Microscope Transformation Function for Tissue Color Differentiation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Surgeons face difficulty in distinguishing subtle tissue color differences, which are crucial for identifying suspicious tissue, as these differences are often only visible to experienced professionals and require additional hardware for multispectral imaging in modern microscopes.
Innovation Solution
A microscope system that combines imaging sensor data from a fluorescence imaging sensor with data from a reflectance imaging sensor to generate a composite color image using a transformation function, allowing for the reuse of existing fluorescence imaging sensors without additional hardware, thereby enhancing the visibility of subtle tissue differences.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If additional hardware is added to perform multispectral imaging, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fluorescence imaging sensor is made multi-functional by enabling it to perform both its original fluorescence imaging function and a new reflectance imaging function. The sensor captures reflected light in multiple wavelength bands to generate composite color images, allowing one hardware component to serve multiple imaging purposes without requiring additional specialized sensors for multispectral imaging.
Solution Approach 2:
The existing fluorescence sensor serves itself by utilizing its own imaging capabilities for a new purpose. The sensor's existing wavelength sensitivity and imaging function are repurposed to capture reflectance data, allowing the system to perform multispectral imaging using resources already available within the microscope without external additions.
2Measurement precision
If additional sensors are added for multispectral imaging, then measurement precision is improved, but cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fluorescence imaging sensor is made multi-functional by enabling it to perform both its original fluorescence imaging function and a new reflectance imaging function. The sensor captures reflected light in multiple wavelength bands to generate composite color images, allowing one hardware component to serve multiple imaging purposes without requiring additional specialized sensors for multispectral imaging.
3Measurement precision
If additional sensors are added for multispectral imaging, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fluorescence imaging sensor is made multi-functional by enabling it to perform both its original fluorescence imaging function and a new reflectance imaging function. The sensor captures reflected light in multiple wavelength bands to generate composite color images, allowing one hardware component to serve multiple imaging purposes without requiring additional specialized sensors for multispectral imaging.
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 enables more accurate representation of tissue colors, making subtle differences more apparent, even to untrained surgeons, by using existing fluorescence sensors for multispectral reflectance imaging, thus improving diagnostic accuracy without increasing cost or complexity.
Implementation Method 1
The wavelength bands of the first plurality of mutually separated wavelength bands or of the second plurality of mutually separated wavelength bands are wavelength bands that are used for fluorescence imaging
Implementation Method 2
one of the first and the second imaging sensor is an imaging sensor that is adapted to provide a fluorescence imaging functionality of the microscope system
Data Source
AI summary
Examples relate to systems, methods and computer programs for a microscope system and for determining a transformation function, and to a corresponding microscope system. The system for the microscope system comprises one or more processors and one or more storage devices. The system is configured to obtain first imaging sensor data from a first imaging sensor of a microscope of the microscope system and second imaging sensor data from a second imaging sensor of the microscope, the first imaging sensor data comprises sensor data on light sensed in a first plurality of mutually separated wavelength bands. The second imaging sensor data comprises sensor data on light sensed in a second plurality of mutually separated wavelength bands. The wavelength bands of the first plurality of mutually separated wavelength bands or of the second plurality of mutually separated wavelength bands are wavelength bands that are used for fluorescence imaging. The system is configured to generate a composite color image based on the first imaging sensor data and based on the second imaging sensor data. The composite color image is based on a plurality of color channels. The composite color image is generated using a transformation function to define a transformation to be performed between the imaging sensor data and the composite color image, such that the composite color image is generated using sensor data on light sensed in each wavelength band of the first and second plurality of mutually separated wavelength bands.