Asynchronous fluorescence scan
AssigneeArgose, Inc.
InventorPierre Trepagnier
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention is directed to asynchronous scanning devices and methods of using asynchronous scanning to acquire fluorescence data from a sample, such as biological tissue, to facilitate diagnosis of the presence or absence of disease or other abnormality in the sample. The present invention is useful for biomedical diagnostics, chemical analysis or other evaluation of the target sample.
Claims31
A method of analyzing a sample comprising the steps of:
- exposing the sample to an excitation radiation having a wavelength, λex, thereby generating an emission radiation having a wavelength, λem;
- scanning the wavelength of the excitation radiation and the wavelength of the emission radiation to collect a spectrum;
- and
- correlating the spectrum to a condition of the sample, wherein said excitation and emission wavelengths are varied according to the formula:
- λem=λex+Δλ, wherein Δλ varies and Δλ>Δλmin, wherein Δλmin is a minimum separation between the excitation wavelength λex and the emission wavelength λem.
An apparatus for testing a sample comprising:
- means for exposing the sample to an excitation radiation, λex, thereby generating and emission radiation, λem;
- means for scanning the wavelength of the excitation radiation and the wavelength of the emission radiation to produce a spectrum;
- and
- means for correlating the spectrum to a condition of the sample, wherein said excitation and emission wavelengths are varied according to the formula:
- λem=λex+Δλ, and Δλ varies and Δλ>Δλmin, wherein Δλmin is a minimum separation between the excitation wavelength λex and the emission wavelength λem.
A fluorescence spectral acquisition system comprising means for exposing a sample to an excitation radiation having an excitation wavelength, λex, and means for scanning the excitation wavelength and radiation re-emitted by the sample, said radiation having an emission wavelength, λem, wherein both the excitation wavelength, λex, and emission wavelength, λem, are varied, said variation having the mathematical formula λem=mλex+b, where m≠1, said variation being subject to the constraint that Δλ=λem−λex>Δλmin, wherein Δλmin is a minimum separation between the excitation wavelength λex and the emission wavelength λem.
A fluorescence spectral acquisition system comprising means for exposing a sample to an excitation radiation having an excitation wavelength, λex, and means for scanning the excitation wavelength and radiation re-emitted by the sample, said radiation having an emission wavelength, λem, wherein both the excitation wavelength, λex, and emission wavelength, λem, are varied, said variation having the mathematical formula λem=f(λex), where f(λex) represents any simple curved arc, said variation being subject to the constraint that Δλ=λem−λex>Δλmin, wherein Δλmin is a minimum separation between the excitation wavelength λex and the emission wavelength λem.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.