Device for wavelength-selective imaging

Abstract

An imaging device captures both a visible light image and a diagnostic image, the diagnostic image corresponding to emissions from an imaging medium within the object. The visible light image (which may be color or grayscale) and the diagnostic image may be superimposed to display regions of diagnostic significance within a visible light image. A number of imaging media may be used according to an intended application for the imaging device, and an imaging medium may have wavelengths above, below, or within the visible light spectrum. The devices described herein may be advantageously packaged within a single integrated device or other solid state device, and/or employed in an integrated, single-camera medical imaging system, as well as many non-medical imaging systems that would benefit from simultaneous capture of visible-light wavelength images along with images at other wavelengths.

1 . A system comprising;
 a plurality of solid state devices that capture photon intensity from an illuminated object, the solid state devices being exposed to an image of the illuminated object through a beam splitter and filters that selectively pass incident photons along a number of paths according to wavelength, each one of the solid state devices being selectively exposed to a portion of the image including wavelengths passed along one of the number of paths, at least one of the paths selectively passing infrared wavelengths to form a diagnostic image of the illuminated object at one of the solid state devices that monochromatically represents an intensity of infrared wavelengths from the illuminated object corresponding to emissions from an imaging medium within the illuminated object, and at least one other one of the paths selectively passing wavelengths to another one of the solid state devices to form a visible light image of the illuminated object;   an image processing system configured to pseudocolor the diagnostic image to provide a pseudocolored diagnostic image, and configured to superimpose the pseudocolored diagnostic image onto the visible light image to provide a processed image; and   a camera containing a lens, the plurality of solid state devices, and the image processing system, the camera further including one or more inputs for remote operation of the camera and plurality of outputs for an external display system, the plurality of outputs including a visible light output for the visible light image, a diagnostic image output for the diagnostic image, a combined output for the processed image.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the imaging medium is at least one of a fluorescent dye, a phosphorescent substance, a chemoluminscent substance, or a scintillant substance. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the imaging medium is a substance introduced into the illuminated object. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the imaging medium is a substance inherently present within the illuminated object. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the illuminated object is an object within a surgical field. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the visible light image includes red, blue and green wavelengths of light. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the visible light image includes cyan, magenta, and yellow wavelengths of light. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the diagnostic image includes a near-infrared wavelength. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the diagnostic image includes a plurality of diagnostic images, each at a different range of wavelengths. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the diagnostic image is formed from one or more diagnostic wavelengths in the visible light range, the illuminated object being illuminated with a light source that is depleted in the diagnostic wavelength range. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the visible light image and diagnostic image are processed and displayed in a medical imaging system. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , further comprising a display adapted to receive and render the processed image from the camera. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11  wherein the one or more inputs for the camera control at least one of a field of view of the illuminated object, a focus of the illuminated object, or a zoom of the illuminated object. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the visible light image and diagnostic image are processed and displayed in at least one of a machine vision system, an astronomy system, a military system, a geology system, or an industrial system. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the camera is a video camera that capture moving video. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 1  wherein camera captures still images. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising a visible light source positioned to illuminate the illuminated object. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17  wherein the visible light source is depleted in a region corresponding to the diagnostic image. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising an excitation light source having an emission wavelength selected to excite the imaging medium and positioned to illuminate the illuminated object. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of solid state devices include a plurality of charge-coupled devices.