# US 2019/0379840 A1 · Masking approach for imaging multi-peak fluorophores by an imaging system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0379840 A1 - Document ID: US20190379840A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/002,432 - Filed: 2018-06-07 - Published: 2019-12-12 - Earliest claimed: 2018-06-07 - Assignees: Curadel, LLC - Applicants: Curadel, LLC - Inventors: John V. Frangioni - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190379840A1 ## CPC - A61B 1/043: {for fluorescence imaging} - H04N 23/56: provided with illuminating means - A61B 1/00006: {of control signals} - A61B 1/000094: {extracting biological structures} - A61B 1/0005: {combining images e.g. side-by-side, superimposed or tiled} - A61B 1/0638: {providing two or more wavelengths} - A61B 1/3132: {for laparoscopy} - H04N 5/265: Mixing - H04N 5/44504: {Circuit details of the additional information generator, e.g. details of the character or graphics signal generator, overlay mixing circuits} - H04N 23/11: for generating image signals from visible and infrared light wavelengths - H04N 23/45: for generating image signals from two or more image sensors being of different type or operating in different modes, e.g. with a CMOS sensor for moving images in combination with a charge-coupled device [CCD] for still images - A61B 1/0646: {with illumination filters} - H04N 23/21: from near infrared [NIR] radiation - H04N 23/555: {for picking-up images in sites, inaccessible due to their dimensions or hazardous conditions, e.g. endoscopes or borescopes} - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract In one embodiment, a visible light sensor of an imaging system captures a visible light image of a subject in which a fluorophore is present. The fluorophore has fluorescence emissions in the visible spectrum and in the near-infrared (NIR) spectrum. An NIR sensor of the imaging system captures an NIR image of the subject in which the fluorophore is present. The imaging system forms a combined image of the visible light image and the NIR image, in part by masking pixels of the visible light image with pixels of the NIR image that are associated with the fluorescence emission of the fluorophore in the NIR spectrum. The imaging system provides the combined image to an electronic display for display. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: capturing, by a visible light sensor of an imaging system, a visible light image of a subject in which a fluorophore is present, wherein the fluorophore has fluorescence emission in the visible spectrum and in the near-infrared (NIR) spectrum; capturing, by an NIR sensor of the imaging system, an NIR image of the subject in which the fluorophore is present; forming, by the imaging system, a combined image of the visible light image and the NIR image, in part by masking pixels of the visible light image with pixels of the NIR image that are associated with the fluorescence emission of the fluorophore in the NIR spectrum; and providing, by the imaging system, the combined image to an electronic display for display. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method as in claim 1, further comprising: illuminating, by an excitation light source of the imaging system, the subject with an excitation light, while capturing the NIR image of the subject. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method as in claim 2, wherein the excitation light source is a blue laser. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method as in claim 1, further comprising: illuminating, by a visible light source of the imaging system, the subject with visible light, while capturing the visible light image. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method as in claim 1, wherein the fluorophore comprises a tetrapyrrole. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The method as in claim 4, wherein the tetrapyrrole is protoporphyrin IX (PpIX). ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method as in claim 1, wherein masking the pixels of the visible light image comprises: masking red pixels of the visible light image with the pixels of the NIR image that are associated with the fluorescence emission of the fluorophore in the NIR spectrum. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method as in claim 7, wherein the fluorescence emission of the fluorophore in the visible spectrum is in a visible red portion of the visible spectrum. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method as in claim 1, wherein masking the pixels of the visible light image comprises: masking blue or green pixels of the visible light image with the pixels of the NIR image that are associated with the fluorescence emission of the fluorophore in the NIR spectrum. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method as in claim 1, wherein the imaging system is coupled to an endoscope or laparoscope. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method as in claim 1, wherein the visible light image and NIR image are open surgical images of the subject. ### Claim 12 An imaging system comprising: a visible light sensor; a near-infrared (NIR) sensor; and a controller coupled to the visible light sensor and the NIR sensor, the controller comprising a processor configured to execute a process and a memory configured to store the process, the process when executed configured to: capture, by the visible light sensor, a visible light image of a subject in which a fluorophore is present, wherein the fluorophore has fluorescence emissions in the visible spectrum and in the near-infrared (NIR) spectrum; capture, by the NIR sensor, an NIR image of the subject in which the fluorophore is present; form a combined image of the visible light image and the NIR image, in part by masking pixels of the visible light image with pixels of the NIR image that are associated with the fluorescence emission of the fluorophore in the NIR spectrum; and provide the combined image to an electronic display for display. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The imaging system as in claim 12, further comprising: an excitation light source coupled to the controller that provides excitation illumination to the subject during capture of the NIR image by the NIR sensor. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The imaging system as in claim 12, wherein the fluorophore comprises a tetrapyrrole. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The imaging system as in claim 12, wherein the controller masks the pixels of the visible light image by: masking red pixels of the visible light image with the pixels of the NIR image that are associated with the fluorescence emission of the fluorophore in the NIR spectrum. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The imaging system as in claim 15, wherein the fluorescence emission of the fluorophore in the visible spectrum is in a visible red portion of the visible spectrum. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The imaging system as in claim 12, wherein the controller masks the pixels of the visible light image by: masking blue or green pixels of the visible light image with the pixels of the NIR image that are associated with the fluorescence emission of the fluorophore in the NIR spectrum. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The imaging system as in claim 12, further comprising: an endoscopic or laparoscopic light transmission and collection member coupled to the sensors. ### Claim 19 (depends on 12) The imaging system as in claim 12, wherein the combined image is a video image. ### Claim 20 A tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable medium storing program instructions that cause an imaging system to execute a process comprising: capturing, by a visible light sensor of the imaging system, a visible light image of a subject in which a fluorophore is present, wherein the fluorophore has fluorescence emissions in the visible spectrum and in the near-infrared (NIR) spectrum; capturing, by an NIR sensor of the imaging system, an NIR image of the subject in which the fluorophore is present; forming, by the imaging system, a combined image of the visible light image and the NIR image, in part by masking pixels of the visible light image with pixels of the NIR image that are associated with the fluorescence emission of the fluorophore in the NIR spectrum; and providing, by the imaging system, the combined image to an electronic display for display.