Use of laser light and red-green-blue coloration to determine properties of back scattered light

A surgical image acquisition system comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor to:
• control the operation of a plurality of illumination sources of a tissue sample wherein each illumination source is configured to emit light having a specified central wavelength;
• receive data from a light sensor when the tissue sample reflects the light emitted by each of the plurality of illumination sources;
• determine a depth location of a structure within the tissue sample based on the data received by the light sensor when the tissue sample is illuminated by each of the plurality of illumination sources, wherein the depth location of the structure is below and not visible from a top surface of the tissue sample;
• and
• calculate visualization data regarding the structure and the depth location of the structure,
• wherein the visualization data have a data format that may be used by a display system,
• wherein the data format comprises a visual representation of the structure and is configured to be displayed by the display system as an overlay on an image of the top surface of the tissue sample, and
• wherein the structure comprises one or more vascular tissues.

A surgical image acquisition system comprising:

• a control circuit configured to:
• control the operation of a plurality of illumination sources of a tissue sample wherein each illumination source is configured to emit light having a specified central wavelength;
• receive data from a light sensor when the tissue sample reflects the light emitted by each of the plurality of illumination sources;
• determine a depth location of a structure within the tissue sample based on the data received by the light sensor when the tissue sample is illuminated by each of the plurality of illumination sources, wherein the depth location of the structure is below and not visible from a top surface of the tissue sample;
• and
• calculate visualization data regarding the structure and the depth location of the structure,
• wherein the visualization data have a data format that may be used by a display system,
• wherein the data format comprises a visual representation of the structure and is configured to be displayed by the display system as an overlay on an image of the top surface of the tissue sample, and
• wherein the structure comprises one or more vascular tissues.

A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer readable instructions which, when executed, causes a machine to:

• control the operation of a plurality of illumination sources of a tissue sample wherein each illumination source is configured to emit light having a specified central wavelength;
• receive data from a light sensor when the tissue sample reflects the light emitted by each of the plurality of illumination sources;
• determine a depth location of a structure within the tissue sample based on the data received by the light sensor when the tissue sample is illuminated by each of the plurality of illumination sources, wherein the depth location of the structure is below and not visible from a top surface of the tissue sample;
• and
• calculate visualization data regarding the structure and the depth location of the structure,
• wherein the visualization data have a data format that may be used by a display system,
• wherein the data format comprises a visual representation of the structure and is configured to be displayed by the display system as an overlay on an image of the top surface of the tissue sample, and
• wherein the structure comprises one or more vascular tissues.