Microscopy system and method for operating the microscopy system

• US 11,406,455 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2019
• Issued: 08/09/2022
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Carl Zeiss Meditec AG (Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung)
• Original Assignee: Carl Zeiss Meditec AG (Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung)
• Inventors: Saur, Stefan, Voigt, Christian, Wilzbach, Marco, Hauger, Christoph
• Primary Examiner(s): Brutus, Joel F
• Application Number:
  US16/393,959
• Publication Number:
  US 20190328464A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,202 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2055 Optical tracking systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3937 Visible markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/20 Surgical navigation systems; Devices for tracking or guiding surgical instruments, e.g. for frameless stereotaxis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/20 Surgical microscopes characterised by non-optical aspects
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/25 Supports therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/39 Markers, e.g. radio-opaque or breast lesions markers
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/0012 Surgical microscopes counterbalanced structures for surgical microscopes G02B7/001
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/06 Means for illuminating specimens
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/26 Stages; Adjusting means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/364 Projection microscopes
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/365 Control or image processing arrangements for digital or video microscopes G02B21/361, G02B21/362 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30204 Marker
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/13 Edge detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/70 Determining position or orientation of objects or cameras camera calibration G06T7/80

Abstract

A microscopy system includes a microscope, a stand configured to mount the microscope and including a drive device configured to move the microscope, a detection device configured to detect a spatial position of a target fastened to a body part or to an instrument, wherein the position detection device includes the target with at least one marker element and an image capture device configured to optically capture the target. The microscopy system further includes at least one control device configured to operate the microscopy system according to the detected position of the target, wherein the position detection device is configured to determine the position of the target by evaluating a two-dimensional image of the image capture device. In addition, a method for operating the microscopy system is provided.

Claims

1. A microscopy system comprising:

a microscope;

a stand configured to mount the microscope and including a drive device configured to move the microscope;

a position detection device including a target arranged on an object with a marker element and an image capture device configured to optically capture the target, an identity being assigned to the marker element, an identity of the target depending on the identity of the marker element and being identifiable on an image basis, different identities being defined for different objects, and the position detection device being configured to detect a spatial position of the target by evaluating a two-dimensional image captured by the image capture device;

a control device configured to;

control an operation of the microscopy system according to the spatial position of the target detected by the position detection device and according to the identity, and

activate a predetermined operation mode depending on the identity, wherein an operating mode is activated in which a graphic user interface of the microscopy system is controlled based on to the position of the target and the identity to thereby control the operation of the microscopy system, wherein a predetermined control command is issued according to the change of position of the target, and wherein control commands are assigned to changes of position.

2. The microscopy system according to claim 1, wherein the control device is configured to at least one of (a) control the drive device according to the spatial position of the target, and (b) adjust at least one of an operating parameter, a movement parameter, and an operating mode of the microscope.

3. The microscopy system according to claim 1, wherein the image capture device of the position detection device is arranged in or on the microscope to permit beams detected by the image capture device to run through an optical element of the microscope.

4. The microscopy system according to claim 1, wherein the image capture device of the position detection device is arranged in or on the microscope to prevent beams detected by the image capture device from running through an optical element of the microscope.

5. The microscopy system according to claim 1, wherein the microscope includes a transparent element arranged between the image capture device of the position detection device and a detection region to be imaged.

6. The microscopy system according to claim 1, wherein position detection is carried out according to a sequence of at least two images.

7. The Microscopy system according to claim 6, wherein the sequence of the at least two images is captured by high dynamic range (HDR) imaging.

8. The microscopy system according to claim 1, wherein:

the target includes a marker element,

the marker element has an elliptical marker body or an elliptical marker surface and a geometric center of the elliptical marker body or of the elliptical marker surface,

the marker body or the marker surface is filled with color spectrum points distributed radially with respect to the geometric center, and

a color value of each color spectrum point of the marker/marker surface is determined according to an angle between a horizontal line through the geometric center, and a further line through the geometric center and the corresponding color spectrum point.

9. The microscopy system according to claim 1, wherein a position-based control is performed in real time.

10. The microscopy system according to claim 1, further comprising an illumination device configured to illuminate the target.

11. The microscopy system according to claim 10, wherein the illumination device generates light with a wavelength outside a visible range in an infrared wavelength range.

12. The microscopy system according to claim 10, wherein at least one of an intensity of an illumination, a working distance, and an exposure time of the image capture device are adjustable according to a distance of the target from the image capture device.

13. The microscopy system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of:

the microscopy system includes a filter configured to filter beams detected by the image capture device,

the image capture device only detects beams of a defined wavelength or of a wavelength range, or

the image capture device is a monochrome image capture device.

14. The microscopy system according to claim 1, further comprising a means for activating a position-based control of the microscopy system.

15. The microscopy system according to claim 1, wherein the image capture device is a wide-angle camera.

16. The microscopy system according to claim 1, wherein an open-loop or closed-loop control of a movement of the microscope is effected according to at least one of an operating parameter of the microscope, and an operating parameter of the image capture device of the position detection device.

17. The microscopy system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of a number and a type of the enabled degrees of freedom of a movement of the microscope are adjustable.

18. The microscopy system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of (a) a size of a working space of the microscopy system, and (b) an admissible maximum speed of a movement is adjustable.

19. A microscopy system comprising:

a microscope, wherein the microscope comprises a microscope body, wherein optical elements for beam guidance and/or beam shaping and/or beam deflection are arranged in a housing of the microscope body;

a stand configured to mount the microscope and including a drive device configured to move the microscope;

a position detection device including a target arranged on an object with a marker element and an image capture device configured to optically capture the target, an identity being assigned to the marker element, an identity of the target depending on the identity of the marker element and being identifiable on an image basis, different identities being defined for different objects, and the position detection device being configured to detect a spatial position of the target by evaluating a two-dimensional image captured by the image capture device;

a control device configured to;

control an operation of the microscopy system according to the spatial position of the target detected by the position detection device and according to the identity, and

activate a predetermined operation mode depending on the identity, wherein the image capture device of the position detection device is arranged in the housing of the microscope body such that beams detected by the image capture device do not run through at least one optical element of the microscope for beam guidance and/or beam shaping and/or beam deflection.

20. A microscopy system comprising:

a microscope, wherein the microscope comprises a microscope body, wherein optical elements for beam guidance and/or beam shaping and/or beam deflection are arranged in a housing of the microscope body;

a stand configured to mount the microscope and including a drive device configured to move the microscope;

a position detection device including a target arranged on an object with a marker element and an image capture device configured to optically capture the target, an identity being assigned to the marker element, an identity of the target depending on the identity of the marker element and being identifiable on an image basis, different identities being defined for different objects, and the position detection device being configured to detect a spatial position of the target by evaluating a two-dimensional image captured by the image capture device;

a control device configured to control an operation of the microscopy system according to the spatial position of the target detected by the position detection device, wherein the image capture device of the position detection device is arranged in the housing of the microscope body such that beams detected by the image capture device do not run through at least one optical element of the microscope for beam guidance and/or beam shaping and/or beam deflection, wherein an acquisition range of the microscope is arranged completely within an acquisition range of the image capture device of the position detection device.