Blood flow determination
First Claim
1. A method of determination of blood flow to produce a map of said blood flow, said method comprising the steps of:
- scanning a rod of laser light in two directions over an area of a surface beneath which area of the surface blood flow in a vessel or vascular bed is to be determined,collecting light returning from the rod of light scattered by the surface and by blood flowing beneath the surface,measuring a spectrum of frequencies in said collected light,determining, from differences in said frequencies in said spectrum, blood flow in a vessel or vascular bed beneath said surface, andproducing from said determined blood flow the map of blood flow for a given area of said surface.
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Abstract
A method of determination of blood flow including projecting a beam (B) of laser generated light (L) to move (SM) over a surface (T) beneath which blood flow in a vessel or vascular bed is to be determined, collecting (RD)light returning scattered from the beam by the surface and by blood flowing beneath, measuring a spectrum of frequencies in said collected light, determining (DA),(F) from differences in said frequencies blood flow (VS) in a vessel or vascular bed beneath said surface. A reference for the detected frequencies is provided by light returned from the surface. A map of blood flow in a false-colour flow scale can be displayed(DU).
57 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method of determination of blood flow to produce a map of said blood flow, said method comprising the steps of:
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scanning a rod of laser light in two directions over an area of a surface beneath which area of the surface blood flow in a vessel or vascular bed is to be determined, collecting light returning from the rod of light scattered by the surface and by blood flowing beneath the surface, measuring a spectrum of frequencies in said collected light, determining, from differences in said frequencies in said spectrum, blood flow in a vessel or vascular bed beneath said surface, and producing from said determined blood flow the map of blood flow for a given area of said surface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A method of determination of blood flow further comprising the step of:
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generating and projecting a rod of laser light, causing said rod of light to scan in two directions over a surface beneath which surface blood flow in a vessel or vascular bed is to be determined, generating rod-motion information related to said moving light rod, collecting light returning from the rod and scattered by the surface and by blood flowing beneath, detecting scatter-related frequencies in said collected light, and determining, from at least said rod-motion information and said detected frequencies, blood flow in a vessel or vascular bed beneath said surface. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. Apparatus to determine blood flow comprising:
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a low-noise laser, means for directing a rod of light from said laser to a target, means for scanning the directed rod over said target in two dimensions, thereby causing said target to return the light, means for collecting light from the rod returned from said target, means for detecting frequencies in said collected light, and means responsive to the action of the means for scanning said rod and to said detected collected light frequencies for determining localized target velocity information related to the scan over the target and for providing said information as a scan-based signal. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification