a sensor for measuring electrical properties of lymph nodes around a tumor. An exemplary gigahertz antenna may be used as a sensor to achieve an accurate, low-risk and high-reliability diagnosis for detection of sentinel lymph nodes. An exemplary antenna may operate in a wide frequency range and a flexible poly ethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate may be used in design of the antenna. Due to the use of a flexible substrate, a surgeon's maneuverability while touching lymph nodes may be improved and the antenna dimensions may be reduced to make it easier to use the antenna during surgery by a surgeon. By placing an exemplary antenna on all the lymph nodes and comparing their electrical parameters, a lymph node with larger change in electrical properties (for example, a higher relative permittivity) may be identified as a sentinel lymph node.
Utilizing crystalloid solutions may allow for a simple, safe, and accurate detection of sentinel lymph nodes. Since exemplary crystalloid solutions are not harmful to a patient's body, in cases where an amount of an exemplary crystalloid solution within lymph nodes drops below a detectable level, more solution may be injected into a tumor's vicinity to facilitate associated measurements.
An exemplary method may further detect cancerous lymph nodes during surgery. In an exemplary embodiment, metastatic tumor cells within lymph nodes may undergo a metabolic shift toward fatty acid oxidation (FAO) and transcriptional coactivator yes-associated protein (YAP) may be selectively activated in such metastatic tumors. Carbon dioxide (CO2) and water may be two products of FAO, which may lead to formation of carbonic acid (H2CO3) within a cancerous lymph node. An exemplary method may intraoperatively measure concentration of H2CO3 or aqueous CO2 within a sentinel lymph node and may identify the sentinel lymph node as cancerous if a concentration of H2CO3 or aqueous CO2 is higher than a predetermined threshold. Since FAO creates an acidic environment within a lymph node, an exemplary method may also measure pH of the lymph node in order to determine if the lymph node is cancerous or not. An exemplary sensor may be inserted within a detected sentinel lymph node and based on concentration and/or pH measurements, lymph node metastasis may be detected. Such configuration of an exemplary sensor may allow for detecting lymph node metastasis without a need for removing the lymph nodes from a patient's body, which may improve the patient's quality of life.
In an exemplary embodiment, step 104 may include measuring a plurality of electrical parameters utilizing sensor 202. In an exemplary embodiment, each of the plurality of electrical parameters may be measured by probe 206 that may be inserted into a respective lymph node of a plurality of lymph nodes 308. In an exemplary embodiment, plurality of lymph nodes 308 may include lymph nodes that may be candidates for being a sentinel lymph node for tumor 306, i.e., having a shortest distance from tumor 306. Therefore, in an exemplary embodiment, it may be known prior to executing method 100 that plurality of lymph nodes 308 may include a nearest lymph node to tumor 306 among lymph nodes in the patient's body. However, in an exemplary embodiment, a closest lymph node to tumor 306 among plurality of lymph nodes 308 may be unknown and method 100 may be implemented to find the closest lymph node. For each exemplary lymph node of plurality of lymph nodes 308 a separate parameter may be measured. In an exemplary embodiment, each of the plurality of electrical parameters may be transmitted from probe 206 to signal transmission unit 208 via detachable cable 210 after being measured by probe 206. Exemplary plurality of electrical parameters may be sent to processing unit 204 from signal transmission unit 208 for further processing through remaining steps of method 100.
In an exemplary embodiment, sensor may include a flexible gigahertz antenna.
Referring again to
In an exemplary embodiment, probe 206 and mounting member 214 may be single serving and after each insertion of probe 206 in a lymph node, probe 206 and mounting member 214 may be disconnected from sensor 202 to be replaced with new ones to test other lymph nodes to avoid unwanted spread of cancer cells to healthy lymph nodes.
In an exemplary embodiment, step 106 may include detecting a sentinel lymph node during surgery. An exemplary sentinel lymph node 312 may refer to a lymph node that may be located at a shortest distance from tumor 306 among plurality of lymph nodes 308. Therefore, in an exemplary embodiment, sentinel lymph node 312 may absorb a larger portion of injected crystalloid solution 302 than other lymph nodes of plurality of lymph nodes 308. As a result, in an exemplary embodiment, sentinel lymph node 312 may be affected more by crystalloid solution 302 than other lymph nodes. Since, in an exemplary embodiment, crystalloid solution 302 may include an electrolyte which may be electrically conductive, an impact of adding crystalloid solution 302 to each of plurality of lymph nodes 308 may be observed by measuring electrical properties of each respective lymph node. Therefore, in an exemplary embodiment, sentinel lymph node 312 may be recognized from other lymph nodes based on the measured electrical properties.
For further detail with respect to step 106,
In further detail with regards to step 108,
For further detail regarding step 112, in an exemplary embodiment, measuring respective variations of each of the plurality of electrical parameters may include measuring respective variations of one of a plurality of scattering parameters (or S-parameters), a plurality of electrical conductivities, or a plurality of relative permittivities in the frequency domain for each respective lymph node of plurality of lymph nodes 308. In an exemplary embodiment, a flexible gigahertz antenna, such as any of flexible CPW antennas 400A and 400B may be utilized for measuring variations of each of the plurality of electrical parameters by irradiating gigahertz electromagnetic waves and examining changes in each of the plurality of electrical parameters.
An exemplary S-parameter (i.e., an element of a scattering matrix or S-matrix) may describe the electrical behavior of linear electrical networks when being stimulated by electrical signals.
Similarly, in an exemplary embodiment, injecting crystalloid solution 302 may cause changes in electrical conductivity (i.e., ability to conduct electric current) and relative permittivity (i.e., electric polarizability with respect to vacuum) of lymph nodes. In an exemplary embodiment, finding each respective maximum value of respective variations in step 114 may include finding each respective maximum value of respective variations of each of the plurality of relative permittivities for each respective lymph node of plurality of lymph nodes 308 in a frequency range of about 2 GHz to about 4 GHz in the frequency domain.
In further detail with respect to step 116, in an exemplary embodiment, each of the plurality of maximum values (for example, maximum value 524) may correspond to a respective lymph node of plurality of lymph nodes 308. In an exemplary embodiment, finding the largest maximum value among the plurality of maximum values in step 116 may include finding a maximum value that is larger than the rest of the plurality of maximum values.
Referring again to
Referring again to
For further detail with regards to step 120, an exemplary the needle may include one of a miniaturized CO2 sensor needle or a miniaturized pH sensor needle. In an exemplary embodiment, a CO2 sensor may refer to a sensor that may be configured to measure aqueous CO2 concentration in a lymph node. An exemplary pH sensor may refer to a sensor that may be configured to measure pH concentration in a lymph node. Referring again to
In further detail regarding step 122, an exemplary miniaturized CO2 sensor needle may be utilized to measure aqueous CO2 concentration in sentinel lymph node 312. In order to measure pH concentration of sentinel lymph node 312, an exemplary miniaturized pH sensor needle may be utilized in sensor 202. In an exemplary embodiment, sensor 202 may measure either of aqueous CO2 concentration or pH concentration when the needle is inserted into sentinel lymph node 312. Exemplary measured data may be sent to processing unit 204 for further processing after measurement is done.
In further detail regarding step 124, in an exemplary embodiment, processing unit 204 may compare the measured data with a predetermined cancer threshold. An exemplary cancer threshold may be obtained based on measurements from known cancerous lymph nodes prior to the surgery. In an exemplary embodiment, aqueous CO2 concentration and pH concentration may be higher in cancerous lymph nodes than in normal lymph nodes. Therefore, an exemplary predetermined cancer threshold may be set between a lower limit and an upper limit. An exemplary upper limit may be set to a minimum aqueous CO2 concentration of a number of aqueous CO2 concentrations or a minimum pH concentration of a number of pH concentrations that may be measured from a number of known cancerous lymph nodes. An exemplary lower limit may be set to a maximum aqueous CO2 concentration of a number of aqueous CO2 concentrations or a maximum pH concentration of a number of pH concentrations that may be measured from a number of known normal lymph nodes. An exemplary predetermined cancer threshold may be utilized to distinguish a cancerous lymph node from a normal lymph node. In an exemplary embodiment, processing unit 204 may identify sentinel lymph node 312 as a cancerous tissue if the measured data is larger than the predetermined cancer threshold.
In an exemplary embodiment, a cancerous lymph node regardless of being a sentinel lymph node or not may be detected by steps 122-124. In other words, an exemplary cancerous lymph node, sentinel or not, may be detected by inserting a miniaturized CO2 sensor needle or a miniaturized pH sensor needle into the lymph node and measuring either concentration of aqueous CO2 or pH of the lymph node, and determining if the lymph node is cancerous or not by comparing CO2 or pH levels of the lymph node with those of a healthy lymph node.
If programmable logic is used, such logic may execute on a commercially available processing platform or a special purpose device. One ordinary skill in the art may appreciate that an embodiment of the disclosed subject matter can be practiced with various computer system configurations, including multi-core multiprocessor systems, minicomputers, mainframe computers, computers linked or clustered with distributed functions, as well as pervasive or miniature computers that may be embedded into virtually any device.
For instance, a computing device having at least one processor device and a memory may be used to implement the above-described embodiments. A processor device may be a single processor, a plurality of processors, or combinations thereof. Processor devices may have one or more processor “cores.”
An embodiment of the invention is described in terms of this example computer system 600. After reading this description, it will become apparent to a person skilled in the relevant art how to implement the invention using other computer systems and/or computer architectures. Although operations may be described as a sequential process, some of the operations may in fact be performed in parallel, concurrently, and/or in a distributed environment, and with program code stored locally or remotely for access by single or multi-processor machines. In addition, in some embodiments the order of operations may be rearranged without departing from the spirit of the disclosed subject matter.
Processor device 604 may be a special purpose or a general-purpose processor device. As will be appreciated by persons skilled in the relevant art, processor device 604 may also be a single processor in a multi-core/multiprocessor system, such system operating alone, or in a cluster of computing devices operating in a cluster or server farm. Processor device 604 may be connected to a communication infrastructure 606, for example, a bus, message queue, network, or multi-core message-passing scheme.
In an exemplary embodiment, computer system 600 may include a display interface 602, for example a video connector, to transfer data to a display unit 630, for example, a monitor. Computer system 600 may also include a main memory 608, for example, random access memory (RAM), and may also include a secondary memory 610. Secondary memory 610 may include, for example, a hard disk drive 612, and a removable storage drive 614. Removable storage drive 614 may include a floppy disk drive, a magnetic tape drive, an optical disk drive, a flash memory, or the like. Removable storage drive 614 may read from and/or write to a removable storage unit 618 in a well-known manner. Removable storage unit 618 may include a floppy disk, a magnetic tape, an optical disk, etc., which may be read by and written to by removable storage drive 614. As will be appreciated by persons skilled in the relevant art, removable storage unit 618 may include a computer usable storage medium having stored therein computer software and/or data.
In alternative implementations, secondary memory 610 may include other similar means for allowing computer programs or other instructions to be loaded into computer system 600. Such means may include, for example, a removable storage unit 622 and an interface 620. Examples of such means may include a program cartridge and cartridge interface (such as that found in video game devices), a removable memory chip (such as an EPROM, or PROM) and associated socket, and other removable storage units 622 and interfaces 620 which allow software and data to be transferred from removable storage unit 622 to computer system 600.
Computer system 600 may also include a communications interface 624. Communications interface 624 allows software and data to be transferred between computer system 600 and external devices. Communications interface 624 may include a modem, a network interface (such as an Ethernet card), a communications port, a PCMCIA slot and card, or the like. Software and data transferred via communications interface 624 may be in the form of signals, which may be electronic, electromagnetic, optical, or other signals capable of being received by communications interface 624. These signals may be provided to communications interface 624 via a communications path 626. Communications path 626 carries signals and may be implemented using wire or cable, fiber optics, a phone line, a cellular phone link, an RF link or other communications channels.
In this document, the terms “computer program medium” and “computer usable medium” are used to generally refer to media such as removable storage unit 618, removable storage unit 622, and a hard disk installed in hard disk drive 612. Computer program medium and computer usable medium may also refer to memories, such as main memory 608 and secondary memory 610, which may be memory semiconductors (e.g. DRAMs, etc.).
Computer programs (also called computer control logic) are stored in main memory 608 and/or secondary memory 610. Computer programs may also be received via communications interface 624. Such computer programs, when executed, enable computer system 600 to implement different embodiments of the present disclosure as discussed herein. In particular, the computer programs, when executed, enable processor device 604 to implement the processes of the present disclosure, such as the operations in method 100 illustrated by flowcharts of
Embodiments of the present disclosure also may be directed to computer program products including software stored on any computer useable medium. Such software, when executed in one or more data processing device, causes a data processing device to operate as described herein. An embodiment of the present disclosure may employ any computer useable or readable medium. Examples of computer useable mediums include, but are not limited to, primary storage devices (e.g., any type of random access memory), secondary storage devices (e.g., hard drives, floppy disks, CD ROMS, ZIP disks, tapes, magnetic storage devices, and optical storage devices, MEMS, nanotechnological storage device, etc.).
The embodiments have been described above with the aid of functional building blocks illustrating the implementation of specified functions and relationships thereof. The boundaries of these functional building blocks have been arbitrarily defined herein for the convenience of the description. Alternate boundaries can be defined so long as the specified functions and relationships thereof are appropriately performed.
While the foregoing has described what may be considered to be the best mode and/or other examples, it is understood that various modifications may be made therein and that the subject matter disclosed herein may be implemented in various forms and examples, and that the teachings may be applied in numerous applications, only some of which have been described herein. It is intended by the following claims to claim any and all applications, modifications and variations that fall within the true scope of the present teachings.
Unless otherwise stated, all measurements, values, ratings, positions, magnitudes, sizes, and other specifications that are set forth in this specification, including in the claims that follow, are approximate, not exact. They are intended to have a reasonable range that is consistent with the functions to which they relate and with what is customary in the art to which they pertain.
The scope of protection is limited solely by the claims that now follow. That scope is intended and should be interpreted to be as broad as is consistent with the ordinary meaning of the language that is used in the claims when interpreted in light of this specification and the prosecution history that follows and to encompass all structural and functional equivalents. Notwithstanding, none of the claims are intended to embrace subject matter that fails to satisfy the requirement of Sections 101, 102, or 103 of the Patent Act, nor should they be interpreted in such a way. Any unintended embracement of such subject matter is hereby disclaimed.
Except as stated immediately above, nothing that has been stated or illustrated is intended or should be interpreted to cause a dedication of any component, step, feature, object, benefit, advantage, or equivalent to the public, regardless of whether it is or is not recited in the claims.
It will be understood that the terms and expressions used herein have the ordinary meaning as is accorded to such terms and expressions with respect to their corresponding respective areas of inquiry and study except where specific meanings have otherwise been set forth herein. Relational terms such as first and second and the like may be used solely to distinguish one entity or action from another without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions. The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. An element proceeded by “a” or “an” does not, without further constraints, preclude the existence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises the element.
The Abstract of the Disclosure is provided to allow the reader to quickly ascertain the nature of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. In addition, in the foregoing Detailed Description, it can be seen that various features are grouped together in various implementations. This is for purposes of streamlining the disclosure, and is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed implementations require more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive subject matter lies in less than all features of a single disclosed implementation. Thus, the following claims are hereby incorporated into the Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separately claimed subject matter.
While various implementations have been described, the description is intended to be exemplary, rather than limiting and it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that many more implementations and implementations are possible that are within the scope of the implementations. Although many possible combinations of features are shown in the accompanying figures and discussed in this detailed description, many other combinations of the disclosed features are possible. Any feature of any implementation may be used in combination with or substituted for any other feature or element in any other implementation unless specifically restricted. Therefore, it will be understood that any of the features shown and/or discussed in the present disclosure may be implemented together in any suitable combination. Accordingly, the implementations are not to be restricted except in light of the attached claims and their equivalents. Also, various modifications and changes may be made within the scope of the attached claims.
This application claims the benefit of priority from pending U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/133,432, filed on Jan. 4, 2021, and entitled “SYSTEM FOR DETECTING CANCEROUS LYMPH NODES,” which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63133432 | Jan 2021 | US |
