Fluorescence Surgery Imaging With Dual-Camera Spectral Separation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fluorescence-guided surgery methods struggle with inflexibility, spectral distortion, and reliance on subjective color discrimination when overlaying reflectance and fluorescence images, particularly when using multiple fluorophores or fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) pairs.
Innovation Solution
An imaging system with multiple light engines and detectors, synchronized to capture and display real-time, high-resolution reflectance and fluorescence images, allowing pseudocolor overlay of fluorescent targets with white light reflectance, adaptable to any fluorophore and FRET pairs, using LED light sources and optical trains for uniform illumination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If filters are tailored to provide a mixture of reflectance and fluorescence directly visible by the surgeon, then the surgeon can view the image directly by eye, but normal full color reflectance is sacrificed and the system becomes inflexible
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the imaging function into two separate cameras: one dedicated to capturing reflectance images and another dedicated to capturing fluorescence images. This segmentation allows each camera to be optimized for its specific function without compromise, eliminating the need for compromised filter designs while maintaining direct surgical visualization capability through computational overlay.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a computational image processing system as an intermediary that overlays the reflectance and fluorescence images in real-time. This mediator combines the strengths of both imaging modalities, providing surgeons with both direct viewing capability and full color reflectance information simultaneously through the composite display.
2Adaptability or versatility
If two separate cameras are used to collect reflectance and fluorescence images, then gain can be controlled independently and white light illumination can be used, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the optical paths of the reflectance and fluorescence imaging systems into a single unified platform. By combining the illumination sources, optical trains, and detection systems while maintaining independent camera control, the system achieves independent gain control and versatility without proportionally increasing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs a universal optical platform that serves multiple functions: the same optical train and illumination system support both reflectance and fluorescence imaging modes. This multi-functionality reduces redundant components and overall system complexity while maintaining independent control capabilities for each imaging modality.
3Measurement precision
If excitation and emission filters are used for fluorescence imaging, then spectral separation is achieved, but spectral distortion of the reflectance image occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the fluorescence signal from the composite light field by using a camera equipped with appropriate emission filters. This extraction process isolates the fluorescence information without allowing the filters to distort the reflectance image, since the reflectance image is captured separately by another camera that does not have these restrictive filters in its optical 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
Enhances surgical visualization by clearly distinguishing targeted tissues from normal tissues, improving tumor margin detection and critical structure identification with reduced specular reflection, and supporting multiple fluorophores without spectral distortion.
Implementation Method 1
a second light engine in the plurality of light engines emits a second light for exciting a first fluorophore in the target
Implementation Method 2
a first detector in the plurality of detectors detects the reflectance from the target, thereby producing a reflectance image
Data Source
AI summary
Imaging systems for fluorescence guided surgery are provided. An imaging system comprises a light source unit for providing one or more illumination and excitation lights to a target, a detection unit for detecting reflectance and fluorescence from the target, an optical train for directing the one or more illumination and excitation lights from the light source unit to the target and for directing the reflectance and fluorescence from the target to the detection unit, and a control unit for controlling the light source unit and the detection unit. Imaging methods for fluorescence guided surgery are also provided.