SYSTEMS, DEVICES, METHODS, APPARATUS AND COMPUTER-ACCESSIBLE MEDIA FOR PROVIDING OPTICAL IMAGING OF STRUCTURES AND COMPOSITIONS

• US 20120101374A1
• Filed: 05/24/2011
• Published: 04/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boston University, The General Hospital Corporation (Mass General Brigham, Inc.), Trustees of Boston University
• Original Assignee: The General Hospital Corporation (Mass General Brigham, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tearney, Guillermo J., Bouma, Brett Eugene, Yoo, Hongki, Shishkov, Milen, Gardecki, Joseph, Shubochkin, Roman, Morse, Theodore, Jaffer, Farouc Amin
• Granted Patent: US 9,557,154 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/427
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0066 Optical coherence imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0071 by measuring fluorescence emission
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0084 for introduction into the body, e.g. by catheters A61B5/1459 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6852 Catheters
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 9/02029 Combination with non-interferometric systems, i.e. for measuring the object
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 9/0205 of probe head
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 9/02091 Tomographic interferometers, e.g. based on optical coherence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/4795 spatially resolved investigating of object in scattering medium in vivo A61B
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/64 Fluorescence; Phosphorescence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6456 Spatial resolved fluorescence measurements; Imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/65 Raman scattering
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/0866 Use of GRIN elements

Abstract

Exemplary systems, devices, methods, apparatus and computer-accessible media for providing and/or utilizing optical frequency domain imaging (OFDI) and fluorescence of structures and, e.g., multimodality imaging using OFDI techniques and fluorescence imaging techniques are described. For example, an arrangement can provide at least one electro-magnetic radiation to an anatomical structure. Such exemplary arrangement can include at least one optical core and at least one cladding at least partially surrounding the fiber(s). A region between the optical core(s) and the cladding(s) can have an index that is different from indexes of the optical core(s) and the cladding(s). The arrangement can also include at least one apparatus which is configured to transmit the radiation(s) via the optical core(s) and the cladding(s) to the anatomical structure.

Claims

10. A method for determining at least one characteristic of at least one structure, comprising:

receiving first data associated with the at least one structure, wherein the first data include information which facilitates a correction of a physical parameter associated with the at least one structure;

receiving second data associated with the at least one structure which is different from the first data, wherein the first and second data are obtained from substantially the same location on or in the at least one structure;

ascertaining further information associated with the second data based on the physical parameter; and

determining the at least one characteristic of at least one structure based on the further data.

1. An arrangement for providing at least one electro-magnetic radiation to an anatomical structure, comprising:

at least one optical core and at least one cladding at least partially surrounding the at least one fiber, wherein a region between the at least one optical core and the at least one cladding has an index that is different from indexes of the at least one optical core and the at least one cladding; and

at least one apparatus which is configured to transmit the at least one radiation via at least one of the at least one optical core and the at least one cladding to the anatomical structure.

2. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the at least one apparatus is provided in an optical coherence tomography system.

3. The arrangement according to claim 1, further comprising a system which obtains information regarding the anatomical structure and/or molecular/chemical/biological compositions based on the at least one radiation using a fluorescence modality.

4. The arrangement according to claim 3, wherein the fluorescence modality is at least one of exogenous or endogenous.

5. The arrangement according to claim 1, further comprising a system which obtains information regarding the anatomical structure and/or molecular/chemical/biological compositions based on the at least one radiation using at least one of optical frequency domain interferometry (OFDI) modality, spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) modality, time domain optical coherence tomography (TD-OCT) modality, near-infrared modality, Raman modality, photo acoustics modality, confocal modality, ablation modality, or lifetime modality.

6. The arrangement according to claim 5, wherein the near-infrared modality is at least one of near-infrared spectroscopy modality or near-infrared fluorescence modality.

7. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the at least one apparatus is provided in at least one of a probe, a catheter, an eye box or an endoscope.

8. The arrangement according to claim 1, further comprising at least one additional cladding at least partially surrounding the at least one cladding.

9. The arrangement according to claim 8, further comprising at least one further cladding at least partially surrounding the at least one additional cladding.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the first data include optical coherence tomography data.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the second data include optical florescence data.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein the physical parameter is a distance from a catheter to an artery wall of the at least one structure.

14. The method according to claim 10, wherein the physical parameter is a distance from a catheter to a tissue of the at least one structure.

15. The method according to claim 10, wherein the physical parameter is a distance from a catheter to a lumen of the at least one structure.

15-1. The method according to claim 10, wherein the further information is a concentration of a molecule or a chemical.

16. A non-transitory computer-accessible medium which includes instructions thereon for determining at least one characteristic of at least one structure, wherein, when the instructions are executed by a computer arrangement, the computer arrangement is configured to perform procedures comprising, comprising:

receive first data associated with the at least one structure, wherein the first data include information which facilitates a correction of a physical parameter associated with the at least one structure;

receive second data associated with the at least one structure which is different from the first data, wherein the first and second data are obtained from substantially the same location on or in the at least one structure;

ascertain further information associated with the second data based on the physical parameter; and

determine the at least one characteristic of at least one structure based on the further data.

17. An arrangement for transmitting at least one electro-magnetic radiation between at least two separate waveguides in an optical fiber, comprising:

at least one first waveguide, and at least one second waveguide, wherein the optical fibers is rotatable;

at least one first optical arrangement communicating with at least one of the first waveguide or the second waveguide to transmit the at least one electro-magnetic radiation therethrough;

at least one second arrangement which is configured to rotate the optical fiber; and

at least one third arrangement which is configured to separate at least one portion of the at least one electro-magnetic radiation into at least one first radiation and at least one second radiation having different wavelengths.

18. The arrangement according to claim 17, wherein the at least one third arrangement includes at least one of a beam splitter, a pinhole mirror, or a dichroic mirror arrangement.

19. The arrangement according to claim 17, wherein at least one of the first radiation or the second radiation is at least one of (i) has a wavelength that changes over time, or (ii) a fluorescence radiation.

20. The arrangement according to claim 17, wherein at least one of the first radiation or the second radiation is a pulsed radiation.

21. The arrangement according to claim 17, wherein at least one of the first radiation or the second radiation is a continuous radiation.

22. The arrangement according to claim 17, further comprising at least one fourth arrangement which is configured to generate at least one image of a sample as a function of the first optical coherence tomography radiation and the second florescence radiation.

23. The arrangement according to claim 22, wherein the at least one generated image is provided for an anatomical structure.

24. The arrangement according to claim 23, wherein the anatomical structure is a lumen.

25. The arrangement according to claim 17, wherein the at least one third arrangement is a double clad fiber coupler.

26. The arrangement according to claim 17, wherein the first waveguide is an optical core.

27. The arrangement according to claim 17, wherein the second waveguide is an cladding.