A biological observation system includes: a light source apparatus configured to supply a first illuminating light, and a second illuminating light, while switching between the first illuminating light and the second illuminating light; an image pickup device configured to receive light from an object at each of a plurality of pixels having different sensitivities, and picks up an image; a color separation processing portion configured to separate, from respective color components, a color component obtained when an image of light of a predetermined wavelength band is picked up by a pixel having the greatest sensitivity to the light in the predetermined wavelength band; and a control portion configured to cause different processing to be performed between a case where an inputted image pickup signal corresponds to the first illuminating light and a case where an inputted image pickup signal corresponds to the second illuminating light.

An endoscope device includes: an normal light image acquisition unit that acquires an normal light image; a special light image acquisition unit that acquires a special light image; a blended image generation unit that generates a blend image by combining one color component image from among a plurality of color component images constituting the normal light image and the special light image; and a superimposed image generation unit that generates a color superimposed image by combining the blended image with another color component image. The blended image generation unit generates the blended image by replacing a part of the pixels of the one color component image with the corresponding pixels of the special light image such that they are blended in a substantially uniform distribution over the entire blended image.

Provided is a biological observation apparatus including: illuminating portions that irradiate biological tissue with illumination light including light in R, G, and B regions, respectively; an image acquisition portion that acquires image signals from reflected light of the illumination light coming from the biological tissue; narrow-band-light generating portions that are disposed in the illuminating portions or the image acquisition portion and that, in wavelength bands of the illumination light, generate two narrow-band beams for at least one of the R, G, and B wavelength bands constituting the illumination light, on either side of a central wavelength of that wavelength band; and an image-generating portion that generates an image on the basis of two or more types of the image signals obtained from the reflected light including two or more narrow bands acquired by the image acquisition portion.

A scanning observation apparatus (10) deflects illumination light with an actuator (25) through an illumination optical system (26) to scan an object (32), subjects light from the object (32) to photoelectric conversion with an optical detector (44), performs processing with an image processor (46), and displays an image of the object (32) on a display (60). A memory (35) stores information on optical characteristics related to chromatic aberration of magnification of the illumination optical system (26) relative to light of predetermined colors. A scanning pattern calculator (45) calculates a scanning pattern, on the object (32), of light of each color using the information. Using the scanning pattern, the image processor (46) calibrates a plot position yielded by a photoelectric conversion signal from the optical detector (44) for light of each color and generates an image of the object (32), thereby more easily correcting the chromatic aberration of magnification.

Embodiments of the invention include an apparatus including at least one illumination source configured to emit illumination energy and an illumination control system to receive the illumination energy. The illumination control system is configured to control the illumination energy to output a sequence of different illumination wavelengths using the illumination energy. The apparatus also includes a plurality of optical fibers connected to the illumination control system and configured to sequentially output the different illumination wavelengths. Each optical fiber is configured to transmit a different illumination wavelength of the sequence to output the sequence of different illumination wavelengths from the optical fibers toward an object. The apparatus further includes an image capture device including a plurality of pixels, and each pixel of the image capture device is configured to detect the illumination energy associated with each of the plurality of different illumination wavelengths reflected from the object.

The disclosure extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for producing an image in light deficient environments with luminance and chrominance emitted from a controlled light source.

An imaging device includes a light separator that separates light into light bands, and imaging elements that each receives one of the light bands and generates a corresponding signal. Each of the imaging elements has a pixel size of at most 2.5 μm by 2.5 μm. A registration error among the imaging elements is equal to or less than a threshold determined according to the pixel size.

Infrared imaging devices are provided which are configured to implement side-scan infrared imaging for, e.g., medical applications. For example, an imaging device includes a ring-shaped detector element comprising a circular array of infrared detectors configured to detect thermal infrared radiation, and a focusing element configured to focus incident infrared radiation towards the circular array of infrared detectors. The imaging device can be an ingestible imaging device (e.g., swallowable camera) or the imaging device can be implemented as part of an endoscope device, for example.

One or more triggers, fluorescence or auto-fluorescence triggers, NIRAF triggers, methods of using triggers, fiber optic rotary joints (FORJ), free space beam combiners, OCT, SEE and/or fluorescence devices and systems for use therewith, methods of using and/or manufacturing same and storage mediums are provided. One or more embodiments using one or more triggers achieve structural compactness and/or high-speed acquisition while avoiding or reducing the need for high computational power. One or more embodiments use one or more triggers, one or more fluorescence triggers, one or more auto-fluorescence triggers, or NIRAF triggers, and/or one or more rotary joints, for performing pullback and/or image recording. Examples of optical applications that may involve the use of a trigger, fluorescence/auto-fluorescence trigger or NIRAF trigger, and/or a fiber optic rotary joint, include imaging, evaluating and characterizing/identifying biological objects or tissue, such as, but not limited to, for gastro-intestinal, otolaryngologic, cardio and/or ophthalmic applications.

A method for enhanced surgical navigation, and a system performing the method and displaying graphical user interfaces associated with the method. A 3D spatial map of a surgical site is generated using a 3D endoscope including a camera source and an IR scan source. The method includes detecting a needle tip protruding from an anatomy and determining a needle protrusion distance corresponding to a distance between the needle tip and a surface of the anatomy using the 3D spatial map. A position of a surgical tool in the 3D spatial map is detected and a determination is made by the system indicative of whether the needle protrusion distance is sufficient for grasping by the surgical tool. A warning is generated when it is determined that the needle protrusion distance is not sufficient for grasping by the surgical tool.