PASSIVE IN VIVO SUBSTANCE SPECTROSCOPY

• US 20080097183A1
• Filed: 09/06/2006
• Published: 04/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures Holding 35 LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intellectual Ventures Holding 35 LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Monro, Donald Martin
• Application Number:
  US11/470,615
• Publication Number:
  US 20080097183A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/407
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0507 using microwaves or terahertz waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/42 Absorption spectrometry; Double beam spectrometry; Flicker spectrometry; Reflection spectrometry beam switching arrangements G01J3/08
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/3531 without instrumental source, i.e. radiometric
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/3581 using far infrared light; using Terahertz radiation

Abstract

Embodiments of methods, apparatuses, systems and/or devices for passive in vivo substance spectroscopy are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

passively measuring electromagnetic radiation in the vicinity of an in vivo substance over a range of frequencies to obtain a frequency spectrum; and

comparing the obtained frequency spectrum to one or more frequency spectra signatures.

2. The method of claim 1, and further comprising;

identifying the frequency spectrum of the one or more frequency spectra that most closely resembles the obtained frequency spectrum.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein identifying the one or more frequency spectra that most closely resemble the obtained frequency spectrum distinguishes between different in vivo substances

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic radiation falls in the range from approximately 10 GHz to approximately 1 THz.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein electromagnetic radiation is passively measured for a sufficiently long period of time to obtain sufficient quanta to produce a spectrogram.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein electromagnetic radiation is passively measured by focusing the radiation.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein electromagnetic radiation is passively measured by employing multiple detectors.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein different detectors cover a different range of frequencies.

9. An apparatus comprising:

a detector to passively measure electromagnetic radiation in the vicinity of an in vivo substance over a range of frequencies;

a device to produce a spectrogram from the detector measurements; and

a computing platform adapted to compare said spectrogram against other spectra to be stored on said computing platform.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said detector includes a mechanism to focus said electromagnetic radiation for measurement.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said device to produce said spectrogram includes an A/D converter and is capable of implementing an FFT.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said device to produce said spectrogram is adapted to shift the range of frequencies for spectrum analysis.

13. An apparatus comprising:

means for passively measuring electromagnetic radiation in the vicinity of an in vivo substance over a range of frequencies to obtain a frequency spectrum; and

means for comparing the obtained frequency spectrum to one or more frequency spectra signatures.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, and further comprising;

means for identifying the frequency spectrum of the one or more frequency spectra that most closely resembles the obtained frequency spectrum.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein means for identifying the one or more frequency spectra that most closely resemble the obtained frequency spectrum comprises means for distinguishing between different in vivo substances.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the electromagnetic radiation falls in the range from approximately 10 GHz to approximately 1 THz.

17. An article comprising:

a storage medium having stored thereon instructions that, if executed, result in execution of the following method by a computing platform;

passively measuring electromagnetic radiation in the vicinity of an in vivo substance over a range of frequencies to obtain a frequency spectrum; and

comparing the obtained frequency spectrum to one or more frequency spectra signatures.

18. The article of claim 17, wherein said storage medium comprises instructions that, if executed, further results in identifying the frequency spectrum of the one or more frequency spectra that most closely resembles the obtained frequency spectrum.

19. The article of claim 18, wherein said storage medium comprises instructions that, if executed, further results in identifying the one or more frequency spectra that most closely resemble the obtained frequency spectrum distinguishes between different in vivo substances.

20. The article of claim 17, wherein said storage medium comprises instructions that, if executed, further results in wherein electromagnetic radiation is passively measured for a sufficiently long period of time to obtain sufficient quanta to produce a spectrogram.

21. A method comprising:

passively measuring electromagnetic radiation in the vicinity of an in vivo substance over a range of frequencies to obtain a frequency spectrum; and

comparing the obtained frequency spectrum with one or more frequency spectra signatures to identify differences between spectra.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said one or more frequency spectra comprise one or more spectra of the in vivo substance measured at one or more times other than the time said frequency spectrograph was measured.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the electromagnetic radiation falls in the range from approximately 10 GHz to approximately 1 THz.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein electromagnetic radiation is passively measured for a sufficiently long period of time to obtain sufficient quanta to produce a spectrogram.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein electromagnetic radiation is passively measured by focusing the radiation.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein electromagnetic radiation is passively measured by employing multiple detectors.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein different detectors cover a different range of frequencies.

28. An apparatus comprising:

a detector to passively measure electromagnetic radiation in the vicinity of an in vivo substance over a range of frequencies;

a computing platform adapted to produce a spectrogram from the detector measurements and to compare said spectrogram against other spectra to be stored on said computing platform to identify differences between spectra.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein said other spectra comprise were measured at times other than the time the detector measurements were measured to produce said spectrograph.

30. An article comprising:

a storage medium having stored thereon instructions that, if executed, result in execution of the following method by a computing platform;

passively measuring electromagnetic radiation in the vicinity of an in vivo substance over a range of frequencies to obtain a frequency spectrum; and

comparing the obtained frequency spectrum with one or more frequency spectra signatures to identify differences between said spectrum and said one or more spectra.

31. The article of claim 30, wherein said instructions if executed further result in said one or more frequency spectra comprising detector measurements for said in vivo substance made at times other than the detector measurements used to produce said spectrograph.