Contrast enhanced spectroscopic optical coherence tomography

• US 20060285635A1
• Filed: 04/14/2006
• Published: 12/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Board of Trustees of The University of Illinois
• Original Assignee: Board of Trustees of The University of Illinois
• Inventors: Xu, Chenyang, Boppart, Stephen A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,725,169 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 378/22
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0066 Optical coherence imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0073 by tomography, i.e. reconstruction of 3D images from 2D projections A61B5/0066 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7203 for noise prevention, reduction or removal
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7257 using Fourier transforms
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/1787 Tomographic, i.e. computerised reconstruction from projective measurements
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/4795 spatially resolved investigating of object in scattering medium in vivo A61B

Abstract

A method of forming an image of a sample includes performing SOCT on a sample. The sample may include a contrast agent, which may include an absorbing agent and/or a scattering agent. A method of forming an image of tissue may include selecting a contrast agent, delivering the contrast agent to the tissue, acquiring SOCT data from the tissue, and converting the SOCT data into an image. The contributions to the SOCT data of an absorbing agent and a scattering agent in a sample may be quantified separately.

Claims

1. A method of forming an image of tissue, comprising:

selecting at least one contrast agent, comprising at least one water-soluble, biocompatible absorbing agent;

delivering the at least one contrast agent to tissue;

acquiring SOCT data from the tissue; and

converting the SOCT data into at least one image.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one contrast agent further comprises at least one scattering agent.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one absorbing agent absorbs in the near-infrared region.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting at least one contrast agent comprises:

determining the optical window of the tissue;

selecting a laser spectrum range that is within the optical window; and

selecting at least one absorbing agent that absorbs within the laser spectrum range.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the selecting at least one absorbing agent comprises selecting at least one absorbing agent having an absorbance spectrum that overlaps the laser spectrum range.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the selecting at least one absorbing agent further comprises selecting at least one absorbing agent that can be delivered to the tissue.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising selecting at least one scattering agent that scatters within the laser spectrum range.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the selecting at least one scattering agent further comprises selecting at least one scattering agent that can be delivered to the tissue.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the converting the SOCT data into at least one image comprises:

performing time-frequency analysis on the data;

performing spectral/pattern analysis on the data;

retrieving the spatial distribution of the at least one contrast agent in the tissue; and

correlating the spatial distribution with at least one display parameter.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one contrast agent further comprises at least one scattering agent,

the retrieving comprises retrieving the spatial distributions of the at least one absorbing agent and of the at least one scattering agent, and

the correlating comprises correlating the spatial distributions of the least one absorbing agent and of the at least one scattering agent with at least one display parameter.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the tissue is living.

12. A method of forming an image of tissue, comprising:

determining the optical window of living tissue;

selecting a laser spectrum range that is within the optical window;

selecting at least one water-soluble, biocompatible absorbing agent that absorbs within the laser spectrum range;

selecting at least one scattering agent that scatters within the laser spectrum range;

delivering the at least one absorbing agent and the at least one scattering agent to the living tissue;

acquiring SOCT data from the living tissue;

performing time-frequency analysis on the data;

performing spectral/pattern analysis on the data;

retrieving the spatial distributions of the at least one absorbing agent and of the at least one scattering agent in the living tissue; and

correlating the spatial distributions with at least one display parameter.

13. A method of converting SOCT data into at least one image, comprising:

performing time-frequency analysis on SOCT data from tissue;

performing spectral/pattern analysis on the SOCT data;

retrieving the spatial distribution of at least one contrast agent in the tissue; and

correlating the spatial distribution with at least one display parameter.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least one contrast agent comprises at least one scattering agent.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least one contrast agent comprises at least one absorbing agent.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the at least one contrast agent further comprises at least one scattering agent,

the retrieving comprises retrieving the spatial distributions of the at least one absorbing agent and of the at least one scattering agent, and

the correlating comprises correlating the spatial distributions of the least one absorbing agent and of the at least one scattering agent with at least one display parameter.