System and method for quantitative or qualitative measurement of exogenous substances in tissue and other materials using laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy
US7336989B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 3, 2003 |
| Grant date | Feb 26, 2008 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 7, 2025 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01N2201/1296
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
Methods and systems for determination of one or more substances within a material are described. A flow of fluorescence-exciting/ablative energy (e.g., laser pulse(s), preferably in the ultraviolet region (e.g. 193-nm)), is directed onto the material to ablate a thin layer of the material using photochemical decomposition. Simultaneously, the laser energy induces fluorescence of the substance(s) within the ablated layer of the material. The fluorescence emitted by the substance(s) is then received by a device, which measures the spectrum of the received fluorescence. The fluorescence spectra are then transmitted to a spectral processing device adapted to determine, on the basis of the fluorescence spectra, whether the substance(s) of interest is/are present in the material and/or the concentration at which the substance(s) of interest is/are present in the material. This process may be repeated for each layer of the material to determine the concentration gradient of the substance(s) of interest in the material.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.