Method and apparatus for multi-spectrum imaging for localization of tissue

Abstract

A method for localization of tissue, the method comprising capturing, a subject in a near-infrared (NIR) spectrum, a visible-light (VL) spectrum and a radioactive spectrum, via an optical system comprising a plurality of imaging cameras The method also comprising receiving, at least one NIR imaging signal, at least one VL imaging signal and at least one radioactive imaging signal, from the optical system. The method also comprises determining an overlapping portion of the at least one NIR imaging signal, the at least one VL imaging signal and the at least one radioactive imaging signal and assimilating the overlapping potion into a unified imaging signal comprising information relating to at least one of depth, contour or color associated with the subject.

Description

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MULTI-SPECTRUM IMAGING FOR LOCALIZATION OF TISSUE TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to methods and apparatus for multi -spectrum imaging. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to methods and apparatus for multi-spectrum imaging for localization of tissue.BACKGROUND

[0002] The following description of related art is intended to provide background information pertaining to the field of the disclosure. This section may include certain aspects of the art that may be related to various features of the present disclosure. However, it should be appreciated that this section be used only to enhance the understanding of the reader with respect to the overall field of the invention, and not as admissions of prior art.

[0003] Medical imaging enables professionals to visualise internal anatomical details of an affected individual in real-time. Such imaging showcases the real-time visuals of internal tissues and organs, their size, any potential unwanted growths, injuries, stuck objects or metabolites etc. In complicated intervention procedures, the real-time visuals assist a professional in pin-pointing correct areas intervention and operation, while keeping the healthy tissues safe and unaffected. This is crucial to avoid complications and unwanted developments. An important factor in medical imaging during intervention procedure is the ability to accurately localize tissue and depth perception to aid the professionals in ascertaining accurate margins for procedures and to correctly assess a safe region of operation by distinguishing boundaries of affected tissue from the healthy tissue.

[0004] State of the art medical imaging tools involve using a plurality of tools to image a single area, however, this approach is limited by factors such as costs, complexity, multiple outputs and different fields of views, delay and inefficiencies. Moreover, the operation of plurality of imaging tools during an intervention process significantly increases the number of skilled professionals and / or technicians required in a single procedure. Further, different types of imaging tools have their own associated sets of limitations. For example, tools that have deeper penetration capabilities and allow perception at greater depths, such as gamma imaging, often lack localizationability and spatial resolution, thus making it hard to ascertain tissue boundaries. Tools that allow for accurate localization and identification of tissues often have their own additional limitations, including lack of sufficient penetrative power, noise, low resolution etc. Such limitations lead to difficulty in operating around anatomical sites with limited accessibility. Further, the limitations require taking a larger margin for the removal of surrounding healthy tissue when operating on affected tissues, thus potentially increasing the negative long-term outcomes for patients.

[0005] Therefore, there is a need for methods and apparatuses that overcome at least some of the limitations associated with the state of the art.OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

[0006] This section is provided to introduce certain objectives and aspects of the present invention in a simplified format, that are then further elaborated upon in the subsequent paragraphs provided in the section of detailed description of the present disclosure.

[0007] In order to overcome at least a few of the problems of the known solutions as provided in the previous section, an objective of the present disclosure is to substantially reduce the limitations and / or drawbacks of the prior arts as described herein above.

[0008] Another objective of the present disclosure is to enable multi-spectrum imaging for tissue localization with high accuracy.

[0009] Another objective of the present disclosure is to enable multi -spectrum imaging for perception of relevant tissue at greater depth without compromised visual feedback characteristics.

[0010] Another objective of the present disclosure is to improve margin accuracy in surgical procedures using multi -spectrum imaging.

[0011] Another objective of the present disclosure is to provide a time and cost-efficient solution for intraoperative imaging guidance.

[0012] Another objective of the present disclosure is to enable effective identification at anatomical sites with limited scope of identification.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0013] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein, and constitute a part of this disclosure, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the disclosed methods and systems in which like reference numerals refer to the same parts throughout the different drawings. Components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. Also, the embodiments shown in the figures are not to be construed as limiting the disclosure, but the possible variants of the method and system according to the disclosure are illustrated herein to highlight the advantages of the disclosure. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that disclosure of such drawings includes disclosure of electrical components or circuitry commonly used to implement such components.

[0014] The foregoing shall be more apparent from the following more detailed description of the disclosure.

[0015] FIG. 1 illustrates a high-level block diagram of the various elements of the multi-spectrum imaging apparatus, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0016] FIG. 2A illustrates a block diagram showing an implementation of the multi-spectrum imaging apparatus, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0017] FIG.2B illustrates a block diagram showing another implementation of the multi-spectrum imaging apparatus, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0018] FIG. 2C illustrates a block diagram showing yet another implementation of the multispectrum imaging apparatus, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0019] FIG. 2D illustrates a block diagram showing yet another implementation of the multispectrum imaging apparatus, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0020] FIG. 3 illustrates a functional flow diagram of a method for localization of tissue, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0021] The present disclosure, through one or more of its various aspects, embodiments, and / or specific features or sub-components, provides, inter alia, various systems, devices, and methods multi-spectrum imaging for tissue localization.

[0022] An aspect of the present disclosure relates to a multi-spectrum imaging apparatus for localization of tissue, the apparatus comprising a processing unit, a memory, one or more I / O interface(s) and an optical system. The optical system comprises a plurality of imaging cameras configured to capture a subject via a light opening in at least one from among the near-infrared (NIR) spectrum, the visible-light (VL) spectrum and a radioactive spectrum. The processing unit of the multi-spectrum imaging apparatus is configured to receive at least one NIR imaging signal, at least one VL imaging signal and at least one radioactive imaging signal, from the optical system. The processing unit of the multi-spectrum imaging apparatus is also configured to determine an overlapping portion of the at least one NIR imaging signal, the at least one VL imaging signal and the at least one radioactive imaging signal. The processing unit of the multi-spectrum imaging apparatus is also configured to assimilate the overlapping portion into a unified imaging signal comprising information relating to at least one of depth, contour or color associated with the subject.

[0023] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the multi-spectrum imaging apparatus may further comprise one or more light-emitting diodes (LEDs), the one or more LEDs comprising at least one from among an infrared-LED (IR-LED) and a VL-LED.In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the multi-spectrum imaging apparatus may be further configured to output the unified imaging signal via the one or more I / O interface(s).

[0024] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the multi-spectrum imaging apparatus may further comprise a band-filter, positioned in proximity to the light opening, the band-filter being configured to filter a beam of light coming from the light opening.

[0025] In some embodiments of the multi -spectrum imaging apparatus, the plurality of cameras may comprise a NIR camera, a VL camera and a radioactive camera.

[0026] In some embodiments of the multi -spectrum imaging apparatus, the radioactive camera may be disposed behind the NIR camera and the VL camera along a common optical axis.

[0027] In some embodiments of the multi -spectrum imaging apparatus, the NIR camera and the VL camera may integrated into a single camera for capturing light in the NIR and VL spectrums.

[0028] In some embodiments of the multi -spectrum imaging apparatus, at least a portion of the NIR camera and the VL camera are positioned on a common x-axis such that the NIR camera and the VL camera form a common field of view.

[0029] In some embodiments of the multi -spectrum imaging apparatus, the radioactive camera may be interstitial to the NIR camera and the VL camera.

[0030] In some embodiments of the multi -spectrum imaging apparatus, the optical system may further comprise a beam-splitter. The beam-splitter may be configured to split the beam of light coming from the light opening into a plurality of spectrally distinct beams, wherein the split beams are re-directed into one or more cameras from among the plurality of the imaging cameras.

[0031] Another aspect of the present disclosure relates to a method for localization of tissue. The method comprises capturing, a subject in a near-infrared (NIR) spectrum, a visible-light (VL) spectrum and a radioactive spectrum, via an optical system comprising a plurality of imaging cameras. The method also comprises receiving at least one NIR imaging signal, at least one VL imaging signal and at least one radioactive imaging signal, from the optical system. The method also comprises determining an overlapping portion of the at least one NIR imaging signal, the at least one VL imaging signal and the at least one radioactive imaging signal. The method also comprises assimilating the overlapping potion into a unified imaging signal comprising information relating to at least one of depth, contour or color associated with the subject.

[0032] In some embodiments, the method may also comprise administering at least one radiopharmaceutical compound to the subject.

[0033] In some embodiments, the method may also comprise illuminating the subject using one or more light-emitting diodes (LEDs), the one or more LEDs comprising at least one from among an infrared-LED (IR-LED) and a VL-LED.

[0034] In some embodiments, the method may also comprise outputting the unified imaging signal via one or more I / O interface(s).

[0035] In some embodiments of the method, the plurality of imaging cameras may comprise a NIR camera, a VL camera and a radioactive camera.

[0036] In some embodiments of the method, the radioactive camera may be disposed behind the NIR camera and the VL camera along a common optical axis.

[0037] In some embodiments of the method, the NIR camera and the VL camera may be integrated into a single camera for capturing light in the NIR and VL spectrums.

[0038] In some embodiments of the method, at least a portion of the NIR camera and the VL camera may be positioned on a common x-axis such that the NIR camera and the VL camera form a common field of view.

[0039] In some embodiments of the method, the radioactive camera may be interstitial to the NIR camera and the VL camera.

[0040] In some embodiments, the method may further comprise splitting a beam of light coming from a light opening, into a plurality of spectrally different beams, via a beam splitter comprised in the optical system.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, various specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent, however, that embodiments of the present disclosure may be practiced without these specific details. Several features described hereafter may each be used independently of one another or with any combination of other features. An individual feature may not address any of the problems discussed above or might address only some of the problems discussed above.

[0042] The ensuing description provides exemplary embodiments only, and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the disclosure. Rather, the ensuing description of the exemplary embodiments will provide those skilled in the art with an enabling description forimplementing an exemplary embodiment. It should be understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as set forth.

[0043] The word “exemplary” and / or “demonstrative” is used herein to mean serving as an example, instance, or illustration. For the avoidance of doubt, the subject matter disclosed herein is not limited by such examples. In addition, any aspect or design described herein as “exemplary” and / or “demonstrative” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects or designs, nor is it meant to preclude equivalent exemplary structures and techniques known to those of ordinary skill in the art. Furthermore, to the extent that the terms “includes,” “has,” “contains,” and other similar words are used in either the detailed description or the claims, such terms are intended to be inclusive — in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as an open transition word — without precluding any additional or other elements.

[0044] The figures depict a simplified structure only showing some elements and functional entities, all being logical units whose implementation may differ from what is shown. The connections shown are logical connections and the actual physical connections may be different.

[0045] In addition, all logical units and / or controllers described and depicted in the figures include the software and / or hardware components required for the unit to function. Further, each unit may comprise within itself one or more components, which are implicitly understood. These components may be operatively coupled to each other and be configured to communicate with each other to perform the function of the said unit.

[0046] In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific details have been set forth in order to provide a description of the disclosure. It will be apparent, however, that the invention may be practiced without these specific details and features.

[0047] Through one or more of its various aspects, embodiments and / or specific features or subcomponents of the present disclosure, are intended to bring out one or more of the advantages as specifically described above and noted below.

[0048] Also, it is noted that individual embodiments may be described as a process which is depicted as a flowchart, a flow diagram, a data flow diagram, a structure diagram, or a block diagram. Although a flowchart may describe the operations as a sequential process, many of theoperations may be performed in parallel or concurrently. In addition, the order of the operations may be re-arranged. A process is terminated when its operations are completed but could have additional steps not included in the figure.

[0049] As used herein, “storage unit” or “memory” refers to a machine or computer-readable medium including any mechanism for storing information in a form readable by a computer or similar machine. For example, a computer-readable medium includes read-only memory (“ROM”), random access memory (“RAM”), magnetic disk storage media, optical storage media, flash memory devices or other types of machine-accessible storage media. The storage unit stores at least the data that may be required by one or more units of the system to perform their respective functions.

[0050] All modules, units, components used herein, unless explicitly excluded herein, may be software modules or hardware processors, the processors being a general -purpose processor, a special purpose processor, a conventional processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in association with a DSP core, a controller, a microcontroller, Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASIC), Field Programmable Gate Array circuits (FPGA), any other type of integrated circuits, etc.

[0051] As described in the background section above, the existing approaches for medical imaging, particularly medical imaging during intervention procedures for localization of tissue are limited by a plurality of factors. For example, lack of spatial resolution and / or penetration ability, complexity, requirement of additional skilled human resources etc. in the use of imaging devices limit medical imaging. The present disclosure offers a novel solution which harnesses multispectrum imaging for localization of tissue, and allows for capturing of depth-based perception, ascertaining clear and accurate details of a subject, while improving efficiency, reducing the need for additional operators and reducing complexity. The present disclosure discloses an apparatus and method for multi-spectrum imaging for localization of tissue, which combines infra-red imaging, radioactive imaging and visual light imaging into a unified output.

[0052] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily carry out the present disclosure.

[0053] Referring to FIG. 1, an exemplary embodiment for the architecture of the multi -spectrum imaging apparatus

[0100] for localization of tissue (hereinafter referred to as the “apparatus

[0100] ”) is illustrated. As shown, the apparatus

[0100] comprises an optical system

[0102] and an assimilation module

[0104] , The apparatus is configured to capture a subject

[0106] in a plurality of spectrums of light. It may be understood that the multi-spectrum imaging comprises reception of beams of light reflecting off the subject

[0106] and / or emanating from the subject, the beams comprising light within a plurality of spectrums. As used herein, a subject may include an anatomical tissue of a patient, for example, lymph node tissue. It may be understood that a patient may be a person and / or an animal that may be undergoing medical imaging for the purpose of intervention treatment. Alternatively, a subject may be a patient undergoing localization procedure of an affected site prior to an intervention treatment procedure. It may be understood that the aforesaid applications are merely exemplary and not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

[0054] Further, as illustrated, the optical system

[0102] of the apparatus

[0100] comprises at least three modules, namely, a radioactive imaging module

[0108] a near-infrared imaging module

[0110] , a visible-spectrum imaging module

[0112] , The radioactive imaging module

[0108] may comprise a radioactive imaging camera. The radioactive imaging module

[0108] may further comprise readout electronics and circuitry for the radioactive imaging camera. In one embodiment, the radioactive imaging camera may be configured to capture light within the gamma spectrum. For example, the radioactive imaging module

[0102] may rely upon radio-pharmaceutical tissue uptake administered to the subject. For example, the radio-pharmaceutical compound may be a compound which induces a gamma-photonic radiation within a tissue at a depth of 10-50 millimetres (mm).

[0055] Further, the optical system

[0102] comprises a near-infrared imaging module

[0110] , The near-infrared imaging module

[0110] may comprise a camera for near-infrared imaging. The nearinfrared imaging module may further comprise readout electronics and circuitry for the nearinfrared camera. In one exemplary embodiment, the near-infrared imaging module

[0110] may comprise one or more near-infrared imaging cameras that are configured to capture fluorescent light emissions within the near-infrared spectrum, that is emitted from a tissue of the subject

[0106] upon the administration of a fluorescence medical dye. The near-infrared imaging module

[0110] may generate signal(s) with high-spatial resolution and precise anatomical contours and therefore may be used for precise surgical operation at anatomical sites of interest identified from the radioactive imaging camera signal(s).

[0056] Further, the optical system

[0102] also comprises visible-light imaging module

[0112] , The visible-light imaging module

[0112] may comprise one or more cameras configured for imaging within the visible spectrum of light, i.e., approximately within the range of wavelengths from 380nm to 750nm. The visible-light imaging module

[0112] may further comprise one or more readout electronics and circuitry for capturing the output from the one or more visible-spectrum cameras. The visible-light imaging module

[0112] may be configured to provide real-time visuals of an anatomical sight, in addition to the radioactive imaging and near-infrared imaging. The addition of a visible-light output may allow for higher precision in ascertaining tissue boundaries and distinguishing between affected tissue and healthy tissue during intra-operative procedures.

[0057] Further, as illustrated, the optical system

[0102] is interfaced with the assimilation module

[0104] of the apparatus

[0100] and is configured to transmit one or more radioactive image signal, near-infrared (NIR) image signal and visible-light (VL) image signal to the assimilation module

[0104] , The signals communicated from the optical system

[0102] may be generated by the radioactive imaging module

[0108] , the near-infrared imaging module

[0110] and the visible-light imaging module

[0112] respectively.

[0058] The assimilation module

[0104] further comprises a processing unit

[0114] , one or more I / O interface

[0116] and memory

[0118] , Each of the components of the assimilation module

[0104] may be understood to be interconnected and working in tandem to perform the localization of tissue. The processing unit

[0114] may include one or more processors. As used herein, the one or more processors may include general purpose processor(s), such as a central processing unit (CPU), or special purpose processor(s), such as an application processor (AP), a digital signal processor (DSP), microprocessors, a controller or microcontroller, a graphics-only processing unit such as a graphics processing unit (GPU), a visual processing unit (VPU), an Al-dedicated processor such as an image processor, and / or an Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASIC), Field Programmable Gate Array circuits (FPGA), any other type of integrated circuits, etc or the like.

[0059] Further, the one or more I / O interface(s)

[0116] may include interfaces that allow a user and / or a computing device to interact with the apparatus

[0100] , For example, in one embodiment, the one or more I / O interface(s)

[0116] may include an interface to output one or more signals of the apparatus

[0100] , such as one or more displays implemented within the structure of the apparatus

[0100] , The one or more VO interface(s)

[0116] may also include one or more interconnects configured to output one or more signals of the apparatus

[0100] on external display devices. Additionally, the one or more I / O interfaces

[0116] may comprise features to facilitate operation ofthe apparatus

[0100] , for example, buttons, dials, knobs, switches etc. and interconnects for power, communication with additional devices and / or computers etc. In one embodiment, the one or more I / O interface(s)

[0116] may include interface with additional computing systems external to the apparatus

[0100] that may be configured to perform post-processing of the output signal from the apparatus

[0100] ,

[0060] The memory

[0118] includes a machine or computer-readable medium including any mechanism for storing information in a form readable by a computer or similar machine. For example, a computer-readable medium includes read-only memory (“ROM”), random access memory (“RAM”), magnetic disk storage media, optical storage media, flash memory devices or other types of machine-accessible storage media.

[0061] The processing unit

[0114] of the assimilation module

[0104] may be configured to receive, at least one NIR imaging signal, at least one VL imaging signal and at least one radioactive imaging signal, from the optical system

[0102] ,

[0062] Further, the processing unit

[0114] may process and analyze the signal(s) received from the optical system

[0102] , As such, the processing unit

[0114] may be configured to determine an overlapping portion of the at least one NIR imaging signal, the at least one VL imaging signal and the at least one radioactive imaging signal. In one embodiment, the processing unit

[0114] may be further configured to segment each of the determined overlapping portions from each of the at least one NIR imaging signal, the at least one VL imaging signal and the at least one radioactive imaging signal.

[0063] Thereafter, the processing unit

[0114] may be configured to assimilate, the overlapping portion into a unified imaging signal comprising information relating to at least one of depth, contour or color associated with the subject. In one embodiment, the assimilation process may further comprise overlaying one or more overlapping portions before the assimilation.

[0064] In one embodiment, the determination of the overlapping portion and the assimilation thereof into the unified signal may be performed using one or more artificial intelligence models, such as computer-vision oriented machine learning (ML) models, neural networks etc. In another embodiment, the one or more artificial intelligence models may be implemented locally on the apparatus

[0100] and loaded on the memory

[0118] ,

[0065] In another embodiment, apparatus

[0100] , via the processing unit

[0114] , may be further configured to output the unified imaging signal via the one or more I / O interface(s)

[0116] , In one embodiment, the unified imaging signal may be output onto one or more displays implemented within the structure of the apparatus

[0100] ,

[0066] The operation of the apparatus

[0100] is described in conjunction with FIG. 2A- 2C, by way of some of the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, including some of the possible implementations of the plurality of imaging cameras used in the apparatus

[0100] ,

[0067] As shown, in FIG.2A- 2D, the apparatus

[0100] comprises a light opening

[0202] , The light opening

[0202] may be the aperture of the apparatus

[0100] , which faces the subject

[0106] and allows beam(s) of light to reflecting off and / or emanating from the subject

[0106] to enter the apparatus

[0100] , The incoming beam of light may comprise light within a plurality of spectrums, including visible-light (VL), near-infrared (NIR) and radioactive spectrum, for example, gamma rays.

[0068] As shown in FIG. 2A, in one implementation of the apparatus

[0100] , a VL camera

[0204] , an NIR camera

[0206] and a radioactive imaging camera

[0208] may be positioned inside the apparatus, such that the VL camera

[0204] and the NIR camera

[0206] are placed at an angle. The placement angle of the VL camera

[0204] and the NIR camera

[0206] may be such that at least a portion of the field of view of each camera may comprise a common field of view

[0210] , In one embodiment, at least a portion of the VL camera

[0204] and the NIR camera

[0206] may lie on a common imaginary axis passing through each of the cameras.

[0069] Further, VL camera

[0204] and the NIR camera

[0206] may be positioned at a physical distance from one another. In one embodiment, the physical separation between the VL camera

[0204] and the NIR camera

[0206] across a common axis on which they lie may be within the range of 5mm - 40mm. In another embodiment, the physical separation may within the range of 10mm-25mm.

[0070] Further, in one embodiment, the horizontal field of view (HFOV) for each of the VL camera

[0204] and the NIR camera

[0206] , measured in terms of angular width, may be within a range of 60° - 140°. In yet another embodiment, the HFOV may be within a preferred range of 60° - 120°. In yet another embodiment, the VL camera

[0204] and the NIR camera

[0206] may be symmetrically pointing and comprise identical HFOVs from among the aforesaid ranges with a target overlapfraction being equal to or greater than 30%. The overlap fraction may be represented using the equation:Overlap Fraction = (HFOV - A) / HFOVwherein, “A” denotes the angular separation between the optical axes of the VL camera

[0204] and the NIR camera

[0206] , In yet another embodiment, the VL camera

[0204] and the NIR camera

[0206] may be asymmetrically pointed and / or comprise non-identical HFOVs. For such implementations, the overlap may be computed as the intersection of the two angular intervals. In yet another embodiment, the VL camera

[0204] and the NIR camera

[0206] may be reconfigurable such that the angular positioning of at least one of the VL camera

[0204] and the NIR camera

[0206] may be adjusted in accordance with imaging requirements.

[0071] Further, a radioactive imaging camera

[0208] may be positioned inside the apparatus

[0100] , As illustrated, in at least some embodiments, the radioactive imaging camera

[0208] may be disposed behind the VL camera

[0204] and the NIR camera

[0206] along an intersecting optical axis, wherein the optical axis of the radioactive imaging camera

[0208] intersects the optical axis of at least one VL camera

[0204] and NIR camera

[0206] , Further, in some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 2A, the radioactive imaging camera

[0208] may be interstitial to the VL camera

[0204] and the NIR camera

[0206] , such that the physical separation between the VL camera

[0204] and the NIR camera

[0206] comprises at least one unimpeded path through which one or more radioactive photons may pass.

[0072] The implementation illustrated in FIG. 2A allows for reconfigurability of the VL camera

[0204] and the NIR camera

[0206] to meet the needs of intraoperative environments wherein the positioning of the apparatus

[0100] and the line-of-sight may be dynamic.

[0073] FIG. 2B illustrates yet another implementation of the apparatus

[0100] , in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown, the optical system

[0102] may further comprise a beam-splitter

[0212] that may be suspended near the light opening

[0202] , The beam-splitter

[0212] is configured to receive incoming beam(s) of light from the light opening

[0202] and split the incoming beam(s) of light into spectrally-distinct beams. As illustrated, in one embodiment, the spectrally-distinct beams may include visible-light spectrum and infra-red spectrum, preferably, near-infrared spectrum. The spectrally-distinct beam(s) may then be redirected into the one or more cameras from among the plurality of imaging cameras housed inthe apparatus

[0100] , For example, the visible-light spectrum of the spectrally-distinct beams may be redirected towards the VL camera

[0204] as visible-light image(s). Further, the infrared spectrum of the spectrally-distinct beams may be directed towards the NIR Camera

[0206] , In one embodiment, the beam splitter

[0212] may be configured to perform the re-direction at the requisite angles. In another embodiment, the beam-splitter

[0212] may be accompanied by one or more lenses to perform the redirection of the spectrally-distinct beam(s). In one embodiment, the beam-splitter

[0212] may be a dichroic beam-splitter. The dichroic beam-splitter may be positioned at a 45° angle relative to the optical axis of one from among the VL camera

[0204] and the NIR camera

[0206] , In another embodiment, the beam-splitter

[0212] may comprise one of a mirror, folded-optics or a prism-based arrangement for splitting an incoming beam of light. In one embodiment, a dichroic beam-splitter may be used in conjunction with one or more mirror and / or prism. The dichroic beam-splitter may comprise at least one from among a set of materials including fused silica (SiCh), N-BK7, optical-grade acrylic or acrylic polycarbonate.

[0074] According to one embodiment, in operation, the beam-splitter

[0212] may be positioned at a distance of 0-35mm from the light opening

[0202] , In another preferred embodiment, the beamsplitter

[0212] may be positioned at a distance of < 10mm from the light opening

[0202] , Alternatively, in one embodiment, the optical system

[0102] may comprise a band-pass filter accompanied by a one or more lenses to filter an incoming beam and redirect the filtered spectrum beam onto one or more cameras from among the plurality of imaging cameras housed in the apparatus

[0100] ,

[0075] As shown, in one embodiment, the VL camera

[0204] may be positioned at a perpendicular angle relative to the NIR camera

[0206] , In another embodiment, the VL camera

[0204] may be positioned at an acute angle relative to the NIR camera

[0206] , In yet another embodiment, the VL camera

[0204] may be positioned at a obtuse angle relative to the NIR camera

[0206] , It may be understood that the aforesaid embodiments are illustrative in nature and not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. As such, in one embodiment, the positions of the VL camera

[0204] may be interchanged with the NIR camera

[0206] , In one embodiment, the VL camera

[0204] and the NIR camera

[0206] may be implanted as two distinct sensors housed in a common housing and sharing a common lens. Further, due to the high energy nature of the radioactive spectrum beam(s), it may be noted that such beam(s), for example, gamma rays, may pass directly through the beamsplitter

[0212] and the camera disposed in front of the radioactive imaging camera

[0208] to reach the radioactive imaging camera

[0208] ,

[0076] FIG. 2C illustrates another alternative implementation of the apparatus

[0100] , in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown, in one embodiment, the VL camera

[0204] and the NIR camera

[0206] may be implemented as a combined component comprising a broadband sensor configured to capture light in both the visible-light spectrum and the NIR spectrum. Further, the radioactive imaging camera

[0208] may be positioned directly behind the sensor of the combined near-infrared and visible-spectrum imaging optical solution, along a common optical axis. In one embodiment, the combined near-infrared and visible-spectrum imaging optical solution may comprise a single broadband lens configured to allow both visible-light and NIR-light.

[0077] FIG.2D illustrates another implementation wherein the apparatus

[0100] further comprises one or more infrared-light-emitting diodes (IR-LEDs)

[0214] , In one embodiment, the one or more IR-LEDs

[0214] may be located near the light opening

[0202] , The one or more IR-LEDs

[0214] may be configured to infrared light onto the subject

[0106] , In one embodiment, the subject may be administered with a medical dye sensitive to infrared light. Upon the projection of the infrared light emitted from the one or more IR-LEDs

[0214] , the administered medical dye may be activated so as to emit radiation in the infrared spectrum. Preferably, in one embodiment, the IR-LEDs

[0214] may be configured to excite the administered medical dye to emit radiation within the fluorescent band of the near-infrared (NIR) spectrum. In yet another embodiment, the apparatus

[0100] may further comprise one or more LEDs in the visible-light spectrum to illuminate one or more low visibility anatomical sites of the subject.

[0078] Further, in one embodiment, the radioactive imaging camera

[0208] , as described in conjunction with FIG.2A- 2D may be a semiconductor-based detector gamma camera. In another preferred embodiment, the radioactive imaging camera

[0208] may employ a Cadmium Zinc Telluride (CZT) semiconductor-based detector. In yet another embodiment, the semiconductorbased detector employed in the radioactive imaging camera

[0208] may be configured for operation in the range of -5° Celsius to 50° Celsius. In contrast to the conventional gamma cameras based on scintillator-based imaging, the radioactive imaging camera

[0208] may not face limitations such as lower spatial resolution due to the non-reliance on processes such as light scattering and light conversion, which lead to photon loss and degradation of quality. Instead, the radioactive imaging camera

[0208] may allow for direct conversion of gamma photons into an electrical signal, resulting in faster response times and higher resolution. Combined with the different visible-light and nearinfrared imaging implementations, the radioactive camera

[0208] may enable the apparatus

[0100] to effectively perceive anatomical sites of interest in dense tissues, at greater depths, in real-time,while retaining additional details associated with colours, contours and resolution. In one embodiment, the semiconductor-based detector used in the radioactive imaging camera

[0208] may be configured for an effective field view of 88 x 88 mm2with a 44 x 44-pixel array.

[0079] In one embodiment, the radioactive imaging camera

[0208] may employ a pinhole collimator. The diameter for the pinhole may be within the range of 1mm - 5mm. Further, the pinhole collimator may be implemented having a thickness within the range of 10mm - 60mm. Alternatively, in another embodiment, the radioactive imaging camera

[0208] may employ a parallel-hole collimator. The diameter of the holes used in the parallel-hole collimator may be within the range of 1mm - 2mm. Further, the septal thickness between the parallel holes may be configured within the range of 0.1mm - 0.5mm. The parallel-hole collimator may be implemented having a thickness within a range of 10mm - 45mm. Further, in one embodiment, the radioactive imaging camera

[0208] may employ a shielding. The shielding may be configured to absorb stray photons travelling towards the detector, thus improving image quality. For example, to facilitate absorption of stray photons, the shielding may be comprised of high-density materials including one of tungsten, lead or a high-z metal matrices.

[0080] Further, it may be understood that the exemplary embodiments described in conjunction with FIG. 2A - 2D are merely illustrative in nature and not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. As such, it may be understood that the present disclosure may be practiced via a number of embodiments each of which may use one or more features, or a combination of, the features described in conjunction with each of FIG. 2A - 2D.

[0081] Further, in one embodiment the operating distance between one or more sensors implemented in the apparatus

[0100] and the subject

[0106] may be within the range of 0 - 200mm.

[0082] FIG. 3 illustrates a method

[0300] for localization of tissue, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. The method

[0300] starts at step

[0302] ,

[0083] At step

[0304] , the method

[0300] comprises capturing, a subject in a near-infrared (NIR) spectrum, a visible-light (VL) spectrum and a radioactive spectrum, via an optical system

[0102] comprising a plurality of imaging cameras.

[0084] In one embodiment, the method

[0300] may also comprise administering at least one radiopharmaceutical compound to the subject. According to one exemplary embodiment, the radiopharmaceutical as described herein above may comprise a radioisotope having a radioactive decay rate within a range of 2 millicurie - 20 millicurie, wherein a preferred decay rate of 5 millicurie may be used for the operation of the multi-imaging guidance apparatus.

[0085] Further, in one embodiment, the method

[0300] may also comprise illuminating the subject

[0106] using one or more infrared-light-emitting diodes (IR-LEDs)

[0214] , The one or more IR-LEDs

[0214] may be configured to activate a medical dye administer to the subject, thereby activating one or more compounds present in the medical dye upon exposure to infrared radiation. In a preferred exemplary embodiment, the medical dye may be an Indocyanine-Green dye, and the radio-pharmaceutical compound may be Technetium-99m radionuclide agent.

[0086] In another embodiment, the plurality of imaging cameras used in method

[0300] may comprise NIR camera

[0206] , a VL camera

[0204] and a radioactive imaging camera

[0208] , In another embodiment, the radioactive imaging camera

[0208] of method

[0300] may be disposed behind the NIR camera

[0206] and the VL camera

[0204] along a common optical axis. In yet another embodiment of method

[0300] , of the NIR camera

[0206] and the VL camera

[0204] are positioned on a common axis such that the NIR camera

[0206] and the VL camera

[0204] form a common field of view.

[0087] In yet another embodiment of method

[0300] , the radioactive imaging camera

[0208] is interstitial to the NIR camera

[0206] and the VL camera

[0204] , In yet another embodiment of method

[0300] , the method

[0300] may further comprise splitting a beam of light coming from a light opening

[0202] into a plurality of spectrally-distinct beams via a beam-splitter

[0212] comprised in the optical system

[0102] ,

[0088] Further, in one embodiment, the method

[0300] may involve using an integrated single camera comprising both the NIR camera

[0206] and the VL camera

[0204] ,

[0089] At step

[0306] , the method

[0300] comprises receiving, at least one NIR imaging signal, at least one VL imaging signal and at least one radioactive imaging signal, from the optical system

[0102] ,

[0090] At step

[0308] , the method

[0300] may comprise determining an overlapping portion of the at least one NIR imaging signal, the at least one VL imaging signal and the at least one radioactive imaging signal. In one embodiment, the method

[0300] may further comprise segmenting the determined overlapping portions from each of the at least one NIR imaging signal, the at least one VL imaging signal and the at least one radioactive imaging signal.

[0091] At step

[0310] , the method

[0300] may comprise assimilating the overlapping potion into a unified imaging signal comprising information relating to at least one of depth, contour or color associated with the subject. In one embodiment, the method

[0300] may further comprise outputting the unified imaging signal via one or more I / O interface(s)

[0116] , for example to one or more display interfaces. In another embodiment, the determination of the overlapping portion and the assimilation thereof into the unified signal may be performed using one or more artificial intelligence models, such as computer-vision oriented machine learning (ML) models, neural networks etc. assimilate, the overlapping portion into a unified imaging signal comprising information relating to at least one of depth, contour or color associated with the subject. In yet another embodiment, the method

[0300] may further comprise overlaying the one or more overlapping portions before the assimilation.

[0092] At step

[0312] , the method

[0300] ends.

[0093] Thus, the present invention provides a novel solution for localization of tissue via the use of real-time multi-spectrum imaging. The present invention enables accurate and real-time imaging of complex and low-accessibility anatomical sites using a multi -spectrum imaging apparatus for localization of tissue. Further, the present site allows detection and perception of anatomical sites of interest even within deep and / or dense issues, thus enabling greater depth-based perception. The present invention reduces redundancy associated with acquisition and complex skilled operation of a plurality of imaging devices, while at the same time addressing issues with the imaging devices used in the state of the art, such as low resolution, lack of details such as contours and / or lack of depth information. Moreover, the present invention also unifies multispectrum imaging across a common field of view to generate a unified signal comprising details and information obtained from each of the captured spectrum. Therefore, the present invention improves long-term patient-outcomes, while at the same time increasing efficiency of medical professionals.

[0094] While considerable emphasis has been placed herein on the preferred embodiments, it will be appreciated that many embodiments can be made and that many changes can be made in the preferred embodiments without departing from the principles of the invention. These and other changes in the preferred embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the disclosure herein, whereby it is to be distinctly understood that the foregoing descriptive matter to be implemented merely as illustrative of the invention and not as limitation.

Claims

We Claim,1. A multi-spectrum imaging apparatus [100] for localization of tissue, the apparatus comprising:a processing unit [114];a memory [118];an optical system [102] comprising a plurality of imaging cameras configured to capture a subject [106], via a light opening [202], in at least one from among the near-infrared (NIR) spectrum, the visible-light (VL) spectrum and a radioactive spectrum;wherein, the processing unit [114] is configured to:o receive, at least one NIR imaging signal, at least one VL imaging signal and at least one radioactive imaging signal, from the optical system [102];o determine, an overlapping portion of the at least one NIR imaging signal, the at least one VL imaging signal and the at least one radioactive imaging signal;o assimilate, the overlapping portion into a unified imaging signal comprising information relating to at least one of depth, contour or color associated with the subject.

2. The multi-spectrum imaging apparatus [100] as claimed in claim 1, wherein the multispectrum imaging apparatus [100] further comprises one or more infrared-light-emitting diodes (IR-LEDs) [214],3. The multi-spectrum imaging apparatus [100] as claimed in claim 1, wherein the multispectrum imaging apparatus [100] further comprises a band-filter, positioned in proximity to the light opening, the band-filter being configured to filter a beam of light coming from the light opening [202],4. The multi-spectrum imaging apparatus [100] as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of imaging cameras comprises a NIR camera [206], a VL camera [204] and a radioactive imaging camera [208],5. The multi-spectrum imaging apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the radioactive imaging camera is disposed behind the NIR camera [206] and the VL camera [204] along an intersecting optical axis.

6. The multi-spectrum imaging apparatus [100] as claimed in claim 4, wherein the NIR camera [206] and the VL camera [204] are integrated into a single camera for capturing light in the NIR and VL spectrums.

7. The multi-spectrum imaging apparatus [100] as claimed in claim 4, wherein at least a portion of the NIR camera [206] and the VL camera [204] are positioned on a common axis such that the NIR camera [206] and the VL camera [204] form a common field of view [210],8. The multi-spectrum imaging apparatus [100] as claimed in claim 4, wherein the radioactive imaging camera [208] is interstitial to the NIR camera [206] and the VL camera [204],9. The multi-spectrum imaging apparatus [100] as claimed in claim 4, wherein the optical system [102] further comprises a beam-splitter [212] configured to split the beam of light coming from the light opening [202] into a plurality of spectrally-distinct beams, wherein the split beams are re-directed into one or more cameras from among the plurality of the imaging cameras.

10. A method [300] for localization of tissue, the method [400] comprising:capturing, a subject [106] in a near-infrared (NIR) spectrum, a visible-light (VL) spectrum and a radioactive spectrum, via an optical system comprising a plurality of imaging cameras;receiving, at least one NIR imaging signal, at least one VL imaging signal and at least one radioactive imaging signal, from the optical system;determining an overlapping portion of the at least one NIR imaging signal, the at least one VL imaging signal and the at least one radioactive imaging signal;assimilating the overlapping potion into a unified imaging signal comprising information relating to at least one of depth, contour or color associated with the subject [106],11. The method [300] as claimed in claim 10, wherein the method [300] further comprises administering at least one radio-pharmaceutical compound to the subject [106],12. The method [300] as claimed in claim 10, wherein the subject [106] is illuminated using one or more infrared-light-emitting diodes (IR-LEDs) [214],13. The method [300] as claimed in claim 10, wherein the plurality of imaging cameras comprises a NIR camera [206], a VL camera [204] and a radioactive imaging camera [208],14. The method [300] as claimed in claim 13, wherein the radioactive imaging camera [208] is disposed behind the NIR camera [206] and the VL camera [204] along a common optical axis.

15. The method [300] as claimed in claim 13, wherein the NIR camera [206] and the VL camera [204] are integrated into a single camera for capturing light in the NIR and VL spectrums.

16. The method [300] as claimed in claim 13, wherein at least a portion of the NIR camera [206] and the VL camera [204] are positioned on a common axis such that the NIR camera [206] and the VL camera [204] form a common field of view.

17. The method [300] as claimed in claim 13, wherein the radioactive imaging camera [208] is interstitial to the NIR camera [206] and the VL camera [204],18. The method [300] as claimed in claim 13, wherein the method [300] further comprises splitting a beam of light coming from a light opening [202] into a plurality of spectrally - distinct beams via a beam-splitter [212] comprised in the optical system [102],

Images