Patents by Inventor Yaling Pei

Yaling Pei has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 7778693
    Abstract: A time series of optical tomography data is obtained for a target tissue site in a human (or animal), using an optical wavelength, such as near infrared, at which hemoglobin is absorptive, to observe properties of the vasculature of the human. The data may be compared to baseline data of a corresponding tissue site, e.g., from a healthy human, or from another, corresponding tissue site of the human. For example, a suspected cancerous breast of a human may be compared to a known healthy breast to detect differences in the vasculature. Measures may be made of flow, oxygen supply/demand imbalance, and evidence of altered regulation of the peripheral effector mechanism. The function of the target tissue site may be analyzed, along with the coordinated interaction between multiple sites of the target system. A provocation may be administered to identify surrogate markers of an underlying state or process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2010
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Department of Health and Human Services
    Inventors: Randall L. Barbour, Yaling Pei
  • Patent number: 7616984
    Abstract: Computation-saving techniques and stability-adding techniques provide for fast, accurate reconstructions of a time series of images involving large-scale 3D problems, such as real-time image recovery in an optical tomography imaging system. A system equation for a target medium (116) such as tissue is solved using a Normalized Difference Method (NDM) (250). Because of the inherent stability of the NDM solutions, a weight matrix (W) of the system equation can be provided for a given point in a time series (220), then reused without recalculation at subsequent points. Further savings are achieved by decomposing W using singular value decomposition or direct matrix decomposition, transforming it to reduce its dimensions, and/or scaling it to achieve a more stable numerical solution. Values of measured energy (112) emerging from the target medium are back-substituted into the system equation for the different points to obtain the target medium properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2009
    Assignees: National Institutes of Health (NIH), The United States of America as represented by the Department of Health and Human Services
    Inventors: Randall L. Barbour, Yaling Pei
  • Patent number: 7617080
    Abstract: Data from a target system (616) that exhibits a non-linear relationship between system properties and measurement data, is processed by applying a linear filter (F) to improve resolution and accuracy. The filter reduces inaccuracies that are introduced by an algorithm used to reconstruct the data. The filter is defined by assigning time varying functions, such as sinusoids (200), to elements (210) in a model (Y) of the system to perturbate the elements. The resulting data output from the model is reconstructed using the same algorithm used to subsequently reconstruct the data from the target system. The filter is defined as a matrix (F) that transforms the reconstructed data of the model (X) back toward the known properties of the model (Y). A library of filters can be pre-calculated for different applications. In an example implementation, the system is tissue that is imaged using optical tomography.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2009
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Department of Health and Human Services
    Inventors: Randall L. Barbour, Harry L. Graber, Yaling Pei, Yong Xu
  • Patent number: 7142304
    Abstract: The present invention recognizes that contrary to intuitive expectations, sensitivity and resolution of the data for image reconstruction can be increased by decreasing the absorption or scattering mean free path length of the imaging source energy. Methods are disclosed in this respect for enhancing sensitivity and resolution in the imaging of scattering target media (116). In one method, source energy wavelength is selected to optimize scattering and absorption of the energy while maintaining measurable and acceptable detector signals (112). In another aspect of the invention, the scattering target medium (116) is radially compressed and the imaging source wavelength is then adjusted in conjunction with the compression to improve sensitivity and resolution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2006
    Assignee: The Research Foundation of State University of New York
    Inventors: Randall L. Barbour, Yaling Pei
  • Patent number: 7099519
    Abstract: A method of significantly improving the quality of solutions to a system of linear equations. The solution to a system of linear equations is enhanced by: (1) modeling a target medium into a plurality of elements and imposing at least one localized fluctuation into the target medium; (2) measuring an output resulting from at least one localized fluctuation; and (3) processing the measured output to reconstruct a result, determining a correction filter, and applying the correction filter to the result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2006
    Assignee: The Research Foundation of State University of New York
    Inventors: Randall L. Barbour, Harry L. Graber, Yaling Pei
  • Publication number: 20050055184
    Abstract: Data from a target system (616) that exhibits a non-linear relationship between system properties and measurement data, is processed by applying a linear filter (F) to improve resolution and accuracy. The filter reduces inaccuracies that are introduced by an algorithm used to reconstruct the data. The filter is defined by assigning time varying functions, such as sinusoids (200), to elements (210) in a model (Y) of the system to perturbate the elements. The resulting data output from the model is reconstructed using the same algorithm used to subsequently reconstruct the data from the target system. The filter is defined as a matrix (F) that transforms the reconstructed data of the model (X) back toward the known properties of the model (Y). A library of filters can be pre-calculated for different applications. In an example implementation, the system is tissue that is imaged using optical tomography.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2004
    Publication date: March 10, 2005
    Applicant: NIRx Medical Technologies, L.L.C.
    Inventors: Randall Barbour, Harry Graber, Yaling Pei, Yong Xu
  • Publication number: 20050041882
    Abstract: A method of significantly improving the quality of solutions to a system of linear equations. The solution to a system of linear equations is enhanced by: (1) modeling a target medium into a plurality of elements and imposing at least one localized fluctuation into the target medium; (2) measuring an output resulting from at least one localized fluctuation; and (3) processing the measured output to reconstruct a result, determining a correction filter, and applying the correction filter to the result.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2002
    Publication date: February 24, 2005
    Inventors: Randall Barbour, Harry Graber, Yaling Pei
  • Publication number: 20040039268
    Abstract: A time series of optical tomography data is obtained for a target tissue site in a human (or animal), using an optical wavelength, such as near infrared, at which hemoglobin is absorptive, to observe properties of the vasculature of the human. The data may be compared to baseline data of a corresponding tissue site, e.g., from a healthy human, or from another, corresponding tissue site of the human. For example, a suspected cancerous breast of a human may be compared to a known healthy breast to detect differences in the vasculature. Measures may be made of flow, oxygen supply/demand imbalance, and evidence of altered regulation of the peripheral effector mechanism. The function of the target tissue site may be analyzed, along with the coordinated interaction between multiple sites of the target system. A provocation may be administered to identify surrogate markers of an underlying state or process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2003
    Publication date: February 26, 2004
    Inventors: Randall L. Barbour, Yaling Pei
  • Publication number: 20040010397
    Abstract: Computation-saving techniques and stability-adding techniques provide for fast, accurate reconstructions of a time series of images involving large-scale 3D problems, such as real-time image recovery in an optical tomography imaging system. A system equation for a target medium (116) such as tissue is solved using a Normalized Difference Method (NDM) (250). Because of the inherent stability of the NDM solutions, a weight matrix (W) of the system equation can be provided for a given point in a time series (220), then reused without recalculation at subsequent points. Further savings are achieved by decomposing W using singular value decomposition or direct matrix decomposition, transforming it to reduce its dimensions, and/or scaling it to achieve a more stable numerical solution. Values of measured energy (112) emerging from the target medium are back-substituted into the system equation for the different points to obtain the target medium properties.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2003
    Publication date: January 15, 2004
    Inventors: Randall L. Barbour, Yaling Pei
  • Patent number: 6662128
    Abstract: A method and system for minimizing inter-coefficient crosstalk in imaging the internal properties of a scattering medium. The method and system minimizing inter-coefficient. crosstalk in image reconstruction by solving a system of linear perturbation equations with the use of relative detector values, weight matrix scaling, and constraints based on either the know or unknown direction of the perturbations in the medium's properties. The constraint being either (1) positive or negative corresponding to the direction of a known perturbations, or (2) solving the system of equations with both positive and negative constraints and summing the results where the direction of the perturbations are unknown. The advantages of the inventive method and system result in effective isolation of absorption and scattering coefficient variations, even for complex combinations of perturbations in these coefficients.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2003
    Assignee: The Research Foundation of State University of New York
    Inventors: Randall L. Barbour, Harry L. Graber, Yaling Pei
  • Publication number: 20030139893
    Abstract: A method and system for minimizing inter-coefficient crosstalk in imaging the internal properties of a scattering medium. The method and system minimizing inter-coefficient crosstalk in image reconstruction by solving a system of linear perturbation equations with the use of relative detector values, weight matrix scaling, and constraints based on either the know or unknown direction of the perturbations in the medium's properties. The constraint being either (1) positive or negative corresponding to the direction of a known perturbations, or (2) solving the system of equations with both positive and negative constraints and summing the results where the direction of the perturbations are unknown. The advantages of the inventive method and system result in effective isolation of absorption and scattering coefficient variations, even for complex combinations of perturbations in these coefficients.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2002
    Publication date: July 24, 2003
    Inventors: Randall L. Barbour, Harry L. Graber, Yaling Pei