Fluorescence Image Correction Using Reflected Light Reference
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Solution Overview
Problem
Fluorescence images of lesions, such as cancer cells, become obscured due to autofluorescence from biological tissue, making accurate diagnosis difficult.
Innovation Solution
A fluoroscopic device and method that emit specific wavelength illumination light absorbed by blood vessels, acquire reflected and fluorescence images, and process these images to create a reference image that enhances the visibility of lesions by smoothing luminance and correcting fluorescence images.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If excitation light is emitted to generate agent fluorescence in lesions, then fluorescence images with high luminance in lesions can be acquired, but autofluorescence from biological tissue obscures the lesions making accurate diagnosis difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the imaging process into two distinct components: reflected light imaging (using illumination light absorbed by blood vessels) and fluorescence imaging (using excitation light). By separating these imaging modes and processing them independently before combining, the system can suppress autofluorescence interference while preserving lesion fluorescence signal.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a reference image derived from reflected light imaging as an intermediary element. This reference image captures blood vessel patterns that correlate with lesion locations. By using this intermediary reference to correct the fluorescence image, the system indirectly suppresses autofluorescence interference while enhancing lesion visibility.
2Loss of information
If illumination light in wavelength range absorbed by blood vessels is emitted and reflected light image is acquired, then blood vessel information can be obtained for creating reference image, but the reflected light image has lower luminance in blood vessel sections
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful effect of light absorption by blood vessels (which causes dark regions in reflected light images) into a beneficial feature. The dark regions corresponding to blood vessels serve as valuable information about lesion locations, since lesions typically have abundant blood vessels. This negative contrast is transformed into positive diagnostic information.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary imaging with illumination light to capture blood vessel patterns before fluorescence imaging. The reflected light image is processed to create a reference image that predicts lesion locations. This preliminary action prepares the correction map that will be applied to enhance the subsequent fluorescence image.
3Measurement precision
If image processing is performed to smooth luminance of reflected light image and create reference image, then lesion regions can be identified, but processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the luminance parameter of the reflected light image through smoothing processing. By applying a low-pass filter or similar smoothing algorithm, the system transforms the high-contrast blood vessel pattern into a gradual luminance variation that represents lesion probability. This parameter transformation simplifies the identification of lesion regions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex manual image analysis with automated digital image processing. Instead of requiring physicians to manually analyze blood vessel patterns and identify lesions, the system uses computer-based smoothing and correction algorithms to automatically generate the reference image and apply it to enhance fluorescence images, reducing processing complexity.
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 method allows for accurate diagnosis by making lesions more distinctive in fluorescence images, improving diagnostic capability by differentiating between lesion and normal tissue regions.
Implementation Method 1
illumination light, which is in a wavelength range to be absorbed by a blood vessel
Implementation Method 2
excitation light, which generates agent fluorescence by exciting a fluorochrome accumulated specifically in a lesion
Implementation Method 3
an image acquisition unit that acquires an image of reflected light and an image of the fluorescence by photography
Data Source
AI summary
A lesion can be made distinctive in an acquired fluorescence image so as to allow for accurate diagnosis. There is provided a fluoroscopic device (1) including a light source unit (2) that emits illumination light, which is in a wavelength range to be absorbed by a blood vessel, and excitation light, which generates agent fluorescence by exciting a fluorochrome accumulated specifically in a lesion, to an examination site (S); an image acquisition unit (15, 16) that acquires an image by irradiating the same examination site (S) with the illumination light and the excitation light and photographing the respective reflected light and fluorescence obtained; and an image processing unit (4) that acquires a reference image by smoothing the luminance of the reflected-light image acquired by the image acquisition unit (15, 16) and corrects the fluorescence image on the basis of the acquired reference image.