Imaging system

Abstract

An imaging system (100), comprising a light source (10), an imaging lens group (20), a dichroic mirror (30), a visible light camera (40), and a near-infrared camera (50), wherein the light source (10) is used for emitting lasers to a target object (200) so as to excite the target object (200) to generate near-infrared fluorescence; the imaging lens group (20) is used for imaging the target object (200); the dichroic mirror (30) is arranged on an optical axis of the imaging lens group (20) and is used for dividing light from the imaging lens group (20) into near-infrared fluorescence and visible light; the visible light camera (40) is used for imaging the visible light from the dichroic mirror (30); and the near-infrared camera (50) is used for imaging the near-infrared fluorescence from the dichroic mirror (30).

Description

Imaging system

[0001] Priority information

[0002] This application claims priority and benefits to patent application No. 202410791043.X, filed with the China National Intellectual Property Administration on June 19, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This invention relates to the field of optical molecular imaging, and more particularly to an imaging system. Background Technology

[0004] Since the birth of modern medicine, surgery has been a crucial means of treating a wide range of human diseases. However, any inaccuracy or error during surgery can lead to fatal consequences. For over a century, surgical removal of tumors has been a vital method in the fight against cancer. A major problem is that surgeons rely on visual examination and experience to identify the boundaries between malignant and healthy tissue, making it highly susceptible to leaving residual cancerous tissue or over-removing healthy tissue during surgery, resulting in enormous medical costs and even death. In tumor resection surgeries for various cancers, including breast cancer, colorectal cancer, brain cancer, and head and neck cancer, residual tumor occurs in 8% to 70% of cases, ultimately leading to cancer recurrence. Near-infrared fluorescence imaging is now used for preclinical and intraoperative navigation, offering advantages such as real-time monitoring and high spatial resolution.

[0005] Near-infrared fluorescence imaging in the 800nm-1000nm band of the near-infrared I region is characterized by strong fluorescence signals and abundant fluorescent dyes, while near-infrared fluorescence imaging in the 1000nm-3000nm band suffers from lower light scattering, deeper penetration, lower background, and higher spatial resolution. Near-infrared II imaging-guided tumor resection in mice has been shown to improve the signal-to-noise ratio and tumor edge detection, thus enabling more precise tumor resection and thorough, non-over-removal of tumors at a minimal cellular level. This method can significantly prevent tumor residue, avoid the removal of vital healthy tissue, reduce cancer recurrence rates, and improve survival rates. However, current near-infrared fluorescence imaging systems have limitations, including short fluorescence imaging wavelengths, the inability to achieve simultaneous imaging of the same scene from the visible and fluorescence imaging channels, and difficulty in achieving high signal-to-noise ratio fluorescence imaging under ambient lighting conditions. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This invention provides an imaging system.

[0007] The imaging system of this application includes a light source, an imaging lens group, a dichroic mirror, a visible light camera, and a near-infrared camera. The light source emits laser light towards the target object to excite the target object to generate near-infrared fluorescence. The imaging lens group is used to image the target object. The dichroic mirror is arranged on the optical axis of the imaging lens group to split the light from the imaging lens group into near-infrared fluorescence and visible light. The visible light camera is used to image the visible light from the dichroic mirror. The near-infrared camera is used to image the near-infrared fluorescence from the dichroic mirror.

[0008] Thus, the embodiments of this application utilize dichroic mirrors to achieve imaging of near-infrared fluorescence and visible light of the same scene, reducing the influence of visible light room lights on near-infrared fluorescence imaging. Near-infrared fluorescence imaging can be achieved when the room lights are on, reducing the parallax problem existing in dual-channel imaging and achieving imaging of the same scene from the same viewpoint.

[0009] In some implementations, the visible light camera and the near-infrared camera image simultaneously or sequentially.

[0010] In this way, it is possible to achieve same-view imaging of the same scene using visible light and near-infrared fluorescence.

[0011] In some embodiments, the wavelength of visible light is 400nm-700nm, and the wavelength of near-infrared fluorescence is 800nm-3000nm.

[0012] In some embodiments, the dichroic mirror is a long-pass dichroic mirror and / or a short-pass dichroic mirror, and the cutoff wavelength of the dichroic mirror is 700nm-1000nm.

[0013] In this way, the dichroic mirror can separate visible light and near-infrared fluorescence of light from the same scene according to the wavelength difference, ensuring that the imaging system can still achieve the same-view imaging of the same scene when it rotates at different angles.

[0014] In some embodiments, the imaging system includes a first filter and a second filter. The first filter is disposed between a visible light camera and a dichroic mirror and is used to filter visible light entering the visible light camera. The second filter is disposed between a near-infrared camera and a dichroic mirror and is used to filter near-infrared fluorescence entering the near-infrared camera.

[0015] In this way, the first and second filters can filter light, allowing light of specific wavelengths to pass through while blocking unwanted light, thereby ensuring the effective separation of light in different wavelength bands and improving the imaging quality of visible light cameras and near-infrared cameras.

[0016] In some embodiments, the first filter is a short-pass filter with a cutoff wavelength of 700nm-750nm.

[0017] In this way, the first filter can filter out near-infrared fluorescence, allowing only visible light to enter the visible light camera, thus achieving effective separation of visible light and near-infrared fluorescence and ensuring the imaging quality of the visible light camera.

[0018] In some embodiments, the second filter is a long-pass filter with a cutoff wavelength greater than 800 nm; and / or, the second filter is a band-pass filter with a center wavelength greater than 800 nm.

[0019] In this way, the second filter can filter out visible light, allowing only near-infrared fluorescence to enter the near-infrared camera, thus achieving effective separation of visible light and near-infrared fluorescence and ensuring the imaging quality of the near-infrared camera.

[0020] In some implementations, the light source includes a laser or LED light source, a shaper, and an optical fiber. The laser is used to emit laser light, the LED light source is used to emit LED light, the shaper is used to shape the laser light, and the optical fiber connects the laser and the shaper to conduct the laser light to the shaper.

[0021] In this way, the light source can emit laser light towards the target object to excite the target object to produce near-infrared fluorescence.

[0022] In some implementations, the laser emits laser light continuously, and the visible light camera and the near-infrared camera image at the same preset frame rate; or, the laser emits laser light in a pulsed manner, and the visible light camera and the near-infrared camera image at the same pulse timing as the laser; or, the laser emits laser light in a pulsed manner, the near-infrared camera image at the same pulse timing as the laser, and the visible light camera image at the pulse intervals.

[0023] This allows visible light and near-infrared cameras to image the same scene from the same viewpoint. Furthermore, pulsed imaging can achieve high-intensity illumination while reducing the thermal impact on the target object. Sequential imaging by visible light and near-infrared cameras further avoids the influence of laser or LED light on visible light imaging.

[0024] In some embodiments, the imaging system includes a controller connected to a light source, a visible light camera, and a near-infrared camera, respectively, to control the operation of the light source, the visible light camera, and the near-infrared camera. The controller is used to fuse images acquired by the visible light camera and images acquired by the near-infrared camera.

[0025] In this way, the controller can achieve separate imaging of visible light and near-infrared fluorescence, as well as dual-channel fusion imaging of visible light and near-infrared fluorescence, providing precise navigation images for surgery.

[0026] Additional aspects and advantages of this application will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of this application. Attached Figure Description

[0027] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent and readily understood from the description of the embodiments taken in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:

[0028] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the imaging system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the controller control timing according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the controller control timing according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the controller control timing according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 5 is a near-infrared spectrum of the room lamp according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures: 100, Imaging system; 10, Light source; 11, Laser; 12, Shaper; 13, Fiber optic cable; 20, Imaging lens group; 30, Dichroic mirror; 40, Visible light camera; 50, Near-infrared camera; 60, First filter; 70, Second filter; 80, Controller; 200, Target object. Detailed Implementation

[0034] Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below, examples of which are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0035] 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," and "counterclockwise," etc., indicating orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, are only for the convenience of describing the 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, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of the invention. 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 indicated technical features. Thus, features defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the stated features. In the description of this invention, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0036] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or a connection that allows for communication; 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. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0037] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can include direct contact between the first and second features, or contact between the first and second features through another feature between them. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature includes the first feature directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature includes the first feature directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0038] The following disclosure provides many different embodiments or examples for implementing various structures of the invention. To simplify the disclosure, specific examples of components and arrangements are described below. These are merely examples and are not intended to limit the invention. Furthermore, reference numerals and / or letters may be repeated in different examples; such repetition is for simplification and clarity and does not in itself indicate a relationship between the various embodiments and / or arrangements discussed. In addition, examples of various specific processes and materials are provided in this invention, but those skilled in the art will recognize the application of other processes and / or the use of other materials.

[0039] Referring to Figure 1, the imaging system 100 of this embodiment includes a light source 10, an imaging lens group 20, a dichroic mirror 30, a visible light camera 40, and a near-infrared camera 50. The light source 10 is used to emit laser light towards the target object 200 to excite the target object 200 to generate near-infrared fluorescence; the imaging lens group 20 is used to image the target object 200; the dichroic mirror 30 is arranged on the optical axis of the imaging lens group 20 to separate the light from the imaging lens group 20 into near-infrared fluorescence and visible light; the visible light camera 40 is used to image the visible light from the dichroic mirror 30; and the near-infrared camera 50 is used to image the near-infrared fluorescence from the dichroic mirror 30.

[0040] Thus, the embodiment of this application utilizes the dichroic mirror 30 to achieve imaging of near-infrared fluorescence and visible light of the same scene, reducing the influence of visible light room light on near-infrared fluorescence imaging. Near-infrared fluorescence imaging can be achieved when the room light is on, reducing the parallax problem existing in dual-channel imaging and achieving imaging of the same scene from the same viewpoint.

[0041] Specifically, the light source 10 can be any number of light sources 10, including visible light sources and near-infrared light sources. The visible light source can be indoor lighting, such as fluorescent lamps, white LEDs, etc. The visible light provided by the light source 10 is mainly transmitted to the visible light camera 40 through the reflected light of white light in the environment to realize a realistic imaging scene. The near-infrared light provided by the light source 10 illuminates the fluorescent probe of the diseased area, causing it to emit near-infrared fluorescence. The near-infrared fluorescence is received by the near-infrared camera 50 and converted into an image signal, thereby realizing near-infrared fluorescence imaging. Near-infrared light is an electromagnetic wave between visible light and mid-infrared light.

[0042] The imaging lens group 20 can be an electrically focused lens, which can achieve fast remote focusing. The focal length of the imaging lens group 20 can be designed according to the field of view or field of view required by the actual observation scene.

[0043] The dichroic mirror 30 is a passive device that does not require external energy; it only needs input light. The dichroic mirror 30 can separate the light source 10 into a specific spectrum and change the direction of some spectral light paths. It can transmit light of a certain wavelength almost completely and reflect light of other wavelengths almost completely.

[0044] The optical axis of the visible light camera 40 can be perpendicular to the optical axis of the near-infrared camera 50. For ease of use, the reflection angle of the dichroic mirror 30 can be set to 45°.

[0045] In some implementations, the visible light camera 40 and the near-infrared camera 50 image simultaneously or sequentially.

[0046] In this way, it is possible to achieve same-view imaging of the same scene using visible light and near-infrared fluorescence.

[0047] Specifically, simultaneous imaging by the visible light camera 40 and the near-infrared camera 50 can be achieved by either imaging at the same preset frame rate or imaging with the same pulse timing. Sequential imaging by the visible light camera 40 and the near-infrared camera 50 can be achieved by either imaging by the visible light camera 40 followed by imaging by the near-infrared camera 50, or imaging by the near-infrared camera 50 followed by imaging by the visible light camera 40.

[0048] In some embodiments, the wavelength of visible light is 400nm-700nm, and the wavelength of near-infrared fluorescence is 800nm-3000nm.

[0049] Specifically, near-infrared fluorescence includes near-infrared region I and near-infrared region II. Near-infrared region I has a wavelength of 800nm-1000nm. Near-infrared region I imaging is characterized by strong fluorescence signal and rich fluorescent dyes. Near-infrared region II has a wavelength of 1000nm-3000nm. Near-infrared region II imaging is subject to lower light scattering, has a deeper penetration depth, lower background and higher spatial resolution.

[0050] In some embodiments, the dichroic mirror 30 is a long-pass dichroic mirror and / or a short-pass dichroic mirror, and the cutoff wavelength of the dichroic mirror 30 is 700nm-1000nm.

[0051] In this way, the dichroic mirror 30 can separate visible light and near-infrared fluorescence of light from the same scene according to the wavelength difference, ensuring that the imaging system 100 can still achieve the same-view imaging of the same scene when it rotates at different angles.

[0052] Specifically, the dichroic mirror 30 can transmit and reflect incident light according to wavelength. A long-pass dichroic mirror can transmit incident light with wavelengths greater than the cutoff wavelength and reflect incident light with wavelengths less than the cutoff wavelength. A short-pass dichroic mirror can transmit incident light with wavelengths less than the cutoff wavelength and reflect incident light with wavelengths greater than the cutoff wavelength. The cutoff wavelength of the dichroic mirror 30 can be a point value or a range between any two of 700nm, 750nm, 800nm, 850nm, 900nm, 950nm, and 1000nm.

[0053] In one embodiment, the dichroic mirror 30 is a long-pass dichroic mirror with a cutoff wavelength of 750 nm, meaning that the dichroic mirror 30 transmits incident light with wavelengths greater than 750 nm and reflects incident light with wavelengths less than 750 nm. In another embodiment, the dichroic mirror 30 is a short-pass dichroic mirror with a cutoff wavelength of 800 nm, meaning that the dichroic mirror 30 transmits incident light with wavelengths less than 800 nm and reflects incident light with wavelengths greater than 800 nm. A suitable dichroic mirror 30 can be selected according to the target object and actual needs.

[0054] Referring to Figure 1, in some embodiments, the imaging system 100 includes a first filter 60 and a second filter 70. The first filter 60 is disposed between the visible light camera 40 and the dichroic mirror 30 and is used to filter visible light entering the visible light camera 40. The second filter 70 is disposed between the near-infrared camera 50 and the dichroic mirror 30 and is used to filter near-infrared fluorescence entering the near-infrared camera 50.

[0055] Thus, the first filter 60 and the second filter 70 can filter light, allowing light of a specific wavelength to pass through while blocking unwanted light, thereby ensuring the effective separation of light of different wavelengths and improving the imaging quality of the visible light camera 40 and the near-infrared camera 50.

[0056] Specifically, the first filter 60 and the visible light camera 40 are respectively vertically arranged in the optical path of the visible light after it has been split by the dichroic mirror 30. The visible light is focused onto the visible light camera 40 for imaging after being filtered by the first filter 60.

[0057] The second filter 70 and the near-infrared camera 50 are respectively vertically positioned on the optical path of the near-infrared fluorescence after it has been split by the dichroic mirror 30. The near-infrared fluorescence is filtered by the second filter 70 and then focused onto the near-infrared camera 50 for imaging.

[0058] In some embodiments, the first filter 60 is a short-pass filter, and the cutoff wavelength of the first filter 60 is 700nm-750nm.

[0059] In this way, the first filter 60 can filter out near-infrared fluorescence, allowing only visible light to enter the visible light camera 40, thus achieving effective separation of visible light and near-infrared fluorescence and ensuring the imaging quality of the visible light camera 40.

[0060] Specifically, the cutoff wavelength of the first filter 60 can be a point value or a range between any two of 700nm, 710nm, 720nm, 730nm, 740nm, and 750nm. In one embodiment, the cutoff wavelength of the first filter 60 is 730nm, meaning that the first filter 60 allows light with wavelengths less than 730nm to pass through, while cutting off light with wavelengths greater than 730nm.

[0061] In some embodiments, the second filter 70 is a long-pass filter with a cutoff wavelength greater than 800 nm; and / or, the second filter 70 is a band-pass filter with a center wavelength greater than 800 nm.

[0062] In this way, the second filter 70 can filter out visible light, allowing only near-infrared fluorescence to enter the near-infrared camera 50, thus achieving effective separation of visible light and near-infrared fluorescence and ensuring the imaging quality of the near-infrared camera 50.

[0063] Specifically, the cutoff wavelength of the second filter 70 can be 800nm, 850nm, 900nm, 950nm, 1000nm, 1100nm, etc. In one embodiment, the cutoff wavelength of the second filter 70 is 900nm, that is, the second filter 70 allows light with wavelengths greater than 900nm to pass through, and cuts off light with wavelengths less than 900nm.

[0064] Please refer to Figure 1. In some embodiments, the light source 10 includes a laser 11 or an LED light source, a shaper 12 and an optical fiber 13. The laser 11 is used to emit laser light, the LED light source is used to emit LED light, the shaper 12 is used to shape the laser light, and the optical fiber 13 connects the laser 11 and the shaper 12 to conduct the laser light to the shaper 12.

[0065] In this way, the light source 10 can emit laser light towards the target object 200 to excite the target object 200 to produce near-infrared fluorescence.

[0066] Specifically, the laser 11 can be a power-tunable semiconductor laser, which can help the imaging system 100 detect small tumors when the laser 11 emits high power.

[0067] LED light sources can provide visible light illumination and near-infrared fluorescent illumination; LED light can be a mixed beam of visible light and near-infrared fluorescence.

[0068] The shaper 12 can be a light homogenizing component. The shaper 12 can homogenize the laser so that the intensity distribution of the light spot irradiated by the light source 10 on the surface of the target object 200 is more uniform.

[0069] Optical fiber 13 is a glass fiber, and its length can be set according to actual needs, such as 2m, 2.5m, 3m, etc.

[0070] Referring to Figures 2-4, in some embodiments, the laser 11 emits laser light continuously, and the visible light camera 40 and the near-infrared camera 50 perform imaging at the same preset frame rate; or, the laser 11 emits laser light in a pulsed manner, and the visible light camera 40 and the near-infrared camera 50 perform imaging with the same pulse timing as the laser 11; or, the laser 11 emits laser light in a pulsed manner, and the near-infrared camera 50 performs imaging with the same pulse timing as the laser 11, while the visible light camera 40 performs imaging during the pulse intervals.

[0071] In this way, the visible light camera 40 and the near-infrared camera 50 can image the same scene from the same perspective. Furthermore, pulsed imaging can reduce the thermal impact on the target object while achieving high-intensity illumination. Sequential imaging by the visible light camera 40 and the near-infrared camera 50 further avoids the influence of laser or LED light on visible light imaging.

[0072] Specifically, the laser 11 emits laser light continuously, and the visible light camera 40 and the near-infrared camera 50 can be controlled by the same controller 80, so that the visible light camera 40 and the near-infrared camera 50 can perform imaging at the same preset frame rate.

[0073] Laser 11 emits laser light in pulses. Visible light camera 40, near-infrared camera 50, and laser 11 can be controlled by the same controller 80, allowing visible light camera 40 and near-infrared camera 50 to image with the same pulse timing as laser 11, or near-infrared camera 50 to image with the same pulse timing as laser 11, while visible light camera 40 images during the pulse intervals. In this invention, by using a bandpass filter and pulse imaging in front of near-infrared camera 50, the bandpass filter selects the near-infrared band with weaker illumination intensity by analyzing the room lamp spectrum (as shown in Figure 5), effectively enabling near-infrared fluorescence imaging when the room lamp is on. This allows for dual-channel imaging of visible light and near-infrared fluorescence when the room lamp is on, reducing the need to turn off the room lamp in traditional equipment and thus reducing the complexity of diagnostic and surgical navigation operations.

[0074] In some embodiments, the imaging system 100 includes a controller 80, which is connected to the light source 10, the visible light camera 40 and the near-infrared camera 50 respectively to control the operation of the light source 10, the visible light camera 40 and the near-infrared camera 50. The controller 80 is used to fuse the images acquired by the visible light camera 40 and the images acquired by the near-infrared camera 50.

[0075] Thus, the controller 80 can achieve separate imaging of visible light and near-infrared fluorescence, as well as dual-channel fusion imaging of visible light and near-infrared fluorescence, providing precise navigation images for surgery.

[0076] Specifically, controller 80 is coupled to light source 10 to regulate the output of light source 10. Controller 80 can be an independent controller for controlling the output of light source 10. In one embodiment, controller 80 can independently control the intensity of each light source 10 to balance the amount of emitted laser and visible light.

[0077] The image acquired by the visible light camera 40 is a visible light image, and the image acquired by the near-infrared camera 50 is a near-infrared image. The specific method for fusing the visible light image and the near-infrared image can be to perform image denoising, image enhancement, and other processing on the visible light image and the near-infrared image, calculate registration parameters based on the pre-processed visible light image and the near-infrared image, then perform pseudo-color mapping on the near-infrared image, and superimpose the pseudo-color onto the visible light image to obtain the fused image of the visible light image and the near-infrared image. In one embodiment, the imaging system 100 includes a display screen for displaying the visible light image, the near-infrared image, and the fused image.

[0078] In one embodiment, the imaging system 100 includes a 25mm fixed-focus short-wave near-infrared lens with high transmittance in the 400nm-1700nm range, a long-pass dichroic mirror with a wavelength of 800nm, a 750nm short-pass filter, a 1050nm bandpass filter, a visible light camera 40, a short-wave near-infrared camera, a shaper 12, an optical fiber 13, an 808nm laser, and a controller 80.

[0079] An 808nm laser, generated by an 808nm laser, is transmitted through fiber optic cable 13 to shaper 12 and then illuminates target object 200, exciting near-infrared fluorescence with a wavelength greater than 800nm. When ambient light illuminates target object 200, it reflects visible light. The excited near-infrared fluorescence and the reflected visible light are collected by a broadband 25mm fixed-focus short-wave near-infrared lens, and then separated into visible light and near-infrared fluorescence by an 800nm ​​long-pass dichroic mirror. The visible light is imaged onto visible light camera 40 after passing through a 750nm short-pass filter, and the near-infrared fluorescence is imaged onto near-infrared camera 50 after passing through a 1050nm bandpass filter.

[0080] In continuous operation mode, the 808nm laser is set to continuous illumination mode, and the controller 80 controls the visible light camera 40 and the near-infrared camera 50 to synchronously and continuously acquire signals from the target object 200 at a set frame rate. The control timing diagram of the laser 11, visible light camera 40 and near-infrared camera 50 during data acquisition is shown in Figure 2.

[0081] In pulsed operation mode, controller 80 synchronously controls the 808nm laser, visible light camera 40, and near-infrared camera 50. The 808nm laser is set to external trigger operation mode and will provide illumination in pulses. Simultaneously with pulsed illumination, visible light camera 40 and near-infrared camera 50 synchronously acquire images with the same pulse timing as laser 11. A schematic diagram of the control timing of laser 11, visible light camera 40, and near-infrared camera 50 during data acquisition is shown in Figure 3.

[0082] In pulsed operation mode, controller 80 synchronously controls the 808nm laser, visible light camera 40, and near-infrared camera 50. The 808nm laser is set to external trigger operation mode and will illuminate in pulses. Simultaneously with pulsed illumination, near-infrared camera 50 acquires images with the same pulse timing as laser 11, while visible light camera 40 acquires images during pulse intervals. A schematic diagram of the control timing of laser 11, visible light camera 40, and near-infrared camera 50 during data acquisition is shown in Figure 4.

[0083] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "illustrative embodiment," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0084] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, those skilled in the art will understand that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An imaging system, characterized by, The imaging system comprises: a light source for emitting laser light to a target object to excite the target object to generate near-infrared fluorescence; an imaging lens group for imaging the target object; a dichroic mirror arranged on the optical axis of the imaging lens group for separating light from the imaging lens group into near-infrared fluorescence and visible light; a visible light camera for imaging the visible light from the dichroic mirror; and a near-infrared camera for imaging the near-infrared fluorescence from the dichroic mirror.

2. The imaging system of claim 1, wherein, The visible light camera and the near-infrared camera are synchronously imaged or sequentially imaged.

3. The imaging system of claim 1, wherein, The wavelength of the visible light is 400-700 nm, and the wavelength of the near-infrared fluorescence is 800-3000 nm.

4. The imaging system of claim 1, wherein, The dichroic mirror is a long-wave pass dichroic mirror and / or a short-wave pass dichroic mirror, and the cutoff wavelength of the dichroic mirror is 700-1000 nm.

5. The imaging system of claim 1, wherein, The imaging system comprises a first filter and a second filter, the first filter is arranged between the visible light camera and the dichroic mirror and is used for filtering the visible light entering the visible light camera; the second filter is arranged between the near-infrared camera and the dichroic mirror and is used for filtering the near-infrared fluorescence entering the near-infrared camera.

6. The imaging system of claim 5, wherein, The first filter is a short-wave pass filter, and the cutoff wavelength of the first filter is 700-750 nm.

7. The imaging system of claim 5, wherein, The second filter is a long-wave pass filter, and the cutoff wavelength of the second filter is greater than 800 nm; and / or The second filter is a band-pass filter, and the center wavelength of the second filter is greater than 800 nm.

8. The imaging system of claim 1, wherein, The light source comprises: a laser or LED light source for emitting laser or LED light; a shaper for shaping the laser light; an optical fiber connecting the laser and the shaper to conduct the laser light to the shaper.

9. The imaging system of claim 8, wherein, The laser emits laser light in a continuous manner, and the visible light camera and the near-infrared camera image at the same preset frame rate; or The laser emits laser light in a pulsed manner, and the visible light camera and the near-infrared camera image at the same pulse timing as the laser; or The laser emits laser light in a pulsed manner, and the near-infrared camera images at the same pulse timing as the laser, and the visible light camera images in the inter-pulse gap.

10. The imaging system of claim 1, wherein, The imaging system comprises a controller connected to the light source, the visible light camera and the near-infrared camera respectively to control the operation of the light source, the visible light camera and the near-infrared camera, and the controller is used for fusing the images collected by the visible light camera and the images collected by the near-infrared camera.

Images