US 12,390,112 B2
Atherosclerotic plaque detection
Karlheinz Peter, Hawthorne (AU); Nay Min Htun, South Yara (AU); and Yung-Chih Chen, Box Hill South (AU)
Assigned to BAKER HEART AND DIABETES INSTITUTE, Melbourne (AU)
Filed by BAKER HEART AND DIABETES INSTITUTE, Melbourne (AU)
Filed on Sep. 16, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/023,108.
Application 17/023,108 is a continuation of application No. 14/394,057, granted, now 10,835,127, previously published as PCT/AU2013/000373, filed on Apr. 12, 2013.
Claims priority of application No. 2012901476 (AU), filed on Apr. 13, 2012.
Prior Publication US 2020/0405153 A1, Dec. 31, 2020
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A61B 5/00 (2006.01); A61B 5/02 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 5/0086 (2013.01) [A61B 5/0071 (2013.01); A61B 5/0084 (2013.01); A61B 5/02007 (2013.01); A61B 5/7246 (2013.01); A61B 5/725 (2013.01); A61B 5/7275 (2013.01); A61B 5/7282 (2013.01); A61B 2576/02 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus for detecting atherosclerotic plaques, the apparatus comprising:
a) a radiation source for generating radiation to thereby expose at least part of an artery to radiation at a first infrared wavelength, wherein the first infrared wavelength is in a range from 600 nm to 900 nm;
b) a sensor configured to sense radiation emitted from at least part of the artery at a second infrared wavelength;
c) an electronic processor configured to:
i) determine a level of autofluorescence sensed by the sensor at the second infrared wavelength in response to exposure of at least part of the artery to radiation at the first infrared wavelength; and
ii) determine a fluorescence indicator using the level of autofluorescence, the fluorescence indicator being indicative of a presence, absence, degree or vulnerability of an atherosclerotic plaque.