Endoscope Narrowband Illumination for Deep Mucosa Vessel Visualization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional endoscope apparatuses face challenges in clearly displaying blood vessels in deep mucosa without the need for complex medicine administration, such as intravenous injection of indocyanine green, and suffer from blurred vessel images due to near-infrared light illumination.
Innovation Solution
The endoscope apparatus employs a rotating filter to emit narrowband lights at specific wavelengths (600 nm, 630 nm, and 540 nm) for frame-sequential illumination, combined with band decomposition and emphasis processing to enhance the visibility of blood vessels, allowing for clear display without medicine administration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If near-infrared light is used for illumination to observe internal blood vessels, then the ability to visualize blood vessels is improved, but the image quality deteriorates due to blurred vessels
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the wavelength parameter of illumination light from near-infrared to red light (600-700nm), and applies image processing parameter changes (spatial frequency filtering) to resolve the contradiction between visualization capability and image quality
2Measurement precision
If indocyanine green injection is performed to enhance blood vessel visibility, then the contrast of blood vessels is improved, but the operational complexity increases due to medicine administration procedures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the blood vessels self-visible by utilizing their natural optical properties (light absorption characteristics) in the red wavelength range, eliminating the need for external contrast agents like indocyanine green
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the illumination wavelength parameter to red light (600-700nm) where blood vessels naturally absorb light, achieving high contrast without requiring medicine administration
3Measurement precision
If red light with wavelength 600-700nm is used for illumination, then the scattering characteristic is suppressed and blood vessel visibility is improved, but the illumination intensity required increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the wavelength parameter to 600-700nm red light range, which naturally suppresses scattering and enhances blood vessel visibility through selective absorption, achieving efficient illumination with appropriate intensity levels
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 solution enables clear visualization of blood vessels in deep mucosa, facilitating surgical procedures like ESD by reducing noise and enhancing contrast, thereby improving surgical precision and efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a rotating filter 14 which limits a wavelength band of the illumination light to be narrowed to frame-sequential lights
Implementation Method 2
a first image signal P1 of a return light based on radiation of the first narrowband light NL1 having a peak wavelength of spectral characteristic between a maximum value ACmax and a minimum value ACmin of an absorption characteristic of living tissue
Data Source
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AI summary
An endoscope apparatus 1 includes: a light source device 4 radiating at least one or more illumination lights having a predetermined wavelength band to a subject, an image pickup device 2 picking up an image of a return light from the subject based on radiation of the light source device 4, a video processor 7, and an observation monitor 5. A band decomposition processing section 104 of the video processor 7 performs processing for decomposition into multiple spatial frequency bands, for a first image signal P 1 having a peak wavelength of spectral characteristic, between a wavelength band including a maximum value and a wavelength band at a minimum value with regard to an absorption characteristic of living tissue after image pickup by the image pickup device 2. An emphasis processing section 101a of the video processor 7 performs emphasis processing on the basis of a band image signal with a lowest spatial frequency among multiple band image signals obtained by the decomposition processing to generate an emphasis-corrected image signal.