Patent ID: 11898909
Assignee: CILAG GMBH INTERNATIONAL
Field: Measurement (Instruments)
Classification: CPC G  A  H | IPC A  G  H

Claim 0:
1. A method for endoscopic visualization within a light deficient environment, the method comprising:
actuating an emitter to emit a plurality of pulses of electromagnetic radiation according to a pulse cycle, wherein the plurality of pulses comprises:
a visible emission comprising only electromagnetic radiation within a visible waveband of the electromagnetic spectrum; and
a fluorescence excitation emission comprising electromagnetic radiation within a waveband from about 770 nm to about 795 nm or electromagnetic radiation within a waveband from about 790 nm to about 815 nm;

synchronizing a sensor cycle of an image sensor that is disposed within an endoscope with the pulse cycle of the emitter such that a pixel array of the image sensor accumulates electromagnetic radiation resulting from the plurality of pulses to generate a plurality of exposure frames, wherein the sensor cycle comprises:
the pixel array accumulating a fluorescence relaxation emission during a fluorescence blanking period of the image sensor, wherein the emitter pulses only the fluorescence excitation emission during the fluorescence blanking period; and
the image sensor reading out the pixel array to output a fluorescence exposure frame during a fluorescence readout period of the image sensor that occurs subsequent to the fluorescence blanking period;

applying edge enhancement to edges within the fluorescence exposure frame to separate true edges of the fluorescence relaxation emission from random noise;
providing the fluorescence exposure frame to a corresponding system configured to identify a tissue structure within a scene based on the pixel accumulation data of the fluorescence exposure frame, wherein the corresponding system classifies pixels within the fluorescence exposure frame as indicating a presence of the tissue structure based on whether corresponding pixel values exceed or fall below a threshold;
receiving an output from the corresponding system comprising one or more of a location or an identity of the tissue structure; and
generating an overlay based on the output from the corresponding system, wherein the overlay highlights the location of the tissue structure.