Abstract: The invention relates to methods and devices for assessing one or more components of a selected tissue in an animal. The present invention permits non-invasive assessment of tissue components in a body structure containing multiple tissue types by assessing multiple regions of the animal's body for an optical characteristic of the tissue of interest and separately assessing one or more optical (e.g., Raman or NIR) characteristics of the tissue component for one or more regions that exhibit the optical characteristic of the tissue of interest.

Abstract: The invention relates to methods and devices for assessing one or more components of a selected tissue in an animal. The present invention permits non-invasive assessment of tissue components in a body structure containing multiple tissue types by assessing multiple regions of the animal's body for an optical characteristic of the tissue of interest and separately assessing one or more optical (e.g., Raman or NIR) characteristics of the tissue component for one or more regions that exhibit the optical characteristic of the tissue of interest.

Abstract: A system and method to distinguish normal cells from cells having undergone a biochemical change. A pre-determined vector space is selected where the vector space mathematically describes a first plurality of reference spectral data sets for normal cells and a second plurality of reference spectral data sets for cells having undergone a biochemical change. A sample is irradiated to generate a target spectral data set based on photons absorbed, reflected, emitted, or scattered by the sample. The target spectral data set is transformed into a pre-determined vector space. A distribution of transformed data is analyzed in the pre-determined vector space. Based on the analysis, the sample is classified as containing normal cells, cells having undergone a biochemical change, and combinations thereof. The method includes treating the sample with a pharmaceutical agent prior to irradiating the sample and using the classification to assess the efficiency of the pharmaceutical agent.

Abstract: A system and method for determining a disease state and clinical outcome of a sample. A sample is illuminated to produce Raman scattered photons, the Raman scattered photons are assessed to generate a Raman spectroscopic data set representative of the sample, wherein said Raman spectroscopic data set comprises at least one of: a Raman spectra of the sample and a spatially accurate wavelength resolved Raman image of the sample; the Raman spectroscopic data set is evaluated using a chemometric technique to classify the disease state of the sample as: acute, chronic, incipient, or none. In one embodiment, the chemontric technique is principle component analysis. In another embodiment, the sample is obtained prior to transplantation and analysis can determine the likelihood of rejection by a host.

Abstract: System and method for differentiating tissue margins in a biological sample using pulsed laser excitation and time-gated detection. A region containing a biological tissue is irradiated with substantially monochromatic pulsed laser light to thereby produce Raman scattered photons. The Raman scattered photons are detected using time-gated detection to thereby obtain a Raman spectroscopic image from the irradiated region characteristic of either a neoplastic portion or a non-neoplastic portion of the region containing the biological tissue. A boundary between a neoplastic portion and a non-neoplastic portion is differentiated and the boundary location in the Raman spectroscopic image is displayed.

Abstract: System and method for differentiating tissue margins in a biological sample using pulsed laser excitation and time-gated detection. A region containing a biological tissue is irradiated with substantially monochromatic pulsed laser light to thereby produce Raman scattered photons. The Raman scattered photons are detected using time-gated detection to thereby obtain a Raman spectroscopic image from the irradiated region characteristic of either a neoplastic portion or a non-neoplastic portion of the region containing the biological tissue. A boundary between a neoplastic portion and a non-neoplastic portion is differentiated and the boundary location in the Raman spectroscopic image is displayed.

Abstract: A method of assessing occurrence of a plant pathogen in a sample. The method comprises irradiating the sample and assessing radiation scattered from the sample for radiation that exhibits a Raman scattering characteristic of the pathogen. Detection of scattered radiation that exhibits a Raman shift characteristic of the pathogen is an indication that the pathogen occurs in the sample.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a portable system for obtaining a spatially accurate wavelength-resolved image of a sample having a first and a second spatial dimension that can be used for the detection of hazardous agents by irradiating a sample with light, forming an image of all or part of the sample using Raman shifted light from the sample, and analyzing the Raman shifted light for patterns characteristic of one or more hazardous agents.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to Method and Apparatus for Super Montage Large area Spectroscopic Imaging. In one embodiment of the disclosure, a method for producing a spectroscopic image of an object includes the steps of (a) irradiating the object with light to thereby produce from the object scattered and/or emitted (interchangeably “scattered”) light for each of a plurality of wavelengths; (b) producing separately for each of the plurality of wavelengths a plurality of substantially contiguous sub-images of the object; (c) compensating for spatial aberrations in ones of the sub-images for a select one of the plurality of wavelengths; (d) compensating for intensity aberrations between ones of the substantially contiguous sub-images for one of the plurality of wavelengths; and (e) combining the sub-images for the select one wavelength to thereby produce said spectroscopic image of the object.

Abstract: Raman molecular imaging is used to differentiate between normal and diseased cells or tissue. For instance benign and malignant lesions of bladder and other tissues can be distinguished, including epithelial tissues such as lung, prostate, kidney, breast, and colon, and non-epithelial tissues, such as bone marrow and brain. Raman scattering data relevant to the disease state of cells or tissue can be combined with visual image data to produce hybrid images which depict both a magnified view of the cellular structures and information relating to the disease state of the individual cells in the field of view.

Abstract: System and method for differentiating tissue margins in a biological sample using pulsed laser excitation and time-gated detection. A region containing a biological tissue is irradiated with substantially monochromatic pulsed laser light to thereby produce Raman scattered photons. The Raman scattered photons are detected using time-gated detection to thereby obtain a Raman spectroscopic image from the irradiated region characteristic of either a neoplastic portion or a non-neoplastic portion of the region containing the biological tissue. A boundary between a neoplastic portion and a non-neoplastic portion is differentiated and the boundary location in the Raman spectroscopic image is displayed.

Abstract: A system and method for determining a disease state and clinical outcome of a sample. A sample is illuminated to produce Raman scattered photons, the Raman scattered photons are assessed to generate a Raman spectroscopic data set representative of the sample, wherein said Raman spectroscopic data set comprises at least one of: a Raman spectra of the sample and a spatially accurate wavelength resolved Raman image of the sample; the Raman spectroscopic data set is evaluated using a chemometric technique to classify the disease state of the sample as: acute, chronic, incipient, or none. In one embodiment, the chemontric technique is principle component analysis. In another embodiment, the sample is obtained prior to transplantation and analysis can determine the likelihood of rejection by a host.

Abstract: A method of ablating a viable biological pathogen in a sample. A viable biological pathogen in a portion of the sample is identified by irradiating the sample; assessing radiation scattered from the sample for radiation that exhibits a Raman shift characteristic of the viable biological pathogen, and delivering an ablating agent to the identified portion.

Abstract: A method and system to differentiate a tissue margins during various medical procedures. A region containing a biological tissue is irradiated, with a substantially monochromatic light. Raman spectroscopic data is obtained from the irradiated region. A boundary between a neoplastic portion and a non-neoplastic portion, in the region containing the biological tissue, is differentiated by evaluating the Raman spectroscopic data for at least one Raman spectroscopic value characteristic of either the neoplastic portion or the non-neoplastic portion. The neoplastic portion is selected for physical manipulation based on the differentiation of the boundary between the neoplastic portion and the non-neoplastic portion.

Abstract: The invention relates to methods of dynamic chemical imaging, including methods of cellular imaging. The method comprises illuminating at least a portion of a cell with substantially monochromatic light and assessing Raman-shifted light scattered from the illuminated portion at a plurality of discrete times. The Raman-shifted light can be assessed at a plurality of Raman shift (RS) values at each of the discrete times, and the RS values can be selected to be characteristic of a pre-selected component at each of the discrete times. Multivariate analysis of Raman spectral features of the images thus obtained can yield the location and chemical identity of components in the field of view. This information can be combined or overlaid with other spectral data (e.g., a visible microscopic image) obtained from the field of view.

Abstract: A system and method for depositing a sample of a threat agent is deposited onto a substrate. The threat agent is identified substantially coincident in time with the depositing of the sample of the threat agent onto the substrate.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to methods and apparatus for assessing occurrence of one or more hazardous agents in a sample by performing multipoint spectral analysis of the sample using a portable or hand-held device. Methods of employing Raman spectroscopy and other spectrophotometric methods are disclosed. Devices and systems suitable for performing such multipoint methods are also disclosed.

Abstract: A system and method for depositing a sample of a threat agent is deposited onto a substrate. The threat agent is identified substantially coincident in time with the depositing of the sample of the threat agent onto the substrate.

Abstract: A method of assessing occurrence of a plant pathogen in a sample. The method comprises irradiating the sample and assessing radiation scattered from the sample for radiation that exhibits a Raman scattering characteristic of the pathogen. Detection of scattered radiation that exhibits a Raman shift characteristic of the pathogen is an indication that the pathogen occurs in the sample.

Abstract: A system and method of correlating Raman measurements with digital images of a sample so to classify the sample's disease state. A spectroscopic data set is obtained for the sample positioned in the field of view of a spectroscopic device. With the sample removed from the field of view, the sample is treated with a contrast enhancing agent. The treated sample is repositioned in the spectroscopic device's field of view and a digital image of the treated sample is obtained. The spectroscopic data set is linked with the digital image by defining a transformation to map the image spatial coordinates of the digital image to the spectral spatial coordinates of the spectroscopic data. For the spectroscopic data set of the sample, the database is searched to identify a spectroscopic data set, of a known sample having well characterized pathology, which matches the sample's spectroscopic data set.