Disclosed is a method for operating an endoscope system and an endoscope system comprising an image sensor and a processing device, the image sensor comprising an image sensor output, the processing device comprising an input connected to the image sensor output. The method comprising: consecutively receiving frames captured by the image sensor; receiving a first capture signal, indicative of an operator performing a first action associated with capturing a still image of the frames captured by the image sensor; storing a first plurality of frames of the frames captured by the image sensor; determining one or more quality properties of each of the first plurality of frames; and selecting a designated frame of the first plurality of frames based on the one or more quality properties.

An endoscope system sequentially acquires a plurality of endoscopic images by continuously imaging an observation target. A recognition processing unit detects, from the acquired endoscopic images, regions including a lesion portion as regions-of-interest. A recognition result correction unit corrects a position of the region-of-interest of the specific image by using a position of the region-of-interest of a previous image acquired before the specific image and a position of the region-of-interest of a subsequent image acquired after the specific image.

An endoscopic camera device having an optical assembly; a first image sensor in optical communication with the optical assembly, the first image sensor receiving a first exposure and transmitting a first low dynamic range image; a second image sensor in optical communication with the optical assembly, the second image sensor receiving a second exposure and transmitting a second low dynamic range image, the second exposure being higher than the first exposure; and a processor for receiving the first low dynamic range image and the second low dynamic range image; wherein the processor is configured to combine the first low dynamic range image and the second dynamic range image into a high dynamic range image using a luminosity value derived as a preselected percentage of a cumulative luminosity distribution of at least one of the first low dynamic range image and the second low dynamic range image.

For simplified, less computationally intensive, image recording of different spectral signal components using a plurality of color channels of a single image sensor, a targeted adjustment of a sensitivity of at least one of the color channels in relation to another one of the color channels of the image sensor is provided for a spectral separation of this reduced or adjusted color channel from the other color channel so that at least one certain spectral range (i.e., in particular a part of a first spectral range captured using the other color channel) is no longer detectable using the color channel that has been adjusted in terms of its sensitivity. This adjusted color channel becomes spectrally blind in the spectral range and can consequently spectrally selectively detect a further spectral range (specifically a second spectral range deviating from the first spectral range). The second spectral range may include a fluorescence wavelength.

A removable and replaceable sheath may be coupled to a medical instrument used during a procedure, and may enable one or more functional features of the medical instrument while maintaining a sterile barrier between the instrument itself and the treatment site. The sheath may be replaced prior to a subsequent use, and sterilization of the medical instrument is not required due to the sterile barrier. Sheaths may include an embedded memory that stores procedure configurations and procedure results, longitudinal channels for delivering power or irrigation, optical elements for providing procedure specific endoscopic views, and other features. One sheath may be fitted to an endoscope for imaging and tissue ablation. Another sheath includes a balloon usable during sinuplasty procedures. Yet another sheath may be fitted to a sonic ablation instrument to provide improved transmission of sonic power to tissue.

An electronic endoscope system includes a plotting unit which plots pixel correspondence points, which correspond to pixels that constitute a color image that has multiple color components, on a first color plane according to color components of the pixel correspondence points, the first color plane intersecting the origin of a predetermined color space; an axis setting unit which sets a predetermined reference axis in the first color plane; a transform unit which defines a second color plane that includes the reference axis, and subjecting the pixel correspondence points on the first color plane to projective transformation onto the second color plane; and an evaluation value calculating unit which calculates a prescribed evaluation value with respect to the color image based on the pixel correspondence points subjected to projective transformation onto the second color plane.

Speckle removal in a pulsed fluorescence imaging system is described. A system includes a coherent light source for emitting pulses of coherent light, a fiber optic bundle connected to the coherent light source, and a vibrating mechanism attached to the fiber optic bundle. The system includes and an image sensor comprising a pixel array for sensing reflected electromagnetic radiation. The system is such that at least a portion of the pulses of coherent light emitted by the coherent light source comprises electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength from about 770 nm to about 790 nm.

A method of generating a color image using a monochromatic image sensor. The method includes sequentially illuminating a surface in a plurality of colors, one color at a time. The monochromatic image sensor captures a plurality of image frames of the surface based on the plurality of colors. The plurality of image frames are identified, and at least one feature in the target of the plurality of image frames is highlighted. Color intensities of the plurality of image frames are normalized. A color intensity map of the target for each of the plurality of image frames is generated. A correlation score is determined by comparing each color intensity map of the plurality of image frames. The color image is generated based on the correlation score.

A system may be provided which comprises an illumination source adapted to simultaneously illuminate a surgical site with spectral light comprising a first wavelength of light and a second wavelength of light, a first set of sensors comprising sensors adapted to detect visible light, and a second set of sensors comprising sensors adapted to detect the first wavelength of light; and sensors adapted to detect the second wavelength of light. In such a case, the system may also comprise a display coupled to a processor configured to display an enhanced image of the surgical site comprising a visible light image from data detected by the first set of sensors and an overlay identifying a target structure based on light detected by the second set of sensors while the surgical site is illuminated by spectral light comprising the first and second wavelengths of light.

Medical software tools platform utilizes a surgical display to provide access to specific medical software tools, such as medically-oriented applications or widgets, that can assist those in the operating room, such as a surgeon or surgical team, with a surgery. For various embodiments, the medical software tools platform and its associated medical software tools are presented on a surgical display (e.g., being utilized in an operating room) over an image stream provided by a surgical camera (e.g., in use in the operating room or with other endoscopic procedures). Various medical software tools can provide features and functions that can facilitate integration of equipment in an operating room or add medical context awareness to anatomic structures presented in the image stream from the surgical camera and provide archived information pertaining to the same.