Endoscope system for fluorescent observation
First Claim
1. An endoscope system for detecting fluorescent light emitted in the near-infrared region by a plurality of fluorescent labeling materials introduced into a living tissue, comprising:
- an endoscope that has an elongated insertion section and an eyepiece section;
an illumination system for generating illumination light that includes an excitation light for said plurality of fluorescent labeling materials;
a detection system that includes an optical element having a transmission wavelength that can be varied so as to separate fluorescent light emissions that are emitted at different wavelengths from among the plurality of fluorescent labeling materials, said optical element located in the eyepiece section; and
a controller that controls the transmission wavelength of said optical element so as to scan for different fluorescent light emissions.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An endoscope system is disclosed for detecting fluorescent light emitted in the near-infrared region by a plurality of fluorescent labeling materials introduced into a living tissue. An illumination system generates illumination light in the wavelength range 600 nm-2000 nm which serves as excitation light for the plurality of fluorescent labeling materials, and a detection system that can separately detect different ones of the plurality of fluorescent light emissions that are emitted at different wavelengths from among the plurality of fluorescent labeling materials is provided. The endoscope system may include a conventional-type endoscope having an insertion section, or a capsule endoscope that wirelessly transmits image data. By superimposing the image data obtained using reflected light in the visible region and fluorescent light emitted by the fluorescent labeling materials, improved diagnostic capabilities are provided.
122 Citations
43 Claims
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1. An endoscope system for detecting fluorescent light emitted in the near-infrared region by a plurality of fluorescent labeling materials introduced into a living tissue, comprising:
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an endoscope that has an elongated insertion section and an eyepiece section;
an illumination system for generating illumination light that includes an excitation light for said plurality of fluorescent labeling materials;
a detection system that includes an optical element having a transmission wavelength that can be varied so as to separate fluorescent light emissions that are emitted at different wavelengths from among the plurality of fluorescent labeling materials, said optical element located in the eyepiece section; and
a controller that controls the transmission wavelength of said optical element so as to scan for different fluorescent light emissions. - View Dependent Claims (6, 10, 12, 13, 36, 43)
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2. An endoscope system for detecting fluorescent light emitted in the near-infrared region by a plurality of fluorescent labeling materials introduced into a living tissue, comprising:
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an endoscope that has an elongated insertion section;
an illumination system for generating illumination light that includes an excitation light for said plurality of fluorescent labeling materials;
a detection system that includes an optical element having a transmission wavelength that can be varied so as to separate fluorescent light emissions that are emitted at different wavelengths from among the plurality of fluorescent labeling materials, said optical element located in a distal end part of said elongated insertion section; and
a controller that controls the transmission wavelength of said optical element so as to scan for different fluorescent light emissions. - View Dependent Claims (3, 7, 8, 11, 14, 15, 37)
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4. An endoscope system for detecting fluorescent light emitted in the near-infrared region by a plurality of fluorescent labeling materials introduced into a living tissue, comprising:
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an endoscope having an insertion section and an eyepiece section;
an illumination system for generating illumination light that includes an excitation light for the plurality of fluorescent labeling materials;
a detection system that includes an electronic camera head adapted to be optically connected to said eyepiece section and an optical element which separates fluorescent light emissions that are emitted at different wavelengths from among the plurality of fluorescent labeling materials, said optical element located in the camera head; and
a plurality of sensors that receive the respective separated fluorescent light emissions that are emitted at different wavelengths. - View Dependent Claims (5, 9, 16, 38)
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17. An endoscope system for detecting fluorescences in the near-infrared region by a plurality of fluorescent labeling materials that have previously been introduced into a living tissue, comprising:
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an illumination system for generating illumination light that includes light for excitation of the plurality of fluorescent labeling materials, or visible light;
a detection system that includes an excitation light cut-off filter, a wavelength separation filter that separates the fluorescences emitted from the plurality of fluorescent labeling materials, and a sensor that detects sequentially each of the separated fluorescences; and
a observation system that includes an objective optical system and an image sensor for receiving an image of an object formed by the objective optical system. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 39)
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20. An endoscope system for detecting fluorescences emitted in the near-infrared region by a plurality of fluorescent labeling materials introduced in a living tissue, comprising:
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an illumination system;
an observation system; and
a TV camera unit;
wherein the illumination system includes a light source device which generates illumination light that includes light for excitation of the plurality of fluorescent labeling materials;
the observation system includes an objective optical system, an image transmitting optical system that transmits an image formed by the objective optical system, and an ocular optical system; and
the TV camera unit includes a coupling optical system adapted to be optically connectable to the ocular optical system for forming an image of the image transmitted by the transmission optical system, an excitation light cut-off filter, a wavelength separation filter that separates the fluorescences emitted from the plurality of fluorescent labeling materials, and an image sensor. - View Dependent Claims (21, 40)
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22. An endoscope system for detecting fluorescences emitted in the near-infrared region by a plurality of fluorescent labeling materials introduced into living tissue, comprising:
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an illumination system;
an observation system; and
a TV camera unit;
wherein the illumination system includes a light source device which generates illumination light that includes light for excitation of the plurality of fluorescent labeling materials;
the observation system includes an objective optical system, an image transmitting optical system that transmits an image formed by the objective optical system, and an ocular optical system that includes an excitation light cut-off filter; and
the TV camera unit includes a coupling optical system adapted to be optically connectable to the ocular optical system for forming an image of the image transmitted by the transmission optical system, a wavelength separation filter that separates the fluorescences emitted from the plurality of fluorescent labeling materials, and an image sensor. - View Dependent Claims (23, 41)
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24. An endoscope system for detecting fluorescences emitted in the near-infrared region by a plurality of fluorescent labeling materials introduced into living tissue, comprising:
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an endoscope; and
a light source device;
wherein the light source device generates illumination light that includes light for excitation of the plurality of fluorescent labeling materials;
the endoscope comprises an objective optical system, an image transmission optical system that transmits an image formed by the objective optical system, a coupling optical system that forms an image of the image transmitted by the transmission optical system, an image sensor, an excitation light cut-off filter, and a wavelength separation filter that separates the fluorescences emitted by the plurality of fluorescent labeling materials; and
both the excitation light cut-off filter and the wavelength separation filter are arranged between the transmission optical system and the image sensor. - View Dependent Claims (25, 42)
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26. A capsule endoscope apparatus for detecting fluorescences emitted in the near-infrared region by a plurality of fluorescent labeling materials introduced into living tissue, the capsule endoscope apparatus comprising:
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an illumination unit that includes a red band light source, a green band light source, a blue band light source, and a near-infrared band light source; and
an imaging unit that includes an objective optical system, an excitation light cut-off filter, a transmission wavelength separation filter which separates different fluorescences emitted from different fluorescent labeling materials, and an image sensor. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29)
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30. An endoscope system for detecting fluorescences emitted by a plurality of different fluorescent labeling materials introduced into living tissue, comprising:
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an illumination system; and
an observation system;
wherein the illumination system includes illumination optics and a light source device that generates at least light for normal observation and light for excitation of the fluorescent labeling materials;
the observation system includes an objective optical system, an excitation light cut-off filter, a wavelength tunable filter, and a detector; and
the wavelength tunable filter is a tunable etalon that has an average transmittance in the visible region that enables a sufficient intensity of light to transmit through the wavelength tunable filter for normal observation, and has a narrow passband in the infrared region with the passband, as well as the passband wavelength peak, being variable in wavelength. - View Dependent Claims (33)
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31. An endoscope system for detecting fluorescences emitted by a plurality of fluorescent labeling materials introduced into living tissue, comprising:
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an illumination system; and
an observation system;
wherein the illumination system generates an excitation light for the fluorescent labeling materials;
the observation system includes an objective optical system, an excitation light cut-off filter, a wavelength tunable filter and a detector;
the tunable filter is formed as an etalon that includes a plurality of transparent substrates arranged so as to form a gap therebetween, the surfaces of the substrates that face each other across the gap have semi-transparent films, at least two of which have a spectral transmittance and the following conditions are satisfied;
T1≧
80% andT2≦
35%,where T1 is the average transmittance in the wavelength region of 400 nm≦
λ
≦
650 nm, andT2 is a transmittance in the wavelength band having a lower boundary that is 50 nm shorter than the peak transmittance wavelength of the shortest fluorescence wavelength, and an upper boundary that is 50 nm longer than the peak transmittance wavelength of the longest fluorescence wavelength. - View Dependent Claims (34)
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32. An endoscope for detecting fluorescence emitted by a plurality of fluorescent labeling materials introduced into living tissue, comprising:
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an illumination unit; and
an observation unit;
wherein the illumination unit generates near-infrared illumination light that includes a wavelength band for excitation of the fluorescent labeling materials;
the observation unit includes an objective optical system, an excitation light blocking filter, a wavelength tunable filter, and a detector;
the combination of the excitation light blocking filter and the tunable filter passes light in the visible region, and has a passband in the infrared region which allows the fluorescence emitted from the fluorescent labeling material that is under observation to pass through;
wherein the spectral transmittance of said combination satisfies the following conditions;
T3≧
60%T4≦
0.01%T5≧
65%5 nm≦
d5≦
35 nmwhere T3 is the average transmittance within the visible wavelength range of 400 nm≦
λ
≦
650 nm,T4 is the transmittance for the wavelengths within a range 20 nm above and 20 nm below the wavelength range of the excitation light generated by the illumination unit, T5 is the transmittance at the peak transmittance wavelength for an infrared passband, d5 is the infrared passband'"'"'s full width as measured at 50% of the peak transmittance, and λ
is the wavelength of light incident onto the filter. - View Dependent Claims (35)
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Specification