GB2293648A - Pulsed ultra-violet fluoroscopy - Google Patents
Pulsed ultra-violet fluoroscopy Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- GB2293648A GB2293648A GB9419461A GB9419461A GB2293648A GB 2293648 A GB2293648 A GB 2293648A GB 9419461 A GB9419461 A GB 9419461A GB 9419461 A GB9419461 A GB 9419461A GB 2293648 A GB2293648 A GB 2293648A
- Authority
- GB
- United Kingdom
- Prior art keywords
- fluorescence
- ultra
- data signals
- violet light
- skin
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Granted
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Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
- A61B5/00—Measuring for diagnostic purposes; Identification of persons
- A61B5/44—Detecting, measuring or recording for evaluating the integumentary system, e.g. skin, hair or nails
- A61B5/441—Skin evaluation, e.g. for skin disorder diagnosis
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
- A61B5/00—Measuring for diagnostic purposes; Identification of persons
- A61B5/0059—Measuring for diagnostic purposes; Identification of persons using light, e.g. diagnosis by transillumination, diascopy, fluorescence
- A61B5/0071—Measuring for diagnostic purposes; Identification of persons using light, e.g. diagnosis by transillumination, diascopy, fluorescence by measuring fluorescence emission
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
- G01N21/00—Investigating or analysing materials by the use of optical means, i.e. using sub-millimetre waves, infrared, visible or ultraviolet light
- G01N21/62—Systems in which the material investigated is excited whereby it emits light or causes a change in wavelength of the incident light
- G01N21/63—Systems in which the material investigated is excited whereby it emits light or causes a change in wavelength of the incident light optically excited
- G01N21/64—Fluorescence; Phosphorescence
- G01N21/6408—Fluorescence; Phosphorescence with measurement of decay time, time resolved fluorescence
Abstract
A method of, and apparatus for, the examination of a body in which it is subjected to a pulse of intense ultra-violet light and the fluorescence emitted by the body is observed after a predetermined interval. In particular there is described a method of, and apparatus for, carrying out fluorescence dermatology using the above technique. A hand-held probe unit 6 comprises a flash tube 2 and a CCD video camera 3 which are coordinated by a circuit 1. The image data may be stored 5 and compared with reference patterns relating to known skin conditions. <IMAGE>
Description
Pulsed Ultra-Violet Fluoroscopy The present invention relates to the examination of the condition of a body by the observation of fluorescence emitted by the body in response to irradiation with ultra-violet light.
Many materials emit fluorescence in response to irradiation by ultra-violet light and it is possible to examine a body to determine the presence or absence of materials, the homogeneity of the body, particularly if it is transparent, or the condition of the surface of the body.
In particular, certain skin conditions fluoresce under irradiation with ultraviolet light and the observation of such fluorescence can be used as a diagnostic aid. This technique is known as fluorescence dermatology, and it is to this technique that the present invention relates specifically.
A known method of fluorescence dermatology is to irradiate an affected area of the skin of a patient under observation with ultraviolet light from a source known as a Wood's lamp and to observe directly under dark conditions the fluorescence from the irradiated area of skin.
However, this technique is not entirely satisfactory because not only is it rather unsophisticated but it is inconvenient because of the need to have a room which can be blacked out completely and to wait until the medical practitioner's eyes have become fully dark-adapted.
Fluorescence from skin also has been studied under laboratory conditions using a pulsed laser ultraviolet light source. Such a radiation source can produce a degree of fluorescence which can be observed under ambient conditions. During these studies, the decay curves of the fluorescence have been studied.
However, these studies have utilised large, expensive and sophisticated equipment which is not practicable for use diagnostically in every day medical practice. Also, the use of a laser as the source of ultraviolet light meant that only very small areas of skin were under observation at any one time.
It is an object of the present invention to provide in particular an improved method of diagnosis by fluorescence dermatology and an apparatus for carrying out fluorescence dermatology.
According to the invention there is provided a method of examining a body including the operations of exposing the body to a pulse of high-intensity ultraviolet light, allowing a pre-determined interval to elapse, detecting electronically the fluorescence emitted by the body after the said interval has elapsed, producing fluorescence data signals related thereto and producing from the fluorescence data signals a representation of the fluorescence emitted by the body in response to the irradiation with ultra-violet light.
There may also be included the operation of comparing the fluorescence data signals with stored data signals corresponding to known or expected conditions relating to the body under examination.
Also according to the invention there is provided an apparatus for examining a body, comprising a source of a pulse of high intensity ultra-violet light, means for detecting electronically fluorescence emitted during a pre-determined interval by the body in response to irradiation with the pulse of ultra-violet light and generating fluorescence data signals related thereto, means for co-ordinating the operation of the fluorescence detecting means with the operation of the source of ultra-violet light so that a pre-determined interval occurs between the two events and means for producing from the fluorescence data signals a representation of the fluorescence emitted by the body in response to the irradiation with ultra violet light.
There may also be provided means for storing fluorescence data signals relating to known, or expected, conditions relating to the body under examination and means for providing a comparison between the observed and stored fluorescence data signals.
A particular form of body under examination is a person suffering from a skin condition and in a particular aspect of the invention there is provided a method of and apparatus for carrying out a diagnosis by fluorescence dermatology, the method including the operations of exposing an area of skin to be examined diagnostically to a pulse of high intensity ultra violet radiation, allowing a pre-determined interval to elapse, detecting electronically the fluorescence emitted by the irradiated area of skin after the said interval has elapsed, producing fluorescence data signals related thereto and producing from the fluorescence data signals, a representation of the fluorescence emitted by the area of skin in response to the irradiation with ultra violet light, and the apparatus comprising a source of ultraviolet light for irradiating an area of skin of a person to be examined by fluorescence dermatology with a pulse of high intensity ultra violet light, means for detecting electronically fluorescence emitted by the area of skin to be examined in response to the irradiation by the pulse of ultra violet light and generating fluorescence data signals related thereto, means for co-ordinating the operation of the fluorescence detecting means for a with the generation of the pulse of ultra violet light so that a pre-determined interval occurs between the two events, and means for producing from the fluorescence data signals a representation of the fluorescence emitted by the area of skin in response to the irradiation with ultraviolet light.
The method also may include the operation of comparing the data signals with corresponding stored data signals relating to fluorescence emitted by known skin conditions in response to irradiation with ultra violet light, and the apparatus may include means for storing fluorescence data signals relating to the fluorescence emitted by known skin conditions and means for comparing the data signals generated by the fluorescence detecting means with the stored data signals thereby to determine the nature of a skin condition suffered by a person under observation.
The representation of the fluorescence may be in the form of an image of the irradiated area of skin. Also, as the colour of the fluorescence can give an indication of the causative skin condition, there may be included means for giving an indication of the colours present in the fluorescence emitted by the irradiated area of skin.
A preferred fluorescence detecting means is a miniature video camera of the charge-coupled device type.
Such devices often have an electronically operated gating facility built into them. Also, of course, they provide signals which are adapted to provide a coloured image on a suitable monitor and these can provide sufficient colour analysis for most medical purposes.
The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing which is a diagrammatic representation of a fluorescence dermatology system embodying the invention.
Referring to the drawing a fluorescence dermatology apparatus consists of a co-ordinating circuit 1, a spectrally filtered quartz xenon flash lamp 2, and an electronically shuttered charge-coupled device video camera 3. The co-ordinating circuit 1 is connected to the quartz xenon flash tube 2 and the video camera 3.
The image signals from the video camera 3 are applied to a colour television monitor 4 and a computer/store 5.
The co-ordinating circuit 1, flash tube 2 and camera 3 are incorporated into a hand-held fluorescence probe unit 6.
The video camera 3 is of a type which is 'active' for an internally timed period at the end of each normal frame interval. This 'active' period is controlled by an internally generated control pulse and can be varied between 0.1 and 20 ms. The co-ordinating circuit 1 monitors the output signal from the video camera 3 and generates a trigger pulse which is applied to the xenon flash tube 2 to cause it to produce a pulse of ultraviolet light prior to a corresponding subsequent active period of the video camera 3. The co-ordinating circuit 1 is such that the delay between the emission of the pulse of ultra-violet light and the subsequent active period of the video camera 3 can be varied between zero and 20 ms.
The active period of the video camera can be adjusted to give a convenient division in the video image between ambient illumination and the fluorescence emitted by the irradiated area of the skin of the patient.
The ultraviolet pulse is arranged to be synchronised with the video frame rate of the camera 3 so that a realtime image will appear on the screen 8 of the monitor 4.
This enables the easy inspection of a large area of the skin of the patient 7 by "panning" the probe unit 6 over the area of the skin of the patient 7 to be examined.
The co-ordinating circuit 1 is such that the delay between the ultraviolet light pulse generating signal and the active period of the camera operating pulse can be varied so that images of the fluorescence at various times after the irradiation of the skin of the patient 7 can be observed.
In addition to the television monitor 4, the signals from the camera 3 are applied to a computer/store 5 in which they are compared with stored fluorescence data signals relating to known skin conditions. The results of this comparison are shown on the screen of another monitor 9 which is associated with the computer/store 5.
In another embodiment of the invention, which is not illustrated, the synchronisation circuit 1 is replaced by a control pulse signal generator circuit which generates a first control signal which causes the xenon flash tube to emit a high-intensity pulse of ultra-violet radiation which has a duration typically of 10 ms and a predetermined interval later generates a second control pulse which causes the video camera 3 to be operative for a period between 0.1 ms and 20 ms. The interval between the first and second control pulse is adjustable between zero and 20 ms. The preferred interval is about 10 ms.
The method and apparatus can be used to examine any body which emits fluorescence in response to irradiation with ultra-violet light, to determine a condition of that body. For example, one may wish to examine the surface of the body to determine whether any contamination is present, or whether the body is homogeneous, or contains one or more particular materials.
Claims (23)
1. A method of examining a body including the operations of exposing the body to a pulse of highintensity ultra-violet light, allowing a pre-determined interval to elapse, detecting electronically the fluorescence emitted by the body after the said interval has elapsed, producing fluorescence data signals related thereto and producing from the fluorescence data signals a representation of the fluorescence emitted by the body in response to the irradiation with ultra-violet light.
2. A method according to Claim 1 including the operation of comparing the fluorescence data signals with stored data signals corresponding to known conditions relating to the body under test.
3. A method of diagnosis by fluorescence dermatology including the operations of exposing an area of skin to be examined diagnostically to a pulse of high intensity ultra violet radiation, allowing a pre-determined interval to elapse, detecting electronically the fluorescence emitted by the irradiated area of skin after the said interval has elapsed, producing fluorescence data signals related thereto and producing from the fluorescence data signals a representation of the fluorescence emitted by the area of skin in respect to the irradiation with ultra violet light.
4. A method according to Claim 3 including the operation of comparing the fluorescence data signals with stored corresponding data signals relating to fluorescence emitted by known skin conditions in response to irradiation with ultraviolet light thereby to provide an indication of the nature of a skin condition suffered by the patient.
5. An apparatus for examining a body, comprising a source of a pulse of high intensity ultra-violet light, means for detecting electronically fluorescence emitted during a pre-determined interval by the body in response to irradiation with the pulse of ultra-violet light and generating fluorescence data signals related thereto, means for co-ordinating the operation of the fluorescence detecting means with the operation of the source of ultra-violet light so that a pre-determined interval occurs between the two events and means for producing from the fluorescence data signals a representation of the fluorescence emitted by the body in response to the irradiation with ultra violet light.
6. An apparatus according to Claim 5 including means for storing fluorescence data signals related to known or expected conditions of the body under examination and means for providing a comparison between the observed and stored fluorescence data signals.
7. An apparatus for carrying out fluorescence dermatology, comprising a source of ultra-violet light for irradiating an area of skin to be examined by fluorescence dermatology with a pulse of high intensity ultra violet light, means for detecting electronically fluorescence emitted by the area of skin to be examined in response to the irradiation by the pulse of ultra violet light and generating data fluorescence signals related thereto means for co-ordinating the operation of the fluorescence detecting means with the generation of the pulse of ultra violet light so that a pre-determined interval occurs between the two events, and means for producing from the data fluorescence signals a representation of the fluorescence emitted by the area of skin in response to the irradiation with ultraviolet light.
8. Apparatus according to Claim 7 including means for storing data signals relating to fluorescence emitted by known skin conditions in response to irradiation with ultra violet light and means for comparing the fluorescence data signals with the stored data signals.
9. Apparatus according to any of Claims 5 to 8 including means for providing an indication of the colours present in the fluorescence emitted by the body or the area of skin irradiated with ultraviolet light.
10. Apparatus according to any of Claims 5 to 9 wherein there is included means for producing from the fluorescence data signals a visual image of the fluorescence emitted by the body or the area of skin irradiated with ultraviolet light.
11. Apparatus according to any of Claims 3 to 10 wherein the interval between the generation of the pulse of ultra-violet light and the operation of the fluorescence detecting means can be varied.
12. Apparatus according to Claim 11 wherein the said interval can be varied between zero and 20 ms.
13. Apparatus according to any of Claims 3 to 12 wherein the fluorescence detecting means is adapted to be operative for a period between 0.1 and 20 ms.
14. Apparatus according to Claim 13 wherein the fluorescence detecting means has an operative period of approximately 10 ms.
15. Apparatus according to any of Claims 3 to 14 wherein the fluorescence detecting means is adapted to have regularly spaced operative periods and the means for co ordinating the operation of the fluorescence detecting means with the generation of the pulses of ultra-violet light comprises means for receiving an initial signal from the fluorescence detecting means during one operative period of the fluorescence detecting means and applying an energising signal to the source of ultraviolet light after a pre-determined delay so as to cause the source of ultra violet light to emit a pulse of ultra-violet light a pre-determined interval before the next and subsequent operative periods of the fluorescence detecting means.
16. An apparatus according to any of Claims 3 to 14 wherein the means for co-ordinating the operation of the fluorescence detecting means with the generation of the pulses of ultra-violet light comprises a circuit adapted to apply an energising signal to the source of ultraviolet light and an operating signal to the fluorescence detecting means after the pre-determined interval.
17. An apparatus according to any of Claims 3 to 16 wherein the fluorescence detecting means is a chargecoupled device video camera.
18. An apparatus according to Claim 17 wherein the means for providing a visual image of the fluorescence emitted by the body or skin of the person being examined is a television monitor.
19. An apparatus according to Claim 17 or Claim 18 wherein the energising signal for the source of ultraviolet light is synchronised with the frame rate of the video camera.
20. A method of examining a body substantially as hereinbefore described.
21. An apparatus for examining a body of material substantially as hereinbefore described.
22. A method of carrying out a diagnosis by fluorescence dermatology substantially as hereinbefore described and with reference to the accompanying drawing.
23. An apparatus for carrying out a diagnoses by fluorescence dermatology substantially as hereinbefore described and with reference to the accompanying drawing.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB9419461A GB2293648B (en) | 1994-09-27 | 1994-09-27 | Pulsed ultra-violet fluoroscopy |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB9419461A GB2293648B (en) | 1994-09-27 | 1994-09-27 | Pulsed ultra-violet fluoroscopy |
Publications (3)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| GB9419461D0 GB9419461D0 (en) | 1994-11-09 |
| GB2293648A true GB2293648A (en) | 1996-04-03 |
| GB2293648B GB2293648B (en) | 1998-10-28 |
Family
ID=10761963
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB9419461A Expired - Fee Related GB2293648B (en) | 1994-09-27 | 1994-09-27 | Pulsed ultra-violet fluoroscopy |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| GB (1) | GB2293648B (en) |
Cited By (7)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WO1998046133A1 (en) * | 1997-04-16 | 1998-10-22 | Harvey Lui | Apparatus and methods relating to optical systems for diagnosis of skin diseases |
| US7018094B1 (en) | 1999-10-16 | 2006-03-28 | Airbus Uk Limited | Material analysis |
| WO2006118847A1 (en) * | 2005-04-29 | 2006-11-09 | Johnson & Johnson Consumers Companies, Inc. | Topical composition detection |
| EP1738684A1 (en) * | 2005-06-29 | 2007-01-03 | JOHNSON & JOHNSON CONSUMER COMPANIES, INC. | Handheld device for determining skin age, proliferation status and photodamage level |
| US7558416B2 (en) | 2006-10-02 | 2009-07-07 | Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies, Inc. | Apparatus and method for measuring photodamage to skin |
| US7738032B2 (en) | 2001-11-08 | 2010-06-15 | Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies, Inc. | Apparatus for and method of taking and viewing images of the skin |
| US8026942B2 (en) | 2004-10-29 | 2011-09-27 | Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies, Inc. | Skin imaging system with probe |
Families Citing this family (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US7764303B2 (en) | 2006-10-02 | 2010-07-27 | Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies, Inc. | Imaging apparatus and methods for capturing and analyzing digital images of the skin |
Citations (6)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US4236082A (en) * | 1979-01-29 | 1980-11-25 | Palmguard, Inc. | Method and apparatus for recording image details of the palm of a hand |
| WO1988009145A1 (en) * | 1987-05-29 | 1988-12-01 | Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung Handelnd Als Carl Zeiss | Arrangement for measuring state values of surfaces of organic tissues |
| US4877965A (en) * | 1985-07-01 | 1989-10-31 | Diatron Corporation | Fluorometer |
| US4894547A (en) * | 1987-09-28 | 1990-01-16 | Yale University | Optical method and apparatus for detecting and measuring aging, photoaging, dermal disease and pigmentation in skin |
| EP0478026A1 (en) * | 1990-08-24 | 1992-04-01 | Philips Patentverwaltung GmbH | Method and device for aquisioned anomalies of the skin, particulary of malanomen |
| US5279297A (en) * | 1991-09-20 | 1994-01-18 | Trustees Of The University Of Pennsylvania | Method and apparatus for oxygen mapping |
Family Cites Families (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US5701902A (en) * | 1994-09-14 | 1997-12-30 | Cedars-Sinai Medical Center | Spectroscopic burn injury evaluation apparatus and method |
-
1994
- 1994-09-27 GB GB9419461A patent/GB2293648B/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
Patent Citations (6)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US4236082A (en) * | 1979-01-29 | 1980-11-25 | Palmguard, Inc. | Method and apparatus for recording image details of the palm of a hand |
| US4877965A (en) * | 1985-07-01 | 1989-10-31 | Diatron Corporation | Fluorometer |
| WO1988009145A1 (en) * | 1987-05-29 | 1988-12-01 | Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung Handelnd Als Carl Zeiss | Arrangement for measuring state values of surfaces of organic tissues |
| US4894547A (en) * | 1987-09-28 | 1990-01-16 | Yale University | Optical method and apparatus for detecting and measuring aging, photoaging, dermal disease and pigmentation in skin |
| EP0478026A1 (en) * | 1990-08-24 | 1992-04-01 | Philips Patentverwaltung GmbH | Method and device for aquisioned anomalies of the skin, particulary of malanomen |
| US5279297A (en) * | 1991-09-20 | 1994-01-18 | Trustees Of The University Of Pennsylvania | Method and apparatus for oxygen mapping |
Cited By (7)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WO1998046133A1 (en) * | 1997-04-16 | 1998-10-22 | Harvey Lui | Apparatus and methods relating to optical systems for diagnosis of skin diseases |
| US7018094B1 (en) | 1999-10-16 | 2006-03-28 | Airbus Uk Limited | Material analysis |
| US7738032B2 (en) | 2001-11-08 | 2010-06-15 | Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies, Inc. | Apparatus for and method of taking and viewing images of the skin |
| US8026942B2 (en) | 2004-10-29 | 2011-09-27 | Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies, Inc. | Skin imaging system with probe |
| WO2006118847A1 (en) * | 2005-04-29 | 2006-11-09 | Johnson & Johnson Consumers Companies, Inc. | Topical composition detection |
| EP1738684A1 (en) * | 2005-06-29 | 2007-01-03 | JOHNSON & JOHNSON CONSUMER COMPANIES, INC. | Handheld device for determining skin age, proliferation status and photodamage level |
| US7558416B2 (en) | 2006-10-02 | 2009-07-07 | Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies, Inc. | Apparatus and method for measuring photodamage to skin |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| GB2293648B (en) | 1998-10-28 |
| GB9419461D0 (en) | 1994-11-09 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 732E | Amendments to the register in respect of changes of name or changes affecting rights (sect. 32/1977) | ||
| PCNP | Patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee |
Effective date: 19990128 |