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:
Nov. 16, 2004
Filed:
Apr. 29, 2002
Matthew H. Smith, Madison, AL (US);
Arthur Lompado, Huntsville, AL (US);
Kurt R. Denninghoff, Birmingham, AL (US);
Lloyd W. Hillman, Huntsville, AL (US);
University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, AL (US);
Abstract
A method and apparatus are provided for accurately measuring the blood oxygen saturation with a retinal vessel. The apparatus includes an optical source for illuminating the retinal vessel with optical signals. The apparatus also includes a filter, such as an aperture, disposed within the path of the optical signals returning from the eye. The filter preferentially passes single pass optical signals that have diffused through the retinal layer and/or the choroidal layer of the eye while traversing the retinal vessel only once, while blocking or otherwise redirecting the other optical signals. The apparatus also includes a detector for separately detecting at least the single pass optical signals and, in some instances, the other optical signals as well. The apparatus can also include a processing element for determining the blood oxygen saturation in the retinal vessel based upon the optical signals that have been detected.