Endoscope Scanning Brightness Control via Real-Time Luminance Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Endoscope systems with scanning functionality face issues with brightness uniformity, leading to halation and degraded image quality due to non-uniform depth from the scope tip to the observation area, requiring image processing for correction.
Innovation Solution
An endoscope system with a light source, scanner, and imager that adjusts illumination light intensity based on real-time luminance data, using a brightness adjuster to control the amount of light at each scanning position, allowing for dynamic brightness adjustment without image processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If uniform illumination light is used for the entire observation area, then the scanning function can be implemented, but brightness non-uniformity occurs in the observed image due to varying depth
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by adjusting the illumination light intensity according to the scanning position. The illumination light amount is increased for scanning positions corresponding to darker image regions (center portion) and decreased for brighter regions (surrounding portion), making each part of the illumination system adapt to the local depth characteristics of the observation area
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamics by making the illumination light amount variable rather than fixed. The system dynamically adjusts the illumination intensity in real-time based on the scanning position and the luminance data from the observed image, allowing the illumination characteristics to change adaptively during the scanning process
2Illumination intensity
If image processing is used to correct brightness, then brightness uniformity can be improved, but image quality degrades
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by correcting the brightness non-uniformity at the illumination stage rather than during image processing. The illumination light amount is adjusted in advance according to the scanning position to prevent brightness variations from occurring in the first place, thereby avoiding the need for quality-degrading image processing corrections
3Ease of operation
If the scope tip portion faces the axis of the organ, then the scanning function works, but the center portion of the image becomes too dark while surrounding portion becomes too bright
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback by using the luminance data from the observed image to control the illumination light amount for subsequent scanning. The system detects the luminance levels at different positions and uses this information to adjust the illumination intensity, creating a closed-loop control system that automatically compensates for brightness non-uniformity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by providing different illumination light amounts to different regions of the observation area. Specifically, the center portion receives increased illumination while the surrounding portion receives decreased illumination, matching the local depth characteristics of each 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 system effectively corrects brightness at each pixel, reducing luminance variance and maintaining grayscale integrity, eliminating halation and improving image quality by adjusting illumination in real-time according to detected luminance levels.
Implementation Method 1
the tip portion of the scanning fiber is held by an actuator such as a piezoelectric device, which vibrates the tip portion spirally by modulating and amplifying the fiber's vibration
Implementation Method 2
an actuator such as a piezoelectric device, which vibrates the tip portion spirally
Implementation Method 3
The transmitted light is transformed to image-pixel signals by photosensors
Data Source
AI summary
An endoscope system has a light source system configured to emit illumination light on a target area, a scanner configured to periodically scan the illumination light over a target area at predetermined time intervals, and an imager configured to receive the illumination light reflected from the target area and to acquire in succession a sequence of image-pixel signals. Further, the endoscope system has a luminance detector that detects in succession a sequence of luminance data of the object image from the sequence of image-pixel signals; and a brightness adjuster that adjusts the brightness of an observed image on the basis of the sequence of luminance data. Then, the brightness adjuster adjusts an amount of illumination light in accordance with a scanning position of the illumination light.