METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRESSURE SORE DETECTION

• US 20110118575A1
• Filed: 01/21/2011
• Published: 05/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brian Patrick Wilfley, Joseph Anthony Heanue, Kate L. Bechtel, Lester John Lloyd
• Original Assignee: Brian Patrick Wilfley, Joseph Anthony Heanue, Kate L. Bechtel, Lester John Lloyd
• Inventors: WILFLEY, BRIAN PATRICK, LLOYD, LESTER JOHN, HEANUE, JOSEPH ANTHONY, BECHTEL, KATE LEEANN
• Granted Patent: US 9,408,538 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/328
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0233 Special features of optical sensors or probes classified in A61B5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/046 in a matrix array
• 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 5/0091 for mammography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/415 the glands, e.g. tonsils, adenoids or thymus
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/418 lymph vessels, ducts or nodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4312 Breast evaluation or disorder diagnosis A61B5/0091 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/447 specially adapted for aiding the prevention of ulcer or pressure sore development, i.e. before the ulcer or sore has developed
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6814 Head
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6826 Finger
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6838 Clamps or clips
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/02 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0205 Optical elements not provided otherwise, e.g. optical manifolds, diffusers, windows
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0218 using optical fibers
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/10 Arrangements of light sources specially adapted for spectrometry or colorimetry
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/2823 Imaging spectrometer
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/4406 Fluorescence spectrometry
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/0826 Fibre array at source, distributing
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/0833 Fibre array at detector, resolving

Abstract

The present invention pertains to a method and apparatus for pressure sore detection. A modulated optical signal based on a digital code sequence is transmitted to human tissue. A temporal transfer characteristic is derived from the modulated optical signal. Tissue characteristics is determined based on the temporal transfer characteristic.

Claims

1. A pressure sore detection system for detecting pressure sores in human tissue comprising:

a signal generator for generating a digital modulation signal representing a code sequence;

an optical illumination source coupled to said signal generator for receiving said digital modulation signal and for transmitting a modulated optical signal along an optical transmission path to said human tissue in response to said digital modulation signal;

a detector optically coupled to said human tissue for receiving said modulated optical signal after transmitting to said human tissue; and

a processor coupled to said detector for deriving a temporal transfer characteristic for said optical signal received by said detector.

2. The pressure sore detection system of claim 1 further comprising:

a delay component optically coupled to said optical illumination source for increasing length of said optical transmission path.

3. The pressure sore detection system of claim 2 wherein said delay component further comprises a reflective surface.

4. The pressure sore detection system of claim 1 wherein said processor is capable of determining an absorption coefficient of said human tissue based on said temporal transfer characteristic and capable of determining scattering characteristics of said human tissue based on said temporal transfer characteristic.

5. The pressure sore detection system of claim 1 wherein said processor is capable of calculating oxygen level in said human tissue based on said temporal transfer characteristic.

6. The pressure sore detection system of claim 1 wherein said processor is capable of determining water content of said human tissue based on said temporal transfer characteristic.

7. The pressure sore detection system of claim 1 wherein said processor is capable of determining hemoglobin concentration of said human tissue based on said temporal transfer characteristic.

8. The pressure sore detection system of claim 1 further comprising:

a second signal generator for generating a second digital modulation signal representing a second code sequence;

a second optical illumination source coupled to said second signal generator for receiving said second digital modulation signal and for transmitting a second modulated optical signal to said human tissue in response to said second digital modulation signal.

9. The pressure sore detection system of claim 8 wherein said second code sequence and said code sequence have the same ordering of code elements and begin at different code elements.

10. The pressure sore detection system of claim 8 further comprising:

a multidimensional reconstruction processor coupled to said processor for generating a multidimensional image based on said modulated optical signal from said optical illumination source and said second modulated optical signal from said second optical illumination source.

11. A method for detecting pressure sores in human tissue comprising:

generating a digital modulation signal associated with a code sequence;

generating a modulated optical signal based on said digital modulation signal;

transmitting said modulated optical signal to said human tissue;

receiving a modified version of said modulated optical signal after transmitting to said human tissue; and

deriving a temporal transfer characteristic for said modified version of said modulated optical signal

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

delaying said modulated optical signal to reduce noise effects.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

determining an absorption coefficient of said human tissue from said temporal transfer characteristic; and

determining scattering characteristics of said human tissue based on said temporal transfer characteristic.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

calculating oxygen level in said human tissue based on said temporal transfer characteristic.

15. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

determining hemoglobin concentration of said human tissue based on said temporal transfer characteristic.

16. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

determining water content of said human tissue based on said temporal transfer characteristic.

17. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

generating a second digital modulation signal associated with a second code sequence;

generating a second modulated optical signal based on said second digital modulation signal;

transmitting said second modulated optical signal to said human tissue;

receiving a second modified version of said second modulated optical signal after transmitting to said human tissue; and

deriving a second temporal transfer characteristic for said second modified version of said second modulated optical signal.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

generating a multidimensional image based on said modulated optical signal and said second modulated optical signal.

19. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

delaying said code sequence to generate a second code sequence;

generating a second digital modulation signal associated with said second code sequence;

generating a second modulated optical signal based on said second digital modulation signal;

transmitting said second modulated optical signal to said human tissue;

receiving a second modified version of said second modulated optical signal after transmitting to said human tissue; and

deriving a second temporal transfer characteristic for said second modified version of said second modulated optical signal.

20. A pressure sore detection system for detecting pressure sores in human tissue comprising:

means for generating a digital modulation signal associated with a code sequence;

means for generating a modulated optical signal based on said digital modulation signal;

means for transmitting said modulated optical signal to said human tissue;

means for receiving a modified version of said modulated optical signal after transmitting to said human tissue; and

means for deriving a temporal transfer characteristic for said modified version of said modulated optical signal