White balance adjustment method and imaging device for medical instrument

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9900484-B2
Application number	US-201113188680-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 22, 2011
Priority date	Jul 28, 2010
Publication date	Feb 20, 2018
Grant date	Feb 20, 2018

Abstract

A method includes the steps of emitting infrared light of a predetermined wavelength to an object, receiving infrared light of a predetermined wavelength different from the infrared light emitted from the object, and adjusting white balance of an image output from a camera at this time, thereby showing the incident infrared light as white. The method further includes the steps of emitting white visible light to the object from an RGB light source, receiving visible light emitted from the object, and adjusting the intensity of the RGB light source for each of R, G, and B, thereby adjusting white balance of a captured image.

First claim

What it is claimed is:

1. A method of displaying a captured image comprising
emitting infrared light of a predetermined wavelength to an object;
removing reflection light of the predetermined wavelength emitted from the object;
receiving infrared light of a predetermined wavelength that is different from the emitted infrared light of the predetermined wavelength;
adjusting white balance of an image output from a camera to show the received infrared light as white;
emitting white visible light to the object from an RGB light source, comprising: a R light source, a G light source, and a B light source;
receiving visible light emitted from the object;
adjusting the intensity of the RGB light source for each individually of the R, G, and B light sources respectively, thereby adjusting white balance of a captured image;
emitting both of the infrared light of the predetermined wavelength and the visible light in which the white balance is adjusted; and
removing the infrared light of the predetermined wavelength emitted to the object, thereby obtaining a captured image.

2. The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein the object is an organ of a patient.

3. The method according to claim 2 ,
wherein the patient has been injected with indocyanine green; and
wherein the infrared light emitted to the object is infrared light of 780 nm, while the received infrared light is near-infrared light of 830-870 nm obtained by removing the infrared light of 780 nm.

4. An imaging device comprising:
an infrared emission unit which emits infrared light of a predetermined wavelength to an object;
an RGB light source, comprising: a R light source, a G light source, and a B light source,
wherein the RGB light source emits RGB light to the object, a light emission intensity of the RGB light source being adjustable for each of the R, G, and B light sources independently;

a filter which removes, from the light emitted from the object, the infrared light of the predeteimined wavelength emitted from the infrared emission unit;
a camera which receives light passing through the filter and outputs a captured image signal;
a white balance adjustment unit which adjust white balance so that the captured image signal received by the camera becomes white while the infrared light from the infrared emission unit is emitted to the object; and
an RGB adjustment unit which adjusts, while the RGB light source emits light to the object and the white balance adjustment unit fixes the white balance, the light emission intensity of the RGB light source for each individually of the R, G, and B light sources respectively to thereby adjust white balance of a captured image signal output from the camera,
wherein both of the infrared light of the predetermined wavelength from the infrared emission unit and the visible light in which the white balance is adjusted from the RGB light source is emitted, and the infrared light of the predetermined wavelength emitted to the object is removed from reflection light thereof by the filter, thereby obtaining a captured image by the camera.

5. The imaging device according to claim 4 ,
wherein the infrared light emitted to the object and the visible light emitted to the object is received by the camera via one light guide which the visible light and the infrared light pass through.

6. The imaging device according to claim 4 ,
wherein the infrared light emitted from the object and the visible light emitted from the object are received by the camera via one light guide which the visible light and the infrared light pass through.

Assignees

• Kojima Kazuaki
• Tanimoto Takashi
• Sato Takayuki
• Semiconductor Components Ind Llc
• Univ Nat Corp Kochi Univ

Inventors

• Kojima Kazuaki
• Tanimoto Takashi
• Sato Takayuki

Classifications

• H04N23/56 Primary

  provided with illuminating means · CPC title

• H04N23/555 Primary

  for picking-up images in sites, inaccessible due to their dimensions or hazardous conditions, e.g. endoscopes or borescopes · CPC title

• H04N23/88

  for colour balance, e.g. white-balance circuits or colour temperature control · CPC title

• H04N23/11

  for generating image signals from visible and infrared light wavelengths · CPC title

• H04N2005/2255

  Electricity · mapped topic