Water Jet Light Guide for Non-Contact Raman Tissue Sensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional Raman spectroscopy techniques for tissue diagnosis face challenges such as weak signals, interference from fluorescence backgrounds, and inconsistent sampling geometry, leading to reduced signal-to-noise ratio and increased risk of tissue damage, especially in non-invasive applications.
Innovation Solution
A water jet is used as a light guide to collect and deliver light from tissues, maintaining a laminar flow and guiding light through total internal reflection, allowing for efficient collection and analysis of Raman scattered light without direct contact, using a system that includes a water source, light source, and analysis unit.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If direct contact measurement is used, then signal collection efficiency is improved, but tissue damage risk increases and measurement consistency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces water as an intermediary medium between the probe and tissue. The water jet acts as a flexible light guide that transmits light to and from the tissue surface without requiring direct physical contact. This resolves the contradiction by enabling efficient light transmission (improving signal collection) while eliminating mechanical contact (reducing tissue damage risk).
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a water jet (hydraulic system) to deliver and collect light. The flowing water serves as a dynamic light guide, using fluid dynamics to maintain consistent optical coupling with the tissue surface. This hydraulic approach enables non-contact signal collection while maintaining measurement consistency through controlled water flow parameters.
2Productivity
If direct contact measurement is used, then signal collection efficiency is improved, but measurement consistency deteriorates due to varying pressure
Solution Approach 1:
Water serves as a compliant intermediary that adapts to the tissue surface topology. The water jet maintains optimal optical coupling without transmitting mechanical pressure variations to the tissue, thereby preserving measurement consistency while retaining signal collection efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent controls water flow parameters (flow rate, pressure) to maintain optimal optical coupling conditions. By adjusting these parameters, the system compensates for variations in tissue surface geometry and maintains consistent sampling geometry, resolving the measurement consistency issue while preserving signal collection efficiency.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If contact-free approach is used, then tissue damage risk is reduced, but collection efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The water jet acts as an optical intermediary that bridges the gap between the probe and tissue. It transmits light efficiently over the contact-free distance while maintaining optimal optical coupling, thereby achieving both tissue protection and high collection efficiency simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The hydraulic water jet system provides a flexible, non-contact optical pathway. The flowing water maintains consistent optical coupling with the tissue surface, enabling efficient light transmission without physical contact, thus resolving the contradiction between tissue protection and collection efficiency.
4Adaptability or versatility
If manual distance control is used, then adaptability to tissue topology is improved, but data consistency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The water jet system uses fluid dynamics to automatically adapt to tissue surface variations. The flowing water maintains optimal optical coupling through its inherent flexibility and compliance, eliminating the need for manual distance adjustment while preserving data consistency across different tissue topologies.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a dynamic water jet system that continuously adapts to tissue surface changes. The flowing water maintains optimal optical coupling in real-time, providing automatic adaptation to non-uniform surface topology while maintaining consistent measurement parameters, thus resolving the contradiction between adaptability and data consistency.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The water jet light guide system enhances signal collection efficiency, reduces interference, and maintains consistent sampling geometry, improving the reliability and accuracy of Raman spectroscopy for in vivo tissue analysis.
Implementation Method 1
guiding light through total internal reflection
Implementation Method 2
maintaining a laminar flow
Implementation Method 3
Raman spectroscopy (RS) is a powerful spectroscopic technique that is based on inelastic interaction between light and molecules. This phenomenon is called Raman scattering
Data Source
AI summary
A system useful for in vivo and ex vivo spectroscopy comprises a water source connected to supply water through a passage to an outlet at a flow rate sufficient to issue a laminar water jet from the outlet, a light source operative to emit a light beam that is guided to a sample by the water jet, and an analysis unit connected to receive collected light that has been emitted from the sample into the water jet and operable to analyze the collected light. Some embodiments provide endoscopes with integrated light guides.