Patent ID: 7046359

Claim:
A method for detecting dynamic changes that occur in a sample between a first time interval and a second time interval using a series of at least first and second sequential chemical images of the sample, wherein the first chemical image corresponds to an image of the sample during a first time interval, and the second chemical image corresponds to an image of the sample at a second time interval after the first time interval, the method comprising: (a) during the first time interval: (i) illuminating the sample, along a first optical path, with a plurality of photons to thereby produce photons scattered or emitted by the sample along a second optical path, wherein the first optical path is at an oblique angle with respect to the second optical path; (ii) using a two-dimensional array of detection elements to simultaneously detect ones of the photons scattered or emitted in step (a)(i) that are within a first predetermined wavelength band from different locations on or within the sample; and (iii) separately repeating step (a)(ii) for each of a plurality of further different predetermined wavelength bands; (b) combining the results of steps (a)(ii) and (a)(iii) to generate the first chemical image of the sample; (c) during the second time interval: (i) illuminating the sample, along the first optical path, with a plurality of photons to thereby produce photons scattered or emitted by the sample alone the second optical path; (ii) using the two-dimensional array of detection elements to simultaneously detect ones of the photons scattered or emitted in step (c)(i) that are within the first predetermined wavelength band from different locations on or within the sample; and (iii) separately repeating step (c)(ii) for each of the plurality of further different predetermined wavelength bands; (d) combining the results of steps (c)(ii) and (c)(iii) to generate the second chemical image of the sample; and (e) detecting dynamic changes occurring in the sample between the first time interval and the second time interval based on one or more differences between the first and second chemical images.