Augmented reality spectroscopy

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11460705-B2
Application number	US-202117391889-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 2, 2021
Priority date	Sep 22, 2016
Publication date	Oct 4, 2022
Grant date	Oct 4, 2022

Abstract

In some embodiments, a system comprises a head-mounted frame removably coupleable to the user's head; one or more light sources coupled to the head-mounted frame and configured to emit light with at least two different wavelengths toward a target object in an irradiation field of view of the light sources; one or more electromagnetic radiation detectors coupled to the head-mounted member and configured to receive light reflected after encountering the target object; and a controller operatively coupled to the one or more light sources and detectors and configured to determine and display an output indicating the identity or property of the target object as determined by the light properties measured by the detectors in relation to the light properties emitted by the light sources.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wearable spectroscopy system comprising:
a frame removably coupleable to a user's head;
a head-mountable display attached to the frame;
at least one outward-facing light source coupled to the frame and configured to emit light with at least two different wavelengths;
at least one electromagnetic radiation detector coupled to the frame and configured to receive reflected light from a target object irradiated by the emitted light;
an absorption database of light absorption properties of at least one material;
a controller operatively coupled to the at least one outward-facing light source and the at least one electromagnetic radiation detector, the controller configured to cause:
emission of pulses of light by the at least one outward-facing light source;
detection, by the at least one electromagnetic radiation detector, of levels of light absorption related to the emitted pulses of light and reflected light from the target object; and
matching of detected levels of light absorption with light absorption properties stored in the absorption database; and

a graphics processor unit configured to display an output to the user.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one outward-facing light source comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one outward-facing light source is configured to emit electromagnetic radiation at a first wavelength of about 660 nanometers, and a second wavelength of about 940 nanometers.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one outward-facing light source is configured to emit electromagnetic radiation at the two predetermined wavelengths sequentially.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one outward-facing light source is configured to emit electromagnetic radiation at the two predetermined wavelengths simultaneously.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to cause the at least one outward-facing light source to emit a cyclic pattern of a first wavelength on, then a second wavelength on, then both first and second wavelengths off, such that the at least one electromagnetic radiation detector detects the first and second wavelengths separately.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to calculate a ratio of first wavelength light measurement to second wavelength light measurement, and wherein the system is configured to convert the ratio to a tissue property based on the absorption database.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the controller is operatively coupled to an optical element coupled to the head-mountable display and viewable by the user, wherein the system is configured to provide the output based on the tissue property, wherein the output is viewable by the user through the optical element.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the tissue property comprises at least one property selected from the group consisting of: a tissue type, an estimated blood saturation level, a presence of abnormal cells, a presence of cancerous cells.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one electromagnetic radiation detector comprises a device selected from the group consisting of a photodiode and a photodetector.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one electromagnetic radiation detector comprises a digital image sensor.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the digital image sensor comprises a plurality of pixels, and wherein the controller is configured to automatically detect a subset of pixels which are receiving the light reflected after encountering a predetermined tissue property and to produce an output that displays the location of the subset of pixels indicating the predetermined tissue property.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the head-mountable display further comprises an inertial measurement unit positional system.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the inertial measurement unit positional system determines a pose orientation of the user's head.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the at least one outward-facing light source is configured to emit the light in a direction corresponding to the pose orientation of the user's head.

16. The system of claim 1 , wherein the head-mountable display comprises a stack of waveguides configured to output light to an eye of the user.

Assignees

• Magic Leap Inc

Inventors

• Samec Nicole Elizabeth
• Robaina Nastasja U
• Kaehler Adrian
• Baerenrodt Mark
• Baerenrodt Eric
• Harrises Christopher M
• Powers Tammy Sherri

Classifications

• G01J3/427

  Dual wavelengths spectrometry · CPC title

• G02B6/0076

  Stacked arrangements of multiple light guides of the same or different cross-sectional area · CPC title

• G01N21/359

  using near infrared light · CPC title

• G06F3/011

  Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality (blind teaching G09B21/00) · CPC title

• G01N33/483

  Physical analysis of biological material · CPC title