US 11,937,784 B2
Fluorescence imaging in a light deficient environment
Joshua D. Talbert, Salt Lake City, UT (US); and Donald M. Wichern, Ogden, UT (US)
Assigned to Cilag GmbH International, Zug (CH)
Filed by Cilag GmbH International, Zug (CH)
Filed on Oct. 24, 2019, as Appl. No. 16/663,259.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/864,181, filed on Jun. 20, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2020/0397222 A1, Dec. 24, 2020
Int. Cl. A61B 1/04 (2006.01); A61B 1/00 (2006.01); A61B 1/05 (2006.01); A61B 1/06 (2006.01); H04N 9/31 (2006.01); H04N 9/77 (2006.01); A61B 1/045 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 1/046 (2022.02) [A61B 1/000095 (2022.02); A61B 1/043 (2013.01); A61B 1/051 (2013.01); A61B 1/0646 (2013.01); A61B 1/0655 (2022.02); H04N 9/3123 (2013.01); H04N 9/3138 (2013.01); H04N 9/3161 (2013.01); H04N 9/77 (2013.01); A61B 1/045 (2013.01)] 25 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An endoscopic system comprising:
an emitter comprising a plurality of sources of electromagnetic radiation for emitting a plurality of pulses of electromagnetic radiation within a light deficient environment, wherein the plurality of sources comprise:
a visible illumination source for emitting a plurality of visible pulses of electromagnetic radiation, and
an illumination source for emitting one or more pulses of a fluorescent excitation wavelength of electromagnetic radiation;
an image sensor comprising a pixel array for sensing reflected electromagnetic radiation; and
a controller comprising a processor in electrical communication with the image sensor and the emitter;
wherein the controller is configured to modulate an intensity, a duration, or a duration and an intensity of the one or more pulses of the electromagnetic radiation of the fluorescent excitation wavelength emitted from the emitter within a given frame rate;
wherein the controller synchronizes timing of the plurality of pulses of electromagnetic radiation during a blanking period of the image sensor to produce a plurality of exposure frames comprising:
a plurality of visible exposure frames that correspond to the plurality of visible pulses, and
one or more fluorescent exposure frames that correspond to the one or more pulses of the fluorescent excitation wavelength; and
wherein at least a portion of the pulses of electromagnetic radiation emitted by the emitter comprises one or more of:
electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength from 770 nm to 795 nm; or
electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength from 790 nm to 815 nm.