Multispectral Detection and Presentation of an Object's Characteristics

• US 20150105648A1
• Filed: 10/15/2013
• Published: 04/16/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AccuVein LLC
• Original Assignee: AccuVein LLC
• Inventors: Wood, Fred, Goldman, Ron, Luciano, Vincent
• Granted Patent: US 11,051,697 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/407
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/366 using projection of images directly onto the body
• 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 5/0075 by spectroscopy, i.e. measuring spectra, e.g. Raman spectroscopy, infrared absorption spectroscopy A61B5/0071 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0077 Devices for viewing the surface of the body, e.g. camera, magnifying lens
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0088 for oral or dental tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4887 Locating particular structures in or on the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/489 Blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/427 Locating point where body is to be pierced, e.g. vein location means using ultrasonic waves, injection site templates

Abstract

An apparatus for capturing a multispectral image of an object is described. The apparatus includes one or more means for transmitting a beam of laser light at a first wavelength and a beam of laser light at one or more additional wavelengths different from the first wavelength. There is a means for causing the beams of laser light to travel in a coaxial path and a moving mirror. The beams of light bounce off the mirror thereby producing a two dimensional projection pattern. This pattern travels from the mirror along a first path to an object and wherein some of the laser light penetrates the object and travels to an internal structure of the object. The reflection of the laser light returns to a photo detector along a path different from said first path.

Claims

1. A trans-illumination imaging system, for use in capturing a multispectral image of a deep internal structure of an object with reduced noise from surface reflections, to produce a high contrast-ratio image of deep internal structure using high laser power, said trans-illumination imaging system comprising;

means to transmit a beam of light comprising two or more different wavelengths;

means to scan said beam of light in a first direction and in a second direction, with a first maximum angle between said beam of light at a beginning and an end of said first scan direction, and with a second maximum angle between said beam of light at a beginning and an end of said second scan direction, to scan said beam of light along a plurality of optical paths in a two dimensional scan pattern upon the object;

an array of photo detectors;

an optical element for each said photo detector, each said optical element configured to restrict a respective field of view (FOV) of each said photo detector;

wherein said first maximum angle of said scan pattern is configured so that said scanned light falls on a substantially small portion of the object in the first direction, and said restricted FOV of each said photo detector is not aligned with said plurality of optical paths of said scan pattern; and

wherein each said restricted FOV photo detector is thereby configured to detect said scanned two or more wavelengths of light after being differentially absorbed by the internal structure and the surrounding areas, with reduced noise from surface reflections;

each said photo detector further configured to output a signal of a contrast formed by the absorption spectrum of said two or more wavelengths by the internal structure, with said means to transmit further configured to project one or more visible wavelengths of light, and by using said output signal from said photodetectors, to selectively project said contrast onto the surface of the object.

2. The trans-illumination imaging system according to claim 1, wherein said photo detectors of said array and each said respective FOV are configured to move synchronously about the object to remain unaligned with said plurality of optical paths of said scan pattern.

3. The trans-illumination imaging system according to claim 2, wherein said array of photo detectors comprises a ring of said photo detectors uniformly distributed around the object.