Spectroscopic detection of malaria via the eye

• US 8,798,699 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2012
• Issued: 08/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tokitae LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Tokitae LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Hyde, Roderick A., Myhrvold, Nathan P., Tegreene, Clarence T., Wood, Lowell L. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Winakur, Eric
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fardanesh, Marjan
• Application Number:
  US13/549,707
• Publication Number:
  US 20120296180A1
• Time in Patent Office: 750 Days
• Field of Search: 600310-344
• US Class Current: 600/318
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/10 Objective types, i.e. instruments for examining the eyes independent of the patients' perceptions or reactions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14546 for measuring analytes not otherwise provided for, e.g. ions, cytochromes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/06 Measuring blood flow measuring volume flow in general G01F, e.g. G01F1/66, G01F1/72; measuring speed of fluids in general G01P5/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 50/30 Against vector-borne diseases, e.g. mosquito-borne, fly-borne, tick-borne or waterborne diseases whose impact is exacerbated by climate change

Abstract

Methods, apparatus, and systems for detecting hemozoin and diagnosing malaria infection are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for identifying hemozoin within retinal blood vessels, comprising:

providing electromagnetic energy through a pupil to one or more retinal ocular blood vessels, the electromagnetic energy configured to induce Raman scattering of hemozoin present within the one or more retinal ocular blood vessels;

determining locations of the one or more retinal ocular blood vessels by selectively detecting one or more characteristics of an electromagnetic response associated with provided electromagnetic energy through the pupil to one or more retinal ocular blood vessels;

detecting a Raman spectral response for hemozoin present within the one or more retinal ocular blood vessels; and

generating a response indicative of a malarial infection based on the Raman spectral response.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically processing the detected Raman spectral response.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the response indicative of the malarial infection includes correlating the detected Raman spectral response with malaria infection.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the response indicative of the malarial infection includes generating an optical indication of malarial infection or a visual indication of malarial infection.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the response indicative of the malarial infection includes generating at least one of an acoustic indication of malarial infection, an optical indication of malarial infection, or a visual indication of a malarial infection.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the response indicative of the malarial infection includes generating data corresponding to the indication of malarial infection.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic energy is provided at wavelengths of less than about 5 μ

ms.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the electromagnetic energy is provided at wavelengths of about 0.4 μ

ms to 1.5 μ

ms.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic energy is provided in short pulses.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the short pulses comprise femtosecond pulses.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic energy is provided at an energy about equal to an electronic energy transition in hemozoin.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic energy is provided in one or more ranges of about 530 nm through about 580 nm, about 400 nm through about 450 nm, or about 800 nm through about 860 nm.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic energy is provided to the one or more retinal ocular blood vessels at least partially based on a predicted location of the one or more retinal ocular blood vessels.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein selectively detecting one or more characteristics of an electromagnetic response associated with provided electromagnetic energy through the pupil to one or more retinal ocular blood vessels includes

selectively detecting the one or more characteristics of the electromagnetic response within an expected electromagnetic energy scattering distance from the one or more retinal ocular blood vessels.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein selectively detecting one or more characteristics of an electromagnetic response associated with provided electromagnetic energy through the pupil to one or more retinal ocular blood vessels includes

selectively detecting the one or more characteristics of the electromagnetic response within an expected electromagnetic energy absorption distance from the one or more retinal ocular blood vessels.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein selectively detecting one or more characteristics of an electromagnetic response associated with provided electromagnetic energy through the pupil to one or more retinal ocular blood vessels includes

selectively detecting the one or more characteristics of the electromagnetic response within an area of relative local intensity of the electromagnetic energy.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein selectively detecting one or more characteristics of an electromagnetic response associated with provided electromagnetic energy through the pupil to one or more retinal ocular blood vessels includes

selectively detecting the one or more characteristics of the electromagnetic response within an area encompassing the one or more retinal ocular blood vessels and radially extending 0.001 to 1.0 mm from the walls of the one or more retinal ocular blood vessels.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein selectively detecting one or more characteristics of an electromagnetic response associated with provided electromagnetic energy through the pupil to one or more retinal ocular blood vessels includes

selectively detecting the one or more characteristics of the electromagnetic response within an area encompassing the one or more retinal ocular blood vessels and radially extending from the walls of the one or more retinal ocular blood vessels an additional 1 to 50% of the radius of the lumens of the one or more retinal ocular blood vessels.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the Raman spectral response for hemozoin comprises:

detecting the Raman spectral response from about 1700 cm-1 through about 1000 cm-1.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the Raman spectral response for hemozoin comprises:

detecting the Raman spectral response at one or more ranges including about 1620 cm-1 through about 1680 cm-1, about 1200 cm-1 through about 1250 cm-1, or about 1350 cm-1 through about 1400 cm-1.