# US 11,298,024 B2 · Configurable platform

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- Number: US 11,298,024 B2
- Document ID: US11298024B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/234,461
- Filed: 2021-04-19
- Published: 2021-10-07
- Granted: 2022-04-12
- Earliest claimed: 2016-01-26
- Assignees: Stryker European Operations Limited
- Applicants: Stryker European Operations Limited
- Inventors: John Josef Paul Fengler; Robert Anthony Stead
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11298024B2

## CPC

- A61B 5/0071: {by measuring fluorescence emission}
- A61B 1/00186: {with imaging filters}
- A61B 1/043: {for fluorescence imaging}
- A61B 1/051: {Details of CCD assembly}
- A61B 1/0638: {providing two or more wavelengths}
- A61B 1/0684: {using light emitting diodes [LED]}
- G01J 1/00: Photometry, e.g. photographic exposure meter (spectrophotometry G01J3/00; specially adapted for radiation pyrometry G01J5/00 {; exposure meters built in cameras G03B17/06})
- G01J 1/58: using luminescence generated by light
- G01J 3/0205: {Optical elements not provided otherwise, e.g. optical manifolds, diffusers, windows}
- G01J 3/0208: {using focussing or collimating elements, e.g. lenses or mirrors; performing aberration correction}
- G01J 3/021: {using plane or convex mirrors, parallel phase plates, or particular reflectors}
- G01J 3/0248: {using a sighting port, e.g. camera or human eye}
- G01J 3/10: Arrangements of light sources specially adapted for spectrometry or colorimetry
- G01J 3/36: Investigating two or more bands of a spectrum by separate detectors
- G01J 3/4406: {Fluorescence spectrometry}
- G02B 21/16: adapted for ultraviolet illumination {; Fluorescence microscopes (G02B21/0076 takes precedence)}
- G02B 27/1013: {for colour or multispectral image sensors, e.g. splitting an image into monochromatic image components on respective sensors (spectral imaging systems G01J)}
- G02B 27/106: {for splitting or combining a plurality of identical beams or images, e.g. image replication}
- H04N 23/11: for generating image signals from visible and infrared light wavelengths
- H04N 23/16: Optical arrangements associated therewith, e.g. for beam-splitting or for colour correction
- H04N 23/56: provided with illuminating means
- H04N 23/60: Control of cameras or camera modules
- H04N 23/667: Camera operation mode switching, e.g. between still and video, sport and normal or high- and low-resolution modes
- H04N 23/74: by influencing the scene brightness using illuminating means
- H04N 23/75: by influencing optical camera components
- H04N 25/11: Arrangement of colour filter arrays [CFA]; Filter mosaics
- A61B 5/0035: {adapted for acquisition of images from more than one imaging mode, e.g. combining MRI and optical tomography}
- A61B 5/0084: {for introduction into the body, e.g. by catheters (A61B5/1459 takes precedence)}
- H04N 13/204: using stereoscopic image cameras (stereoscopic photography G03B35/00)
- H04N 2209/049: having three pick-up sensors
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)
- G01J: MEASUREMENT OF INTENSITY, VELOCITY, SPECTRAL CONTENT, POLARISATION, PHASE OR PULSE CHARACTERISTICS OF INFRARED, VISIBLE OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT; COLORIMETRY; RADIATION PYROMETRY (light sources F21, H01J, H01K, H05B; investigating properties of materials by optical means G01N)
- G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION

## Abstract

A fluorescence imaging system for imaging an object, the system includes a white light provider that emits white light, an excitation light provider that emits excitation light in a plurality of excitation wavebands for causing the object to emit fluorescent light, a component that directs the white light and excitation light to the object and collects reflected white light and emitted fluorescent light from the object, a filter that blocks light in the excitation wavebands and transmits at least a portion of the reflected white light and fluorescent light, and an image sensor assembly that receives the transmitted reflected white light and the fluorescent light.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A fluorescence imaging system for imaging an object, comprising:
a white light provider that emits white light;
an excitation light provider that emits excitation light in a plurality of excitation wavebands for causing the object to emit fluorescent light, wherein the excitation light provider is distinct form the white light provider and can emit excitation light simultaneously with the white light provider emitting white light;
a component that directs the white light and excitation light to the object and collects reflected white light and emitted fluorescent light from the object;
a filter that blocks light in the excitation wavebands and transmits at least a portion of the reflected white light and fluorescent light;
an image sensor assembly that receives the transmitted reflected white light and the fluorescent light; and
an optical assembly located in an optical path between the object and the image sensor assembly, the optical assembly projecting the transmitted reflected white light as a white light image onto an image plane of the image sensor assembly, reducing an image size for the transmitted fluorescent light, spectrally separating the transmitted fluorescent light, and projecting the separated fluorescent light as fluorescence images onto different portions of an image sensor of the image sensor assembly.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the excitation wavebands is centered at about 405 nm, about 470-480 nm, about 660 nm, about 760-780 nm, about 805 nm, or about 750-810 nm.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the excitation light provider comprises at least three excitation light sources.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the excitation light provider is coupled to an optical filter that narrows the spectrum of light emitted from the excitation light provider.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the filter has an optical density of at least 4.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the filter transmits at least 90% of the reflected white light and the fluorescent light.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the image sensor assembly comprises a single image sensor.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the image sensor assembly comprises a plurality of image sensors.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the component is an interchangeable component.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising an image processor and at least one controller that controls the system to selectively operate in a non-fluorescence mode, a fluorescence mode, or a combined non-fluorescence and fluorescence mode, wherein:
in the non-fluorescence mode, the controller causes the white light provider to emit white light and the image processor generates a white light image based on image signals associated with the reflected white light from the object,
in the fluorescence mode, the controller causes the excitation light provider to emit excitation light and the image processor generates a fluorescence emission image based on image signals associated with the fluorescent light from the object, and
in the combined non-fluorescence and fluorescence mode, the controller causes at least a portion of the white light or at least a portion of the excitation light to be pulsed.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the reflected white light and the fluorescent light received at the image sensor are temporally multiplexed, spatially multiplexed, or both temporally multiplexed and spatially multiplexed.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the optical assembly comprises the filter.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the optical assembly comprises a beam splitter that separates the transmitted reflected white light and fluorescent light into a first branch of reflected white light and a second branch of fluorescent light.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The system of claim 13, wherein the optical assembly comprises at least one demagnification optic for reducing the image size for the transmitted fluorescent light and the beam splitter is downstream of at least one demagnification optic.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising an image processor configured to electronically magnify the fluorescence images.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the transmitted reflected white light and the transmitted fluorescence light are both projected onto the same image sensor.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the optical assembly comprises a prism that reduces the image size for the transmitted fluorescent light, spectrally separates the transmitted fluorescent light, and projects the separated fluorescent light as fluorescence images onto different portions of an image sensor of the image sensor assembly.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The system of claim 17, wherein the prism projects the transmitted reflected white light as a white light image onto an image plane of the image sensor assembly.

### Claim 19

A method for fluorescence imaging of an object, comprising:
emitting white light by a white light emitter;
emitting excitation light in a plurality of excitation wavebands from an excitation light provider that is distinct from the white light emitter for causing the object to emit fluorescent light;
directing the white light and excitation light to the object;
collecting reflected white light and emitted fluorescent light from the object;
blocking light in the excitation wavebands and transmitting at least a portion of the reflected white light and fluorescent light;
projecting the transmitted reflected white light as a white light image onto an image plane of an image sensor assembly;
spectrally separating the fluorescent light; and
projecting the separated fluorescent light as fluorescence images onto different portions of an image sensor of the image sensor assembly.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, wherein at least one of the excitation wavebands is centered at about 405 nm, about 470-480 nm, about 660 nm, about 760-780 nm, about 805 nm, or about 750-810 nm.

### Claim 21 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, comprising emitting excitation light in a plurality of excitation wavebands from at least three excitation light sources.

### Claim 22 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, further comprising narrowing the spectrum of emitted excitation light.

### Claim 23 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, comprising blocking light in the excitation wavebands using a filter has an optical density of at least 4.

### Claim 24 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, comprising blocking at least 90% of the reflected white light and the fluorescent light.

### Claim 25 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, wherein the image sensor is the only image sensor of the image sensor assembly.

### Claim 26 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, wherein the image sensor assembly comprises a plurality of image sensors.

### Claim 27 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, comprising directing the white light and excitation light to the object using an interchangeable component.

### Claim 28 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, further comprising:
emitting white light and generating a white light image based on image signals associated with the reflected white light from the object in a white light mode;
emitting excitation light and generating a fluorescence emission image based on image signals associated with the fluorescent light from the object in a fluorescence mode; and
pulsing at least a portion of the white light or at least a portion of the excitation light in a combined non-fluorescence and fluorescence mode.

### Claim 29 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, further comprising temporally multiplexing the reflected white light and the fluorescent light, spatially multiplexing the reflected white light and the fluorescent light, or both temporally multiplexing and spatially multiplexing the reflected white light and the fluorescent light.

### Claim 30 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, comprising separating the transmitted reflected white light and fluorescent light into a first branch of reflected white light and a second branch of fluorescent light via a beam splitter.

### Claim 31 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, comprising spectrally separating the fluorescent light via a beam splitter.

### Claim 32 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, further comprising electronically magnifying the fluorescence images.

### Claim 33 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, wherein the transmitted reflected white light and the transmitted fluorescence light are projected onto the same image sensor.