Endoscope Imaging With Variable Attenuation for HDR Clarity

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Solution Overview

Problem

Endoscopic imaging in body cavities is challenged by underexposed and overexposed regions due to varying light intensities, exposure lengths, and aperture sizes, obscuring important features.

Innovation Solution

A system that employs multiple exposures with varying light intensities, exposure lengths, and aperture sizes, followed by high dynamic range (HDR) image processing to create a low dynamic range (LDR) image, using techniques like tone mapping to enhance image clarity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If multiple exposures with varying light intensities are used, then image clarity is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveimage clarityVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic control of exposure parameters by capturing multiple images at different exposure levels and selectively combining them. The system dynamically adjusts between underexposed, normally exposed, and overexposed captures to optimize image quality for different regions of the body cavity, resolving the contradiction between image clarity and system complexity through adaptive processing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes exposure parameters (light intensity, exposure duration, aperture size) across multiple captures to address different lighting conditions within the body cavity. By varying these parameters and combining the results, the system achieves superior image clarity without requiring a single complex imaging device, thus resolving the technical contradiction.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Loss of information

If high dynamic range imaging is implemented, then detail visibility is improved, but processing time increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedetail visibilityVSAvoidprocessing time

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary capture of multiple exposure-level images before final processing. By having all exposure variations already captured and stored, the system can perform HDR processing without time-critical constraints during the actual imaging moment, thus reducing perceived processing time while maintaining detail visibility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies partial processing by selectively combining only the necessary exposure levels for different regions of the image. Rather than processing all captured images equally, the system performs partial HDR processing on specific areas requiring enhancement, thereby reducing overall processing time while maintaining detail visibility where most needed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentUS12507881B2System for obtaining clear endoscope images

Publication Date: 2025.12.30 STRYKER CORP

AI summary

A method of obtaining a clear endoscopic image includes emitting light from an endoscope into a body cavity; receiving light reflected from the body cavity at a variable-attenuator, the variable-attenuator comprising a plurality of light attenuating elements that are aligned with a plurality of pixels of at least one the image sensor; controlling the variable-attenuator to attenuate light passing through the plurality of light attenuating elements and into the plurality of pixels of the at least one image sensor; capturing an image with the plurality of pixels of the at least one image sensor.