Patent ID: 7962198

Claim:
A tomography system, comprising: a plurality of lasers of a first group, each laser of the first group for generating light of a distinct wavelength within a first wavelength band; a plurality of lasers of a second group, each laser of the second group for generating light of a distinct wavelength within a second wavelength band not overlapping the first wavelength band, apparatus for applying the light from the lasers to mammalian tissue such that light from lasers of the first group is applied to the tissue at a plurality of laser-specific, spatially separated, first locations simultaneously and light from lasers of the second group is applied to the tissue at a plurality of laser-specific, spatially separated, second locations; apparatus for collecting light from the mammalian tissue at a plurality of reception points; a spectrographic device for separating light received from the apparatus for collecting light according to a wavelength of the received light, the light being spatially separated according to wavelength; apparatus for generating a path attenuation signal, the path attenuation signal encoding received light amplitude information for each reception point at each wavelength corresponding to each laser of the plurality of lasers of the first and second groups of lasers wherein the path attenuation signals corresponding to lasers of the first group are determined by a method comprising identifying light received from each laser of the first group by wavelengths of the lasers in the first group and path attenuation signals corresponding to lasers of the second group are determined by a method comprising identifying light received from each laser of the second group by wavelengths of the lasers of the second group; and image construction apparatus for receiving the path attenuation signal and for reconstructing a tomographic image of the mammalian tissue representative of oxygenation of the mammalian tissue and of attenuation by the mammalian tissue; and wherein the image construction apparatus is capable of generating an image corresponding to oxygenation of the mammalian tissue based upon differences in attenuation in tissue between light from lasers of the first group and from lasers of the second group.