Multispectral Surgical Imaging Fusion for Obstruction Handling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Surgical imaging systems often struggle to provide a clear view of surgical sites due to obstructions such as fluid, smoke, and tissues, which can hinder the visualization of critical structures, leading to incomplete information for surgeons during procedures.
Innovation Solution
A surgical visualization system utilizing a multispectral electromagnetic radiation source that emits light at different wavelength ranges, including UV and IR, to detect obstructed areas and generate a fused image by interpolating unobstructed segments from other wavelength images, providing a comprehensive view of the surgical site.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If a conventional imaging system is used to visualize the surgical site, then the system is simple and easy to operate, but the view is obstructed by fluid, smoke, and tissues, leading to incomplete information
Solution Approach 1:
The imaging system is segmented into multiple spectral channels (UV, visible, IR) that operate independently to capture different types of information. Each wavelength range penetrates obstructions differently, allowing the system to segment the imaging task across multiple spectral bands and recombine the results into a complete visualization.
Solution Approach 2:
The imaging system performs multiple functions simultaneously by capturing images across different wavelength ranges. A single imaging system provides visible light imaging, UV imaging for fluorescent markers, and IR imaging for thermal or structural information, making the system universal and adaptable to various surgical visualization needs.
2Loss of information
If multiple wavelength ranges are used to overcome obstructions, then the visualization completeness is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple imaging modalities (visible light, UV, IR) into a single integrated imaging system. The images from different wavelength ranges are combined and fused to create a comprehensive view of the surgical site, merging the advantages of each spectral range into one unified visualization.
Solution Approach 2:
The control circuit acts as an intermediary that processes and fuses images from multiple spectral channels. It identifies obstructed portions in one wavelength range and substitutes them with corresponding unobstructed portions from other wavelength ranges, mediating between the raw sensor data and the final composite image.
3Ease of operation
If obstructions such as fluid and smoke are present at the surgical site, then the surgical procedure can proceed, but the imaging system cannot recognize concealed structures and contours
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the imaging parameter (wavelength) to overcome obstructions. By switching between different wavelength ranges (UV, visible, IR), the system adapts to different transmission characteristics through obstructions like fluid and smoke, maintaining measurement precision despite the presence of these materials.
Solution Approach 2:
The system utilizes different spectral 'colors' (wavelength ranges) to visualize the surgical site. UV and IR wavelengths have different interaction properties with obstructions compared to visible light, allowing the system to 'see through' or around obstructions that block visible light, thereby maintaining structure recognition accuracy.
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 system enhances the visualization of surgical sites by overcoming obstructions, allowing for better identification and avoidance of critical structures, thereby improving surgical precision and outcomes.
Implementation Method 1
EMR at UV and IR wavelengths are not affected in the same manner as visible light to obstructions such as surgical smoke, fluids, and so on
Implementation Method 2
an image sensor configured to sense the EMR at each of the first wavelength range and the second wavelength range reflected from a target site
Data Source
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Figure 2A~2C
AI summary
Various adaptive surgical visualization systems are disclosed. Surgical visualizations can compensate for obscured, incomplete, damaged, or interfered with portions of captured images by substituting those portions of the images with corresponding portions of other images. The other images could include images that were previously generated by the surgical visualization system or images that were generated using multispectral imaging techniques. The present disclosure concerns a surgical imaging system comprising: a multispectral electromagnetic radiation (EMR) source configured to emit EMR at a first wavelength range and a second wavelength range; an image sensor configured to sense the EMR at each of the first wavelength range and the second wavelength range reflected from a target site; and a control circuit coupled to the image sensor, the control circuit configured to: generate a first image of the target site according to the EMR emitted at the first wavelength range, generate a second image of the target site according to the light emitted at the second wavelength range, determine whether the first image is at least partially obstructed, and generate a fused image comprising a fusion between an unobstructed segment of the first image and a segment of the second image corresponding to an obstructed segment of the first image. Alternatively, the control circuit is configured to generate an image of the target site according to the emitted EMR, determine whether the image is at least partially obstructed, retrieve a previous image of the target site, and generate a fused image comprising a fusion between an unobstructed segment of the image and a segment of the previous image corresponding to an obstructed segment of the image.