The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 27, 2004
Filed:
Aug. 13, 2002
Matthew H. Smith, Madison, AL (US);
Kurt R. Denninghoff, Birmingham, AL (US);
Lloyd W. Hillman, Huntsville, AL (US);
Raghunandan Manchenahalli, Santa Clara, CA (US);
University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, AL (US);
Abstract
Methods, apparatus and computer program products are provided for more accurately determining the percent transmittance of a vessel, such as a retinal vessel, at each of a number of different wavelengths and, in turn, for more accurately determining the blood oxygen saturation within the vessel. The blood oxygen saturation is determined based upon a plurality of images of the vessel obtained with illumination of different wavelengths. Background images are generated based upon respective images of the vessel in order to approximate the tissue bed underlying the vessel, such as the background fundus underlying the retinal vessel. Thereafter, a plurality of transmittance images are determined based upon respective pairs of the background images and the images of the vessel, such as by dividing the image of the vessel by the respective background image. Based upon a plurality of transmittance images, the blood oxygen saturation in the vessel may be determined.