US 12,239,287 B2
Cell-collecting falloposcope and method for ovarian cancer detection
Jennifer Barton, Tucson, AZ (US); Kelli Kiekens, Tucson, AZ (US); Gabriella Romano, Tempe, AZ (US); Swati Chandra, Tucson, AZ (US); Steven Santaniello, Tucson, AZ (US); Richard Cordova, Tucson, AZ (US); and David Vega, Tucson, AZ (US)
Assigned to Arizona Board of Regents on Behalf of the University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ (US)
Appl. No. 17/753,578
Filed by Arizona Board of Regents on Behalf of the University of Arizona, Tuscon, AZ (US)
PCT Filed Sep. 9, 2020, PCT No. PCT/US2020/049927
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Mar. 8, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/050537, PCT Pub. Date Mar. 18, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/897,744, filed on Sep. 9, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0330792 A1, Oct. 20, 2022
Int. Cl. A61B 1/00 (2006.01); A61B 1/005 (2006.01); A61B 1/05 (2006.01); A61B 1/06 (2006.01); A61B 1/07 (2006.01); A61B 10/02 (2006.01); A61B 10/04 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 1/00096 (2013.01) [A61B 1/0057 (2013.01); A61B 1/05 (2013.01); A61B 1/0638 (2013.01); A61B 1/07 (2013.01); A61B 10/0291 (2013.01); A61B 10/04 (2013.01); A61B 1/00082 (2013.01)] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of obtaining cells from a subject for examination comprising:
inserting a falloposcope through a hysteroscope into a fallopian tube of a subject;
extending the falloposcope through the fallopian tube to an ovary of the subject;
extending a cell sampling device through a lumen of the falloposcope to collect the cells from the ovary of the subject;
withdrawing the cell sampling device into the falloposcope; and
removing the cells from the falloposcope;
where the falloposcope comprises:
an elongated body having circumferential diameter less than one millimeter, the elongated body having a core formed of a polymer extrusion;
an efferent optical fiber extending through the elongated body from a proximal end of the elongate body to a distal end of the elongate body, the efferent optical fiber having a distal end at the distal end of the elongate body;
an illuminator coupled to the efferent fiber near the proximal end of the elongate body;
a lens assembly located at the distal end of the elongate body and configured to focus images on an image sensor selected from the group consisting of a camera with a coherent fiber bundle running through the elongate body, and
an electronic image sensor; and
the elongate body having a lumen containing the cell sampling device, the cell sampling device comprising a wire, the cell sampling device extending from a sampling device handle through the elongate body from the proximal end of the elongate body to the distal end of the elongate body;
wherein the illuminator comprises a plurality of lasers coupled to provide light to the efferent fiber, the falloposcope comprising a mode scrambler coupled to the efferent fiber between the illuminator and the elongate body, the method further comprising:
configuring the mode scrambler such that an angular width of light emitted from the efferent optical fiber at the distal end of the efferent optical fiber is broader than without the mode scrambler.