EP0140633A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method and apparatus for spectral transmissibility examination and analysis
Assignee: Somanetics LLC
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Filing: 1984-10-15
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2004-10-15
Abstract
Abstract Apparatus for the physiological examination of tissue, particularly the human female breast, comprises a test instrument (10) having a first component (24) providing a light source, for example the termination of an optical fibre bundle (44), and a second component (26) having a light detector (58, 60, 62, 64), the two components being carried by support means (27, 28, 29) for movement towards and away from one another with means for measuring the light path length between the source and detector. The first component also carries a light detector (48) close to the light source. The apparatus is adjusted so that the two components engage opposite surfaces of the breast and bursts of light of selected wavelengths are delivered by the light source and the light transmitted through the breast is detected and signals passed to analysing apparatus (22). The apparatus may be used to produce comparisons between different readings, for example between readings from the two breasts of one woman, between readings from the same breast at separated time intervals and between readings from different women.
Inventors
- 👤 Hugh Franklin Stoddart
- 👤 Gary Dean Lewis
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 17:17
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B5/00; A61B5/43; A61B5/4306; A61B5/4312; A61B5/0059; A61B5/0082; A61B5/0091; A61B5/145; A61B5/1455
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim
225 words
Apparatus for obtaining clinical optical response data from selected body portions of individual subjects indicative of the intrinsic internal composition, condition and physiology of tissue within such body portions, comprising: a manually-manipulatable test instrument (10) having at least first and second component members (24, 26) and support means (27, 27', 28) disposed therebetween for holding such members in selected mutually fixed relative positions; at least said first component member including light source means (44) for emitting selected light from such member; said first component member (24) being adapted to fit closely against a selected body portion from which clinical data is desired to be obtained, in a manner to project said emitted light into the interior of such body portion; light-receiving means (58, 60, 62, 64) carried by at least said second component member (26) for receiving at least part of the light projected into said selected body portion; said support means including position-variable elements (27, 27') for movement of one of said component members relative to the other to change the effective optical path length between said source and said light-receiving means; and means (28, 29) operatively coupled between said light source means and said light-receiving means for providing a determination of the particular effective length of particular optical paths at various positions of said relative movement which effects change in such path length.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
225 words
Apparatus for obtaining clinical optical response data from selected body portions of individual subjects indicative of the intrinsic internal composition, condition and physiology of tissue within such body portions, comprising: a manually-manipulatable test instrument (10) having at least first and second component members (24, 26) and support means (27, 27', 28) disposed therebetween for holding such members in selected mutually fixed relative positions; at least said first component member including light source means (44) for emitting selected light from such member; said first component member (24) being adapted to fit closely against a selected body portion from which clinical data is desired to be obtained, in a manner to project said emitted light into the interior of such body portion; light-receiving means (58, 60, 62, 64) carried by at least said second component member (26) for receiving at least part of the light projected into said selected body portion; said support means including position-variable elements (27, 27') for movement of one of said component members relative to the other to change the effective optical path length between said source and said light-receiving means; and means (28, 29) operatively coupled between said light source means and said light-receiving means for providing a determination of the particular effective length of particular optical paths at various positions of said relative movement which effects change in such path length.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
28 words
Optical response apparatus according to Claim 1 wherein said means for providing a determination of the particular effective length of said optical path includes visual readout means (29).
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
29 words
Optical response apparatus according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 and including means for producing signals corresponding to the length of an optical path determined by said length-measurement means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
32 words
Optical response apparatus according to any of Claims 1 to 3 in which the support means (27, 27', 28) maintains the first and second component members (24, 26) aligned with one another.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
129 words
Optical response apparatus according to any of Claims 1 to 4 which includes light-receiver means (48, 50) carried with said first component member (24) at a known optical path length from said light source (44), for receiving certain of said light emitted by said source after projection thereof into said selected body portion and following reflection and back-scatter effects upon said light occurring within said body portion, such that the emitted and projected light is received at both a far point on said body portion spaced relatively far from that at which said light is introduced into the body portion and also at a near point spaced at least slightly less than the far point from the point at which the light is initially introduced to the body portion.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
69 words
Optical response apparatus according to Claim 5 wherein said second component member includes first and second light-receiver means, said first light-receiver means (58, 60) being positioned generally along a first axis with respect to said light source (44) and said second light-receiver means (62, 64) being spaced from the first light-receiver means so as to be positioned along a second and different axis with respect to said light source.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
104 words
Apparatus according to any of Claims 1 to 6 which includes at least a pair of mutually cooperative light detectors associated with at least one of said component members, each having portions for receiving light wavelengths arriving at such component member from said source and through said body portion, and each of said detectors being adapted to provide electrical signals representative of at least certain of the light so received, each of said mutually cooperative detectors in each such pair being of a type having specific differences from the other detector in that pair and effective at least in part over differing wavelength spectra.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
166 words
An optical probe (24, 26) for use in apparatus for obtaining physiological condition data from selected body portions of individual subjects, comprising: a generally rigid body (32, 32') defining a laterally-enclosed internal space and having a generally tubular nosecone (36, 36') at a forward end adapted to contact said selected body portions in light-sealing relation; a generally planar partition member (42, 42') disposed diametrically across said nosecone at a position spaced inward from the end extremity thereof, thereby walling off said internal space and providing a projecting tubularly-enclosed area; a septum (54, 54') extending forwardly from said partition member and dividing said tubularly-enclosed area; said nosecone, partition member and septum being substantially impervious to infrared and near infrared light; at least one light-detector means (48, 50, 58, 60, 62, 64) disposed at least partially within said tubularly-enclosed area and adjacent said septum; and signal-carrying cable means (14, 52) coupled to said light-detector means for transmitting light-reception signals therefrom, said cable means extending out of said body.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
166 words
An optical probe (24, 26) for use in apparatus for obtaining physiological condition data from selected body portions of individual subjects, comprising: a generally rigid body (32, 32') defining a laterally-enclosed internal space and having a generally tubular nosecone (36, 36') at a forward end adapted to contact said selected body portions in light-sealing relation; a generally planar partition member (42, 42') disposed diametrically across said nosecone at a position spaced inward from the end extremity thereof, thereby walling off said internal space and providing a projecting tubularly-enclosed area; a septum (54, 54') extending forwardly from said partition member and dividing said tubularly-enclosed area; said nosecone, partition member and septum being substantially impervious to infrared and near infrared light; at least one light-detector means (48, 50, 58, 60, 62, 64) disposed at least partially within said tubularly-enclosed area and adjacent said septum; and signal-carrying cable means (14, 52) coupled to said light-detector means for transmitting light-reception signals therefrom, said cable means extending out of said body.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
18 words
An optical probe according to Claim 8 in which the surfaces within said tubularly-enclosed area are diffusely reflecting.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
53 words
An optical probe according to Claim 8 or Claim 9 which includes a light source (44) disposed at least partially within said tubularly-enclosed area and arranged to emit light out from the forward end of said nosecone, said light source being located on the opposite side of said septum from said light-detector means.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
34 words
An optical probe according to any of Claims 8 to 10 which includes a pair of light-detector elements on at least one side of said septum and at least partially within said tubular area.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
71 words
An optical probe according to any of Claims 8 to 11 which includes an optical mask element (38) disposed diametrically across said tubular nosecone forwardly of said partition and spaced therefrom; said mask enclosing said light-detector means between the mask, the partition and the tubular nosecone; said mask defining a light-transmissive portion (56) aligned with said detection means (48, 50) for admitting light through the mask and to such detection means.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
46 words
An optical probe according to Claim 12 in which said light transmissive portion (56) comprises an aperture extending through the mask, and wherein said aperture is arcuate in form and concave with respect to a light source disposed across the septum from the light detection means.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
33 words
An optical probe according to any of Claims 1 to 13 in which at least one of said light source or said light-detector comprises the terminal portion of a fibre optic element (44).
Claim 17
Independent Claim
210 words
A method of obtaining clinical optical response data from selected body portions of living beings indicative of the intrinsic internal composition, condition and physiology of tissue within such body portions, comprising: placing at least first and second optical probe members (24, 26) in physical contact with different areas on the surface of the selected body portion in a manner substantially precluding the escape or entry of light from between the optically-active portions of such probe members and the adjacent environment; using position-fixing support means (27, 27', 28) at least in part to hold said optical probe members in their said position of physical contact, and determining the effective optical path length for said optically-active portions of said probe members while the latter are so held; sending selected light from at least one of said probe member active portions into the selected body portion which is in physical contact therewith, and receiving resulting light energy at least at the other probe member active portion; and quantifying and conditioning the said light energy received at said other probe member active portion, including using said determined effective optical path length to condition the light energy data for meaningful comparison with other such quantified and conditioned data obtained at other effective optical path lengths.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
210 words
A method of obtaining clinical optical response data from selected body portions of living beings indicative of the intrinsic internal composition, condition and physiology of tissue within such body portions, comprising: placing at least first and second optical probe members (24, 26) in physical contact with different areas on the surface of the selected body portion in a manner substantially precluding the escape or entry of light from between the optically-active portions of such probe members and the adjacent environment; using position-fixing support means (27, 27', 28) at least in part to hold said optical probe members in their said position of physical contact, and determining the effective optical path length for said optically-active portions of said probe members while the latter are so held; sending selected light from at least one of said probe member active portions into the selected body portion which is in physical contact therewith, and receiving resulting light energy at least at the other probe member active portion; and quantifying and conditioning the said light energy received at said other probe member active portion, including using said determined effective optical path length to condition the light energy data for meaningful comparison with other such quantified and conditioned data obtained at other effective optical path lengths.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
121 words
A method of obtaining optical response data according to Claim 15, and including the steps of moving said active portions of said first and second optical probe members (24, 26) from their said positions of physical contact with different areas on said selected body portion into other positions of physical contact with such body portion at other locations thereon; holding said optical probe members in position at such other locations; and repeating said steps of determining effective optical path length, sending selected light, receiving resulting light energy, and quantifying and conditioning received light energy by using the new effective optical path length determinations to condition the light energy received at the other positions for comparison with other quantified and conditioned data.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
73 words
A method of obtaining optical response data according to Claim 15 or Claim 16 wherein said selected body portion is the breast of a human female and said steps of placing the active portions of said optical probe members and obtaining conditioned data are carried out at a plurality of particular locations for an individual breast including at least the outer side portion thereof, the inner side portion thereof, and generally centrally thereof.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
69 words
A method of obtaining optical response data according to Claim 17 wherein said step of placing said active portions of said optical probe members and obtaining data at a plurality of particular locations on the same breast includes at least a location generally centrally of the breast and near the chest wall and a location generally centrally of the breast and outward from the chest wall toward the nipple.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
167 words
A method of obtaining optical response data according to any of Claims 15 to 18 including the steps of receiving said resulting light energy from said body portion at a location relatively near that at which said selected light is sent into said body portion at said one optical probe member as well as receiving said resulting light energy at said other optical probe member at a location relatively far from that at which the light is sent into the body portion, quantifying the resulting light energy received at said relatively near location, and using at least said quantification of resulting light energy received at said relatively near location as a conditioning factor for the said quantifications of resulting light energy received at said other optical probe member, to condition the latter for optical effects on the received light resulting from factors such as impingement of the light upon and passage thereof through the outer perimeter of the selected body portion at the place of light entry.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
51 words
A method of obtaining optical response data according to Claim 19, wherein said step of receiving resulting light at said relatively near location includes receiving such light at a point within not more than three centimetres from the place at which said selected light is introduced to said selected body portion.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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