Medical optical observation instrument and method for contrasting polarization-rotating tissue

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016091702-A1
Application number	US-201514863479-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 24, 2015
Priority date	Sep 26, 2014
Publication date	Mar 31, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A medical optical observation instrument including an illumination system, which provides an illumination beam path for illuminating an observation object with illumination light, an observation system, which provides an observation beam path for observing the observation object and at least one camera for recording a digital image of the observation object, and a device for contrasting polarization-rotating tissue in the observation object. The device for contrasting polarization-rotating tissue in the observation object includes at least one illumination apparatus, arranged in the illumination system, including a polarization portion, at least one linear analyzer, arranged in the observation system and rotatable about the optical axis of the observation beam path, an image processing apparatus connected to the at least one camera, and an optimization apparatus connected to the image processing apparatus and to the at least one rotatable linear analyzer and the polarization portion.

First claim

1 . A medical optical observation instrument ( 2 , 58 , 73 ), comprising
an illumination system, which comprises an illumination beam path ( 42 ) for illuminating an observation object ( 3 ) with illumination light, an observation system, which comprises an observation beam path ( 9 A, 9 B) for producing an image of the observation object ( 3 ) with the aid of observation light emanating from the observation object ( 3 ) and at least one camera ( 21 A, 21 B), to which observation light is fed for recording a digital image of the observation object ( 3 ), and a device ( 53 ) for contrasting polarization-rotating tissue in the observation object ( 3 ), which device is connected to the at least one camera ( 21 A, 21 B) for receiving the digital image of the observation object ( 3 ), wherein the device ( 53 ) for contrasting polarization-rotating tissue in the observation object ( 3 ) comprises: at least one illumination apparatus, arranged in the illumination system, comprising a polarization portion ( 47 , 69 ), which is suitable for producing illumination light with a linear polarization that is adjustable in the plane perpendicular to the optical axis of the illumination beam path ( 42 , 70 ), at least one linear analyzer ( 40 A, 40 B), arranged in the observation system and rotatable about the optical axis of the observation beam path ( 9 A, 9 B), for determining the polarization direction of the observation light, an image processing apparatus ( 55 ) connected to the at least one camera ( 21 A, 21 B) for receiving the digital image of the observation object ( 3 ), which image processing apparatus establishes and outputs an image contrast value representing the image contrast in the digital image of the observation object, and an optimization apparatus ( 57 ) connected to the image processing apparatus ( 55 ) for receiving the image contrast value and connected to the at least one rotatable linear analyzer ( 40 A, 40 B) and the polarization portion ( 47 , 69 ) for outputting actuation signals, which optimization apparatus maximizes the image contrast value by adapting the polarization direction of the illumination light and the polarization direction of the linear analyzer ( 40 A, 40 B) with the aid of the actuation signals.

2 . The medical optical observation instrument as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the observation system comprises two stereoscopic subsystems, each with a stereoscopic partial beam path ( 9 A, 9 B), wherein a camera ( 21 A, 21 B) is arranged in each one of the stereoscopic subsystems, with observation light for recording a digital partial image of the observation object ( 3 ) being fed to said camera such that the digital image of the observation object ( 3 ) is a stereoscopic image.

3 . The medical optical observation instrument as claimed in claim 2 , wherein an eyepiece ( 35 A, 35 B) and a first beam splitter ( 15 A, 15 B) are arranged in each one of the stereoscopic subsystems, wherein the first beam splitter ( 15 A, 15 B) guides one portion of the observation light situated in the stereoscopic subsystem in the direction of the camera ( 21 A, 21 B) of the stereoscopic subsystem and another portion of the observation light situated in the stereoscopic subsystem in the direction of the eyepiece ( 35 A, 35 B) of the stereoscopic subsystem.

4 . The medical optical observation instrument as claimed in claim 3 , wherein a display ( 63 A, 63 B) and a second beam splitter ( 61 A, 61 B) are arranged in each one of the stereoscopic subsystems, wherein the second beam splitter ( 61 A, 61 B) is situated between the first beam splitter ( 15 A, 15 B) and the eyepiece ( 35 A, 35 B) and couples a beam path emanating from the display ( 63 A, 63 B) in the direction of the eyepiece ( 35 A, 35 B) into the stereoscopic partial beam path ( 9 A, 9 B) of the stereoscopic subsystem.

5 . The medical optical observation instrument as claimed in claim 4 , wherein a shutter ( 71 A, 71 B) is arranged between the first beam splitter ( 15 A, 15 B) and the second beam splitter ( 61 A, 61 B) in each one of the stereoscopic subsystems.

6 . The medical optical observation instrument as claimed in claim 2 , wherein a linear analyzer ( 40 A, 40 B), which is arranged between the camera ( 21 A, 21 B) and the first beam splitter ( 15 A, 15 B), is present in each one of the stereoscopic subsystems.

7 . The medical optical observation instrument as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the illumination apparatus comprises an illumination light source ( 41 ) and, as a polarization portion, a linear polarizer ( 47 ), rotatable about the optical axis of the illumination beam path ( 42 ), for polarizing the illumination light emanating from the illumination light source ( 41 ).

8 . The medical optical observation instrument as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the illumination apparatus comprises an illumination light source ( 69 ) emitting linearly polarized light as a polarization portion, which illumination light source is rotatably mounted about the optical axis of the illumination beam path ( 70 ).

9 . The medical optical observation instrument as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the illumination light source ( 41 , 69 ) is a laser, an incandescent lamp or a luminescence emitter.

10 . The medical optical observation instrument as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the laser is an infrared laser ( 69 ).

11 . The medical optical observation instrument as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the illumination light source ( 41 ) comprises a primary light source emitting the illumination light, a secondary light source, an optical waveguide ( 51 ) with an input end ( 50 ) and an output end ( 52 ), and a coupling apparatus ( 49 ) for coupling the illumination light into the input end ( 50 ) of the optical waveguide ( 51 ), wherein the output end ( 52 ) of the optical waveguide ( 51 ) forms the secondary light source.

12 . The medical optical observation instrument as claimed in claim 11 , in which the optical waveguide ( 51 ) comprises a polarization-maintaining fiber.

13 . The medical optical observation instrument as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the linear polarizer ( 47 ) is arranged between the output end ( 52 ) of the optical waveguide ( 51 ) and the observation object ( 3 ).

14 . The medical optical observation instrument as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the device for contrasting polarization-rotating tissue comprises:
a navigation data input ( 80 ) for receiving navigation data from a navigation system ( 81 ), a data input ( 82 ) for receiving pre-surgical data, an introduction device ( 75 ) for introducing the at least one linear analyzer ( 40 A, 40 B) into the observation beam path, an introduction or switching-on device for introducing the polarization portion ( 47 ) into the illumination beam path ( 42 ) or for switching on the polarization portion ( 69 ), and a control unit ( 79 ) for controlling the introduction device ( 75 ) and the introduction or switching-on device ( 77 ), which control unit is connected to the data input ( 82 ) for receiving pre-surgical data and connected to the navigation data input ( 80 ) for receiving navigation data, establishes whether the medical optical observation instrument ( 73 ) is directed onto polarization-rotating tissue on the basis of the received navigation data and the received pre-surgical data, and actuates the introduction device ( 75 ) and the introduction or switching-on device ( 77 ) when the medical optical observation instrument ( 73 ) is directed onto polarization-rotating tissue.

15 . A method for contrasting polarization-rotating tissue by means of a medical opti

Assignees

• Zeiss Carl Meditec Ag

Inventors

• Hauger Christoph

Classifications

• G02B21/082

  for incident illumination only · CPC title

• G02B21/365

  Control or image processing arrangements for digital or video microscopes (G02B21/361, G02B21/362 take precedence) · CPC title

• G02B21/22

  Stereoscopic arrangements · CPC title

• G02B21/361

  Optical details, e.g. image relay to the camera or image sensor (G02B21/364 takes precedence; illumination details G02B21/06 and subgroups) · CPC title

• G02B27/286

  for controlling or changing the state of polarisation, e.g. transforming one polarisation state into another (G02B5/3083 takes precedence; light guide coupling means utilising polarising elements G02B6/34) · CPC title