California Institute of Technology

Other

Children's Hospital Los Angeles

Colgate Palmolive Company

The United States of America as Represented by the Administrator of the

James L Lambert

Mark S Borchert

James Herbert Kemp

Ashit Talukder

Raymond Lam

Tien-Hsin Chao

Li-Jen Cheng Cheng

Larry A Bergman

Jeffrey W Yu

John M Morookian

Peter L Chua

Methods and systems for Raman spectroscopy and context imaging are disclosed. One or two lasers can be used to excite Raman scattering in a sample, while a plurality of LEDs can illuminate the sample at a different wavelength. The LED light is collected by a lenslet array in order to enable a high depth of field. Focusing of the image can be carried out at specific points of the image by processing the light collected by the lenslet array.

Dual wavelength context imaging Raman and fluorescence spectrometer

Context imaging raman spectrometer

A computer-implemented system and method of intra-oral analysis for measuring plaque removal is disclosed. The system includes hardware for real-time image acquisition and software to store the acquired images on a patient-by-patient basis. The system implements algorithms to segment teeth of interest from surrounding gum, and uses a real-time image-based morphing procedure to automatically overlay a grid onto each segmented tooth. Pattern recognition methods are used to classify plaque from surrounding gum and enamel, while ignoring glare effects due to the reflection of camera light and ambient light from enamel regions. The system integrates these components into a single software suite with an easy-to-use graphical user interface (GUI) that allows users to do an end-to-end run of a patient record, including tooth segmentation of all teeth, grid morphing of each segmented tooth, and plaque classification of each tooth image.

Computer-implemented system and method for automated and highly accurate plaque analysis, reporting, and visualization

A non-invasive in vivo method for assessing macular carotenoids includes performing Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) on a retina of a subject. A spatial representation of carotenoid levels in the macula based on data from the OCT of the retina can be generated.

Non-invasive in vivo measurement of macular carotenoids

A non-invasive method for analyzing the blood-brain barrier includes obtaining a Raman spectrum of a selected portion of the eye and monitoring the Raman spectrum to ascertain a change to the dynamics of the blood brain barrier. Also, non-invasive methods for determining the brain or blood level of an analyte of interest, such as glucose, drugs, alcohol, poisons, and the like, comprises: generating an excitation laser beam at a selected wavelength (e.g., at a wavelength of about 400 to 900 nanometers); focusing the excitation laser beam into the anterior chamber of an eye of the subject so that aqueous humor, vitreous humor, or one or more conjunctiva vessels in the eye is illuminated; detecting (preferably confocally detecting) a Raman spectrum from the illuminated portion of the eye; and then determining the blood level or brain level (intracranial or cerebral spinal fluid level) of an analyte of interest for the subject from the Raman spectrum. In certain embodiments, the detecting step may be followed by the step of subtracting a confounding fluorescence spectrum from the Raman spectrum to produce a difference spectrum; and determining the blood level and/or brain level of the analyte of interest for the subject from that difference spectrum, preferably using linear or nonlinear multivariate analysis such as partial least squares analysis. Apparatus for carrying out the foregoing methods are also disclosed.

Assessing blood brain barrier dynamics or identifying or measuring selected substances, including ethanol or toxins, in a subject by analyzing Raman spectrum signals

Methods and systems of the present invention identify the presence of and/or the concentration of a selected analyte in a subject by: (a) illuminating a selected region of the eye of a subject with an optical excitation beam, wherein the excitation beam wavelength is selected to generate a resonant Raman spectrum of the selected analyte with a signal strength that is at least 100 times greater than Raman spectrums generated by non-resonant wavelengths and/or relative to signals of normal constituents present in the selected region of the eye; (b) detecting a resonant Raman spectrum corresponding to the selected illuminated region of the eye; and (c) identifying the presence, absence and/or the concentration of the selected analyte in the subject based on said detecting step. The apparatus may also be configured to be able to obtain biometric data of the eye to identify (confirm the identity of) the subject.

Identifying or measuring selected substances or toxins in a subject using resonant raman signals

Assessing blood brain barrier dynamics or identifying or measuring selected substances or toxins in a subject by analyzing Raman spectrum signals of selected regions in the eye

A non-invasive method for determining blood level of an analyte of interst, such as glucose, comprises: generating an excitation laser beam (e.g., at a wavelength of 700 to 900 nanometers); focusing the excitation laser beam into the anterior chamber of an eye of the subject so that aqueous humor in the anterior chamber is illuminated; detecting (preferably confocally detecting) a Raman spectrum from the illuminated aqueous humor; and then determining the blood glucose level (or the level of another analyte of interest) for the subject from the Raman spectrum. Preferably, the detecting step is followed by the step of subtracting a confounding fluorescence spectrum from the Raman spectrum to produce a difference spectrum; and determining the blood level of the analyte of interest for the subject from that difference spectrum, preferably using linear or nonlinear multivariate analysis such as partial least squares analysis. Apparatus for carrying out the foregoing method is also disclosed.

Non-invasive glucose monitor

A non-invasive method for determining blood level of an analyte of interest, such as glucose, comprises: generating an excitation laser beam (e.g., at a wavelength of 700 to 900 nanometers); focusing the excitation laser beam into the anterior chamber of an eye of the subject so that aqueous humor in the anterior chamber is illuminated; detecting (preferably confocally detecting) a Raman spectrum from the illuminated aqueous humor; and then determining the blood glucose level (or the level of another analyte of interest) for the subject from the Raman spectrum. Preferably, the detecting step is followed by the step of subtracting a confounding fluorescence spectrum from the Raman spectrum to produce a difference spectrum; and determining the blood level of the analyte of interest for the subject from that difference spectrum, preferably using linear or nonlinear multivariate analysis such as partial least squares analysis. Apparatus for carrying out the foregoing method is also disclosed.

The invention provides a method of non-invasively determining intracranial pressure from measurements of an eye. A parameter of an optic nerve of the eye is determined, along with an intraocular pressure of the eye. The intracranial pressure may be determined from the intraocular pressure and the parameter.

Non-invasive method of measuring cerebral spinal fluid pressure

The invention is a fiber-optic communication network, including a fiber-optic coupler having multiple fiber-optic ports and multiple optical transceivers which are individually connected to one of the fiber-optic pods. Each optical transceivers includes apparatus for transmitting to and receiving from the fiber-optic coupler, optical pulse signals in accordance with a predetermined code sequence of the transceiver, and optical amplifiers for amplifying the optical pulse signals. Each optical transceivers also includes apparatus for spectrally phase encoding/decoding, in accordance with the predetermined code sequence, optical pulse signals being transmitted to and received from its associated fiber-optic port, and apparatus for reconfiguring the code sequence in accordance with a user select signal. Each optical transceivers further includes detection apparatus for detecting a received optical pulse signal transmitted from another of the optical transceivers. The detector apparatus includes apparatus for magnifying the amplitude of the received optical pulse signal. Additionally, each of the optical transceivers includes apparatus for selecting an optical carrier center frequency at which the optical transceiver receives and transmits optical pulse signals within a predetermined frequency band in accordance with a user center frequency select signal. The different carrier center frequencies are selectable from a set of non-overlapping carrier frequency bands. This allows communications on the network between different user pairs at different carrier center frequencies.

Optical protocols for communication networks

An acousto-optic tunable filter (AOTF) is employed to generate a display by driving the AOTF with an RF electrical signal comprising modulated red, green, and blue video scan line signals and scanning the AOTF with a linearly polarized, pulsed light beam, resulting in encoding of color video columns (scan lines) of an input video image into vertical columns of the AOTF output beam. The AOTF is illuminated periodically as each acoustically-encoded scan line fills the cell aperture of the AOTF. A polarizing beam splitter removes the unused first order beam component of the AOTF output and, if desired, overlays a real world scene on the output plane. Resolutions as high as 30,000 lines are possible, providing holographic display capability.

Display system employing acoustro-optic tunable filter

An improved AOTF-based imaging spectrometer that has ability to electronically set the bandpass wavelength of an AOTF to any desired value in its wide tuning range, provides significant observational flexibility. This allows observations to be tailored in real-time and enables the spectrometer to address a wide range of objectives and permits real-time modification of the observational parameters, such as in flight or in other situations in which only remote control is possible. Various improvements in optical architecture provide simplified magnification variability, improved image resolution and light throughput efficiency and reduced sensitivity to ambient light. A preferred embodiment employs a camera zoom lens as the input lens. A TeO.sub.2 AOTF and a relay lens are placed at selected distances behind the back focal plane of the input lens, respectively. A charge coupled device (CCD) camera, which comprises a camera, camera zoom lens and a CCD detector is placed at a selected distance behind the relay lens. An RF signal generator is used to drive the AOTF. Two embodiments of the invention are disclosed herein. One operates in the visible/near-infrared domain, in the wavelength range of 0.48 to 0.76 microns. The other operates in the infrared wavelength range of 1.2 to 2.5 microns.

Growing community of inventors

Sunland, CA, United States of America

James L Lambert