Patent ID: 6272376
Filing Date: 2001-08-07
Classification: A61B,G01N

Abstract:
A method of identifying the histological condition of tissue by analyzing protein and lipid components in the tissue, comprising:(a) exciting the tissue with ultraviolet laser light of a suitable excitation wavelength and excitation intensity to cause the tissue to reemit light;(b) resolving the reemitted light into component wavelengths within a predetermined bandwidth;(c) determining the time-resolved emission of the reemitted light at one or more of the component wavelengths;(d) obtaining spectral intensity data representative of the intensity of the reemitted light at the one or more component wavelengths;(e) obtaining intensity decay data representative of the time-resolved emission of the reemitted light at the one or more component wavelengths; and(f) processing the spectral intensity data and intensity decay data in order to analyze the histological condition of the tissue.