Method and apparatus for examining the interior of semi-opaque objects
US4810875A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 2, 1987 |
| Grant date | Mar 7, 1989 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 2, 2007 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01N21/4795
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A highly collimated light beam, such as produced by a laser, is coupled by optical means directly onto a semi-opaque object such as a human breast. The light transmitted and scattered therein is collected at a fixed surface element and direction relative to the incident light, and coupled optically into an image intensifier, preserving the spatial intensity variations passing through said fixed surface element. The intensified image is then collected on an array of detector elements which digitizes and then transfers said preserved image into memory means where it is processed to characterize the interior of said object. This invention has particular application to the early detection of breast cancer.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.