Patent · US Expired

Time-resolved optical backscattering tomographic image reconstruction in scattering turbid media

US6205353A · kind A · utility

29Cited by
6References
43Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 22, 1998
Grant dateMar 20, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 22, 2018

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
  • CPC primaryA61B5/7257
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A method for imaging objects in a highly scattering turbid medium, such as breast, brain, prostate in human body and clouds, smoke in atmosphere environment, using backscattered light. The method involves using a group of sources and detectors setting on same side of medium to generate a plurality of time-resolved intensity data of backscattered light from the medium. The inverse computation using a reconstruction algorithm, taking the measured data as input, produces a three-dimensional image map of the internal structure of a turbid medium. The invention teaches (1) developing an accurate analytical solution of the Boltzmann photon transport equation in a uniform infinite medium, and its extension to the case of a semi-infinite medium, which serves as a background Green's function for the forward model; (2) building a forward physical model of relationship between measurement of backscattered light and inhomogeneity structure of the medium; (3) designing an inverse algorithm for backscattering tomography; (4) designing experimental setups for breast tumor detection using backscattering tomography; (5) using fsec, psec, and nsec laser pulse with different wavelengths in the near i…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.