Process and Device for Deep-Selective Detection of Spontaneous Activities and General Muscle Activites

• US 20070208231A1
• Filed: 03/10/2005
• Published: 09/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lutz Dipl-Ing
• Original Assignee: Lutz Dipl-Ing
• Inventors: Dipl-Ing, Lutz
• Granted Patent: US 8,204,577 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/300
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0242 for varying or adjusting the optical path length in the tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0059 using light, e.g. diagnosis by transillumination, diascopy, fluorescence A61B5/0093, A61B5/1455, A61B5/02416 and A61B5/0261 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1107 Measuring contraction of parts of the body, e.g. organ, muscle apparatus for measuring work or force in general G01L
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4519 Muscles A61B5/389, A61B5/224 take precedence

Abstract

What is described here is a process and a device for deep-selective detection of spontaneous activities and general muscle activities in biological tissue. In this process, photons of a coherent and monochromatic electromagnetic radiation of the wavelength λ₁ penetrate the tissue in the range between 600 and 1,200 nm and re-emerge from the tissue at differently distanced areas, then being detected with regard to frequency and number or intensity. By means of an evaluation programme or algorithm, this information in connection with the respective area as point of emergence of the photons allows conclusions to be drawn about the muscle activity and/or number of active muscles and/or the physical position of the active muscles in the tissue. In order to improve the preciseness, it is intended to insert photons into the tissue of at least one further coherent and monochromatic electromagnetic radiation of another wavelength λ₂ and to detect them after emergence from the tissue with regard to frequency and number or intensity. The wavelengths λ₁ and λ₂ are selected in such a way that there will not occur any interference fringes.

Claims

1. Process for deep-selective detection of spontaneous activities and general muscle activities in human, animal or other biological tissue like that, in the course of which photons of a coherent and monochromatic electromagnetic radiation of the wavelength λ

₁ penetrate the tissue (12) through a first area (16) in the range between approx. 600 nm and approx. 1200 nm and photons re-emerging from the tissue (12) in differently distanced areas (22, 23, 24) are detected with regard to frequency and number or intensity. By means of an evaluation programme or algorithm, the information about frequency and number or intensity in connection with the respective area (22) as point of emergence of the re-emerging photons allows conclusions to be drawn about the muscle activity and/or number of active muscles and/or the physical position of the active muscles in the tissue (12) which is characterized by the fact that photons of a coherent and monochromatic electromagnetic radiation of at least one different wavelength λ

₂ are being inserted into the tissue (12) and detected after emergence from the tissue with regard to frequency and number or intensity, with the wavelengths λ

₁ and λ

₂ being selected in such a way that there will not occur any interference fringes.

2. Process according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the detection of spontaneous activities or muscle activities takes place in a non-invasive way.

3. Process according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the detection of spontaneous activities or muscle activities takes place invasively.

4. Process according to one of the aforementioned claims, characterized by the fact that photons of another coherent and monochromatic electromagnetic radiation of the wavelength λ

₃ are being inserted into the tissue (12) and detected after emergence from the tissue with regard to frequency and number or intensity, with the wavelength λ

₃ being shorter than 600 nm and selected in such a way that there will not occur any interference fringes between the frequency-shifted photons of the different wavelengths λ

₁, λ

₂ and λ

₃ scattered on the tissue (12).

5. Process according to one of the aforementioned claims, characterized by the fact that the photons re-emerging from the tissue (12) are detected and recorded with regard to frequency and number or intensity depending on their distance to the point where they have entered the tissue.

6. Device for deep-selective detection of spontaneous activities and general muscle activities in human, animal or other biological tissue like that which provides a radiation source (14) for sending out photons of a coherent and monochromatic electromagnetic radiation of the wavelength λ

₁ (600 nm≦

λ

₁≦

1200 nm) through a locally defined first area (16) into the tissue (12) and several detectors (20) for recording the photons re-emerging from the tissue (12) at further areas (22, 23, 24). The different areas (22, 23, 24) are arranged at different distances from the first area (16) and the emerging photons are detected with regard to frequency and number or intensity by means of the detectors (20). Using a detected interference pattern based on the photons emerging from the respective area (22) and its distance to the entry portal in connection with the frequency-shifted photons scattered on the tissue (12), a deep-selective recording of muscle activity is carried out, characterized by the fact, that at least one further radiation source (13, 15) is intended for sending out photons of a coherent and monochromatic electromagnetic radiation of a wavelength λ

₂≠

λ

₁ into the tissue (12), with several detectors (19, 21) also recording the frequency-shifted photons scattered on the tissue (12) of the original wavelength λ

₁ with regard to frequency and number or intensity, thus using them for the deep-selective recording of muscle activity.

7. Device according to claim 6, characterized by the fact that it is intended to use means for the invasive detection of spontaneous activity or muscle activity such as a light-conducting fibre, for example.

8. Device according to claim 6, characterized by the fact that it is intended to use means for the non-invasive detection of spontaneous activity or muscle activity such as a case, for example.

9. Device according to one of the claims 6 to 8, characterized by the fact that another radiation source (13, 15) is provided for sending out photons of a coherent and monochromatic electromagnetic radiation of the wavelength λ

₃ into the tissue (12), with λ

₃≠

λ

₂≠

λ

₁.

10. Device according to claim 9, characterized by the fact that 600 nm≦

λ

₂≦

1200 nm and λ

₃≦

600 nm.

11. Device according to claim 9, characterized by the fact that

600 nm≦

λ

₁≦

700 nm,
700 nm≦

λ

₂≦

1200 nm and
λ

₃≦

600 nm.

12. Device according to one of the claims 6 to 11, characterized by the fact that at least one of the radiation sources (13, 14, 15) is realized as semiconductor laser.

13. Device according to one of the claims 6 to 12, characterized by the fact that at least one of the radiation sources (13, 14, 15) is realized as laser diode.

14. Device according to one of the claims 6 to 13, characterized by the fact that a separate detector (19, 20, 21) is allocated to each area (22, 23, 24) for each wavelength λ

₁, λ

₂, λ

₃.

15. Device according to claim 14, characterized by the fact that each detector (19, 20, 21) is provided with one or several sensors for the detection of one of the wavelengths λ

₁, λ

₂ or λ

₃.

16. Device according to claim 15, characterized by the fact that the sensor is realized as photodiode (30, 31, 32).

17. Device according to claim 15, characterized by the fact that the sensor is realized as optical filter (34, 35, 36).

18. Device according to one of the claims 6 to 11, characterized by the fact that a common detector (19, 20, 21) for all wavelengths λ

₁, λ

₂, λ

₃ is allocated to each area (22, 23, 24).

19. Device according to claim 18, characterized by the fact that the common detector (19, 20, 21) is provided with different sensors for each of the wavelengths λ

₁, λ

₂ and λ

₃.

20. Device according to claim 19, characterized by the fact that each of the sensors is realized as photodiode (30, 31, 32) for one of the wavelengths λ

₁, λ

₂ or λ

₃.

21. Device according to claim 20, characterized by the fact that each of the sensors is realized as optical filter (34, 35, 36) for one of the wavelengths λ

₁, λ

₂ or λ

₃.

22. Device according to one of the claims 6 to 21, characterized by the fact that the detectors (19) for the shortest wavelength λ

₃ are only arranged close to the entrance point of the photons.

23. Device according to one of the claims 16 to 22, characterized by the fact that a compensating circuit is allocated to each photodiode (30, 31, 32), minimizing an offset in the output signal of the photodiode (30, 31, 32) as well as an occurring direct-current voltage share of the detected photons.

24. Device according to claim 23, characterized by the fact that the direct-current voltage share of the detected photons is minimized by a filter and/or an algorithm.

25. Device according to one of the claims 6 to 24, characterized by the fact that the radiation sources (13, 14, 15) as well as the detectors and electronic components such as preamplifier, differential amplifier or analogue-to-digital converter, are together arranged in a sensing head which can flatly be placed on the tissue (12) or on the skin (18) and can be connected with an evaluation unit, particularly with a processor, by means of electric conductors.

26. Device according to one of the aforementioned claims 6 to 24, characterized by the fact that the detectors (19, 20, 21) for invasive detection can be inserted into the body of the tissue to be investigated.

27. Device according to claim 25 or 26, characterized by the fact that it is intended to use glass or plastic platelets (40) for placing the sensing head flatly on the tissue (12) or on the skin (18).

28. Device according to one of the claims 6 to 27, characterized by the fact that the detectors (19, 20, 21) are arranged at a distance of 15 mm to 30 mm from the radiation sources (13, 14, 15).