METHOD AND SYSTEM OF SPECTRALLY ENCODED IMAGING

• US 20150105622A1
• Filed: 08/17/2014
• Published: 04/16/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TECHNION RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION, LTD.
• Original Assignee: TECHNION RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION, LTD.
• Inventors: YELIN, DVIR, ABRAMOV, AVRAHAM
• Granted Patent: US 10,531,790 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/182
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00163 Optical arrangements A61B1/002, A61B1/06 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/07 using light-conductive means, e.g. optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0084 for introduction into the body, e.g. by catheters A61B5/1459 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/02 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0208 using focussing or collimating elements, e.g. lenses or mirrors; performing aberration correction
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0218 using optical fibers
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/024 using means for illuminating a slit efficiently (e.g. entrance slit of a spectrometer or entrance face of fiber)
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0256 Compact construction
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/2823 Imaging spectrometer
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/6417 Spectrofluorimetric devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/6484 Optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/55 Specular reflectivity
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/645 Specially adapted constructive features of fluorimeters
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/084 Fibres for remote transmission

Abstract

A spectrally encoded imaging device having a light transmission path arrangement which propagates light to illuminate a target object, a light collection path arrangement having a light collection waveguide which propagates a spectrally encoded portion of the light from the target object to a detector which forms an image of the target object accordingly, and a diffractive element which spectrally disperses at least one of the light and the spectrally encoded portion. The light transmission path arrangement and the light collection path arrangement are optically isolated from one another.

Claims

1-23. -23. (canceled)

24. A method of imaging a target object, comprising:

maneuvering a light collection optical fiber to a target space through at least one tubular lumen;

propagating incident light towards said target object in said target space through a light transmission path;

propagating light received from said target through said light collection optical fiber to a detector, said light collection optical fiber being physically separated from said light transmission path;

spectrally diffracting at least one of said incident light and said received light, such that said received light propagated through said light collection optical fiber is spectrally encoded; and

forming an image of said target object using said detector.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein said target space is an intrabody space, and said target object is a tissue surface.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein said propagating incident light comprises transmitting said incident light down an optical waveguide into said target space.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein said propagating incident light comprises directly illuminating said target object using a source located within said target space.

28. The method of claim 24, wherein said method is performed during a procedure selected from a group consisting of:

endoscopy, bronchoscopy, rhinoscopy, nasopharyngoscopy, laryngoscopy, and nasolaryngoscopy.

29. The method of claim 24, wherein said light received from said target comprises either incident light reflected from said target or incident light transmitted through said target or fluorescence emission from said target object resulting from illumination thereof by said incident light.

30. The method of claim 24, wherein said incident light is broadband light.

31. The method of claim 24, wherein said incident light is generated from a miniature light source disposed within said target space.

32. The method of claim 24, wherein said light transmission path comprises an illuminating optical fiber for propagating said incident light from a source located distally remote from said target space, to illuminate said target object.

33. The method of claim 24, wherein said step of spectrally diffracting is performed by a diffractive element.

34. A spectrally encoded imaging device, comprising:

a light transmission path which propagates incident light to illuminate a target object;

a light collection optical fiber, physically separate from said light transmission path, propagating spectrally encoded light received from said target object to a detector, said spectrally encoded light forming an image of said target object accordingly; and

a diffractive element which spectrally diffracts at least one of said incident light and said spectrally encoded received light.

35. A spectrally encoded imaging device according to claim 34, wherein said spectrally encoded light comprises either part of said incident light reflected from said target object, or part of said incident light transmitted through said target object, or fluorescence emission from said target object resulting from illumination thereof by said incident light.

36. A spectrally encoded imaging device according to claim 34, wherein said incident light is generated from a broadband light source.

37. A spectrally encoded imaging device according to claim 34, wherein said incident light is generated from a light source disposed at the distal end region of said imaging device.

38. A spectrally encoded imaging device according to claim 34, wherein said light transmission path comprises an illumination optical fiber for propagating said incident light from a source located at the proximal end of said device, to illuminate said target object.

39. A spectrally encoded imaging device according to claim 38, wherein said diffractive element is a grating slanted in relation to the axis of said optical fiber.

40. A spectrally encoded imaging device according to claim 34, wherein said light collection optical fiber is positioned to collect said spectrally encoded light received from said target object, and said incident light illuminating said target through said light transmission path is spectrally encoded.

41. A spectrally encoded imaging device according to claim 34, wherein said incident light is narrowband light and said target object comprises a fluorescence material which emits broadband light when excited by said narrowband light.

42. A spectrally encoded imaging device according to claim 34, wherein said light transmission path is external to an intrabody space confining said target object.

43. A spectrally encoded imaging device according to claim 34, wherein said incident light propagated along said transmission path is spectrally encoded.