Patent ID: 7341557

Claim:
A fluorescence endoscopy video system including: a multimode light source for producing white light, fluorescence excitation light or fluorescence excitation light with a reference reflectance light; an endoscope for directing light from the light source into a patient to illuminate a tissue sample and to collect the reflected light or fluorescence light produced by the tissue; a camera positioned to receive the light collected by the endoscope including: a high sensitivity color image sensor having integrated filters; a filter selectively positioned in front of the high sensitivity color image sensor for passing light at green and longer wavelengths and for blocking light at blue and shorter wavelengths to the extent that light reaching the sensor is substantially composed of light at green and longer wavelengths and minimally composed of light at blue and shorter wavelengths, and which allows the light in red and green wavelength bands to be further filtered by the integrated filters on the high sensitivity color image sensor; and one or more optical imaging components that projects images onto the high sensitivity color image sensor; an image processor that receives image signals from the high sensitivity color image sensor and combines image signals from pixels having filters with the same filter characteristics to form separate images formed by light in each of the two wavelength bands; and a video monitor for simultaneously superimposing the separate images.