Method and apparatus for detecting cataractogenesis
First Claim
1. A method for in vivo detection of cataractogenesis in oscular tissue, comprising the steps of:
- (a) producing a substantially monochromatic, coherent, collimated light;
(b) causing the light to impinge on the ocular tissue;
(c) collecting light that is scattered from the ocular tissue, the scattered light having a fluctuating intensity;
(d) performing a mathematical analysis on the intensity and the fluctuations of the intensity of the collected light, thereby determining a signature of cataractogenesis, the signature including the intensity (Iimm) of the light scattered by immobile scatterers in the ocular tissue; and
(e) determining from the signature the degree of cataractogenesis.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and an apparatus are disclosed for using quasielastic light scattering to determine the degree of cataractogenesis of a lens in vivo. By collecting and analyzing light scattered from the lens, it is possible, using the temporal autocorrelation function, to produce a signature of cataractogenesis, accounting for scattering due to immobile scatterers. The components of the cataractogenesis can also be detected by comparing the values of the components of the signature of cataractogenesis to frequency distribution of the components taken from populations or by detecting changes in the values of the components of the signature of cataractogenesis as a function of time.
23 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method for in vivo detection of cataractogenesis in oscular tissue, comprising the steps of:
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(a) producing a substantially monochromatic, coherent, collimated light; (b) causing the light to impinge on the ocular tissue; (c) collecting light that is scattered from the ocular tissue, the scattered light having a fluctuating intensity; (d) performing a mathematical analysis on the intensity and the fluctuations of the intensity of the collected light, thereby determining a signature of cataractogenesis, the signature including the intensity (Iimm) of the light scattered by immobile scatterers in the ocular tissue; and (e) determining from the signature the degree of cataractogenesis. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. A method for in vivo detection of cataractogenesis in ocular tissue, comprising the steps of:
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(a) producing a substantially monochromatic, coherent, collimated light; (b) causing the light to impinge on the ocular tissue; (c) collecting light that is scattered from the ocular tissue, the scattered light having a fluctuating intensity; (d) performing a mathematical analysis on the intensity and the fluctuations of the intensity of the collected light to determine a signature of cataractogenesis, the signature including the intensity (Imo) of the light scattered by mobile scatterers, and the intensity (Iimm) of the light scattered by immobile scatterers in the ocular tissue; and (e) determining from the signature the degree of cataractogenesis. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for in vivo detection of cataractogenesis in ocular tissue, comprising the steps of:
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(a) producing a substantially monochromatic, coherent, collimated light; (b) causing the light to impinge on the ocular tissue; (c) collecting light that is scattered from the ocular tissue; (d) performing a correlation analysis on the collected light to determine a signature of cataractogenesis, the signature including the intensity (Imof) of the light scattered by fast moving scatterers, the diffusion decay time (τ
f) of fast moving scatterers, the intensity (Imos) of the light scattered by slow moving scatterers, the diffusion decay time (τ
S) of slow moving scatterers, and the intensity (Iimm) of the light scattered by immobile scatterers in the ocular tissue; and(e) determining from the signature the degree of cataractogenesis. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method for in vivo detection of cataractogenesis in ocular tissue of an individual subject, comprising the steps of:
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(1) For each subject in a population of subjects; (a) producing substantially monochromatic, coherent, collimated light; (b) causing the light to impinge on the subject'"'"'s ocular tissue; (c) collecting light that is scattered from the ocular tissue; and (d) performing a correlation analysis on the collected light to determine the values of variables which include the intensity (Imos) of the light scattered by slow moving scatterers, the diffusion decay time (τ
s) of the slow moving scatterers, and the intensity (Iimm) of the light scattered by immobile scatterers in the ocular tissue;(2) developing a frequency distribution of at least one of the variables; (3) for the individual subject; (a) producing substantially monochromatic, coherent, collimated light; (b) causing the light to impinge on the individual subject'"'"'s ocular tissue; (c) collecting light that is scattered from the individual subject'"'"'s ocular tissue; and (d) performing a correlation analysis on the collected light to determine the values of variables which include the intensity (Imos) of the light scattered by slow moving scatterers, the diffusion decay time (τ
s) of the slow moving scatterers, and the intensity (Iimm) of the light scattered by immobile scatterers in the individual subject'"'"'s ocular tissue; and(4) determining a rate of cataractogenesis for the individual subject, based on the position of the value of at least one variable for the individual subject relative to the frequency distribution for that variable. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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19. A method for in vivo detection of cataractogenesis in ocular tissue of an individual subject, comprising the steps of:
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(1) for the individual subject, at a first time; (a) producing a substantially monochromatic, coherent, collimated light; (b) causing the light to impinge on the ocular tissue of the individual subject; (c) collecting light that is scattered from the ocular tissue of the individual subject; and (d) performing a correlation analysis on the collected light to determine the values of variables, including the intensity (Imos) of the light scattered by and the diffusion decay time (τ
s) of the slow moving scatterers in the individual subject'"'"'s ocular tissue, and the intensity (Iimm) of the light scattered by immobile scatterers in the individual subject'"'"'s ocular tissue;(2) for the individual subject, at a second time following the first time; (a) producing a substantially monochromatic, coherent, collimated light; (b) causing the light to impinge on the ocular tissue of the individual subject; (c) collecting light that is scattered from the ocular tissue of the individual subject; and (d) performing a correlation analysis on the collected light to determine the values of variables, including the intensity (Imos) of the light scattered by and the diffusion decay time (τ
s) of the slow moving scatterers in the subject'"'"'s ocular tissue, and the intensity (Iimm) of the light scattered by immobile scatterers in the ocular tissue;(3) determining the rate of change of at least one of the variables of the individual subject'"'"'s ocular tissue as a function of age; (4) for each individual in a population of individuals; (a) producing a substantially monochromatic, coherent, collimated light; (b) causing the light to impinge on the ocular tissue of each individual subject; (c) collecting light that is scattered from the ocular tissue of each individual subject; and (d) performing a correlation analysis on the collected light to determine normal values of the rate of change with individual age of the variables for the population, including the intensity (Imos) of the light scattered by and the diffusion decay time (τ
s) of the slow moving scatterers in the subject'"'"'s ocular tissue, and the intensity (Iimm) of the light scattered by immobile scatterers in the ocular tissue; and(5) comparing the rate of change with individual age of the at least one variable for the particular individual subject to the normal value of the rate of change with age of the at least one variable for the population of subjects to detect cataractogenesis in the ocular tissue of the individual subject.
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Specification