US 11,701,016 B2
Facilitating assessment of blood flow and tissue perfusion using fluorescence-mediated photoplethysmography
Robert W. Flower, Hunt Valley, MD (US); Robert Anthony Stead, Vancouver (CA); and Arthur E. Bailey, North Vancouver (CA)
Assigned to Stryker European Operations Limited, Carrigtwohill (IE)
Filed by Stryker European Operations Limited, Carrigtwohill (IE)
Filed on May 11, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/872,321.
Application 16/872,321 is a continuation of application No. 15/433,502, filed on Feb. 15, 2017, granted, now 10,646,128.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/296,006, filed on Feb. 16, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2020/0405161 A1, Dec. 31, 2020
Int. Cl. A61B 5/02 (2006.01); A61B 5/026 (2006.01); A61B 5/0275 (2006.01); A61B 5/029 (2006.01); A61B 5/00 (2006.01); A61B 5/024 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 5/0261 (2013.01) [A61B 5/0071 (2013.01); A61B 5/029 (2013.01); A61B 5/0275 (2013.01); A61B 5/02416 (2013.01); A61B 5/6826 (2013.01)] 23 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for use in medical imaging for facilitating assessment of microvascular tissue perfusion in a tissue volume of a subject, the method comprising:
after a predetermined amount of a fluorescence agent has been administered to the subject, exciting the fluorescence agent in the tissue volume such that the excited fluorescence agent emits fluorescent light;
acquiring fluorescence image data based on the fluorescent light emitted during blood flow through the tissue volume;
processing the fluorescence image data to compensate for ambient light;
processing the fluorescence image data by suppressing image data corresponding to non-microvascular blood vessels; and
generating an assessment of microvascular tissue perfusion in the tissue volume based at least in part on the processed fluorescence image data.