Radiant energy – Luminophor irradiation
Reexamination Certificate
2001-08-02
2004-06-08
Hannaher, Constantine (Department: 2878)
Radiant energy
Luminophor irradiation
C600S317000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06747281
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fluorescent-light image display method of and apparatus for measuring the fluorescent-light emitted from a target subject upon the irradiation thereof by a excitation light and displaying an image representing the data relating to the target subject.
2. Description of the Related Art
Technologies have been proposed that make use of the fact that the intensity of the fluorescent-light emitted from a normal tissue differs from the intensity of the fluorescent-light emitted from a diseased tissue when a target subject is irradiated by a excitation light having a wavelength within the wavelength range of the internal color elements of the target subject, wherein, by receiving the fluorescent-light emitted from a target subject upon the irradiation thereof by a excitation light having a wavelength within the wavelength range of the internal color elements of the target subject, the location and range of penetration of a diseased tissue is displayed as a fluorescent-light image.
Normally, when a target subject is irradiated by a excitation light, because a high-intensity fluorescent-light is emitted from a normal tissue, as shown by the solid line in
FIG. 12
, and a weak-intensity fluorescent-light is emitted from a diseased tissue, as shown by the broken line in
FIG. 12
, by measuring the intensity of the fluorescent-light emitted from aforementioned target subject, it can be determined whether the target subject is in a normal or a diseased state.
However, for cases in which the intensity of the fluorescent-light emitted from a target subject upon the irradiation thereof by a excitation light is displayed as an image, because there is unevenness on the surface of a target subject, the intensity of the excitation light irradiating the target subject is not of a uniform intensity. Further, although the intensity of the fluorescent-light emitted from the target subject is substantially proportional to the intensity of the excitation light, the intensity of aforementioned excitation light becomes weaker in inverse proportion to the square of the distance between the excitation light and the target subject. Therefore, there are cases in which the fluorescent-light received from a diseased tissue located at a position closer to the excitation light source than a normal tissue is of a higher intensity than the fluorescent-light received from a fore mentioned normal tissue, and the state of the tissue of the target subject under examination cannot be accurately discerned based solely on the data relating to the intensity of the fluorescent-light received from the target subject upon the irradiation thereof with a excitation light. In order to remedy the problems described above, the applicants of the present application propose a method of dividing two types of fluorescent-light intensities obtained of different wavelength ranges to obtain the ratio therebetween, and displaying a computed-image based on the factor obtained thereby. That is to say: propose an image display method of displaying an image based on the difference in the form of the fluorescent-light spectra reflecting the tissue-state of a target subject; a method of displaying a fluorescent-light image comprising detecting the intensity of the reflected-light reflected from a target subject upon the irradiation thereof with a reference-light composed of light in the near-infrared spectrum, which shows uniform absorption characteristics for a wide variety of target subjects, obtaining the ratio between the intensity of the reference-light and the intensity of the fluorescent-light by division, and displaying a computed-image based on the factor obtained thereby, that is, an method of obtaining a value reflecting the yield of the fluorescent-light and displaying an image; and etc.
In addition, a fluorescent-light image display apparatus according to the technology described above basically comprises a light emitting means for projecting the excitation light and illuminating-light onto a target subject, a single image obtaining means provided with separate image obtaining portions for obtaining a fluorescent-light image formed of the fluorescent light emitted from the internal color elements of the target subject and a standard-image formed of the reflected-light reflected from the target subject upon the irradiation thereof by an illuminating-light, respectively, and a display means for displaying a fluorescent-light image and a standard-image obtained by the image obtaining means. In many cases, this apparatus is incorporated into an endoscope for insertion into a body cavity of a patient, a colposcope, or a surgical-use microscope, etc. According to an apparatus of such a configuration, generally, when a measurement is to be taken, first, while viewing a displayed standard-image, an operator inserts the insertion portion into a body cavity of a patient to the vicinity of the target subject of which a measurement is to be taken. Then, the excitation light is emitted and the intensity of the fluorescent-light emitted from the target subject is measured. After a measurement has been taken, while again viewing a display of a standard-image, the operator withdraws the insertion portion from the body of the patient.
Accordingly, from the insertion of the insertion portion until the removal thereof from the body of the patient, the standard-image displaying mode must be switched to in order to safely remove the insertion portion from the body of the patient.
However, in existing methods and apparatus for fluorescent-light image display, no safety measures against any kind of irregularity in the operation of the apparatus preventing an operator from obtaining a desired image have been proposed until now. Causes that can give rise to irregularities in the operation of the apparatus that can prevent the obtaining of a desired image include, irregularities in the imaging system, reductions in the output of the light source, malfunctions occurring in the mechanical components involved in the displaying of a standard-image, and irregularities in the controlling portion that controls the mechanical elements or the control signal line.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been developed in consideration of the circumstances described above, and it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for displaying a fluorescent-light image, wherein, even for cases in which an irregularity such as one of those described above causes a state to occur in which a desired image cannot be viewed, the insertion portion can be safely and expediently removed from the body of a patient and the safety of the patient and the operator can be ensured.
The fluorescent-light image display apparatus according to the present invention comprises: a excitation light emitting means for emitting excitation light; an illuminating-light emitting means for emitting illuminating-light; a light-guiding means for guiding the excitation light and the illuminating-light to the target subject of which a measurement is to be taken; an image obtaining means provided with separate image obtaining portions for obtaining a fluorescent-light image formed of the fluorescent-light emitted from a target subject upon the irradiation thereof by a excitation light and a standard-image formed of the reflected-light reflected from the target subject upon the irradiation thereof by an illuminating-light, respectively; a display means for displaying a fluorescent-light image based on the obtained fluorescent-light image and a standard-image based on the obtained standard-image; and an image display controlling means for controlling the excitation light emitting means, the illuminating-light emitting means, the image obtaining means, and the display means; further comprising a excitation light irregularity detecting means for detecting an irregularity in the operation of the excitation light emitting means, a standard-image display controlling means for caus
Nakajima Yukihiko
Sendai Tomonari
Tsujita Kazuhiro
Fuji Photo Film Co. , Ltd.
Hannaher Constantine
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