Method And Apparatus For Quantitative Hyperspectral Fluorescence And Reflectance Imaging For Surgical Guidance

Abstract

An imaging system includes an illumination device for illuminating a target. A surgical microscope receives light from the target, the surgical microscope comprising at least one optical output port at which at least a portion of the received light is provided as an output from the surgical microscope. A tunable filter receives the portion of the received light provided as the output from the surgical microscope, the tunable filter being tunable to pass a filtered portion of the received light, the filtered portion of the received light having a plurality of wavelengths selected by the tunable filter and provided as output from the tunable filter. A high-resolution, broad-bandwidth electronic camera receives the light of a plurality of wavelengths selected by the tunable filter, the electronic camera converting the light of a plurality of wavelengths selected by the tunable filter to a plurality of electrical signals. A processor processes the plurality of electrical signals to form an image of the target.

1 - 19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . An imaging system, comprising:
 an illumination device for illuminating a target, the illumination device adapted to selectively emit a white light and a fluorescent stimulus light;   an optical system for receiving light from the target, the optical system comprising at least one optical output port at which at least a portion of the received light is provided as an output;   a hyperspectral imaging subsystem adapted to receive light from the optical system, and configured to encode a plurality of electronic images, the electronic images representing spectra at pixels of the images; and   a processor configured to process the electronic images to form at least fluorescent emission and reflectance images of the target   wherein the processor is configured to use the reflectance image to compensate the fluorescence emissions image for absorption and scattering.   
     
     
         21 . The imaging system of  claim 20  wherein the optical system for receiving light is a surgical microscope 
     
     
         22 . The imaging system of  claim 20  wherein the processor is configured to determine absorption and a scattering parameter at each pixel while compensating the fluorescent emissions image for absorption and scattering. 
     
     
         23 . The imaging system of  claim 20  wherein the hyperspectral imaging subsystem comprises a tunable filter coupled to receive light from the optical system and to provide filtered light to a broad-spectrum electronic camera. 
     
     
         24 . The imaging system of  claim 23  wherein a table interpolation is used to determine an optical absorption and a scattering parameter at each pixel. 
     
     
         25 . The imaging system of  claim 24  wherein the tunable filter is a liquid crystal tunable filter. 
     
     
         26 . The imaging system of  claim 22  wherein the processor is configured to determine absorption and a scattering parameter at each pixel while compensating the electronic images from the fluorescent emissions image. 
     
     
         27 . The imaging system of  claim 26  wherein the target is tissue containing protoporphyrin IX, and wherein at least one of the fluorophores in the target is the protoporphyrin IX. 
     
     
         28 . The imaging system of  claim 24 , wherein the tunable filter is an acousto-optic tunable filter. 
     
     
         29 . The imaging system of  claim 28  wherein the target is tissue containing protoporphyrin IX. 
     
     
         30 . A surgical microscope system, comprising:
 an illumination device for illuminating a target, the illumination device adapted for selectively emitting a fluorescent stimulus light and a white light;   at least one optical output port at which at least a portion of received light received from the target is provided;   a hyperspectral imaging subsystem adapted to receive light from the optical system, and configured to encode a plurality of electronic images, the electronic images representing spectra at pixels of the images; and; and   a processor configured to process the plurality of electronic images to form images of the target, wherein the images of the target comprise images of fluorophores in the target generated from fluorescence light received from the target; and   wherein the processor is configured to generate images generated from reflectance light received from the target, and to use the images generated from reflectance light received from the target to compensate the images generated from the fluorescence light for absorption and scattering in the target.   
     
     
         31 . The surgical microscope system of  claim 30 , wherein, the hyperspectral imaging subsystem comprises a tunable filter and a broad-spectrum electronic camera. 
     
     
         32 . The surgical microscope system of  claim 32 , wherein the tunable filter is selected from the group consisting of a liquid crystal tunable filter and an acousto-optic tunable filter. 
     
     
         33 . A method of imaging comprising:
 providing a white light to a target;   taking a series of images through a tunable optical filter of the target while tuning the filter to a plurality of wavelengths, the series of images forming a spectral image;   providing a stimulus light to the target;   taking a fluorescence emission image of the target;   processing the spectral image to determine an absorption and a scattering parameter at pixels of the images; and   correcting the fluorescence emission image using the absorption and scattering parameters to produce a corrected fluorescence emission image.   
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33  further comprising decomposing the spectral image to provide images of components of the target. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 33  wherein the target comprises tissue, and wherein the components of the target include oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35  wherein the images of components of the target are combined to form images of total hemoglobin and hemoglobin oxygen saturation. 
     
     
         37 . A method of imaging comprising:
 providing a white light to a target;   taking a series of images through a tunable optical filter of the target while tuning the filter to a plurality of wavelengths, the series of images forming a spectral image;   processing the spectral image to determine an absorption and a scattering parameter at pixels of the images; and   decomposing the spectral image to provide images of components of the target.   
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37  further comprising:
 providing a fluorescence stimulus light to the target; 
 taking a fluorescence emissions image through the tunable optical filter, with the tunable optical filter tuned to a fluorescence emissions wavelength of a fluorophore in the target; 
 using the determined absorption and scattering parameters to correct the fluorescence emissions image.