System and method for tomographic imaging of dynamic properties of a scattering medium
First Claim
1. A system for use in tomographic imaging of a scattering medium, comprising:
- an imaging head including source fiber bundles in a first patterned array and receiver fiber bundles in a second patterned array, each fiber in said receiver fiber bundles not being identical with any of the source fiber bundles, wherein the source fiber bundles function as a plurality of energy sources in an illumination array, each energy source emitting a respective signal for imaging the scattering medium;
onto a different illumination area on a surface of said scattering target medium, wherein more than one of the plurality of energy sources emit emits their respective signals sequentially simultaneously and the respective signals are scattered by the scattering medium and emerge from the scattering medium;
, and wherein the plurality of receiver fiber bundles function as a plurality of detectors for detecting the respective signals that emerge from the scattering medium for use in measuring dynamic properties of the scattering medium in a time series of images using optical tomography.
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Abstract
A system and method for the detection and three dimensional imaging of absorption and scattering properties of a medium such as human tissue is described. According to one embodiment of the invention, the system directs optical energy toward a turbid medium from at least one source and detects optical energy emerging from the turbid medium at a plurality of locations using at least one detector. The optical energy emerging from the medium and entering the detector originates from the source is scattered by the medium. The system then generates an image representing interior structure of the turbid medium based on the detected optical energy emerging from the medium. Generating the image includes a time-series analysis.
30 Citations
67 Claims
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1. A system for use in tomographic imaging of a scattering medium, comprising:
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an imaging head including source fiber bundles in a first patterned array and receiver fiber bundles in a second patterned array, each fiber in said receiver fiber bundles not being identical with any of the source fiber bundles, wherein the source fiber bundles function as a plurality of energy sources in an illumination array, each energy source emitting a respective signal for imaging the scattering medium;
onto a different illumination area on a surface of said scattering target medium, wherein more than one of the plurality of energy sources emit emits their respective signals sequentially simultaneously and the respective signals are scattered by the scattering medium and emerge from the scattering medium;
, and wherein the plurality of receiver fiber bundles function as a plurality of detectors for detecting the respective signals that emerge from the scattering medium for use in measuring dynamic properties of the scattering medium in a time series of images using optical tomography. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 16, 17, 18, 26, 27, 28, 29, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58)
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an imaging head including source fiber bundles in a first patterned array and receiver fiber bundles in a second patterned array, each fiber in said receiver fiber bundles not being identical with any of the source fiber bundles, wherein the source fiber bundles function as a plurality of energy sources in an illumination array, each energy source emitting a respective signal for imaging the scattering medium;
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5. The system of clam 1, wherein the energy sources include at least one of a non-laser optical source LED, high-pressure incandescent lamp, laser diode, solid state laser, titanium-sapphire laser, ruby laser, dye laser, electro-magnetic source acoustic energy source, acoustic energy produced by optical energy, optical energy, and combinations thereof.
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10. A system for use in optical tomographic imaging of a scattering medium comprising:
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at least one energy transmissive fiber bundle coupled to at least one energy source;
the at least one energy transmissive fiber bundle emitting energy from the at least one energy source, and detecting the energy after it is scattered by the scattering medium;
an imaging head for holding the at least one energy transmissive fiber bundle; and
a detection system for collecting data regarding the optical dynamic properties of the scattering medium from the detected energy;
wherein the imaging head undergoes uniform expansion and contraction to accommodate different size scattering mediums. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 30, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46)
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14. A method of imaging a scattering medium using optical tomographic imaging, comprising:
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(a) placing on the scattering medium an imaging head including source fiber bundles in a first patterned array and receiver fiber bundles in a second patterned array, each fiber in said receiver fiber bundles being different from any of the source fiber bundles;
(b) exposing the scattering medium to energy from a plurality of energy sources that sequentially emitthe source fiber bundles, wherein more than one of the source fiber bundles simultaneously emits the energy onto a different illumination area on a surface of said scattering target medium; and
(b)(c) detecting the energy, via a plurality of detectors,transmitted through the receiver fiber bundles after the energy has been scattered by the scattering medium for use in measuring dynamic properties of the scattering medium in a time series of images using optical tomography. - View Dependent Claims (15, 31, 32, 33, 47, 48, 49, 50)
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19. An imaging head, comprising:
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a pad;
a plurality of source means for delivering optical energy to a medium; and
a plurality of detector means for detecting optical energy emerging from the medium;
wherein;
the source means and detector means are attached to the pad in a plurality of rows and columns wherein the plurality of source means are arranged to form at least two unique imaging planes, an imaging plane being between defined by a plane substantially perpendicular to the pad and passing through at least two source means and one detector means; and
the source means and detector means are arranged in first and second patterns in alternating rows, the first pattern comprising one source means followed by three detector means followed by one source means followed by three detector means, and the second pattern comprising a shifted version of the first pattern. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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- 59. A system for use in tomographic imaging of a scattering medium, comprising an imaging head including source fiber bundles in a first patterned array and receiver fiber bundles in a second, patterned array, wherein the imaging head undergoes uniform expansion and contraction to accommodate different size scattering mediums, wherein the source fiber bundles function as a plurality of energy sources in an illumination array, each energy source emitting a respective signal for imaging the scattering medium onto a different illumination area on a surface of said scattering target medium, wherein more than one of the plurality of energy sources emit their respective signals and the respective signals are scattered by the scattering medium and emerge from the scattering medium, and wherein the receiver fiber bundles function as a plurality of detectors for detecting the respective signals that emerge from the scattering medium for use in measuring dynamic properties of the scattering medium in a time series of images using optical tomography.
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61. A method of imaging a scattering medium using optical tomographic imaging, comprising:
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(a) placing on the scattering medium an imaging head including fiber bundles in a patterned array, wherein the fiber bundles includes source fiber bundles in an illumination array and receiver fiber bundles in another array, wherein the imaging head undergoes uniform expansion and contraction to accommodate different size scattering mediums;
(b) exposing the scattering medium to energy from the source fiber bundles, each energy source emitting a respective signal for imaging the scattering target medium onto a different illumination area on a surface of said scattering target medium; and
(c) detecting the energy, via the receiver fiber bundles, after the energy has been scattered by the scattering medium for use in measuring dynamic properties of the scattering medium in a time series of images using optical tomography. - View Dependent Claims (65)
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- 62. A system for use in tomographic imaging of a scattering medium, comprising an imaging head including fiber bundles in a patterned array, wherein the fiber bundles includes a plurality of energy sources and a plurality of detectors, wherein the imaging head undergoes uniform expansion and contraction to accommodate different size scattering mediums, each energy source emitting a respective signal for imaging the scattering target medium onto a different illumination area on a surface of said scattering target medium, wherein more than one of the plurality of energy sources emit their respective signals and the respective signals are scattered by the scattering medium and emerge from the scattering medium, and wherein the plurality of detectors detect the respective signals that emerge from the scattering medium for use in measuring dynamic properties of the scattering medium in a time series of images using optical tomography.
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63. A method of imaging a scattering medium using optical tomographic imaging, comprising:
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(a) placing on the scattering medium an imaging head including fiber bundles in a patterned array, wherein the fiber bundles includes a plurality of energy sources in an illumination array and a plurality of detectors, wherein the imaging head undergoes uniform expansion and contraction to accommodate different size scattering mediums;
(b) exposing the scattering medium to energy from the plurality of energy sources, each energy source emits a respective signal for imaging the scattering target medium onto a different illumination area on a surface of said scattering target medium; and
(c) detecting the energy, via the plurality of detectors, after the energy has been scattered by the scattering medium for use in measuring dynamic properties of the scattering medium in a time series of images using optical tomography. - View Dependent Claims (67)
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Specification