Near infrared imaging using laser arrays with distributed bragg reflectors

Abstract

A smart phone or tablet includes laser diodes, at least some of which may be pulsed and generate near-infrared light and include Bragg reflectors to direct light to tissue/skin. An array of laser diodes generates near-infrared light and has an assembly in front of the array that forms the light into a plurality of spots on the tissue/skin. A receiver includes detectors that receive light reflected from the tissue/skin. An infrared camera receives light reflected from the tissue/skin and generates data based on the received light. The smart phone or tablet is configured to generate a two-dimensional or three-dimensional image using at least part of the data from the infrared camera.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A smart phone or tablet, comprising:
 a first at least one of a plurality of laser diodes, the first at least one of the plurality of laser diodes configured to be pulsed;   a second at least one of the plurality of laser diodes;   the plurality of laser diodes configured to generate light having one or more optical wavelengths, wherein at least a portion of the one or more optical wavelengths is a near-infrared wavelength between 700 nanometers and 2500 nanometers, and wherein at least one of the plurality of laser diodes comprises one or more Bragg reflectors;   at least a portion of light generated by the plurality of laser diodes capable of being directed to tissue comprising skin;   an array of laser diodes configured to generate light having one or more optical wavelengths, wherein at least a portion of the one or more optical wavelengths is a near-infrared wavelength between 700 nanometers and 2500 nanometers, and wherein at least one laser diode of the array of laser diodes comprises one or more Bragg reflectors;   an assembly in front of the array of laser diodes configured to receive at least a portion of the light from the array of laser diodes, the array of laser diodes and the assembly configured to form the light into a plurality of spots and configured to direct at least some of the spots to the tissue;   a first receiver comprising a plurality of detectors, wherein the plurality of detectors comprises one or more detector arrays;   at least one of the plurality of detectors configured to receive at least a portion of light from the first at least one of the plurality of laser diodes and configured to generate a reference detector output, and at least another of the plurality of detectors configured to receive at least a portion of light reflected from the tissue from the first at least one of the plurality of laser diodes and configured to generate a sample detector output, wherein the first receiver is configured to generate a first receiver output by comparing the reference detector output and the sample detector output;   an infrared camera configured to generate data based at least in part on light received from the second at least one of the plurality of laser diodes reflected from the tissue;   wherein the smart phone or tablet is configured to receive and process at least a portion of the first receiver output, and configured to generate a two-dimensional or three-dimensional image using at least some of the data from the infrared camera, and wherein the two-dimensional or three-dimensional image is used in part to identify one or more features corresponding to the skin; and   the smart phone or tablet further comprising a wireless receiver, a wireless transmitter, a display, a voice input module, and a speaker.   
     
     
         2 . The smart phone or tablet of  claim 1 , wherein the first receiver is configured to perform a time-of-flight measurement by measuring a time difference between the generated light from the first at least one of the plurality of laser diodes and light reflected from the tissue from the first at least one of the plurality of laser diodes, and wherein the smart phone or tablet is configured to receive and process at least a portion of the time-of-flight measurement. 
     
     
         3 . The smart phone or tablet of  claim 1 , wherein the infrared camera is further configured to:
 generate a first signal in response to light received while the plurality of laser diodes and the array of laser diodes are off; and   generate a second signal in response to light received while at least one of the plurality of laser diodes or at least one laser diode of the array of laser diodes is on, the light received including at least some light from the at least one of the plurality of laser diodes reflected from the tissue or at least some light from the array of laser diodes reflected from the tissue;   wherein the smart phone or tablet is further configured to use a difference between the first signal and the second signal to, at least in part, generate the two-dimensional or three-dimensional image.   
     
     
         4 . The smart phone or tablet of  claim 1 , wherein the first receiver further comprises one or more filters in front of the one or more detectors to select a fraction of the one or more optical wavelengths, wherein at least some of the plurality of laser diodes operate near a 940 nanometer wavelength, and wherein the smart phone or tablet is configured to process the two-dimensional or three-dimensional image using a multivariate analysis. 
     
     
         5 . The smart phone or tablet of  claim 1 , wherein the second at least one of the plurality of laser diodes is also configured to be pulsed, and wherein the infrared camera is configured to be synchronized to the second at least one of the plurality of laser diodes. 
     
     
         6 . The smart phone or tablet of  claim 1 , wherein the second at least one of the plurality of laser diodes is configured to operate in a pulsed mode having a pulse repetition rate, and wherein the infrared camera is configured to lock-in to the pulsed mode. 
     
     
         7 . A smart phone or tablet, comprising:
 a first at least one of a plurality of laser diodes, the first at least one of the plurality of laser diodes configured to be pulsed;   the plurality of laser diodes configured to generate light having one or more optical wavelengths, wherein at least a portion of the one or more optical wavelengths is a near-infrared wavelength between 700 nanometers and 2500 nanometers, and wherein at least a portion of the plurality of laser diodes comprises one or more Bragg reflectors;   at least a portion of light from the plurality of laser diodes capable of being directed to tissue comprising skin;   a first laser diode array configured to generate light having one or more optical wavelengths, wherein at least a portion of the one or more optical wavelengths is a near-infrared wavelength between 700 nanometers and 2500 nanometers, and wherein at least a portion of the first laser diode array comprises one or more Bragg reflectors;   a second laser diode array comprising a second at least one of the plurality of laser diodes;   an assembly in front of the first laser diode array configured to receive at least a portion of the light from the first laser diode array, the first laser diode array and the assembly configured to form the light into a plurality of spots and configured to direct at least some of the spots to the tissue;   a first receiver comprising a plurality of detectors;   the first receiver configured to receive at least a portion of light reflected from the tissue from the first at least one of the plurality of laser diodes;   an infrared camera configured to receive at least a portion of the light from the second laser diode array reflected from the tissue, wherein the infrared camera generates data based at least in part on the portion of the light received;   wherein the smart phone or tablet is configured to generate a two-dimensional or three- dimensional image using at least part of the data from the infrared camera.   
     
     
         8 . The smart phone or tablet of  claim 7 , wherein the first receiver is configured to perform a time-of-flight measurement by measuring a time difference between the generated light from the first at least one of the plurality of laser diodes and light reflected from the tissue from the first at least one of the plurality of laser diodes, and wherein the smart phone or tablet is configured to receive and process at least a portion of the time-of-flight measurement. 
     
     
         9 . The smart phone or tablet of  claim 8 , wherein the plurality of detectors comprise one or more detector arrays, and at least one of the plurality of detectors is configured to receive at least a portion of light from the first at least one of the plurality of laser diodes and configured to generate a reference detector output, and at least another of the plurality of detectors is configured to receive at least a portion of light reflected from the tissue from the first at least one of the plurality of laser diodes and configured to generate a sample detector output, wherein the first receiver is configured to generate a first receiver output by comparing the reference detector output and the sample detector output. 
     
     
         10 . The smart phone or tablet of  claim 9 , wherein the second laser diode array is also configured to be pulsed, and wherein the infrared camera is configured to be synchronized to the second laser diode array. 
     
     
         11 . The smart phone or tablet of  claim 10 , wherein the first receiver further comprises one or more filters in front of the one or more detector arrays to select some of the one or more optical wavelengths, wherein at least some of the plurality of laser diodes operate near a 940 nanometer wavelength, and wherein the smart phone or tablet is configured to process the two-dimensional or three-dimensional image using a multivariate analysis. 
     
     
         12 . The smart phone or tablet of  claim 11 , wherein the infrared camera is further configured to:
 generate a first signal in response to light received while the plurality of laser diodes and the first laser diode array are off; and   generate a second signal in response to light received while at least one of the plurality of laser diodes or at least one laser diode of the first laser diode array is on, the received light including at least some light from the at least one of the plurality of laser diodes reflected from the tissue or at least some light from the first laser diode array reflected from the tissue;   wherein the smart phone or tablet is further configured to use a difference between the first signal and the second signal to, at least in part, generate the two-dimensional or three-dimensional image.   
     
     
         13 . The smart phone or tablet of  claim 12 , wherein the second laser diode array is configured to operate in a pulsed mode having a pulse repetition rate, and wherein the infrared camera is configured to lock-in to the pulsed mode. 
     
     
         14 . The smart phone or tablet of  claim 13 , wherein the two-dimensional or three-dimensional image is used in part to identify one or more features corresponding to the skin. 
     
     
         15 . A smart phone or tablet, comprising:
 a first at least one of a plurality of laser diodes configured to be operated in a pulsed mode;   a second at least one of the plurality of laser diodes also configured to be operated in a pulsed mode;   the plurality of laser diodes configured to generate light having one or more optical wavelengths, wherein at least a portion of the one or more optical wavelengths is a near-infrared wavelength between 700 nanometers and 2500 nanometers, and wherein at least one of the plurality of laser diodes comprises one or more Bragg reflectors;   at least a portion of light from the plurality of laser diodes capable of being directed to tissue comprising skin;   an array of laser diodes configured to generate light having one or more optical wavelengths, wherein at least a portion of the one or more optical wavelengths is a near-infrared wavelength between 700 nanometers and 2500 nanometers, and wherein at least a portion of the array of laser diodes comprises one or more Bragg reflectors;   an assembly in front of the array of laser diodes configured to receive at least a portion of the light from the array of laser diodes, the array of laser diodes and the assembly configured to form the light into a plurality of spots and configured to direct at least some of the spots to the tissue;   a receiver comprising a plurality of detectors;   at least one of the plurality of detectors configured to receive at least a portion of light from the first at least one of the plurality of laser diodes and configured to generate a reference detector output, and at least another of the plurality of detectors configured to receive at least a portion of light reflected from the tissue from the first at least one of the plurality of laser diodes and configured to generate a sample detector output, wherein the receiver is configured to generate a first receiver output by comparing the reference detector output and the sample detector output.   the receiver further configured to receive at least a portion of light reflected from the tissue from the first at least one of the plurality of laser diodes, wherein the receiver is configured to perform a time-of-flight measurement by measuring a time difference between the generated light from the first at least one of the plurality of laser diodes and light reflected from the tissue from the first at least one of the plurality of laser diodes, and wherein the receiver further comprises one or more filters in front of at least one of the plurality of detectors to select some of the one or more optical wavelengths;   an infrared camera configured to receive at least a portion of the light from the second at least one of the plurality of laser diodes reflected from the tissue, wherein the infrared camera generates data based at least in part on the portion of the light received;   wherein the smart phone or tablet is configured to receive and process at least a portion of the time-of-flight measurement, and to generate a two-dimensional or three-dimensional image using at least part of the data from the infrared camera.   
     
     
         16 . The smart phone or tablet of  claim 15 , wherein the infrared camera is configured to be synchronized to the second at least one of the plurality of laser diodes, and wherein the smart phone or tablet is configured to process the two-dimensional or three-dimensional image using a multivariate analysis. 
     
     
         17 . The smart phone or tablet of  claim 16 , wherein the second at least one of the plurality of laser diodes configured to be operated in a pulsed mode has a pulse repetition rate, and wherein the infrared camera is configured to lock-in to the pulsed mode. 
     
     
         18 . The smart phone or tablet of  claim 17 , wherein the plurality of detectors comprises one or more detector arrays, and wherein at least a portion of the plurality of laser diodes operate near a 940 nanometer wavelength. 
     
     
         19 . The smart phone or tablet of  claim 18 , wherein the infrared camera is further configured to:
 generate a first signal in response to light received while the plurality of laser diodes and the array of laser diodes are off; and   generate a second signal in response to light received while the first or second at least one of the plurality of laser diodes or at least one laser diode of the array of laser diodes is on, the light received including at least some light from the first or second at least one of the plurality of laser diodes reflected from the tissue or at least some light from the array of laser diodes reflected from the tissue;   wherein the smart phone or tablet is further configured to use a difference between the first signal and the second signal to, at least in part, generate the two-dimensional or three-dimensional image.   
     
     
         20 . The smart phone or tablet of  claim 19 , wherein the two-dimensional or three-dimensional image is used in part to identify one or more features corresponding to the skin.