IMAGING SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DISPLAYING FLUORESCENCE AND VISIBLE IMAGES

摘要

An endoscopic video system and method using a camera with a single color image sensor, for example a CCD color image sensor, for fluorescence and color imaging and for simultaneously displaying the images acquired in these imaging modes at video rates in real time is disclosed. The tissue under investigation is illuminated continuously with fluorescence excitation light and is further illuminated periodically using visible light outside of the fluorescence excitation wavelength range. The illumination sources may be conventional lamps using filters and shutters, or may include light-emitting diodes mounted at the distal tip of the endoscope.

主权项

1. A method of visualizing a tissue of a subject, the method comprising:
receiving visible image data and corresponding fluorescence image data of the tissue, the visible image data and the fluorescence image data being captured or having been captured by an image capture device; colorizing the visible image data based on the fluorescence image data to generate a composite colorized image, wherein the composite colorized image comprises a plurality of differentiated color regions, the differentiated color regions corresponding to a change in fluorescence signal from the tissue; and displaying the composite colorized image.