KR20230078137A - Lighting system and imaging system for improving the visibility in tissue optical image - Google Patents

Abstract

A lighting system and an imaging system for improving the visibility of tissues. The lighting system includes a light source unit, an optical coupling and focusing unit, a driver unit, a spectral mixer unit, and a control unit. The light source unit comprises a plurality of light sources having different wavelength bands, the driver unit drives the plurality of light sources, the optical coupling and focusing unit combines the plurality of light sources and delivers the light sources to a target sample, the spectral mixer unit calculates channel intensities of the plurality of channels corresponding to each of the plurality of light sources, and the control unit controls the driver unit and the spectral mixer unit. Therefore, by applying different channel intensities relative to the light sources of different wavelength bands, the lighting system can optimize the spectroscopic properties of the light sources to improve visibility in the sample image.

Description

Lighting system and imaging system for improving the visibility in tissue optical image

The present invention relates to a technology for improving visibility in an optical image, and more particularly, to a lighting system and an imaging system for improving the visibility of tissue through a plurality of light sources and their control.

In a situation where an abnormal tissue is to be inspected near the surface of a human tissue, a problem in which precise inspection is not performed often occurs due to scattering or spectroscopic characteristics of a scattering body. For example, visible light illumination has a broadband wavelength of 400-700 nm, and absorption or scattering appears in a detailed wavelength band due to spectral and scattering characteristics of human tissues or mucous membranes.

In contrast, visibility of a specific tissue may be improved by appropriately irradiating light corresponding to light absorption and scattering characteristics of a local wavelength band for a sample such as a specific tissue and imaging it through an imaging device.

In addition, in the case of near-infrared light in the 700-1100nm wavelength band, since it has low scattering characteristics compared to visible light illumination, visibility of the structural and anatomical characteristics of the sample is improved by imaging to a certain depth under the tissue surface through appropriate spectral characteristics. can be improved In addition, recently, visibility is further improved by injecting a fluorescent substance that selectively binds to a test target sample and imaging fluorescence expressed in the sample.

On the other hand, in the case of a commercialized endoscope (Olympus), NBI (Narrow band imaging) technology is provided. A narrow band light transmission filter and individual color band transmission filters are mounted on a rotating filter wheel in a xenon lamp to obtain sequential individual images. method is being used.

However, this method has a problem in that it is difficult to adjust the color band in detail because individual images are sequentially acquired and light is irradiated to the sample only at the set transmittance level of the optical filter.

KR 101799184 B1

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and provides a sample image by optimizing the spectral characteristics and optical intensity of a light source in response to the spectral or fluorescence characteristics of a target sample such as human tissue. It is an object of the present invention to provide a lighting system and an imaging system capable of improving visibility for inspection.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a lighting system and an imaging system capable of obtaining an image with improved visibility through real-time control of spectral characteristics and optical intensity of a light source.

To achieve the above object, the lighting system according to the present invention includes a light source unit, an optical coupling and focusing unit, a driver unit, a spectral mixer unit, and a control unit. The light source unit includes a plurality of light sources each having a different wavelength band, the driver unit drives ON/OF and intensity control of the plurality of light sources, and the light coupling and focusing optical unit converts light emitted from the plurality of light sources into a single optical path. Combined and transmitted to a target sample (subject), the spectral mixer unit calculates channel intensities for a plurality of channels corresponding to each of a plurality of light sources, and the controller controls the driver unit and the spectral mixer unit.

According to this configuration, by applying different channel intensities to a plurality of light sources of different wavelength bands, it is possible to optimize spectral characteristics of the light source and improve visibility in the image of the sample.

In this case, the channel intensity may be calculated using a channel maximum value for each of a plurality of channels, an intensity ratio for each channel, and illumination intensity.

In addition, the controller may drive light sources of a white light channel set to correspond to white light together, and the spectral mixer may calculate the intensity of the white light channel using a light intensity set value corresponding to the white light channel.

In addition, the controller may drive a light source of a spectral channel set to correspond to spectral light, and the spectral mixer may calculate the intensity of the spectral channel using a lighting intensity set value corresponding to the spectral channel.

In addition, the spectral channel may include an ultraviolet light channel or a near infrared light channel, and may further include a visible light channel of a preset wavelength band. In this case, the visible light channel of the preset wavelength band may include a visible light channel corresponding to green.

In addition, the control unit may further include a channel selection input unit for receiving a selection input for a white light or spectral channel from the outside, and may further include an intensity ratio input unit for each channel receiving an intensity ratio for each channel.

In addition, the light coupling and focusing optical unit may be formed of an optical element having reflection and transmission characteristics, such as a mirror, or a structure of a light pipe that transmits light.

In this case, the intensity ratio for each channel may be input from an image processing device that processes an image of a target sample acquired using light emitted from the light source unit. According to this configuration, the spectral mixer unit calculates the intensity of the channels using the intensity ratio for each channel calculated by the image processing device, thereby obtaining an image with improved visibility through real-time control of light sources having various spectral characteristics. there will be

On the other hand, the imaging system according to the present invention is an imaging system including an imaging unit including a lighting unit that emits light of a preset wavelength and an image processing unit that processes an image obtained from a target sample (subject). A light source unit including a plurality of light sources having different wavelength bands, a coupling and focusing optical unit of the plurality of light sources, a driver unit for driving the plurality of light sources, and calculating channel intensities for a plurality of channels corresponding to each of the plurality of light sources It includes a spectral mixer unit and a control unit that controls the driver unit and the spectral mixer unit.

In this case, the channel intensity may be calculated using a channel maximum value for each of a plurality of channels, an intensity ratio for each channel, and illumination intensity.

In addition, the control unit drives the light sources of the white light channel set to correspond to the white light, and the spectral mixer unit can calculate the intensity of the white light channel using the lighting intensity set value corresponding to the white light channel, and the spectral mixer unit can calculate the intensity of the white light channel set to correspond to the spectral The light source of the channel is driven, and the spectral mixer may calculate the intensity of the spectral channel using a lighting intensity set value corresponding to the spectral channel.

In addition, the spectral channel may include an ultraviolet light channel or a near infrared light channel, and may further include a visible light channel of a preset wavelength band. In this case, the visible light channel of the preset wavelength band may include a visible light channel corresponding to green.

In addition, the control unit may further include a channel selection input unit for receiving a selection input for a white light or spectral channel, and may further include an intensity ratio input unit for each channel receiving an intensity ratio for each channel. In this case, the intensity ratio for each channel may be input from the image processing unit.

In addition, a filtering unit capable of removing light of a partial wavelength band from light obtained from a subject may be further included.

According to the present invention, by applying different channel intensities to a plurality of light sources of different wavelength bands, spectral characteristics of the light sources are optimized to improve visibility in the image of the sample.

In addition, since the spectral mixer calculates the intensity of the channels using the intensity ratio for each channel calculated by the image processing device, it is possible to obtain an image with improved visibility through real-time control of light sources having various spectral characteristics.

1 is a schematic block diagram of an imaging system for improving tissue visibility according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2 is a schematic block diagram of an example of actually implementing the lighting unit of Figure 1;
3 is a view showing an example of a control structure of illumination for improving visibility.
4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of an imaging device using visibility-improving lighting.
5 is a diagram illustrating another example of a configuration of an imaging device using visibility-improving lighting;
6 is a diagram showing transmission characteristics of an optical filter.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a schematic block diagram of an imaging system for improving tissue visibility according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of an actual implementation of the lighting unit of FIG. 1 .

1, the imaging system includes a lighting unit 100 and an imaging unit 200, and the lighting unit 100 includes a light source unit 110, a driver unit 120, a spectral mixer unit 130, and a control unit 140. , and an optical coupling and focusing optical unit 150, and the imaging unit 200 includes an image processing unit 210 and a correction variable extraction unit 220.

The light source unit 110 emits light of a preset wavelength, the light coupling and focusing optical unit 150 transfers the light emitted from the light source unit 110 to a subject, and the image processing unit 210 transmits an image obtained from the subject. to process

At this time, the light source unit 110 includes a plurality of light sources each having a different wavelength band, the driver unit 120 drives the plurality of light sources, and the spectral mixer unit 130 has a plurality of light sources corresponding to each of the plurality of light sources. ON/OFF control and channel intensity are calculated for the channel of , and the control unit 140 controls the driver unit and the spectral mixer unit.

The configuration of the lighting unit 100 can be described in more detail as follows. FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of an example of actually implementing the lighting unit of FIG. 1 . In FIG. 2, the light source unit 110 is implemented as a light source array, the driver unit 120 is implemented as a light driver, the spectral mixer unit 130 is implemented as a spectral mixer, and the control unit 110 is implemented as a controller. In addition, the light combining and focusing optical unit 150 is implemented as a light combiner + condensor.

Controller: ON/OFF of the entire light source system, ON/OFF and intensity control of individual light sources constituting the light source unit, or simultaneous ON/OFF and intensity control of multiple light sources among individual light sources

Self-control of the controller function of the previously described function and optional function of remote control

In addition, the control function of peripheral devices (eg, pump ON/OFF control, etc.)

Spectral mixer

- By controlling the spectral characteristics such as color temperature, color rendering, and emission spectrum by an algorithm built into the spectral mixer, one or more light sources among the individual light sources of the light source unit are emitted.

Driver Array (Light driver)

- Driving individual light sources by receiving ON/OFF and light quantity control signals (ON/OFF, light quantity control)

Light source array

- Composed of individual light sources such as LED or various light sources

Light combining and focusing optics (Light combiner + condensor)

- Composed of a combiner that combines light emitted from individual light sources into a single optical path and a condenser that delivers the combined light to an endoscope scope or a subject.

- The coupling optical system may be configured using optical elements such as mirrors and beam splitters having transmission and reflection characteristics, or configurations using light guides such as light pipes and optical fibers.

- The transmission optical system can be composed of a focusing optical system to deliver light to a narrow area like an endoscope scope or a collimation optical system to deliver light to a wide area.

3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a lighting unit control structure for improving visibility. 3 shows a structure of illumination for obtaining a white light image and a spectroscopic image of a specific wavelength band.

Through a control board (controller), it is possible to control ON/OFF of lighting for white light images and spectroscopic images through simultaneous control of one or more individual light sources of the light source unit, and it is possible to adjust a set value of light intensity for irradiating a sample.

In the spectral mixer, the intensity of each channel light source is calculated through a formula using the relative ratio (between 0 and 1) of the light intensity of each channel and the maximum intensity value of each channel light and the setting value of the light intensity. strength can be controlled. At this time, the individual channel strength can be defined as the following formula.

Individual channel intensity = individual channel maximum value * intensity ratio per channel (value between 0 and 1) * white light intensity or spectral light intensity setting

In particular, it is possible to generate white light illumination and spectral illumination in which a specific wavelength band is enhanced by configuring an individual light source with red, green, and blue, which are three primary colors of visible light illumination. That is, lighting having spectral characteristics (color temperature, color rendering, wavelength band) capable of improving the visibility of sample inspection can be generated through the relative ratio of individual channel light sources.

4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of an imaging device using visibility-improving lighting. In FIG. 4 , the imaging device is implemented including the image processing unit 300 of FIG. 1 . FIG. 4 shows an example of an imaging device using the lighting for improving visibility shown in FIG. 2 .

In FIG. 4, a selection input unit capable of directly adjusting the intensity setting values of white light and spectral light sources is added in the control board constituting the visibility-improving lighting, and the selection input unit includes an imaging optical system, an image module (image sensor, etc.), and image processing. It is connected to an imaging device composed of a module, a correction variable extraction unit, and the like.

In addition, an interface (Manual/Interface) capable of selecting ON/OFF control and intensity control of the light source inside the lighting unit or control through a selection input unit may be added.

In order to display the image data of the light reflected from the sample through the imaging optics and image module, it must be processed with a detailed image processing algorithm. Image data acquisition may be optimized by evaluating intensity setting values for controlling individual light sources of the light source unit and adjusting the spectral characteristics of the lighting unit through the correction variable extraction unit.

To this end, it is possible to irradiate the sample with illumination that can optimally obtain image data by directly controlling the individual light sources constituting the white light or the spectral light source through the selection input unit of the control board.

5 is a diagram illustrating another example of a configuration of an imaging device using visibility-improving lighting. The visibility-enhancing illumination consists of individual light sources that emit white light and excitation wavelengths for fluorescence imaging and drivers that drive them. An optical filter capable of removing light from an excitation light source for fluorescence imaging and a white light/fluorescence image selector are added to the imaging optical system of the imaging device of FIG. 5 . 6 is a diagram showing transmission characteristics of an optical filter.

The optical filter may be any optical filter having transmission characteristics capable of transmitting only white light and emission light of the sample. In order to obtain a white light image, individual light sources of the light source unit may be composed of individual red, green, and blue light sources for white light, or may be composed of one white light source, and an excitation light source for fluorescence image is added.

Through the white light/fluorescence image selection unit, an optimized white light image can be obtained by adjusting the intensity of the white light source for white light image in the ON/OFF state of the excitation light source for fluorescence image, and for fluorescence image in the state that the white light source is ON/OFF. Fluorescent images can be obtained by adjusting the intensity of the excitation light source.

In addition, in order to obtain precise image data from the sample, the intensity setting value for controlling the individual light source of the light source unit, which can optimize the image in the white balance or color correction step, is evaluated, and the spectral characteristics of the lighting unit are adjusted through the correction variable extraction unit. In this way, image data acquisition can be optimized.

In order to obtain a white light image, individual light sources such as red, green, and blue are controlled (ON/OFF, light amount control), and in order to obtain a fluorescent image, the fluorescent light source is controlled.

According to the present invention, it is possible to obtain necessary precise information by improving visibility in an image of a sample by optimizing the spectroscopic characteristics of illumination for improving visibility through electronic switching.

In addition, it is possible to obtain white light and spectroscopic fluorescence images with improved visibility through real-time control of illumination having various spectroscopic characteristics.

Although the present invention has been described by some preferred embodiments, the scope of the present invention should not be limited thereto, but should also extend to modifications or improvements of the above embodiments supported by the claims.

100: lighting unit
110: light source
120: driver unit
130: spectral mixer unit
140: control unit
150: optical coupling and focusing optics
200: video unit
210: image processing unit
220: correction variable extraction unit

Claims (24)

a light source unit including a plurality of light sources each having a different wavelength band;
a driver unit for driving the plurality of light sources;
a spectral mixer that calculates channel intensities for a plurality of channels corresponding to each of the plurality of light sources; and
and a control unit controlling the driver unit and the spectral mixer unit.
The method of claim 1,
The lighting system of claim 1 , wherein the light source unit outputs at least one of a light source for a white light image, a light source for a spectroscopic image, and an excitation light source for a fluorescence image by combining one or more light sources selected from among the plurality of light sources.
The method of claim 2,
Wherein the channel intensity is calculated using a channel maximum value for each of the plurality of channels, an intensity ratio for each channel, and an illumination intensity.
The method of claim 3,
The control unit drives light sources of a white light channel set to correspond to white light together,
The lighting system of claim 1 , wherein the spectral mixer calculates the intensity of the white light channel using a setting value of the illumination intensity corresponding to the white light channel.
The method of claim 4,
The control unit drives a light source of a spectral channel set to correspond to the spectral light,
The spectral mixer unit calculates the intensity of the spectral channel using an illumination intensity set value corresponding to the spectral channel.
The method of claim 5,
The illumination system according to claim 1 , wherein the spectral channel includes at least one of an ultraviolet light channel and a near infrared light channel.
The method of claim 6,
The spectral channel further comprises a visible light channel of a preset wavelength band.
The method of claim 7,
Wherein the visible light channel of the preset wavelength band includes a visible light channel corresponding to green.
The method of claim 8,
The control unit further comprises a channel selection input unit receiving a selection input for the white light or spectral channel.
The method of claim 9,
The control unit further comprises an intensity ratio input unit for each channel receiving the intensity ratio for each channel.
The method of claim 10,
The intensity ratio for each channel is input from an image processing device that processes an image of a subject obtained using light emitted from the light source unit.
a lighting unit that emits light of a preset wavelength and transmits it to a subject; and
An image system including an image unit including an image processing unit that processes an image obtained from the subject,
the lighting unit,
a light source unit including a plurality of light sources each having a different wavelength band;
a driver unit for driving the plurality of light sources;
a spectral mixer that calculates channel intensities for a plurality of channels corresponding to each of the plurality of light sources; and
and a control unit controlling the driver unit and the spectral mixer unit.
The method of claim 12,
The channel intensity is calculated using a channel maximum value for each of the plurality of channels, an intensity ratio for each channel, and an illumination intensity.
The method of claim 13,
The control unit drives light sources of a white light channel set to correspond to white light together,
The imaging system according to claim 1 , wherein the spectral mixer calculates the intensity of the white light channel using an illumination intensity set value corresponding to the white light channel.
The method of claim 14,
The control unit drives a light source of a spectral channel set to correspond to the spectral light,
The imaging system according to claim 1 , wherein the spectral mixer calculates the intensity of the spectral channel using an illumination intensity set value corresponding to the spectral channel.
The method of claim 15
The imaging system according to claim 1 , wherein the spectroscopic channel includes an ultraviolet light channel or an excitation light channel for inducing fluorescence of a fluorescent material.
The method of claim 16
The imaging system according to claim 1 , wherein the spectral channel further includes a visible light channel of a preset wavelength band.
The method of claim 17
The imaging system according to claim 1 , wherein the visible light channel of the preset wavelength band includes a visible light channel corresponding to green.
The method of claim 18
The control unit further comprises a channel selection input unit receiving a selection input for the white light or spectral channel.
The method of claim 19
The imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the imaging unit further comprises a correction variable extraction unit extracting correction variables of the image from the image processing unit and transmitting the extracted correction parameters to the lighting unit.
The method of claim 20
The imaging system according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit further includes an intensity ratio input unit for receiving the intensity ratio for each channel.
The method of claim 21,
The imaging system, characterized in that the intensity ratio for each channel is input from the imaging unit.
The method of claim 22
and a filtering unit filtering the light of the excitation light channel from the light obtained from the subject.
The method of claim 23
The imaging system, characterized in that the controller selectively controls the white light channel or the excitation light channel according to a signal transmitted from the imaging unit.

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