Endoscope OCT Distance Measurement and Brightness Correction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing endoscope systems face challenges in accurately measuring the distance between the tip of the light emitting portion and a specimen, particularly in environments filled with air or biological fluids, which affects the quantitative analysis of fluorescence for disease diagnosis.
Innovation Solution
An endoscope observation device utilizing low coherence optical coherence tomography (OCT) to calculate the absolute distance between the tip of the insertion portion and the specimen, correcting brightness information to form accurate images irrespective of the distance, allowing for precise fluorescence quantification.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If ultrasonic distance measurement is used, then distance measurement is possible, but it cannot measure distance in air or biological fluids
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the ultrasonic (acoustic) distance measurement system with an optical coherence tomography (OCT) system that uses low coherence light. This substitution allows distance measurement to function in environments filled with air or biological fluids, eliminating the limitation of ultrasonic waves requiring water-filled spaces.
2Measurement precision
If OCT technique is used for distance measurement, then accurate absolute distance measurement is achieved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the OCT distance measurement functionality into the existing endoscope structure, allowing the same optical system to serve both imaging and distance measurement purposes. The low coherence light source and optical path are shared between the imaging unit and distance measurement unit, reducing the need for separate dedicated components.
3Productivity
If brightness information is not corrected for distance, then image formation is simple, but quantitative analysis of fluorescence is inaccurate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the distance measurement information obtained from OCT to provide feedback for correcting the brightness information in the fluorescent image. The correction unit adjusts the brightness values based on the measured distance, compensating for the inverse square law attenuation and enabling accurate quantitative analysis of fluorescence intensity.
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
Enables accurate measurement of distance and fluorescence quantification regardless of the environment, providing high-quality images with consistent brightness distribution, enhancing diagnostic accuracy.
Implementation Method 1
a distance measurement unit that calculates an absolute distance between the tip of the insertion portion and the specimen through an interference of a low coherence light
Implementation Method 2
a fluorescent endoscope system for observing the fluorescence generated by irradiating the excitation light to a live body tissue
Data Source
AI summary
A high accurate image of a specimen is obtained by accurately measuring a distance between the specimen and a tip of a light emitting portion that irradiates a light to the specimen. An endoscope observation device includes the light emitting portion that irradiates the light to the specimen and a light receiving portion that receives an observation light returning from the specimen so as to form an image of the observation light received by the light receiving portion. The endoscope observation device is equipped with a distance measurement unit that measures an absolute distance between the tip of the insertion portion and the specimen through an interference of the low coherence light, a correction unit that corrects the brightness information of the observation light based on the absolute distance measured by the distance measurement unit, and an image forming unit that forms the image of the specimen based on the brightness information of the observation light corrected by the correction unit.