Method and system for detecting sentinel lymph nodes
US7865230B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 11, 2003 |
| Grant date | Jan 4, 2011 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 15, 2029 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
- CPC primaryA61B5/4312
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method for detecting lymph nodes in a human includes introducing a fluorescent contrast agent into a lymph node system of a body, directing near-infrared time-varying excitation light into the tissue of the body, causing the near-infrared time-varying excitation light to contact a lymph node of the lymphatic system, whereby a redshifted and time-varying emission light is generated, detecting the time-varying emission light at a surface of the body, filtering the time-varying emission light to reject excitation light re-emitted from the lymph node, and imaging the lymph node of the lymphatic system.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.