Apparatus and methods for measuring characteristics of biological tissues and similar materials
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An apparatus for determining the normalized characteristics of biological tissue or other medium comprising:
- a. means for illuminating the medium with electromagnetic radiation directed into the medium, thereby causing the medium to react with a first action selected from the group consisting of reflecting, backscattering, transmitting, and emitting responsive radiation and a second action selected from the same group excluding the first action;
b. means for collecting the responsive radiation;
c. means, connected to the collecting means, for separating the collected radiation into a plurality of components; and
d. means, connected to the separating means, for (i) measuring the intensity of each of the separated plurality of components and (ii) determining a mathematical relationship between the separated plurality of components.
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Abstract
Apparatus and methods for characterizing biological tissues and other turbid media with normalization that serves to compensate for the effects of scattering, reflectance, and absorption are disclosed.
248 Citations
19 Claims
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1. An apparatus for determining the normalized characteristics of biological tissue or other medium comprising:
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a. means for illuminating the medium with electromagnetic radiation directed into the medium, thereby causing the medium to react with a first action selected from the group consisting of reflecting, backscattering, transmitting, and emitting responsive radiation and a second action selected from the same group excluding the first action; b. means for collecting the responsive radiation; c. means, connected to the collecting means, for separating the collected radiation into a plurality of components; and d. means, connected to the separating means, for (i) measuring the intensity of each of the separated plurality of components and (ii) determining a mathematical relationship between the separated plurality of components. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. An apparatus for determining the normalized characteristics of biological tissue or other medium comprising:
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a. means for illuminating the medium with electromagnetic radiation directed into the medium, thereby causing the medium to react by emitting responsive radiation, which emitted responsive radiation is selected from the group consisting of fluorescence emission and Raman emission; b. means for collecting the responsive radiation; c. means, connected to the collecting means, for separating the collected radiation into a plurality of components; and d. means, connected to the separating means, for (i) measuring the intensity of each of the separated plurality of components and (ii) determining a mathematical relationship between the separated plurality of components. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. An apparatus for determining the normalized characteristics of biological tissue or other medium comprising:
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a. means for illuminating the medium with electromagnetic radiation directed into the medium, thereby causing the medium to react with an action selected from the group consisting of reflecting, backscattering, transmitting, and emitting responsive radiation; b. means for collecting the responsive radiation; c. means, connected to the collecting means, for separating the collected radiation into a plurality of components; d. means, connected to the separating means, for (i) measuring the intensity of each of the separated plurality of components and (ii) determining a mathematical relationship between the separated plurality of components; and e. means, using the measured intensities of the plurality of separated components, for diagnosing the condition of the medium for the purpose of making a medical diagnosis, the diagnosing means comprising means for detecting diabetes.
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10. An apparatus for determining the normalized characteristics of biological tissue or other medium having a level of glycation comprising:
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a. means for illuminating the medium with electromagnetic radiation directed into the medium, thereby causing the medium to react with an action selected from the group consisting of reflecting, backscattering, transmitting, and emitting responsive radiation, which illuminating means includes means for illuminating the medium with electromagnetic radiation of more than one wavelength; b. means for collecting the responsive radiation; c. means, connected to the collecting means, for separating the collected radiation into a plurality of components; d. means, connected to the separating means, for (i) measuring the intensity of each of the separated plurality of components and (ii) determining a mathematical relationship between the separated plurality of components; and e. means, using the responsive radiation, for determining the level of glycation. - View Dependent Claims (11)
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12. A method for measuring the characteristics of biological tissue or other medium that, when illuminated, is capable of reacting by emitting radiation and with an action selected from the group consisting of reflecting, backscattering, and transmitting radiation including Raman and Fluorescent components of determinable intensities and emission lifetimes, comprising the steps of:
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a. illuminating the medium with electromagnetic radiation, thereby causing the medium to emit radiation and react with an action selected from the group consisting of reflecting, backscattering, and transmitting responsive radiation; b. separating the emitted radiation into its Fluorescent and Raman components; c. measuring at least two values, including at least one of the intensity and emission lifetime of at least one of the separated components; and d. forming a mathematical relationship between at least two of the measured values. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14)
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15. An apparatus for determining the normalized characteristics of biological tissue comprising:
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a. means, comprising a pump beam, for illuminating the biological tissue with optical radiation having a wavelength of between approximately 40-20000 nanometers and thereby causing the tissue to react with an action selected from the group consisting of reflecting, backscattering, transmitting, or emitting responsive radiation; b. means for collecting the responsive radiation; c. means, connected to the collecting means, for separating the responsive radiation into a plurality of components; and d. means, connected to the separating means, for (i) detecting the intensity of each of the plurality of components and (ii) determining a specified mathematical relationship between the plurality of components. - View Dependent Claims (16)
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17. A method for determining the normalized characteristics of biological tissue or other medium comprising the steps of:
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a. illuminating the medium with electromagnetic radiation directed into the medium, thereby causing the medium to react with a first action selected from the group consisting of reflecting, backscattering, transmitting, and emitting responsive radiation and a second action selected from the same group excluding the first action; b. collecting the responsive radiation; c. separating the collected radiation into a plurality of components; and d. measuring the intensity of each of the separated plurality of components and determining a mathematical relationship between the separated plurality of components.
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18. An apparatus for determining the normalized characteristics of biological tissue or other medium comprising:
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a. means for illuminating the medium with electromagnetic radiation directed into the medium, thereby causing the medium to backscatter radiation and react with an action selected from the group consisting of reflecting, transmitting, and emitting responsive radiation; b. means for collecting the responsive radiation; c. means, connected to the collecting means, for separating the backscattered radiation from the remainder of the collected radiation to define a plurality of components; and d. means, connected to the separating means, for measuring the intensity of each of the separated plurality of components and determining a mathematical relationship between the separated plurality of components.
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19. A method for determining the normalized characteristics of biological tissue or other medium comprising the steps of:
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a. illuminating the medium with electromagnetic radiation directed into the medium, thereby causing the medium to backscatter radiation and react with an action selected from the group consisting of reflecting, transmitting, and emitting responsive radiation; b. collecting the backscattered and responsive radiation; c. separating the backscattered radiation from the remainder of the collected radiation to define a plurality of components; and d. measuring the intensity of each of the separated plurality of components and determining a mathematical relationship between the separated plurality of components.
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Specification