Patent ID: 7904139
Filing Date: 2011-03-08
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
1. An optical system for examination of breast tissue, comprising: a light source for generating a light beam of a wavelength in a visible to infra-red range to be introduced in the breast tissue spaced apart from said source; a scanning and irradiation system constructed to receive said generated light beam and irradiate a tissue surface over an area of the breast tissue to be examined by scanning said light beam, said scanning and irradiation system being spaced apart from the tissue area; a tissue tracking system constructed to track position of the tissue area; a light detector located away from the examined breast tissue and constructed to detect light that has migrated over scatter paths inside the examined breast tissue and exited inside the tissue; and a computer controlled system including electronics for controlling said light source, said light detector and said scanning and irradiation system, said computer controlled system being constructed to separate reflected photons from photons that have migrated deep inside the examined breast tissue over tissue scatter paths by timing operation of said light source and said light detector to prevent detection of the photons reflected from the tissue surface by the light detector.