NEAR-INFRARED SPECTROSCOPIC ANALYSIS OF BLOOD VESSEL WALLS

• US 20080221455A1
• Filed: 05/20/2008
• Published: 09/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Infraredx Incorporated (Nipro Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Infraredx Incorporated (Nipro Corporation)
• Inventors: Tang, Jing, Marshik-Geurts, Barbara J., Zuluaga, Andres F.
• Granted Patent: US 8,060,187 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/473
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0075 by spectroscopy, i.e. measuring spectra, e.g. Raman spectroscopy, infrared absorption spectroscopy A61B5/0071 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0086 using infrared radiation

Abstract

The invention relates to methods and devices for characterizing tissue in vivo, e.g., in walls of blood vessels, to determine whether the tissue is healthy or diseased, and include methods of displaying results with or without thresholds.

Claims

1. An in vivo method for characterizing tissue in a wall of a blood vessel wall, the method comprising

illuminating a tissue with NIR from a band consisting of wavelengths extending between 1100 nm and 1415 nm;

detecting radiation reflected from the tissue;

the radiation consisting of wavelengths between 1100 nm and 1415 nm;

on the basis of the detected radiation, characterizing the tissue; and

providing output representative of the tissue characterization.

2. An apparatus for in vivo characterization of tissue in a wall of a blood vessel, the apparatus comprising:

means for providing NIR from a selected wavelength band consisting of wavelengths between 1100 nm and 1415 nm;

a probe for insertion into a blood vessel of a patient, the probe being in optical communication with the means for providing NIR;

a detector in optical communication with the probe for detecting radiation reflected from the probe, the reflected radiation consisting of wavelengths between 1100 nm and 1415 nm; and

means for characterizing the tissue on the basis of reflected radiation consisting of wavelengths between 1100 nm and 1415 nm.