US6603552B1 — Portable system for detecting skin abnormalities …

Claim 1

Independent Claim 175 words

A skin abnormality detection system, comprising: a light source for producing a concentrated beam of illumination light; an optical excitation filter that receives the illumination light and creates excitation light by passing light having selected wavelengths, the excitation light generating reflected and fluorescence light when directed onto a surface of interest; an optical splitter that receives the reflected and fluorescence light from the surface of interest and splits the fluorescence light into two wavelength bands; a pair of optical channels that receive the light from the optical splitter, each optical channel including: an optical emission filter for passing light having selected wavelengths; an optical assembly for forming an image of the surface of interest; and an image intensifier tube with a long persistence phosphor screen that amplifies the light passed by the optical emission filter and produces an output image with the light passed; and a passive optical combiner that receives the output image produced in each optical channel and superimposes the output images to create a combined image that is seen by a user.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 175 words

A skin abnormality detection system, comprising: a light source for producing a concentrated beam of illumination light; an optical excitation filter that receives the illumination light and creates excitation light by passing light having selected wavelengths, the excitation light generating reflected and fluorescence light when directed onto a surface of interest; an optical splitter that receives the reflected and fluorescence light from the surface of interest and splits the fluorescence light into two wavelength bands; a pair of optical channels that receive the light from the optical splitter, each optical channel including: an optical emission filter for passing light having selected wavelengths; an optical assembly for forming an image of the surface of interest; and an image intensifier tube with a long persistence phosphor screen that amplifies the light passed by the optical emission filter and produces an output image with the light passed; and a passive optical combiner that receives the output image produced in each optical channel and superimposes the output images to create a combined image that is seen by a user.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 36 words

The skin abnormality detection system of claim 1 , wherein the passive optical combiner comprises a dichroic mirror that is positioned to direct the output image from each optical channel into an eye of a user.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 24 words

The skin abnormality detection system of claim 1 , further comprising a camera positioned to capture the combined output image onto an image sensor.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 16 words

The skin abnormality detection system of claim 3 , wherein the image sensor is photographic film.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 18 words

The skin abnormality detection system of claim 3 , wherein the image sensor is a digital imaging sensor.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 38 words

The skin abnormality detection system of claim 1 , wherein the system includes a pair of optical splitters which direct the light into multiple optical channels and produces a pair of combined output images for a binocular viewing.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 113 words

A skin abnormality detection system comprising: a light source for producing a beam of illumination light; an optical excitation filter that receives the illumination light and creates excitation light and reference light, the excitation light generating fluorescence light when directed onto a surface of interest; an optical splitter that receives the fluorescence light and reflected reference light and directs the fluorescence light and reflected reference light into separate optical channels, each optical channel producing an image of the surface of interest; and a passive optical combiner that combines the images of the tissue produced with the fluorescence light and the reference light into a single image that can be viewed by a user.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 113 words

A skin abnormality detection system comprising: a light source for producing a beam of illumination light; an optical excitation filter that receives the illumination light and creates excitation light and reference light, the excitation light generating fluorescence light when directed onto a surface of interest; an optical splitter that receives the fluorescence light and reflected reference light and directs the fluorescence light and reflected reference light into separate optical channels, each optical channel producing an image of the surface of interest; and a passive optical combiner that combines the images of the tissue produced with the fluorescence light and the reference light into a single image that can be viewed by a user.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 17 words

The skin abnormality detection system of claim 7 , wherein the reference light comprises the excitation light.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 34 words

The skin abnormality detection system of claim 7 , wherein the light source produces both excitation light and reference light, and the reference light comprises light having a different wavelength than the excitation light.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 37 words

The skin abnormality detection system of claim 7 , wherein the system includes a pair of optical splitters which direct the light into multiple optical channels and produces a pair of combined output images for binocular viewing.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 24 words

The skin abnormality detection system of claim 7 , further comprising a camera positioned to capture the combined output image onto an image sensor.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 16 words

The skin abnormality detection system of claim 11 , wherein the image sensor is photographic film.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 17 words

The skin abnormality detection system of claim 11 , wherein the sensor is a digital imaging sensor.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 188 words

A tissue abnormality detection system, comprising: a light source for producing a concentrated beam of illumination light; an optical excitation filter that receives the illumination light and creates excitation light by passing light having selected wavelengths, the excitation light generating reflected and fluorescence light when directed onto a surface of interest; an imaging device including: at least one image forming optical assembly; an optical splitter that receives the reflected and fluorescence light from the surface of interest and splits the fluorescence light into two optical channels transmitting different wavelength bands; a pair of optical channels that receive the light from the optical splitter, each optical channel including: an optical emission filter for passing light having selected wavelengths; and an image intensifier tube that amplifies the light passed by the optical emission filter and produces an output image with the light passed; a passive optical combiner that receives the output image produced in each optical channel and superimposes the output images to create a combined image that is seen by a user; and a control module that controls the operation of the light source and the image intensifier tubes.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 188 words

A tissue abnormality detection system, comprising: a light source for producing a concentrated beam of illumination light; an optical excitation filter that receives the illumination light and creates excitation light by passing light having selected wavelengths, the excitation light generating reflected and fluorescence light when directed onto a surface of interest; an imaging device including: at least one image forming optical assembly; an optical splitter that receives the reflected and fluorescence light from the surface of interest and splits the fluorescence light into two optical channels transmitting different wavelength bands; a pair of optical channels that receive the light from the optical splitter, each optical channel including: an optical emission filter for passing light having selected wavelengths; and an image intensifier tube that amplifies the light passed by the optical emission filter and produces an output image with the light passed; a passive optical combiner that receives the output image produced in each optical channel and superimposes the output images to create a combined image that is seen by a user; and a control module that controls the operation of the light source and the image intensifier tubes.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 35 words

The tissue abnormality detection system of claim 14 , wherein the optical combiner comprises a dichroic mirror that is positioned to direct the output image from each optical channel in an eye of a user.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 19 words

The tissue abnormality detection system of claim 14 , wherein the image intensifier tube have long persistence phosphor screens.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 24 words

The tissue abnormality detection system of claim 14 , further comprising a camera positioned to capture the combined output image onto an image sensor.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 16 words

The tissue abnormality detection system of claim 17 , wherein the image sensor is photographic film.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 18 words

The tissue abnormality detection system of claim 17 , wherein the image sensor is a digital imaging sensor.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 38 words

The tissue abnormality detection system of claim 14 , wherein the system includes a pair of optical splitters which direct the light into multiple optical channels and produces a pair of combined output images for a binocular viewing.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 30 words

The tissue abnormality detection system of claim 14 , wherein the light source and image intensifier tubes are operated in a pulsed mode, synchronized and controlled by the control module.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 22 words

The tissue abnormality detection system of claim 14 , wherein the control module maintains a constant gain ratio between the image intensifiers.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 201 words

A tissue abnormality detection system comprising: a light source for producing a beam of illumination light; an optical excitation filter that receives the illumination light and creates excitation light and reference light, the excitation light and reference light being directed onto a surface of interest; an imaging device including: at least one image forming optical assembly; an optical splitter that receives the fluorescence light and reflected reference light and directs the fluorescence light and reflected reference light into a fluorescence optical channel and a reflectance optical channel, the fluorescence optical channel including: an optical emission filter for passing light having selected wavelengths; an image intensifier tube that amplifies the light passed by the optical emission filter and produces an output image with the light passed; the reflectance optical channel including: an image intensifier tube that amplifies the light received in the reflectance optical channel and produces an output image with the light passed; a passive optical combiner that combines the images of the tissue produced with the fluorescence light and the reference light into a single image that can be viewed by a user; and a control module that controls the operation of the light source and the image intensifier tubes.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 201 words

A tissue abnormality detection system comprising: a light source for producing a beam of illumination light; an optical excitation filter that receives the illumination light and creates excitation light and reference light, the excitation light and reference light being directed onto a surface of interest; an imaging device including: at least one image forming optical assembly; an optical splitter that receives the fluorescence light and reflected reference light and directs the fluorescence light and reflected reference light into a fluorescence optical channel and a reflectance optical channel, the fluorescence optical channel including: an optical emission filter for passing light having selected wavelengths; an image intensifier tube that amplifies the light passed by the optical emission filter and produces an output image with the light passed; the reflectance optical channel including: an image intensifier tube that amplifies the light received in the reflectance optical channel and produces an output image with the light passed; a passive optical combiner that combines the images of the tissue produced with the fluorescence light and the reference light into a single image that can be viewed by a user; and a control module that controls the operation of the light source and the image intensifier tubes.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 17 words

The tissue abnormality detection system of claim 23 , wherein the reference light comprises the excitation light.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 48 words

The tissue abnormality detection system of claim 23 , wherein the light source produces both excitation light and reference light, and the reference light comprises light having a different wavelength than the excitation light and a different wavelength than that of the fluorescence emission which changes with disease.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 35 words

The tissue abnormality detection system of claim 23 , wherein the optical combiner comprises a dichroic mirror that is positioned to direct the output image from each optical channel into an eye of a user.

Claim 31

Dependent Claim 38 words

The tissue abnormality detection system of claim 23 , wherein the system includes a pair of optical splitters which direct the light into multiple optical channels and produces a pair of combined output images for a binocular viewing.

Claim 32

Dependent Claim 19 words

The tissue abnormality detection system of claim 23 , wherein the image intensifier tubes have long persistence phosphor screens.

Claim 33

Dependent Claim 23 words

The tissue abnormality detection system of claim 23 , further comprising a camera positioned to capture the combined-output image onto an image sensor.

Claim 34

Dependent Claim 16 words

The tissue abnormality detection system of claim 29 , wherein the image sensor is photographic film.

Claim 35

Dependent Claim 18 words

The tissue abnormality detection system of claim 29 , wherein the image sensor is a digital imaging sensor.

Claim 36

Dependent Claim 30 words

The tissue abnormality detection system of claim 23 , wherein the light source and image intensifier tubes are operated in a pulsed mode, synchronized and controlled by the control module.

Claim 37

Dependent Claim 22 words

The tissue abnormality detection system of claim 23 , wherein the control module maintains a constant gain ratio between the image intensifiers.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	2006-08-04	2007-02-03	2007-08-05	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2010-08-04	2011-02-03	2011-08-05	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2014-08-04	2015-02-03	2015-08-05	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Portable system for detecting skin abnormalities based on characteristic autofluorescence

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