# US 2020/0404152 A1 · Wide dynamic range using a monochrome image sensor for fluorescence imaging

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- Number: US 2020/0404152 A1
- Document ID: US20200404152A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/696,956
- Filed: 2019-11-26
- Published: 2020-12-24
- Earliest claimed: 2019-06-20
- Assignees: Ethicon, Inc.
- Applicants: Ethicon LLC
- Inventors: Joshua D. Talbert; Donald M. Wichern
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20200404152A1

## CPC

- H04N 23/741: by increasing the dynamic range of the image compared to the dynamic range of the electronic image sensors
- A61B 1/043: {for fluorescence imaging}
- A61B 1/0638: {providing two or more wavelengths}
- A61B 1/0653: {with wavelength conversion}
- G06T 7/0012: {Biomedical image inspection}
- G06T 7/70: Determining position or orientation of objects or cameras (camera calibration G06T7/80)
- H04N 13/239: using two two-dimensional [2D] image sensors having a relative position equal to or related to the interocular distance (H04N13/243 takes precedence)
- H04N 23/125: {Colour sequential image capture, e.g. using a colour wheel}
- H04N 23/54: Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils
- H04N 23/56: provided with illuminating means
- H04N 23/665: {involving internal camera communication with the image sensor, e.g. synchronising or multiplexing SSIS control signals}
- H04N 23/71: Circuitry for evaluating the brightness variation
- H04N 23/72: Combination of two or more compensation controls
- H04N 25/131: including elements passing infrared wavelengths
- H04N 25/583: with different integration times
- H04N 25/778: comprising amplifiers shared between a plurality of pixels, i.e. at least one part of the amplifier must be on the sensor array itself
- G06T 2207/10064: Fluorescence image
- G06T 2207/10068: Endoscopic image
- G06T 2207/10144: Varying exposure
- G06T 2207/20221: Image fusion; Image merging
- G06T 2207/30096: Tumor; Lesion
- G06T 2207/30104: Vascular flow; Blood flow; Perfusion
- H04N 23/555: {for picking-up images in sites, inaccessible due to their dimensions or hazardous conditions, e.g. endoscopes or borescopes}
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)
- G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL

## Abstract

Systems, methods, and devices for fluorescence imaging with increased dynamic range are disclosed. A system includes an emitter for emitting pulses of electromagnetic radiation and an image sensor comprising a pixel array for sensing reflected electromagnetic radiation, wherein the pixel array comprises a plurality of pixels each configurable as a short exposure pixel or a long exposure pixel. The system includes a controller comprising a processor in electrical communication with the image sensor and the emitter. The system is such that at least a portion of the pulses of electromagnetic radiation emitted by the emitter comprises electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength from about 795 nm to about 815 nm.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system comprising:
an emitter for emitting pulses of electromagnetic radiation;
an image sensor comprising a pixel array for sensing reflected electromagnetic radiation, wherein the pixel array comprises a plurality of pixels each configurable as a short exposure pixel or a long exposure pixel;
a controller comprising a processor in electrical communication with the image sensor and the emitter;
wherein at least a portion of the pulses of electromagnetic radiation emitted by the emitter comprises electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength from about 795 nm to about 815 nm.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the pixel array comprises a plurality of short exposure pixels and a plurality of long exposure pixels arranged in a checkerboard pattern such that a short exposure pixel is located adjacent to a long exposure pixel.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein:
each of the plurality of pixels of the pixel array comprises a transfer gate transistor;
each transfer gate transistor is in electrical communication with a TX signal; and
the TX signal provides a global operation for the transfer gate transistors of the plurality of pixels of the pixel array.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The system of claim 3, wherein:
the TX signal comprises a TX1 signal and a TX2 signal;
at least two pixels of the plurality of pixels of the pixel array share a floating diffusion in a horizontal direction in a two-way pixel share;
the TX1 signal communicates with transfer gate transistors of pixels located on a first side of the two-way pixel share on odd rows and with transfer gate transistors of pixels located on a second side of the two-way pixel share on even rows; and
the TX2 signal communicates with transfer gate transistors of pixels located on the second side of the two-way pixel share on odd rows and with transfer gate transistors of pixels located on the first side of the two-way pixel share on even rows.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the image sensor performs horizontal binning during a charge period of the pixel array.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein a pixel grouping of the pixel array shares a floating diffusion, wherein the pixel grouping comprises two pixels or four pixels.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the pixel array is disposed on a first substrate of the image sensor and supporting circuitry for the pixel array is disposed remotely on a second substrate of the image sensor.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the image sensor is configured to generate a plurality of exposure frames, wherein each of the plurality of exposure frames corresponds to a pulse of electromagnetic radiation emitted by the emitter.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The system of claim 8, wherein the pixel array of the image sensor senses reflected electromagnetic radiation to generate the plurality of exposure frames during a readout period of the pixel array, wherein the readout period is a duration of time when active pixels in the pixel array are read.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength from about 795 nm to about 815 nm is an excitation wavelength that causes one or more reagents to fluoresce at a wavelength that is different from the excitation wavelength.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the pulses of electromagnetic radiation emitted by the emitter comprises a green wavelength of electromagnetic radiation, a red wavelength of electromagnetic radiation, and a blue wavelength of electromagnetic radiation.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the emitter is configured to emit, during a pulse duration, a plurality of sub-pulses of electromagnetic radiation having a sub-duration shorter than the pulse duration.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein one or more of the pulses of electromagnetic radiation emitted by the emitter comprise electromagnetic radiation emitted at two or more wavelengths simultaneously as a single pulse or a single sub-pulse.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein at least one pulse of the pulses of electromagnetic radiation emitted by the emitter results in an exposure frame created by the image sensor, wherein the system further comprises a display for displaying two or more exposure frames as an image frame.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the pulses of electromagnetic radiation emitted by the emitter is an excitation wavelength for fluorescing a reagent, and wherein pulsing the excitation wavelength results in the image sensor generating a fluorescence exposure frame indicating a location of the reagent within a scene.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The system of claim 15, wherein the controller is configured to provide the fluorescence exposure frame to a corresponding system that determines a location of a critical tissue structure based on the fluorescence exposure frame.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The system of claim 16, wherein the controller is configured to:
receive the location of the critical tissue structure from the corresponding system;
generate an overlay frame comprising the location of the critical tissue structure; and
combine the overlay frame with a color image frame depicting the scene to indicate the location of the critical tissue structure within the scene.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to synchronize timing of the pulses of electromagnetic radiation during a blanking period of the image sensor, wherein the blanking period corresponds to a time between a readout of a last row of active pixels in the pixel array and a beginning of a next subsequent readout of active pixels in the pixel array.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to adjust a sequence of the pulses of electromagnetic radiation emitted by the emitter based on a threshold, wherein the threshold determines proper illumination of a scene in a light deficient environment.

### Claim 20 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein two or more pulses of electromagnetic radiation emitted by the emitter result in two or more instances of reflected electromagnetic radiation that are sensed by the pixel array to generate two or more exposure frames that are combined to form an image frame.

### Claim 21 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the pulses of electromagnetic radiation emitted by the emitter is an excitation wavelength for fluorescing a reagent, and wherein at least a portion of the reflected electromagnetic radiation sensed by the image sensor is a relaxation wavelength of the reagent.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The system of claim 21, wherein the image sensor is configured to sense the relaxation wavelength of the reagent to generate a fluorescence exposure frame, and wherein the controller is configured to provide the fluorescence exposure frame to a corresponding system that identifies one or more critical structures in a body based on the fluorescence exposure frame.

### Claim 23 (depends on 22)

The system of claim 22, wherein the one or more critical structures in the body comprise one or more of a nerve, a ureter, a blood vessel, an artery, a blood flow, cancerous tissue, or a tumor.

### Claim 24 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising a second filter that filters electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength from about 795 nm to about 815 nm.

### Claim 25 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising a polarization filter located in a path of the pulses of electromagnetic radiation emitted by the emitter.

### Claim 26 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the image sensor comprises a first image sensor and a second image sensor such that the image sensor can generate a three-dimensional image.

### Claim 27 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the emitter is configured to emit a sequence of pulses of electromagnetic radiation repeatedly sufficient for generating a video stream comprising a plurality of image frames, wherein each image frame in the video stream comprises data from a plurality of exposure frames wherein each of the exposure frames corresponds to a pulse of electromagnetic radiation.