Digital Mapping System and Method

A digital mapping system, comprising:

• an access device configured to illuminate and image a tissue region;
• and
• a visualization system controller disposed in electrical communication with the access device, the visualization system controller configured to:
• generate a highlighting image representation of the tissue element within a tissue region based upon a first image of the tissue element captured when a first light source of the access device illuminates the tissue region;
• receive a second image of the tissue element within the tissue region when a second light source of the access device illuminates the tissue region;
• combine the highlighting image representation of the tissue element to the second image of the tissue element to generate a composite tissue image;
• and
• deliver the composite tissue image to an output device.

A digital mapping system, comprising:

• an access device having:
• an elongate housing;
• a visible light source disposed at a distal end of the elongate housing;
• at least one infrared light source disposed at the distal end of the elongate housing;
• an image sensing assembly disposed at the distal end of the elongate housing;
• and
• a visualization system controller disposed in electrical communication with the access device, the visualization system controller configured to:
• receive from the image sensing assembly, when the at least one infrared light source illuminates a tissue region, a first image of a tissue element within the tissue region as a first frame of a set of frames;
• generate a highlighting image representation of the tissue element within the tissue region based upon the first image of the first frame;
• receive from the image sensing assembly, when the visible light source illuminates the tissue region, a set of secondary images of the tissue element within the tissue region as a set of secondary frames of the set of frames;
• and
• for each secondary frame of the set of frames, iteratively:
• combine the highlighting image representation of the tissue element of the first frame to the secondary image of the tissue element of a secondary frame to generate a composite tissue image of the tissue element within the tissue region, and
• deliver each composite tissue image associated with the set of secondary frames to an output device.