# US 2020/0404170 A1 · Image synchronization without input clock and data transmission clock in a pulsed hyperspectral, fluorescence, and laser mapping imaging system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2020/0404170 A1 - Document ID: US20200404170A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/748,540 - Filed: 2020-01-21 - 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/US20200404170A1 ## CPC - G01N 21/6456: {Spatial resolved fluorescence measurements; Imaging} - A61B 1/000095: {for image enhancement} - A61B 1/00194: {adapted for three-dimensional imaging} - A61B 1/043: {for fluorescence imaging} - A61B 1/045: Control thereof - A61B 1/051: {Details of CCD assembly} - A61B 1/0638: {providing two or more wavelengths} - A61B 1/0646: {with illumination filters} - A61B 1/07: using light-conductive means, e.g. optical fibres - A61B 5/0071: {by measuring fluorescence emission} - G01N 21/6428: {Measuring fluorescence of fluorescent products of reactions or of fluorochrome labelled reactive substances, e.g. measuring quenching effects, using measuring "optrodes" (in vivo A61B5/00; immunoassay G01N33/53)} - H04N 23/10: for generating image signals from different wavelengths - H04N 23/555: {for picking-up images in sites, inaccessible due to their dimensions or hazardous conditions, e.g. endoscopes or borescopes} - 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 23/74: by influencing the scene brightness using illuminating means - H04N 25/585: with pixels having different sensitivities within the sensor, e.g. fast or slow pixels or pixels having different sizes - G01N 2021/6439: {with indicators, stains, dyes, tags, labels, marks} - 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) - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract Pulsed hyperspectral, fluorescence, and laser mapping imaging without input clock or data transmission clock is 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. The system includes a plurality of bidirectional data pads and a controller in communication with the image sensor. The system is such that at least a portion of the pulses of electromagnetic radiation emitted by the emitter comprises one or more of: electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength from about 513 nm to about 545 nm, from about 565 nm to about 585 nm, from about 900 nm to about 1000 nm, an excitation wavelength of electromagnetic radiation that causes a reagent to fluoresce, or a laser mapping pattern. ## 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; a plurality of bidirectional data pads on the image sensor for outputting image data and receiving configuration data; and a controller in electronic communication with the image sensor and the emitter; wherein at least a portion of the pulses of electromagnetic radiation emitted by the emitter comprises one or more of: electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength from about 513 nm to about 545 nm; electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength from about 565 nm to about 585 nm; electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength from about 900 nm to about 1000 nm; an excitation wavelength of electromagnetic radiation that causes a reagent to fluoresce; or a laser mapping pattern. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising: an oscillator disposed in the controller; and a frequency detector in electronic communication with the controller to control a clock frequency of the image sensor in response to signals from the controller that correspond to the frequency of the oscillator. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein electronic communication through each of the plurality of bidirectional pads is performed in defined phases comprising: a rolling readout phase during which image data is output from the image sensor through the plurality of bidirectional pads to the controller; a service line phase during which non-image data is output from the image sensor through the plurality of bidirectional pads to the controller; and a configuration phase during which image sensor configuration data is received by the image sensor from the controller through the plurality of bidirectional pads; wherein image sensor data output lines are reversed during the configuration phase; and wherein a clock data recovery circuit is unlocked from an oscillator disposed in the controller when the image sensor data output lines are reversed. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The system of claim 3, wherein clock signal data is transmitted during the service line phase and the configuration phase and is not transmitted during the rolling readout phase. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the image sensor does not comprise a dedicated input synchronization clock pad such that a total number of data pads in the image sensor is reduced. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising an oscillator disposed in the controller for providing a reference clock frequency to synchronize incoming data received from the image sensor. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one transition within pixel serial data created by the pixel array of the image sensor, wherein the pixel serial data is replaced in the pixel array according to synchronization determined by clock signal data. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising: a phase lock loop (PLL) comprising PLL image sensor blocks and PLL controller blocks; data lines electrically connecting the PLL image sensor blocks and the PLL controller blocks; and configuration lines electrically connecting the PLL image sensor blocks and the PLL controller blocks; wherein an oscillator disposed in the controller and a data recovery circuit are used to lock on to incoming data received by the controller from the image sensor. ### Claim 9 (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 10 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, 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 11 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of exposure frames are combined to form an image frame. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising: a voltage controlled oscillator; a phase lock loop based on a charge pump for driving the voltage controlled oscillator; and a phase lock loop based on a digital-to-analog converter for driving the voltage controlled oscillator. ### Claim 13 (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 14 (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 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 a fluorescence emission for exciting a fluorescent reagent, wherein the fluorescence emission results in a fluorescence exposure frame created by the image sensor, and wherein the controller is configured to provide the fluorescence exposure frame to a corresponding fluorescence system that determines a location of a critical tissue structure within a scene based on the fluorescence exposure frame. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein the controller is further configured to: receive the location of the critical tissue structure from the corresponding fluorescence 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 17 (depends on 16) The system of claim 16, wherein sensing the reflected electromagnetic radiation by the pixel array comprises generating a laser mapping exposure frame by sensing reflected electromagnetic radiation resulting from the emitter pulsing the laser mapping pattern, and wherein the controller is further configured to: provide the laser mapping exposure frame to a corresponding laser mapping system that determines a topology of the scene and/or dimensions of one or more objects within the scene; provide the location of the critical tissue structure to the corresponding laser mapping system; and receive a topology and/or dimension of the critical tissue structure from the corresponding laser mapping system. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, wherein the critical structure comprises one or more of a nerve, a ureter, a blood vessel, an artery, a blood flow, or a tumor. ### Claim 19 (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 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 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 22 (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, and wherein each of the exposure frames corresponds to a pulse of electromagnetic radiation. ### Claim 23 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of 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 pixel array is a relaxation wavelength of the reagent. ### Claim 24 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein sensing reflected electromagnetic radiation by the pixel array comprises generating a laser mapping exposure frame by sensing reflected electromagnetic radiation resulting from the emitter pulsing the laser mapping pattern, wherein the laser mapping exposure frame comprises information for determining real time measurements comprising one or more of: a distance from an endoscope to an object; an angle between an endoscope and the object; or surface topology information about the object. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The system of claim 24, wherein the laser mapping exposure frame comprises information for determining the real time measurements to an accuracy of less than 10 centimeters. ### Claim 26 (depends on 24) The system of claim 24, wherein the laser mapping exposure frame comprises information for determining the real time measurements to an accuracy of less than one millimeter. ### Claim 27 (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 plurality of tool-specific laser mapping patterns for each of a plurality of tools within a scene. ### Claim 28 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the laser mapping pattern emitted by the emitter comprises a first output and a second output that are independent from one another, wherein the first output is for light illumination and the second output is for tool tracking. ### Claim 29 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of pulses of electromagnetic radiation comprise a hyperspectral emission comprising one of: electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength from about 513 nm to about 545 nm and electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength from about 900 nm to about 1000 nm; or electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength from about 565 nm to about 585 nm and electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength from about 900 nm to about 1000 nm; wherein sensing reflected electromagnetic radiation by the pixel array comprises generating a hyperspectral exposure frame based on the hyperspectral emission. ### Claim 30 (depends on 29) The system of claim 29, wherein sensing reflected electromagnetic radiation by the pixel array comprises generating a laser mapping exposure frame based on emission by the emitter of the laser mapping pattern, and wherein the controller is configured to: provide the hyperspectral exposure frame to a corresponding hyperspectral system that determines a location of a critical tissue structure based on the hyperspectral exposure frame; receive the location of the critical tissue structure from the corresponding hyperspectral system; provide the laser mapping exposure frame to a corresponding laser mapping system that determines a topology of the scene and/or dimensions of one or more objects within the scene; provide the location of the critical tissue structure to the corresponding laser mapping system; and receive a topology and/or dimension of the critical tissue structure from the corresponding laser mapping system; wherein the critical tissue structure is one or more of a nerve, a ureter, a blood vessel, an artery, a blood flow, cancerous tissue, or a tumor.