Apparatus for measuring blood flow
First Claim
1. An apparatus for measuring a blood flow, comprising:
- a scanning optical system having optical components for guiding a coherent light beam to impinge on a stationary measurement spot of a measurement plane of an in vivo tissue;
a light receiving optical system for focusing a light image of the measurement plane in the vicinity of an image point conjugate with the stationary measurement spot, the light image having an optical axis, and the light receiving optical system sharing at least a part of the optical components of the scanning optical system;
at least one photodetecting means disposed at prescribed positions perpendicular to the optical axis and in the vicinity of the image point for measuring light scattered from the in vivo tissue to provide blood flow information related to blood flowing at a depth within the in vivo tissue;
video imaging means for receiving a visible image of the measurement plane and converting it into a video image; and
image superimposing means for superimposing blood flow information corresponding to the position of the stationary measurement spot on the video image and displaying the superimposed blood flow information and video image as a composite visible image.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for measuring blood flow in which an optical system guides a coherent light beam to impinge on a stationary measurement spot of a measurement plane of an in vivo tissue. A light-receiving optical system focuses a light image of the measurement plane in the vicinity of an image point conjugate with the stationary measurement spot. The light-receiving optical system shares at least part of the optical components of the guiding optical system. Photodetectors are disposed at prescribed positions perpendicular to the optical axis of the light-receiving optical system, and in the vicinity of the image point, for measuring light scattered from the in vivo tissue to provide blood flow information. The blood flow information is related to blood flowing at a depth within the in vivo tissue. A visible image of the measurement plane is converted into a video image. The blood flow information corresponding to the position of the stationary measurement spot is superimposed on the video image and displayed to obtain a composite visible image.
264 Citations
9 Claims
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1. An apparatus for measuring a blood flow, comprising:
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a scanning optical system having optical components for guiding a coherent light beam to impinge on a stationary measurement spot of a measurement plane of an in vivo tissue; a light receiving optical system for focusing a light image of the measurement plane in the vicinity of an image point conjugate with the stationary measurement spot, the light image having an optical axis, and the light receiving optical system sharing at least a part of the optical components of the scanning optical system; at least one photodetecting means disposed at prescribed positions perpendicular to the optical axis and in the vicinity of the image point for measuring light scattered from the in vivo tissue to provide blood flow information related to blood flowing at a depth within the in vivo tissue; video imaging means for receiving a visible image of the measurement plane and converting it into a video image; and image superimposing means for superimposing blood flow information corresponding to the position of the stationary measurement spot on the video image and displaying the superimposed blood flow information and video image as a composite visible image. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method for measuring blood flow and displaying blood flow information, comprising the steps:
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guiding a coherent light beam to impinge on a stationary measurement spot of a measurement plane of an in vivo tissue to obtain an image of the measurement plane of the in vivo tissue; focusing the image of the measurement plane of the in vivo tissue about an image point which corresponds to the stationary measurement spot; measuring coherent light scattered from the measurement plane of the in vivo tissue at the stationary measurement spot to obtain blood flow information related to flood flowing in the measurement plane of the in vivo tissue; forming a visible image of the measurement plane and converting the visible image into a video image; superimposing the blood flow information corresponding to the position of the stationary measurement spot on the video image; and displaying the superimposed blood flow information and video image as a composite visible image. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9)
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Specification