Endoscopic Imaging Apparatus with Time-Interleaved Multi-Color Fluorescence
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for diagnosing lung inflammation and infection in critically ill patients are hindered by the time-consuming process of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid culture, which can lead to inappropriate therapy and rapid deterioration due to contamination and delayed results.
Innovation Solution
An endoscopic imaging apparatus utilizing a common transmission path with multiple light sources of different colors, providing excitation signals in a repeating time-interleaved sequence, and a monochrome detector to generate image data, allowing for concurrent imaging of multiple disease targets with improved frame rates and reduced complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If bronchoalveolar lavage fluid culture is used to diagnose lung inflammation and infection, then diagnostic accuracy is improved, but time consumption increases significantly (up to 48 hours)
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the traditional mechanical culture method with optical imaging technology. Multiple light sources of different colors excite fluorescent markers attached to disease targets (bacteria, inflammatory cells), and a monochrome detector captures the emitted light signals to generate real-time images, eliminating the need for time-consuming culture processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs periodic excitation signals from multiple light sources in a time-interleaved sequence. Each light source is activated alternately to excite different fluorescent markers, allowing sequential acquisition of multiple color channels that are then combined to form a composite image, achieving real-time multi-target imaging.
2Loss of information
If multiple disease targets are imaged simultaneously using multiple light sources, then imaging information is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple excitation paths into a single common transmission path. Multiple light sources of different colors are combined and transmitted through one common optical path to the imaging region, reducing the number of separate optical systems needed while still enabling simultaneous imaging of multiple disease targets with different fluorescent markers.
Solution Approach 2:
The monochrome detector serves multiple functions by detecting fluorescent signals from multiple light sources of different colors. Instead of requiring separate detectors for each color channel, the single monochrome detector can capture signals from all excitation wavelengths, simplifying the device architecture while maintaining comprehensive imaging capability.
3Device complexity
If a common transmission path is used for multiple light sources, then device complexity is reduced, but light signal interference may increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses periodic, time-interleaved activation of different light sources. Each light source is activated in sequence rather than simultaneously, with timing synchronized to the detector's acquisition cycle. This temporal separation prevents light signal interference while maintaining the benefits of a common transmission path.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs synchronized timing control where the activation of each light source is coordinated with the detector's readout cycle. This feedback mechanism ensures that each detector integration period corresponds to a specific excitation wavelength, preventing cross-contamination of signals from different light sources while using the common transmission path.
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 real-time, multi-color imaging and spectroscopy, facilitating rapid diagnosis and appropriate treatment by concurrently imaging multiple disease targets, such as bacteria and inflammatory cells, with enhanced frame rates and reduced complexity.
Implementation Method 1
at least one light source configured to provide excitation signals to an imaging region... each excitation signal having one of a plurality of different colours... to generate image data based on the at least part of the response signal
Data Source
AI summary
An endoscopic imaging apparatus comprises at least one light source (1, 2, 3) configured to provide excitation signals to an imaging region via a common transmission path. Each excitation signal has one of a plurality of different colours. A controller (100) is configured to control the at least one light source (1, 2, 3) to provide the excitation signals as a repeating time-interleaved sequence that comprises at least an excitation signal of a first one of the colours and a subsequent excitation signal of a second one of the colours. A monochrome detector (80) is configured, for each of at least some of the excitation signals, to receive at least part of a respective response signal emitted from the imaging region in response to the excitation signal and to generate image data based on the at least part of the response signal.