US5986770A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Apparatus and method for the optical characterization of the structure and composition of a light scattering sample
Assignee: Roche Diagnostics GmbH
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Filing: 1995-07-27
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Granted: 1999-11-16
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Expires: 2015-07-27
Abstract
Abstract Apparatus for the optical characterization of the internal structure and/or composition of a spatially extended, scattering sample comprising an arrangement of one or several light sources and one or several light detectors and a displacement sensor.
Inventors
- 👤 Heinz-Michael Hein
- 👤 Dirk Boecker
- 👤 Matthias Essenpreis
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 13:35
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B5/00; A61B5/44; A61B5/441; A61B5/444; A61B5/0059; A61B5/0062; A61B5/0064; G; G01; G01N; G01N21/00; G01N21/17; G01N21/47; G01N21/4795
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 32
Claim 1
Independent Claim
162 words
An apparatus for in-vivo optical analysis of internal structures of a specimen of light scattering tissue by moving said apparatus relative to a surface of the specimen, said apparatus comprising: at least one light irradiating means for irradiating primary light into the surface of an in-vivo specimen; at least one light detecting means for detecting secondary light from the surface of the specimen; and displacement sensor means for sensing a relative movement between the light irradiating means and the light detecting means relative to the surface of the specimen, said displacement sensor means tracing a path on the surface of the specimen and sensing displacement when the apparatus is moved on the surface of the specimen; and evaluation means connected to said light irradiating means, said light detecting means, and said displacement sensor means, said evaluation means processing data from said light detecting means and said displacement sensor means, and correlating the relative movement with said data from said light detecting means.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
162 words
An apparatus for in-vivo optical analysis of internal structures of a specimen of light scattering tissue by moving said apparatus relative to a surface of the specimen, said apparatus comprising: at least one light irradiating means for irradiating primary light into the surface of an in-vivo specimen; at least one light detecting means for detecting secondary light from the surface of the specimen; and displacement sensor means for sensing a relative movement between the light irradiating means and the light detecting means relative to the surface of the specimen, said displacement sensor means tracing a path on the surface of the specimen and sensing displacement when the apparatus is moved on the surface of the specimen; and evaluation means connected to said light irradiating means, said light detecting means, and said displacement sensor means, said evaluation means processing data from said light detecting means and said displacement sensor means, and correlating the relative movement with said data from said light detecting means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
27 words
An apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising display means connected to said evaluation means, for displaying an optical image generated by the evaluation means thereupon.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
24 words
An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said displacement sensor means is coupled to said light irradiating means and said light detecting means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
33 words
An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said evaluation means also generates an optical image from the data which is processed from the light detecting means and the light displacement sensor means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
20 words
An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said evaluation means generates a one-or-more dimensional intensity profile from said data.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
33 words
An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said evaluation means generates a classification of a specimen type based upon the data process from the light detecting means and the displacement sensor means.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
16 words
An apparatus as recited in claim 1, said apparatus comprising a plurality of light irradiating means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
14 words
An apparatus as recited in claim 1, comprising a plurality of light detecting means.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
43 words
An apparatus as recited in claim 1, comprising a plurality of light irradiating means and a plurality of light detecting means, wherein each of said plurality of light irradiating means is paired with a corresponding one of the plurality of light detecting means.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
32 words
An apparatus as recited in claim 9, wherein corresponding light irradiating means and light detecting means are separated by a same distance as other corresponding light irradiation means and light detection means.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
18 words
An apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein said same distance is between 0.5 mm and 100 mm.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
26 words
An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said plurality of light irradiating means and said plurality of light detecting means are disposed in a coplanar configuration.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
15 words
An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said light detecting means detects light intensity.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
21 words
An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said light detecting means detects a degree of polarization of the secondary light.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
27 words
An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said light detecting means detects a travel time of photons from the light irradiation means to the detecting means.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
28 words
An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said at least one light irradiating means and said at least one light detecting means are disposed in a coplanar configuration.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
149 words
A method for in-vivo optical analysis of internal structures of a specimen of light scattering tissue, said method comprising the steps of: irradiating primary light into a surface of a scattering in-vivo specimen with a light irradiating means; detecting secondary light emerging from the surface of the specimen with a detecting means; displacing said light irradiating means and said detection means relative to the surface of the specimen; sensing a displacement of said light irradiating means and said light detecting means with respect to the surface of the specimen with a displacement sensor means, said displacement sensor means tracing a path on the surface of the specimen and sensing displacement when the displacement sensor means is moved on the surface of the specimen; processing data from the light detecting means and the displacement sensor means; and correlating the data from the light detecting means and the displacement sensor means.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
149 words
A method for in-vivo optical analysis of internal structures of a specimen of light scattering tissue, said method comprising the steps of: irradiating primary light into a surface of a scattering in-vivo specimen with a light irradiating means; detecting secondary light emerging from the surface of the specimen with a detecting means; displacing said light irradiating means and said detection means relative to the surface of the specimen; sensing a displacement of said light irradiating means and said light detecting means with respect to the surface of the specimen with a displacement sensor means, said displacement sensor means tracing a path on the surface of the specimen and sensing displacement when the displacement sensor means is moved on the surface of the specimen; processing data from the light detecting means and the displacement sensor means; and correlating the data from the light detecting means and the displacement sensor means.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
19 words
A method according to claim 17, comprising a further step of generating an optical image from the correlated data.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
25 words
A method according to claim 17, further comprising a step of generating a one-or-more dimensional intensity profile of the specimen based upon the correlated data.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method according to claim 17, further comprising a step of classifying a sample type based upon the correlated data.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method according to claim 17, further comprising a step of storing data from the light detecting means and the displacement sensor means prior to the correlation of the data.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method according to claim 17, wherein said step of irradiating primary light includes controlling a timing of an irradiation cycle for the light irradiation means.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
40 words
A method according to claim 17, wherein said step of irradiating primary light includes steps of irradiating light from a plurality of light irradiation means, with at least two of said plurality of light irradiation means having different irradiation cycles.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method according to claim 17, wherein said step of detecting secondary light comprises a step of detecting secondary light which is reflected from the specimen.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
33 words
A method according to claim 17, wherein said step of irradiating primary light into the sample comprises a step of irradiating light having a wavelength which is between 400 nm and 10,000 nm.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
99 words
A method according to claim 17, wherein said step of irradiating primary light comprises irradiating light from a plurality of light irradiating means, and wherein said step of detecting light includes a step of detecting light with a plurality of light detecting means, wherein each of the plurality of light irradiating means is paired with a corresponding one of the plurality of light detecting means, and wherein a distance between corresponding light irradiating means and light detecting means is approximately a same size or smaller than a size of an inhomogeneity in the sample which is to be measured.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method according to claim 17, wherein said irradiating, detecting, and evaluating steps are repeated in order to evaluate time-related changes to the sample.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method according to claim 17, wherein said step of detecting secondary light comprises a detection of intensity of the secondary light.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method according to claim 17, wherein said step of detecting secondary light includes a step of detecting a degree of polarization of the secondary light.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
33 words
A method according to claim 17, wherein said step of detecting the secondary light comprises a step of detecting a travel time of photons from the light irradiation means to the detecting means.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4507564A
Cited
US4958083A
Cited
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