U.S. Philips Corporation

Dimitrios Papaioannou

Gert W T Hooft

Sel Brian Colak

Martinus B Van Der Mark

A device for imaging a turbid medium, for example a breast of a female, includes a holder for receiving the turbid medium, a light source, a photodetector and a processing unit for deriving the image from the intensities measured. The holder is adapted to receive besides the turbid medium also an adaptation medium having substantial identical optical parameters as the optical parameters of the turbid medium. In this way artefacts in the reconstructed image due to the boundary effect between the turbid medium and the holder can be reduced. When a liquid is used as the adaptation medium a perfect match between the holder and the shape of the turbid medium can be obtained. Further, also intensity differences in the image due to different path lengths between light source and photodetector can be equalized.

Device for and method of forming an image of a turbid medium

A device (700) for localizing an object (726) in a turbid medium (710) includes one light source (722) and two detectors (723,724), being symmetrically situated relatively to the light source (722), around a turbid medium (710). By applying a pulse modulated light source an optimal frequency could be determined to perform measurement at optimal sensitivity of the system. To enable a fast scanning system that could be used in for example mammography, a plurality of light sources (1209) and plurality of detectors (1201 to 1208) could be used. A processing system (105) selects then repetitively one light source (1209) and a different detector pairs, that are symmetrically situated relatively towards the light source (1209). Another embodiment that could be used in the mammography includes rotating mirrors (1303,1309) to scan a measuring space (1304) adapted to contains an object (1305), for example a human breast. The detector used in this embodiment includes a streak camera (1313). A lens (1308) and one of the rotating mirrors (1309) images two exit locations (1306,1307) of the measuring space (1304) that are symmetrically situated toward an entrance location (1303) of the measuring space on the entrance slit (1312) of the streak camera (1313). The output-image (1315) of the streak camera (1313) is imaged by an image pick-up device (1316) and processed by a processing system (1318) to obtain an image of the object in the measuring space (1304). A monitor (1319) displays the obtained image.

Device for localizing an object in a turbid medium using a modulated

A device for localizing an object 118 in a turbid medium (111), includes a laser (100) which is used for generating amplitude modulated light that is conducted into a turbid media (111), and a detection unit (107) for measuring the amplitude-modulated light emanating from the turbid media. A signal processing unit (109) measures a phase and amplitude from the detector signal (115). Based on the insight that the accuracy of the measured phase is influenced by higher harmonics present in the detector signal (115), the accuracy of the phase detection is improved by reducing such higher harmonics. This is achieved by reducing the higher harmonics in the amplitude modulated light from the laser (100) by utilizing a two-mode laser.

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Eindhoven, Netherlands

Dimitrios Papaioannou