Endoscope image processing method and apparatus, and endoscope system using the same
AssigneeFUJIFILM Corporation
InventorsDaisuke Ayame, Shuichi Ishii, Shinji Takeuchi, Hiroshi Fujita
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method capable of obtaining a fluorescence image and a background image with a simple configuration. A color image is obtained, when excitation light is emitted on a subject, by imaging excitation light reflected from the subject and fluorescence emitted from the subject. Thereafter, an estimated spectral image that includes a background image representing the excitation light and a fluorescence image representing the fluorescence is generated by allocating a wavelength component of the excitation light and a wavelength component of the fluorescence included in the obtained color image to different primary color components.
Claims9
An endoscope image processing method, comprising the steps of:
- obtaining a color image, when excitation light is emitted on a subject, by imaging excitation light reflected from the subject and fluorescence emitted from the subject;
- and
- generating an estimated spectral image that includes a background image representing the excitation light and a fluorescence image representing the fluorescence by allocating a wavelength component of the excitation light and a wavelength component of the fluorescence included in the obtained color image to different primary color components, wherein:
- the wavelength component of the excitation light and the wavelength component of the fluorescence are allocated to different primary color components by administering spectral image processes that employ matrix parameters, to generate the estimated spectral image that includes the background image representing the excitation light and the fluorescence image representing the fluorescence.
An endoscope image processing apparatus, comprising:
- an image obtaining unit for obtaining a color image, when excitation light is emitted on a subject, by imaging excitation light reflected from the subject and fluorescence emitted from the subject;
- and
- a spectral image generation unit for generating an estimated spectral image that includes a background image representing the excitation light and a fluorescence image representing the fluorescence by allocating a wavelength component of the excitation light and a wavelength component of the fluorescence included in the obtained color image to different primary color components, wherein:
- the spectral image generation unit allocates the wavelength component of the excitation light and the wavelength component of the fluorescence to different primary color components by administering spectral image processes that employ matrix parameters, to generate the estimated spectral image that includes the background image representing the excitation light and the fluorescence image representing the fluorescence.
An endoscope system comprising:
- a light source unit for emitting excitation light on a subject;
- a scope for guiding the excitation light emitted from the light source unit to the subject and having an imaging device for imaging, when the excitation light is emitted on the subject, excitation light reflected from the subject and fluorescence emitted from the subject;
- and
- an endoscope image processing apparatus for extracting a fluorescence image from a subject image obtained by the scope,
- wherein the endoscope image processing apparatus includes:
- an image obtaining unit for obtaining a color image taken by the imaging device;
- and
- a spectral image generation unit for generating an estimated spectral image that includes a background image representing the excitation light and a fluorescence image representing the fluorescence by allocating a wavelength component of the excitation light and a wavelength component of the fluorescence included in the obtained color image to different primary color components, wherein:
- the spectral image generation unit allocates the wavelength component of the excitation light and the wavelength component of the fluorescence to different primary color components by administering spectral image processes that employ matrix parameters, to generate the estimated spectral image that includes the background image representing the excitation light and the fluorescence image representing the fluorescence.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.