KR101756909B1 - Portable device and method for multi-channel fluorescence image acquisition - Google Patents

Abstract

According to the present invention, there is provided a portable multi-channel fluorescence image acquiring method, comprising: an excitation light irradiation step of simultaneously irradiating excitation light having two or more wavelengths from a LED light source part to a target object; A light receiving step of receiving light emitted from the object; In the first filter module, a disk-shaped wheel having a plurality of band-pass filters arranged therein is rotated at a constant speed even when a fluorescence signal is detected, so that different types of fluorescent signals, which are obtained from the light received in the light- A multi-wavelength acquisition step of acquiring wavelengths simultaneously; A wavelength separation step of separating light of different wavelengths obtained in the multi-wavelength acquisition step into a fluorescence signal of each wavelength in the second filter module; And an image generating step of acquiring a fluorescence signal separated in the wavelength demultiplexing step and generating an image signal.
According to the present invention, it is possible to realize a visible light image and two or more kinds of fluorescent images at the same time by using two or more excitation light sources for emitting white light and a fluorescent material of a portable fluorescent image acquiring device.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to a portable multi-channel fluorescence image acquiring apparatus and a method for acquiring a multi-

The present invention relates to a fluorescence image acquiring apparatus, and more particularly, to a fluorescence image acquiring apparatus and method capable of outputting two or more fluorescence images, in which an optical system for acquiring a fluorescence signal is configured to be portable.

Recently, with the development of various fluorescent dyes from the visible region to the near infrared region, fluorescent dyes have been used in a wide range of fields. In particular, since the early 2000s, many studies using fluorescence in biology have progressed in earnest, enabling us to identify useful biological information. Fluorescent images using fluorescent dyes can acquire continuous information in a non-invasive manner, and fluorescence in the visible light region can be directly visually confirmed, thereby providing excellent visibility.

Fluorescent dyes can observe not only living cells and tissues but also the exact locations of drug pathways and lesions in real time. As a result, preclinical studies for the clinical application have been actively conducted and many clinical studies based on the near infrared fluorescent dyes approved by the US FDA have been performed as guideline for operation.

In the past, commercially available products such as IVIS of Caliper Life Sciences, Maestro of CRi, OV100 of Olympus, etc., which were developed as instruments for observing fluorescence, were mainly used. However, most of commercialized systems are expensive and large in size There is a disadvantage in that there is a limitation in movement. Therefore, even when a user wishes to observe a simple fluorescence signal, it is inconvenient for the experimenter to move to a place where the instrument is located and to shoot the fluorescence signal.

In order to implement a portable imaging apparatus, it is necessary to minimize trade-off characteristics such as degradation of image quality and the like. The applicant of the present invention has proposed a technique of irradiating excitation light of a plurality of wavelengths and separately extracting fluorescence signals of a plurality of emitted wavelengths so as to output a fluorescence image capable of being examined even in a portable simple structure, And a fluorescence image acquiring apparatus and method excellent in the noise characteristic of a certain wavelength band have been devised.

Korean Patent Publication No. 2015-0026325

An object of the present invention is to provide a portable fluorescent image acquiring apparatus and method having freedom of movement of a probe during fluorescent image monitoring using a fluorescent material and having ease of use and convenience .

The present invention also provides an apparatus and method for acquiring a fluorescence image having excellent noise characteristics in one wavelength band by separately obtaining excitation light having two or more kinds of wavelengths for each wavelength.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a portable fluorescent image acquiring apparatus comprising: an apparatus main body; A light source unit which is provided on a front surface of the main body and emits excitation light having two or more wavelengths to a target object; A filter unit provided in the main body of the apparatus for filtering different kinds of wavelengths from the light emitted from the object and filtering the fluorescence signals for each wavelength; And a detection unit which is provided inside the main body of the apparatus and which acquires a fluorescence signal and generates an image signal.

Preferably, the light source unit according to the present invention includes a light source module provided with an excitation light source for acquiring a white light source and a non-visible light image to obtain a visible light image, and the excitation light source has two or more kinds of wavelengths.

Preferably, the filter unit according to the present invention includes a first filter module disposed behind the light source unit and provided with a plurality of bandpass filters having different performances to remove noise of excitation light having multiple wavelengths; And a second filter module disposed at the rear of the first filter module for separating different types of wavelengths from the excitation light of multiple wavelengths and filtering the fluorescence signals for respective wavelengths.

Preferably, the first filter module according to the present invention comprises: a disc-shaped filter wheel in which a plurality of band-pass filters are disposed; And a motor that rotates the filter wheel at a revolutions per minute (RPM) corresponding to the image acquisition frame.

Preferably, the second filter module according to the present invention includes a plurality of wavelength division filters arranged in a number corresponding to the number of the fluorescence signals to be obtained, and the wavelength division filters may be arranged in a line on the path of excitation light of multiple wavelengths .

Preferably, the detector according to the present invention may include a plurality of detectors for receiving the fluorescence signals of respective wavelengths emitted from the second filter module.

Preferably, the fluorescence image acquisition apparatus according to the present invention may further include a display unit for outputting a plurality of image signals generated by the detection unit as a multi-channel image or an integrated image.

According to the present invention, there is an advantage that a visible light image and two or more types of fluorescent images can be implemented at the same time by using an excitation light source having two or more wavelengths for expressing white light and a fluorescent material of a portable fluorescent image acquiring device.

In addition, the present invention has the advantage of effectively removing external noise and improving the quality of a fluorescent image by using a plurality of detectors and a dual band pass filter.

In addition, the present invention is advantageous in that the light source, the filter, the detector, and the display unit are integrated so that the user can directly monitor the image without any other connected device, and is easy to move and manipulate.

1 shows a fluorescence image acquiring apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 shows a light source unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 shows a first filter module according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 shows a filter unit and a detection unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 shows a display unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to or limited by the exemplary embodiments. Like reference numerals in the drawings denote members performing substantially the same function.

The objects and effects of the present invention can be understood or clarified naturally by the following description, and the purpose and effect of the present invention are not limited by the following description. In the following description, well-known functions or constructions are not described in detail since they would obscure the invention in unnecessary detail.

Fig. 1 shows a fluorescence image acquiring apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, the fluorescence image acquiring apparatus 1 may include a main body 5, a light source 10, a filter 30, a detector 50, and a display 70. According to the present embodiment, the light source unit 10, the filter unit 30, the detection unit 50, and the display unit 70 for irradiating excitation light and acquiring fluorescence images can be integrated on the portable apparatus main body 5 . Hereinafter, each configuration will be described.

The light source unit 10 is provided on the front surface of the apparatus main body 5 and can irradiate excitation light having two or more kinds of wavelengths to the object. 2 shows a light source unit 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 2, the light source unit 10 may include a front bracket 101 and a light source module 103.

The front bracket 101 may be formed with a hole that penetrates through one area so that light excited by the object can be transmitted and input into the main body 5 of the apparatus. In the present embodiment, although not shown in the drawing, the front bracket 101 may be provided with a reflector and a lens so that the straightness of the light source and uniform light irradiation to the object are possible. The reflector is determined depending on the position and the number of the white light sources 1033 arranged in the light source module 103 to be described later, and may be modified in various forms.

The light source module 103 may be provided with a white light source 1033 for obtaining a visible light image and an excitation light source 1031 for obtaining a fluorescent image of invisible light. In order to obtain a color digital image while allowing the user to directly view the object, it is preferable that visible light is irradiated on the outer surface of the subject.

The white light source 1033 irradiates white light for acquiring raw data of a sample in the article light area. The white light source 1033 may be formed of at least one of a light emitting diode, a semiconductor laser, a halogen lamp, and an incandescent lamp.

The excitation light source 1031 irradiates the light source of the non-visible light fluorescent light in response to the fluorescent substance inside the object so as to examine the internal tumor of the object. The excitation light source 1031 may include at least one of a light emitting diode, a semiconductor laser, a halogen lamp, and an incandescent lamp. The white light source 1033 and the excitation light source 1031 may be symmetrically arranged on the light source module 103 in such a manner that they can be uniformly irradiated onto the object.

When the light source module 103 includes the white light source 1033 and the excitation light source 1031 and irradiates the white light and the non-visible light to the same part of the object, the user acquires the visible light image and the non- It is possible to analyze the image, and to look at the inside and outside images directly with the naked eye, or to look at each image directly. Therefore, it is more accurate and direct than any one, so that it is possible to make almost perfect coping.

The light source module 103 may be designed on a PCB substrate, and the substrate of the light source module 103 may be implemented in various shapes such as a circle and a square.

The excitation light source 1031 according to this embodiment has two or more kinds of wavelengths. FIG. 2 shows an example in which four different kinds of light sources are arranged in the excitation light source 1031. FIG. The excitation light source 1031 may be designed to have a diameter of about 8 mm, and four kinds of LEDs having different wavelength ranges may be arranged. As an example, the first LED may emit excitation light having a wavelength of 730 to 750 nm. The first LED can acquire a NIR-based fluorescent dye image. And the second LED may emit excitation light having a wavelength of 690 to 710 nm. The second LED can acquire Cy5.5 fluorescence images. The third LED may emit excitation light having a wavelength of 770 to 790 nm. The third LED can acquire a fluorescence image of ICG series. And the fourth LED may emit excitation light having a wavelength of 820 nm or more. The fourth LED can acquire an image of a fluorescent dye having an excitation characteristic of 820 nm or more.

If the multiplexed wavelength of the excitation light is converted into a single module 1031, the fluorescence image can be implemented in multiple channels. This makes it possible to obtain fluorescence images suitable for each type of fluorescent dyes, and thus it is excellent in applicability. Finally, since each fluorescence image can be confirmed individually or separately, an image excellent in the noise characteristic of a certain wavelength band can be outputted, so that a fluorescence image capable of being diagnosed with a low-cost portable device can be obtained.

The filter unit 30 is provided inside the device body 5 and can filter different kinds of wavelengths from the light emitted from the object and filter the fluorescence signals for respective wavelengths.

The filter unit 30 may include a first filter module 301 and a second filter module 303.

The first filter module 301 is disposed behind the light source unit 10 and includes a plurality of bandpass filters 3013 having different performances to remove noise of excitation light having multiple wavelengths. 3 shows a first filter module 301 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

3, the first filter module 301 includes a disk-shaped filter wheel 3011 in which a plurality of band-pass filters 3013 are disposed, and a filter wheel 3011 in which the filter wheel 3011 is rotated at a rotation speed per minute And a motor 3015 for rotating the motor 3015 by the rotation speed RPM.

The filter wheel 3011 according to the present embodiment is provided with a band-pass filter 3013 having different performances depending on the type of the fluorescent signal to be acquired.

One of the band-pass filters 3013 is a filter that transmits only a specific wavelength, and the different performance expressed in this specification means that the wavelength range to be transmitted is different. The band-pass filter 3013 is provided with a plurality of different wavelength range bands on the characteristic of the present invention for acquiring a fluorescent signal in multiple channels.

The plurality of band-pass filters 3013 can reduce the noise generated from the outside, and are located in the front-end rotating filter wheel 3011. The filter wheel 3011 having a plurality of band-pass filters 3013 can acquire other specific wavelengths simultaneously as it rotates at a constant speed. If the filter wheel 3011 is fixed without being continuously rotated or rotated by one step by operation, the signal is obtained only for one specific wavelength by the band-pass filter disposed in the filter wheel 3011, A specific wavelength can not be obtained at the same time, so that multi-channel fluorescent signals can not be detected and observed in real time.

In order to minimize the noise generated from the rotating filter wheel 3011 during image detection, the filter wheel 3011 rotates at an RPM that matches the image acquisition frame.

4 shows a filter unit 30 and a detection unit 50 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 4, the arrangement of the first filter module 301 and the second filter module 303 according to the optical path can be confirmed.

The second filter module 303 is disposed behind the first filter module 301 to separate different kinds of wavelengths from the excitation light of multiple wavelengths and to filter the fluorescence signals of respective wavelengths. The second filter module 303 may include a plurality of wavelength division filters 3031 corresponding to the number of the fluorescent signals to be acquired. The wavelength division filter 3031 is arranged in a line on the path of excitation light of multiple wavelengths.

By the wavelength separation filter 3031, excitation light of multiple wavelengths included in the light source module 103 is separated and incident on the detector 501.

The detection unit 50 is provided inside the apparatus main body 5 and can acquire a fluorescence signal to generate an image signal. The detection unit 50 may include a plurality of detectors 501 to receive the fluorescence signals of respective wavelengths emitted from the second filter module 303. In this embodiment, three wavelength separation filters 3031 and three detectors 501 are illustrated to simultaneously acquire three fluorescent signals and a color image.

In the present embodiment, a band-pass filter 503 is secondarily provided on the front surface of the detector 501 into which light is incident, thereby improving the quality of the image. Further, although not shown in the drawings, a lens for imaging the object in the detector 501 can be configured, and the lens of the detector can be changed in focus to a miniature motor.

The display unit 70 may output the multiple image signals generated by the detection unit 50 as a multi-channel image or an integrated image. 5 shows a display unit 70 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 5, the display unit 70 may include a display panel 701, operation buttons 703, and a storage module 705. The display unit 70 is provided on the rear side of the main body 5 so that the user can check the image obtained by the irradiation of the excitation light in real time.

The display panel 701 images the image signal generated by the detection unit 50 and can be provided in a touch mode. The display panel 701 can display fluorescence images having different wavelengths and color images of visible light, respectively, and can be programmed to merge and visualize the respective images listed in the touch recognition.

The storage module 705 can capture the acquired image or store a moving image file, and can be connected to a USB cable or a micro disk so as to be compatible with an external device.

The operation button 703 can control setting parameters necessary for device control such as image storage, the focus of the lens used in the device, and the brightness of the light source module 103.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments. will be. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should not be limited to the above-described embodiments, but should be determined by all changes or modifications derived from the scope of the appended claims and equivalents of the following claims.

1: Fluorescence image acquisition device
5:
10:
101: Front bracket
103: Light source module
1031: Light source here
1033: white light source
30:
301: first filter module
3011: Filter wheel
3013: Bandpass filter
3015: Motor
303: second filter module
3031: Wavelength separation filter
50:
501: detector
503: Bandpass filter
70:
701: Touch-type display panel
703: Operation button
705: Storage module

Claims (3)

A portable multi-channel fluorescence image acquisition method,
An excitation light irradiation step of simultaneously irradiating the object with excitation light having two or more kinds of wavelengths in the LED light source part;
A light receiving step of receiving light emitted from the object;
The first filter module rotates the disc-shaped wheel on which the plurality of band-pass filters are disposed at a constant speed even when the fluorescent signal is detected, so that different kinds of fluorescent signals to be obtained from the light received in the light- A multi-wavelength acquiring step of simultaneously acquiring a multi-channel wavelength of the multi-wavelength light;
A wavelength separation step of separating light of different wavelengths obtained in the multi-wavelength acquisition step into a separated fluorescence signal by each wavelength in the second filter module; And
And an image generating step of acquiring a fluorescence signal separated in the wavelength demultiplexing step and generating an image signal,
Wherein the predetermined speed of the multi-wavelength acquisition step is equal to the RPM per minute corresponding to the image acquisition frame generated in the image generation step. The method according to claim 1,
Further comprising a step of irradiating white light to the object from the white light source. The method according to claim 1,
And outputting the multi-channel image or the combined image generated by the image generating step in the display unit.

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