Patent ID: 8260402
Filing Date: 2012-09-04
Classification: A61B,G01N

Abstract:
1. A noninvasive method of measuring carotenoid levels in biological tissue, comprising the steps of: illuminating a localized region of tissue with light that overlaps the absorption bands of carotenoids in the blue wavelength region at or about 480 nm; illuminating the same region with light outside the carotenoid absorption band in the red wavelength region at or about 620 nm; applying pressure to the localized region for a predetermined period of time so as to reduce the level of blood chromophores in the localized region; using reflection spectroscopy to measure absorbances due to all chromophores remaining after pressurization in the blue and red wavelength regions; and determining the level of carotenoids in the localized region as the difference between the absorbances in the blue and red wavelength regions.