Configurable platform

• US 10,980,420 B2
• Filed: 01/26/2017
• Issued: 04/20/2021
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stryker Corporation
• Original Assignee: Stryker European Operations Limited (Stryker Corporation)
• Inventors: Fengler, John Josef Paul, Stead, Robert Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): Tchoussou, Boubacar Abdou
• Application Number:
  US15/416,876
• Publication Number:
  US 20170209050A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,545 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00186 with imaging filters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/043 for fluorescence imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/051 Details of CCD assembly
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0638 providing two or more wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0684 using light emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0035 adapted for acquisition of images from more than one imaging mode, e.g. combining MRI and optical tomography
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/00 Photometry, e.g. photographic exposure meter spectrophotometry G01J3/00; specially adapted for radiation pyrometry G01J5/00 ; exposure meters built in cameras G03B17/06
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/58 using luminescence generated by light
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0205 Optical elements not provided otherwise, e.g. optical manifolds, diffusers, windows
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0208 using focussing or collimating elements, e.g. lenses or mirrors; performing aberration correction
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/021 using plane or convex mirrors, parallel phase plates, or particular reflectors
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0248 using a sighting port, e.g. camera or human eye
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/10 Arrangements of light sources specially adapted for spectrometry or colorimetry
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/36 Investigating two or more bands of a spectrum by separate detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/4406 Fluorescence spectrometry
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/16 adapted for ultraviolet illumination ; Fluorescence microscopes G02B21/0076 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/1013 for colour or multispectral image sensors, e.g. splitting an image into monochromatic image components on respective sensors spectral imaging systems G01J
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/106 for splitting or combining a plurality of identical beams or images, e.g. image replication
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/204 : using stereoscopic image cameras stereoscopic photography G03B35/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2209/049 : having three pick-up sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/11 : for generating image signals from visible and infrared light wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/16 : Optical arrangements associated therewith, e.g. for beam-splitting or for colour correction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/56 : provided with illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/60 : Control of cameras or camera modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/667 : Camera operation mode switching, e.g. between still and video, sport and normal or high- and low-resolution modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/74 : by influencing the scene brightness using illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/75 : by influencing optical camera components
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/11 : Arrangement of colour filter arrays [CFA]; Filter mosaics

Abstract

A fluorescence imaging system for imaging an object, the system includes a white light provider that emits white light, an excitation light provider that emits excitation light in a plurality of excitation wavebands for causing the object to emit fluorescent light, a component that directs the white light and excitation light to the object and collects reflected white light and emitted fluorescent light from the object, a filter that blocks light in the excitation wavebands and transmits at least a portion of the reflected white light and fluorescent light, and an image sensor assembly that receives the transmitted reflected white light and the fluorescent light.

Claims

1. A fluorescence imaging system for imaging an object, comprising:

a white light provider that emits white light;

an excitation light provider that emits excitation light in a plurality of excitation wavebands for causing the object to emit fluorescent light, wherein the excitation light provider is distinct form the white light provider and can emit excitation light simultaneously with the white light provider emitting white light;

a component that directs the white light and excitation light to the object and collects reflected white light and emitted fluorescent light from the object;

a filter that blocks light in the excitation wavebands and transmits at least a portion of the reflected white light and fluorescent light;

an image sensor assembly that receives the transmitted reflected white light and the fluorescent light; and

an optical assembly located in an optical path between the object and the image sensor assembly, the optical assembly comprising;

a first optics region that projects the transmitted reflected white light as a white light image onto an image plane of the image sensor assembly, and

a second optics region for reducing an image size for the transmitted fluorescent light, spectrally separating the transmitted fluorescent light, and projecting the separated fluorescent light as fluorescence images onto different portions of an image sensor of the image sensor assembly.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the excitation wavebands is centered at about 405 nm, about 470-480 nm, about 660 nm, about 760-780 nm, about 805 nm, or about 750-810 nm.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the excitation light provider comprises at least three excitation light sources.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the excitation light provider is coupled to an optical filter that narrows the spectrum of light emitted from the excitation light provider.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the filter has an optical density of at least 4.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the filter transmits at least 90% of the reflected white light and the fluorescent light.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the image sensor assembly comprises a single image sensor.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the image sensor assembly comprises a plurality of image sensors.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the component is an interchangeable component.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising an image processor and at least one controller that controls the system to selectively operate in a non-fluorescence mode, a fluorescence mode, or a combined non-fluorescence and fluorescence mode, wherein:

in the non-fluorescence mode, the controller causes the white light provider to emit white light and the image processor generates a white light image based on image signals associated with the reflected white light from the object,

in the fluorescence mode, the controller causes the excitation light provider to emit excitation light and the image processor generates a fluorescence emission image based on image signals associated with the fluorescent light from the object, and

in the combined non-fluorescence and fluorescence mode, the controller causes at least a portion of the white light or at least a portion of the excitation light to be pulsed.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the reflected white light and the fluorescent light received at the image sensor are temporally multiplexed, spatially multiplexed, or both temporally multiplexed and spatially multiplexed.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein the optical assembly comprises the filter.

24. The system of claim 1, wherein the optical assembly comprises a beam splitter that separates the transmitted reflected white light and fluorescent light into a first branch of reflected white light and a second branch of fluorescent light.

25. The system of claim 1, wherein the second optics region comprises a beam splitter that spectrally separates the fluorescent light.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the optical assembly comprises at least one demagnification optic for reducing the image size for the transmitted fluorescent light and the beam splitter is downstream of at least one demagnification optic.

27. The system of claim 1, further comprising an image processor configured to electronically magnify the fluorescence images.

31. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second optics regions project the transmitted reflected white light and the transmitted fluorescence light, respectively, onto the same image sensor.

12. A method for fluorescence imaging of an object, comprising:

emitting white light by a white light emitter;

emitting excitation light in a plurality of excitation wavebands from an excitation light provider that is distinct from the white light emitter for causing the object to emit fluorescent light;

directing the white light and excitation light to the object;

collecting reflected white light and emitted fluorescent light from the object;

blocking light in the excitation wavebands and transmitting at least a portion of the reflected white light and fluorescent light; and

directing the transmitted reflected white light and fluorescent light through an optical assembly located in an optical path between the object and an image sensor assembly, wherein;

a first optics region of the optical assembly projects the transmitted reflected white light as a white light image onto an image plane of the image sensor assembly, and

a second optics region reduces an image size for the fluorescent light, spectrally separates the fluorescent light, and projects the separated fluorescent light as fluorescence images onto different portions of an image sensor of the image sensor assembly.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein at least one of the excitation wavebands is centered at about 405 nm, about 470-480 nm, about 660 nm, about 760-780 nm, about 805 nm, or about 750-810 nm.

14. The method of claim 12, comprising emitting excitation light in a plurality of excitation wavebands from at least three excitation light sources.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising narrowing the spectrum of emitted excitation light.

16. The method of claim 12, comprising blocking light in the excitation wavebands using a filter has an optical density of at least 4.

17. The method of claim 12, comprising blocking at least 90% of the reflected white light and the fluorescent light.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the image sensor assembly comprises a single image sensor.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the image sensor assembly comprises a plurality of image sensors.

20. The method of claim 12, comprising directing the white light and excitation light to the object using an interchangeable component.

21. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

emitting white light and generating a white light image based on image signals associated with the reflected white light from the object in a white light mode;

emitting excitation light and generating a fluorescence emission image based on image signals associated with the fluorescent light from the object in a fluorescence mode; and

pulsing at least a portion of the white light or at least a portion of the excitation light in a combined non-fluorescence and fluorescence mode.

22. The method of claim 12, further comprising temporally multiplexing the reflected white light and the fluorescent light, spatially multiplexing the reflected white light and the fluorescent light, or both temporally multiplexing and spatially multiplexing the reflected white light and the fluorescent light.

28. The method of claim 12, wherein the optical assembly comprises a beam splitter that separates the transmitted reflected white light and fluorescent light into a first branch of reflected white light and a second branch of fluorescent light.

29. The method of claim 12, wherein the second optics region comprises a beam splitter that spectrally separates the fluorescent light.

30. The method of claim 12, further comprising electronically magnifying the fluorescence images.

32. The method of claim 12, wherein the first and second optics regions project the transmitted reflected white light and the transmitted fluorescence light, respectively, onto the same image sensor.