Functional near infrared spectroscopy imaging system and method

• US 9,545,223 B2
• Filed: 11/28/2012
• Issued: 01/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Board of Regents of the University of Texas System (University of Texas System)
• Original Assignee: Board of Regents of the University of Texas System (University of Texas System)
• Inventors: MacFarlane, Duncan, Wildey, Chester, Alexandrakis, Georgios, Khan, Bilal
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Tse
• Assistant Examiner(s): Liu, Chu Chuan (JJ)
• Application Number:
  US13/687,700
• Publication Number:
  US 20130090541A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,511 Days
• Field of Search: 600/310, 600/322, 600/323, 600/328, 600/340, 600/473, 600/476
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0238 Optical sensor arrangements for performing transmission measurements on body tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/046 in a matrix array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0042 for the brain
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0075 by spectroscopy, i.e. measuring spectra, e.g. Raman spectroscopy, infrared absorption spectroscopy A61B5/0071 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14553 specially adapted for cerebral tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6803 Head-worn items, e.g. helmets, masks, headphones or goggles

Abstract

Disclosed is a functional NIRS imaging system including an elastomeric cap, a set of transmit optical fibers and a set of receive optical fibers terminating on the inside surface of the elastomeric cap. A pair of light sources combines to produce a collimated light beam at two wavelengths. An optical modulation system, converts the light beam into a plurality of probe light beams, modulates the plurality of probe light beams and directs each probe light beam into a transmit fiber. An optical detection system accepts scattered photons from subcutaneous tissue underneath the elastomeric cap as a plurality of collected light beams and converts them into a time series of electronic images, stores the electronic images into the memory and processes the electronic images using. The system displays the resulting image on a display as a hemoglobin oxygen saturation map.

Claims

1. A system for imaging of subcutaneous tissue comprising:

a first processor;

a first light source, connected to the first processor, producing a first light beam;

a second light source, connected to the first processor, producing a second light beam;

an optical combiner, receiving the first light beam and the second light beam, and producing a third light beam;

a modulator, connected to the first processor, receiving the third light beam and producing a plurality of probe light beams;

a set of input fibers, receiving the plurality of probe light beams;

each probe light beam of the plurality of probe light beams directed to a corresponding fiber of the set of input fibers;

a cap, adjacent the subcutaneous tissue, having an input set of locations and a set of output locations, connected to the set of input fibers;

each fiber of the set of input fibers corresponding to an input location of the set of input locations;

a set of output fibers, connected to the cap, receiving a plurality of reflected light beams from the subcutaneous tissue;

each fiber of the set of output fibers corresponding to an output location of the set of output locations;

an optical detector array, connected to the processor and the set of output fibers, converting the plurality of reflected light beams into a set of signals;

the processor programmed to;

convert the set of signals into a time series of electronic images;

convert the time series of electronic images into a set of hemoglobin oxygen saturation level maps;

a modulation controller to programmed to modulate optical elements of the modulator to control light intensity of the multiple portions of the third light beam;

wherein the modulator further comprises a spatial light modulator and an optical lens, the spatial light modulator further comprises a MEMS digital mirror device, and the MEMS digital mirror device comprises a controllable two-dimensional ray of MEMS mirrors; and

,

wherein the modulation controller is further programmed to modulate the spatial light modulator to transmit and apply the third light beam to a bidirectional fiber bundle that is formed from the set of input fibers and the set of output fibers and is further programmed to modulate the spatial light modulator to receive and redirect the reflected light beams that are collected by the bidirectional fiber bundle into the optical detector array.