ACTIVE IN VIVO SPECTROSCOPY

• US 20080161674A1
• Filed: 12/29/2006
• Published: 07/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2006
• 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:
  US11/618,613
• Publication Number:
  US 20080161674A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/410
• 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 5/117 Identification of persons methods or arrangements for recognising patterns, e.g. fingerprints, G06F18/00, G06V40/00; identification of persons by analysing their voice or speech G10L17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/31 Investigating relative effect of material at wavelengths characteristic of specific elements or molecules, e.g. atomic absorption spectrometry G01N21/72 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/359 using near infrared light

Abstract

Technicines for active in vivo spectroscopy are provided. An active in vivo spectroscopy technique may include transmitting a signal over a first range of frequencies to a substance, detecting a signal over a second range of frequencies from the substance in vivo, producing a frequency spectrum based on the detected signal, comparing the frequency spectrum to stored frequency spectra, and outputting a result signal based on the companson.

Claims

1-21. -21. (canceled)

22. A method, comprising:

(a) transmitting a signal over a first range of frequencies to a substance;

(b) detecting a signal over a second range of frequencies from the substance in vivo;

(c) producing a frequency spectrum based on the detected signal;

(d) comparing the frequency spectrum to stored frequency spectra; and

(e) outputting a result signal based on step (c).

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the detected signal is radiation transmitted in the transmitted signal modified by the substance in vivo.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the transmitted signal is electromagnetic radiation.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the transmitted signal is an ultrasound signal.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein the transmitted signal is optical radiation.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein the detected signal is detected for a sufficiently long period of time to a get a reasonable resolution of the frequency spectrum.

28. The method of claim 22, wherein the detected signal is detected where the substance is located in an environment in which a background of the substance emits radiation of a cold body.

29. The method of claim 22, wherein step (b) further comprises using a reflector to direct the detected signal on a detector.

30. The method of claim 22, wherein step (b) comprises using a plurality of detectors to detect the detected signal.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein respective ones of the plurality of detectors operate over different ranges of frequencies.

32. The method of claim 22, wherein at least one of the first and second range of frequencies is between about approximately 10 GHz and 1 THz.

33. The method of claim 22, wherein after step (b) and before step (c) the method further comprises:

sampling the detected signal; and

converting the sampled signal using from an analog signal to a digital signal.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein before the sampling step the method further comprises:

down converting the detected signal.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein step (c) comprises using a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) to produce the frequency spectrum based on the detected signal.

36. The method of claim 22, wherein after step (b) and before step (c) the method further comprises:

upward modulating the second range of frequencies of the detected signal into a visible range of frequencies using an optical carrier signal.

37. The method of claim 22, wherein after step (b) and before step (c) the method further comprises:

upward modulating the second range of frequencies of the detected signal into an infrared range of frequencies using an optical carrier signal.

38. The method of claim 36, wherein step (c) comprises using an optical spectrographic system to produce the frequency spectrum based on the detected signal.

39. The method of claim 38, further comprising using prism or prism-like technology in the optical spectrographic system.

40. The method of claim 22, further comprising identifying the substance based on steps (d).

41. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

(f) transmitting a second signal over a third range of frequencies to a second substance;

(g) detecting a second signal over a fourth range of frequencies from the second substance in vivo;

(h) producing a second frequency spectrum based on the detected second signal;

(i) comparing the second frequency spectrum to stored frequency spectra; and

(j) using the first and second comparison results to distinguish between the first and second substances.

42. The method of claim 22, wherein step (b) further comprises amplifying the detected signal.

43. A system, comprising:

a transmitter configured to transmit a signal over a first range of frequencies to a substance;

a detector configured to detect a signal over a second range of frequencies from the substance in vivo;

a spectrum analyzer configured to produce a frequency spectrum based on the detected signal;

a comparator coupled to the spectrum analyzer and configured to compare the frequency spectrum to stored frequency spectra; and

a memory coupled to the comparator device and configured to store frequency spectra.

44. The system of claim 43, wherein a plurality of detectors are configured to detect the detected signal.

45. The system of claim 44, wherein respective ones of the plurality of detectors operate over different parts of the second range of frequencies.

46. The system of claim 43, further comprising:

an amplifier configured to amplify the detected signal; and

a modulator coupled to the amplifier and configured to down-shift/up-shift the amplified signal.

47. The system of claim 43, wherein the spectrum analyzer is configured to use Fast Fourier Transform (FFT).

48. A computer program product comprising a computer-useable medium having computer program logic recorded thereon, the computer program logic comprising:

(a) a computer program module that, when executed, produces a frequency spectrum based on detected signal over a range of frequencies from a substance in vivo;

(b) a computer program module that, when executed, compares the frequency spectrum to stored frequency spectra; and

(c) a computer program module that, when executed, outputs a result signal based on step (b).

49. A computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling at least one processor by a method comprising:

(a) transmitting a signal over a first range of frequencies to a substance;

(b) detecting a sigual over a second range of frequencies from the substance in vivo;

(c) producing a frequency spectrum based on the detected signal;

(d) comparing the frequency spectrum to stored frequency spectra; and

(e) outputting a result signal based on step (c).

50. A computer-readable medium containing instructions that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to:

(a) transmit a signal over a first range of frequencies to a substance;

(b) detect a signal over a second range of frequencies from the substance in vivo;

(c) produce a frequency spectrum based on the detected signal;

(d) compare the frequency spectrum to stored frequency spectra; and

(e) output a result signal based on step (c).