Patent ID: 11961236
Assignee: UNIVERSITY HEALTH NETWORK
Field: Measurement (Instruments)
Classification: CPC G  A  Y | IPC A  G

Claim 0:
1. A method of obtaining diagnostic data regarding a target, comprising:
illuminating a target with excitation light emitted by at least one light source supported by a housing of a handheld device, the at least one light source emitting at least one wavelength or wavelength band causing at least one biomarker in the target to fluoresce;
collecting bacterial fluorescence data regarding the target with an image sensor of the handheld device, wherein the collected bacterial fluorescence data comprises at least one image containing data relating to bacterial autofluorescence responsive to illumination of the target and/or an exogenous fluorescence of bacteria responsive to illumination of the target;
identifying pixels in the image having an intensity above a predetermined threshold; and
determining a bacterial load of the target by summing the identified pixels, wherein the bacterial load is measurable bacteria in the target.