US 11,813,041 B2
Photodetector architectures for time-correlated single photon counting
Ryan Field, Culver City, CA (US); Bruno Do Valle, Brighton, MA (US); Jacob Dahle, Arlington, MA (US); Rong Jin, Acton, MA (US); and Sebastian Sorgenfrei, Playa Vista, CA (US)
Assigned to HI LLC, Los Angeles, CA (US)
Filed by HI LLC, Los Angeles, CA (US)
Filed on Apr. 9, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/844,860.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/880,025, filed on Jul. 29, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/844,107, filed on May 6, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2020/0352445 A1, Nov. 12, 2020
Int. Cl. A61B 5/00 (2006.01); G01J 1/44 (2006.01); G04F 10/00 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 5/0082 (2013.01) [A61B 5/6803 (2013.01); A61B 5/742 (2013.01); G01J 1/44 (2013.01); G01J 2001/442 (2013.01); G01J 2001/4466 (2013.01); G04F 10/005 (2013.01)] 49 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system comprising:
a plurality of photodetectors connected in parallel, respective outputs from each of the plurality of photodetectors each comprising a predetermined amount of current output when a respective photodetector included in the plurality of photodetectors detects a photon of a light pulse after the light pulse reflects from a target within a body;
an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) coupled to the plurality of photodetectors;
a terminating component configured to convert a combined current of an accumulated output from the plurality of photodetectors to an output voltage;
a plurality of sampling branches connected in parallel with the terminating component, each sampling branch of the plurality of sampling branches comprising a switch and a capacitor; and
a processor communicatively coupled to the plurality of photodetectors and the ADC, the processor configured to:
receive the accumulated output from the plurality of photodetectors, the accumulated output representing an accumulation of the respective outputs from each of the plurality of photodetectors detecting photons during a predetermined measurement time period that occurs in response to the light pulse being directed toward the target within the body;
determine, based on the accumulated output, a temporal distribution of photons detected by the plurality of photodetectors by directing the ADC to sample the output voltage; and
generate, based on the temporal distribution of photons, a histogram representing a light pulse response of the target within the body.