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Optical cerebral oximeter

DC
  • US 5,902,235 A
  • Filed: 01/08/1996
  • Issued: 05/11/1999
  • Est. Priority Date: 03/29/1989
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A spectrophotometric cerebral instrument suitable for conducting in vivo clinical examinations, comprising in combination:

  • means for applying selected spectra in the near infrared range to the head of a patient at a first location so that they transmiss at least selected portions of the brain after entry through the scalp and skull, said spectra including at least one reference wavelength and at least one investigative wavelength;

    means for receiving light energy resulting from said applied spectra at second and third selected locations on the outside of said skull after said applied spectra have passed through said selected brain portions, said second and third locations being spaced from said first location by different distances;

    means for producing corresponding and representative signals from the light energy received at said second and third locations;

    and means for processing said signals by contrasting certain of said signals representative of light energy corresponding to said reference wavelength and received at said second location with signals representative of light energy corresponding to said investigative wavelength received at said second location to obtain a first resultant signal, contrasting certain of said signals representative of light energy corresponding to said reference wavelength received at said third location with signals representative of light energy corresponding to said investigative wavelength received at said third location to obtain a second resultant signal, and then contrasting said first and second resultant signals, to produce an output which is directly indicative of a predetermined regional cerebral pathology condition in said portion of said brain.

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