Patent · US Active

System, method and apparatus for the detection of patient-borne fluorescing materials

US7738946B2 · kind B2 · utility

1Cited by
6References
7Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 3, 2007
Grant dateJun 15, 2010
Priority date—
Expiry dateOct 19, 2028

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
  • CPC primaryA61B5/418
  • WIPO fieldMedical technology
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

System, method and apparatus wherein a probe employing non-imagining optics is utilized in conjunction with a fluorescing (e.g., nanocrystal) tracer at the body of a patient. Excitation components within the probe working end are utilized to excite the nanocrystals to fluoresce at wavelengths in the near infrared region, such fluorescent energy is homogenized by interacting with involved tissue to provide a uniform fluorescing intensity over the surface of a photo-detector. Initialization and background determination procedures are described along with a technique for determining statistically significant levels of fluorescing activity.

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