Light Emission and Reflective Analyzing System

Abstract

A system employing projected light upon objects or surfaces to determine a safe light wave length range of light to be emitted for treatment of the object or surface is provided. Light emitters are employed for projecting light waves upon the surfaces along with light reception components which are employed to receive reflected light wave ranges from such emitted light. Thereafter, a safe light wave range can be employed to treat or affect the object or surface.

Claims

1. An adjustable light emitting system for determining and generating a light wave range for communication to affect an object, as shown and described herein.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING FIGURES

[0029] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and form a part of the specification, illustrate some, but not the only or exclusive, examples of embodiments and/or features of the various modes of the fiber optic channelized light emission and Analyzing invention herein which as noted may be employed singularly or in combination. It is intended that the embodiments and figures disclosed herein are to be considered illustrative rather than limiting.

In the drawings:

[0030] FIG. 1 depicts a mode of the system herein employing a light emitter which is variable for frequency or wavelength ranges and depicts a computer interface for discerning the reflected light from the range projected from an object and the absorbed portion of the light.

[0031] FIG. 2 shows an example of software enabled analysis of a substance which may be affected through the discerning of the reflected light frequencies or wavelengths communicated through a fiber optic pathway to the spectroscopic analyzer.

[0032] FIG. 3 depicts an example of the determining of a light wave range transmission which may be generated by the light emitter which will target and affect a particular material or substance based on the calculation of FIG. 2.

[0033] FIG. 4 depicts an example of a treatment which may be provided by the system herein through the communication of light in safe light wavelength ranges calculated to only affect a targeted area or material upon which the wavelength or frequency-specific light is communicated, while concurrently leaving adjacent areas or tissues substantially unaffected.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

[0034] In this description, the directional prepositions of up, upwardly, down, downwardly, front, back, top, upper, bottom, lower, left, right, first, second, and other such terms refer to the device as it is oriented and appears in the drawings and are used for convenience only, and they are not intended to be limiting or to imply that the magnifying container device herein has to be used or positioned in any particular orientation.

[0035] Now referring to drawings in FIGS. 1-4 wherein similar components are identified by like reference numerals, there is seen in FIG. 1 the system 10 herein in a graphic depiction of the components in general. As shown, a tunable light emitter 12 is operatively engaged with an output fiber optic conduit 14 which receives emitted light from the light emitter 12 and communicates such light in a wavelength range through the output fiber optic conduit 14. An optional filter 16 may be positioned along the output fiber optic conduit 14 between the light emitter 12 and the object 18 of interest. The filter 16 may be employed for filtering color or for polarization or for blocking a light wave range within that being emitted or for other purposes of the emitted light 20 from the light emitter 12.

[0036] Also shown in the system 10 in FIG. 1 is a reflected light sensor such as a spectroscopic analyzer 22 which is configured in operative engagement to a return fiber optic conduit 24. The return fiber optic conduit 24 communicates reflected light 26 from the object 18 when it is illuminated with a chosen frequency or wavelength of emitted light 20 from the light emitter 12. It should be noted, by the term “object” is meant one or each of a plurality of objects or surfaces which are adjacent to each other.

[0037] A CPU 27 is in operative electronic communication with both the spectroscopic analyzer 22 and the tuneable light emitter 12. The CPU 27 has a computer processor in operative connection to electronic memory in which analyzing software running to the task of receiving an electronic signal from the analyzer relating to reflected light 26 from the object to determine a light frequency or the wavelength range of absorbed light by the object, which has not been communicated to the spectroscopic analyzer 22 from the original range emitted and to the return fiber optic conduit 24. The determined target light wavelength range of the spectrum of the absorbed light, as noted herein, can be employed in a communication thereof to the object 18 to affect its structure while having substantially little or no effect on the surrounding area (FIG. 4). In a preferred secondary calculation, noted above, where adjacent tissue or structures are present with the targeted object, potentially damaging portions of the target light wavelength range can be determined which may affect the adjacent structure or structures. These damaging portions of the target light wavelength range can be removed and a safe target light wavelength range can be determined which will safely remove or otherwise affect the targeted object but concurrently, will cause substantially no damage or harm to any one or plurality of adjacent objects or surfaces.

[0038] For example and in no way limiting, the CPU and software running thereon to the task may determine a target light frequency or target light wavelength range from the light wavelength range which has not returned in a reflection from the target object 18 and into the return fiber optic conduit 24 and is therefor absorbed by the object 18.

[0039] In a subsequent step, such as in FIG. 4, the light emitter 12 will be tuned via an electronic signal by the CPU 27 to tune the emitted light 20 only to a spectrum, wavelength range, or light frequency range which was determined as absorbed. The emitted light 20, so tuned, would contact the object 20 and heat or otherwise affect its structure while, concurrently, having little or no affect on the surrounding area 28. Where the secondary calculation is performed, the emitted light 20, so tuned, will not project the emitted light 20 in any overlapping ranges between the targeted object 18 and any adjacent objects where it is known that such emitted light 20 in such overlapping ranges will cause damage or otherwise affect an adjacent object.

[0040] Also, while not depicted, should heat be generated by the system and process herein, it may require a conduit for cooling and/or removal of any vapors generated and emitted. Such a conduit would function best if positioned in proximity to where the light reacts with the targeted object 28 or substrate or substance. Thus, optionally, a means to remove excess heat and/or vapors, caused thereby, may be included. Such, for example, could be a conduit which would be adapted to provide a separate flushing and/or suction proximate to the position of reaction to the light transmitted for such.

[0041] Still further, optionally, a means to view the relative position of the distal end of the conduit communicating light for the operation herein may be desirable. For example only and in now way limiting, such may be provided by a metallic bead or some other structure viewable in an X-ray positioned at the light emitting tip, in order to allow for the use of fluoroscopy to determine a current position thereof during use.

[0042] Depicted in FIG. 2 is a graphic example of an absorption analysis to which the software running in electronic memory of the CPU 27 would be operating and configured to calculate. The CPU 27 will be in electronic communication with a database in electronic memory, which will enable the calculation. An electronic signal from the CPU 27 to the light emitter 12, in electronic communication with the CPU 27, will cause the light emitter 12 to adjust the spectrum or wavelength range of the emitted light 20 to the determined safe wavelength range to have the desired affect upon the object 18 when communicated through the output fiber optic conduit 14 to the surface of the object 18.

[0043] Additionally, a targeting camera (not shown but well known) can be operatively connected with the return fiber optic conduit 24 to provide a graphic depiction on a display screen of the object 18 in its remote position and for a subsequent targeting thereof.

[0044] FIG. 2 also shows an example of software enabled background material analysis by the software running in memory of the CPU 27 operating to such a task. As shown, any adjacent or surrounding material to the object 18, which may be affected by the emitted light 20, may be examined through the discerning of the reflected light 26 frequencies or wavelength range which is communicated through the return fiber optic pathway 24 to the spectroscopic analyzer 22 from the one or adjacent surfaces. As shown, emitted light 20 from the light emitter 12, in a first emission, strikes the background or surrounding areas 28 adjacent and around the object 18. The surrounding area 28 absorbs all the light in a wavelength range but for that designated as C. Since C is reflected by the surrounding area 28, a communication of emitted light 20 can be calculated in a safe wavelength range to the object 18 in the spectrum or wavelength range or frequency of C. Thus, the light emitted in a determined safe wavelength range may be employed to affect the object 18, but not the surrounding area 28.

[0045] In FIG. 3 is shown a graphic depiction of the software operating to the task of determining a light wavelength range or frequencies or spectrum which is reflected by the target or object 18 and what light wavelength range or frequencies or light spectrum has been reflected. The same can be determined for objects or surfaces or tissue or the like, adjacent the object 18.

[0046] As shown, emitted light 20 striking the target such as the object 18 and any adjacent surfaces, will reflect light in the spectrum, wavelength range, or frequency 26. A safe light wavelength range for communication to the target or object 18, thus, can be determined by the software operating to the task in electronic memory and on the CPU 27. Such, as noted, is accomplished by calculating the light wavelength range which has been both absorbed and reflected by each of any adjacent objects or surfaces, as well as the light wavelength range which has been absorbed by the object 18 from the light wavelength range or frequencies or spectrums of the first emitted light 20. A determined absorbed light wavelength range can be calculated as a range which will affect the target surface or object 18, and the light wavelength range of the returning reflected light 26 can be determined as not affecting the target or object and any adjacent surfaces.

[0047] Finally, depicted in FIG. 4 is an example of a treatment which may be provided by the system 10 herein, once the reflected light wavelength range and absorbed light wavelength range or spectrum has been determined for the target or object 18 using the system herein 10. As shown, the CPU 27 has communicated a signal to the light emitter 12, to only communicate emitted light 20 in a target light wavelength range of one or a plurality of light wavelengths in the range which has been calculated to be absorbed by the target or object 18, and reflected by the surrounding area 28. In this fashion, the target or object 18 can be affected by the emitted light 20 while protecting the surrounding area 28.

[0048] Additionally, in the secondary calculation, noted above, the absorbed light wavelength range, determined as having been absorbed by any adjacent object or surface, will be compared to the determined target light wave range. Should an overlap be determined in any of the absorbed light wave ranges and the target light wave range, the overlaps will be subtracted from the target light wave range for emission to a determined safe light wave range for communication to the target or object 18 which will have no affect on adjacent surfaces 28.

[0049] The description of the features of the light emission and reflective analyzing system invention herein does not limit the claims of this application, and other applications developed by those skilled in the art upon reviewing this application are considered to be included in this invention.

[0050] It is additionally noted and anticipated that although the depictions and disclosure herein is shown in its most simple form and operation, potential configurations, various components and aspects of the disclosed system may be differently arranged or slightly modified when forming the invention herein. As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate the descriptions and depictions set forth in this disclosure are merely meant to portray examples of preferred modes of the system herein within the overall scope and intent of the invention, and are not to be considered limiting in any manner.

[0051] Further, while all of the fundamental characteristics and features of the light emission system have been shown and described herein, with reference to particular embodiments thereof, a latitude of modification, various changes and substitutions are intended in the foregoing disclosure as well as the claims which follow, and it will be apparent that in some instances, some features of the invention may be employed without a corresponding use of other features without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth. It should also be understood that various substitutions, modifications, and variations may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Consequently, all such modifications and variations and substitutions are included within the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.