Patent ID: 9480404
Filing Date: 2016-11-01
CPC Classification: A61B,G06T,G16H

Claim Text:
1. A method for noninvasively imaging erosion of a biomaterial in vivo within a subject, the method comprising the steps of: a) preparing an in vivo biomaterial sample by tagging a sample of the biomaterial with a marker that bonds to the biomaterial; b) introducing the tagged biomaterial sample to an in vivo environment, wherein the in vivo environment is within the subject; c) acquiring imaging data using a luminescence imaging system from the in vivo environment within the subject including the tagged sample of the biomaterial over a selected time period; d) reconstructing a series of images from the imaging data using an image processor, each image characterizing a luminescent property of the in vivo biomaterial sample at a given time in the selected time period; and e) determining, from the images, changes in the luminescent property of the biomaterial sample over the selected time period; f) determining an in vivo marker characteristic based on the changes in the luminescent property of the biomaterial sample, the in vivo marker characteristic indicative of the erosion of the biomaterial in vivo.