Endoscope Fluorescence Steady State Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current endoscope systems face challenges in determining when the fluorescence of a fluorescent agent, such as indocyanine green (ICG), has reached a steady state, making it difficult to visualize and assess the fluorescence intensity accurately.
Innovation Solution
An endoscope system with a light source unit, imaging unit, and image processing device that calculates the change in light intensity of the fluorescent wavelength component over time, determining if the change exceeds a first threshold for fluorescence expression and then checks if it falls below a second threshold to confirm a steady state, outputting a message when the agent is in a steady state.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If excitation light is emitted to observe fluorescence temporal change, then fluorescence visualization is achieved, but determination of steady state becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter being measured from absolute fluorescence intensity to the rate of change of fluorescence intensity (dI/dt). By calculating the temporal derivative of the fluorescence signal, the system can objectively determine when the fluorescence reaches a steady state (when dI/dt approaches zero), thus resolving the difficulty in detecting steady state while maintaining measurement precision
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously calculates the rate of change of fluorescence intensity and provides feedback to determine whether the steady state criterion is met. This feedback mechanism allows the system to automatically identify when the fluorescence signal has stabilized, solving the problem of difficult steady state detection
2Speed
If continuous imaging is performed to capture fluorescence changes, then temporal resolution is improved, but determination of steady state becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential information for steady state determination by calculating only the rate of change component from the continuous imaging data, rather than analyzing the entire fluorescence signal. This extraction approach maintains temporal resolution while simplifying the steady state determination process by focusing on the derivative signal
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
This system allows for accurate determination of the steady state of fluorescence, assisting medical professionals in assessing the fluorescence of the fluorescent agent, thereby improving visualization and analysis.
Implementation Method 1
a fluorescent agent that causes excitation at a specific wavelength in an endoscope, and a site and a position of a blood vessel and flow of lymph at a sentinel lymph node are observed by observing temporal change of a light emission property of the ICG
Data Source
AI summary
An image processing method includes: sequentially generating fluorescent image data in accordance with light intensity of a wavelength component emitted from a fluorescent agent having been administered to a subject irradiated with excitation light, based on image data of the subject each time the image data is generated; sequentially calculating a change amount of the light intensity based on two sets of temporally successive fluorescent image data each time the fluorescent image data is generated; determining whether the change amount is not less than a first threshold indicating fluorescence expression; determining whether the change amount is less than a second threshold indicating a steady state of fluorescence after the change amount is determined to be not less than the first threshold; and outputting a message that fluorescence of the fluorescent agent is in the steady state if the change amount is determined to be less than the second threshold.