Lighting module, endoscope imaging system, endoscope and imaging method thereof

Abstract

This invention relates to an illumination module, an endoscopic imaging system, an endoscope, and an imaging method thereof. The illumination module includes a light source assembly and a filter assembly. The light source assembly includes a first light source, a second light source, and a control element, the control element being used to control the light emission from the first and / or second light sources. The filter assembly includes a switching element, a first filter, and a second filter, the first and second filters alternating circumferentially along the switching element; the switching element is used to rotate to selectively place the first and second filters on the light emission path of the light source assembly, the first filter allowing light emitted from the first light source to pass through while blocking light emitted from the second light source, and the second filter allowing light emitted from the second light source to pass through while blocking light emitted from the first light source. In this illumination module, the illumination of the object under test by the first and second light sources is separated, which facilitates individual optimization processing of the images formed by the first and second light sources, thereby improving image quality.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of medical device technology, and in particular to an illumination module, an endoscopic imaging system, an endoscope, and an imaging method thereof. Background Technology

[0002] Traditional endoscopes typically include white light imaging and special light imaging modes. White light imaging creates a color image of the object being examined, revealing its true color. Special light imaging illuminates the object using light of a specific spectral band, creating a grayscale image that reveals lesions and related vascular structures. However, in practical applications, traditional endoscopes often suffer from low image quality. This results in unclear images of lesions during diagnosis and treatment, insufficient information display, and unclear boundaries between lesions and normal tissue, leading to low diagnostic accuracy. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Therefore, it is necessary to provide an illumination module, an endoscopic imaging system, an endoscope, and an imaging method thereof to improve the imaging quality of the endoscope.

[0004] A lighting module, comprising:

[0005] A light source assembly includes a first light source, a second light source, and a control element, wherein the control element is used to control the light output of the first light source and / or the second light source; and

[0006] A light filtering assembly includes a switching element, at least one switching element first filter, and at least one second filter, wherein the first filter and the second filter are alternately arranged along the circumference of the switching element; the switching element is used to rotate to selectively place the first filter or the second filter on the light emission path of the light source assembly, wherein the first filter can transmit light emitted by the first light source and block light emitted by the second light source, and the second filter can transmit light emitted by the second light source and block light emitted by the first light source.

[0007] In one embodiment, the filtering assembly includes a plurality of first filters and a plurality of second filters, the first filters and the second filters being alternately arranged circumferentially along the switching member, the switching member being rotatable along an axis.

[0008] In one embodiment, the conversion element has a plurality of mounting slots along the circumferential direction to mount the first filter and the second filter;

[0009] And / or, at least one of the first filters and at least one of the second filters are uniformly distributed circumferentially along the conversion element.

[0010] In one embodiment, the dimensions of the first filter and the second filter gradually increase in the direction from the center of the conversion element to the edge.

[0011] In one embodiment, the light source assembly further includes a dichroic mirror disposed on the light emission path of the first light source and the second light source, and tilted in the light emission direction of the first light source and the second light source. The dichroic mirror is capable of reflecting the light emitted by the first light source and transmitting the light emitted by the second light source.

[0012] An endoscopic imaging system includes a light guide module, a camera module, and an illumination module as described in any of the above embodiments. The camera module includes a first photosensitive element, a second photosensitive element, and a beam splitter. Light emitted from the first light source passes through the light guide module and the beam splitter to reach the first photosensitive element to form a color image. Light emitted from the second light source excites the object under test to form fluorescence. The fluorescence passes through the light guide module and the beam splitter to reach the second photosensitive element to form a grayscale image.

[0013] In one embodiment, the beam-splitting element has a beam-splitting surface that is inclined to the light-incident direction of the camera module. 20%-50% of the light emitted by the first light source passes through the beam-splitting element and reaches the second photosensitive element to form a grayscale image. The remaining light emitted by the first light source is reflected by the beam-splitting element to the first photosensitive element to form a color image.

[0014] In one embodiment, the beam splitting element is a beam splitting prism, and the first photosensitive element and the second photosensitive element are respectively attached to two adjacent surfaces of the beam splitting prism. The photosensitive surface of the second photosensitive element is opposite to the light entrance of the camera module, and the first photosensitive element is parallel to the light entrance direction of the camera module.

[0015] In one embodiment, the camera module further includes a third filter, which is disposed on the side of the beam splitter facing the light inlet of the camera module. The third filter can transmit light with wavelengths of 810nm-900nm and 400nm-650nm, while blocking light with wavelengths of 700nm-800nm.

[0016] In one embodiment,

[0017] The emitted light from the first light source is a mixed light with wavelengths between 400nm and 700nm;

[0018] The emitted light from the second light source has a wavelength of 750-810nm;

[0019] The beam splitter satisfies the following conditions: it reflects visible light with wavelengths between 400nm and 700nm, transmits the remaining visible light with wavelengths between 400nm and 700nm, and transmits light with wavelengths between 810nm and 910nm.

[0020] An endoscope comprising an endoscopic imaging system as described in any of the above embodiments.

[0021] An imaging method employing an endoscopic imaging system as described in any of the above embodiments, the imaging method comprising the following steps:

[0022] Rotate the converter so that the first filter is positioned on the light emission path of the light source assembly, control the first light source to emit light, acquire a color image through the first photosensitive element, and acquire a grayscale image through the second photosensitive element;

[0023] The color image and the grayscale image are fused to form a first image;

[0024] Rotate the conversion element to position the second filter on the light emission path of the light source assembly, control the light emission of the second light source, and acquire an image formed by the fluorescence emitted by the object under test excited by the light emitted by the second light source through the second photosensitive element;

[0025] The image acquired by the second photosensitive element is processed to form a second image;

[0026] The first image and the second image are superimposed.

[0027] In one embodiment,

[0028] The step of fusing the color image and the grayscale image to form a first image includes:

[0029] The luminance channel of the grayscale image is extracted, the color difference information of the color image is extracted, and the luminance channel of the grayscale image and the color difference information of the color image are superimposed and synthesized to form the first image.

[0030] The aforementioned lighting module, with its control element used to control the light output of the first light source and / or the second light source, and in conjunction with the filter assembly, enables the illumination of the object under test by the first light source and the second light source to be separated and not interfere with each other. This facilitates the separate processing of the images formed by the first light source and the second light source illuminating the object under test, avoiding the situation where the images formed by the first light source and the second light source are mixed and affect the imaging quality.

[0031] When the illumination module is applied to an endoscopic imaging system, white light and light of a special spectral band can illuminate the object being measured separately. The images formed by the two types of light illuminating the object are separated from each other, which is beneficial for optimizing the images formed by the two types of light illumination separately, thereby improving the image quality, making the image of the lesion area clear enough, and the boundary with normal tissue clear enough, thus improving the diagnostic accuracy. Attached Figure Description

[0032] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an endoscopic imaging system in some embodiments;

[0033] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the light source assembly in some embodiments;

[0034] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the filter assembly in some embodiments;

[0035] Figure 4 These are schematic diagrams of the camera module in some embodiments;

[0036] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the filter assembly from another angle in some embodiments;

[0037] Figure 6 The transmittance spectrum of the first filter in some embodiments;

[0038] Figure 7 The transmittance spectrum of the second filter in some embodiments;

[0039] Figure 8 The transmittance spectrum of the dichroic mirror in some embodiments;

[0040] Figure 9 These are the transmittance spectral lines of the spectroscopic element in some embodiments;

[0041] Figure 10 The transmittance spectrum of the third filter in some embodiments;

[0042] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the imaging method in some embodiments;

[0043] Figure 12 This is a flowchart of processing color images and grayscale images in some embodiments;

[0044] Figure 13 This describes a method for imaging in white light mode in some embodiments.

[0045] Among them, 10 is an endoscope imaging system; 110 is an illumination module; 111 is a light source assembly; 1111 is a first light source; 1112 is a second light source; 1113 is a control element; 1114 is a dichroic mirror; 112 is a filter assembly; 1121 is a conversion element; 1122 is a mounting slot; 1123 is a first filter; 1124 is a second filter; 1125 is a stepper motor; 113 is a condenser lens; 120 is a light guide module; 121 is a light guide beam; 122 is a mirror body; 123 is a bayonet; 130 is a camera module; 131 is a first photosensitive element; 132 is a second photosensitive element; 133 is a beam splitter; 134 is a third filter; 20 is the object under test; and 30 is an imaging method. Detailed Implementation

[0046] To make the above-mentioned objects, features, and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Many specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, the present invention can be practiced in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar modifications without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0047] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," "counterclockwise," "axial," "radial," and "circumferential" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention.

[0048] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this invention, "a plurality of" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0049] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise explicitly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0050] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can mean that the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature, or that the first feature is in indirect contact with the second feature through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0051] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or there may be an intervening element. When an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intervening element. The terms "vertical," "horizontal," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and similar expressions used herein are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only possible implementation.

[0052] Traditional endoscopes typically emit white light and a special light simultaneously, creating a mixed light that illuminates the object being measured. The reflected light is then split and imaged, with white light forming a color image and fluorescence forming a grayscale image. These color and grayscale images are then processed and superimposed. However, traditional endoscopes often cannot completely separate white light and fluorescence during the splitting process, leading to interference between the images formed by white light and fluorescence. This results in poor optimization of the grayscale image formed by fluorescence, hindering the improvement of grayscale image quality. Simultaneously, the color image formed by white light is limited by the color sensor, making it difficult to improve image quality.

[0053] To address the aforementioned problems, this application provides an endoscope.

[0054] Please see Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of the endoscopic imaging system 10 in some embodiments. Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the light source assembly 111 in some embodiments. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the filter assembly 112 in some embodiments. Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the camera module 130 in some embodiments. In some embodiments, the endoscopic imaging system 10 includes an illumination module 110, a light guide module 120, and a camera module 130. The light guide module 120 includes a beam guide 121, a mirror body 122, and a bayonet 123. The beam guide 121 is connected to the light outlet of the illumination module 110, and the mirror body 122 is connected to the light inlet of the camera module 130 via the bayonet 123, with the other end of the mirror body 122 facing the object 20 being measured. The light emitted by the illumination module 110 is coupled into the beam guide 121, illuminates the object 20 being measured via the beam guide 121 and the mirror body 122, is then reflected back to the mirror body 122, and enters the camera module 130 through the bayonet 123 to form an image. The object under test 20 can be human tissue, such as a diseased area of ​​human tissue. The endoscopic imaging system 10 can be used to acquire color and grayscale images of the object under test 20, thereby diagnosing the object under test 20.

[0055] Specifically, in some embodiments, the lighting module 110 includes a light source assembly 111 and a filter assembly 112. The light source assembly 111 includes a first light source 1111, a second light source 1112, and a control element 1113. The control element 1113 is used to control the first light source 1111 and / or the second light source 1112. In some embodiments, the first light source 1111 can be a white light source; in other words, the first light source 1111 can emit mixed light in the visible light band. The second light source 1112 can be an infrared laser source, and the light emitted by the second light source 1112 can excite the object under test 20 to produce fluorescence. The control element 1113 can use a modulation signal to control the first light source 1111 and / or the second light source 1112. For example, the control element 1113 can control the first light source 1111 and the second light source 1112 to be in a state where only one light source is on at the same time, or the control element 1113 can only control the on and off of one light source, while the other light source remains in a normally on state without the control element 1113's control.

[0056] Combination Figure 1 , Figure 3 and Figure 5 As shown, Figure 5This is a schematic diagram of the filter assembly 112 from another angle in some embodiments. In some embodiments, the filter assembly 112 includes a conversion member 1121 and a first filter 1123 and a second filter 1124 disposed on the conversion member 1121. The first filter 1123 and the second filter 1124 are spaced apart circumferentially along the conversion member 1121. The light emission path of the light source assembly 111 corresponds to the position of the filter on the conversion member 1121. When the conversion member 1121 rotates, the first filter 1123 and the second filter 1124 can be alternately positioned on the light emission path of the light source assembly 111. The first filter 1123 can transmit light emitted by the first light source 1111 and block light emitted by the second light source 1112. For example, the first filter 1123 can transmit visible light and block infrared light. The second filter 1124 can transmit light emitted by the second light source 1112 and block light emitted by the first light source 1111. For example, the second filter 1124 can transmit infrared light and block visible light. It can be understood that, due to the setting of the filter assembly 112, regardless of whether the first light source 1111 and the second light source 1112 emit light simultaneously or one of them emits light alone, at the same time, only one of the light emitted by the first light source 1111 and the second light source 1112 can be emitted from the lighting module 110.

[0057] The aforementioned illumination module 110, with its control element 1113, can control the first light source 1111 or the second light source 1112 to emit light independently. This allows the illumination of the object 20 by the first light source 1111 and the second light source 1112 to be separated and independent of each other. The color image formed by the reflection of white light from the object 20 does not interfere with the grayscale image formed by the fluorescence generated by the object 20. This facilitates the separate optimization of the images formed by the first light source 1111 and the second light source 1112 illuminating the object 20. The grayscale image is not affected by the color image during optimization, which helps improve the quality of the grayscale image and, consequently, the diagnostic accuracy of the endoscopic imaging system 10.

[0058] Furthermore, when the first light source 1111 emits light, the switching member 1121 rotates until the first filter 1123 is positioned in the light emission path of the light source assembly 111. The first filter 1123 allows the white light emitted by the first light source 1111 to pass through while blocking infrared light. When the second light source 1112 emits light, the switching member 1121 rotates until the second filter 1124 is positioned in the light emission path of the light source assembly 111. The second filter 1124 allows the infrared light emitted by the second light source 1112 to pass through while blocking white light. Therefore, the filter component 112 can ensure that only one of the first light source 1111 and the second light source 1112 emits light from the illumination module 110 at the same time, preventing the first light source 1111 or the second light source 1112 from being continuously switched off under the high-frequency modulation of the control element 1113, which would cause the light emitted by the two light sources to be emitted from the illumination module 110 at the same time. This is beneficial for further isolating the image formed by the first light source 1111 and the second light source 1112 illuminating the object under test 20, thereby improving the image quality.

[0059] It is understood that in some embodiments, the filter assembly 112 may also include a stepper motor 1125, the output shaft of which is connected to the center of the conversion component 1121. The stepper motor 1125 can drive the conversion component 1121 to rotate around the output shaft, thereby causing the first filter 1123 and the second filter 1124 to take turns being located on the light emission path of the light source assembly 111.

[0060] In some embodiments, the first light source 1111 can emit mixed light with wavelengths in the range of 400nm-700nm. Specifically, the first light source 1111 can be a combination of one or more light sources such as a laser, a light-emitting diode (LED), or a xenon lamp, as long as it can emit mixed light in the visible light band to form a color image. The second light source 1112 can emit 785nm infrared laser light, and the light emitted by the second light source 1112 can excite the object under test 20 to produce fluorescence with wavelengths in the range of 810nm-900nm. Of course, the second light source 1112 can also emit other infrared laser light with wavelengths in the range of 750nm-810nm, as long as the light emitted by the second light source 1112 can excite the object under test 20 to produce fluorescence, thereby forming a grayscale image.

[0061] Based on the examples of the emitted light wavelengths from the first light source 1111 and the second light source 1112 above, the transmittance spectra of the first filter 1123 and the second filter 1124 are given. See details... Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, Figure 6 and Figure 7 These are the transmittance spectral lines of the first filter 1123 and the second filter 1124, respectively, where the horizontal axis represents wavelength and the vertical axis represents the transmittance of light at different wavelengths. Figure 6 and Figure 7 It is understood that in some embodiments, the first filter 1123 can transmit visible light with wavelengths in the range of 400nm-700nm and block infrared light with wavelengths in the range of 785nm. For example, the first filter 1123 can be a short-pass filter. The second filter 1124 can transmit infrared light with wavelengths in the range of 785nm and block visible light with wavelengths in the range of 400nm-700nm. For example, the second filter 1124 can be a long-pass filter. It is understood that when the wavelengths of the light emitted from the first light source 1111 and the second light source 1112 change, the transmittance spectra of the first filter 1123 and the second filter 1124 should also be adjusted accordingly.

[0062] It should be noted that, in this application, the type of filter is not limited to an absorptive filter or a reflective filter. In other words, describing a filter as being able to block light of a certain wavelength can be understood as the filter absorbing or reflecting light of that wavelength.

[0063] Please see again. Figure 1 , Figure 3 and Figure 5 In some embodiments, the conversion element 1121 is a rotating wheel capable of rotating along an axis, and the filter assembly 112 includes a plurality of first filters 1123 and a plurality of second filters 1124, which are alternately arranged along the circumference of the conversion element 1121. For example, three of each of the first filters 1123 and the second filters 1124 are provided, and the six filters are evenly arranged along the circumference of the conversion element 1121. Thus, when the conversion element 1121 rotates in a certain direction, the first filters 1123 and the second filters 1124 can be positioned alternately on the light emission path of the light source assembly 111, and the required rotation path of the conversion filters is small, making the adjustment of the filter assembly 112 more convenient. It is understood that... Figure 5 The two lines on the first filter 1123 shown are virtual lines introduced to facilitate the distinction between the first filter 1123 and the second filter 1124, and do not actually exist.

[0064] It should be noted that in this application, the first filter 1123 is adjacent to the second filter 1124 on both sides of the circumference of the conversion member 1121, or the first filter 1123 is adjacent to the second filter 1124 on both sides of the circumference of the conversion member 1121, or multiple first filters 1123 are arranged adjacent to each other on the circumference of the conversion member 1121, and the first filter 1123 at the end is arranged adjacent to the second filter 1124. All of these can be understood as the first filter 1123 and the second filter 1124 being arranged alternately on the circumference of the conversion member 1121, as long as the conversion member 1121 can place the first filter 1123 or the second filter 1124 on the light output path of the light source assembly 111 when it rotates.

[0065] The mounting method of the first filter 1123 and the second filter 1124 on the converter 1121 is not limited, as long as the first filter 1123 or the second filter 1124 can filter the light emitted from the light source assembly 111. In some embodiments, the converter 1121 has a plurality of mounting slots 1122 spaced apart along the circumference, and each first filter 1123 or second filter 1124 is embedded in a corresponding mounting slot 1122. In this way, the filter is firmly mounted on the converter 1121 and is not prone to deviation, which can improve the filtering effect of the filter assembly 112 on the light source assembly 111.

[0066] In some embodiments, the dimensions of both the first filter 1123 and the second filter 1124 gradually increase in the direction from the center to the edge of the switching member 1121. For example, in Figure 5 In the illustrated embodiment, both the first filter 1123 and the second filter 1124 are approximately trapezoidal, with the upper base near the center of the converter 1121 and the lower base near the edge of the converter 1121. This arrangement fully utilizes the space of the converter 1121, increasing the area of ​​a single first filter 1123 and second filter 1124, thereby ensuring that the light emitted from the light source assembly 111 is adequately filtered by either the first filter 1123 or the second filter 1124, thus improving light utilization.

[0067] In some embodiments, the light source assembly 111 further includes a dichroic mirror 1114, which is disposed on the light emission path of the first light source 1111 and the second light source 1112, and tilted relative to the light emission directions of the first light source 1111 and the second light source 1112. For example, in some embodiments, the dichroic mirror 1114 forms a 45° angle with both the light emission directions of the first light source 1111 and the second light source 1112. The dichroic mirror 1114 can reflect the light emitted by the first light source 1111 and transmit the light emitted by the second light source 1112. See details... Figure 8 As shown, Figure 8The transmittance spectrum of the dichroic mirror 1114 is shown. For example, in some embodiments, the dichroic mirror 1114 can transmit infrared light with a wavelength of 785 nm and reflect visible light with a wavelength of 400 nm-700 nm. (Reference) Figure 2 As shown, it can be understood that the light emitted by the second light source 1112 retains its direction after passing through the dichroic mirror 1114, while the light emitted by the first light source 1111 changes its propagation direction by 90° after being reflected by the dichroic mirror 1114. Therefore, the light emitted by the first light source 1111 and the second light source 1112 exits the light source assembly 111 in the same direction after passing through the dichroic mirror 1114. This exit direction is the light emission direction of the light source assembly 111. The dichroic mirror 1114 ensures that the light emitted by the first light source 1111 and the second light source 1112, which have different light emission directions, exits the light source assembly 111 from the same direction and reaches the filter assembly 112, facilitating the assembly of the light source assembly 111.

[0068] Understandable, Figures 1-4 The dashed lines with arrows shown are schematic diagrams of some light rays. It should be noted that if the light emitted by the second light source 1112 is a laser with good directionality, then the propagation direction of the laser can be regarded as the output direction of the second light source 1112. If the light emitted by the first light source 1111 has a certain diffusion angle and is not a linear beam, then the propagation direction of the central light emitted by the first light source 1111, or the direction in which the light outlet of the first light source 1111 points directly in front of the first light source 1111, can be regarded as the output direction of the first light source 1111.

[0069] In some embodiments, the lighting module 110 further includes a condenser lens 113, which is located on the light output path of the light source assembly 111 and between the filter assembly 112 and the beam guide 121. The condenser lens 113 can be a convex lens or a combination of multiple lenses. The condenser lens 113 is used to couple the light filtered by the filter assembly 112 into the beam guide 121, so that most of the light emitted from the lighting module 110 can be directed onto the object 20 under test through the beam guide 121 and the lens body 122, thereby improving the utilization rate of light.

[0070] Please see again. Figure 1 and Figure 4In some embodiments, the camera module 130 includes a first photosensitive element 131, a second photosensitive element 132, and a beam splitter 133. The first photosensitive element 131 and the second photosensitive element 132 are used to acquire images of the object 20 after it is illuminated by the first light source 1111 and the second light source 1112, respectively. Both the first photosensitive element 131 and the second photosensitive element 132 can be complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS). For example, the first photosensitive element 131 is a color CMOS, and the second photosensitive element 132 is a monochrome CMOS. White light emitted by the first light source 1111 is reflected by the object 20 and reaches the first photosensitive element 131 to form a color image. Infrared light emitted by the second light source 1112 excites the object 20 to produce fluorescence, and the fluorescence reaches the second photosensitive element 132 to form a grayscale image.

[0071] It is understandable that both white light and fluorescence enter the camera module 130 from the light inlet in the same direction, therefore a beam splitter 133 is required to ensure that white light and fluorescence reach their respective photosensitive elements. For details, please refer to... Figure 9 As shown, Figure 9 The transmittance spectrum of the beam-splitting element 133 is shown in some embodiments. In some embodiments, the beam-splitting element 133 has a beam-splitting surface that is tilted towards the incident light direction of the camera module 130 and the photosensitive surfaces of the first photosensitive element 131 and the second photosensitive element 132. For example, in some embodiments, the beam-splitting surface forms a 45° angle with the incident light direction of the camera module 130, and also forms a 45° angle with the photosensitive surfaces of the first photosensitive element 131 and the second photosensitive element 132. The beam-splitting element 133 can reflect visible light with wavelengths of 400nm-700nm at the beam-splitting surface and transmit fluorescence with wavelengths of 810nm-900nm. After white light enters the camera module 130, it is reflected by the beam-splitting element 133, and the light path is changed by 90° to reach the first photosensitive element 131 to form a color image. After fluorescence enters the camera module 130, it passes through the beam-splitting element 133 to reach the second photosensitive element 132 to form a grayscale image.

[0072] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the light emitted by the first light source 1111 partially passes through the beam splitter 133 to reach the second photosensitive element 132 to form a grayscale image, and partially is reflected by the beam splitter 133 to the first photosensitive element 131 to form a color image. With this configuration, the white light emitted by the first light source 1111 can simultaneously form both a color image and a grayscale image. Processing and superimposing the color and grayscale images can improve the image quality of the color image formed by the white light, thus ensuring that the quality of the color image formed by the white light is not limited by the first photosensitive element 131, thereby improving diagnostic accuracy.

[0073] refer to Figure 9 As shown, in some embodiments, the beam-splitting element 133 is a 30:70 beam-splitting prism. In other words, the beam-splitting element 133 can transmit approximately 30% of white light while reflecting the other 70%. This configuration allows for the formation of a grayscale image on the second photosensitive element 132, while also ensuring sufficient brightness for the color image formed on the first photosensitive element 131, thereby further improving the quality of the color image. Of course, in other embodiments, the beam-splitting element 133 can also be a beam-splitting prism that transmits 20%-50% and reflects 50%-80%. Specifically, the transmission to reflection ratio can be 70:30, 60:40, or 50:50, as long as the white light passing through the beam-splitting element 133 can be simultaneously imaged on the first photosensitive element 131 and the second photosensitive element 132.

[0074] Please see again. Figure 1 and Figure 4 In some embodiments, the beam-splitting element 133 is a beam-splitting prism. The first photosensitive element 131 and the second photosensitive element 132 are respectively attached to two adjacent surfaces of the beam-splitting element 133. The photosensitive surface of the second photosensitive element 132 faces the light entrance of the camera module 130, while the photosensitive surface of the first photosensitive element 131 is parallel to the light entrance direction of the camera module 130. The first photosensitive element 131 and the second photosensitive element 132 are attached to the surface of the beam-splitting element 133 using optical adhesive. This adhesive mounting process is simple and effectively solves the packaging problem of the two photosensitive elements. Attaching the first photosensitive element 131 and the second photosensitive element 132 to two adjacent surfaces of the beam-splitting element 133 also facilitates pixel-level alignment between the two photosensitive elements. Furthermore, after alignment, due to the fixing effect of the beam splitter 133, the first photosensitive element 131 and the second photosensitive element 132 are not prone to relative deviation, which facilitates the accurate superposition of color and grayscale images and helps to improve the diagnostic accuracy of the endoscope imaging system 10.

[0075] Of course, in other embodiments, the beam splitter 133 can also be other optical elements that can perform beam splitting functions, such as a beam splitter flat plate, and the positions of the first photosensitive element 131 and the second photosensitive element 132 can also be interchanged, or the first photosensitive element 131 and the second photosensitive element 132 can be attached to other surfaces of the beam splitter 133. In this case, the position of the beam splitter 133 needs to be adjusted accordingly, as long as the white light and fluorescence can be formed on the first photosensitive element 131 and the second photosensitive element 132 respectively after passing through the beam splitter 133.

[0076] Additionally, it is understood that when the infrared light emitted by the second light source 1112 excites the object under test 20 to produce fluorescence that enters the camera module 130, a portion of the infrared light emitted by the second light source 1112 will also be reflected by the object under test 20 and enter the camera module 130. To avoid infrared light affecting the imaging of white light and fluorescence, in some embodiments, the camera module 130 further includes a third filter 134. The third filter 134 is disposed on the side of the beam splitter 133 facing the light inlet of the camera module 130, and is used to filter the light entering the camera module 130. See details... Figure 10 The above, Figure 10 The transmittance spectrum of the third filter 134 in some embodiments is shown. The third filter 134 can transmit fluorescence and light emitted by the first light source 1111, while blocking light emitted by the second light source 1112. For example, the third filter 134 can transmit fluorescence with wavelengths in the range of 810nm-900nm and visible light with wavelengths in the range of 400nm-650nm, while blocking light with wavelengths in the range of 700nm-800nm. This allows white light and fluorescence to enter the camera module 130 for imaging, while blocking infrared light emitted by the second light source 1112 from entering the camera module 130 and interfering with the normal imaging of white light and fluorescence.

[0077] Of course, in some embodiments, the third filter 134 can also be bonded to the surface of the beam splitter 133 by optical adhesive, so that the beam splitter 133, the first photosensitive element 131, the second photosensitive element 132 and the third filter 134 are formed as a whole. The bonding process is simple and can reduce the size of the camera module 130, which is beneficial to the assembly of the camera module 130 in the endoscope imaging system 10.

[0078] Furthermore, this application also provides an endoscope (not shown in the figure), including a housing and an endoscope imaging system 10 as described in any of the above embodiments, wherein the endoscope imaging system 10 is disposed within the housing. The housing can be a structure within the endoscope used to mount the endoscope imaging system 10, for example, it can be the housing of an endoscope light source device, or the housing of an endoscope handle. Using the aforementioned endoscope imaging system 10 in the endoscope enables the endoscope to form clear images, which helps improve diagnostic accuracy.

[0079] refer to Figure 1 , Figure 5 and Figure 11 As shown, based on the endoscopic imaging system 10 of any of the above embodiments, this application also provides an imaging method, which uses the endoscopic imaging system 10 of any of the above embodiments to image the object 20 under test, for example, for the diagnosis of human tissue. Specifically, the imaging method includes the following steps:

[0080] S110, rotate the conversion element 1121 so that the first filter 1123 is located on the light output path of the light source assembly 111, control the first light source 1111 to output light through the control element 1113, acquire a color image through the first photosensitive element 131, and acquire a grayscale image through the second photosensitive element 132.

[0081] It is understandable that by setting the control element 1113 and the filter assembly 112, the illumination module 110 can achieve independent light output from either the first light source 1111 or the second light source 1112, thereby allowing the illumination of the object under test 20 by the first light source 1111 and the second light source 1112 to be separated and independent of each other. In step S110, the first light source 1111 illuminates the object under test 20 independently. The first photosensitive element 131 can acquire a color image formed by the white light reflected from the object under test 20, and the second photosensitive element 132 can acquire a grayscale image formed by the white light reflected from the object under test 20.

[0082] Specifically, the first light source 1111 emits white light with a wavelength of 400nm-700nm. The white light is reflected by the dichroic mirror 1114 onto the filter assembly 112. After being filtered by the first filter 1123, it is coupled into the beam guide 121 by the condenser lens 113. The first filter 1123 can block the infrared light emitted by the second light source 1112 when it is not turned off. The white light filtered by the first filter 1123 is sequentially irradiated onto the object under test 20 through the beam guide 121 and the mirror body 122. After being reflected by the object under test 20, it re-enters the mirror body 122 and then enters the camera module 130 through the bayonet 123. After being filtered by the third filter 134, it is partially reflected to the first photosensitive element 131 to form a color image and partially transmitted to the second photosensitive element 132 to form a grayscale image when it passes through the beam splitter 133.

[0083] S120. The color image and the grayscale image are fused to form a first image. Since the first light source 1111 illuminates the object 20 under test separately in step S110, the image acquired by the first photosensitive element 131 does not include infrared or fluorescent components. Processing and optimizing the color image formed by white light separately is beneficial to improving image quality.

[0084] Furthermore, in some embodiments, in step S110, when the white light reflected by the object under test 20 reaches the beam splitter 133, part of it is reflected by the beam splitter 133 to the first photosensitive element 131 to form a color image, and part of it passes through the beam splitter 133 to the second photosensitive element 132 to form a grayscale image.

[0085] Combination Figure 1 and Figure 12 As shown, Figure 12This is a flowchart illustrating the processing of color and grayscale images in some embodiments. In step S110, when a color image and a grayscale image formed by white light are acquired through the first photosensitive element 131 and the second photosensitive element 132 respectively, in step S120, the grayscale image undergoes contrast enhancement and sharpening processes to obtain the luminance channel of a high-resolution image. Simultaneously, the color image undergoes chromatic aberration channel extraction and enhancement processes to obtain chromatic aberration information. Then, the luminance channel of the grayscale image and the chromatic aberration information of the color image are superimposed and synthesized, increasing the resolution and dynamic range of the synthesized color image. This results in a richer information expression and more prominent details in the synthesized color image, thereby improving the image quality of the synthesized color image and enhancing the diagnostic accuracy of endoscopy.

[0086] In summary, by using the illumination module 110 to achieve independent light output from the first light source 1111, and in conjunction with the beam splitter 133, the first photosensitive element 131 and the second photosensitive element 132 to acquire color and grayscale images of white light, the image quality of the synthesized color image can be improved, so that the image quality of the color image is no longer limited by the first photosensitive element 131.

[0087] The above imaging method also includes the following steps:

[0088] S130, rotate the conversion element 1121 so that the second filter 1124 is located on the light output path of the light source assembly 111, control the second light source 1112 to emit infrared light through the control element 1113, and obtain the fluorescence generated by the infrared light excited by the object under test 20 to form a grayscale image through the second photosensitive element 132.

[0089] It is understandable that in step S130, the second light source 1112 illuminates the object 20 separately. Even if the first light source 1111 emits white light due to the high-frequency modulation, the light emitted by the first light source 1111 will be blocked by the second filter 1124. Therefore, the grayscale image acquired by the second photosensitive element 132 does not contain visible light components. This allows for separate optimization processing of the grayscale image formed by fluorescence, resulting in a more significant optimization effect and improving the imaging quality of the grayscale image.

[0090] Specifically, in some embodiments, in step S130, the second light source 1112 emits infrared light with a wavelength of 785nm. The infrared light passes through the dichroic mirror 1114 and is filtered by the second filter 1124 before being coupled into the beam guide 121 by the condenser lens 113. Meanwhile, the white light emitted by the first light source 1111 is blocked by the second filter 1124. The infrared light sequentially passes through the beam guide 121 and the mirror body 122 to illuminate the object under test 20, exciting the object under test 20 to form fluorescence. Part of the infrared light is reflected by the object under test 20 and enters the mirror body 122 together with the fluorescence, and then enters the camera module 130 through the bayonet 123. Light with a wavelength of 700nm-800nm ​​is blocked by the third filter 134, and fluorescence with a wavelength of 810nm-900nm sequentially passes through the third filter 134 and the beam splitter 133 to reach the second photosensitive element 132 to form a grayscale image.

[0091] Step S140: Process the grayscale image acquired by the second photosensitive element 132 to form a second image. For example, use a histogram equalization algorithm to improve the image contrast of the grayscale image, thereby improving the image quality of the grayscale image formed by fluorescence.

[0092] Step S150 involves overlaying the first image synthesized from the color image and grayscale image in step S120, along with the optimized second image from step S140. Specifically, the G channels of the optimized second image and the synthesized first image are summed to obtain a high-resolution fluorescence image.

[0093] In the aforementioned imaging method, the first light source 1111 and the second light source 1112 illuminate the object 20 under test separately, thereby enabling separate processing and optimization of the grayscale image formed by fluorescence and the color image formed by white light, improving the image quality of both. Specifically, optimizing the grayscale image separately yields better results than optimizing a grayscale image containing white light components, thus improving its image quality. Similarly, optimizing the color image separately allows the first photosensitive element 131 and the second photosensitive element 132 to obtain the grayscale and color images of white light respectively, and then synthesize them. This means the synthesized first image is no longer limited by the first photosensitive element 131, further improving its image quality. Therefore, the superposition of the separately optimized first and second images forms a fluorescence image with superior image quality. When applied to actual diagnostic detection and treatment, this results in a sufficiently clear image of the lesion area, displaying rich enough information, and clearly delineating the boundary with normal tissue, thereby improving diagnostic accuracy.

[0094] Of course, in some embodiments, the above imaging method may omit steps S130, S140, and S150. In this case, the imaging method uses an endoscope to perform white light mode imaging, and the first image obtained is a white light image obtained by superimposing a grayscale image and a color image. The enhanced white light image has good imaging quality and can improve diagnostic accuracy. See details. Figure 13 As shown, Figure 13 The method for white light mode imaging in some embodiments includes the following steps:

[0095] Rotate the conversion element 1121 so that the first filter 1123 is located on the light output path of the light source assembly 111, and control the first light source 1111 to output light through the control element 1113;

[0096] A color image is acquired through the first photosensitive element 131, and a grayscale image is acquired through the second photosensitive element 132;

[0097] A color image and a grayscale image are fused to form a first image. The method for fusing the color image and the grayscale image can be compared with... Figure 12 The method shown is the same.

[0098] It should be noted that the order of the steps in the above imaging method is not limited, as long as the grayscale image and the color image can be optimized separately and finally superimposed to obtain a high-resolution fluorescence image. For example, in some embodiments, the grayscale image formed by fluorescence can be acquired first, and then the color image formed by white light can be acquired, that is, steps S130 and S140 can be performed first, followed by steps S110 and S120. Alternatively, in step S110, the grayscale image and the color image can be acquired simultaneously, or the color image can be acquired first, and then the grayscale image can be acquired.

[0099] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0100] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementations of the present invention, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention patent. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of the present invention, and these all fall within the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of this invention patent should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An endoscopic imaging system, characterized in that, It includes a light guide module, a camera module, and an illumination module, wherein the illumination module includes: A light source assembly includes a first light source, a second light source, and a control element, wherein the control element is used to control the light output of the first light source and / or the second light source; and A light filtering assembly includes a switching element, at least one first filter, and at least one second filter, wherein the first filter and the second filter are alternately arranged along the circumference of the switching element; the switching element is configured to rotate to selectively place the first filter or the second filter on the light emission path of the light source assembly, wherein the first filter is configured to transmit light emitted by the first light source and block light emitted by the second light source, and the second filter is configured to transmit light emitted by the second light source and block light emitted by the first light source; The camera module includes a first photosensitive element, a second photosensitive element, and a beam splitter. The light emitted by the first light source passes through the light guide module, and a portion of the light emitted by the first light source is conducted to the first photosensitive element by the beam splitter to form a color image, while a portion of the light emitted by the first light source is conducted to the second photosensitive element to form a grayscale image. The light emitted by the second light source excites the object under test to form fluorescence, and the fluorescence reaches the second photosensitive element after passing through the light guide module and the beam splitter to form a grayscale image. The color image and the grayscale image of the light emitted by the first light source are used to fuse to form a first image, the grayscale image formed by the light emitted by the second light source is used to form a second image, and the first image and the second image are used to superimpose.

2. The endoscopic imaging system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The filtering assembly includes a plurality of first filters and a plurality of second filters, the first filters and the second filters being alternately arranged along the circumference of the switching member, and the switching member being rotatable along an axis.

3. The endoscopic imaging system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The conversion component has multiple mounting slots along its circumference to mount the first filter and the second filter; And / or, at least one of the first filters and at least one of the second filters are uniformly distributed circumferentially along the conversion element.

4. The endoscopic imaging system according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, In the direction from the center of the conversion element to the edge, the dimensions of both the first filter and the second filter gradually increase.

5. The endoscopic imaging system according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The light source assembly also includes a dichroic mirror, which is disposed on the light emission path of the first light source and the second light source and is tilted in the light emission direction of the first light source and the second light source. The dichroic mirror can reflect the light emitted by the first light source and transmit the light emitted by the second light source.

6. The endoscopic imaging system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The beam splitter has a beam splitting surface that is tilted toward the light incident direction of the camera module. 20%-50% of the light emitted by the first light source passes through the beam splitter to reach the second photosensitive element to form a grayscale image, and the remaining light emitted by the first light source is reflected by the beam splitter to the first photosensitive element to form a color image.

7. The endoscopic imaging system according to claim 6, characterized in that, The beam splitter is a beam splitter prism. The first photosensitive element and the second photosensitive element are respectively attached to two adjacent surfaces of the beam splitter prism. The photosensitive surface of the second photosensitive element is opposite to the light inlet of the camera module, and the first photosensitive element is parallel to the light inlet direction of the camera module.

8. The endoscopic imaging system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The camera module also includes a third filter, which is disposed on the side of the beam splitter facing the light inlet of the camera module. The third filter can transmit light with wavelengths of 810nm-900nm and 400nm-650nm, while blocking light with wavelengths of 700nm-800nm.

9. The endoscopic imaging system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The emitted light from the first light source is a mixed light with wavelengths between 400nm and 700nm; The emitted light from the second light source has a wavelength of 750-810nm; The beam splitter satisfies the following conditions: it reflects visible light with wavelengths between 400nm and 700nm, transmits the remaining visible light with wavelengths between 400nm and 700nm, and transmits light with wavelengths between 810nm and 910nm.

10. An endoscope, characterized in that, Includes the endoscopic imaging system as described in any one of claims 1-9.

11. An imaging method, employing the endoscopic imaging system as described in any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, The imaging method includes the following steps: Rotate the converter so that the first filter is positioned on the light emission path of the light source assembly, control the first light source to emit light, acquire a color image through the first photosensitive element, and acquire a grayscale image of the light emitted by the first light source through the second photosensitive element; The color image is fused with the grayscale image of the light emitted by the first light source to form a first image; Rotate the conversion element to position the second filter on the light emission path of the light source assembly, control the light emission of the second light source, and acquire an image formed by the fluorescence emitted by the object under test excited by the light emitted by the second light source through the second photosensitive element; The image of the light emitted by the second light source, acquired by the second photosensitive element, is processed to form a second image; The first image and the second image are superimposed.

12. The imaging method according to claim 11, characterized in that, The step of fusing the color image with the grayscale image of the light emitted by the first light source to form a first image includes: The luminance channel of the grayscale image of the light emitted by the first light source is extracted, the color difference information of the color image is extracted, and the luminance channel of the grayscale image of the light emitted by the first light source is superimposed and synthesized with the color difference information of the color image to form the first image.

Images