Stroboscopic Laryngoscope Rolling Shutter Sensor Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing laryngeal stroboscopy systems face challenges in utilizing rolling shutter type image sensors, which offer higher resolution capabilities at a lower cost, due to the need for global exposure shutter arrangements, limiting their integration and effectiveness in medical imaging scopes.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that employs a camera control unit to pulsate the strobe light and read image data from rolling shutter type image sensors, combining subset data from adjacent frames to create a single video frame, allowing for improved operation with rolling shutter-type image sensors in stroboscopic laryngoscopes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If rolling shutter type image sensors are used in laryngeal stroboscopy, then cost is reduced and resolution capability is improved, but the ability to capture stroboscopic images is compromised due to the need for global exposure shutter arrangements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the light emitter pulsed rather than continuous, synchronizing it with the rolling shutter readout to create multiple exposures per frame. This dynamic timing arrangement allows the rolling shutter sensor to capture stroboscopic images of vocal cord vibrations despite its sequential readout nature, resolving the contradiction between using cheaper rolling shutter sensors and maintaining stroboscopic capture capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses periodic action by pulsing the light emitter at intervals synchronized with the rolling shutter frame rate and vocal cord vibration frequency. Multiple light pulses are delivered during each frame period, with each pulse exposing a different portion of the rolling shutter sensor, thereby capturing the periodic vibration of vocal cords using the rolling shutter sensor's sequential readout mechanism
2Measurement precision
If rolling shutter type image sensors are used, then higher resolution capabilities are achieved, but device complexity increases due to the need for synchronized pulsing and data combining mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by designing a camera control unit that can operate in multiple modes: standard rolling shutter mode for general imaging and stroboscopic mode with synchronized pulsing for vocal cord examination. This multi-functional approach allows the same hardware platform to achieve high resolution imaging without requiring separate dedicated stroboscopic hardware, thereby managing device complexity while maintaining measurement precision
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses an intermediary approach by introducing a camera control unit that acts as a mediator between the light emitter and the rolling shutter sensor. This intermediary coordinates the timing of light pulses with the sensor's rolling shutter readout and combines the resulting image data, simplifying the overall system architecture while achieving synchronized stroboscopic imaging with high resolution
3Reliability
If multiple light emitter pulses are created during adjacent frames, then complete exposure of sensor pixels is achieved, but image processing complexity increases due to the need to select and combine subset data from multiple frames
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the image capture process into distinct segments: each light pulse exposes a specific segment (portion) of the rolling shutter sensor, and the camera control unit segments the image data from multiple frames to identify and combine only the relevant exposed portions. This segmentation approach ensures complete exposure coverage while managing processing complexity by working with discrete data segments rather than entire frames
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
Enables better performance and cost-effectiveness in laryngeal stroboscopy examinations by effectively utilizing rolling shutter type image sensors, enhancing image quality and interoperability with existing scope platforms.
Implementation Method 1
The strobe light emits light flashes at a rate either matched with or very slightly different than the vibration base frequency of the vocal folds, causing the folds to appear to move in slow motion when viewed through the scope
Implementation Method 2
reading image data from lines of the image sensor array offset in time such that at least two of the two or more light emitter pulses each expose sensor pixels in both first and a second image frames simultaneously
Data Source
AI summary
A system, method, scope device, and camera control module device for a stroboscopic laryngoscope, to enable scopes able to operate with a rolling shutter-type image sensor. With selected pulsing of a strobe light, subset image data from adjacent rolling-shutter frames is selected, gain compensated for missing light and combined into a new single video frame.