Infrared Scanner for Biological Applications
First Claim
1. An imaging system, comprisingat least two infrared radiation sources adapted for illuminating at least a portion of a biological target, said sources generating radiation at two different wavelengths,a detector optically coupled to the biological target so as to detect at least a portion of the radiation from the sources that is transmitted through said illuminated portion of the target,an image processor coupled to the detector for collecting at least two transmission images each corresponding to one of said different wavelengths,wherein said image processor combines said images to obtain a resultant infrared image of the target.
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Abstract
Methods and systems for generating near-infrared (NIR) images of biological targets are discussed. In one aspect, one or more radiation sources illuminate a target, with one or more detectors receiving the transmitted radiation. Such equipment can be used to generate a plurality of NIR images of a target. The images can be converted into frequency space, combined using chosen weighting factors, and deconvoluted into the spatial domain to provide a composite image. The composite image can have enhanced quality relative to the individual images, allowing for a richer set of information to be displayed. Other aspects such as scanning, background illumination correction, the use of filters, and additional techniques are also discussed.
50 Citations
29 Claims
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1. An imaging system, comprising
at least two infrared radiation sources adapted for illuminating at least a portion of a biological target, said sources generating radiation at two different wavelengths, a detector optically coupled to the biological target so as to detect at least a portion of the radiation from the sources that is transmitted through said illuminated portion of the target, an image processor coupled to the detector for collecting at least two transmission images each corresponding to one of said different wavelengths, wherein said image processor combines said images to obtain a resultant infrared image of the target.
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16. An infrared imaging system, comprising
a source of infrared radiation generating at least two different wavelengths, said source being adapted for illuminating at least a portion of an object, one or more filters optically coupled to the source to allow selectively illuminating said object with radiation from said source having one of said wavelengths, a detector optically coupled to the object so as to detect at least a portion of the illuminating radiation passing through the object, an image processor coupled to the detector for processing detector signals corresponding to at least two illumination wavelengths, and generating a resultant image of the object by combining said detector signals.
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20. A method for obtaining a near infrared (NIR) image of a biological target, comprising
illuminating at least a portion of the biological target with radiation having at least two different wavelength components, detecting at least a portion of said illuminating radiation transmitted through the target to generate at least two transmission images each corresponding to one of said wavelength components, and combining said two images to generate a resultant NIR image of the target.
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26. A system for generating a near infrared (NIR) image of anatomical structures of a subject, comprising:
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a plurality of near infrared (NIR) radiation sources generating radiation at different wavelengths, a detector suitable for detecting NIR radiation, said sources and the detector being positioned so as to allow placement of at least a portion of the subject therebetween for illumination by said sources, said detector detecting at least a portion of the illuminating radiation passing through said subject to generate transmission images each corresponding to one of the wavelengths, an image processor electrically coupled to said detector to collect and combine said transmission images to generate a resultant NIR image showing one or more of said anatomical structures. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29)
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Specification