Endoscopic Video System Simultaneous Fluorescence White-Light Imaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional endoscopic imaging systems require sequential operation in color and fluorescence modes, leading to increased procedural time due to the need for separate adjustments and image processing, as they struggle to simultaneously acquire and display images in both modes at video frame rates.
Innovation Solution
An endoscopic video system utilizing a single color image sensor that continuously illuminates tissue with fluorescence excitation light and periodically adds visible light, employing an excitation light blocking filter to allow blue, green, and red components to pass, enabling simultaneous real-time fluorescence and white-light image acquisition and processing at video rates without moving parts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If sequential operation mode is used for color and fluorescence imaging, then image quality can be maintained, but procedural time increases due to separate adjustments and processing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines color and fluorescence imaging capabilities into a single integrated system that can operate in both modes simultaneously or sequentially without requiring physical reconfiguration. The illumination source integrates both white light LEDs and blue/violet LEDs for fluorescence excitation, while the image sensor captures both reflected light and fluorescence emissions through a unified optical path with appropriate filter switching.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically switches between color and fluorescence imaging modes using electronic control of the illumination LEDs and filter wheel rotation. The control system can transition between modes rapidly by activating different LED combinations and positioning appropriate optical filters, enabling flexible adaptation to different imaging requirements without mechanical reconfiguration of the entire system.
2Productivity
If simultaneous imaging in both color and fluorescence modes is implemented, then procedural time is reduced, but system complexity increases due to multiple illumination sources and filter management
Solution Approach 1:
The illumination source is designed as a multi-functional unit that can generate both white light for color imaging and blue/violet light for fluorescence excitation using different LED combinations. The image sensor serves dual purposes by capturing both reflected white light and fluorescence emissions through the same detector array, reducing the need for separate imaging systems.
Solution Approach 2:
A filter wheel acts as an intermediary component that manages the optical path between the dual-LED illumination source and the image sensor. The filter wheel contains both long-pass filters for fluorescence imaging and neutral density filters for color imaging, automatically positioning the appropriate filter based on the selected imaging mode, thereby simplifying the control of complex optical interactions.
3Measurement precision
If fluorescence imaging is performed, then tissue visualization is improved, but excitation light must be blocked which reduces light intensity reaching the sensor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful effect of excitation light contamination into a beneficial filtering mechanism. The long-pass filter blocks the intense blue/violet excitation light from reaching the sensor during fluorescence imaging, while allowing the weaker fluorescence emission at longer wavelengths to pass through. This selective filtering enables detection of the faint fluorescence signal by eliminating the overwhelming excitation light background.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the spectral parameters of the illumination by using different LED wavelengths (blue/violet for fluorescence excitation vs. white light for color imaging) and adjusts the filter transmission characteristics based on the imaging mode. This parameter switching allows optimization of light intensity for each specific imaging requirement while maintaining the ability to block excitation light when needed.
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 the generation of high-resolution video images by interpolating data and subtracting fluorescence signals from combined images, allowing for real-time simultaneous display of fluorescence and white-light images, improving spatial resolution and reducing procedural time.
Implementation Method 1
an excitation light blocking filter which substantially blocks the excitation light while allowing the blue, green and red components of the illumination light to pass to the color image sensor
Implementation Method 2
Fluorescence excitation light excites fluorophors in the tissue, which emit fluorescence light at an emission wavelength which is typically greater than the excitation wavelength
Data Source
AI summary
A method of displaying a colorized luma image includes illuminating tissue under observation with illumination light and excitation light. A color image from reflectance of the illumination light and a fluorescence image produced by illuminating the tissue under observation with the excitation light are simultaneously detected at an image sensor to produce image data comprising both color image data and fluorescence image data. A luma image from the detected color image data is computed and the luma image is colorized based on the detected fluorescence image data. The colorized luma image is then displayed.