EP0280418A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Method and apparatus for examining the interior of semi-opaque objects
Assignee: Wyatt Technology LLC
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Filing: 1988-02-02
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2008-02-02
Abstract
Abstract A highly collimated light beam, such as produced by a laser (1), is coupled by optical means (2,3,4,5) directly onto a semi-opaque object (21) such as a human breast. The light transmitted and scattered therein is collected at a fixed surface element and direction relative to the incident light, and coupled optically into an image intensifier (10) preserving th spatial intensity variations passing through said fixed surface element. The intensified image is then collected on an array of detector elements (13) which digitizes and then transfers said preserved image into memory means where it is processed to characterize the interior of said object.
Inventors
- 👤 Philip J. Wyatt
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 04:17
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B5/00; A61B5/43; A61B5/4306; A61B5/4312; A61B5/0059; A61B5/0082; A61B5/0091; G; G01; G01N; G01N21/00; G01N21/17; G01N21/47; G01N21/4795
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 37
Claim 1
Independent Claim
107 words
A method of examining the interior of a semi-opaque object with light, the method comprising: coupling a collimated beam of light to a first surface portion of said body; collecting light scattered within said body at a further surface portion of the body; amplifying the collected light whilst substantially preserving its spatial intensity variations; converting pixels of the amplified light into electrical data signals which are passed to computer means for storage therein; processing the resulting data on the computer means to characterise the region of the object causing spatial variations in the collected light; repeating the processing for different orientations of the incident and/or collected light.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
107 words
A method of examining the interior of a semi-opaque object with light, the method comprising: coupling a collimated beam of light to a first surface portion of said body; collecting light scattered within said body at a further surface portion of the body; amplifying the collected light whilst substantially preserving its spatial intensity variations; converting pixels of the amplified light into electrical data signals which are passed to computer means for storage therein; processing the resulting data on the computer means to characterise the region of the object causing spatial variations in the collected light; repeating the processing for different orientations of the incident and/or collected light.
Claim 3
Independent Claim
202 words
A method for the examination of the interior of a semi-opaque object comprising the following steps: A. Forming a narrow, collimated beam of light; B. Coupling said beam of light onto the semi-opaque object (21) at a desired entrance surface region using a refractive index matching means, thereby coupling said beam of light into said object; C. Coupling a fraction of said light, scattered within and impinging upon a desired surface exit region of said object from the inside of said object by refractive index matching means to an optical collection means (8) at said surface exit region; D. Coupling said optical collection means (8) into a light amplification means (11) which preserves the spatial intensity variations incident thereon and collected at said surface exit region by said optical collection means; E. Impinging the amplified light on an array (13) of photodetectors; F. Converting each detected intensity corresponding to each detector element of said array (13) into a numerical value and transmitting each such value into a memory means (16b); G. Processing and analysing said numerical values in said memory means by computer means (18) and characterizing thereby the region of said examined object causing the spatial variation of said intensity values.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
202 words
A method for the examination of the interior of a semi-opaque object comprising the following steps: A. Forming a narrow, collimated beam of light; B. Coupling said beam of light onto the semi-opaque object (21) at a desired entrance surface region using a refractive index matching means, thereby coupling said beam of light into said object; C. Coupling a fraction of said light, scattered within and impinging upon a desired surface exit region of said object from the inside of said object by refractive index matching means to an optical collection means (8) at said surface exit region; D. Coupling said optical collection means (8) into a light amplification means (11) which preserves the spatial intensity variations incident thereon and collected at said surface exit region by said optical collection means; E. Impinging the amplified light on an array (13) of photodetectors; F. Converting each detected intensity corresponding to each detector element of said array (13) into a numerical value and transmitting each such value into a memory means (16b); G. Processing and analysing said numerical values in said memory means by computer means (18) and characterizing thereby the region of said examined object causing the spatial variation of said intensity values.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
52 words
A method according to claim 2 comprising: H. Repeating said measurements at different orientations of said incident coupled light; I. Varying said entrance and/or exit surface region and repeating steps G & H; and J. Characterizing thereby the inhomogeneities within said semi-opaque object causing the spatial variations of said detected intensity values.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
56 words
A method according to claim 1, 2 or 3, and comprising passing the formed beam into a lens (2), said lens focusing said beam into an optical fiber means (3), said optical fiber means terminating at the focal point of a second lens (4), and said second lens coupled into an optical fiber coupling device (5).
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
16 words
A method according to claim 4, wherein the lenses are half pitch gradient refractive index lenses.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
18 words
A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said beam of light is substantially monochromatic.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
16 words
A method according to claim 6 wherein the beam of light is from a laser (1).
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
13 words
A method according to claim 7 wherein the laser light is linearly polarized.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
12 words
A method according to claim 7, wherein the laser light is unpolarized.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
20 words
A method according to any one of the preceding claims, where the light amplification means (10) is a microchannel plate.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
18 words
A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the array of photodetectors (13) comprises photodiodes.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
22 words
A method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the array of photodetectors (13) forms a charge coupled device.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
18 words
A method according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the semi-opaque object is a human breast.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
44 words
A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said amplified light is made to impinge upon a lens element before impinging on said array of photodetectors forming, thereby, an image of a region interior to said object on said photodetector array.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
25 words
A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the processing of said numerical values includes the process of signal recovery or enhancement.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
27 words
A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the orientations and positions of the elements coupled to the semi-opaque object being examined are measured.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
21 words
A method according to claim 16, wherein the measurements derived therein are used to calculate the path through the semi-opaque object.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
39 words
A method according to claim 16 or 17, wherein the measurements derived therein are used to calculate the locations of the scattering objects therewithin and the angle of scattering therefrom with respect to the direction of the incident light.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
31 words
A method according to any one of the preceding claims and including processing and analysing the collected numerical values so as to determine the degree of coherence in said collected values.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
150 words
An instrument for the examination of the interior of a semi-opaque object and comprising: collimated light generating means (1) for providing a beam of light coupling to an entrance surface of said object; and light collection and processing means (8,10,13) for collecting light from said beam which has scattered within the body and emerged from an exit region thereof; characterised in that the collection and processing means comprise collection optical fiber means (8) for coupling by refractive index matching means to said exit region, light amplification means (10) for amplifying light from said collection optical fiber means (8) while maintaining its spatial variations at said collector optical fiber means (8), photodetector array means (13) for converting pixels of the amplified light to electrical signals, analog-to-digital conversion means (16a) for converting said signals to digital form, and computer processing means (16b, 18) for storing and processing said signals in digital form.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
150 words
An instrument for the examination of the interior of a semi-opaque object and comprising: collimated light generating means (1) for providing a beam of light coupling to an entrance surface of said object; and light collection and processing means (8,10,13) for collecting light from said beam which has scattered within the body and emerged from an exit region thereof; characterised in that the collection and processing means comprise collection optical fiber means (8) for coupling by refractive index matching means to said exit region, light amplification means (10) for amplifying light from said collection optical fiber means (8) while maintaining its spatial variations at said collector optical fiber means (8), photodetector array means (13) for converting pixels of the amplified light to electrical signals, analog-to-digital conversion means (16a) for converting said signals to digital form, and computer processing means (16b, 18) for storing and processing said signals in digital form.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
216 words
An instrument for the examination of the interior of a semi-opaque object and comprising: A. Collimated light means (1) for producing a narrow beam of light; B. Focusing lens means (2) focusing said collimated light beam on an optical fiber transmitting means (3) terminating at the focal point of a C. Second lens means (4) imaging said transmitted light to D. Optical coupling means (5); said optical coupling being for coupling onto the semi-opaque object at a desired entrance surface thereon by refractive index matching means so that said transmitted light incident thereon is coupled into said object at said entrance surface; E. Collection optical fiber means (8), said fiber means being for coupling by refractive index matching means to an exit surface region of said object through which light scattered within said object has scattered thereto; F. Light amplification means (10) whereby light collected from solid object in step E is amplified in intensity while maintaining its spatial variations at said collector optical fiber plate means; G. Photodetector array means (13) for producing from the amplified light output signals proportional to incident intensities; H. Analog-to-digital conversion means (16) for converting each signal at each photodetector element in said photodetector array means into a digital representation; and I. Computer processing means for receiving said digital representation.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
216 words
An instrument for the examination of the interior of a semi-opaque object and comprising: A. Collimated light means (1) for producing a narrow beam of light; B. Focusing lens means (2) focusing said collimated light beam on an optical fiber transmitting means (3) terminating at the focal point of a C. Second lens means (4) imaging said transmitted light to D. Optical coupling means (5); said optical coupling being for coupling onto the semi-opaque object at a desired entrance surface thereon by refractive index matching means so that said transmitted light incident thereon is coupled into said object at said entrance surface; E. Collection optical fiber means (8), said fiber means being for coupling by refractive index matching means to an exit surface region of said object through which light scattered within said object has scattered thereto; F. Light amplification means (10) whereby light collected from solid object in step E is amplified in intensity while maintaining its spatial variations at said collector optical fiber plate means; G. Photodetector array means (13) for producing from the amplified light output signals proportional to incident intensities; H. Analog-to-digital conversion means (16) for converting each signal at each photodetector element in said photodetector array means into a digital representation; and I. Computer processing means for receiving said digital representation.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
27 words
An instrument according to claim 20 or 21, wherein optical lens means (28) as provided to image the amplified light spatial variations onto the photodetector array means
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
20 words
An instrument according to any one of claims 20 to 22, wherein said collimated beam of light is substantially monochromatic.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
19 words
An instrument according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the collimated light means (1) is a laser.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
16 words
An instrument according to claim 24, and arranged to provide laser light which is linearly polarized.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
15 words
An instrument according to claim 24, and arrange to provide laser light which is unpolarized.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
24 words
An instrument according to any one of claims 20 to 26 wherein the lens means are provided by half pitch gradient refractive index lenses.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
20 words
An instrument according to any one of claims 20 to 27, wherein the light amplification means is a microchannel plate.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
16 words
An instrument according to any one of preceding claims wherein the array of photodetectors comprise photodiodes.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
23 words
An instrument according to any one of claims 20 to 28, wherein the array of photodetectors is provided by a charge coupled device.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
26 words
An instrument according to any one of claims 20 to 30 wherein said computer processing means includes means for the process of signal recovery or enhancement.
Claim 36
Independent Claim
47 words
An apparatus for producing a near parallel, spatially homogeneous, unpolarized laser beam from a spatially inhomogeneous laser beam, comprising a half pitch gradient refractive index lens joined on its central axis to an optical fiber which, in turn, is joined to substantially identical gradient refractive index lens.
Claim 37
Independent Claim
47 words
An apparatus for producing a near parallel, spatially homogeneous, unpolarized laser beam from a spatially inhomogeneous laser beam, comprising a half pitch gradient refractive index lens joined on its central axis to an optical fiber which, in turn, is joined to substantially identical gradient refractive index lens.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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