Motion-Adaptive Interactive Imaging

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for the detecting and presenting of faint signals from a real-time interactive imager. A real-time view of a subject is controlled by a user by entering commands that move the subject or a camera used to record the real-time view. The rate of this movement is monitored, and when the rate descends below a preset value, a trigger is sent to the camera. In response to the trigger, the camera switches to a lower frame frequency for capturing the real-time view of the subject, thereby increasing the amount of light collected in each frame, and increasing the sensitivity of the camera to faint signals. The methods and systems are particularly relevant for surgical or biopsy imaging, in which both a higher frame rate preview image of a subject for 3D visualization, and a higher sensitivity fluorescence image of the subject for tumor margin assessment, are desired.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of detecting and presenting images, the method comprising:
 recording, using a fluorescence camera, a first view of a subject at a first frame frequency;   photographing a reflected white light view of the subject with a second camera;   monitoring, using a processor, a rate of movement of the subject in the reflected white light view from the second camera;   sending a trigger, using the processor, to the fluorescence camera based upon the rate of movement crossing a target rate;   switching, using the processor, the first frame frequency to a second frame frequency based on the trigger; and   capturing, using the fluorescence camera, a second view of the subject at the second frame frequency.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second frame frequency is lower than the first frame frequency, and crossing the target rate includes descending below the target rate. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 overlaying a reflected white light image of the subject over the second view of the subject, wherein the reflected white light image was photographed prior to the sending of the trigger; and   outputting the overlaid reflected white light image of the subject over the second view of the subject.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 illuminating the subject with a first excitation light while recording the first view;   switching the first excitation light to a second excitation light in response to the trigger; and   illuminating the subject with a second excitation light while capturing the second view.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the first excitation light has a first wavelength and the second excitation light has a second wavelength. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the first excitation light has a first intensity and the second excitation light has a second intensity. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the first excitation light has a first temporal modulation and the second excitation light has a second temporal modulation. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the capturing of the second view includes an application of a noise filtering algorithm or a noise averaging algorithm. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the fluorescence camera has a resolution, wherein the recording of the first view is at a first resolution, and the capturing of the second view is at a second resolution, and wherein the method further comprises:
 altering the resolution from the first resolution to the second resolution based on the trigger.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the fluorescence camera has a field of view, wherein the recording of the first view is of a first field of view, and the capturing of the second view is of a second field of view, and wherein the method further comprises:
 modifying the field of view from the first field of view to the second field of view based on the trigger.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 turning on or off a light source directed at the subject based on the trigger.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 taking an X-ray image, a near-infrared image, or a radioisotope image based on the trigger.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the monitoring includes registering a presence or an absence of an operator command. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the subject is a biological sample. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the biological sample is an in vivo sample. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the biological sample is an ex vivo sample. 
     
     
         17 . A machine-readable non-transitory medium embodying information indicative of instructions for causing a computer processor to perform operations for presenting images, the operations comprising:
 controlling a fluorescence camera to record a first view of a subject at a first frame frequency;   controlling a second camera to photograph a reflected white light view of the subject;   monitoring a rate of movement of the subject in the reflected white light view from the second camera;   sending a trigger to the fluorescence camera based upon the rate of movement crossing a target rate;   switching the first frame frequency to a second frame frequency based on the trigger; and   controlling the fluorescence camera to capture a second view of the subject at the second frame frequency.   
     
     
         18 . The medium of  claim 17 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 controlling a first excitation light to illuminate the subject while recording the first view;   switching the first excitation light to a second excitation light in response to the trigger; and   controlling a second excitation light to illuminate the subject while capturing the second view.   
     
     
         19 . A computer system for presenting images, the system comprising:
 at least one processor, and   a memory operatively coupled with the at least one processor, the at least one processor executing instructions from the memory, the memory comprising:
 a) program code for controlling a fluorescence camera to record a first view of a subject at a first frame frequency; 
 b) program code for controlling a second camera to photograph a reflected white light view of the subject; 
 c) program code for monitoring a rate of movement of the subject in the reflected white light view from the second camera; 
 d) program code for sending a trigger to the fluorescence camera based upon the rate of movement crossing a target rate; 
 e) program code for switching the first frame frequency to a second frame frequency based on the trigger; and 
 f) program code for controlling the fluorescence camera to capture a second view of the subject at the second frame frequency. 
   
     
     
         20 . The computer system of  claim 19 , wherein the memory further comprises:
 program code for controlling a first excitation light to illuminate the subject while recording the first view;   program code for switching the first excitation light to a second excitation light in response to the trigger; and   program code for controlling a second excitation light to illuminate the subject while capturing the second view.