Mapping physiological functions of tissues in lungs and other organs
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for optically measuring blood in lung, comprising:
- directing to a target area of a lung light in two spectral bands centered at two different wavelengths at which oxygenated blood and the de-oxygenated blood in the target area possess distinctively different absorption characteristics, wherein the two different wavelengths are selected to be located respectively at a lower side and upper side of a light wavelength at which absorption of light by the oxygenated blood equals absorption of light by the de-oxygenated blood;
measuring reflection of the light from the target area of the lung in the two spectral bands centered at the two different wavelengths to obtain optical images of the target area of the lung at different depths from a surface of the target area; and
processing the obtained optical images to extract information on an oxygen exchange state in blood present at the target area of the lung to produce a map of the oxygen exchange state in blood at different depths at each location where the light enters the target area.
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Abstract
Systems, apparatus and techniques for non-invasive optical probing of various substances, and systems, apparatus and techniques for detecting, diagnosing and treating a disease in lungs and other organs using the non-invasive optical probing, including mapping physiological functions of tissues in lungs and other organs.
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Citations
14 Claims
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1. A method for optically measuring blood in lung, comprising:
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directing to a target area of a lung light in two spectral bands centered at two different wavelengths at which oxygenated blood and the de-oxygenated blood in the target area possess distinctively different absorption characteristics, wherein the two different wavelengths are selected to be located respectively at a lower side and upper side of a light wavelength at which absorption of light by the oxygenated blood equals absorption of light by the de-oxygenated blood; measuring reflection of the light from the target area of the lung in the two spectral bands centered at the two different wavelengths to obtain optical images of the target area of the lung at different depths from a surface of the target area; and processing the obtained optical images to extract information on an oxygen exchange state in blood present at the target area of the lung to produce a map of the oxygen exchange state in blood at different depths at each location where the light enters the target area. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for optically measuring blood in lung, comprising:
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combining and guiding optical radiation from two light sources, that emit light at two different spectral bands centered at two different wavelengths at which oxygenated blood and de-oxygenated blood in a target area of a lung possess distinctively different absorption characteristics, towards the target area through a common optical waveguide wherein selecting the two wavelengths to be respectively at a lower side and upper side of a light wavelength at which absorption of light by the oxygenated blood equals absorption of light by the de-oxygenated blood; reflecting a first portion of the combined radiation away from the target area at a location near the target area away from the target area before the first portion reaches the target area while directing a second portion of the combined radiation to reach the target area; using a reflection of the second portion from the target area to produce a reflected second portion that spatially overlaps and co-propagates with the first portion at the location where the first portion is reflected; collecting and guiding at least part of the reflected first portion and at least part of the reflected second portion from the target area towards a detection module through the common optical waveguide; separating the light into the two beams in two paths in the two spectral bands, respectively, before sending the two beams to the detection module; detecting two beams at the detection module to obtain the optical images of the target area of the lung at different depths from a surface of the target area; and processing the obtained optical images to extract information on an oxygen exchange state in blood present at the target area of the lung to produce a map of the oxygen exchange state in blood at different depths at each location where the light enters the target area. - View Dependent Claims (11)
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12. A device for optically measuring blood in lung, comprising:
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two light sources, that emit light at two different spectral bands centered at two different wavelengths at which oxygenated blood and de-oxygenated blood in a target area of a lung possess distinctively different absorption characteristics wherein the two light sources are configured so that the two different wavelengths are respectively at a lower side and upper side of a light wavelength at which absorption of light by the oxygenated blood equals absorption of light by the de-oxygenated blood; a waveguide to receive and guide the radiation from the two light sources as a probe beam; a probe head coupled to the waveguide to receive the probe beam and to reflect a first portion of the probe beam back to the waveguide and direct a second portion of the probe beam to the target area of the lung, the probe head configured to overlap reflection of the second portion from the target area with the first portion and to export to the waveguide the reflection as a reflected second portion; an optical delay device coupled to the waveguide to receive the first portion and the reflected second portion to produce a variable relative phase delay between the first portion and the reflected second portion; a detection module to receive light of the first portion and the reflected second portion from the optical delay device and to obtain the optical images of the target area of the lung at different depths from a surface of the target area from the received light; and a processor to process the obtained optical images to extract information on an oxygen exchange state in blood present at the target area of the lung to produce a map of the oxygen exchange state in blood at different depths at each location where the light enters the target area. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14)
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Specification