Fluorescence Imaging Bleeding Detection Switching
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Solution Overview
Problem
During endoscopic surgery, it is challenging to clearly visualize lesions and vessels covered with blood due to bleeding, as conventional endoscopic devices struggle to differentiate and emphasize these regions effectively within the surgical site.
Innovation Solution
A fluorescence observation apparatus is developed, which includes a light source for emitting excitation and reference lights, generating fluorescence and reference images, and a corrected image processing system that emphasizes pixels with high luminance values in the fluorescence image, allowing for the detection and display of bleeding regions. This apparatus switches between displaying the reference and corrected images based on the bleeding region's extent, emphasizing tissues with strong fluorescence and vessels covered in blood.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional endoscopic devices are used to observe the surgical site, then the general visual field is captured, but the ability to differentiate and emphasize lesions and vessels covered with blood is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the imaging function into multiple specialized imaging modes: fluorescence imaging for detecting lesions with accumulated fluorescence material, and reference light imaging for capturing the general visual field. By processing these segmented images separately and selectively emphasizing regions detected by fluorescence imaging, the system achieves precise differentiation of lesions and vessels from blood-covered areas without losing overall contextual information.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality enhancement by selectively emphasizing specific regions (lesions and vessels) within the overall image based on fluorescence signal intensity. Rather than uniformly processing the entire image, the system identifies regions with high fluorescence material accumulation and enhances only those local areas, thereby improving differentiation precision where needed while preserving the rest of the visual field.
2Measurement precision
If fluorescence imaging is used to highlight lesions, then lesion detection is improved, but processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements partial action by applying complex fluorescence-based image processing only to specific regions where fluorescence material is detected, rather than processing the entire image with the same complexity. The system identifies regions with fluorescence signal above a certain threshold and applies enhancement algorithms only to those regions, reducing overall processing complexity while maintaining high lesion detection precision.
3Measurement precision
If multiple images are processed to detect bleeding regions, then visualization accuracy is improved, but processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-identifying regions of interest through fluorescence imaging before performing detailed analysis. The system first captures the fluorescence image to locate lesions and vessels, then uses this preliminary information to guide subsequent reference light image processing and enhancement, thereby reducing the time required for comprehensive image analysis while maintaining high visualization accuracy.
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 apparatus enables clear visualization of lesions and vessels even when they are covered with blood, facilitating accurate surgical procedures by effectively highlighting the regions of interest and reducing computational complexity and processing time.
Implementation Method 1
a light source for radiating excitation light and reference light onto a subject; a fluorescence image generating section that generates a fluorescence image by capturing fluorescence generated at the subject due to the irradiation with the light source
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a fluorescence observation apparatus including a light source; a section generating a fluorescence image of an object; a section generating a reference image of the object; a section generating a corrected image in which emphasized are pixels of the reference image corresponding to pixels each having luminance value equal to or more than a first threshold value in the fluorescence image; a display unit displaying the reference image or the corrected image; a bleeding state determining section determining whether or not a bleeding region of the subject detected based on the reference image is more than a predetermined range; and a section switching between displaying the reference image on the display unit if the determining section determines that the region is not more than the range, and displaying the corrected on the image display if the determining section determines that the region is more than the range.