US 8,263,947 B2Granted

Method and device for localising fluorophores or absorbers in a surrounding medium

AssigneeCommissariat a l'Energie Atomique

InventorsAnabela Da Silva, Jean-Marc Dinten, Philippe Rizo

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Abstract

The invention relates to a method of localising a fluorophore (22) in a scattering medium (20), by means of a radiation source (8, 10) suited to emitting an excitation radiation of this fluorophore and detection means (4, 12) suited to measuring a fluorescence signal (Φfluo) emitted by this fluorophore (22) comprising: a) for at least 3 different pairs of positions of the radiation source and detection means, an excitation by a radiation coming from the radiation source (8), and a detection by means (4) of detecting the fluorescence signal emitted by this fluorophore after this excitation, b) for each of these pairs, the identification of a surface on which the fluorophore is situated, or a volume comprising this surface and in which the fluorophore is situated, c) an estimation of the localisation of the fluorophore in its surrounding medium, by calculation of the intersection of the three surfaces, or if necessary a volume around this intersection.

Claims28

Dependent claims

A method of localising at least one fluorophore or at least one absorber in a scattering medium, with a pulse radiation source suited to emitting an excitation radiation of said fluorophore or said absorber and a detector suited to measuring a fluorescence signal emitted by said fluorophore or an emission signal emitted by said absorber, comprising:

a) for at least 3 different pairs of positions of the pulse radiation source and detector, generating at least one excitation by a radiation pulse coming from the pulse radiation source, and performing at least one detection with said detector of an emitted signal corresponding to the fluorescence signal emitted by said fluorophore after said excitation, or to the emission signal emitted by said absorber, said emitted signal representing the number of photons detected, as a function of the time passed t in relation to each radiation pulse,
b) calculating at least one characteristic parameter of said emitted signal,
c) for each of said pairs, identifying, based at least on said at least one characteristic parameter of said emitted signal, a surface on which the fluorophore or the absorber is situated, or a volume comprising said surface and in which the fluorophore or the absorber is situated,
d) estimating a localisation of the fluorophore or the absorber in said scattering medium, by calculating an intersection of the three surfaces, or a volume around said intersection.

1 more element

A device for the localisation of at least one fluorophore or at least one absorber in a scattering medium, comprising:

a radiation source suited to emitting pulses of excitation radiation,
a detector suited to measuring an emitted signal corresponding to a fluorescence signal emitted by said fluorophore or an emission signal emitted by said absorber, said emitted signal representing the number of photons detected, as a function of the time passed t in relation to each pulse of excitation radiation,
a processor configured to:
a) for each pair of points among at least 3 different pairs of positions of the radiation source and the detector, calculate at least one characteristic parameter of said emitted signal, after an excitation carried out by a radiation coming from the radiation source, and a detection by the detector of signals emitted by the fluorophore or the absorber after said excitation, and, based at least on said at least one characteristic parameter, calculate a surface on which the fluorophore or the absorber is situated, or a volume comprising said surface and in which the fluorophore or the absorber is situated,
b) estimate a localisation of the fluorophore or the absorber in said scattering medium, by calculation of an intersection of the three surfaces or of a volume around said intersection.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.