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US 10,945,656 B2Granted
Device and method for imaging collagen structure in vivo
AssigneeUniversity of Massachusetts
InventorsAnna N. Yaroslavsky, Xin Feng
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention relates to systems and methods or wide-field polarized imaging of the skin. Preferred embodiments of the invention provide quantitative characterization of collagen structures in the skin and can be used to monitor skin treatment. A preferred embodiment can comprise a handheld imaging device that generates polarized images at different depths beneath a dermal surface and a data processor to process image data.
Claims28
A method for imaging and evaluating collagen structure in a region of tissue of a patient in vivo without staining in real time, the method comprising the steps of:
- illuminating a region of skin in vivo on a patient with light, the region having a surface area defined by an imaging aperture;
- detecting cross polarized images of light reflected by the region of tissue with a detector separated at a distance from a skin surface, the detector generating image data representing a first depth and a second depth at respective first and second discrete illumination wavelengths in which the collagen structure appears, wherein the second depth is deeper than the first depth and a difference between the first and second wavelengths is at least 10 nm;
- evaluating the image data to select only one of the first or second wavelengths of the light in which the collagen structure appears in the respective image data;
- processing, by a data processor, the image data in which the collagen structure appears with reference data to determine at least one quantitative characteristic selected from reflectivity, content, density and bundle size of the collagen structure in the region of tissue;
- forming and presenting, by the data processor, a chart of the at least one quantitative characteristic on a display;
- and
- evaluating the region of tissue by review of the chart of the at least one quantitative characteristic.
4 more elements
A device for imaging a region of tissue without staining in real time comprising:
- a housing including an imaging detector;
- a light source to illuminate the region of tissue in vivo on a patient with light, the region having a surface area defined by an imaging aperture;
- a polarizing element that generates a cross polarized image component that is detected with the detector and output as image data at a first depth and a second depth at respective first and second discrete illumination wavelengths in which the collagen structure appears, wherein the second depth is deeper than the first depth and a difference between the first and second wavelengths is at least 10 nm, the collagen structure appearing in the image data in only one of the first or second wavelengths;
- and
- a data processor connected to the detector that processes the image data in which the collagen structure appears by normalizing brightness of the image data for comparison between different patients or different images and, with reference data, to determine at least one quantitative characteristic selected from reflectivity, content, density and bundle size of the collagen structure in the region of tissue,
- wherein the data processor computes a collagen density distribution in the tissue and presents a chart of the collagen density distribution for evaluation.
3 more elements
A device for imaging a region of tissue in vivo without staining in real time comprising:
- a housing including an imaging detector, a light source to illuminate the region of tissue;
- a polarizing element that generates a cross polarized image of a depth in the range of 50 to 200 microns in the region, the cross polarized image being detected by the imaging detector and output as image data at a first depth and a second depth at respective first and second discrete illumination wavelengths in which the collagen structure appears, wherein the second depth is deeper than the first depth and a difference between the first and second wavelengths is at least 10 nm, the collagen structure appearing in the image data in only one of the first or second wavelengths:
- and
- a data processor receiving the image data in which the collagen structure appears, wherein the data processor is operative to:
- calculate absolute reflectance of each single pixel of the field of view:
- and quantify the collagen structure based upon the absolute reflectance of the pixels, wherein the region of tissue includes a calibrated reflectance standard and the data processor is further operative to calibrate and normalize the image data with the calibrated reflectance standard in a field of view of the imaging detector, and processes the image data in which the collagen structure appears with reference data to determine at least one quantitative characteristic selected from reflectivity, content, density and bundle size of the collagen structure in the region of tissue;
- wherein the data processor presents a chart of the at least one quantitative characteristic for evaluation.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.