Optical imaging system with movable scanning unit
First Claim
1. An optical imaging system configured to generate images of a target area of a physiological medium, said images representing distribution of properties of hemoglobins in said target area, said system comprising:
- at least one movable member having at least one wave source and at least one wave detector, said at least one wave source configured to irradiate near-infrared electromagnetic waves into said target area and said at least one wave detector configured to detect said near-infrared electromagnetic waves from said target area of said and to generate output signal in response thereto; and
an actuator configured to operationally couple with said movable member and to generate at least one movement of said movable member with respect to said target area along at least one curvilinear path.
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Abstract
The present invention generally relates to optical imaging systems and methods thereof for providing images of two- and/or three-dimensional distribution of properties of chromophores in various physiological media. In particular, the present invention provides preferred embodiments of optical imaging systems, optical probes, sensor assemblies, and methods thereof for utilizing movable scanning units. A typical optical imaging system includes at least one wave source, wave detector, movable member, and actuator member. The wave source emits electromagnetic waves into a target area of the physiological medium and the wave detector generates output signal in response to electromagnetic waves detected thereby. The wave source and detector are disposed at the movable member which is moved by the actuator member so that at least one of the wave source and detector moves over different regions of the target area while generating the output signal thereby. Accordingly, the optical imaging system and optical probes of the present invention can scan the target area which is substantially larger than the scanning area of its scanning unit.
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Citations
78 Claims
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1. An optical imaging system configured to generate images of a target area of a physiological medium, said images representing distribution of properties of hemoglobins in said target area, said system comprising:
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at least one movable member having at least one wave source and at least one wave detector, said at least one wave source configured to irradiate near-infrared electromagnetic waves into said target area and said at least one wave detector configured to detect said near-infrared electromagnetic waves from said target area of said and to generate output signal in response thereto; and
an actuator configured to operationally couple with said movable member and to generate at least one movement of said movable member with respect to said target area along at least one curvilinear path. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. An optical imaging system configured to generate images of a target area of a physiological medium, said images representing distribution of properties of hemoglobins in said target area, said system comprising:
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at least one sensor assembly having a wave source and a wave detector, said wave source capable of irradiating near-infrared electromagnetic waves into said medium, and said wave detector configured to detect said near-infrared electromagnetic waves from said medium and to generate output signal in response thereto;
a body configured to support said sensor assembly; and
an actuator configured to operationally couple with at least one of said sensor assembly and body and to generate at least one movement of at least one of said sensor assembly and body with respect to said target area along a curvilinear path. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53)
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48. An optical imaging system configured to generate images of a target area of a physiological medium, said images representing distribution of properties of hemoglobins in said target area, said system having one or more wave sources configured to irradiate near-infrared electromagnetic waves into said medium and one or more wave detectors configured to detect said near-infrared electromagnetic waves and to generate output signal in response thereto, said system comprising:
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at least one portable probe including at least one movable member and an actuator member, said movable member including at least one of said wave source and at least one of said wave detector, and said actuator member configured to operationally couple with said movable member and to generate at least one movement of said movable member along at least one curvilinear path; and
a console including an imaging member configured to receive said output signal, to determine said distribution of said properties of hemoglobins and to generate said images of said distribution.
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54. An optical imaging system configured to generate images of a target area of a physiological medium, said images representing distribution of properties of hemoglobins in said target area, said optical imaging system comprising:
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at least one wave source configured to irradiate near-infrared electromagnetic waves into said medium;
at least one wave detector configured to generate output signal in response to said near-infrared electromagnetic waves detected thereby; and
at least one optical probe including at least one movable member and at least one actuator member, said movable member including at least one of said wave source and detector, and said actuator member configured to operationally couple with said movable member and to generate at least one movement of said movable member along at least one curvilinear path. - View Dependent Claims (55, 57, 58, 59)
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56. An optical imaging system configured to generate images of a target area of a physiological medium, said images representing distribution of properties of hemoglobins in said target area, said optical imaging system comprising:
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at least two wave sources configured to emit near-infrared electromagnetic waves into said medium; and
at least two wave detectors configured to generate output signal in response to said near-infrared electromagnetic waves detected thereby, wherein at least two of said wave sources and at least two of said wave detectors are disposed substantially along a straight line.
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60. A method for generating images of a target area of a physiological medium by an optical imaging system, said images representing two- or three-dimensional distribution of properties of hemoglobins in said target area, wherein said optical imaging system includes at least one wave source, at least one wave detector, a movable member, and an actuator member, said wave source configured to emit near-infrared electromagnetic waves into said target area of said medium, said wave detector configured to generate output signal in response to said near-infrared electromagnetic waves detected thereby, said movable member having a longitudinal axis and configured to include at least one of said wave source and detector, and said actuator member operationally coupling with said movable member, wherein said wave source and detector are configured to form a scanning unit elongated along said longitudinal axis of said movable member and defining a scanning area therearound, and wherein said actuator member operationally couples with said movable member and is configured to generate at least one movement of said movable member along at least one curvilinear path, said method comprising:
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positioning said movable member in a first region of said target area of said medium;
scanning said first region by irradiating said near-infrared electromagnetic waves thereinto by said wave source and by obtaining said output signal therefrom by said wave detector; and
manipulating said actuator member to generate said movement of said movable member from said first region to a second region of said target area along at least one curvilinear path. - View Dependent Claims (61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 70, 71, 72, 73)
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69. A method for generating images of a target area of a physiological medium by an optical imaging system, said images representing two- or three-dimensional distribution of properties of hemoglobins in said target area, wherein said optical imaging system includes a sensor assembly, a body, and an actuator member, said sensor assembly having at least one wave source configured to irradiate near-infrared electromagnetic waves to said medium and at least one wave detector configured to generate output signal in response to said near-infrared electromagnetic waves detected thereby, said body configured to support at least a portion of said sensor assembly, and said actuator member operationally coupling with at least one of said sensor assembly and said body and configured to generate at least one movement of at least one of said sensor assembly and said body, said method comprising:
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positioning said sensor assembly in a first region of said target area of said medium;
scanning said first region with said sensor assembly by irradiating said near-infrared electromagnetic waves into said first region of said medium and by generating said output signal therefrom; and
manipulating said actuator member to generate said movement of at least one of said sensor assembly and said body from said first region toward a second region of said target area of said medium along at least one curvilinear path.
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74. A method for generating images of a target area of a physiological medium by an optical imaging system, said images representing two- or three-dimensional distribution of properties of hemoglobins in said target area, said method comprising the steps of:
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positioning at least two wave sources and at least two wave detectors in a region of said target area substantially linearly along a straight line;
defining a scanning unit around said wave sources and detectors which has a scanning area which is smaller than said target area; and
generating at least one movement of said wave sources and wave detectors to move at least one of said wave sources and detectors to another region of said target area. - View Dependent Claims (75, 76, 77, 78)
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Specification