Digital Imaging Device for Microscopy Using Multi-Spectral Grayscale Synthesis
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Solution Overview
Problem
In microscopy, incorporating a color camera is costly, and existing methods struggle to automatically create color images from monochrome imaging, making monochrome imaging the preferred method despite its limitations.
Innovation Solution
A digital imaging device with a processor that obtains digital grayscale images at different spectral sensitivities, determines weighting factors for color channels, and synthesizes a digital color image by distributing grayscale information across these channels, effectively simulating a color camera for real-time color imaging.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a color camera is used to acquire color images in microscopy, then the real color of the object can be detected which is beneficial for evaluating samples, but the cost becomes very high
Solution Approach 1:
The color imaging function is segmented into multiple monochrome imaging channels, each sensitive to different spectral ranges. Instead of using a single color camera with color filters, the system divides the imaging task into multiple specialized monochrome sensors that capture different portions of the spectrum, which are then computationally recombined to form a color image.
Solution Approach 2:
Monochrome cameras, which are typically used for high-precision grayscale imaging, are made multi-functional by capturing images at multiple spectral sensitivities. The same monochrome sensor platform can be used for both traditional monochrome imaging and for generating color images through multi-spectral capture and computational processing.
2Adaptability or versatility
If both monochrome and color cameras are provided in a microscope, then both imaging modalities are available, but it is difficult to achieve a precise time and spatial fit of the image data
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple monochrome imaging channels that capture different spectral sensitivities are merged into a single integrated system. By using multiple sensors within the same optical path and processing the data through a unified computational pipeline, the system achieves precise spatial and temporal alignment without requiring separate camera systems.
3Ease of manufacture
If monochrome imaging is used instead of color imaging, then the cost is reduced, but the ability to detect real color and evaluate samples is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the spectral sensitivity parameters of the monochrome camera by using different optical filters or sensor configurations to capture images at multiple spectral ranges. By varying the spectral parameters and combining the results through computational processing, the system recovers color information that would otherwise be unavailable from a single monochrome sensor.
Data Source
AI summary
A microscope includes a digital imaging device. The digital imaging device comprises a processor which is configured to: obtain a number of digital grayscale images of an object at a number of different spectral sensitivities, each of the digital grayscale images including grayscale information based on a different one of the different spectral sensitivities, obtain a number of weighting factors for each of the digital grayscale images, the weighting factors being allocated to a number of color channels defining a predetermined color space, and synthesize a digital color image of the object from the digital grayscale images in the color space by distributing the grayscale information of each grayscale image over the color channels in accordance with the weighting factors.