Method and equipment for fiber optic high-resolution, in particular confocal, fluorescence imaging
US7447539B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 11, 2003 |
| Grant date | Nov 4, 2008 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 6, 2024 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
- CPC primaryA61B5/0062
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method using an image guide having several thousands of optical fibers, an excitation signal emitted by a source, deflected and injected by turns into the optical fibers, each excitation point of the tissue in the fiber output emitting in return a fluorescence signal collected by the fiber, then detected and digitized to form an image element. The method focuses the beam in the fiber output to excite a subsurface plane to produce a confocal image. The production of a divergent beam in the fiber output can excite a micro-volume of the tissue from the surface. The method deflects the excitation signal at a speed corresponding to acquisition of a number of images per second sufficient for real time use and in detecting the fluorescence signal at a detecting frequency corresponding to a minimum frequency for sampling the fibers one-by-one.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.