Autofluorescence imaging system for endoscopy
First Claim
1. A method for imaging tissue fluorescence comprising:
- delivering excitation light from a first light source with a first wavelength in a range of 380 nm-420 nm onto tissue through a fiber optic device within an endoscope body;
coupling a broadband light source to the fiber optic device;
detecting an autofluorescence image of the tissue in response to said excitation light with a distal imaging detector within the endoscope body, the detected light including autofluorescence light having a wavelength of about 450 nm;
processing said autofluorescence image with a data processor to produce an output autofluorescence image of the tissue;
electronically switching between the first light source and the broadband light source;
detecting a color video image in response to illumination of the tissue with the broadband light source;
displaying at least one of the output autofluorescence image and the color video image on a display; and
coupling the excitation light and a reference light to the fiber optic device such that a variation in a normalized intensity of the reference light and a normalized intensity of the excitation light is less than 20% at any point in a wavefront along the optical path between a combiner that combines the excitation light and the reference light and a tissue surface.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for imaging tissue autofluorescence through a video endoscope is described, comprising a light source capable of providing both ultraviolet light capable of inducing tissue autofluorescence and visible light which induces little or no autofluorescence, an optical system to deliver both wavelength bands to the tissue with the same apparent spatial and angular intensity distribution, a means for digitally acquiring the resulting, visible fluorescence and visible reflectance images using a single imaging detector at the distal tip of the endoscope and a means for digitally processing said images to generate a final, false-color image for display which indicates regions of tissue dysplasia. This system can either be added on to an existing video endoscope or integrated into its structure. The combined system can be electronically switched between normal white light imaging and fluorescence imaging.
63 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method for imaging tissue fluorescence comprising:
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delivering excitation light from a first light source with a first wavelength in a range of 380 nm-420 nm onto tissue through a fiber optic device within an endoscope body; coupling a broadband light source to the fiber optic device; detecting an autofluorescence image of the tissue in response to said excitation light with a distal imaging detector within the endoscope body, the detected light including autofluorescence light having a wavelength of about 450 nm; processing said autofluorescence image with a data processor to produce an output autofluorescence image of the tissue; electronically switching between the first light source and the broadband light source; detecting a color video image in response to illumination of the tissue with the broadband light source; displaying at least one of the output autofluorescence image and the color video image on a display; and coupling the excitation light and a reference light to the fiber optic device such that a variation in a normalized intensity of the reference light and a normalized intensity of the excitation light is less than 20% at any point in a wavefront along the optical path between a combiner that combines the excitation light and the reference light and a tissue surface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method for imaging tissue fluorescence comprising:
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directing fluorescence excitation light having a wavelength in a range of 300 nm to 420 nm onto tissue with a fiber optic device in an endoscopic body; directing visible light having a plurality of visible wavelengths through the fiber optic device onto the tissue to couple said excitation light and the visible light onto a common optical path such that an intensity of the excitation light varies less than 20% relative to a normalized intensity of the visible light at any point along the optical path; detecting an autofluorescence image of the tissue in response to the said excitation light and a visible image of the tissue due to reflected reference light with an imaging sensor at a distal end of the endoscopicbody; processing said autofluorescence image to produce an output image of the tissue; and displaying at least one of the autofluorescence image and a color video image on a display. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification