Diagnostic Instrument and Method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016000330-A1
Application number	US-201414768521-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 19, 2014
Priority date	Feb 19, 2013
Publication date	Jan 7, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A diagnostic instrument comprises a monochromatic light source, transmission means to transmit light from the light source to a test site, collection means to transmit scattered light from the test site, and spectral analysis apparatus to receive light from the collection means, the spectral analysis apparatus comprising a diffraction grating having a first grating element and a second grating element, wherein the first grating element diffracts light within a first wavelength range and the second grating element diffracts light within a second wavelength range, the spectral analysis apparatus further comprising a light-sensing apparatus, the first grating element arranged to diffract light onto a first area of the light-sensing apparatus and the second grating element arranged to diffract light onto a second area of the light-sensing apparatus.

First claim

1 - 30 . (canceled)

31 . A diagnostic instrument comprising;
a monochromatic light source; transmission means to transmit light from the light source to an instrument head; collection means to transmit scattered light; and spectral analysis apparatus to receive light from the collection means, the spectral analysis apparatus comprising a diffraction grating having a first grating element and a second grating element, wherein the first grating element diffracts light within a first spectral range and the second grating element diffracts light within a distinct second spectral range, the spectral analysis apparatus further comprising a light-sensing apparatus, wherein the first grating element is arranged to diffract light onto a first area of the light-sensing apparatus and the second grating element arranged to diffract light onto a second area of the light-sensing apparatus.

32 . The diagnostic instrument according to claim 31 wherein the transmission means comprises a transmission optical fiber, and the collection means comprises a collection optical fiber having a proximal end and a collection filter to exclude light from the monochromatic light source.

33 . A diagnostic instrument according to claim 32 wherein the collection means comprises a plurality of collection fibers and ends of the collection fibers proximal to the spectral analysis apparatus are mounted in a curved configuration to correct for image aberration.

34 . The diagnostic instrument according to claim 32 further comprising a ball lens to transmit light from the transmission optical fiber to a test site.

35 . The diagnostic instrument according to claim 31 wherein the first spectral range is from 800 cm −1 to 1800 cm −1 .

36 . The diagnostic instrument according to claim 31 wherein the second spectral range is 2800 cm −1 to 3600 cm −1 .

37 . The diagnostic instrument according to claim 31 further comprising a processing apparatus operable to simultaneously receive data from the first area and generate a first spectrum and receive data from the second area and generate a second spectrum.

38 . The diagnostic instrument according to claim 37 wherein the processing unit is operable to check the spectra for contamination and if the spectra are valid, classify the spectra as corresponding to healthy or abnormal tissue and generate an output accordingly.

39 . A diagnostic instrument according to claim 38 further comprising a library of stored spectra, wherein the processing unit is operable to compare the spectra to the stored spectra.

40 . A method of operating a diagnostic instrument, comprising:
transmitting light from a monochromatic light source to a test site; collecting scattered light from the test site; passing collected scattered light to a spectral analysis apparatus comprising:
a diffraction grating having a first grating element and a second grating element; and
a light-sensing apparatus; and
simultaneously diffracting light within a first spectral range with the first grating element onto a first area of the light sensing apparatus and diffracting light within a distinct second spectral range with the second grating element onto a second area of the light sensing apparatus.

41 . The method according to claim 40 further comprising receiving data from the first area and generating a first spectrum and receiving data from the second area and generating a second spectrum.

42 . The method according to claim 41 further comprising checking the received data for saturation and rejecting the received data if saturation is found.

43 . The method according to claim 40 further comprising checking the spectra for contamination and if the spectra are valid, classifying the spectra as corresponding to healthy or abnormal tissue and generating an output accordingly.

44 . The method according to claim 43 further comprising providing a library of stored spectra and wherein the checking and classifying comprise comparing the spectra to the stored spectra.

45 . The method according to claim 40 , wherein the first spectral range is from 800 cm −1 to 1800 cm −1 and the second spectral range is 2800 cm −1 to 3600 cm −1 .

Assignees

• Univ Singapore

Inventors

• Huang Zhiwei
• Bergholt Mads Sylvest
• Zheng Wei
• Ho Khek Yu

Classifications

• G01J3/28

  Investigating the spectrum (using colour filters G01J3/51) · CPC title

• G01N2201/129

  Using chemometrical methods · CPC title

• G02B23/2469

  using optical fibres · CPC title

• G01N21/65

  Raman scattering · CPC title

• G01J3/0272

  Handheld · CPC title