Endoscope System Switching Spectral Illumination for Tissue Contrast

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current endoscope systems fail to effectively display differences in information other than background mucous membranes, such as blood vessels of varying depths, due to lack of consistent color tone across switched images.

Innovation Solution

An endoscope system that uses a light source unit emitting specific spectral information for illumination, allowing for the switching of illumination light between different spectral information sets, and processing units to generate and display images emphasizing superficial and deep tissue features with consistent background mucous membrane color tone.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If multiple observation images with different spectral information are switched and displayed to emphasize different tissue depths, then the visibility of blood vessels and glandular structures at different depths is improved, but the background mucous membrane color tone becomes inconsistent across images making it difficult for users to recognize differences

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevisibility of tissue featuresVSAvoidbackground mucous membrane color tone consistency
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

A third illumination light with spectral information between the first and second spectral information is introduced as an intermediary. This third illumination light is emitted at switching timing between the first and second observation images, serving as a transition that prevents abrupt color tone changes in the background mucous membrane while allowing smooth transition between different tissue depth visualizations

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The light source control unit periodically switches between the first illumination light, third illumination light, and second illumination light in a cyclic manner. This periodic switching ensures that the background mucous membrane color tone returns to a consistent state at regular intervals, making it easier for users to recognize tissue feature differences across multiple image transitions

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

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 users to recognize and differentiate between various tissue features by switching between images illuminated with different spectral information, improving the visibility of blood vessels and glandular structures of different depths without altering the background mucous membrane color tone.

Implementation Method 1

a light source unit that emits first illumination light having first spectral information and second illumination light having second spectral information

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLight emission: Light

Data Source

PatentEP3756532B1Endoscope system
Publication Date: 2024.04.17 FUJIFILM CORP
  • EP3756532B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3756532B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3756532B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

There is provided an endoscope system that can display a plurality of observation images to allow a user to recognize a difference in information other than a background mucous membrane in a case where the plurality of observation images are switched and displayed. At least two first and second observation images for display, in which the same object to be observed is displayed, are automatically switched and displayed on a monitor (18) for a display period of at least two or more frames. First spectral information of the first observation image for display and second spectral information of the second observation image for display are different from each other. At least a part of a background mucous membrane of the first observation image for display and at least a part of a background mucous membrane of the second observation image for display have the same color tone.