# US 10,502,683 B2 · Photodetector selection apparatus and method and scattering coefficient measurement apparatus and method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,502,683 B2 - Document ID: US10502683B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/028,028 - Filed: 2018-07-05 - Published: 2019-01-31 - Granted: 2019-12-10 - Earliest claimed: 2017-07-27 - Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.; Korea University Research and Business Foundation - Applicants: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.; Korea University Research and Business Foundation - Inventors: Joon Hyung Lee; Beop Min Kim; Jung Yong Nam; Ki Young Chang; Zephaniah Phillips, V; Seung Ho Paik - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10502683B2 ## CPC - G01N 21/49: within a body or fluid - A61B 5/14546: {for measuring analytes not otherwise provided for, e.g. ions, cytochromes} - A61B 5/1455: using optical sensors, e.g. spectral photometrical oximeters - G01N 21/4738: {Diffuse reflection (precedence is given to G01N21/55 - G01N21/57 if specular component is taken into consideration), e.g. also for testing fluids, fibrous materials} - H10W 90/00: Package configurations - G01N 21/94: Investigating contamination, e.g. dust (G01N21/85 takes precedence) - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract A photodetector selection apparatus and method and a scattering coefficient measurement apparatus and method are provided. The photodetector selection apparatus for measuring a scattering coefficient may include: a light source configured to emit light to a subject; a photodetector array configured to detect the light that is reflected or scattered from the subject and measure a light intensity of the detected light; and a processor configured to select at least one photodetector from a plurality of photodetectors of the photodetector array, based on a change in the measured light intensity of each of the plurality of photodetectors according to a change in a scattering coefficient of the subject, and determine the scattering coefficient of the subject based on the light intensity that is measured by the selected at least one photodetector. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A photodetector selection apparatus for measuring a scattering coefficient, the photodetector selection apparatus comprising: a light source configured to emit light to a subject; a photodetector array configured to detect the light that is reflected or scattered from the subject and measure a light intensity of the detected light; and a processor configured to select at least one photodetector from a plurality of photodetectors of the photodetector array, based on a change in the measured light intensity of each of the plurality of photodetectors according to a change in a scattering coefficient of the subject, and determine the scattering coefficient of the subject based on the light intensity that is measured by the selected at least one photodetector. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The photodetector selection apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor selects a first photodetector and a second photodetector from the plurality of photodetectors, an increased amount of the measured light intensity of the first photodetector, which is measured while the scattering coefficient changes, is greater than an increased amount of the measured light intensity of any other photodetector in the photodetector array, and a decreased amount of the measured light intensity of the second photodetector, which is measured while the scattering coefficient changes, is greater than a decreased amount of the measured light intensity of any other photodetector in the photodetector array. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The photodetector selection apparatus of claim 2, wherein the processor calculates a photodetector-specific representative function that represents the change in the measured light intensity of each of the plurality of photodetectors, calculates a photodetector-specific measurement error for the photodetector-specific representative function, corrects the photodetector-specific representative function based on the calculated photodetector-specific measurement error, and selects the first photodetector and the second photodetector from the photodetector array based on the corrected photodetector-specific representative function. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The photodetector selection apparatus of claim 3, wherein the processor calculates the photodetector-specific representative function through a regression analysis. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The photodetector selection apparatus of claim 3, wherein the photodetector-specific measurement error for the photodetector-specific representative function is an extent that a measured light intensity of each specific photodetector deviates from a linearity of a representative function of the specific photodetector. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The photodetector selection apparatus of claim 3, wherein the processor calculates scattering-coefficient-specific errors of each of the plurality of photodetectors by comparing intensities measured by each of the plurality of photodetectors for each scattering coefficient with intensities obtained through a representative function of a corresponding photodetector, and calculates the photodetector-specific measurement error by summing the scattering-coefficient-specific errors of each of the plurality of photodetectors. ### Claim 7 (depends on 3) The photodetector selection apparatus of claim 3, wherein the processor corrects a slope of the photodetector-specific representative function based on the calculated photodetector-specific measurement error. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The photodetector selection apparatus of claim 7, wherein the processor corrects the slope of the photodetector-specific representative function by subtracting the photodetector-specific measurement error from the slope of the photodetector-specific representative function or by dividing the slope of the photodetector-specific representative function by the photodetector-specific measurement error. ### Claim 9 (depends on 3) The photodetector selection apparatus of claim 3, wherein the processor selects a photodetector having a greatest positive slope of a photodetector-specific representative function as the first photodetector and a photodetector having a greatest negative slope of a photodetector-specific representative function as the second photodetector. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The photodetector selection apparatus of claim 9, wherein a distance between the light source and the first photodetector is shorter than a distance between the light source and the second photodetector. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The photodetector selection apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor divides the photodetector array into a plurality of photodetector sets according to a distance from the light source, and selects, from the plurality of photodetector sets, a first photodetector set and a second photodetector set, an increased amount of the measured light intensity of the first photodetector set, which is measured while the scattering coefficient changes, is greater than an increased amount of the measured light intensity of any other photodetector set in the photodetector array, and a decreased amount of the measured light intensity of a second photodetector set, which is measured while the scattering coefficient changes, is greater than a decreased amount of the measured light intensity of any other photodetector set in the photodetector array. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The photodetector selection apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor calculates a photodetector-specific representative function that represents the change in the measured light intensity of each of the plurality of photodetectors, calculates a photodetector-specific measurement error for the photodetector-specific representative function, corrects a slope of the photodetector-specific representative function based on the calculated photodetector-specific measurement error, divides the photodetector array into a plurality of photodetector sets according to a distance from the light source, calculates an average slope of each of the plurality of photodetector sets by averaging slopes of corrected photodetector-specific representative functions of photodetectors in each of the plurality of photodetector sets, and selects a first photodetector set and a second photodetector set from the photodetector array based on the calculated average slope of each of the plurality of photodetector sets. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The photodetector selection apparatus of claim 12, wherein the processor selects a photodetector set having a greater positive average slope as the first photodetector set and selects a photodetector set having a greatest negative average slope as the second phothodetector set. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The photodetector selection apparatus of claim 13, wherein a distance between the light source and the first photodetector set is shorter than a distance between the light source and the second photodetector set. ### Claim 15 A photodetector selection method for calculating a scattering coefficient, the photodetector selection method comprising: measuring, by each of a plurality of photodetectors, a light intensity of a light that is emitted to and then reflected or scattered from a subject; and selecting at least one photodetector from the plurality of photodetectors for measuring a scattering coefficient from a photodetector array based on a change in the measured light intensity of each of the photodetectors according to a change in a scattering coefficient of the subject. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The photodetector selection method of claim 15, wherein the selecting the at least one photodetector includes selecting a first photodetector and a second photodetector from the plurality of photodetectors, an increased amount of the measured light intensity of the first photodetector, which is measured while the scattering coefficient changes, is greater than a increased amount of the measured light intensity of any other photodetector in the photodetector array, and a decreased amount of the measured light intensity of the second photodetector, which is measured while the scattering coefficient changes, is greater than a decreased amount of the measured light intensity of any other photodetector in the photodetector array. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The photodetector selection method of claim 16, wherein the selecting the plurality of photodetectors includes calculating a photodetector-specific representative function that represents the change in the measured light intensity of each of the plurality of photodetectors, calculating a photodetector-specific measurement error for the photodetector-specific representative function, correcting the photodetector-specific representative function based on the calculated photodetector-specific measurement error, and selecting the first photodetector and the second photodetector from the photodetector array based on the corrected photodetector-specific representative function. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The photodetector selection method of claim 17, wherein the calculating the photodetector-specific representative function includes calculating the photodetector-specific representative function through a regression analysis. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The photodetector selection method of claim 17, wherein the photodetector-specific measurement error for the photodetector-specific representative function is an extent that a measured light intensity of each specific photodetector deviates from a linearity of a representative function of the specific photodetector. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The photodetector selection method of claim 17, wherein the calculating the photodetector-specific measurement error includes calculating scattering-coefficient-specific errors of each of the plurality of photodetectors by comparing intensities measured by each of the plurality of photodetectors for each scattering coefficient with intensities obtained through a representative function of a corresponding photodetector and calculating the photodetector-specific measurement error by summing the scattering-coefficient-specific errors of each of the plurality of photodetectors. ### Claim 21 (depends on 17) The photodetector selection method of claim 17, wherein the correcting the photodetector-specific representative function includes correcting a slope of the photodetector-specific representative function based on the calculated photodetector-specific measurement error. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The photodetector selection method of claim 21, wherein the correcting the photodetector-specific representative function includes correcting the slope of the photodetector-specific representative function by subtracting the photodetector-specific measurement error from the slope of the photodetector-specific representative function or by dividing the slope of the photodetector-specific representative function by the photodetector-specific measurement error. ### Claim 23 (depends on 17) The photodetector selection method of claim 17, wherein the selecting the first photodetector and the second photodetector includes selecting a photodetector having a greatest positive slope of a photodetector-specific representative function as the first photodetector and a photodetector having a greatest negative slope of a photodetector-specific representative function as the second photodetector. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The photodetector selection method of claim 23, wherein a distance between the light source and the first photodetector is shorter than a distance between the light source and the second photodetector. ### Claim 25 (depends on 15) The photodetector selection method of claim 15, wherein the selecting of the plurality of photodetectors includes dividing the photodetector array into a plurality of photodetector sets according to a distance from the light source, and selecting, from the plurality of photodetector sets, a first photodetector set and a second photodetector set an increased amount of the measured light intensity of the first photodetector set, which is measured while the scattering coefficient changes, is greater than an increased amount of the measured light intensity of any other photodetector set in the photodetector array, and a decreased amount of the measured light intensity of a second photodetector set, which is measured while the scattering coefficient changes, is greater than a decreased amount of the measured light intensity of any other photodetector set in the photodetector array. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The photodetector selection method of claim 25, wherein the selecting the plurality of photodetectors includes calculating a photodetector-specific representative function that represents the change in the measured light intensity of each of the plurality of photodetectors, calculating a photodetector-specific measurement error for the photodetector-specific representative function, correcting a slope of the photodetector-specific representative function based on the calculated photodetector-specific measurement error, dividing the photodetector array into a plurality of photodetector sets according to a distance from the light source, calculating an average slope of each of the plurality of photodetector sets by averaging slopes of corrected photodetector-specific representative functions of photodetectors in each of the plurality of photodetector sets, and selecting a first photodetector set and a second photodetector set from the photodetector array based on the basis the calculated average slope of each of the plurality of photodetector sets. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) The photodetector selection method of claim 26, wherein the selecting the first photodetector set and the second photodetector set includes selecting a photodetector set having a greatest positive average slope as the first photodetector set and a photodetector set having a greatest negative average slope as the second photodetector set. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The photodetector selection method of claim 27, wherein a distance between the light source and the first photodetector set is shorter than a distance between the light source and the second photodetector set.