Method and apparatus for determining fluorophores on objects, especially on the living ocular fundus

US6371615B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena Buero für Furschungstransfer-Sachgebiet Schutzrechte · DE

Inventors

• Dietrich Schweitzer · Neustadt an der Orla, DE
• Achim Kolb · Bretten, DE
• Martin Hammer · Arendonk, BE
• Eike Thamm · Jena, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: May 1, 2000
• Grant date: Apr 16, 2002
• Expiry date: May 1, 2020

Classification

• Technology area (CPC A): Human Necessities
• CPC primary: A61B3/10
• WIPO field: Medical technology
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A method and apparatus for determining fluorophores on objects, especially on the living ocular fundus, which makes it possible to reliably distinguish at least partially overlapping fluorophores of objects in excitation and/or fluorescence spectra even if fluorescence intensities are very low and to select them for analysis, and optionally create a two-dimensional representation. The object (4), e.g., the ocular fundus for ophthalmological examinations, is illuminated point to point with a pulsed laser (1) and excited to autofluorescence with two-dimensional extension. The transient fluorescence light created after excitation by each laser pulse is detected in time-correlated individual photon counting (11). From the time behavior of the fluorescence light determined by individual photon counting for each site of autofluorescence, the fluorescence decay time constants are calculated, and conclusions are drawn therefrom regarding the excited fluorophores in the object (4). The time regime for time-correlated individual photon counting (11) is controlled by the detected pulses of the fluorescence-exciting laser light (1) and by the fluorescence light created on the object (4). The s…