Facilitating real-time visualization of tissue features derived from optical signals

A system that displays an image of organic material, comprising:

• a point measurement probe that enables a user to illuminate a measurement location in an area of interest on the organic material, wherein the point measurement probe delivers both an excitation beam and an overlapping aiming beam that is visible to a camera;
• a sensor that gathers a fluorescence signal emitted from the measurement location in response to the excitation beam;
• a fluorescence-processing mechanism that processes the fluorescence signal to obtain fluorescence information of the measurement location;
• the camera that captures an image of the area of interest;
• an overlay-processing mechanism that,
• identifies a portion of the image corresponding to the measurement location by identifying a location illuminated by the aiming beam, and
• generates an overlay image by overlaying the fluorescence information onto the portion of the image that corresponds to the measurement location;
• and
• a display that displays the overlay image to a user.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method for controlling a system to display an image of organic material, wherein while operating under control of the method, the system:

• enables a user to illuminate a measurement location in an area of interest on the organic material by manipulating a point measurement probe, wherein the point measurement probe delivers both an excitation beam and an overlapping aiming beam that is visible to a camera;
• obtains fluorescence information from a fluorescence signal emitted from the measurement location in response to the excitation beam;
• captures an image of the area of interest using the camera;
• identifies a portion of the image that corresponds to the measurement location by identifying a location illuminated by the aiming beam;
• generates an overlay image by overlaying the fluorescence information onto the portion of the image that corresponds to the measurement location;
• and
• displays the overlay image to a user.

A method for displaying an image of organic material, the method comprising:

• enabling a user to illuminate a measurement location in an area of interest on the organic material by manipulating a point measurement probe, wherein the point measurement probe delivers both an excitation beam and an overlapping aiming beam that is visible to a camera;
• obtaining optical information from a optical signal emitted from the measurement location in response to the excitation beam;
• capturing an image of the area of interest using the camera;
• identifying a portion of the image that corresponds to the measurement location by identifying a location illuminated by the aiming beam;
• generating an overlay image by overlaying the optical information onto the portion of the image that corresponds to the measurement location;
• and
• displaying the overlay image to a user.

A method for displaying an image of organic material, the method comprising:

• enabling a user to illuminate a measurement location in an area of interest on the organic material by manipulating a point measurement probe, wherein the point measurement probe delivers an excitation beam;
• obtaining fluorescence information from a fluorescence signal emitted from the measurement location in response to the excitation beam;
• identifying a portion of the image that corresponds to the measurement location by identifying a location illuminated by the excitation beam;
• generating an overlay image by overlaying the fluorescence information onto the portion of the image that corresponds to the measurement location;
• and
• displaying the overlay image to a user.

A method for maintaining tissue light exposure within safety limits during an acquisition of optical measurements using a point measurement probe delivering an excitation beam and aiming beam on tissue comprising:

• capturing an image of the area of interest using the camera;
• identifying a portion of the image that corresponds to the location where light is being delivered by identifying a location illuminated by the aiming beam;
• determining a light exposure in this location;
• generating an overlay image by overlaying the estimated exposure with respect to the maximum authorized light exposure onto the portion of the image that corresponds to the measurement location;
• and
• displaying the overlay image to a user.