Patent ID: 6104946
Filing Date: 2000-08-15
Classification: A61B,G01N

Abstract:
A method of measuring absorption information of a scattering medium, comprising:generating a pulsed light of a predetermined wavelength;making the pulsed light incident in a light spot at a light incidence position on a surface of a scattering medium;receiving the pulsed light having propagated inside the scattering medium at a photodetection position on the surface of the scattering medium;temporally cutting a portion out of a light signal received from the photodetection position at a signal detecting section to acquire a measurement signal;repetitively performing the generating a pulsed light, the making the pulsed light incident, the receiving the pulsed light, and the temporally cutting at plural timings;deriving plural time integration values and plural mean optical pathlengths for each measurement signal obtained at the plural timings; andcalculating a change amount of absorption coefficient occurring between the plural timings, based on a predetermined relation among the plural time integration values, the plural mean optical pathlengths, and the change amount of absorption coefficient.