Systems, devices, and methods including a dark-field reflected-illumination apparatus

• US 20110194176A1
• Filed: 10/25/2010
• Published: 08/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tokitae LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Tokitae LLC A Limited Liability Company of The State of Delaware
• Inventors: Wilson, Benjamin K., Hegg, Michael C., Behrend, Matthew R., Horning, Matthew P.
• Granted Patent: US 9,044,141 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/387
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/0008 provided with illuminating means A61B3/117 takes precedence; goniolenses used for laser treatment A61F9/009; illuminating means for optical instruments G02B27/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/1225 using coherent radiation
• 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 5/1455 using optical sensors, e.g. spectral photometrical oximeters
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/6893 for protozoa
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/4742 comprising optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/4759 Annular illumination
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2333/445 Plasmodium
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/084 having annular illumination around the objective
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/10 affording dark-field illumination G02B21/14 and G02B21/125 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 50/30 Against vector-borne diseases, e.g. mosquito-borne, fly-borne, tick-borne or waterborne diseases whose impact is exacerbated by climate change

Abstract

Systems, devices, and methods are described for providing a monitor or treatment device configured to, for example, detect hemozoin, as well as to monitor or treat a malarial infection.

Claims

1. A dark-field reflected-illumination apparatus, comprising:

a dark-field illuminator including

a body structure having an aperture and a plurality of waveguide assemblies, the plurality of waveguide assemblies including one or more electromagnetic energy waveguides configured to be coupled to at least one electromagnetic energy emitter, and the plurality of waveguide assemblies oriented to focus electromagnetic energy onto at least one focal region within the aperture at one or more angles of incidence relative to an optical axis of an optical assembly; and

means for adjusting a dark-field illuminator distance relative to an optical assembly along an axis substantially parallel to an optical axis of the optical assembly.

2. The dark-field reflected-illumination apparatus of claim 1, wherein the means for adjusting the dark-field illuminator distance relative to an optical assembly includes a computing device operably coupled to at least one of a rotatable-adjustment structure, a threaded adjustment structure, or a slidable-adjustment structure, the computing device configured to actuate a displacement, via at least one of a one of the rotatable-adjustment structure, the threaded adjustment structure, or the slidable-adjustment structure, of the dark-field illuminator relative to an optical assembly, along an axis substantially parallel to an optical axis of the optical assembly.

3. The dark-field reflected-illumination apparatus of claim 1, wherein the means for adjusting the dark-field illuminator distance relative to an optical assembly includes at least one externally threaded annular structure configure to threadedly engage an internally threaded annular structure that when actuated to rotated relative to the externally threaded annular structure, causes the dark-field illuminator to displace relative to an optical assembly along an axis substantially parallel to an optical axis of the optical assembly.

5. The dark-field reflected-illumination apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of waveguide assemblies are arranged about the aperture in one or more radially symmetric patterns.

6. The dark-field reflected-illumination apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of waveguide assemblies are arrange about the aperture in one or more rotationally symmetric patterns.

11. The dark-field reflected-illumination apparatus of claim 1, wherein the dark-field illuminator is configured to deliver a plurality of electromagnetic energy beams onto a focal region within the aperture at two or more azimuthal angles relative to an optical axis of an optical assembly.

12. The dark-field reflected-illumination apparatus of claim 1, wherein the dark-field illuminator is configured to deliver electromagnetic energy at two or more angles of incidence onto two or more focal region locations.

16. The dark-field reflected-illumination apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of waveguide assemblies includes at least one adjustable polarizer.

20. The dark-field reflected-illumination apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of waveguide assemblies includes at least one plano-convex lens.

22. The dark-field reflected-illumination apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of waveguide assemblies includes at least one multi-focal lens.

24. The dark-field reflected-illumination apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of waveguide assemblies includes at least one liquid lens.

28. The dark-field reflected-illumination apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of waveguide assemblies includes at least one microlens array.

31. The dark-field reflected-illumination apparatus of claim 1, wherein electromagnetic energy emitter includes at least one femtosecond laser.

32. The dark-field reflected-illumination apparatus of claim 1, the dark-field illuminator further comprising:

means for adjusting an angle of incidence of electromagnetic energy emitted by the plurality of waveguide assemblies.

33. The dark-field reflected-illumination apparatus of claim 32, wherein the means for adjusting the angle of incidence of electromagnetic energy emitted includes at least one computing device operably coupled to an electro-optic lens system.

34. The dark-field reflected-illumination apparatus of claim 32, wherein the means for adjusting the angle of incidence of electromagnetic energy emitted includes at least one computing device operably coupled to one or more tunable optic components.

35. The dark-field reflected-illumination apparatus of claim 32, wherein the means for adjusting the angle of incidence of electromagnetic energy emitted includes at least one computing device operably coupled to at least one of an electro-mechanical component, an opto-mechanical component, an electro-optic component, or an acousto-optic component.

36. The dark-field reflected-illumination apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

means for adjusting an angle of incidence of electromagnetic energy delivered by the dark-field illuminator.

37. The dark-field reflected-illumination apparatus of claim 36, wherein the means for adjusting the angle of incidence of electromagnetic energy delivered by the dark-field illuminator includes a computing device operably coupled to at least one of a mechanical-optic component, an electro-optic component, or an acousto-optic component.

38. The dark-field reflected-illumination apparatus of claim 36, wherein the means for adjusting the angle of incidence of electromagnetic energy delivered by the dark-field illuminator includes a computing device operably coupled to at least one of an optical waveguide configured to change an angle of incidence of electromagnetic energy delivered by one or more of the plurality of waveguide assemblies.

39. The dark-field reflected-illumination apparatus of claim 36, wherein the means for adjusting the angle of incidence of electromagnetic energy delivered by the dark-field illuminator includes a computing device operably coupled to at least one tunable liquid lens.

40. The dark-field reflected-illumination apparatus of claim 36, wherein the means for adjusting the angle of incidence of electromagnetic energy delivered by the dark-field illuminator includes a computing device operably coupled to at least one optical micro-prism.

41. The dark-field reflected-illumination apparatus of claim 36, wherein the means for adjusting the angle of incidence of electromagnetic energy delivered by the dark-field illuminator includes a computing device operably coupled to one or more micro-lens-arrays.

42. The dark-field reflected-illumination apparatus of claim 1, wherein the dark-field reflected-illumination apparatus is configured to removably attach to an optical assembly by a bayonet coupling, a friction fit coupling, a snap fit coupling, or a threaded coupling.

43. The dark-field reflected-illumination apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a coupling structure configured to removably attach the dark-field reflected-illumination apparatus to an optical assembly.

47. The dark-field reflected-illumination apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

means for removably attaching the dark-field reflected-illumination apparatus to an optical assembly.

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48. A malaria detection apparatus, comprising:

an optical assembly having a sample side, a detector side, and an optical axis therethrough;

a dark-field illuminator proximate the sample side of the optical assembly, the dark-field illuminator including

a plurality of waveguide assemblies, and

a body structure having an aperture aligned along an axis substantially parallel to an optical axis; and

means for adjusting a dark-field illuminator distance relative to an optical assembly along an axis substantially parallel to an optical axis of the optical assembly;