Image Sensor Synchronization for Fluorescence Noise Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image sensing apparatuses face challenges in separating excitation light and fluorescence or phosphorescence, especially when their wavelength bands overlap, leading to noise in images, particularly in medical and biological applications using near-infrared light, and require mechanisms for attaching or detaching optical filters.
Innovation Solution
An image sensing apparatus with a mechanical shutter and control unit that synchronizes the excitation and detection periods to prevent overlap, allowing the image sensor to capture fluorescence or phosphorescence without excitation light noise, using a CMOS or CCD image sensor and an optical system to form and process images.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If an optical filter is used to cut off excitation light, then excitation light noise is reduced, but the device complexity increases due to the need for filter attachment/detachment mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and removes the harmful excitation light components from the detected signal by using a spectral decomposition approach. The excitation light noise is separated and eliminated from the fluorescence signal through mathematical processing of the spectral data, without requiring physical optical filters or their attachment mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the mechanical optical filter attachment/detachment system with a computational approach. Instead of using mechanical filters to block excitation light, the system uses spectral analysis and mathematical processing to identify and remove excitation light components from the detected signal, eliminating the need for mechanical filter handling.
2Illumination intensity
If near-infrared light is used for excitation and fluorescence imaging, then transmittance is improved, but the ability to separate excitation light from fluorescence deteriorates due to wavelength overlap
Solution Approach 1:
The invention introduces spectral information as an intermediary parameter to distinguish between excitation light and fluorescence. By analyzing the spectral characteristics and temporal behavior of the detected light, the system can identify and separate the overlapping near-infrared excitation light from the fluorescence signal, even when their wavelengths are similar.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the parameter used for separation from purely wavelength-based filtering to a combination of spectral shape analysis and temporal timing information. By examining the full spectral profile and the timing of light detection relative to the excitation pulse, the system can differentiate between excitation light and fluorescence in the near-infrared region where wavelength separation is difficult.
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
This approach effectively reduces noise from excitation light components, enabling clear imaging of fluorescence or phosphorescence without the need for optical filters, even when wavelength bands overlap, and allows for both filtered and unfiltered imaging scenarios.
Implementation Method 1
an image sensor including a plurality of pixels which are arrayed to form a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns and perform photoelectric conversion for light
Implementation Method 2
a mechanical shutter configured to control exposure on the image sensor
Implementation Method 3
an optical image with low noise, which is formed by the fluorescence or phosphorescence generated by excitation light
Implementation Method 4
an optical image with low noise, which is formed by the fluorescence or phosphorescence generated by excitation light
Data Source
AI summary
An image sensing apparatus includes an image sensor including a plurality of pixels and configured to sense an optical image formed from fluorescence or phosphorescence generated by excitation light from an excitation light source when periods during which pixels perform the photoelectric conversion sequentially end on the respective rows, a mechanical shutter configured to control exposure on the image sensor, and a control unit configured to control the image sensor and the mechanical shutter so as to prevent overlapping between an excitation period and a detection period, the excitation period being a period during which the excitation light source emits excitation light, the detection period being a period during which the plurality of pixels are commonly set in a state of performing the photoelectric conversion for detecting fluorescence or phosphorescence and the mechanical shutter is open.