Near-infrared time-of-flight imaging

• US 10,126,283 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2018
• Issued: 11/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omni Medsci, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Omni Medsci, Inc.
• Inventors: Islam, Mohammed N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rahman, Md M
• Application Number:
  US16/004,154
• Publication Number:
  US 20180292377A1
• Time in Patent Office: 158 Days
• Field of Search: 356300
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0233 Special features of optical sensors or probes classified in A61B5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0238 Optical sensor arrangements for performing transmission measurements on body tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/146 for optical coupling
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2576/02 specially adapted for a particular organ or body part
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0013 Medical image data A61B1/00011, A61B6/56, A61B8/56 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• 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 5/0086 using infrared radiation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0088 for oral or dental tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14546 for measuring analytes not otherwise provided for, e.g. ions, cytochromes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1455 using optical sensors, e.g. spectral photometrical oximeters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4547 Evaluating teeth
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 2003/104 Monochromatic plural sources
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 2003/2826 Multispectral imaging, e.g. filter imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/02 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/108 for measurement in the infrared range
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/14 using refracting elements, e.g. prisms G01J3/18, G01J3/26 take precedence prisms per se G02B5/04
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/1838 Holographic gratings
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/28 Investigating the spectrum using colour filters G01J3/51
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/2823 : Imaging spectrometer
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/42 : Absorption spectrometry; Double beam spectrometry; Flicker spectrometry; Reflection spectrometry beam switching arrangements G01J3/08
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/453 : by correlation of the amplitudes
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/38 : by using light G01M3/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/3513 : Open path with an instrumental source
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/399 : Diode laser
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/3504 : for analysing gases, e.g. multi-gas analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/3563 : for analysing solids; Preparation of samples therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/359 : using near infrared light
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/39 : using tunable lasers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/88 : Investigating the presence of flaws or contamination
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/061 : Sources
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/062 : LED's
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/08 : Optical fibres; light guides
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/12 : Circuits of general importance; Signal processing
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/02 : Food
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/15 : Medicinal preparations ; Physical properties thereof, e.g. dissolubility
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/442 : Resins; Plastics
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/49 : Blood chemical methods for determining blood cell populations G01N33/5094; chemical analysis of blood groups or blood types G01N33/80
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/302 : in an optical fibre

Abstract

A smart phone or tablet includes laser diodes configured to be pulsed and generate near-infrared light between 700-2500 nanometers. Lenses direct the light to a sample. A detection system includes a photodiode array with pixels coupled to CMOS transistors, and is configured to receive light reflected from the sample, to be synchronized to the light from the laser diodes, and to perform a time-of-flight measurement of a time difference between light from the laser diodes and light reflected from the sample. The detection system is configured to convert light received while the laser diodes are off into a first signal, and light received while at least one laser diodes is on, which includes light reflected from the sample, into a second signal. The smart phone or tablet is configured to difference the first signal and the second signal and to generate a two-dimensional or three-dimensional image using the time-of-flight measurement.

Claims

1. A smart phone or tablet, comprising:

an array of laser diodes configured to generate light having one or more optical wavelengths, wherein at least a portion of the one or more optical wavelengths is a near-infrared wavelength between 700 nanometers and 2500 nanometers, and wherein at least a portion of the array of laser diodes is configured to be pulsed;

one or more lenses configured to receive a portion of the light from the array of laser diodes and to direct the portion of the light from the array of laser diodes to a sample;

a detection system comprising a photodiode array with a plurality of pixels coupled to CMOS transistors;

wherein the detection system is configured to receive at least a portion of light reflected from the sample, and wherein the detection system is configured to be synchronized to the light from the at least a portion of the array of laser diodes;

wherein the detection system is configured to perform a time-of-flight measurement by measuring a time difference between the generated light from the at least a portion of the array of laser diodes and the at least a portion of light reflected from the sample;

wherein the detection system is further configured to;

receive light while the array of laser diodes is off and convert the received light into a first signal; and

receive light while at least a part of the array of laser diodes is on and convert the received light into a second signal, the received light including at least some of the at least a portion of the light reflected from the sample;

and

wherein the smart phone or tablet is configured to difference the first signal and the second signal and to generate a two-dimensional or three-dimensional image using at least a portion of the time-of-flight measurement; and

wherein the smart phone or tablet further comprises a wireless receiver, a wireless transmitter, a display, a voice input module, and a speaker.

2. The smart phone or tablet of claim 1, wherein the at least a portion of the array of laser diodes has a modulation frequency, and wherein the detection system is configured to use a lock-in technique that detects the modulation frequency.

3. The smart phone or tablet of claim 2, wherein the detection system is configured to perform filtering at the modulation frequency.

4. The smart phone or tablet of claim 3, wherein the modulation frequency has a phase, and wherein the detection system is configured to lock onto the phase.

5. The smart phone or tablet of claim 1, wherein at least a part of the array of laser diodes comprises a laser diode bar, and wherein the detection system further comprises an infrared camera.

6. The smart phone or tablet of claim 1, wherein the detection system further comprises one or more filters to select a fraction of the one or more optical wavelengths.

7. A smart phone or tablet, comprising:

an array of laser diodes configured to generate light having one or more optical wavelengths, wherein at least a portion of the one or more optical wavelengths is a near-infrared wavelength between 700 nanometers and 2500 nanometers, and wherein at least a portion of the array of laser diodes is configured to be pulsed;

one or more lenses configured to receive a portion of the light from the array of laser diodes and to direct the portion of the light from the array of laser diodes to a sample;

a detection system comprising a photodiode array with a plurality of pixels coupled to CMOS transistors;

wherein the detection system is configured to receive at least a portion of light reflected from the sample, and wherein the detection system is configured to be synchronized to the at least a portion of the array of laser diodes;

wherein the detection system is further configured to perform a time-of-flight measurement by measuring a time difference between the generated light from the at least a portion of the array of laser diodes and the at least a portion of light reflected from the sample;

wherein the smart phone or tablet is configured to generate a two-dimensional or three-dimensional image using at least a portion of the time-of-flight measurement; and

wherein the smart phone or tablet further comprises a wireless receiver, a wireless transmitter, a display, a voice input module, and a speaker.

8. The smart phone or tablet of claim 7, wherein the detection system is further configured to:

receive light while the array of laser diodes is off and convert the received light into a first signal; and

receive light while at least a part of the array of laser diodes is on and convert the received light into a second signal, the received light including at least a part of the at least a portion of the light reflected from the sample;

and

wherein the smart phone or tablet is configured to difference the first signal and the second signal to generate the two-dimensional or three-dimensional image.

9. The smart phone or tablet of claim 7, wherein the at least a portion of the array of laser diodes has a modulation frequency, and wherein the detection system is configured to use a lock-in technique that detects the modulation frequency.

10. The smart phone or tablet of claim 9, wherein the detection system is configured to perform filtering at the modulation frequency.

11. The smart phone or tablet of claim 9, wherein the modulation frequency has a phase, and wherein the detection system is configured to lock onto the phase.

12. The smart phone or tablet of claim 7, wherein at least a part of the array of laser diodes comprises a laser diode bar, and wherein the detection system further comprises an infrared camera.

13. The smart phone or tablet of claim 7, wherein the detection system further comprises one or more filters to select a fraction of the one or more optical wavelengths.

14. The smart phone or tablet of claim 7, wherein the detection system further comprises LIDAR.

15. The smart phone or tablet of claim 7, wherein the at least a portion of the two-dimensional or three-dimensional image is combined with global positioning system information.

16. A smart phone or tablet, comprising:

an array of laser diodes configured to generate light having one or more optical wavelengths, wherein at least a portion of the one or more optical wavelengths is a near-infrared wavelength between 700 nanometers and 2500 nanometers, and wherein at least a portion of the array of laser diodes is configured to be pulsed at a modulation frequency;

one or more lenses configured to receive a portion of the light from the array of laser diodes and to direct the portion of the light from the array of laser diodes to a sample;

a detection system comprising a photodiode array with a plurality of pixels coupled to CMOS transistors;

wherein the detection system is configured to receive at least a portion of light reflected from the sample, wherein the detection system is configured to be synchronized to the at least a portion of the array of laser diodes, and wherein the detection system is configured to use a lock-in technique that detects the modulation frequency;

wherein the detection system is further configured to perform a time-of-flight measurement by measuring a time difference between the generated light from the at least a portion of the array of laser diodes and the at least a portion of light reflected from the sample;

wherein the smart phone or tablet is configured to generate a two-dimensional or three-dimensional image using at least a portion of the time-of-flight measurement; and

wherein the smart phone or tablet further comprises a wireless receiver, a wireless transmitter, a display, a voice input module, and a speaker.

17. The smart phone or tablet of claim 16, wherein the detection system is further configured to:

receive light while the array of laser diodes is off and convert the received light into a first signal; and

receive light while at least a part of the array of laser diodes is on and convert the received light into a second signal, the received light including at least a part of the at least a portion of the light reflected from the sample;

and

wherein the smart phone or tablet is configured to difference the first signal and the second signal to generate the two-dimensional or three-dimensional image.

18. The smart phone or tablet of claim 16, wherein the detection system is configured to perform filtering at the modulation frequency, and wherein the modulation frequency has a phase, and wherein the detection system is configured to lock onto the phase.

19. The smart phone or tablet of claim 16, wherein at least a part of the array of laser diodes comprises a laser diode bar, and wherein the detection system further comprises an infrared camera.

20. The smart phone or tablet of claim 16, wherein the detection system further comprises one or more filters to select a fraction of the one or more optical wavelengths.