Endoscope Light Quantity Control for Fluorescence Imaging Balance
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional endoscope systems face challenges in maintaining a balanced light quantity ratio between excitation and reference lights during fluorescence imaging, leading to distorted images when the intensities of these lights are not controlled properly, especially when superimposing fluorescence and reflected light images.
Innovation Solution
An endoscope apparatus with a light source that alternately irradiates living tissue with excitation and reference lights, featuring a signal processing system that adjusts the light quantities based on pixel addition processing to maintain a predetermined light quantity ratio between excitation and reference lights, ensuring balanced superimposition of fluorescence and reflected light images.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple light-emitting devices are used for illumination, then the ability to control light quantity for each wavelength independently is improved, but the balance and quality of the obtained image may be distorted if the light quantity ratio is not controlled properly
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs a feedback mechanism where the control unit continuously monitors the light quantity ratio between excitation light and reference light, and automatically adjusts the light emitting devices to maintain the predetermined ratio. This ensures that image quality is preserved while utilizing multiple light-emitting devices for flexible wavelength control.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention dynamically changes the light quantity parameters of multiple light-emitting devices based on the predetermined light quantity ratio. By adjusting the intensity parameters of excitation light and reference light independently while maintaining their ratio, the system achieves both adaptability and image quality.
2Loss of information
If fluorescence images and reflected light images are superimposed, then diagnostic information is enhanced, but image distortion occurs when the intensities of both images are substantially different
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit uses feedback from the imaging system to monitor the intensities of fluorescence images and reflected light images. When superimposition is performed, the system automatically adjusts the light quantity ratio to ensure that both images have comparable intensities, preventing distortion while preserving diagnostic information.
Solution Approach 2:
Before superimposing fluorescence and reflected light images, the system preliminarily adjusts the light quantity ratio to ensure that both images have appropriate and balanced intensities. This preliminary adjustment prevents image distortion from occurring during the superimposition process.
3Power
If pixel addition processing is performed on fluorescence signals, then signal strength is improved, but the light quantity ratio control must be adjusted to maintain image balance
Solution Approach 1:
When pixel addition processing is applied to fluorescence signals, the feedback mechanism detects the change in signal strength and automatically adjusts the light quantity ratio accordingly. This maintains image balance without requiring complex manual intervention, as the system self-regulates based on the processing applied.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-service by automatically adapting the light quantity ratio control in response to pixel addition processing. The control unit monitors the processing state and adjusts parameters autonomously, reducing the need for external complex control while maintaining image quality.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system effectively maintains a consistent light quantity ratio, preventing image distortion and allowing for accurate superimposition of fluorescence and reflected light images, enhancing diagnostic imaging quality.
Implementation Method 1
a light source portion (300) including light sources that irradiate living tissue with an excitation light for generating fluorescence and a reference light for generating a reflected light
Data Source
AI summary
An endoscope apparatus includes: a light source portion that irradiates an excitation light and a reference light alternately; an image pickup portion that picks up images of the fluorescence from the living tissue and the reflected light; a signal processing portion that generates image signals from picked up signals; an addition processing portion that generates, from image signals of fluorescence, addition processed signals of fluorescence in which pixels are added; a light quantity control portion that controls the quantity of light so as to maintain a predetermined light quantity ratio between the quantities of the excitation light and the reference light from the addition processed signals of fluorescence and image signals of the reflected light; and a superimposition processing portion that superimposes the addition processed signals and the image signals of the reflected light, with the predetermined light quantity ratio being maintained.