Endoscope Light Emitting Device with Broad Near-Infrared Phosphor
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing endoscope light emitting devices using laser elements for indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence imaging face challenges due to narrow light emission spectra and low output in the near-infrared range, leading to inadequate excitation of ICG, especially with variations in tissue characteristics.
Innovation Solution
An endoscope light emitting device incorporating a solid-state light emitting element and a wavelength converter with a phosphor that emits wavelength-converted light across 700-800 nm, ensuring efficient excitation of ICG even with varying tissue characteristics and providing high-output near-infrared light.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a laser element emitting near-infrared light with a central wavelength of 780 nm is used as an excitation source of ICG, then the device can provide targeted excitation light, but the full width at half maximum of the light emission spectrum is narrow, resulting in insufficient excitation of ICG when excitation characteristics vary
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the spectral parameter of the excitation light from a narrow laser line to a broad spectrum by using a wavelength converter with phosphor materials. This allows the excitation light to cover a wider wavelength range (700-800 nm), ensuring reliable ICG excitation even when excitation characteristics vary, while maintaining the targeted near-infrared wavelength region.
2Power
If a laser element emitting near-infrared light is used as an excitation source, then the device can provide focused excitation, but the output in the wavelength range easy to excite ICG is low
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a wavelength converter with phosphor materials as an intermediary between the light source and the ICG fluorescent drug. The phosphor materials convert the input light to emit broad spectrum near-infrared light (700-800 nm) that efficiently excites ICG, thereby increasing both the excitation power and the resulting fluorescence output.
3Measurement precision
If a laser element with narrow light emission spectrum is used, then the device can provide specific wavelength excitation, but the ICG has not sometimes been sufficiently excited when excitation characteristics change due to variation of characteristics
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the excitation light source universal by using a wavelength converter that emits broad spectrum near-infrared light covering 700-800 nm. This broad spectrum can adapt to various ICG excitation characteristics and variations, making the system versatile and reliable across different conditions while still maintaining wavelength specificity in the near-infrared region.
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 device efficiently excites fluorescent drugs like ICG, enhancing fluorescence imaging by maintaining high output and penetration depth, even with changes in tissue characteristics, thereby improving tumor detection accuracy.
Implementation Method 1
a wavelength converter including a first phosphor that emits first wavelength-converted light
Implementation Method 2
the fluorescent drug is excited by light with a specific wavelength, and fluorescence radiated from the fluorescent drug is captured
Data Source
AI summary
An endoscope light emitting device (1) is a light emitting device for use in a fluorescence imaging method. The endoscope light emitting device includes: a solid-state light emitting element (2); and a wavelength converter (3) including a first phosphor (4) that emits first wavelength-converted light (7), wherein the first wavelength-converted light has a light component across at least a whole of a wavelength range of 700 nm or more and 800 nm or less. An endoscope (11) includes the endoscope light emitting device. A fluorescence imaging method is a method using the endoscope light emitting device or the endoscope, and includes the steps of: administering a fluorescent drug to a subject; and applying the first wavelength-converted light (7) to the subject with whom the fluorescent drug has made contact.