OPTIMIZING A FIBER-OPTIC PROBE FOR SPECTROSCOPIC MEASUREMENTS

摘要

The invention provides a design process that is used in the determination of the pattern of detector and illumination optical fibers at the sampling area of a subject. Information about the system, specifically a monochromator (e.g.) to determine the optimal number of fibers at an output slit) and the bundle termination at a detector optics stack (e.g.) to determine the optima l number of fibers at the bundle termination), is of critical importance to th is design. It is those numbers that determine the ratio and number of illumination to detection fibers, significantly limiting and constraining th e solution space. Additional information about the estimated signal and noise in the skin is necessary to maximize the signal-to-noise ratio in the wavelengt h range of interest. Constraining the fibers to a hexagonal perimeter and prescribing a hex-packed pattern, such that alternating columns contain illumination and detection fibers, yields optimal results. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, two detectors share the totality of the detecti on fibers at the sampling interface. A third group of detection fibers is used for classification purposes.