Optical Imaging from Light Coherence
AssigneeOpen Water Internet Inc.
InventorSoren Konecky
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Coherent light (e.g., laser light) is emitted into a tissue sample through an optical fiber. The tissue sample diffuses the coherent light. Different blood flow quantities generate different coherent light interference patterns. An image of a coherent light interference pattern is captured with an image sensor coupled to an optical fiber. The speckle contrast of the image quantifies coherent light interference pattern. The speckle contrast is determined and is mapped to blood flow quantities using one or more data models. A quantity of blood flow is identified in a tissue sample at least partially based on the speckle contrast value of the captured image.
Claims20
An imaging system comprising:
- a laser configured to emit laser light;
- a source optical fiber coupled to the laser and configured to deliver the laser light into a tissue sample;
- a detector optical fiber configured to receive diffuse laser light from portions of the laser light that exits the tissue sample;
- an image sensor coupled to the detector optical fiber and configured to capture an image of the diffuse laser light exiting the tissue sample;
- and
- processing logic configured to:
- receive the image from the image sensor;
- determine a coherence value of the diffuse laser light in the image;
- and
- determine blood characteristics for the tissue sample at least partially based on the coherence value.
An imaging method comprising:
- emitting coherent light into a tissue sample;
- capturing an image of an exit signal of the coherent light exiting the tissue sample;
- determining a coherence value of the image;
- and
- incorporating the coherence value into a composite image of the tissue sample.
An imaging method comprising:
- providing coherent light in a tissue sample through one or more first optical fibers;
- capturing an image of coherent light interference patterns using one or more second optical fibers and an image sensor;
- and
- determining blood characteristics at least partially based on the coherent light interference patterns.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.