Method of measuring concentration of luminescent materials in turbid media
US6219566A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 13, 1999 |
| Grant date | Apr 17, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 13, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
- CPC primaryA61B2562/0242
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
The present invention provides a method for measurement of concentration of fluorophores in turbid media. The method uses a fluorescence plus reflectance technique to measure quantitatively the in vivo concentration of a fluorescent drug independent of the tissue optical properties. The method involves using the reflectance measurement as a means of correcting for tissue scattering and absorption in the fluorescence measurement. Light directed to the tissue by means of an optical fiber to excite the fluorophores. Fluorescence from the fluorophores is measured by another fiber at a distance (D1) from the source in the turbid medium, while the excitation light is simultaneously collected at a distance (D2) from the source. The ratio fluorescence/reflectance will be approximately constant for a fixed concentration of the fluorophore and a judicious choice of D1 and D2, regardless of the optical properties of the tissue. The ratio of fluorescence to reflectance on a tissue sample is compared to a calibration curve for a range of fluorophore concentrations, in order to estimate the in vivo concentration in the turbid medium. The optimum distances D1 and D2 are obtained by constructing s…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.