Patent ID: 6496719
Filing Date: 2002-12-17
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
An apparatus for displaying a fluorescence image, comprising:i) excitation light irradiating means for irradiating excitation light to a measuring site in a living body, the excitation light causing the measuring site to produce fluorescence, ii) image information acquiring means for acquiring image information in accordance with a signal intensity of fluorescence components of the fluorescence having been produced from the measuring site exposed to the excitation light, which fluorescence components have wavelengths falling within at least one desired wavelength region, and iii) displaying means for displaying the acquired image information, wherein the image information acquiring means comprises: a) a complementary color filter for transmitting only fluorescence components of the fluorescence, which fluorescence components have wavelengths falling within a wavelength region acting as a complementary color with respect to the desired wavelength region, b) complementary color signal intensity detecting means for detecting a signal intensity of the fluorescence components of the fluorescence, which fluorescence components have passed through the complementary color filter, c) entire signal intensity detecting means for detecting a signal intensity of fluorescence components of the fluorescence, which fluorescence components have wavelengths falling within an entire measurement wavelength region of the fluorescence, and d) signal intensity calculating means for calculating the signal intensity of the fluorescence components of the fluorescence, which fluorescence components have wavelengths falling within the desired wavelength region, from the signal intensity, which has been detected by the complementary color signal intensity detecting means, and the signal intensity, which has been detected by the entire signal intensity detecting means.