Diagnostic tomographic laser imaging apparatus
US6195580A · kind A · utility
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 31, 1998 |
| Grant date | Feb 27, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 31, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
- CPC primaryA61B5/4312
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A laser imaging apparatus comprises (R) a platform (16) for supporting a female patient in frontdown, prone position, including an opening (20) permitting a breast of the patient to be vertically pendant below the surface of the platform; scanning mechanism including a multi-faceted mirror (38) adjacent the underside of the platform, the mirror being rotated about its own axis and orbited around the pendant breast; a source of coherent near infrared narrow light pulses operably directed to the multi-faceted mirror; optical reflectors directing the light pulses onto the facets of the mirror from a point spaced from the platform for reflection in a series of horizontal fan shaped beams through a breast pendant below the platform; photodetectors (40) operably disposed to detect the light pulses after passing through the breast; circuit for deriving voltages proportional to the intensity of the received pulses; and computer (10) programmed for storing and displaying images of tissue in the breast derived from the voltages.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.