Multiple diameter fiber optic device and process of using the same
First Claim
1. A device for measuring the absorption and reduced scattering properties of a material, comprising:
- a light source capable of emitting light therefrom;
a light detector capable of detecting light transmitted thereto; and
a fiber optic array including a first optical fiber having a first effective diameter and a second optical fiber having a second effective diameter wherein said first effective diameter is different than said second effective diameter and wherein said first optical fiber transmits said light from said source to a material and thereafter transmits light re-emitted from said material to said detector through said first effective diameter and wherein said second optical fiber transmits said light from said source to the material and thereafter transmits light re-emitted from said material to said detector through said second effective diameter wherein the light transmitted by said first and second optical fibers from the material to the detector facilitates measurement of the absorption and reduced scattering properties of the material.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A multiple diameter fiber optic device comprises one or more optical fibers that are used to irradiate light onto a tissue and to detect light back-scattered by the tissue wherein each fiber is used for both irradiation and detection. In the case of multiple fibers, the fibers typically are bundled together at the probe end of the bundle. The diameters and/or numerical apertures of the one or more fibers are selected to provide different sampling volumes within the tissue. More specifically, the diameter and/or numerical apertures of the one or more fibers are chosen to emphasize differences in light penetration into the tissue such that the diameter and/or numerical aperture of each fiber is related to the scattering and absorption path lengths in the tissue.
64 Citations
30 Claims
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1. A device for measuring the absorption and reduced scattering properties of a material, comprising:
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a light source capable of emitting light therefrom; a light detector capable of detecting light transmitted thereto; and a fiber optic array including a first optical fiber having a first effective diameter and a second optical fiber having a second effective diameter wherein said first effective diameter is different than said second effective diameter and wherein said first optical fiber transmits said light from said source to a material and thereafter transmits light re-emitted from said material to said detector through said first effective diameter and wherein said second optical fiber transmits said light from said source to the material and thereafter transmits light re-emitted from said material to said detector through said second effective diameter wherein the light transmitted by said first and second optical fibers from the material to the detector facilitates measurement of the absorption and reduced scattering properties of the material. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A process for analyzing a material, comprising:
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emitting light onto a material through an optical fiber having a first effective diameter; measuring the amount of light re-emitted from the material through the optical fiber having said first effective diameter; emitting light onto the material through an optical fiber having a second effective diameter; and measuring the amount of light re-emitted from the material through the optical fiber having said second effective diameter, wherein the second effective diameter is different from the first effective diameter. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A device for measuring the absorption and reduced scattering properties of a material, comprising:
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a light source capable of emitting light therefrom; a light detector capable of detecting light transmitted thereto; and a fiber optic assembly that transmits light from said light source to a material through a first effective diameter and thereafter transmits light re-emitted from said material through said first effective diameter to said light detector, and transmits light from said light source to the material through a second effective diameter and thereafter transmits light re-emitted from said material through said second effective diameter to said light detector, wherein said first effective diameter is different than said second effective diameter, and wherein light transmitted through said first and second effective diameters facilitates measurement of the absorption and reduced scattering properties of the material. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification