Systems and methods for lymph node and vessel imaging
AssigneeMassachusetts Institute of Technology
InventorsZhongming Li, Angela Belcher
Life of this patent
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Abstract
This disclosure provides a method for imaging lymph nodes and lymphatic vessels without a contrast agent. The method includes providing, using an optical source, an infrared illumination to a region of a subject having at least one lymphatic component, detecting a reflected portion of the infrared illumination directly reflected from the region using a sensor positioned thereabout, and generating at least one image indicative of the at least one lymphatic component in the subject using the reflected portion of the infrared illumination.
Claims18
1-21. (canceled)
A method for imaging biological tissue in vivo, the method comprising:
- providing, using an optical source, an infrared illumination having a first polarization to an in vivo region of a subject containing first birefringent tissue and second tissue;
- detecting, using a sensor positioned to receive the illumination reflected from the region, a reflected portion of the infrared illumination reflected from the in vivo region and having a second polarization opposite to the first polarization;
- rotating one or more polarizers to optimize contrast between (a) a first spatial portion of the reflected portion of the infrared illumination corresponding to the first birefringent tissue versus (b) a second spatial portion of the reflected portion of the infrared illumination corresponding to the second tissue;
- and
- generating at least one image indicative of the birefringent tissue in the vivo region of the subject using the reflected portion of the infrared illumination.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.