Apparatus, System and Method to Capture Images of a Medical Site In White Light and Fluorescent Light

An image capturing system for capturing an image of an object of medical interest in remitted or reflected illumination light and for capturing an image of the object in fluorescent light generated by at least one of Cy5.5 and SGM-101 and for capturing an image of the object in fluorescence light generated by at least one of OTL38 and indocyanine green, comprising:

• a light source device for alternately or simultaneously generating illumination light in the blue, green and red wavelength ranges, first excitation light exciting fluorescence of at least one of Cy5.5 and SGM-101 and second excitation light exciting fluorescence of at least one of OTL38 and indocyanine green;
• and
• an image capturing device comprising:
• a first image sensor detecting blue, green and red light;
• a second image sensor detecting fluorescent light of at least one of Cy5.5 and SGM-101 and of at least one of OTL38 and indocyanine green;
• a beam splitter for guiding light emanating from the object and having a wavelength, which is smaller than a predetermined cutoff wavelength λ0 within the red spectral range, to the first image sensor and for guiding light emanating from the object and having a wavelength which is greater than the predetermined cutoff wavelength λ0 to, the second image sensor;
• and
• one or more filters arranged upstream of the second image sensor for partially, substantially or completely suppressing light having a wavelength suitable for exciting at least one of Cy5.5 and SGM-101, and for partially, substantially or completely suppressing light having a wavelength suitable for exciting fluorescence of at least one of OTL38 and indocyanine green.

A method for capturing an image of an object of medical interest in remitted or reflected illumination light and capturing an image of the object in fluorescent light generated by at least one of Cy5.5 and SGM-101 and capturing an image of the object in fluorescence light generated by at least one of OTL38 and indocyanine green, comprising the steps of:

• irradiating the object with illumination light in the blue, green and red spectral range;
• irradiating the object with first excitation light exciting fluorescence of at least one of Cy5.5 and SGM-101;
• irradiating the object with second excitation light exciting fluorescence of at least one of OTL38 and indocyanine green;
• capturing a color image of the object in the blue, green and red spectral range by a first image sensor;
• and
• capturing a fluorescence image in the red and infrared spectral range, by a second image sensor,
• wherein reflected or remitted first excitation light is not or only partially detected by the second image sensor, and wherein reflected or remitted second excitation light is not or only partially detected by the second image sensor.