Claims
- 1. An acousto-optical method of generating information from an animate human or non-human animal body which method comprises:administering to said body a physiologically tolerable material capable of absorbing, scattering or emitting light at a wavelength in the range 300 to 1300 nm; subjecting at least a portion of said body to ultrasound irradiation; if the said material is not sonoluminescent, subjecting at least said portion of said body to light in the wavelength range 300 to 1300 nm; detecting light in the wavelength range 300 to 1300 nm from said portion of said body, wherein said detected light carries a record of the interaction of the ultrasound on said body; and manipulating the detected light to generate said information.
- 2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the wavelength of any of said light is in the range of 600 to 1300 nm.
- 3. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the physiologically tolerable material is a soluble dye enclosed in a liposome, whereby under the influence of said ultrasound the liposomes break and reform so as to release dye selectively at the said portion of said body.
- 4. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the physiologically tolerable material is a precursor of a coloured free radical, which precursor is capable of combining with any free radicals produced under the influence of said ultrasound to generate optically detectable markers at said portion of said body.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
9712525 |
Jun 1997 |
GB |
|
Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation of pending international application number PCT/GB98/01438 filed Jun. 15, 1998 (of which the entire disclosure of the pending, prior application is hereby incorporated by reference), which itself is a continuation-in-part of U.S. provisional application No. 60/050,115 filed Jun. 18, 1997, benefit of which is claimed under 35 USC 119(e).
US Referenced Citations (3)
Number |
Name |
Date |
Kind |
4948975 |
Erwin et al. |
Aug 1990 |
A |
5491344 |
Kenney et al. |
Feb 1996 |
A |
5659173 |
Putterman et al. |
Aug 1997 |
A |
Foreign Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Date |
Country |
0 552 107 |
Jul 1993 |
WO |
WO 96 23524 |
Aug 1996 |
WO |
Non-Patent Literature Citations (1)
Entry |
Database Medline US National Library of Medicine (NLM), Karev I.D. et al., “Ultrasonic luminescence of blood plasma in the differential diagnosis of rectal cancer!. Ul'trazvukovoe svechenie plazmy krovi v differentsial'noi diagnostike raka priamoi kishki.” XP002077622 1991. |
Provisional Applications (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60/050115 |
Jun 1997 |
US |
Continuations (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
PCT/GB98/01438 |
Jun 1998 |
US |
Child |
09/458007 |
|
US |