METHOD OF CONTROLLING A DEVICE FOR IMAGING THE INTERIOR OF TURBID MEDIA, DEVICE FOR IMAGING THE INTERIOR OF TURBID MEDIA AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT

• US 20100262018A1
• Filed: 10/28/2008
• Published: 10/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Brendel, Bernhard J., Bakker, Levinus Pieter, Harbers, Rik, Van Der Mark, Martinus Bernardus
• Application Number:
  US12/740,145
• Publication Number:
  US 20100262018A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/476
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0091 for mammography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4312 Breast evaluation or disorder diagnosis A61B5/0091 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/1787 Tomographic, i.e. computerised reconstruction from projective measurements
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/4719 using a optical fibre array
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/15 Preventing contamination of the components of the optical system or obstruction of the light path
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/4795 spatially resolved investigating of object in scattering medium in vivo A61B
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/0826 Fibre array at source, distributing
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/0833 Fibre array at detector, resolving

Abstract

A method of controlling a device for imaging the interior of turbid media is provided. The device comprises: a receiving portion (2) for receiving a turbid medium (1) to be examined; at least one light source (6) optically connected to the receiving portion (2) for irradiating the interior of the receiving portion (2); and at least one detector (7) optically connected to the receiving portion (2) for detecting light emanating from the interior of the receiving portion (2). The at least one light source (6) and the at least one detector (7) areoptically connected to the receiving portion (2) such that a plurality of different source-detector position combinations are formed over a complete measurement. The different source-detector position combinations define different light paths through the receiving portion (2). The method comprises a fast-measurement step in which a reduced set of data corresponding to only a part of the plurality of source-detector position combinations is generated for providing fast-information about the interior of the receiving portion (2).

Claims

1. Method of controlling a device for imaging the interior of turbid media;

which device comprises;

a receiving portion (2) for receiving a turbid medium (1) to be examined;

at least one light source (6) optically connected to the receiving portion (2) for irradiating the interior of the receiving portion (2); and

at least one detector (7) optically connected to the receiving portion (2) for detecting light emanating from the interior of the receiving portion (2);

the at least one light source (6) and the at least one detector (7) being optically connected to the receiving portion (2) such that a plurality of different source-detector position combinations defining different light paths through the receiving portion (2) are formed over a complete measurement;

wherein the method comprises a fast-measurement step in which a reduced set of data corresponding to only a part of the plurality of source-detector position combinations is generated for providing fast-information about the interior of the receiving portion (2).

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein, in the fast-measurement step, the intensity of light detected by the at least one detector (7) is compared to an expected intensity and, based on this comparison, it is determined whether undesired inhomogeneities (10,11) are present in the receiving portion (2) or not.

3. Method according to claim 2, wherein a graphical representation of the comparison between the detected intensity and the expected intensity is provided to an operator of the device for imaging the interior of turbid media.

4. Method according to claim 3, wherein the graphical representation is provided such that it indicates at which position in the receiving portion an undesired inhomogeneity is present.

5. Method according to claim 1, wherein the fast-measurement step is performed to determine the dynamic behavior of a contrast agent located in the turbid medium (1) or to determine whether undesired inhomogeneities are present in the receiving portion (2).

6. Method according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of fast-measurement steps generating reduced sets of data is performed at different times.

7. Device for imaging the interior of turbid media, the device comprising:

a receiving portion (2) for receiving a turbid medium (1) to be examined;

at least one light source (6) optically connected to the receiving portion (2) for irradiating the interior of the receiving portion (2); and

at least one detector (7) optically connected to the receiving portion (2) for detecting light emanating from the interior of the receiving portion (2);

the at least one light source (6) and the at least one detector (7) being optically connected to the receiving portion (2) such that a plurality of different source-detector position combinations defining different light paths through the receiving portion (2) are formed over a complete measurement;

wherein the device further comprises a control unit (8) which is adapted to control the device such that;

a reduced set of data corresponding to only a part of the plurality of source-detector position combinations is generated in a fast-measurement step for providing fast-information about the interior of the receiving portion (2).

8. Device according to claim 7, wherein the receiving portion (2) comprises a plurality of light guides (5) for optically connecting to the at least one detector (7) and to the at least one light source (6), and wherein the control unit (8) is further adapted such that, during the fast-measurement step, a reduced number of these light guides (5) is used for subsequently directing light into the interior of the receiving portion (2).

9. Device according to claim 7, wherein the control unit (8) is adapted such that, in the fast-measurement step, only light guides (5) located in an upper part of the receiving portion (2) are used for directing light into the receiving portion (2).

10. Device according to claim 8, wherein the plurality of light guides (5) are arranged on the receiving portion (2) in a ring-like structure comprising a plurality of rings (5-1^st, 5-2^nd, . . . , 5-n^th) or sections thereof located in planes perpendicular to a vertical axis (Z), and the control unit (8) is adapted such that, in the fast-measurement step, only upper ones (5-1^st, 5-2^nd, . . . ) of the rings of light guides are used for directing light into the receiving portion (2).

11. Device according to claim 10, wherein the control unit (8) is adapted such that, during the fast-measurement, only the topmost ring of light guides (5-1^st) is used for directing light into the receiving portion (2).

12. Device according to claim 7, wherein the receiving portion (2) is realized in a cup-like form having a plurality of rings (5-1^st, 5-2^nd, . . . , 5-n^th) of light guides (5) or comprises parallel surfaces having rows of light guides (5).

13. Device according to claim 8, wherein a switch element (9) is provided for subsequently directing light from the at least one light source (6) into the light guides (5);

and wherein ends of said light guides (5) used during the fast-measurement step, which ends are located in the switch element, are arranged adjacent to each other without ends of light guides (5) not used in the fast-measurement step interposed therebetween.

14. Device according to claim 7, wherein the device is a medical image acquisition device.

15. Computer program product for a device for imaging the interior of turbid media;

which device comprises;

a receiving portion (2) for receiving a turbid medium (1) to be examined;

at least one light source (6) optically connected to the receiving portion (2) for irradiating the interior of the receiving portion (2);

at least one detector (7) optically connected to the receiving portion (2) for detecting light emanating from the interior of the receiving portion (2);

the at least one light source (6) and the at least one detector (7) being optically connected to the receiving portion (2) such that a plurality of different source-detector position combinations defining different light paths through the receiving portion (2) are formed over a complete measurement; and

a control unit (8) controlling the operation of the device;

wherein the computer program product is adapted such that, when loaded in the control unit (8), the device is controlled such that;

a fast-measurement step is performed in which a reduced set of data corresponding to only a part of the plurality of source-detector position combinations is generated for providing fast-information about the interior of the receiving portion (2).