Method for measuring internal information in a scattering medium and apparatus for the same

• US 5,640,247 A
• Filed: 12/01/1994
• Issued: 06/17/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hamamatsu Photonics KK
• Original Assignee: Hamamatsu Photonics KK
• Inventors: Tsuchiya, Yutaka, Ohta, Kazuyoshi, Urakami, Tsuneyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Font, Frank G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): VIERRA EISENBERG, JASON D
• Application Number:
  US08/353,202
• Time in Patent Office: 929 Days
• Field of Search: 356/41, 356/338, 356/340, 356/343, 356/434-435, 356/446-447, 356/73, 128/664-665, 128/633
• US Class Current: 356/446
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/49 within a body or fluid

Abstract

Light having a predetermined wavelength and various incident angle components to be incident on a surface of a scattering medium to generate an equivalent point light source or a group of equivalent point light sources near or on the surface of the scattering medium, and light diffused during propagation in the scattering medium is detected outside, and considering isotropic light from the equivalent light sources is immediately diffused, the optically detected signal is processed to detect a predetermined parameter which is primary information and this predetermined parameter is processed to measure internal information which is secondary information in the scattering medium with high accuracy.

Claims

1. A method for measuring a scattering medium comprising:

emitting light having a predetermined wavelength;

causing said light to be incident on a scattering medium through a light incident point so that said light has various incident angle components at the light incident point;

detecting the light having said predetermined wavelength, diffused during propagation in said scattering medium at a photodetection point different from the light incident point to obtain an optically detected signal;

processing said optically detected signal to detect a predetermined parameter, said predetermined parameter being primary information relating to a scattering characteristic and an absorption characteristic on a diffusion-propagation path, and being selected from the group consisting of a phase delay of a signal having a predetermined modulated frequency component included in said optically detected signal, a time integral value of time-waveform of said optically detected signal, a delay time of time-waveform of said optically detected signal, a differential coefficient of time-waveform of said optically detected signal and an amplitude of a signal having a predetermined modulated frequency component included in said optically detected signal; and

processing said predetermined parameter based on a relation between a scattering characteristic and an absorption characteristic corresponding to said light having said predetermined wavelength on said diffusion-propagation path, and said predetermined parameter to calculate internal information in said scattering medium, said relation being a solution of a photon diffusion equation obtained by using an assumption that light diffusion of said light starts immediately from the light incident point, said internal information being secondary information and being selected from the group consisting of an absorption coefficient, a transport scattering coefficient and an effective attenuation coefficient.

2. A method for measuring a scattering medium according to claim 1, wherein said light having said predetermined wavelength is a plurality of light beams having a plurality of wavelengths, each having a different absorption coefficient to a specific constituent of said scattering medium;

said optically detected signal is a plurality of signals obtained corresponding to said light beams;

said predetermined parameter which is the primary information is a plurality of parameters detected by processing each said optically detected signal; and

said relation is a plurality of relations between a scattering characteristic and an absorptive characteristic corresponding to each said light beam having said predetermined wavelength on said diffusion-propagation path, and said predetermined parameters.

3. A method for measuring a scattering medium according to claim 1, wherein said optically detected signal is a plurality of signals obtained by detecting said light having said predetermined wavelength and diffused during propagation on said diffusion-propagation path in said scattering medium corresponding to a plurality of different distances between said light incident point and said photodetection point;

said predetermined parameter which is the primary information is a plurality of parameters detected by processing each said optically detected signal; and

said relation is a plurality of relations between a scattering characteristic and an absorptive characteristic corresponding to said light having said predetermined wavelength on the diffusion-propagation path, and said predetermined parameters.

4. A method for measuring a scattering medium according to claim 1, wherein said light having said predetermined wavelength is modulated light.

5. A method for measuring a scattering medium according to claim 1, wherein said light having said predetermined wavelength is modulated light having a predetermined modulated frequency component;

and

said predetermined parameter which is the primary information is a phase delay of a signal having said predetermined frequency component detected by processing said optically detected signal.

6. A method for measuring a scattering medium according to claim 1, wherein said light having said predetermined wavelength is a plurality of modulated light beams having predetermined modulated frequency components which are different from each other;

said optically detected signal is a plurality of signals obtained corresponding to said plurality of modulated light beams;

said predetermined parameter which is the primary information is a plurality of phase delays of said signals having said predetermined modulated frequency components detected by processing said optically detected signals; and

said relation is a plurality of relations between a scattering characteristic and an absorptive characteristic corresponding to each said modulated light beam having said predetermined modulated frequency component and said predetermined wavelength on the diffusion-propagation path, and said predetermined parameters.

7. A method for measuring a scattering medium according to claim 1, wherein said predetermined parameter which is the primary information is a time integral value of time-waveform of said optically detected signal.

8. A method for measuring a scattering medium according to claim 1, wherein said predetermined parameter which is the primary information is a delay time of time-waveform of said optically detected signal.

9. A method for measuring a scattering medium according to claim 1, wherein said predetermined parameter which is the primary information is a differential coefficient of time-waveform of said optically detected signal.

10. A method for measuring a scattering medium according to claim 1, wherein said light having said predetermined wavelength is modulated light having a predetermined modulated frequency component, and said predetermined parameter which is the primary information is an amplitude of a signal having the same frequency component as that of said modulated light, included in said optically detected signals.

11. A method for measuring a scattering medium according to claim 1, wherein said light having said predetermined wavelength is a plurality of modulated light beams having predetermined modulated frequency components which are different from each other;

said optically detected signal is a plurality of signals obtained corresponding to said plurality of modulated light beams;

said predetermined parameter which is the primary information is a plurality of amplitudes of signals having said predetermined modulated frequency components detected by processing said optically detected signals; and

said relation is a plurality of relations between a scattering characteristic and an absorptive characteristic corresponding to each said modulated light beam having said predetermined modulated frequency component and said predetermined wavelength on the diffusion-propagation path, and said predetermined parameters.

12. A method for measuring a scattering medium according to claim 1, wherein said relation is represented by an equation derived from the following equation:

##EQU10## where φ

represents photon fluence rate, p represents distance between light incident point and photodetection point,

z represents position,

t represents time,

c represents speed of light,

D represents diffusion coefficient=[3(μ

_a +μ

_S '"'"')]^-1 =(3μ

_tr)^-1,

μ

_a represents absorption coefficient,

μ

_S '"'"' represents transport scattering coefficient,

μ

_tr represents transport attenuation coefficient, and

z₀ =0.7104/μ

_tr =2.1312 D.

13. A method for measuring a scattering medium according to claim 1, wherein said relation is represented by an equation selected from the group consisting of the following equations:

##EQU11## where J represents photon current density,

g represents mean cosine θ

of the scattering angle θ

.

c represents speed of light,

D represents diffusion coefficient,=[3(μ

_a +μ

_S '"'"')]^-1 =(3μ

_tr)^-1,

μ

_a represents absorption coefficient,

μ

_S '"'"' represents transport scattering coefficient,

μ

_tr represents transport attenuation coefficient,

z₀ =0.7104/μ

_tr =2.1312 D,

t represents time,

q² =ρ

² +(2z₀)²,

ρ

represents distance between light incident point and photodetection point,

φ

represents photon fluence rate,

<

L>

represents average optical pathlength=c<

t>

<

t>

represents mean delay time of temporal waveform of photon current or the mean time of photon flight,

μ

_eff represents effective attenuation coefficient=[μ

_a /D]^1/2,

I represents time integral value of photon current density,

Φ

represents phase delay of Fourier transform F(ω

) of photon current density,

ω

represents angular frequency of a modulated component of incident light, and θ

=tan^-1 (ω

/cμ

_a).

14. A method for measuring a scattering medium according to claim 1, wherein said relation is represented by an equation derived from the following equation;

##EQU12## where φ

represents photon fluence rate,

ρ

represents distance between light incident point and photodetection point,

z represents position,

t represents time,

c represents speed of light,

D represents diffusion coefficient=[3(μ

_a +μ

_S '"'"')]^-1 =(3μ

_tr)^-1,

μ

_a represents absorption coefficient,

μ

_S '"'"' represents transport scattering coefficient,

μ

_tr represents transport attenuation coefficient, and

z₀ =0.7104/μ

_tr =2.1312 D.

15. A method for measuring a scattering medium according to claim 1, wherein said relation is represented by an equation selected from the group consisting of the following equations:

##EQU13## where J represents photon current density,

g represents mean cosine θ

of the scattering angle θ

,

c represents speed of light,

D represents diffusion coefficient=[3(μ

_a +μ

_S '"'"')]^-1 =(3μ

_tr)^-1,

μ

_a represents absorption coefficient,

μ

_S '"'"' represents transport scattering coefficient,

μ

_tr represents transport attenuation coefficient,

z₀ =0.7104/μ

_tr =2.1312 D,

t represents time,

q² =ρ

² +(2z₀)²,

ρ and

d each represent distance between light incident point and photodetection point,

φ

represents photon fluence rate,

<

L>

represents average optical pathlength=c<

t>

<

t>

represents mean delay time of temporal waveform of photon current or the mean time of photon flight,

μ

_eff represents effective attenuation coefficient=[μ

_a /D]^1/2,

I represents time integral value of photon current density,

Φ

represents phase delay of Fourier transform F(ω

) of photon current density,

ω

represents angular frequency of a modulated component of incident light,

θ

=tan^-1 (ω

/cμ

_a),

α

.sub. =- tan^-1 {(1+exp (-2z₀ μ

_eff))tan(θ

/2)}, and

α

.sub. =- tan^-1 {(θ

/2) (4z₀ μ

_eff /(exp (2z₀ μ

_eff) -1))}.

18. An apparatus for measuring a scattering medium according to claim 13, wherein said light-incident means and said photodetecting means are placed so that distances between light-incident points and photodetection points are different from each other;

said photodetecting means detects each said light having said predetermined wavelength diffused during propagation on the diffusion-propagation path in said scattering medium corresponding to each said distance between said light-incident point and said photodetection point to obtain a plurality of optically detected signals;

said parameter arithmetic processing means processes each said optically detected signal to detect a plurality of parameters as said predetermined parameter which is primary information; and

said internal information arithmetic processing means processes said predetermined parameters based on a plurality of relations between a scattering characteristic and an absorption characteristic corresponding to said light having said predetermined wavelength on said diffusion-propagation path, and said predetermined parameters to calculate internal information which is the secondary information in said scattering medium.

16. An apparatus for measuring a scattering medium comprising:

a light source for emitting light having a predetermined wavelength;

light-incident means for causing said light to be incident on a scattering medium through a light incident point so that said light has simultaneous multiple angles of incidence various incident angle components at the light incident point;

photodetecting means for detecting said light having said predetermined wavelength diffused during propagation in said scattering medium at a photodetecting point different from the light incident point to obtain an optically detected signal;

parameter arithmetic processing means for processing said optically detected signal to detect a predetermined parameter, said predetermined parameter being primary information relating to a scattering characteristic and an absorption characteristic on a diffusion-propagation path, and being selected from the group consisting of a phase delay of a signal having a predetermined modulated frequency component included in said optically detected signal, a time integral value of time-waveform of said optically detected signal, a delay time of time-waveform of said optically detected signal, a differential coefficient of time-waveform of said optically detected signal and an amplitude of a signal having a predetermined modulated frequency component included in said optically detected signal; and

internal information arithmetic processing means for processing said predetermined parameter, on assumption that said light is diffused immediately after incidence from the light incident point, based on a relation between a scattering characteristic and an absorption characteristic corresponding to said light having said predetermined wavelength on said diffusion-propagation path, and said predetermined parameter to calculate internal information in said scattering medium, said relation being a solution of a photon diffusion equation obtained by using an assumption that light diffusion of said light starts immediately from the light incident point, said internal information being secondary information and being selected from the group consisting of an absorption coefficient, a transport scattering coefficient and an effective attenuation coefficient.

17. An apparatus for measuring a scattering medium according to claim 16, wherein said light source generates a plurality of light beams having a plurality of wavelengths, each having a different absorption coefficient to a specific constituent in said scattering medium;

said photodetecting means obtains said optically detected signal which is a plurality of signals obtained corresponding to of said light beams;

said parameter processing means processes each said optically detected signal to detect a plurality of parameters as said predetermined parameter which is the primary information; and

said internal information arithmetic processing means processes said parameters based on a plurality of relations between a scattering characteristic and an absorption characteristic corresponding to each said light beam having said predetermined wavelength on said diffusion-propagation path, and said predetermined parameters to calculate internal information which is the secondary information in said scattering medium.

19. An apparatus for measuring a scattering medium according to claim 16, wherein said light source is a light source for generating modulated light having a predetermined wavelength.

20. An apparatus for measuring a scattering medium according to claim 16, wherein said light source generates modulated light having a predetermined wavelength and a predetermined modulated frequency component;

said photodetecting means detects said light having said predetermined wavelength and said predetermined modulated frequency component to obtain an optically detected signal; and

said parameter processing means processes said optically detected signal corresponding to said predetermined frequency component to detect a phase delay of said signal having said predetermined modulated frequency component which is the primary information.

21. An apparatus for measuring a scattering medium according to claim 16, wherein said light source generates a plurality of modulated light beams, each having a predetermined wavelength and a different predetermined modulated frequency component;

said photodetection means detects each said modulated light beam to obtain a plurality of optically detected signals;

said parameter arithmetic processing means processes each said optically detected signal to detect a plurality of phase delays of said signals having said predetermined modulated frequency components, said phase delays being the primary information; and

said internal information arithmetic processing means processes said phase delays based on a plurality of relations between a scattering characteristic and an absorption characteristic corresponding to each said modulated light beam having said predetermined modulated frequency component and said predetermined wavelength on said diffusion-propagation path, and said phase delays to calculate internal information which is the secondary information in said scattering medium.

22. An apparatus for measuring a scattering medium according to claim 16, wherein said relation is represented by an equation derived from the following equation:

##EQU14## where φ

represents photon fluence rate,

ρ

represents distance between light incident point and photodetection point,

z represents position,

t represents time,

c represents speed of light,

D represents diffusion coefficient=[3(μ

_a +μ

_S '"'"')]^-1 =(3μ

_tr)^-1,

μ

_a represents absorption coefficient,

μ

_S '"'"' represents transport scattering coefficient,

μ

_tr represents transport attenuation coefficient, and

Z₀ =0.7104/μ

_tr =2.1312 D.

23. An apparatus for measuring a scattering medium according to claim 16, wherein said relation is represented by an equation selected from the group consisting of the following equations:

##EQU15## where J represents photon current density,

g represents mean cosine θ

of the scattering angle θ

,

c represents speed of light,

D represents diffusion coefficient=[3(μ

_a +μ

_S '"'"')]^-1 =(3μ

_tr)^-1.

μ

_a represents absorption coefficient,

μ

_S '"'"' represents transport scattering coefficient,

μ

_tr represents transport attenuation coefficient,

z₀ =0.7104/μ

_tr =2.1312 D,

t represents time,

q² =ρ

² +(2z₀)²,

ρ

represents distance between light incident point and photodetection point,

φ

represents photon fluence rate,

<

L>

represents average optical pathlength=c<

t>

<

t>

represents mean delay time of temporal waveform of photon current or the mean time of photon flight,

μ

_eff represents effective attenuation coefficient=[μ

_a /D]^1/2,

I represents time integral value of photon current density,

Φ

represents phase delay of Fourier transform F(ω

) of photon current density,

ω

represents angular frequency of a modulated component of incident light, and

θ

=tan^-1 (ω

/cμ

_a).

24. An apparatus for measuring a scattering medium according to claim 16, wherein said relation is represented by an equation derived from the following equation:

##EQU16## where φ

represents photon fluence rate,

ρ

represents distance between light incident point and photodetection point,

z represents position,

t represents time,

c represents speed of light,

D represents diffusion coefficient=[3(μ

_a +μ

_S '"'"')]^-1 =(3μ

_tr)^-1,

μ

_a represents absorption coefficient,

μ

_S '"'"' represents transport scattering coefficient,

μ

_tr represents transport attenuation coefficient, and

z₀ =0.7104/μ

_tr =2.1312 D.

25. An apparatus for measuring a scattering medium according to claim 16, wherein said relation is represented by an equation selected from the group consisting of the following equations:

##EQU17## where J represents photon current density,

g represents mean cosine θ

of the scattering angle θ

,

c represents speed of light,

D represents diffusion coefficient=[3(μ

_a +μ

_S '"'"')]^-1 =(3μ

_tr)^-1,

μ

_a represents absorption coefficient,

_S '"'"' represents transport scattering coefficient,

μ

_tr represents transport attenuation coefficient,

z₀ =0.7104/μ

_tr =2.1312 D,

t represents time,

q² =ρ

² +(2z₀)²,

ρ and

d each represent distance between light incident point and photodetection point,

φ

represents photon fluence rate,

<

L>

represents average optical pathlength=c<

t>

<

t>

represents mean delay time of temporal waveform of photon current or the mean time of photon flight,

μ

_eff represents effective attenuation coefficient=[μ

_a/D]^1/2,

I represents time integral value of photon current density,

Φ

represents phase delay of fourier transform F(ω

) of photon current density,

ω

represents angular frequency of a modulated component of incident light,

θ

=tan^-1 (ω

/cμ

_a),

α

.sub. =- tan^-1 {(1+exp(-2z₀ μ

_eff))tan(θ

/2)}, and

α

₄ =-tan^-1 {(θ

/2)(4z₀ μ

_eff /(exp(2z₀ μ

_eff)-1))}.