Optical imaging system and corresponding method - Patents.com

Abstract

The example relates to an optical imaging system (100), e.g., a microscope system (100), and a corresponding method. The optical imaging system (100) comprises an optical imaging component (120) having a first optical imaging sensor (122) and a second optical imaging sensor (124) suitable for imaging an object (10). The optical imaging system (100) comprises an illumination system (130) that emits light having a polarized light toward the object. The optical imaging system (100) comprises a polarizing filter (140) configured to block the light having the polarized light from reaching the first optical imaging sensor. The optical imaging system (100) comprises a processing system (110) configured to obtain first imaging sensor data from the first optical imaging sensor, obtain second imaging sensor data from the second optical imaging sensor, and form a synthetic view based on the first imaging sensor data and the second imaging sensor data.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] Embodiments relate to optical imaging systems, such as microscope systems, and corresponding methods, and more particularly, but not exclusively, to concepts for dealing with specular reflections in optical imaging. [Background technology]

[0002] In medical optical imaging, images very often contain areas with specular reflections. Specular reflections are often so strong that they saturate the sensor, masking other information such as color. Specular reflections can be easily removed optically with linear polarizers, but this approach is considered non-ideal since they are used by the human brain to understand surface properties such as reflective or matte surfaces, and three-dimensional structures such as height and concavity.

[0003] Ideally, simultaneous acquisition of both images with and without specular reflection allows flexibility in the information visualized, e.g., specular reflection can be visualized with reduced intensity on top of color information. However, simultaneous acquisition of two images, one with specular reflection and one without, requires more complex optics. Typically, an additional imaging sensor with a beam splitter and a polarizer may be required, which increases size, complexity, and cost. Modern imaging sensors allow color imaging with depolarization, but at the expense of resolution and cost. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Improved concepts for dealing with specular reflections in medical images may be desirable. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] This need is solved by the subject matter of the respective independent claims.

[0006] Various examples of the present disclosure are based on the discovery that existing hardware, e.g., optical imaging sensors used for fluorescence imaging, can be reused for capturing specular reflections, while the main optical imaging sensor is used to capture images of the object being imaged without specular reflections. For multispectral imaging cameras, such as those used for fluorescence imaging, multiple sensors are typically employed, although not in all imaging modes. For example, a fluorescence camera is not used in a white light mode (which does not perform fluorescence imaging). One realization of the proposed concept is to utilize a fluorescence imaging camera to capture specular reflection images. Polarizing filters are used to control the light incident on each sensor, such that the light captured by the main sensor is free of specular reflections, and the light captured by the fluorescence camera includes specular reflections. Thus, examples provide an improved approach to capture specular reflections (i.e., glare) independently, e.g., using fluorescence imaging hardware, providing an alternative and more efficient way to capture images with and without specular reflections.

[0007] Various examples of the present disclosure relate to an optical imaging system, such as a (surgical) microscope system. The optical imaging system includes an optical imaging component, such as a microscope, that includes a first optical imaging sensor and a second optical imaging sensor and is suitable for imaging an object. The optical imaging system includes an illumination system that emits light having a polarized light toward the object. The optical imaging system includes a polarizing filter configured to block light having a polarized light from reaching the first optical imaging sensor. The system includes a processing system that includes one or more processors and one or more storage devices. The processing system is configured to obtain first imaging sensor data from the first optical imaging sensor and obtain second imaging sensor data from the second optical imaging sensor. The processing system is configured to form a synthetic view based on the first imaging sensor data and the second imaging sensor data. By filtering the light having a polarized light from the first optical imaging sensor, specular reflections can be removed from the first imaging sensor data. However, these specular reflections are included in the second imaging sensor data and can be included in the synthetic view based on the second imaging sensor data, albeit with reduced intensity, so that a user of the optical imaging component can obtain the three-dimensional impression of the object that is intuitively derived from the specular reflections, without the specular reflections obstructing the view of the object's details.

[0008] In general, the polarizing filter can be configured to filter out light having a polarization such that specular reflections of light emitted by the illumination system are excluded from a representation of the object in the first imaging sensor data. The second imaging sensor data, in contrast, can include a representation of the specular reflections of light emitted by the illumination system and reflected by the object. Thus, the first imaging sensor data can be used to provide a highly detailed view of the sample, on which a toned-down specular reflection can be added based on the second imaging sensor data.

[0009] For example, the processing system can be configured to form a representation of a further specular reflection based on the second imaging sensor data and combine the representation of the further specular reflection with the representation of the object contained in the first imaging sensor data. In effect, a user of the optical imaging component may be able to obtain a stereoscopic impression of the object that is intuitively derived from the specular reflection, without the specular reflection obstructing the view of the object's details.

[0010] In some examples, separate light sources (with non-overlapping wavelength spectra) can be used to form the light sensed by the first optical imaging sensor and the second optical imaging sensor. For example, the illumination system can include a first light source configured to emit light in a first wavelength spectrum and a second light source configured to emit light in a second wavelength spectrum. The first optical imaging sensor can be configured to sense light in the first wavelength spectrum, and the second optical imaging sensor can be configured to sense light in the second wavelength spectrum. For example, the first wavelength spectrum can be non-overlapping with the second wavelength spectrum. The approach can be described as spectrally multiplexed polarization imaging because it uses spectral bands to separate light with different polarizations. In this way, both the second light source and the second optical imaging sensor can be operated without a polarization filter. Thus, the illumination system can include a polarization filter configured to filter the light emitted by the first light source such that the light emitted in the first wavelength spectrum has a polarization. The second light source can be included in the illumination system without a polarization filter.

[0011] Specular reflections are useful for obtaining a stereoscopic impression of the imaged object. Such an impression can be enhanced by collecting spatial reflections caused by light emitted from different angles. In particular, light of different wavelength bands can be emitted from different angles and sensed separately by the second optical imaging sensor. The second optical imaging sensor can thus be configured to sense light of two or more wavelength bands separately from each other. The illumination system can comprise two or more spatially separated light sources configured to emit light of two or more wavelength bands from two or more different directions towards the object. By distinguishing between specular reflections based on light emitted from different directions, the synthetic view can include additional specular reflections or animations of specular reflections caused by light emitted from different angles.

[0012] For example, as outlined above, the second imaging sensor data may include a representation of the specular reflection of light emitted by the illumination system and reflected by the object. The processing system may be configured to form, for each of two or more mutually separated wavelength bands, a separate representation of the specular reflection of the light emitted in the respective wavelength band based on the second imaging sensor data, and to combine the two or more resulting representations of the specular reflection with the representation of the object contained in the first imaging sensor data in a synthetic view. This allows additional spatial information to be added to the stereoscopic impression of the object that is intuitively derived from the specular reflection.

[0013] To avoid overwhelming the user, specular reflections caused by light emitted from different directions may not be displayed simultaneously. Alternatively, an animation showing specular reflections caused by light emitted from different directions in succession may be shown. For example, the processing system may be configured to animate the specular reflection in the composite view by varying the contribution of two or more alternative representations in the composite view. In particular, the processing system may be configured to animate the specular reflection in the composite view by varying the contribution of two or more alternative representations in the composite view based on the direction from which the respective light is emitted. For example, an animation may be provided that gives the user the impression that the light causing the specular reflection is moving in a circular motion around the object at a uniform speed.

[0014] In general, the number of wavelength bands that can be separated by the second optical imaging sensor may be limited to, for example, three to six wavelength bands. In order to collect specular reflections from even more angles, if the optical imaging component is a stereoscopic optical imaging component, for example a stereo microscope, the second optical imaging sensors of the two stereo channels can both be used separately to sense the specular reflections used for the composite view. Thus, the optical imaging component may be a stereoscopic optical imaging component comprising two first optical imaging sensors configured to form first imaging sensor data and two second optical imaging sensors configured to form second imaging sensor data. The processing system can be configured to form a separate and distinct representation of the specular reflection for each of the two or more wavelength bands separated from each other, further for each of the two second optical imaging sensors.

[0015] In some examples, the optical imaging system includes a second polarizing filter configured to admit light having a polarization to the second optical imaging sensor. In this manner, the second optical imaging sensor can primarily sense the specular reflection and can facilitate forming a representation of the specular reflection.

[0016] Alternatively, the second optical imaging sensor can be included in the optical imaging component without a polarizing filter. In this case, the processing system can be configured to form a representation of the specular reflection shown in the second imaging sensor data based on saturation of pixels in the second imaging sensor data caused by the specular reflection. Since specular reflection tends to saturate an image, the saturated areas of the second imaging sensor data can be considered to be caused by the specular reflection.

[0017] The proposed concept is particularly applicable to surgical microscope systems, which may comprise separate optical imaging sensors for reflective imaging and fluorescent imaging. In other words, the optical imaging system may be a surgical microscope system. Thus, one of the optical imaging sensors, e.g. the sensor used for fluorescent imaging or the sensor used for reflective imaging, may be used for sensing the specular reflection. For example, the processing system may be configured to form a composite view in a first operating mode and to form a second composite view based on reflective imaging and fluorescent imaging in a second operating mode. The processing system may be configured to perform reflective imaging using the first optical imaging sensor and fluorescent imaging using the second optical imaging sensor in the second operating mode. In this way, a surgical microscope system may be retrofitted or adapted with little effort to implement the proposed concept.

[0018] The synthetic view may be used by a user of the optical imaging system, e.g., a surgeon using a surgical microscope system, to view the object via a display device, e.g., an eyepiece display or a large screen display mounted on a stand of the optical imaging system, and the processing system is therefore configured to form a display signal based on the synthetic view for the display device of the optical imaging system.

[0019] Various examples of the present disclosure relate to a method for a corresponding optical imaging system. The method includes emitting light having a polarized light toward an object. The method includes blocking the light having the polarized light from reaching a first optical imaging sensor of an optical imaging component used to image the object. The method includes acquiring first imaging sensor data from the first optical imaging sensor and acquiring second imaging sensor data from a second optical imaging sensor of the optical imaging component. The method includes forming a synthetic view based on the first imaging sensor data and the second imaging sensor data.

[0020] Some examples of apparatus and / or methods are described below, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying figures, in which: [Brief description of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1a] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of an optical imaging system. [Figure 1b] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a surgical microscope system. [Figure 1c] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of an optical imaging system having two separate light sources. [Diagram 2] 1 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a method for an optical imaging system. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating another example of an optical imaging system having one light source. [Figure 4]FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating another example of an optical imaging system having two light sources. [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a surgical microscope system having three spaced apart light sources. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a system comprising a microscope and a computer system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0022] Various embodiments will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate some examples, in which the thickness of lines, layers and / or regions may be exaggerated for clarity.

[0023] 1a shows a schematic diagram of an example of an optical imaging system 100, e.g., a microscope system 100. 1a-1c show an example of an optical imaging system, which is a system that includes an optical imaging component 120, such as a microscope, and additional components that operate with the optical imaging component. In other words, the optical imaging system is a system that includes the optical imaging component and one or more additional components, such as a processing system 110 (which is a computer system adapted to process imaging sensor data of the optical imaging component) and an illumination system 130 (used to illuminate an object imaged by the optical imaging component).

[0024] In the following, the optical imaging system is exemplified as a microscope system, i.e. a system comprising a microscope and one or more additional components, but the optical imaging system may be another kind of optical imaging system, for example a medical imaging system such as an endoscope or a surgical camera, or another kind of general optical imaging system, such as a stereoscopic camera, a multi-sensor smartphone camera system (with separate optical imaging sensors for white light and infrared), a multi-sensor drone camera, a multi-sensor surveillance camera, etc.

[0025] In general, a microscope, e.g., optical imaging component 120, is an optical instrument suitable for inspecting objects that are too small to be inspected (only) by the naked eye. For example, a microscope can provide an optically magnified image of a sample, such as sample 10 shown in Figs. 1a to 1c. In modern microscopes, the optically magnified image is often provided to a camera or to an imaging sensor, e.g., the first optical imaging sensor 122 and the second optical imaging sensor 124 of the microscope 120 shown in Figs. 1a and 1c. The optical imaging component 120 can further comprise one or more optical magnification components, e.g., objective lenses (i.e., lenses), used to magnify the view of the sample.

[0026] The optical imaging component 120 comprises (at least) a first optical imaging sensor 122 and a second optical imaging sensor 124. The optical imaging component 120 is suitable for imaging the object 10 as described above. The optical imaging system further comprises an illumination system 130 for emitting light having a polarized light towards the object. The optical imaging system comprises a polarizing filter 140 configured to block light having a polarized light from reaching the first optical imaging sensor.

[0027] The optical imaging system 100 further comprises the above-mentioned processing system 110 comprising one or more processors 114 and one or more storage devices 116. Optionally, the processing system further comprises one or more interfaces 112. The one or more processors 114 are coupled to the one or more storage devices 116 and the optional one or more interfaces 112. In general, the functionality of the processing system is provided by the one or more processors in cooperation with one or more interfaces (e.g., for exchanging information with an optical imaging sensor of the optical imaging component and / or a display device of the optical imaging system) and / or one or more storage devices (for storing and / or retrieving information). The processing system 110 is configured to acquire first imaging sensor data from the first optical imaging sensor and acquire second imaging sensor data from the second optical imaging sensor. The processing system 110 is further configured to form a synthetic view based on the first imaging sensor data and the second imaging sensor data.

[0028] There are many different types of microscopes. When a microscope is used in the medical or biological field, the object 10 observed through the microscope can be, for example, a sample of organic tissue arranged in a petri dish or present in a part of a patient's body. For example, in FIG. 1b, the optical imaging component 120 is a microscope of a surgical microscope system, i.e. a microscope for use during a surgical procedure, such as a tumor surgery or during a tumor operation. The optical imaging system 100 can thus be a surgical microscope system 100. Such a system is shown, for example, in FIG. 1b. The object observed through the optical imaging component and shown in the image data can thus be a sample of organic tissue of a patient, in particular a surgical site at which a surgeon operates during a surgical procedure.

[0029] In Fig. 1b, a schematic diagram of an example of a surgical microscope system 100 is shown, which includes a microscope 120, a processing system 110, an illumination system 130, and a polarizing filter (not shown). The surgical microscope system 100 shown in Fig. 1b includes a (mobile) stand-mounted base unit 105 (with the system 110), an eyepiece display 160 located on the microscope 120, an auxiliary display 160 located on the base unit, and some optional parts, such as a (robotic or manual) arm 170, that hold the microscope 120 in place and are coupled to the base unit 105 and the microscope 120. In the context of this application, the term "(surgical) microscope system" is used to cover parts of the system that are not part of the actual microscope (with optical components) but are used together with the microscope, such as the processing system 110, the display 160, and the illumination system 130.

[0030] The proposed concept is based on the insight that specular reflection (reflection at a surface where the angles of incidence and reflection of light are equal) has advantages and disadvantages in microscopy. On the one hand, specular reflection can saturate the imaging sensor data and thus block the view of the sample in a digital viewer. On the other hand, specular reflection is useful for giving the user of an optical imaging system an intuitive three-dimensional impression of the sample, since the user has learned throughout their life what reflections occur at different angles of such an object.

[0031] Typically, specular reflections can be completely removed from the digital view of the specimen by using polarized light in combination with a filter that blocks light with that (positive) polarization from the optical imaging sensor used. In this case, the light captured by the optical imaging sensor corresponds to diffuse reflections, and specular reflections have been removed. However, such a view lacks visual cues that would give the user a three-dimensional impression of the object, which can lead to unintuitive user interaction with the object (e.g., during a surgical procedure).

[0032] In the proposed concept, these limitations are overcome using digital image processing. Two sets of imaging sensor data are formed: data without specular reflection (i.e., first imaging sensor data) and data including specular reflection (i.e., second imaging sensor data). These are combined in a synthetic view in a way that avoids specular reflection blocking the view of the sample, while adding enough cues for the user to perceive a stereoscopic impression of the effect. The proposed optical imaging system uses for this purpose two sets of components: a first set comprising an illumination system 130, a filter 140 (or filters as shown below) and optical imaging components optical imaging sensors 122; 124, and a second set comprising a processing system 110. The first set is used to form polarized light and to record the polarized light differently using two separate optical imaging sensors (the first optical imaging sensor is blocked from recording light with polarized light). The second set is used to process the imaging sensor data formed by the optical imaging sensors and to form a synthetic view.

[0033] The illumination system 130 is used to emit light having a polarized light toward the object. For example, the illumination system 130 may include one or more light sources 132; 134 (shown in FIG. 1c) configured to emit light toward the object 10. In addition, the illumination system may include one or more polarizing filters 136 (shown in FIGS. 3 and 4) that may be configured to polarize the light emitted by at least one of the one or more light sources (so that polarized light is emitted toward the object 10). For example, the one or more polarizing filters may be separate from or included in the at least one light source, or the light source may be designed to emit substantially polarized light.

[0034] There are various options for including a polarizing filter in the proposed optical imaging system. For example, at least two polarizing filters can be used. That is, an illumination polarizing filter can be placed between at least one light source and the object, and a polarizing filter 140 can be placed between the object and the first optical imaging sensor 122. Optionally, a second polarizing filter 150 can be placed between the object and the second optical imaging sensor. In general, the illumination polarizing filter can be configured to pass (only) light having a polarization. The polarizing filter 140 can be configured to block light having a polarization such that specular reflections are blocked from reaching the first optical imaging sensor (diffuse reflections are recorded by the first optical imaging sensor). In other words, the polarizing filter 140 can be configured to filter out light having a polarization such that specular reflections of light emitted by the illumination system are excluded from the representation of the object in the first imaging sensor data. This can be achieved by a polarizing filter with a polarization perpendicular to that of the illumination polarizing filter. The optional second polarizing filter can be configured to pass light having a polarization such that (only) light having that polarization is incident on the second optical imaging sensor. Thus, the optical imaging system can include a second polarizing filter 150 configured to accept light having a polarization into the second optical imaging sensor. For example, the second polarizing filter can have the same polarization (direction) as the illumination polarizing filter.

[0035] Alternatively, the second optical imaging sensor can be included in the optical imaging component without a polarizing filter. In other words, the second optical imaging sensor can be included in the optical imaging system such that light of any polarization reaches the second optical imaging sensor. In this case, the specular reflection can be separated by using different wavelength bands (as shown in relation to Figures 1c and 4) or by digital image processing. In the latter case, the processing system can be configured to form a representation of the specular reflection shown in the second imaging sensor data based on the saturation of pixels of the second imaging sensor data caused by the specular reflection. For example, the processing system can be configured to form a representation of the specular reflection from pixels that sense a light intensity above an intensity threshold.

[0036] When multiple image sources are used (at the wavelength sensed by the first optical imaging sensor), multiple illumination polarizing filters (136 shown in FIG. 4) can be placed between the multiple light sources and the object.

[0037] As outlined above, the proposed optical imaging system can be a surgical microscope system, i.e. a microscope system used during surgery. Many surgical microscope systems use multiple optical imaging sensors, at least one of which is used for reflectance imaging and at least one other of which is used for fluorescence imaging. In fluorescence imaging, light having a wavelength that matches the fluorescence excitation wavelength band of a fluorophore is emitted towards the object being observed through the optical imaging component. The fluorophore can be a chemical agent injected into the patent blood vessel or tissue, which is excited by light in the fluorescence excitation wavelength band and emits light in the fluorescence emission wavelength band, which is sensed by at least one optical imaging sensor used for fluorescence imaging. Often, surgical microscope systems support a limited selection of fluorophores, and the optical imaging sensor or sensors used for fluorescence imaging are tuned to the fluorescence emission wavelengths of the selection of fluorophores. During surgery, the reflectance image (showing the surgical site in "natural" colors) and the fluorescence image (as a pseudo-color overlay) can be combined in a further composite view that can be observed by the surgeon. Thus, the processing system is configured to form a synthetic view in a first operating mode (i.e., an operating mode suitable for reducing the effects of specular reflection) and to form a second synthetic view based on reflectance imaging and fluorescence imaging in a second operating mode (a mode combining reflectance imaging and fluorescence imaging).

[0038] During reflection imaging, the optical imaging sensor here may not be used. In the proposed concept, the optical imaging sensor normally used for fluorescence imaging can be reused for recording the specular reflection. Thus, the processing system can be configured to use the first optical imaging sensor to perform reflection imaging and the second optical imaging sensor to perform fluorescence imaging in the second operation mode. In other words, the first optical imaging sensor can be generally used for reflection imaging in the optical imaging system and the second optical imaging sensor can be generally used for fluorescence imaging in the optical imaging system. As a result, the second optical imaging sensor can be configured to sense, e.g. only limited sensing, a limited spectrum (i.e. fluorescence emission wavelength band), e.g. by a bandpass filter arranged between the second optical imaging sensor and the object.

[0039] The processing system 110 is used to form a synthetic view (or multiple synthetic views) based on the first imaging sensor data and the second imaging sensor data. As outlined above, in at least the first imaging mode, the first imaging sensor data includes a representation of the object without specular reflection (i.e., specular reflection has been removed by the polarizing filter 140), and the second imaging sensor data includes a representation of the specular reflection of light emitted by the illumination system and reflected by the object. As the term "synthetic view" indicates, the first imaging sensor data and the second imaging sensor data are combined to form the synthetic view. However, in some examples, the combination may not be a simple one, i.e., the first imaging sensor data and the second imaging sensor data may not be a simple superposition. Instead, the second imaging sensor data can be processed by the processing system to form another representation of the specular reflection. In other words, the processing system can be configured to form another representation of the specular reflection based on the second imaging sensor data and combine the another representation of the specular reflection with the representation of the object included in the first imaging sensor data. For example, the processing system can be configured to isolate the specular reflection shown in the second imaging sensor data, for example by using a portion of the second imaging sensor data based on the intensity of light measured by the pixels of the second optical imaging sensor represented in the second imaging sensor data or based on the wavelength spectrum used to form the specular reflection (see, for example, FIG. 1c). For example, the processing system can be configured to remove a portion of the second imaging sensor data caused by diffuse reflection in forming a separate representation of the specular reflection. The separate representation can be combined with a representation of the object included in the first imaging sensor data to form a synthetic view. For example, the processing system can be configured to overlap, combine, or superimpose the separate representation with the representation of the object included in the first imaging sensor data to form a synthetic view.For example, if the specular reflection is recorded by the first optical imaging sensor without the polarizing filter 140, the visibility of the alternative representation in the synthetic view may be reduced relative to the visibility of the specular reflection.

[0040] The composite view may be observed by a user of the optical imaging system, for example a surgeon. For this purpose, the composite view may be provided to a display, for example an auxiliary display or an eyepiece display 160, of the optical imaging system. The processing system is therefore configured to form a display signal based on the composite view for the display device 160 of the optical imaging system. For example, the display signal may be a signal for driving (for example controlling) the display device 160. For example, the display signal may include video data and / or control instructions for driving the display. For example, the display signal may be provided via one of the one or more interfaces 112 of the system. The system 110 may therefore comprise a video interface 112 suitable for providing a video signal to the display 160 of the optical imaging system 100.

[0041] Below is an example of the proposed concept, using (at least) two separate light sources with different wavelength spectra. In FIG. 1c, a schematic diagram of an example optical imaging system with two separate light sources is shown. As shown in FIG. 1c, the illumination system can comprise a first light source 132 configured to emit light in a first wavelength spectrum and a second light source 134 configured to emit light in a second wavelength spectrum. For example, the first wavelength spectrum may not overlap with the second wavelength spectrum. For example, the illumination system can comprise a bandpass filter configured to limit the light emitted by the first light source 132 to the first wavelength spectrum and the light emitted by the second light source 134 to the second wavelength spectrum. Alternatively, the emission spectrum can be limited by the light source used. In particular, the second light source can comprise one or more light emitting diodes configured to emit light in one or more wavelength bands of the second wavelength spectrum. A broadband white light source (e.g., a light emitting diode or a halogen light source) can be used as the first light source, coupled with an appropriate bandpass filter.

[0042] FIG. 4 shows an example of a first wavelength spectrum and a second wavelength spectrum, where the first wavelength spectrum 410 emitted by the first light source 132 does not overlap with the second wavelength spectrum 420 emitted by the second light source 134. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the first wavelength spectrum can cover the visible light spectrum except for a portion of the visible light spectrum covered by the second wavelength spectrum (which may correspond to a fluorescent emission wavelength band). Returning to the example of using the second optical imaging sensor generally for fluorescent imaging, for example, the second wavelength spectrum can include (or correspond to) at least one fluorescent emission wavelength band. For example, the first wavelength spectrum can include at least two wavelength bands, where the wavelength bands of the second wavelength spectrum are sandwiched between (i.e., located between) the wavelength bands of the first wavelength spectrum. For example, the minimum wavelength of the first wavelength spectrum can be less than the minimum wavelength of the second wavelength spectrum, and the maximum wavelength of the first wavelength spectrum can be greater than the maximum wavelength of the second wavelength spectrum. The first optical imaging sensor can be configured to sense light of a first wavelength spectrum, and the second optical imaging sensor can be configured to sense light of a second wavelength spectrum. For example, the optical imaging component can include a bandpass filter that limits light incident on the first optical imaging sensor to the first wavelength spectrum and a bandpass filter that limits light incident on the second optical imaging sensor to the second wavelength spectrum. Alternatively (or additionally), the optical imaging component can include a dichroic or polychroic beam splitter disposed between the object and the optical imaging sensor that separates the light into the first wavelength spectrum and the second wavelength spectrum.

[0043] By using different wavelength spectra for the first and second optical imaging sensors, both the second light source and the second optical imaging sensor can be operated without a polarizing filter, since the light emitted by the second light source is not sensed by the first optical imaging sensor. Therefore, only the first light source needs to be operated with a polarizing filter, and the illumination system comprising a polarizing filter (i.e., an illumination polarizing filter) is configured to filter the light emitted by the first light source such that the light emitted in the first wavelength spectrum has a polarized light. The second light source can be included in the illumination system without a polarizing filter, i.e., a polarizing filter does not need to be present in the optical path between the object and the second light source.

[0044] In general, both the light of the first light source and the light of the second light source can reach the object from the same angle (i.e., two illumination beams of the two light sources are combined), in other words, the light emitted by the first light source and the light emitted by the second light source can be directed to the object from the same direction.

[0045] In some other examples, as shown in FIG. 1c and FIG. 4, the light of the two light sources can arrive from different angles, which can be achieved by spatially separating the light sources. In this case, the use of two separate wavelength spectra can be extended to increase the amount of specular reflection sensed. For example, the first optical imaging sensor can be used to form a white light image without specular reflection. The second optical imaging sensor can be used to obtain an image with specular reflection in one or more bands. For example, as shown below, the specular reflection can be sensed in two or more wavelength bands based on the light emitted by two or more spatially separated light sources. The second optical imaging sensor can be configured to individually sense the light of two or more mutually separated wavelength bands (e.g., of the second wavelength spectrum). Thus, the illumination system can include two or more spatially separated light sources configured to emit light of two or more wavelength bands from two or more different directions toward the object. For example, the illumination system may include a first light source (configured to emit light in a first wavelength spectrum) and two or more spatially separated second light sources (configured to emit light in two or more wavelength bands in a second wavelength spectrum). For example, the illumination system may include a separate light source spaced apart from each other for each of the two or more mutually separated wavelength bands. For example, the light sources may be considered to be spatially separated or spaced apart if the two or more spatially separated light sources are spaced apart by at least 2.5 cm (or at least 5 cm, or at least 10 cm). For example, FIG. 5 shows an example having three separate light sources (light emitting diodes) 520; 530; 540 arranged around a microscope objective 510. For example, the two or more spatially separated light sources may be spatially separated if the light sources are arranged regularly (or irregularly) around the microscope objective, for example on the periphery of the objective.

[0046] The spatial separation of two or more light sources can be used to increase the amount of specular information that can be included in the synthetic view. Since the angle of specular reflection is equal to the angle of incidence, different specular reflections can be sensed by the second optical imaging sensor if the light is emitted from different directions. The second imaging sensor data can include a representation of the specular reflection of the light emitted by the illumination system and reflected by the object. For example, the second imaging sensor data can include two or more representations (simultaneously or sequentially) of the specular reflection of light emitted in two or more wavelength bands. In a basic implementation, the specular reflections caused by two or more spatially separated light sources can be combined in a single separate representation for use in the synthetic view. However, to further improve the utility of stereoscopic vision, the specular reflections of light emitted from different directions can be shown alternately to give the user / surgeon the impression that the object is illuminated from different angles, highlighting the three-dimensional structure of the object. For example, the processing system can be configured to form, for each of two or more mutually separated wavelength bands, a separate and distinct representation of specular reflection of light emitted in the respective wavelength band based on the second imaging sensor data, and to combine the two or more resulting representations of specular reflection with a representation of the object included in the first imaging sensor data in a synthetic view.

[0047] Forming two or more separate alternative representations of the specular reflection provides additional freedom with respect to including the specular reflection in the synthetic view. Again, in a simple implementation, two or more alternative representations can be combined and displayed simultaneously in the synthetic view. Alternatively, the two or more alternative representations can be included in the synthetic view alternately. In particular, the processing system can be configured to animate the specular reflection in the synthetic view by varying the contribution of two or more alternative representations in the synthetic view. For example, the processing system can be configured to vary the contribution of two or more alternative representations by successively decreasing the contribution of one of the alternative representations while simultaneously increasing the contribution of another of the alternative representations (creating a gradual transition between the two alternative representations). The animation here can be made more intuitive by considering the position of the light source causing the specular reflection, i.e., the direction of the light causing the specular reflection. For example, the processing system can be configured to animate the specular reflection in the synthetic view by varying the contribution of two or more alternative representations in the synthetic view based on the direction from which the respective light is emitted. For example, digital image processing can vary the contributions to create the impression that the light causing the specular reflection is "moving" (e.g., in a circular motion) around the object. For example, if two or more spatially separated light sources are spaced at regular intervals around the periphery of the microscope objective as shown in FIG. 5, the contributions of the alternative representations can be varied according to the order of the light sources causing the specular reflections around the periphery. For example, to give the impression that the light moves around the periphery counterclockwise from light source 520 to light source 530, the contributions of the alternative representations based on the light of light source 520 can be gradually decreased and the contributions of the alternative representations based on the light of light source 530 can be gradually increased until the synthetic view includes (only) the alternative representation based on the light of light source 530 (apart from the representation of the object based on the first imaging sensor data).As the light "travels" further towards light source 540, the contribution of the light-based representation of light source 530 can be gradually decreased and the contribution of the light-based representation of light source 540 can be gradually increased until the synthetic view includes (only) the light-based representation of light source 540 (apart from the representation of the object based on the first imaging sensor data). To return to light source 520, the contribution of the light-based representation of light source 540 can be gradually decreased and the contribution of the light-based representation of light source 520 can be gradually increased until the synthetic view includes (only) the light-based representation of light source 520 (apart from the representation of the object based on the first imaging sensor data). The concepts here can be extended to more light sources (and, as shown below, more optical imaging sensors).

[0048] In general, the microscope used in the surgical microscope system (as well as other microscope systems) can be a stereo microscope (more generally a stereoscopic optical imaging component) in which the optical imaging component can comprise two first and two second optical imaging sensors, i.e., provide two separate views of the sample to the eyepiece, for example via separate optical imaging sensors. For example, the optical imaging component can be a stereoscopic imaging component, for example a stereo microscope, with two first optical imaging sensors configured to form first imaging sensor data and two second optical imaging sensors configured to form second imaging sensor data. Since two slightly different views are formed (to further contribute to the stereoscopic impression of the view of the sample), these additional spatial variations can be used to form even more representations of the specular reflection. In other words, the processing system can be configured to form separate and separate representations of the specular reflection for each of two or more wavelength bands separated from each other and for each of the two second optical imaging sensors. The separate representations can be used in the formation of a synthetic view, for example to form a smoother animation. For example, the processing system can be configured to animate the specular reflection in the synthetic view by varying the contribution of the alternative representation in the synthetic view based on, for example, the direction from which the respective light is emitted and based on which second optical imaging sensor the alternative representation is based.

[0049] In the proposed optical imaging system, optical imaging sensors are used to provide the first and second imaging sensor data. Thus, the (two) first and second optical imaging sensors 122, 124 are configured to form the first and second imaging sensor data, respectively. For example, the second optical imaging sensor can be operated at a higher frame rate than the first optical imaging sensor. This is because the exposure time of the sensor is less than that of a sensor acquiring a diffuse reflection image, since the specular reflection is characterized by an inherently high intensity. For example, the optical imaging sensors 122;124 of the optical imaging component 120 may comprise or be APS (active pixel sensor)-based or CCD (charge-coupled device)-based imaging sensors 122;124. For example, in APS-based imaging sensors, light is recorded at each pixel using a pixel photodetector and an active amplifier. APS-based imaging sensors are often based on CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) or S-CMOS (scientific CMOS) technology. In a CCD-based imaging sensor, incident photons are converted to electronic charges at the semiconductor-oxide interface and then transferred between capacitive bins within the imaging sensor by the imaging sensor's circuitry to perform imaging. The processing system 110 is configurable to acquire (i.e., receive or read) respective imaging sensor data from each optical imaging sensor.The respective imaging sensor data may be obtained by receiving the imaging sensor data from the respective optical imaging sensor (e.g., via interface 112), by reading the respective imaging sensor data from the memory of the respective optical imaging sensor (e.g., via interface 112), or by reading the imaging sensor data from storage device 116 of system 110, for example after the imaging sensor data has been written to storage device 116 by the respective optical imaging sensor or another system or processor. As shown in Figures 1a, 1c, 3 and 4, the optical imaging component may include a beam splitter that directs and guides light reflected or emitted by the object to the first and second optical imaging sensors.

[0050] The one or more interfaces 112 of the system 110 can accommodate one or more inputs and / or outputs for receiving and / or transmitting information, which may be digital (bit) values ​​according to a specified code, within a module, between modules, or between modules of different entities. For example, the one or more interfaces 112 can comprise an interface circuit configured to receive and / or transmit information. The one or more processors 114 of the system 110 can be implemented using any processing means, such as one or more processing units, one or more processing devices, processors, computers, or programmable hardware components operable by appropriately adapted software. In other words, the described functions of the one or more processors 114 can be implemented in software executed on one or more programmable hardware components as well. Such hardware components can comprise general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), microcontrollers, etc. The one or more storage devices 116 of the system 110 may comprise at least one element of a group of computer readable storage media, such as magnetic or optical storage media, e.g., a hard disk drive, flash memory, floppy disk, random access memory (RAM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electronically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) or network storage.

[0051] Further details and aspects of the optical imaging system are mentioned in relation to the proposed concept or one or more of the examples (e.g., in Figures 2 to 6) described above or below. The optical imaging system may comprise one or more additional optional features corresponding to one or more aspects of the proposed concept or one or more of the examples described above or below.

[0052] 2 illustrates a flow chart of an example method for a corresponding optical imaging system. The method includes emitting 210 light having a polarized light toward an object. The method includes blocking 220 the light having a polarized light from reaching a first optical imaging sensor of an optical imaging component used to image the object. The method includes acquiring 230 first imaging sensor data from the first optical imaging sensor and acquiring 240 second imaging sensor data from a second optical imaging sensor of the optical imaging component. The method includes forming 240 a synthetic view based on the first imaging sensor data and the second imaging sensor data.

[0053] For example, the method can be performed by an optical imaging system as introduced in relation to one of Figures 1a to 1c. Features introduced in relation to the optical imaging system of Figures 1a to 1c may be included in the corresponding method as well.

[0054] Further details and aspects of the method for the optical imaging system are mentioned in relation to the proposed concept or one or more of the examples (e.g., in Figures 1a to 1c, 3 to 6) described above or below. The method for the optical imaging system may include one or more additional optional features corresponding to one or more aspects of the proposed concept or one or more of the examples described above or below.

[0055] The proposed concept is based on a working scheme in which the illumination and one of the sensors (hereinafter denoted sensor 1; it can be a white light sensor, e.g. the first optical imaging sensor) use linear polarizers with a perpendicular orientation, so that the acquired image does not contain specular reflections. When performing fluorescence imaging, it is known that the sensitivity band of the second sensor (hereinafter denoted sensor 2; e.g. the second optical imaging sensor) is not illuminated, so the detected light is based on fluorescence emission. In the proposed concept, the illumination also covers the sensitivity band of sensor 2, so that sensor 2 captures the reflection. The secondary sensor (sensor 2) is optionally covered with a linear polarizer parallel to the illumination polarizer, so that the image contains a strong specular reflection. In general, the specular reflection does not contain color information, since the light is reflected at the object surface and does not interact with the material to be absorbed by the material properties. Therefore, a single wavelength or a narrow spectral band, as used for fluorescence imaging, is sufficient to capture the reflection (e.g. as a monochrome image).

[0056] In Fig. 3, a schematic diagram of an example of the proposed concept, i.e. an optical imaging system such as a microscope system with one light source, is shown. In Fig. 3, a surgical microscope (system) 300 is shown with an illumination source 132 coupled with a polarizing filter 136. The surgical microscope 300 is realized similarly to the optical imaging system shown in Figs. 1a to 1c. The surgical microscope comprises two sensors (sensor 1 122 and sensor 2 124) coupled with respective polarizing filters 140; 150. The polarization of the polarizing filter 150 coupled with the second sensor 124 corresponds to the polarization of the polarizing filter 136 coupled with the illumination source 132 and is orthogonal to the polarization adopted by the polarizing filter 140 coupled with the first sensor 122. The surgical microscope further comprises a beam splitter directing the light to the first and second sensors. 3 further illustrates the spectra of light 310 provided by the illumination source 132, light 320 captured by the first sensor 122, and light 330 captured by the second sensor. In the graph on the right side of FIG. 3, the x-axis represents wavelength and the y-axis represents intensity. The illumination source spectrum 310 covers the non-overlapping spectra 320; 330 of the light captured by each sensor, and the wavelength band 330 captured by the second sensor is flanked on either side by the wavelength band 320 captured by the first sensor.

[0057] In the alternative illumination configuration shown in Fig. 4, the illumination of the first illumination source 132 includes only the spectral band 410 that the white light sensor detects. In Fig. 4, a schematic diagram of another example of the proposed concept of a surgical microscope (system) 400 with two light sources is shown, which is realized similarly to the surgical microscope system shown in Figs. 1a to 1c and / or 3. The light of the spectral band 420 of the secondary sensor is provided by a separate light source 134, for example an LED. In Fig. 4, the secondary sensor 124 and the second light source 134 are shown with corresponding polarizing filters 150; 136 (i.e. polarizing filters with the same polarization), as are the first sensor 122 and the first light source 132 with corresponding polarizing filters 140; 136. However, since the second light source and / or the second sensor are not detected by the sensor 1 which produces a specular reflection, there is no need to employ a polarizer.

[0058] If the second sensor 124 is multispectral, i.e. capable of detecting light in more than one spectral band, multiple separate light sources (e.g. multiple LEDs) can be used, each light source being spectrally aligned with the detection band of the secondary sensor. By positioning each secondary light source at a different illumination angle, specular reflections produced from different angles can be captured simultaneously. In FIG. 5, a simple realization of the proposed concept is shown, adapted to existing surgical microscope hardware capable of capturing light in multiple fluorescent emission bands. In FIG. 5, a schematic diagram of an example of a surgical microscope 500 with three light sources, which can be implemented similarly to the surgical microscopes shown in connection with FIG. 1a to FIG. 1c, FIG. 3 and / or FIG. 4, is shown. In FIG. 5, a side view and a bottom view of the surgical microscope 500 are shown. The bottom view shows an objective lens 510 and three light emitting diodes (LEDs) 520 (a 630 nm LED used for fluorescence imaging in the 400 nm band), 530 (a 530 nm LED used for fluorescence imaging with fluorophores having an excitation frequency of 530 nm), and 540 (an 830 nm LED used for fluorescence imaging with fluorophores having an excitation frequency of 830 nm). The three LEDs are positioned at different positions around the objective lens, resulting in different illumination angles. Fluorescence imaging hardware is used to simultaneously capture diffuse and specular reflections at the three different illumination angles.

[0059] The number of angles of specular reflections that can be captured simultaneously is limited by the number of spectral bands that the system can capture in parallel with the white-light image. However, the secondary sensor capturing the specular reflection can be operated at a higher frame rate. This is because the specular reflection is inherently characterized by a high intensity, and therefore the sensor exposure time is less than that of a sensor capturing a diffuse reflection image (the image typically captured in standard white-light imaging). It is therefore possible to use multiple sets of secondary light sources that are sequentially lit in groups so that they are all lit within the exposure time of one white-light image.

[0060] Data acquired with such a system, consisting of a white light image and a plurality of specular reflection images, for example 30, can be used to visualize the imaged object as if illuminated from a particular angle (one of the 30 angles), allowing the user to obtain optimal enhancement of the 3D structure of the object's surface. This can be done offline, allowing the surgeon to inspect tissue with the desired amount and angle of specular reflection.

[0061] Specular reflections can also be used to calculate the 3D structure of tissue surfaces, since each reflection seen in the image indicates that the object surface at that point has a specific angle relative to the illumination and observation geometric angles.

[0062] Further details and aspects of the proposed optical imaging system are mentioned in relation to the proposed concept or one or more of the examples (e.g., in Figures 1a to 2, 6) described above or below. The optical imaging system may comprise one or more additional optional features corresponding to one or more aspects of the proposed concept or one or more of the examples described above or below.

[0063] Some embodiments relate to a microscope including a system as described in relation to one or more of the figures of Figures 1 to 5. Alternatively, the microscope may be part of a system as described in relation to one or more of the figures of Figures 1 to 5 or may be connected to a system as described in relation to one or more of the figures of Figures 1 to 5. Figure 6 shows a schematic diagram of a system 600 configured to perform the methods described herein. The system 600 comprises a microscope 610 (which may correspond to the microscope 120 introduced in relation to Figures 1a to 5) and a computer system 620 (which may correspond to the processing system 110 introduced in relation to Figures 1a to 1c). The microscope 610 is configured to image and is connected to the computer system 620. The computer system 620 is configured to perform at least some of the methods described herein. The computer system 620 may be configured to perform a machine learning algorithm. The computer system 620 and the microscope 610 may be separate entities, but may be integrated in one common housing. The computer system 620 may be part of a central processing system of the microscope 610 and / or the computer system 620 may be part of a subordinate component of the microscope 610, such as a sensor, actor, camera or lighting unit of the microscope 610.

[0064] The computer system 620 may be a local computing device (e.g., a personal computer, laptop, tablet computer, or mobile phone) with one or more processors and one or more storage devices, or may be a distributed computing system (e.g., a cloud computing system with one or more processors and one or more storage devices distributed at various locations, such as local clients and / or one or more remote server farms and / or data centers). The computer system 620 may include any circuit or combination of circuits. In one embodiment, the computer system 620 may include one or more processors, which may be of any type. As used herein, a processor may contemplate any type of computing circuit, such as, but not limited to, a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a complex instruction set computing (CISC) microprocessor, a reduced instruction set computing (RISC) microprocessor, a very long instruction word (VLIW) microprocessor, a graphics processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a multi-core processor, a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or any other type of processor or processing circuit, for example, of a microscope or a microscope component (e.g., a camera). Other types of circuits that may be included in computer system 620 may be custom circuits, application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), such as one or more circuits (such as communications circuits) used in wireless devices such as cell phones, tablet computers, laptop computers, two-way radios, and similar electronic systems. Computer system 620 may also include one or more storage devices, which may include one or more memory elements suitable for a particular application, such as main memory in the form of random access memory (RAM), one or more hard drives and / or one or more drives handling removable media, such as compact discs (CDs), flash memory cards, digital video discs (DVDs), and the like.Computer system 620 may also include a display device, one or more speakers and a keyboard and / or controller which may include a mouse, a trackball, a touch screen, a voice recognition device, or any other device that enables a user of the system to input information to and receive information from computer system 620.

[0065] Some or all of the steps may be performed by (or using) a hardware apparatus, such as, for example, a processor, a microprocessor, a programmable computer, or an electronic circuit. In some embodiments, any one or more of the crucial steps may be performed by such an apparatus.

[0066] Depending on certain implementation requirements, the embodiments of the present invention can be implemented in hardware or software. The implementation can be performed by a non-transitory recording medium, such as a digital recording medium, for example a floppy disk, a DVD, a Blu-ray, a CD, a ROM, a PROM and EPROM, an EEPROM or a FLASH memory, on which electronically readable control signals are stored, which cooperate (or can cooperate) with a programmable computer system to execute the respective methods. Thus, the digital recording medium can be computer readable.

[0067] Some embodiments of the present invention include a data carrier having electronically readable control signals capable of cooperating with a programmable computer system to cause any of the methods described herein to be performed.

[0068] Generally, embodiments of the present invention can be implemented as a computer program product comprising program code which is operable to perform any of the methods when the computer program product is run on a computer, the program code may for example be stored on a machine readable carrier.

[0069] Another embodiment comprises the computer program for performing any of the methods described herein, stored on a machine readable carrier.

[0070] In other words, an embodiment of the present invention is, therefore, a computer program having a program code for performing any of the methods described herein, when the computer program runs on a computer.

[0071] Therefore, another embodiment of the present invention is a recording medium (or data carrier or computer readable medium) containing a computer program stored thereon for performing any of the methods described herein when executed by a processor. The data carrier, digital recording medium or recording medium is typically tangible and / or non-transitory. Another embodiment of the present invention is an apparatus as described herein, including a processor and a recording medium.

[0072] A further embodiment of the invention is therefore a data stream or a sequence of signals representing the computer program for performing any of the methods described herein, the data stream or the sequence of signals being for example adapted to be transmitted via a data communication connection, for example the Internet.

[0073] Another embodiment comprises a processing means, for example a computer, or a programmable logic device configured to or adapted to perform any of the methods described herein.

[0074] Another embodiment comprises a computer having the computer program installed thereon for performing any of the methods described herein.

[0075] Another embodiment of the invention includes an apparatus or system configured to transfer (e.g., electronically or optically) a computer program for performing any of the methods described herein to a receiver. The receiver may be, for example, a computer, a mobile device, a storage device, etc. The apparatus or system may, for example, include a file server to transfer the computer program to the receiver.

[0076] In some embodiments, a programmable logic device (e.g., a field programmable gate array) may be used to perform some or all of the functionality of the methods described herein. In some embodiments, a field programmable gate array may cooperate with a microprocessor to perform any of the methods described herein. In general, the methods are advantageously performed by any hardware apparatus.

[0077] As used in this specification, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items and may be abbreviated as " / ".

[0078] Although some aspects have been described in the context of an apparatus, it will be apparent that these aspects also represent a description of a corresponding method, where a block or apparatus corresponds to a step or feature of a step, and similarly, aspects described in the context of a step also represent a description of a corresponding block or item or feature of a corresponding apparatus. [Explanation of symbols]

[0079] 10. Object 100 Optical imaging systems, (surgical) microscope systems 105 Stand 110 Processing System 112 One or more interfaces 114 One or more processors 116 One or more storage devices 120 Optical Imaging Components, Microscopes 122 First Optical Imaging Sensor 124 Second Optical Imaging Sensor 130 Lighting System 132 First Light Source 134 Second Light Source 136,140,150 Polarizing Filter 160 Display 170 Arm 210 Emit polarized light toward the target 220 Blocking polarized light 230 Acquire first imaging sensor data and second imaging sensor data 240 Creating a synthetic view 300 Surgical Microscope System 310 Spectrum of light provided by an illumination source 320 Spectrum of light captured by the first sensor 330 Spectrum of light captured by the second sensor 400 Surgical Microscope System 410 Spectral band of the first sensor 420 Second Sensor Spectral Band 500 surgical microscope 510 Objective Lens 520,530,540 light source 600 System 610 Microscope 620 Computer Systems

Claims

1. An optical imaging system (100; 300; 400; 500; 600) comprising: an optical imaging component (120; 610) suitable for imaging an object (10), the optical imaging component including a first optical imaging sensor (122) and a second optical imaging sensor (124); an illumination system (130) that emits light having a polarization toward the object; a polarizing filter (140) configured to block light having said polarization from reaching said first optical imaging sensor; a processing system (110; 620) comprising one or more processors (114) and one or more storage devices (116); The processing system comprises: acquiring first imaging sensor data from the first optical imaging sensor and second imaging sensor data from the second optical imaging sensor; forming a synthetic view based on the first imaging sensor data and the second imaging sensor data; It is configured as follows: Optical imaging system.

2. the polarizing filter is configured to filter out light having the polarization such that specular reflections of light emitted by the illumination system are excluded from the representation of the object in the first imaging sensor data. The optical imaging system of claim 1 .

3. the second imaging sensor data includes a representation of specular reflection of light emitted by the illumination system and reflected by the object. The optical imaging system of claim 1 .

4. the processing system is configured to form a representation of a further specular reflection based on the second imaging sensor data and combine the representation of the further specular reflection with a representation of the object included in the first imaging sensor data. The optical imaging system of claim 3 .

5. The illumination system comprises a first light source (132) configured to emit light of a first wavelength spectrum and a second light source (134) configured to emit light of a second wavelength spectrum; the first optical imaging sensor is configured to sense light of the first wavelength spectrum and the second optical imaging sensor is configured to sense light of the second wavelength spectrum, the first wavelength spectrum not overlapping with the second wavelength spectrum; The optical imaging system of claim 1 .

6. the illumination system comprising a polarizing filter configured to filter light emitted by the first light source such that light emitted in the first wavelength spectrum has the polarization; the second light source is included in the illumination system without a polarizing filter; The optical imaging system of claim 5 .

7. the second optical imaging sensor is configured to individually sense light in two or more wavelength bands that are separated from one another; the illumination system comprises two or more spatially separated light sources (132; 134) configured to emit light in two or more wavelength bands towards the object from two or more different directions; The optical imaging system of claim 1 .

8. the second imaging sensor data includes a representation of specular reflection of light emitted by the illumination system and reflected by the object; the processing system is configured to form, for each of the two or more mutually separated wavelength bands, a separate representation of specular reflection of light emitted in the respective wavelength band based on the second imaging sensor data, and to combine, in the synthetic view, the two or more resulting representations of specular reflection with a representation of the object included in the first imaging sensor data.

8. The optical imaging system of claim 7.

9. the processing system is configured to animate the specular reflection in the composite view by varying the contributions of the two or more alternative representations in the composite view.

9. The optical imaging system of claim 8.

10. the processing system is configured to animate the specular reflection in the composite view by varying the contribution of the two or more alternative representations in the composite view based on the direction from which their respective light is emitted.

9. The optical imaging system of claim 8.

11. the optical imaging component is a stereoscopic optical imaging component, such as a stereo microscope, comprising two first optical imaging sensors configured to form the first imaging sensor data and two second optical imaging sensors configured to form the second imaging sensor data; the processing system is configured to form a separate and distinct representation of the specular reflection for each of the two or more mutually separated wavelength bands and for each of the two second optical imaging sensors.

9. The optical imaging system of claim 8.

12. the optical imaging system further comprising a second polarizing filter (150) configured to admit light having the polarization into the second optical imaging sensor; The optical imaging system of claim 1 .

13. the second optical imaging sensor is included in the optical imaging component without a polarizing filter; the processing system is configured to form a representation of the specular reflection shown in the second imaging sensor data based on saturation of pixels in the second imaging sensor data caused by the specular reflection. The optical imaging system of claim 1 .

14. the processing system is configured to form the composite view in a first mode of operation and to form a second composite view based on reflectance imaging and fluorescence imaging in a second mode of operation; the processing system is configured, in the second mode of operation, to perform reflectance imaging using the first optical imaging sensor and to perform fluorescence imaging using the second optical imaging sensor. The optical imaging system of claim 1 .

15. the processing system is configured to form a display signal for a display device (160) of the optical imaging system based on the composite view. The optical imaging system of claim 1 .

16. The optical imaging system is a microscope system, for example a surgical microscope system. The optical imaging system of claim 1 .

17. 1. A method for an optical imaging system, the method comprising: emitting (210) light having a polarization toward an object; blocking (220) light having the polarization from reaching a first optical imaging sensor of an optical imaging component used to image the object; acquiring (230) first imaging sensor data from the first optical imaging sensor and second imaging sensor data from a second optical imaging sensor of the optical imaging component; forming (240) a synthetic view based on the first imaging sensor data and the second imaging sensor data; A method comprising:

Images