Method and apparatus for reflected imaging analysis
First Claim
1. A method for in vivo analysis of blood, comprising:
- (1) imaging blood in reflection to produce a raw image from a depth less than a multiple scattering length;
(2) applying a correction to the raw reflected image to form a corrected image;
(3) segmenting a scene from the corrected image to form an analysis image; and
(4) analyzing the analysis image using Beer'"'"'s Law to determine a concentration characteristic of the blood.
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Abstract
Method and apparatus for reflected imaging analysis. Reflected imaging is used to perform non-invasive, in vivo analysis of a subject'"'"'s vascular system. A raw reflected image (110) is normalized with respect to the background to form a corrected reflected image (120). An analysis image (130) is segmented from the corrected reflected image to include a scene of interest for analysis. The method and apparatus can be used to determine such characteristics as the hemoglobin concentration per unit volume of blood, the number of white blood cells per unit volume of blood, a mean cell volume, the number of platelets per unit volume of blood, and the hematocrit. Cross-polarizers can be used to improve visualization of the reflected image.
199 Citations
42 Claims
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1. A method for in vivo analysis of blood, comprising:
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(1) imaging blood in reflection to produce a raw image from a depth less than a multiple scattering length; (2) applying a correction to the raw reflected image to form a corrected image; (3) segmenting a scene from the corrected image to form an analysis image; and (4) analyzing the analysis image using Beer'"'"'s Law to determine a concentration characteristic of the blood. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. An apparatus for analyzing blood in vivo, comprising:
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means for imaging blood in reflection to produce a raw image from a depth less than a multiple scattering length; means for applying a correction to the raw reflected image to form a corrected image; means for segmenting a scene from the corrected image to form an analysis image; and means for analyzing the analysis image using Beer'"'"'s Law to determine a concentration characteristic of the blood.
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31. A method for in vivo analysis of blood, comprising:
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(1) imaging blood in reflection to produce a raw image from a depth less than a multiple scattering length; (2) applying a first wavelength filter to the raw image to form a first filtered image; (3) applying a second wavelength filter to the raw image to form a second filtered image; (4) taking the negative logarithm of the quotient obtained by dividing the first filtered image by the second filtered image to form a corrected image; (5) segmenting a scene from the corrected image to form an analysis image; and (6) analyzing the analysis image for a characteristic of the blood.
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32. An apparatus for in vivo analysis of blood, comprising:
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means for imaging blood in reflection to produce a raw image from a depth less than a multiple scattering length; a first filter for filtering the raw image at a first wavelength to form a first filtered image; a second filter for filtering the raw image at a second wavelength to form a second filtered image; means for taking the negative logarithm of the quotient obtained by dividing the first filtered image by the second filtered image to form a corrected image; means for segmenting a scene from the corrected image to form an analysis image; and means for analyzing the analysis image for a characteristic of the blood.
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33. A method for in vivo analysis of blood, comprising:
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(1) imaging blood in reflection to produce a raw image from a depth less than a multiple scattering length; (2) applying a correction to the raw image to form a corrected image; (3) segmenting a scene from the corrected image to form an analysis image using spatial frequency to segment the scene from the corrected reflected image; and (4) analyzing the analysis image for a characteristic of the blood.
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34. An apparatus for analyzing blood in vivo, comprising:
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means for imaging blood in reflection to produce a raw image from a depth less than a multiple scattering length; means for applying a correction to the raw image to form a corrected image; means for segmenting a scene from the corrected image to form an analysis image using spatial frequency; and means for analyzing the analysis image to determine a characteristic of the blood.
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35. A method for in vivo analysis of blood, comprising:
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(1) imaging blood in reflection to produce a raw image from a depth less than a multiple scattering length; (2) applying a correction to the raw image to form a corrected image; (3) segmenting a scene from the corrected image to form an analysis image that includes capillary plasma; (4) determining a mean light intensity of the analysis image; and (5) converting the mean light intensity of the analysis image into a bilirubin concentration per unit volume of blood.
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36. An apparatus for analyzing blood in vivo, comprising:
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means for imaging blood in reflection to produce a raw image from a depth less than a multiple scattering length; means for applying a correction to the raw image to form a corrected image; means for segmenting a scene from the corrected image to form an analysis image that includes capillary plasma; means for determining a mean light intensity of the analysis image; and means for converting the mean light intensity of the analysis image into a bilirubin concentration per unit volume of blood.
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37. A method for in vivo analysis of blood, comprising:
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(1) imaging blood in reflection to produce a raw image from a depth less than a multiple scattering length; (2) applying a correction to the raw image to form a corrected image; (3) segmenting a scene from the corrected image to form an analysis image that includes capillary plasma; and (4) detecting optical contrast produced by a marker introduced into the blood to thereby permit analyzing the analysis image for a characteristic of the blood.
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38. A method for in vivo analysis of blood, comprising:
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(1) imaging blood in reflection to produce a raw image from a depth less than a multiple scattering length; (2) applying a correction to the raw image to form a corrected image; (3) segmenting a scene from the corrected image to form an analysis image that includes capillary plasma; and (4) detecting non-natural components of plasma to thereby permit analyzing the analysis image for a characteristic of the blood.
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39. Apparatus for measuring an absorbing object located within and below the surface of a body, comprising:
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a light source for directing light having a first plane of polarization onto and beneath the surface of the body along a first predetermined illumination light path such that the light is reflected from a subsurface region of the body behind the object to be measured; a detector for detecting the portion of light reflected from the subsurface region of the body; an analyzer having a second plane of polarization substantially orthogonal to said first plane of polarization, said analyzer being disposed in a second predetermined imaging light path between the object to be imaged and said detector; wherein the light portion transmitted through said analyzer appears to the detector as emanating from a transmission light source located behind the object to be measured; and measuring means coupled to an output of said detector for measuring optical characteristics of the detected light as a function of the relationship between the light reflected from the subsurface region of the body behind the object to be measured and that is not absorbed by the object to be measured and the reflected light after absorption by the object to be measured. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42)
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Specification