Fluorescence Diagnosis Light Source With Filtered Low-Level Background Light
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional fluorescence diagnosis systems face issues with the short lifetime of Xenon lamps, leading to high maintenance costs and downtimes, and semiconductor-illuminant based systems struggle to provide effective background illumination without overpowering fluorescence signals.
Innovation Solution
A light source using semiconductor-illuminants with a first light emission unit for broadband white light and a second unit for narrowband fluorescence excitation, combined with a spectral filter and optical intensity attenuator to adjust and reduce background illumination intensity, ensuring clear differentiation between fluorescence and background.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of stationary object
If Xenon lamps are used for fluorescence diagnosis, then sufficient illumination for both white light observation and fluorescence excitation is achieved, but the lamp lifetime is short leading to high maintenance costs and system downtime
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the expensive Xenon lamp with semiconductor-illuminants (LEDs) that have significantly longer lifetimes. While individual LEDs are smaller and less powerful, their extended service life eliminates frequent replacements, reducing maintenance costs and system downtime despite requiring multiple units to achieve the same illumination performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent divides the single Xenon lamp function into multiple semiconductor-illuminant units, each optimized for specific wavelength ranges. This segmentation allows simultaneous operation of multiple light sources with different spectral characteristics, achieving both white light illumination and fluorescence excitation without the limitations of a single broadband source.
2Illumination intensity
If broadband white light is used for background illumination in semiconductor-illuminant based systems, then tissue orientation is improved, but the illumination may overpower the weak fluorescence signals
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different spectral characteristics to different illumination needs by using separate semiconductor-illuminant units with specific emission spectra. One unit provides broadband white light for background illumination while another provides narrowband light for fluorescence excitation, allowing each to be optimized for its specific function without interfering with the other.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the spectral parameters of the illumination light by using semiconductor-illuminants with controlled emission spectra. By selecting LEDs with specific peak wavelengths and bandwidths, the system can provide sufficient background illumination while avoiding spectral overlap with the fluorescence detection channel, thereby maintaining measurement precision.
3Duration of action of stationary object
If semiconductor-illuminants are used to provide both white light and fluorescence excitation, then device lifetime is extended, but the system complexity increases due to multiple light emission units and switching mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes each semiconductor-illuminant unit capable of serving multiple functions through spectral filtering. The same physical LED unit can provide both white light illumination and fluorescence excitation by switching filters in its optical path, eliminating the need for separate dedicated light sources for each function and reducing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic filter switching mechanisms that allow the semiconductor-illuminant units to adapt their spectral output in real-time. This dynamic capability enables a single light source to perform multiple functions sequentially, reducing the number of static components needed and simplifying the overall system architecture despite the added control 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
Enables effective background illumination for improved tissue orientation without overpowering fluorescence, reducing maintenance costs and extending system lifespan by using semiconductor-illuminants with adjustable intensity and spectral filtering.
Implementation Method 1
a second semiconductor-illuminant based light emission unit configured to emit second light in a narrowband second wavelength spectrum for excitation of fluorescence
Implementation Method 2
a spectral filter for the first light emission unit that is configured to block spectral components of the first wavelength spectrum which are assigned to a color channel of a camera the fluorescence is to be detected with
Implementation Method 3
an optical intensity attenuator for the first light emission unit that is configured to reduce the intensity of the emitted first light below the minimum intensity obtainable through the brightness control
Implementation Method 4
fluorescence diagnosis is based on the interaction of light of a suitable wavelength with a fluorescent substance present in the tissue area to be examined
Data Source
AI summary
A light source configured for fluorescence diagnosis comprises a first semiconductor-illuminant based light emission unit configured to emit first light in a broadband first wavelength spectrum, a second semiconductor-illuminant based light emission unit configured to emit second light in a narrowband second wavelength spectrum for excitation of fluorescence, a spectral filter for the first light emission unit that is configured to block spectral components of the first wavelength spectrum which are assigned to a color channel of a camera the fluorescence is to be detected with, and to transmit remaining spectral components of the first wavelength spectrum, a brightness control for the first light emission unit configured to dim the intensity of the emitted first light, and an optical intensity attenuator for the first light emission unit that is configured to reduce the intensity of the emitted first light below the minimum intensity obtainable through the brightness control without the intensity attenuator.