TIME-SHARING FLUOROMETER AND REFLECTOMETER

• US 3,811,777 A
• Filed: 02/06/1973
• Issued: 05/21/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Britton Chance
• Original Assignee: Britton Chance
• Inventors: Chance, Britton
• Primary Examiner(s): Wibert, Ronald L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): McGraw, V. P.
• Application Number:
  US05/330,041
• Time in Patent Office: 469 Days
• Field of Search: 250/227,217R,458,461 128/2L 356/72,73,96,97,186,188,189,209,211,85 23/23B
• US Class Current: 356/73
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/076 Permanent implantations telemetry using implanted circuitry A61B5/0031; implanted stimulators for therapy A61N1/3605, A61N1/362, A61N1/372
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14553 specially adapted for cerebral tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14556 by fluorescence A61B5/14555 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/1734 Sequential different kinds of measurements; Combining two or more methods
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/55 Specular reflectivity
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/631 using photolysis and investigating photolysed fragments
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/645 Specially adapted constructive features of fluorimeters

Abstract

A spectrophotometric probe apparatus including a light source, a photomultiplier and a rotary filter wheel, with respective light pipes located to receive excitation light through one filter from the source and to transmit emission or reflectance light through an opposite filter to the photomultiplier. The remote ends of the light pipes are located adjacent to the area of observation and may be secured together to form a bundle. An additional light pipe may be added to the bundle to inject a photolysis flash on the tissue being studied, and the bundle may be attached to a chamber which can be implanted adjacent the living tissue and which is provided with ducts for passing perturbation gases through the chamber.

Claims

1. Spectrophotometric apparatus for studying chemical reactions in living tissue comprising a source of radiant energy, a photosensitive signal-generating member, a probe chamber having a chemically permeable transparent wall portion engageable over an area of living tissue to be studied and allowing transmission of chemical reagents in the chamber to said area, light transmission means between said source and the chamber and between the chamber and the photosensitive member arranged to include said tissue area in the optical path between the source and the photosensitive member, and fluid conduit means connected to said chamber for admitting a chemical perturbation medium of a type which induces an optical effect on the tissue responsive to chemical reaction between the medium and the tissue.

2. The spectrophotometric apparatus of claim 1, and wherein said fluid conduit means comprises respective inlet and outlet ducts connected to said chamber at points spaced such that said chemically permeable wall portion is located between the connections, whereby the perturbation medium flows over said permeable wall portion.

3. The spectrophotometric apparatus of claim 1, and wherein said light transmission means includes a rotary filter disc having a plurality of spaced filter elements, said source and photosensitive member being mounted over one side of the disc and spaced so as to be simultaneously aligned with a pair of said filter elements, and respective light pipes mounted adjacent the other side of said disc and having ends respectively located in the optical paths containing said pair of filter elements, said source and said photosensitive member, the opposite ends of the light pipes being arranged adjacent each other inside the chamber and being directed toward said chemically permeable wall portion.

4. The spectrophotometric apparatus of claim 3, and wherein said opposite ends are merged together to define a bundle directed into the chamber.

5. The spectrophotometric apparatus of claim 3, and means to at times provide a short flash of photolyzing radiant energy in the chamber, comprising a radiant energy flash source and a light pipe coupling said flash source to said chamber, the outlet end of said last-named light pipe being merged with said opposite ends of the first-named light pipes to form a common bundle directed into the chamber.

6. The spectrophotometric apparatus of claim 1, and means to at times provide a short flash of photolyzing radiant energy in the chamber.

7. The spectrophotometric apparatus of claim 6, and wherein the means providing the short flash comprises a radiant energy flash source.

8. The spectrophotometric apparatus of claim 7, and a light pipe optically coupling said flash source to said chamber.

9. The spectrophotometric apparatus of claim 7, and wherein the radiant energy flash source comprises a liquid dye laser.

10. The spectrophotometric apparatus of claim 1, and wherein said chemically permeable wall portion comprises a transparent chemically permeable membrane adapted to overly said area of living tissue.

11. The spectrophotometric apparatus of claim 1, and wherein said source is monochromatic.

12. The spectrophotometric apparatus of claim 1, and wherein the light transmission means between the chamber and the photosensitive member includes an optical filter.