CN116671846A

CN116671846A - Special light quantitative imaging method for endoscope and endoscope system

Info

Publication number: CN116671846A
Application number: CN202310019965.4A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 陈聪平; 林路易; 吴晓华
Original assignee: Shenzhen Mindray Bio Medical Electronics Co Ltd
Current assignee: Shenzhen Mindray Bio Medical Electronics Co Ltd
Priority date: 2022-01-28
Filing date: 2023-01-06
Publication date: 2023-09-01

Abstract

A special light quantitative imaging method for an endoscope and an endoscope system, the method comprising: acquiring a special light image signal acquired when special light imaging is carried out on tissues; performing quantitative evaluation according to the special light image signals to obtain special light quantitative parameters of different image areas; generating a special light-quantized image according to the special light-quantized parameters of the different image areas; and synchronously outputting the special light-quantized image and a quantization label, wherein the quantization label is used for representing the corresponding relation between the color of the special light-quantized image and the special light quantization parameter. According to the method, the special light quantized image is generated by performing quantization evaluation according to the special light image signal, the special light quantized image can show quantization differences of different areas, manual participation is not needed in the process of generating the special light quantized image, the instantaneity is high, and the operation flow is simple.

Description

Special light quantitative imaging method for endoscope and endoscope system

Technical Field

The present invention relates to the field of medical devices, and more particularly to a special light quantitative imaging method for an endoscope and an endoscope system.

Background

Endoscope systems, which can observe tissues inside living bodies, are increasingly used in the medical field. Specifically, an endoscope system generally has a structure that can be inserted into a living body, and after the structure is inserted into the living body through an oral cavity, other natural duct, a small incision made by surgery, or the like, image information of the inside of the living body is acquired, and then transmitted and displayed on a display.

An endoscope system is generally capable of performing normal light imaging, that is, imaging the inside of a living body under normal light irradiation. However, the common light image has a certain limitation, for example, some lesions are difficult to be identified on the common light image. Thus, special light imaging techniques of endoscopic systems have been developed that can provide viewers with information that cannot be discerned by normal light imaging, which provides a richer reference basis for diagnosis and treatment.

For example, in recent years, indocyanine green (ICG) -based fluorescence intra-operative navigation endoscope technology has been widely applied to minimally invasive surgery, and by virtue of the advantage of near infrared fluorescence, fluorescence-guided endoscope systems can realize functions of lymph positioning, lesion marking, vessel tracing and the like in multi-department surgery (such as gynecology, hepatobiliary, gastroenterology, chest and the like), thereby bringing great convenience to minimally invasive surgery. However, current indocyanine green molecular fluorescence imaging techniques still face significant clinical inadequacies, for example, since ICG is not tumor specific, the operator can only empirically distinguish between tumor and normal tissue in liver resection, resulting in higher false positives for tumor recognition. In addition, in intestinal anastomosis, the blood supply quality can be judged only by fluorescence intensity in operation, and objective and quantitative blood supply assessment is difficult to obtain. Therefore, the quantified endoscopic special optical navigation technology has important significance for further promoting accurate surgical medical treatment.

Disclosure of Invention

In the summary, a series of concepts in a simplified form are introduced, which will be further described in detail in the detailed description. The summary of the invention is not intended to define the key features and essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.

In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a method for imaging a specific light of an endoscope, the method including:

acquiring a special light image signal acquired when special light imaging is carried out on tissues;

performing quantitative evaluation according to the special light image signals to obtain special light quantitative parameters of different image areas;

generating a special light-quantized image according to the special light-quantized parameters of the different image areas;

and synchronously outputting the special light-quantized image and a quantization label, wherein the quantization label is used for representing the corresponding relation between the color of the special light-quantized image and the special light quantization parameter.

In one embodiment, the quantization label includes a color bar displaying the color of the special light quantization image and the numerical value of the special light quantization parameter corresponding to the different color.

In one embodiment, the colors displayed in the color bar are continuously graded colors or discrete colors.

In one embodiment, the quantization label includes a value of a special light quantization parameter displayed at a target location in the special light quantized image.

In one embodiment, the quantization tag further comprises a graphical marker displayed at the target location, the graphical marker being displayed in association with the value of the special light quantization parameter.

In one embodiment, the method further comprises adjusting a correspondence between the special light-quantization parameter and a color of the special light-quantization image according to the received operation instruction, and displaying the adjusted special light-quantization image and quantization label.

In one embodiment, the performing quantization evaluation according to the special light image signal to obtain special light quantization parameters of different image areas includes:

and normalizing the gray level value of the special light image signal to obtain the special light quantization parameter.

In one embodiment, the normalizing the gray scale value of the special light image signal to obtain the special light quantization parameter includes:

Dividing a plurality of gray distribution intervals according to the gray distribution of the special light image signal, wherein each gray distribution interval corresponds to an image area;

selecting a target gray level distribution interval from the plurality of gray level distribution intervals, and obtaining a reference gray level value according to the gray level values distributed in the target gray level distribution interval;

and normalizing the gray level value of the special light image signal according to the reference gray level value to obtain the special light quantization parameter.

counting the gray values distributed in each gray distribution interval to obtain the change relation of the gray values corresponding to each image area along with time;

obtaining blood supply evaluation parameters corresponding to each image area according to the change relation of the gray value along with time;

normalizing the blood supply evaluation parameters to obtain the special light quantitative parameters corresponding to each image area.

In one embodiment, the method further includes displaying a statistical map of the gray value corresponding to at least one image region over time, and marking a location in the special light quantized image corresponding to the displayed statistical map.

In one embodiment, when the statistical graphs corresponding to at least two image areas are displayed, the statistical graphs corresponding to the at least two image areas are respectively displayed independently or superimposed.

In one embodiment, the blood supply evaluation parameter is obtained according to at least one of the following characteristic values of the gray value change relation with time: start rise time, rise to peak time, peak gray scale, and area under the curve.

In one embodiment, the method further comprises selecting a manner of the quantitative assessment according to the received operation instruction, the manner of the quantitative assessment comprising: normalizing the gray level value of the special light image signal to obtain the special light quantization parameter; or, performing blood supply evaluation according to the special light image signal to obtain the special light polarization parameter.

In one embodiment, before the quantitative evaluation from the special light image signal, the method further comprises:

The contrast of the special optical image signal is amplified, including adaptive amplification or amplification based on a received operation instruction.

In one embodiment, the generating a special light quantized image according to the special light quantization parameters of the different image areas comprises: mapping the special light-based parameters to corresponding color values to obtain the special light-based image;

the method further comprises the steps of: and determining the mapping relation between the special light quantization parameter and the color value based on the received operation instruction.

In one embodiment, the special light imaging comprises fluorescence imaging, laser speckle imaging, narrowband light reflectance imaging, or optical coherence tomography.

A second aspect of an embodiment of the present invention provides a special light imaging method for an endoscope, the method including:

determining a plurality of image areas according to the special light image signals, and obtaining the change relation of gray values of different image areas along with time;

obtaining blood supply evaluation parameters of different image areas according to the change relation of the gray values along with time;

generating a special light quantitative image according to the blood supply evaluation parameter;

And outputting a statistical graph of the gray value change relation of the special light quantification image and at least one image area along with time.

In one embodiment, the obtaining the time-dependent gray value relationship of different image areas includes:

and counting the gray values distributed in each gray distribution interval to obtain the change relation of the gray values corresponding to each image area along with time.

In one embodiment, the generating a special light-polarized image according to the blood supply evaluation parameter includes:

normalizing the blood supply evaluation parameters of different image areas to obtain special light quantitative parameters corresponding to each image area;

and generating the special light quantized image according to the special light quantized parameter.

In one embodiment, the generating the special light quantized image according to the special light quantization parameter comprises: mapping different special light quantization parameters to corresponding color values to obtain the special light quantization image;

In one embodiment, the method further comprises displaying a statistical map of the blood supply assessment parameter or the characteristic value versus the gray value over time in synchronization.

In one embodiment, the method further comprises determining a starting point in time of a statistical plot of the gray value versus time according to the received operating instructions.

In one embodiment, the determining the starting time point of the statistical graph of the gray value change relation with time according to the received operation instruction includes:

when an instruction for displaying a statistical graph of the change relation of the gray value with time is received, the statistical graph is generated and displayed by taking the instruction receiving time as the starting time point.

A third aspect of an embodiment of the present invention provides a special light imaging method for an endoscope, the method including:

mapping the special light-based parameters to corresponding color values to generate a first special light-based image;

acquiring a color threshold range, and processing color values, which are beyond the color threshold range, in the first special light-cured image to obtain a second special light-cured image;

displaying the second special light-polarized image.

In one embodiment, the acquiring the color threshold range includes acquiring a pre-stored color threshold range or determining the color threshold range from a received operation instruction.

In one embodiment, the method further comprises displaying the first specially light-polarized image in synchronization with the second specially light-polarized image.

A fourth aspect of an embodiment of the present invention provides a special light imaging method for an endoscope, the method including:

normalizing the gray level value of the special light image signal according to the reference gray level value to obtain a special light quantization parameter;

generating a special light quantization image according to the special light quantization parameter;

outputting the special light-polarized image.

A fifth aspect of an embodiment of the present invention provides a special light-imaging method for an endoscope, the method including:

obtaining the change relation of gray values of different gray distribution intervals along with time according to the special light image signals;

Outputting the special light-polarized image.

A sixth aspect of an embodiment of the present invention provides a special light-imaging method for an endoscope, the method including:

acquiring an operation instruction for selecting a quantization evaluation mode, and determining a quantization evaluation mode for the special optical image signal according to the operation instruction;

when the quantitative evaluation mode is determined to be a first quantitative evaluation mode, the gray value of the special light image signal is normalized to obtain a special light quantitative parameter, and when the quantitative evaluation mode is determined to be a second quantitative evaluation mode, blood supply evaluation is performed according to the special light image signal to obtain the special light quantitative parameter;

outputting the special light-polarized image.

A seventh aspect of an embodiment of the present invention provides an endoscope system including:

a light source section;

a light source control section for controlling the light source section to provide light required for special light imaging;

an endoscope including an insertion section capable of being inserted into a living body and at least one sensor for acquiring an image signal;

A processor for performing the method as described above to obtain a special light-polarized image; and a display for displaying the special light-polarized image.

According to the special light quantitative imaging method and the endoscope system for the endoscope, the special light quantitative image is generated by carrying out quantitative evaluation according to the special light image signal, the special light quantitative image can show quantitative differences of different areas, the quantitative label displayed synchronously with the special light quantitative image can quantitatively indicate the differences, the process of generating the special light quantitative image does not need to be manually participated, the real-time performance is high, and the operation flow is simple.

Drawings

In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings that are needed in the description of the embodiments will be briefly described below, it being obvious that the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present invention, and that other drawings may be obtained according to these drawings without inventive effort to a person skilled in the art.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 shows a schematic block diagram of an endoscope system in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention

FIG. 2 shows a schematic flow chart of a special light-imaging method for an endoscope according to an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 3 shows a schematic diagram of dividing a plurality of gray scale distribution intervals according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the gray value versus time according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 shows a schematic diagram of a special light quantized image and quantization tags according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 6 shows a schematic diagram of a special light quantized image and quantization tags according to another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 7 shows a schematic diagram of a special light quantized image and quantization tags according to another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing a special light quantized image and gray scale value versus time according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing a special light quantized image and gray scale value versus time according to another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 10 shows a schematic flow chart of a special light-polarized imaging method for an endoscope according to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 11 shows a schematic flow chart of a special light-polarized imaging method for an endoscope in accordance with another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 12 shows a schematic flow chart of a special light-polarized imaging method for an endoscope in accordance with another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 13 shows a schematic flow chart of a special light-imaging method for an endoscope in accordance with one embodiment of the invention;

fig. 14 shows a schematic flow chart of a special light-polarized imaging method for an endoscope according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description

In order to make the objects, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention more apparent, exemplary embodiments according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be apparent that the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention and not all embodiments of the present invention, and it should be understood that the present invention is not limited by the example embodiments described herein. Based on the embodiments of the invention described in the present application, all other embodiments that a person skilled in the art would have without inventive effort shall fall within the scope of the invention.

In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a more thorough understanding of the present invention. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that the invention may be practiced without one or more of these details. In other instances, well-known features have not been described in detail in order to avoid obscuring the invention.

It should be understood that the present invention may be embodied in various forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms "comprises" and/or "comprising," when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. As used herein, the term "and/or" includes any and all combinations of the associated listed items.

In order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention, detailed structures will be presented in the following description in order to illustrate the technical solutions presented by the present invention. Alternative embodiments of the invention are described in detail below, however, the invention may have other implementations in addition to these detailed descriptions.

Fig. 1 shows a partial schematic view of an endoscope system according to an embodiment of the present invention, including a light source section 110, a light source control section 120, an endoscope 130, a processor 140, and a display 150.

The light source section 110 is for providing an illumination light source to the site to be observed 100. In one embodiment, the light source part 110 includes a normal light source required for normal light imaging and a special light source required for special light imaging. Specific light sources include, but are not limited to, laser light sources corresponding to fluorescent agents. The common light source may provide visible light, including in particular LED light sources. In an embodiment, the common light source may provide a plurality of monochromatic lights with different wavelength ranges, such as blue light, green light, red light, and the like, respectively. In other embodiments, the common light source may also provide a combined light of the plurality of monochromatic lights, or a broad spectrum white light source. The monochromatic light has a wavelength in the range of approximately 400nm to 700nm. The laser light source is used for generating laser light, such as near infrared light. The peak wavelength of the laser light takes at least 1 value in the 780nm or 808nm range.

Since the light source part 110 can simultaneously supply continuous normal light and special light to the site to be observed, the efficiency of the sensor for collecting the normal light image signal and the special light image signal reflected by the site to be observed 100 is improved. The light source control section 120 is used to control the light source section 110, for example, to control the light source section 110 to provide light necessary for normal light imaging, and to control the light source section 110 to provide light necessary for special light imaging.

Illustratively, the light source portion 110 also includes a dichroic mirror. The dichroic mirror is arranged at the junction of the light-emitting light paths of the common light source and the special light source. The dichroic mirror has a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other, wherein the first surface is opposite to the normal light source and has a preset inclination angle with respect to the light emitted from the normal light source, and the second surface is opposite to the special light source and has a preset inclination angle with respect to the light emitted from the special light source. The ordinary light emitted by the ordinary light source can transmit the dichroic mirror, and the special light emitted by the special light source can be reflected by the dichroic mirror, so that the optical paths of the ordinary light and the special light are combined into the same optical path; and vice versa.

In some embodiments, the light source part 110 may further include a coupling mirror. The coupling mirror is disposed between the dichroic mirror and the light guide port of the light guide beam. The coupling mirror focuses the light transmitted from the dichroic mirror for better introduction into the light guide beam, minimizing light loss, and improving overall illumination quality of the endoscope system 100. Both the light path combining action of the dichroic mirror and the focusing action of the coupling mirror can better guide light into the light guide beam (e.g. into the light guide fiber). Meanwhile, the use of the dichroic mirror can make the overall structure of the light source section 110 more compact and the light propagation path shorter.

Illustratively, the endoscope 130 includes an insertion portion and at least one sensor for image signal acquisition. In some embodiments, the insertion portion is capable of being inserted into a living organism, such as a mirror body of which the insertion portion is a part, and is insertable into the living organism by an operator. The insertion portion can transmit the light generated by the light source portion 110 to the site to be observed through an introduction portion (which may be a light guide fiber). In some embodiments, the front end of the insertion part is provided with at least one sensor serving as an image acquisition device, and after the at least one sensor acquires a common light image signal in a common illumination mode, the common light image signal is sent to the processor 140 for processing so as to generate a common light image; in the special illumination mode, after the at least one sensor collects the special light image signal, the special light image signal is sent to the processor 140 for processing to generate a special light image or a special light-polarization image.

In some embodiments, the number of sensors in the endoscope 130 may be one, and may specifically be a color sensor, which may also be referred to as a color sensor, a color recognition sensor, a color sensor, or the like. The color sensor can compare the object color with the reference color which has been taught before to detect the color, and when the two colors match within a certain error range, the detection result is output to perform color sensing and judgment. In the example where the endoscope 130 includes only one color sensor, the processor 140 generates a normal light image from the image signal collected by the above-described color sensor when the light source section 110 supplies light necessary for normal light imaging, and generates a gradation image signal from the image signal collected by the above-described color sensor when the light source section 110 supplies light necessary for special light imaging, and generates a special light-polarization image from the gradation image signal.

In some embodiments, there may be two sensors in the endoscope 130, one being a color sensor and the other being a gray scale sensor. The processor 140 generates a normal light image from the color image signal acquired by the color sensor when the light source section 110 supplies light required for normal light imaging, and generates a special light-polarized image from the gray-scale image signal acquired by the gray-scale sensor when the light source section 110 supplies light required for special light imaging. In some embodiments, the number of sensors in endoscope 130 may be one or more, and are all gray scale sensors.

The above description has been made of some examples in which the processor 140 generates a normal light image from the normal light image signal acquired by the above-described at least one sensor when the light source section 110 supplies light required for normal light imaging, and generates a special light-quantized image from the special light image signal acquired by the above-described at least one sensor when the light source section 110 supplies light required for special light imaging. After generating the normal light image and the special light polarization image, the processor 140 may combine the two images into a composite image and output the composite image to the display 150 for display. For example, the processor 140 may generate the composite image by way of layer superposition, or by way of pixel value addition.

Illustratively, the processor 140 may be a central processing unit (Central Processing Unit, CPU), but may also be other general purpose processors, digital signal processors (Digital Signal Processor, DSPs), application specific integrated circuits (Application Specific Integrated Circuit, ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (Field-Programmable Gate Array, FPGAs) or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, or the like. A general purpose processor may be a microprocessor, or the processor may be any conventional processor, and the processor 140 is the control center of the endoscope system 100, connecting the various portions of the entire endoscope system 100 using various interfaces and lines. The processor 90 is also configured to perform the steps of the particular photoperiod imaging method described below.

In one embodiment, the endoscope system 100 further includes a memory. The memory may be used to store images generated by the processor 140. The memory may also be used to store program code, and the processor 140 implements the various functions of the endoscope system 100 by executing or executing the program code stored in the memory, and invoking data stored in the memory.

It should be noted that fig. 1 is only an example of an endoscope system and is not meant to be limiting of an endoscope system, which may include more or fewer components than shown in fig. 1, or may combine certain components, or different components, such as an endoscope system may also include one or more of a dilator, smoke control apparatus, input output devices, network access devices, etc.

Embodiments of the present invention provide a special light-imaging method for an endoscope, in which the endoscope system involved may be the endoscope system 100 as described above. The specific light imaging method for an endoscope according to an embodiment of the present invention is described below with reference to fig. 2, and fig. 2 is a schematic flowchart of a specific light imaging method 200 for an endoscope, specifically including the steps of:

in step S210, acquiring a special light image signal acquired when special light imaging is performed on tissue;

in step S220, performing quantization evaluation according to the special light image signal to obtain special light quantization parameters of different image areas;

in step S230, a special light-quantized image is generated according to the special light-quantized parameters of the different image areas;

In step S240, the special light quantization image and a quantization label are synchronously output, where the quantization label is used to characterize the correspondence between the color of the special light quantization image and the special light quantization parameter.

The special light imaging method 200 for an endoscope in the embodiment of the invention performs quantization evaluation according to the special light image signal to generate the special light imaging image, the special light imaging image can present quantization differences of different areas, the quantization labels displayed synchronously with the special light imaging image can quantitatively indicate the differences, and the process of generating the special light imaging image does not need to be manually participated, so that the real-time performance is strong and the operation flow is simple.

Illustratively, in step S210, when light necessary for special light imaging is supplied to the light source section of the endoscope system, a grayscale image signal, that is, a special light image signal, is acquired by the sensor. Special light imaging includes fluorescence imaging, laser speckle imaging, narrowband light reflectance imaging, or optical coherence tomography. In the following, fluorescence imaging is mainly taken as an example for explanation, and accordingly, a special light image signal acquired during fluorescence imaging is a fluorescence signal. In some embodiments, the fluorescent imaging includes infrared fluorescent imaging, ultraviolet fluorescent imaging, near infrared fluorescent imaging, visible fluorescent imaging, and the like.

When special light imaging is fluorescence imaging, a contrast agent, such as indocyanine green (Indocyanine Green, ICG), is first introduced intravenously or subcutaneously in the site to be observed prior to imaging with an endoscopic system in order to image tissue structures and functions (e.g., blood, lymph, bile, etc. in the vessel) that are not readily visible with standard visible light imaging techniques. Sites to be observed include, but are not limited to, the blood circulation system, the lymphatic system and tumor tissue. Fluorescence can be generated when contrast agent in the site to be observed absorbs laser light generated by the laser light source and corresponding to the fluorescent agent, and fluorescence signals can be acquired by a sensor of the endoscope system.

In step S220, quantization evaluation is performed according to the special light image signal to obtain special light quantization parameters of different image areas. The quantitative evaluation is about the process of extracting the difference of the spatial distribution of the special light signals of different areas or the difference of response with time, and the special light quantitative parameter can intuitively represent the difference.

In one embodiment, the special light-polarization parameter characterizes the spatial distribution difference of the special light signal for distinguishing between different tissue regions. The process of quantitative evaluation mainly includes normalizing the gray value of a particular light image signal. The difference of gray values among different tissues can be amplified by normalizing the gray values, so that the difference of the gray values among different tissues can be favorably distinguished, and the normalized gray values are special light quantitative parameters.

Illustratively, the normalization process includes first dividing a plurality of gray scale distribution intervals according to the gray scale distribution of the special light image signal, each gray scale distribution interval corresponding to an image region. That is, each image area is formed by pixels falling within the corresponding gray distribution interval, and the pixels of the same image area may be continuous or scattered. Then, a target gradation distribution section is selected from the plurality of gradation distribution sections, and a reference gradation value is obtained from the gradation values distributed in the target gradation distribution section. For example, the gray values of all pixels falling within the target gray distribution interval may be counted to obtain the reference gray value, and the counting method includes, but is not limited to, averaging the gray values of all pixels. Then, normalizing the gray level value of the special light image signal according to the reference gray level value to obtain a special light quantization parameter; and mapping the special light quantization parameter obtained by normalization to a specific color to obtain a special light quantization image.

The target gray-scale distribution interval may be a gray-scale distribution interval having the smallest gray-scale value. Since the gray value of the special optical signal of the normal tissue is usually smaller, the gray distribution interval with the smallest gray value usually corresponds to the normal tissue region, and the normalization by taking the reference gray value of the region as a reference can highlight the difference between the normal tissue region and the abnormal tissue region while ensuring the stability of the normal tissue region, so that the abnormal tissue can be conveniently identified in the image.

In another embodiment, the performing the quantitative evaluation according to the special light image signal includes performing a quantitative evaluation of blood supply on the special light image signal, wherein the special light quantitative parameter indicates a blood supply difference of different tissue regions, and the special light quantitative image generated according to the result of the blood supply evaluation can present an objectively quantized blood supply evaluation result compared with a conventional special light image.

In the blood supply evaluation process, a plurality of gray scale distribution intervals are firstly divided according to the gray scale distribution of the special light image signal, and each gray scale distribution interval corresponds to an image area. Then, blood supply evaluation is performed on each image area, and the blood supply evaluation is performed according to the difference of gray value response with time. Specifically, the gray value distributed in each gray distribution interval is counted to obtain the time-dependent change relation of the gray value of each gray distribution interval, that is, the time-dependent change relation of the gray value of the image area corresponding to each gray distribution interval, and the change relation can be realized in a curve form. And then, obtaining blood supply evaluation parameters corresponding to each image area according to the change relation of the gray value of each image area along with time. And finally, normalizing blood supply evaluation parameters of all the image areas, thereby obtaining special light quantitative parameters corresponding to each image area.

For example, referring to fig. 3, in the example of fig. 3, a-F represent different gray distribution intervals, respectively, the pixels of the organization I are mainly distributed in the B, C interval, and the pixels of the organization II are mainly distributed in the D, E interval. The time-varying curves of the gray values of the different gray distribution intervals are different, namely the time-varying responses of the gray values are different, and the differences are mainly caused by the differences of blood supply, so that the blood supply evaluation parameters can be extracted from the time-varying curves of the gray values of the gray distribution intervals.

Referring to FIG. 4, blood supplyEvaluation parameters include, but are not limited to, the start rise time (T _onset ) Rise to peak time (T _max ) Peak gray scale (I _max ) Area Under Curve (AUC), and other characteristic parameters derived therefrom, e.g. T _p ＝(T _max -T _onset )。

And then, normalizing the blood supply evaluation parameters of each image area to the blood supply evaluation parameters of the image area by taking the blood supply evaluation parameters of one image area as a reference to obtain the special light quantitative parameters corresponding to each image area. And mapping the special light quantization parameter obtained by normalization to a specific color to obtain a special light quantization image. In some embodiments, the blood supply evaluation parameter may be directly used as the special light polarization parameter, or other operations may be performed on the blood supply evaluation parameter to obtain the special light polarization parameter.

In one embodiment, the contrast of the special light image signal may also be amplified prior to the quantitative evaluation from the special light image signal, the amplification including adaptive amplification or amplification based on received operating instructions, i.e. manual amplification. Amplifying the contrast can increase the gray level difference of different tissues. When dividing the gray scale distribution section, a plurality of different gray scale distribution sections are divided on the basis of the gray scale value after the contrast is amplified. Specifically, the contrast ratio can be adjusted and improved according to the gray level distribution histogram of the special light image signal, so that the difference of fluorescence intensity of different tissues is increased, and a plurality of different gray level intervals are divided on the basis of the adjusted histogram. The statistical map may also include curves, scallops, etc.

The above describes two ways of quantitative assessment, wherein the quantitative assessment method based on gray value normalization is capable of amplifying gradient differences in the concentration of fluorescent agent (e.g. ICG) in different tissues; the quantitative evaluation method based on blood supply evaluation can automatically divide different tissue areas to perform blood supply evaluation and present blood supply evaluation results without manually selecting a reference area and an area to be tested. The two quantitative evaluation methods consume less computing resources and have higher instantaneity.

In some embodiments, an operation instruction for selecting a manner of quantization evaluation may be first acquired, and a manner of performing quantization evaluation on a special light image signal may be determined according to the received operation instruction. When the quantitative evaluation mode is determined to be the first quantitative evaluation mode, the special light quantitative parameter is obtained by adopting the mode of normalizing the gray value of the special light image signal; when the quantitative evaluation mode is determined to be the second quantitative evaluation mode, the special light quantitative parameter is obtained by adopting the mode for blood supply evaluation according to the special light image signal. One of the two quantization evaluation modes may be set as a default quantization evaluation mode, for example, if a mode of normalizing the gray value of the special light image signal is set as a default quantization evaluation mode, the quantization evaluation is performed by adopting the blood supply evaluation mode when an operation instruction for performing the blood supply evaluation is received, otherwise, the quantization evaluation is performed by adopting the normalization mode for the gray value by default. Alternatively, two different forms of quantitative evaluation may be performed simultaneously, and two different special light-quantitative images may be displayed.

In addition to the above two ways, other possible manners may be used to perform quantitative evaluation based on the special optical image signal, so long as the characteristic of the tissue can be quantitatively characterized based on the special optical image signal, which is not limited by the embodiment of the present invention.

After the special light quantization parameter is obtained, in step S230, a special light quantized image is generated according to the special light quantization parameter of the different image areas. Specifically, the special light-quantization parameter may be mapped to the color value according to the mapping relationship between the special light-quantization parameter and the color value, thereby obtaining the special light-quantization image. The color selection may be a continuous gradient color, for example, a corresponding color gradient from blue to yellow as the special light-quantization parameter increases; alternatively, the mapped colors may be a plurality of discrete single colors, for example, a specific light quantization parameter within a section corresponds to one color.

Further, the correspondence between the special light-quantization parameter and the color of the special light-quantization image, that is, the mapping between the special light-quantization parameter and the color value may be adjusted according to the received operation instruction. For example, the user may designate that a section of a particular light quantization parameter of interest corresponds to a particular color to highlight an image area corresponding to the section. Alternatively, when the user adjusts the contrast of the special light-polarized image, the difference between the color values corresponding to the different special light-polarized parameters may be increased.

In step S240, the special light quantization image and the quantization label are synchronously output, and the quantization label is used for characterizing the corresponding relationship between the color of the special light quantization image and the special light quantization parameter. The quantization label comprises at least a value associated with a specific light quantization parameter, which value may be in the form of a pure number, for example 1-10, different numbers corresponding to different colors; it may also be in the form of percentages, for example 0-100%, different percentages corresponding to different colours. The quantization label can quantitatively present quantization parameter differences of different areas, so that a special light-quantized image is quantitatively characterized.

In one embodiment, the quantization label includes a color bar displaying the color of the special light quantization image and the value of the special light quantization parameter corresponding to the different colors. Referring to fig. 5 and 6, the color bar displays a color consistent with that of the special light quantization image, and if the special light quantization image is generated by mapping the special light quantization parameter to a continuous color between blue and yellow, the color bar is a color bar that gradually changes from yellow to blue. If the special light quantization image is generated by mapping the special light quantization parameter to a plurality of single colors, the plurality of single colors are also displayed in the color bar accordingly. The numerical value of the special light quantization parameter is displayed near the corresponding color in the color bar to indicate the mapping relationship between the two, and the numerical value can be a pure number shown in fig. 5 or a percentage shown in fig. 6. The color bar may be displayed superimposed on the special light-polarized image as shown in fig. 5 and 6, or may be displayed outside the special light-polarized image.

As another implementation, the quantization label includes a value of a particular light quantization parameter displayed at a target location in the particular light quantized image. Referring to fig. 7, the numerical value displayed at the corresponding position can more specifically display the special light quantization parameter at the target position. The user may refer to the value to determine a particular light quantization parameter at the target location. Likewise, the numerical value of the special light quantization parameter displayed on the special light quantization image may be in the form of a pure number or may be in the form of a percentage as shown in fig. 7.

For example, the target position for displaying the numerical value of the special light-quantization parameter may be determined according to a user instruction, for example, when the user clicks a certain position of the special light-quantization image, the corresponding numerical value of the special light-quantization parameter is displayed with the position as the target position. Alternatively, the target position may be automatically determined according to a preset rule, including, but not limited to, a position where the special light quantization parameter is maximum, a position where the special light quantization parameter is minimum, and the like.

Further, in addition to the numerical value of the special light quantization parameter displayed at the target position, the quantization label may further include a graphic mark displayed at the target position, the graphic mark being displayed in association with the numerical value of the special light quantization parameter. With continued reference to fig. 7, the graph shown in fig. 7 is marked as a rectangular frame displayed at the target position, and the numerical value of the special light quantization parameter is displayed on one side of the rectangular frame. The graphic indicia may also be implemented as circles, triangles or any other shape. In some embodiments, the graphical indicia may also be omitted.

In some embodiments, the above two quantization labels may be used in combination with each other, for example, a color bar is displayed on a special light quantization image by default, and when the user clicks somewhere on the image, a numerical value and a graphic mark of a special light quantization parameter at a corresponding position are displayed.

Further, when the correspondence between the special light-emitting parameter and the color of the special light-emitting image is adjusted according to the received operation instruction, the quantization label is changed along with the change of the special light-emitting image along with the adjustment instruction, and the display displays the adjusted special light-emitting image and the quantization label.

In addition, if the special light-polarization parameter and the special light-polarization image are generated by adopting the blood supply evaluation mode, a statistical graph of the change relation of the gray value corresponding to at least one image area in the blood supply evaluation process with time can be displayed, and the position corresponding to the displayed statistical graph can be marked in the special light-polarization image. Illustratively, when a user clicks a certain position of an image, an image area or a gray-scale distribution section corresponding to the position is determined based on a received operation instruction, and a statistical map of a change relation of a corresponding gray-scale value with time is displayed. The statistical map may be implemented in the form of a curve. Referring to fig. 8 and 9, the statistical map may be displayed separately from the special light-polarized image as shown in fig. 8, for example, side by side to avoid obscuring the image; the display can also be superimposed on the special light-polarized image as shown in fig. 9, making the interface layout more compact. In addition, since the special light-weighted image is a pseudo-color image, brightness or fluorescence brightness may be used instead of gray scale when displaying the statistical image.

In one embodiment, when the statistical graphs corresponding to at least two image areas are displayed, the statistical graphs corresponding to the at least two image areas may be displayed independently or may be displayed in a superimposed manner. The statistical graphs of position 1 and position 2 shown in fig. 8 are displayed separately, i.e. in two different coordinate systems, so as to be displayed more clearly; the statistical graphs of the position 1 and the position 2 shown in fig. 9 are displayed in a superimposed manner in the same coordinate system, and the display mode is favorable for comparing and analyzing the change curves of different positions.

Illustratively, the quantization labels may be hidden when the statistics are displayed, or the statistics may be displayed simultaneously with the quantization labels.

Based on the above description, the special light imaging method 200 for an endoscope according to the embodiment of the present invention performs quantization evaluation according to the special light image signal to generate a special light imaging, presents quantization differences of different areas through the special light imaging, quantitatively indicates the differences through quantization labels, and does not need manual participation in the process of generating the special light imaging, and has strong instantaneity and simple operation flow.

Fig. 10 is a schematic flow chart of a special light quantitative imaging method 1000 for an endoscope in an embodiment of the invention, specifically comprising the steps of:

In step S1010, acquiring a special light image signal acquired when special light imaging is performed on a tissue;

in step S1020, determining a plurality of image areas according to the special light image signal, and obtaining the time-dependent change relation of gray values of different image areas;

in step S1030, obtaining blood supply evaluation parameters of different image areas according to the time-dependent relation of the gray values;

in step S1040, a special light-polarized image is generated according to the blood supply evaluation parameter;

in step S1050, a statistical map of the gray value of the specific photoperiod image and at least one image region over time is output.

The method 1000 for imaging a special light for an endoscope according to the embodiment of the present invention is similar to the method for generating a special light image by blood supply evaluation described in the method 200, and is mainly different in that the method 1000 for imaging a special light is not limited to displaying a special light image in synchronization with a quantization label, but only needs to display a statistical map of a change relation of the gray value of at least one image area with time in synchronization with a special light image.

Wherein obtaining the time-dependent gray value change relationship of different image areas comprises: dividing a plurality of gray distribution intervals according to gray distribution of the special light image signal, wherein each gray distribution interval corresponds to an image area; and counting the gray values distributed in each gray distribution interval to obtain the change relation of the gray values corresponding to each image area along with time.

After the time-varying relation of the gray values of different image areas is obtained, the blood supply evaluation parameters of the corresponding image areas can be obtained according to the time-varying relation of the gray values. Illustratively, the blood supply assessment parameter is derived from at least one of the following eigenvalues of the gray value versus time: start rise time, rise to peak time, peak gray scale, and area under the curve. In one embodiment, the statistical map may also be displayed in synchronization with the blood supply assessment parameters or feature values derived based on the statistical map.

In one embodiment, the starting time point of the statistical chart of the change relation of the gray value with time can be determined according to the received operation instruction, for example, the time when the user presses the designated key is used as the starting time point to draw the statistical chart. In one example, the function of setting the affordance time point may be coupled to a key that turns on the curve display function, i.e., when an instruction to display a statistical map of a change relation of a gradation value with time is received, the statistical map is generated and displayed with the instruction reception time point as a start time point.

After obtaining the blood supply evaluation parameters, normalizing the blood supply evaluation parameters of different image areas to obtain special light-based parameters corresponding to each image area, and generating special light-based images according to the special light-based parameters. The generating the special light-weighted image according to the special light-weighted parameter specifically includes: different special light quantization parameters are mapped to corresponding color values to obtain a special light quantization image. Further, the mapping relationship between the special light quantization parameter and the color value may also be determined based on the received operation instruction, so as to adjust the color of the special light quantization image.

The specific light quantitative imaging method 1000 for an endoscope according to the embodiment of the present invention has many same or similar contents as the specific light quantitative imaging method 200 for an endoscope described above, and the specific reference may be made to the above, and the detailed description is omitted herein.

Fig. 11 is a schematic flow chart of a special light quantitative imaging method 1100 for an endoscope in an embodiment of the invention, specifically comprising the steps of:

in step S1110, acquiring a special light image signal acquired when special light imaging is performed on tissue;

in step S1120, performing quantization evaluation according to the special light image signal to obtain special light quantization parameters of different image areas;

mapping the special light-quantization parameter to a corresponding color value to generate a first special light-quantized image at step S1130;

in step S1140, a color threshold range is obtained, and color values outside the color threshold range in the first special light-polarized image are processed to obtain a second special light-polarized image;

in step S1150, the second special light-polarized image is displayed.

In the special light imaging method 1100 for an endoscope, a first special light image is first generated based on any of the methods described above, after which either the over-bright areas (e.g., liver fluorescence in biliary fluorescence applications) or the over-dark areas (e.g., initially undyed areas in the parenchyma after liver cut) in the first special light image are processed, e.g., areas that do not display more than a color threshold range, to avoid affecting the overall display of the image. The color threshold range may be a fixed color threshold range stored in advance, or may be a color threshold range determined according to a received operation instruction, that is, a color threshold range manually set by a user.

In one embodiment, the first special light-polarized image may also be displayed in synchronization with the second special light-polarized image, such as in a small window for reference by the user.

The specific light imaging method 1100 for an endoscope according to the embodiment of the present invention has many similar or identical contents to those of the specific light imaging method 200 for an endoscope described above, and reference may be made to the above for details, and details are not repeated herein.

Fig. 12 is a schematic flow chart of a special light imaging method 1200 for an endoscope in an embodiment of the invention, specifically comprising the steps of:

in step S1210, acquiring a special light image signal acquired when special light imaging is performed on tissue;

in step S1220, dividing a plurality of gray scale distribution intervals according to the gray scale distribution of the special light image signal, where each gray scale distribution interval corresponds to an image area;

in step S1230, a target gray scale distribution interval is selected from the plurality of gray scale distribution intervals, and a reference gray scale value is obtained according to the gray scale values distributed in the target gray scale distribution interval;

in step S1240, the gray level value of the special light image signal is normalized according to the reference gray level value, so as to obtain a special light quantization parameter;

In step S1250, a special light quantization image is generated according to the special light quantization parameter;

in step S1260, the special light-quantized image is output.

The method 1200 for imaging a special light for an endoscope according to the embodiment of the present invention is similar to the method 200 for generating a special light quantized image by normalizing gray values, and is mainly different in that the special light quantized image is not limited to be displayed synchronously with a quantization label when being output, but can be displayed separately. Additional details of the specific light imaging method 1200 may be referred to in the description of the specific light imaging method 200, and will not be described herein.

Fig. 13 is a schematic flow chart of a special light quantitative imaging method 1300 for an endoscope in an embodiment of the invention, specifically comprising the steps of:

in step S1310, acquiring a special light image signal acquired when special light imaging is performed on the tissue;

in step S1320, a plurality of gray scale distribution intervals are divided according to the gray scale distribution of the special light image signal, and each gray scale distribution interval corresponds to an image area;

in step S1330, the gray value change relationship of different gray distribution intervals with time is obtained according to the special light image signal;

In step S1340, obtaining blood supply evaluation parameters of different image areas according to the time-dependent gray value relationship;

in step S1350, normalizing the blood supply evaluation parameters of different image areas to obtain a special light quantization parameter corresponding to each image area;

in step S1360, a special light quantization image is generated according to the special light quantization parameter;

in step S1370, the special light-polarized image is output.

The method 1300 for imaging special light for endoscope in the embodiment of the present invention is similar to the method 200 for evaluating blood passing for generating special light quantized image, and is mainly different in that when outputting special light quantized image, the special light quantized image is not limited to synchronous display with quantization label, but can be displayed separately. Additional details of the specific light imaging method 1300 can be found in the specific light imaging method 200, which is not described herein.

Fig. 14 is a schematic flow chart of a special light quantitative imaging method 1400 for an endoscope in an embodiment of the invention, specifically comprising the steps of:

in step S1410, a special light image signal acquired when special light imaging is performed on the tissue is acquired;

In step S1420, an operation instruction for selecting a quantization evaluation mode is acquired, and a mode for performing quantization evaluation on the special light image signal is determined according to the operation instruction;

in step S1430, when the quantitative evaluation mode is determined to be the first quantitative evaluation mode, the gray value of the special light image signal is normalized to obtain a special light quantitative parameter, and when the quantitative evaluation mode is determined to be the second quantitative evaluation mode, blood supply evaluation is performed according to the special light image signal to obtain a special light quantitative parameter;

generating a special light quantized image according to the special light quantization parameter at step S1440;

in step S1450, the special light-polarized image is output.

The special light quantitative imaging method 1400 for an endoscope in the embodiment of the invention can provide switching between two quantitative modes, wherein the quantitative evaluation method based on gray value normalization can amplify gradient differences of fluorescent agent (such as ICG) concentration in different tissues; the quantitative evaluation method based on blood supply evaluation can automatically divide different tissue areas to perform blood supply evaluation and present blood supply evaluation results without manually selecting a reference area and an area to be tested. The two quantitative evaluation methods consume less calculation resources, have higher real-time performance, can perform corresponding quantitative evaluation according to the user operation instruction, and provide corresponding special light quantitative images. The specific light imaging method 1400 for an endoscope according to the embodiment of the present invention has many similar or identical contents as the specific light imaging method 200 for an endoscope described above, and reference may be made to the above for details, and details are not repeated herein.

An embodiment of the present application also provides an endoscope system, referring back to fig. 1, the endoscope system 100 comprising: a light source section 110; a light source control section 120 for controlling the light source section 110 to supply light required for special light imaging; an endoscope 130 including an insertion portion capable of being inserted into the inside of a living body and at least one sensor for acquiring an image signal; a processor 140 for performing the above method to obtain a special light-polarized image; and a display 150 for displaying the special light-polarized image. The specific structure of the endoscope system 100 and the method performed by the processor 140 have been described above and are not described in detail herein.

Referring to fig. 5-6, the present application provides an endoscope fluorescence image display method, comprising:

step 1: an endoscopic fluoroscopic image of a site to be observed of a patient is displayed.

Step 2: a fluorescence intensity indicator is generated and displayed based on the fluorescence intensity in the fluorescence image.

Step 3: based on the fluorescence brightness of the fluorescence image, a corresponding digitized label is displayed in proximity to the fluorescence brightness indicator, the digitized label identifying the fluorescence brightness level in the fluorescence brightness indicator.

In this embodiment, the fluorescence image of the endoscope and the manner of obtaining the fluorescence brightness level in the fluorescence image may be referred to the description in the above embodiment, and will not be described here again.

In an embodiment, the fluorescent intensity indicator may be a color bar as shown in fig. 5-6, the color of the color bar corresponding to the fluorescent intensity of the fluorescent image, such as a graduated color bar corresponding to the fluorescent intensity.

In one embodiment, the numeric label may be a natural number value as shown in FIG. 5, or a percentage value as shown in FIG. 6.

Referring to fig. 7, the present application provides another method for displaying an endoscopic fluorescent image, comprising:

Step 2: based on the fluorescence intensity in the fluorescence image, a digitized label is generated that identifies the fluorescence intensity level.

Step 3: and identifying corresponding numeric labels in the image areas with different fluorescence brightness in the fluorescence image.

In one embodiment, as shown in fig. 7, the digitized label may be a percentage value, and the image area of fluorescence intensity corresponding to the digitized label may be marked with a box, with the digitized label displayed in the vicinity of or within the box.

Referring to fig. 8-9, another method for displaying an endoscopic fluorescent image is provided, comprising:

Step 2: and determining at least one image area in the fluorescence image, and acquiring and displaying the change trend information of the fluorescence brightness of the image area along with time.

In this embodiment, the manner of obtaining the fluorescence image of the endoscope may refer to the description in the above embodiment, and will not be described herein.

In an embodiment, the trend information of the fluorescence brightness of the image areas over time may be displayed by using trend graphs with abscissa and ordinate, and the trend graphs of the multiple image areas may be displayed separately in fig. 8 or may be displayed in a combined manner in fig. 9. The display area of the trend graph can be displayed in a superposition manner with the fluorescent image or can be displayed in a split screen manner. Of course, in other embodiments, the trend information of the fluorescence brightness of the image area over time may also be presented by using a trend table. Fig. 7-8 show two image areas selected, respectively, which are identified with boxes, respectively.

Although the illustrative embodiments have been described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the above illustrative embodiments are merely illustrative and are not intended to limit the scope of the present application thereto. Various changes and modifications may be made therein by one of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the application. All such changes and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present application as set forth in the appended claims.

Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the various illustrative elements and algorithm steps described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented as electronic hardware, or combinations of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware or software depends upon the particular application and design constraints imposed on the solution. Skilled artisans may implement the described functionality in varying ways for each particular application, but such implementation decisions should not be interpreted as causing a departure from the scope of the present invention.

In the several embodiments provided by the present invention, it should be understood that the disclosed apparatus and method may be implemented in other ways. For example, the above-described device embodiments are merely illustrative, e.g., the division of the elements is merely a logical functional division, and there may be additional divisions when actually implemented, e.g., multiple elements or components may be combined or integrated into another device, or some features may be omitted or not performed.

In the description provided herein, numerous specific details are set forth. However, it is understood that embodiments of the invention may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known methods, structures and techniques have not been shown in detail in order not to obscure an understanding of this description.

Similarly, it should be appreciated that in order to streamline the invention and aid in understanding one or more of the various inventive aspects, various features of the invention are sometimes grouped together in a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof in the description of exemplary embodiments of the invention. However, the method of the present invention should not be construed as reflecting the following intent: i.e., the claimed invention requires more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive aspects lie in less than all features of a single disclosed embodiment. Thus, the claims following the detailed description are hereby expressly incorporated into this detailed description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment of this invention.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that all of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and all of the processes or units of any method or apparatus so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where the features are mutually exclusive. Each feature disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise.

Furthermore, those skilled in the art will appreciate that while some embodiments described herein include some features but not others included in other embodiments, combinations of features of different embodiments are meant to be within the scope of the invention and form different embodiments. For example, in the claims, any of the claimed embodiments may be used in any combination.

Various component embodiments of the invention may be implemented in hardware, or in software modules running on one or more processors, or in a combination thereof. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that some or all of the functions of some of the modules according to embodiments of the present invention may be implemented in practice using a microprocessor or Digital Signal Processor (DSP). The present invention can also be implemented as an apparatus program (e.g., a computer program and a computer program product) for performing a portion or all of the methods described herein. Such a program embodying the present invention may be stored on a computer readable medium, or may have the form of one or more signals. Such signals may be downloaded from an internet website, provided on a carrier signal, or provided in any other form.

It should be noted that the above-mentioned embodiments illustrate rather than limit the invention, and that those skilled in the art will be able to design alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In the claims, any reference signs placed between parentheses shall not be construed as limiting the claim. The invention may be implemented by means of hardware comprising several distinct elements, and by means of a suitably programmed computer. In the unit claims enumerating several means, several of these means may be embodied by one and the same item of hardware. The use of the words first, second, third, etc. do not denote any order. These words may be interpreted as names.

The foregoing description is merely illustrative of specific embodiments of the present invention and the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto, and any person skilled in the art can easily think about variations or substitutions within the scope of the present invention. The protection scope of the invention is subject to the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A method for special light imaging of an endoscope, the method comprising:

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the quantization label comprises a color bar displaying the colors of the special light quantized image and the values of the special light quantization parameters corresponding to the different colors.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the color displayed in the color bar is a continuously graded color or a discrete color.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the quantization label comprises a value of a special light quantization parameter displayed at a target location in the special light quantization image.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the quantization tag further comprises a graphical indicia displayed at the target location, the graphical indicia displayed in association with the value of the special light quantization parameter.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising adjusting a correspondence between the special light-quantization parameter and a color of the special light-quantization image according to the received operation instruction, and displaying the adjusted special light-quantization image and quantization label.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said performing a quantization evaluation based on said special light image signal to obtain special light quantization parameters for different image areas comprises:

8. The method of claim 7, wherein normalizing the gray scale value of the special light image signal to obtain the special light quantization parameter comprises:

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein said performing a quantization evaluation based on said special light image signal to obtain special light quantization parameters for different image areas comprises:

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising displaying a statistical map of the gray value versus time for at least one image region, and marking a location in the special photoperiod image corresponding to the displayed statistical map.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein when displaying the statistical maps corresponding to at least two image areas, the statistical maps corresponding to the at least two image areas are displayed independently or superimposed, respectively.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the blood supply assessment parameter is derived from at least one of the following eigenvalues of the gray scale value versus time: start rise time, rise to peak time, peak gray scale, and area under the curve.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting a manner of the quantitative assessment based on the received operation instructions, the manner of quantitative assessment comprising: normalizing the gray level value of the special light image signal to obtain the special light quantization parameter; or, performing blood supply evaluation according to the special light image signal to obtain the special light polarization parameter.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein prior to performing the quantitative evaluation from the special light image signal, the method further comprises:

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating a special light-quantized image according to special light quantization parameters of the different image areas comprises: mapping the special light-based parameters to corresponding color values to obtain the special light-based image;

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the special light imaging comprises fluorescence imaging, laser speckle imaging, narrowband light reflectance imaging, or optical coherence tomography.

17. A method for special light-imaging for an endoscope, the method comprising:

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said obtaining a time-dependent relationship of gray values for different image regions comprises:

19. The method of claim 17 or 18, wherein said generating a special light-polarized image from said blood supply assessment parameter comprises:

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the generating the special light-quantized image according to the special light quantization parameter comprises: mapping different special light quantization parameters to corresponding color values to obtain the special light quantization image;

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the blood supply assessment parameter is derived from at least one of the following eigenvalues of the gray scale value versus time: start rise time, rise to peak time, peak gray scale, and area under the curve.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising displaying a statistical plot of the blood supply assessment parameter or the characteristic value versus the gray value over time in synchronization.

23. The method of claim 18, further comprising determining a starting point in time of a statistical plot of the gray value versus time based on the received operating instructions.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein determining a starting point in time of the statistical plot of the gray value versus time based on the received operation instructions comprises:

25. A method for special light-imaging for an endoscope, the method comprising:

displaying the second special light-polarized image.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the obtaining a color threshold range comprises obtaining a pre-stored color threshold range or determining the color threshold range from a received operating instruction.

27. The method of claim 25, further comprising displaying the first specially-light-quantized image in synchronization with the second specially-light-quantized image.

28. A method for special light-imaging for an endoscope, the method comprising:

outputting the special light-polarized image.

29. A method for special light-imaging for an endoscope, the method comprising:

outputting the special light-polarized image.

30. A method for special light-imaging for an endoscope, the method comprising:

outputting the special light-polarized image.

31. An endoscope system, comprising:

a light source section;

a processor for performing the method of any one of claims 1-30 to obtain a special light-polarized image; and

and a display for displaying the special light-polarized image.