Single chip camera head for multi-spectral imaging and methods of using the same
View Patent ↗Methods and systems are provided to enable multiple imaging modalities with a single camera head. The camera head may include a single chip system capable of measuring different wavelengths of light on different regions of the same image sensor to generate different images. The light source in the system can adjust the output spectra by using a plurality of illuminants and filters, and measurements from different light channels from different regions of the image sensor can be used to generate white light images, fluorescence image, perfusion images, fluorescein images, and the like.
1 . An endoscopic or exoscopic imaging device, comprising:
an optical element comprising a dichroic beam splitter configured to separate an input light into at least a first spectrally distinct portion of output light and a second spectrally distinct portion of output light, wherein the dichroic beam splitter is configured to either reflect light with wavelengths shorter than about 500 nm and longer than about 650 nm and transmit light with wavelengths between 500 nm and 650 nm, or is configured to reflect light between about 500 nm and about 650 nm and to transmit light with wavelengths shorter than about 500 nm and longer than about 650 nm; and
an image sensor with a color filter array (CFA), the image sensor positioned so as to receive light from the first spectrally distinct portion of output light at a first region of the image sensor and to receive light from the second spectrally distinct portion of output light at a second region of the image sensor,
wherein the CFA is configured to receive the first portion of output light and the second portion of output light incident thereon and filter the first portion of output light and the second portion of output light into at least six resulting spectral channels that are spectrally distinct from one another, a first, second, and third spectral channel collected by the first region of the image sensor, and a fourth, fifth, and sixth spectral channel collected by the second region of the image sensor.
2 . The imaging device of claim 1 , wherein a first wavelength of light is present in at least two of the first, second, and third spectral channels collected by the first portion of the image sensor and/or at least two of the fourth, fifth, and sixth spectral channels collected by the second portion of the image sensor.
3 . The imaging device of claim 1 , wherein a first wavelength of light is not present in at least two of the first, second, and third spectral channels collected by the first portion of the image sensor and/or at least two of the fourth, fifth, and sixth spectral channels collected by the second portion of the image sensor.
4 . The imaging device of claim 1 , wherein the at least six resulting spectrally distinct spectral channels of the CFA comprise a combined red light and infrared light channel, a green light channel, and a blue light channel.
5 . The imaging device of claim 1 , wherein the at least six resulting spectrally distinct spectral channels of the CFA comprise a red light channel, a green light channel, a blue light channel, and an infrared light channel.
6 . The imaging device of claim 1 , further comprising a first spectral filter that is configured to filter out a range of wavelengths of the input light.
7 . The imaging device of claim 6 , wherein the first spectral filter blocks a wavelength band that corresponds to a fluorescence excitation signal.
8 . The imaging device of claim 1 , further comprising:
an illumination device that illuminates a scene to be imaged with light comprising a first set of wavelengths; and
a processor.
9 . The imaging device of claim 8 , wherein the illumination device is configured to provide white light with wavelengths between about 450 nanometers (nm) and about 650 nm, and wherein the processor is configured to generate a white light image from a blue light channel and a green light channel of the first region of the image sensor, and from a blue light channel, a green light channel, and a red light channel of the second region of the image sensor.
10 . The imaging device of claim 8 , wherein the illumination device is configured to generate an illumination that comprises a red spectral band centered at about 630 nanometers (nm) and an infrared spectral band centered at about 940 nm, and wherein the processor is configured to generate an oxygenation or perfusion image based on at least an infrared light channel of the first region of the image sensor, and also based on a red light channel of the second region of the image sensor.
11 . The imaging device of claim 8 , wherein the illumination device is configured to generate an illumination with wavelengths between about 725 nanometers (nm) and about 800 nm, and wherein an ICG or OTL fluorescence image is imaged onto the first region of the image sensor.
12 . The imaging device of claim 8 , wherein the illumination device is configured to generate an illumination that comprises a red spectral band centered at about 630 nanometers (nm), and wherein a Cy5 or a Cy5.5 fluorescence image is imaged onto the first region of the image sensor.
13 . The imaging device of claim 8 , wherein the illumination device is configured to generate an illumination that includes a blue spectral band of with wavelengths between about 450 nanometers (nm) and about 500 nm, wherein the processor is configured to generate a greyscale image from the illumination that is imaged onto the first region of the image sensor, and wherein a fluorescein fluorescence image is imaged onto the second region of the image sensor.
14 . The imaging device of claim 13 , wherein the illumination comprises a spectral component with a wavelength longer than 650 nm, wherein the spectral component is imaged onto the first region of the image sensor, and wherein the processor is configured to render a partially colored image from one or more color channels of the first region of the image sensor.
15 . An endoscopic or exoscopic imaging system, comprising:
an optical element comprising a dichroic beam splitter configured to separate input light into at least a first spectrally distinct portion of output light and a second spectrally distinct portion of output light that are directed to at least two discrete regions of an image sensor, wherein the dichroic beam splitter is configured to either reflect light with wavelengths shorter than about 500 nm and longer than about 650 nm and transmit light with wavelengths between 500 nm and 650 nm, or is configured to reflect light between about 500 nm and about 650 nm and to transmit light with wavelengths shorter than about 500 nm and longer than about 650 nm;
a processor; and
a memory storing instructions thereon that, when processed by the processor, cause the processor to:
receive a first image data, detected by a first region of the image sensor with a color filter array (CFA), the CFA configured to receive the first spectrally distinct portion of output light and the second spectrally distinct portion of light incident thereon and filter the first portion of output light and the second portion of output light into at least six resulting spectral channels that are spectrally distinct from one another, a first, second, and third band of light; and
receive a second image data, detected by a second region of the image sensor with the CFA, a fourth, fifth, and sixth band of light.
16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the at least six resulting spectrally distinct spectral channels comprise a combined red light and infrared light channel, a green light channel, and a blue light channel.
17 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the at least six resulting spectrally distinct spectral channels comprise a red light channel, a green light channel, a blue light channel, and an infrared light channel.
18 . The system of claim 15 , wherein an illumination device is configured to provide white light with wavelengths between about 450 nanometers (nm) and about 650 nm, and wherein the processor is configured to generate a white light image from a blue light channel and a green light channel of the first region of the image sensor, and from a blue light channel, a green light channel, and a red light channel of the second region of the image sensor.
19 . The system of claim 15 , wherein an illumination device is configured to generate an illumination that comprises a red spectral band centered at about 630 nanometers (nm) and an infrared spectral band centered at about 940 nm, and wherein the processor is configured to generate an oxygenation or perfusion image based on at least a combined red light and infrared light channel of the first region of the image sensor, and also based on a red light channel of the second region of the image sensor.
20 . The system of claim 15 , wherein an illumination device is configured to generate an illumination with wavelengths between about 725 nanometers (nm) and about 800 nm, and wherein an ICG or OTL fluorescence image is imaged onto the first region of the image sensor.
21 . The system of claim 15 , wherein an illumination device is configured to generate an illumination that comprises a red spectral band centered at about 630 nanometers (nm), and wherein a Cy5 or a Cy5.5 fluorescence image is imaged onto the first region of the image sensor.
22 . The system of claim 15 , wherein an illumination device is configured to generate fluorescein excitation illumination that includes a blue spectral band of with wavelengths between about 450 nanometers (nm) and about 500 nm, wherein the processor is configured to generate a greyscale image from the fluorescein excitation illumination that is imaged onto the first region of the image sensor, and wherein a fluorescein fluorescence image is imaged onto the second region of the image sensor.
23 . An endoscopic or exoscopic imaging system, comprising:
an optical element comprising a dichroic beam splitter configured to separate an input light into at least a first spectrally distinct portion of output light and a second spectrally distinct portion of output light, wherein the dichroic beam splitter is configured to either reflect light with wavelengths shorter than about 500 nm and longer than about 650 nm and transmit light with wavelengths between 500 nm and 650 nm, or is configured to reflect light between about 500 nm and about 650 nm and to transmit light with wavelengths shorter than about 500 nm and longer than about 650 nm;
an image sensor with a color filter array (CFA) disposed over a first region and a second region of the image sensor, the CFA configured to receive the first portion of output light and the second portion of output light incident thereon and filter the first portion of output light and the second portion of output light into at least six resulting spectral channels that are spectrally distinct from one another, a first, second, and third spectral channel collected by the first region of the image sensor, and a fourth, fifth, and sixth spectral channel collected by the second region of the image sensor; and
an illumination device that illuminates a scene to be imaged with light containing a first set of wavelengths,
wherein the imaging system is configured to operate in one or more imaging modes including one or more of: a white light imaging mode, an ICG or OTL mode, an oxygenation or perfusion mode, a Cy5 or Cy5.5 mode, and a fluorescein mode.
24 . The imaging system of claim 23 , wherein a first wavelength of light is present in at least two of the first, second, and third spectral channels collected by the first portion of the image sensor and/or at least two of the fourth, fifth, and sixth spectral channels collected by the second portion of the image sensor.
25 . The imaging system of claim 23 , wherein a first wavelength of light is not present in at least two of the first, second, and third spectral channels collected by the first portion of the image sensor and/or at least two of the fourth, fifth, and sixth spectral channels collected by the second portion of the image sensor.