Fluorescence electronic endoscopic system

• US 7,330,749 B1
• Filed: 03/15/2000
• Issued: 02/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ekapot Bhunachet
• Original Assignee: Ekapot Bhunachet
• Inventors: Bhunachet, Ekapot
• Primary Examiner(s): Casler; Brian L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ROZANSKI, MICHAEL T
• Application Number:
  US09/936,872
• Time in Patent Office: 2,890 Days
• Field of Search: 600/473, 600/475, 600/476, 600/477, 600/478, 600/407, 600/425, 600/178, 600/180, 600/181, 600/118, 600/109, 600/160, 600/310, 600/474, 356/435, 356/445, 356/448
• US Class Current: 600/476
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/042 characterised by a proximal camera, e.g. a CCD camera
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/043 for fluorescence imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0646 with illumination filters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0071 by measuring fluorescence emission
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0084 for introduction into the body, e.g. by catheters A61B5/1459 takes precedence

Abstract

In fluorescent endoscopic examinations, excitation light and light adjusted by an adjuster filter are alternately projected to an object under observation, the fluorescence light is received by one channel out of three channels by disposing barrier filters before a black-and-white CCD, or received without any filter by the channel of a color CCD which does not react with excitation light but with the fluorescent light, the light adjusted by an adjuster filter is received by the other two channels to capture the background image, the signals sent through the three channels are combined, and the fluorescent image is superimposed on the background image on a monitor. Thus, a sharp fluorescent image and bright field of view are formed and viewed on the same screen simultaneously, and the portions where fluorescence is emitted can be easily specified in the background.

Claims

1. A fluorescence electronic endoscopic system for viewing matter comprising, in combination:

I) at least one excitation light emitting system structured and arranged to illuminate the subject matter with excitation light;

II) at least one non-excitation light emitting system structured and arranged to illuminate the subject matter with non-excitation light;

III) at least one alternating system structured and arranged to alternate use of said at least one excitation light emitting system and said at least one non-excitation light emitting system,

{circle around (1)} wherein said at least one alternating system is structured and arranged to illuminate the subject matter for first periods of time essentially only said at least one excitation light emitting system, and

{circle around (2)} wherein said at least one alternating system is structured and arranged to illuminate the subject matter for second periods of time by said at least one non-excitation light emitting system;

IV) at least image sensing system, structured and arranged to sense images of the subject matter, comprising,

{circle around (1)} at least one color CCD inside an endoscope,

{circle around (2)} at least three video channels, wherein;

1. at least one of said video channels, which is sensitive to the fluorescence emitted from the subject matter but not to the excitation light, is structured and arranged to differentiate without using any filters or dichroic mirrors between the excitation light and the fluorescence, and transmit only the fluorescence image during such first period of time, and

2. at least two of said video channels are structured and arranged each to transmit at least one such image sensed during such second period of time

V) at least one superimposing system structured and arranged to superimpose such images sensed by said image sensing system,

{circle around (1)} wherein at least one such image sensed during such first period of time is superimposed with at least one such image sensed during such second period of time to create at least one such superimposed image; and

VI) at least one image viewing system structured and arranged to permit viewing such at least one superimposed image.

2. A fluorescence electronic endoscopic system for viewing matter comprising, in combination:

I) at least one light source for illuminating the subject matter, said at least one light source emitting light having plurality of wavelength ranges, said light comprising visible light and an excitation light;

II) at least one filter unit, arranged between said at least one light source and the subject matter, that periodically filters said light from said at least one light source to illuminate the subject matter, said at least one filter unit comprising at least one blue filter, with or without at least one red filter, and with or without at least one green filter, such that the light filtered by said at least one blue filter functions as at least one excitation light that causes the subject matter to fluoresce and emit fluorescent light, while the light unfiltered and/or the light filtered by said at least one green filter and/or the light filtered by said at least one red filter function as at least one non-excitation light;

III) at least one fluorescence filter, said at least one fluorescence filter preventing transmission of said at least one excitation light reflected from the subject matter but not of the fluorescent light emitted from the subject matter and said at least one non-excitation light reflected from the subject matter;

IV) at least one image sensing system, structured and arranged to sense images of the subject matter passing through said at least one fluorescence filter, said at least one image sensing system comprising,

{circle around (1)} at least one black-and-white CCD provided inside an endoscope,

{circle around (2)} at least two video channels, wherein;

1. at least one of said video channels is structured and arranged to transmit the fluorescence image sensed during the period(s) of the excitation light(s), and

2. at least one of said video channels is structured and arranged to transmit at least one such image sensed during the period(s) of the non-excitation light(s);

V) at least one superimposing system structured and arranged to superimpose such images sensed by said image sensing system,

{circle around (1)} wherein fluorescence image sensed during the period(s) of the excitation light(s) is superimposed with at least one such image sensed during the period(s) of the non-excitation light(s) to create one such superimposed image; and

VI) at least one image viewing system structured and arranged to permit viewing such at least one superimposed color image.

3. The fluorescence electronic endoscopic system according to claim 2, wherein said at least one filter unit is a rotating disk upon which said at least one blue, at least one green and at least one red filters are mounted.

4. The fluorescence electronic endoscopic system according to claim 2, wherein said at least one filter unit is a rotating disk upon which said at least one blue and at least one green filters are mounted.

5. The fluorescence electronic endoscopic system according to claim 2, wherein said at least one filter unit is a rotating disk upon which said at least one blue and at least one red filters are mounted.

6. The fluorescence electronic endoscopic system according to claim 2, wherein said at least one filter unit is a rotating disk upon which said at least one blue filter is mounted, and in which there is at least one pass-through hole.

7. The fluorescence electronic endoscopic system according to claim 2 further comprising at least one adjuster filter, said at least one adjuster filter decreasing only some of the excitation light intensity but most of the non-excitation light intensity from said at least one light source for illuminating the subject matter.