Patent ID: 11877720
Assignee: KARL STORZ IMAGING, INC.
Field: Audio-visual technology (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC A  G  H | IPC A  G  H

Claim 0:
1. A fluorescence imaging system for use in a medical procedure, the imaging system configured to generate a video image onto a display, the fluorescence imaging system comprising:
a light source for emitting infrared light and white light;
an infrared image sensor for capturing infrared image data in the infrared spectrum;
a white light image sensor for capturing white light image data in the white light spectrum;
data processing hardware in communication with the infrared image sensor and the white light image sensor; and
memory hardware in communication with the data processing hardware, the memory hardware storing instructions that when executed on the data processing hardware cause the data processing hardware to perform operations comprising:
filtering the infrared image data with a fluorescence image enhancer having a first digital finite impulse response (FIR) filter and a second digital FIR filter different from the first FIR filter, and a third digital FIR filter configured to equalize for contrast loss from a fluorescence diffusion, wherein a Gaussian impulse response and a Gaussian frequency response are matched and the second digital FIR filter is configured with a phase response to spatially align the white light image data with the infrared image data;
combining the white light image data and the filtered infrared image data into combined image data; and
transmitting the combined image data to the display.