KR20180136663A - Imaging device for multi-spectral laser image having speckle reducer and imaging method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed are a multi-wavelength laser image collecting device having a speckle reducing device, and an image collecting method thereof. According to the present invention, a speckle reducing device for removing image noise caused by a speckle phenomenon is provided, and a multi-spectral image for a laser speckle image, a fluorescence image, and a blood oxygen saturation image is obtained. Also, a high quality biometric image with an improved signal-to-noise ratio can be collected by removing image noise caused by a speckle phenomenon. In addition, a real-time image can be collected at high-speed by not being in contact with a target object and an image collecting device without a separate scanning process for light source injection, thereby being used for imaging and analyzing dynamic blood flow, blood flow volume, oxygen saturation in vivo, etc., which are quickly changed. Furthermore, biometric image information based on a fluorescence signal is additionally provided together with blood flow information using the speckle phenomenon, thereby providing biometric image information for more accurate diagnosis.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to a multi-wavelength laser image capturing apparatus having a speckle reducing unit and an image capturing method using the same,

More particularly, the present invention relates to a multi-wavelength laser image capturing apparatus having a speckle reducing unit, and more particularly, to a multi-wavelength laser image capturing apparatus having a speckle reducing unit and a laser speckle image spectroscopic images for laser speckle images, fluorescence images, blood oxygen saturation images, and the like.

Laser speckle refers to a pattern with an irregular distribution of grains formed by a random interference phenomenon of scattered light when a laser, which is a light source with high coherence, is irradiated to a scattering material. Based on this phenomenon, imaging through the multi-exposure imaging technique can image the flow of blood within the object without an external contrast agent such as a fluorescent material.

On the other hand, a speckle phenomenon occurring when using a light source having high coherence can also act as an image noise of a fluorescence image or a multispectral image, and a method for effectively removing the speckle phenomenon is needed. Although the blood flow information can be obtained by analyzing the time changes of the blood vessel image and the fluorescence signal using an external contrast agent such as the conventional Indocyanine green (ICG), the direct blood flow information in which the stopped blood flow volume and the actual blood flow are present It is difficult to distinguish them from images, and basically there is a limit in that information on blood flow can not be obtained in a short time. In addition, additional equipment is required for image information on blood oxygen saturation, which is an important hemodynamic biometric information.

There is a limitation in improving the image analysis quality by reducing the signal-to-noise ratio of the multispectral image and the fluorescence image due to the speckle noise caused by the light source when the image is collected using the coherent light source. In addition, a method for collecting blood flow image, fluorescence information, and oxygen saturation image for the same phenomenon simultaneously using fluorescence image information, laser speckle technique, and multispectral image is required.

Patent Document 1 is directed to a quantitative image having a multi-exposure speckle image, and Patent Document 1 discloses a laser light source Discloses a multi-exposure laser speckle contrast imaging system and method that includes a light modulator and a camera, a magnification objective lens and a microprocessor / data acquisition unit and a detector for measurement of the reflected light. Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2017-0009085 (Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.), Jan. 201, 2017 Patent Document 2 discloses a laser spec-to-coarse imaging system and method. In Patent Document 2, An image pickup section for picking up a speckle image by photographing the speckle formed by scattering the irradiated laser light from the object with an image sensor and a speckle image obtained by the image pickup section, And a signal processing unit for acquiring a compensated speckle contrast image by compensating for a change due to the motion of the object.

Disclosure of Invention Technical Problem [8] The present invention provides a speckle reducing apparatus for removing image noise due to a speckle phenomenon, and is provided with a laser speckle image, a fluorescence image, a blood oxygen saturation image, And a spectral attenuator for acquiring a multispectral image, and a method of collecting the image.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a multi-wavelength laser image collecting apparatus including a speckle reducer, including: a light source for irradiating laser light; And an image capturing unit capturing a speckle signal formed by scattering the laser light irradiated through the light source unit from a target object to obtain a speckle image, wherein the image capturing unit includes a specifier for removing image noise due to a speckle phenomenon, And a clock reduction section.

The speckle reduction section includes a ring-shaped magnetic body; A membrane fixed on one surface of the magnetic body; A ring-shaped vibrator coupled to the center of the membrane, the ring-shaped vibrator having an outer surface surrounded by a coil and disposed in an inner space of the magnetic body; And an optical scatterer disposed on the laser light transmission path, which is an inner space of the oscillator.

The speckle signal formed by scattering the multi-wavelength laser light irradiated through the light source unit and the multi-wavelength laser light irradiated through the light source unit are excited from the target object, A dichroic filter for spatially separating the fluorescence signal; A first speckle reduction unit for removing image noise due to a speckle phenomenon on a speckle signal separated through a dichroic filter; A first image sensor for acquiring a speckle image by capturing a speckle signal from which image noise is removed through a first speckle reduction unit; A second speckle reduction unit for removing image noise due to speckle phenomenon on a fluorescence signal separated through a dichroic filter; And a second image sensor for acquiring a fluorescence image by capturing a fluorescence signal from which image noise is removed through a second speckle reduction unit.

The image capturing unit includes a first bandpass filter positioned between the dichroic filter and the first speckle reduction unit and transmitting only light having a predetermined wavelength; And a second bandpass filter positioned between the dichroic filter and the second speckle reduction unit and transmitting only light having a predetermined wavelength.

At least one of the first bandpass filter and the second bandpass filter may include a plurality of subband pass filters for transmitting light of different wavelengths.

The light source unit can irradiate the object object with laser light through the optical fiber.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of collecting images of a multi-wavelength laser image collecting apparatus including a speckle reducing unit, To a target object; And a speckle signal generated by scattering the irradiated laser light from the target object, removes the image noise due to the speckle phenomenon through the speckle reduction section, captures the speckle signal from which the image noise is removed, ; ≪ / RTI >

The speckle reduction section includes a ring-shaped magnetic body; A membrane fixed on one surface of the magnetic body; A ring-shaped vibrator coupled to the center of the membrane, the ring-shaped vibrator having an outer surface surrounded by a coil and disposed in an inner space of the magnetic body; And an optical scatterer disposed on the laser light transmission path, which is an inner space of the oscillator.

Wherein the step of irradiating laser light comprises irradiating a target object with a multi-wavelength laser beam, wherein the speckle reduction section includes a first speckle reduction section and a second speckle reduction section, Splitting a fluorescence signal excited from a target object by a speckle signal formed by scattering multi-wavelength laser light irradiated through a target object and irradiated multi-wavelength laser light into a space; Removing image noise due to a speckle phenomenon on a speckle signal separated through a dichroic filter of a first speckle reduction part; Capturing a speckle signal from which image noise is removed through a first speckle reduction unit to acquire a speckle image; Removing an image noise due to a speckle phenomenon on a fluorescence signal separated through a dichroic filter with a second speckle reduction part; And acquiring the fluorescence image by capturing the fluorescence signal from which the image noise is removed through the second speckle reduction unit.

Transmitting the light having a predetermined wavelength through a first bandpass filter positioned between the dichroic filter and the first speckle reduction unit; And transmitting only light having a predetermined wavelength through a second bandpass filter positioned between the dichroic filter and the second speckle reduction unit.

At least one of the first bandpass filter and the second bandpass filter may include a plurality of subband pass filters for transmitting light of different wavelengths.

The laser light irradiation step may include irradiating a target object with laser light through the optical fiber.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer program for use in a computer readable recording medium, the computer program causing the computer to execute any one of the methods.

According to the multi-wavelength laser image capturing apparatus and the image capturing method of the present invention having the speckle reducer according to the present invention, it is possible to collect high quality biomedical images with improved signal-to-noise ratio by removing image noise due to the speckle phenomenon , It is possible to acquire real-time image at high speed without scanning process for the separate light source scanning without touching the target object and the image acquisition device. Thus, it is possible to perform imaging and analysis of rapidly changing dynamic blood flow, blood flow volume, Can be used.

In addition, by acquiring multispectral images for laser speckle images, fluorescence images, and blood oxygen saturation images, biochemical imaging information based on fluorescence signals together with blood flow information using speckle phenomenon It is possible to provide biometric image information for more accurate diagnosis.

1 is a block diagram for explaining a multi-wavelength laser image collecting apparatus having a speckle reducing unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram for explaining the multi-wavelength laser image collecting apparatus shown in FIG. 1 in more detail.
FIG. 3 is a view for explaining an example of the multi-wavelength laser image collecting apparatus shown in FIG.
Fig. 4 is a block diagram for explaining the speckle reduction unit shown in Fig. 2 in more detail.
5 is a view for explaining an example of the speckle reduction section shown in Fig.
6 is a flowchart illustrating a method of collecting images of a multi-wavelength laser image capturing apparatus having a speckle reducer according to an embodiment of the present invention.
7 is a block diagram for explaining a multi-wavelength laser image capturing apparatus having a speckle reducing unit according to another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a block diagram for explaining the multi-wavelength laser image collecting apparatus shown in FIG. 7 in more detail.
FIG. 9 is a block diagram for explaining the image capturing unit shown in FIG. 8 in more detail.
FIG. 10 is a view for explaining an example of the multi-wavelength laser image collecting apparatus shown in FIG.
11 is a flowchart illustrating a method of collecting images of a multi-wavelength laser image capturing apparatus having a speckle reducer according to another embodiment of the present invention.
12 is a block diagram for explaining a multi-wavelength laser image collecting apparatus having a speckle reducing unit according to another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 13 is a block diagram for explaining the multi-wavelength laser image collecting apparatus shown in FIG. 12 in more detail.
14 is a view for explaining an example of the multi-wavelength laser image capturing apparatus shown in Fig.
15 is a flowchart illustrating a method of collecting images of a multi-wavelength laser image capturing apparatus having a speckle reducer according to another embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of a multi-wavelength laser image capturing apparatus and an image capturing method thereof according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The invention Example

First, a multi-wavelength laser image collecting apparatus having a speckle reducer according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

1 is a block diagram for explaining a multi-wavelength laser image collecting apparatus having a speckle reducing unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, a multi-wavelength laser image capturing apparatus (hereinafter, referred to as 'first image capturing apparatus') 100 having a speckle reducing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a laser light source .

The first image capturing apparatus 100 acquires a speckle image by capturing a speckle signal formed by scattering the irradiated laser light from the target object 200.

At this time, the first image capturing apparatus 100 includes a speckle reducing unit, removes image noise (that is, speckle noise) due to the speckle phenomenon from the speckle signal through the speckle reducing unit, The speckle signal is acquired by acquiring the speckle signal.

The target object 200 may be a body tissue or the like. In particular, the target object 200 may be a biotissue that has been exposed due to skin tissue of the hands and feet, surgical techniques, or other factors. Here, the space for accommodating the target object 200 is for accommodating the target object 200 in a non-contact manner, and may be implemented as a chamber-type structure into which the target object 200 can be inserted. In addition, the space accommodating the target object 200 can remove unnecessary external light.

2 and 3, a multi-wavelength laser image collecting apparatus having a speckle reducer according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram for explaining the multi-wavelength laser image collecting apparatus shown in FIG. 1 in more detail, and FIG. 3 is a view for explaining an example of the multi-wavelength laser image collecting apparatus shown in FIG.

2 and 3, the first image capturing apparatus 100 includes a light source 110, a light source controller 120, a light diffusion unit 130, an image capturing unit 140, an image analyzing unit 150, And an image output unit 160.

The light source unit 110 irradiates laser light. At this time, the light source unit 110 can use a laser light source of a visible light and a near-infrared light region having high coherence as laser light. Here, the laser light source may be a laser light source having a center wavelength in the vicinity of 632 nm, 780 nm, and 808 nm.

The light source control unit 120 supplies power to the light source unit 110 and controls the operation of the light source unit 110.

The light diffusing unit 140 allows the laser beam irradiated through the light source unit 110 to have a uniform amount of light spatially distributed to the target object 200.

The image capturing unit 140 acquires a speckle image by capturing a speckle signal formed by scattering the laser light irradiated through the light source unit 110 from the target object 200.

The image capturing unit 140 may include a lens 141, a band pass filter 145, a speckle reduction unit 147, and an image sensor 149. [

The lens 141 allows a speckle signal formed by scattering from the target object 200 to be formed on the image sensor 149.

A bandpass filter 145 selectively transmits only light having a specific wavelength to remove the influence of unnecessary external light. That is, the bandpass filter 145 can transmit only light having a predetermined wavelength in the speckle signal formed by scattering from the target object 200. For example, the band-pass filter 145 may be a band-pass filter capable of selecting a wavelength band having a center wavelength in a region of 760 nm and 830 nm (814 nm to 851 nm). Of course, the wavelength band of the bandpass filter 145 may vary depending on the purpose of the collected image.

Here, the band-pass filter 145 may include a plurality of sub-band pass filters for transmitting light of different wavelengths.

The speckle reduction unit 147 removes image noise due to the speckle phenomenon. That is, the speckle reduction unit 147 can remove image noise on the speckle signal passed through the band-pass filter 145.

The image sensor 149 can acquire a speckle image by photographing a speckle signal from which image noise has been removed through the speckle reduction unit 147. Here, the image sensor 149 may be an image sensor having high quantum efficiency in the visible light and near infrared region, such as a CCD image sensor, a CMOS image sensor, and the like.

The image analysis unit 150 analyzes the speckle image by performing a speckle contrast operation or the like on the speckle image obtained through the image photographing unit 140. The image analysis method may be selected from the group consisting of LASCA (Laser Speckle Contrast Analysis), mLSI (Modified Laser Speckle Imaging), tLASCA (Temporally LASCA), sLASCA (Spatially LASCA), anisotropic processing, , Preferably a temporal technique and a spatial filter technique can be used in combination.

The image analysis unit 150 may control the operation of the light source unit 110 and the image capturing unit 140 based on the image provided from the image capturing unit 140. For example, when the image captured by the image capturing unit 140 is insufficient due to insufficient amount of light or excessive amount of light, a control signal for controlling the light amount of the light source may be applied. The image analyzer 150 may adjust the exposure time of the image capturing unit 140 in addition to adjusting the light amount of the light source. The image analyzing unit 150 increases the exposure time of the image capturing unit 140 and adjusts the exposure time of the image capturing unit 140 when the captured image of the object is insufficient, Can be reduced and the biometric image signal that is easy to read can be collected and analyzed.

The image output unit 160 includes a display module (not shown), and outputs the speckle image analyzed by the image analysis unit 150 through the display module.

4 and 5, the speckle reduction unit according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in more detail.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram for explaining the speckle reduction section shown in FIG. 2 in more detail, and FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining an example of the speckle reduction section shown in FIG.

4 and 5, the speckle reduction unit 147 may include a magnetic body 147a, a membrane 147b, a vibrator 147c, and an optical scatterer 147d.

The magnetic body 147a is formed in a ring shape.

The membrane 147b is fixed to one surface of the magnetic body 147a.

The vibrator 147c is connected to the center of the membrane 147b and is formed in a ring shape disposed in the inner space of the magnetic body 147a. A coil is wrapped around the outer surface of the vibrator 147c.

The optical scattering body 147d is disposed on the laser light transmission path which is an inner space of the vibrator 147c.

In other words, the speckle reduction section 147 vibrates the optical scattering body 147d through the change of the magnetic field formed by the current flow change of the coil wrapped around the outer surface of the vibrator 147c. Thus, the speckle reduction section 147 can remove image noise due to the speckle phenomenon with respect to the laser light passing through the speckle reduction section 147.

5, the optical scatterer 147d is disposed on the side of the oscillator 147c which is on the side of the laser light transmission path. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. And may be arranged on the side which enters the laser light transmission path in the middle part and on the laser light transmission path.

6, a method of collecting images of a multi-wavelength laser image capturing apparatus having a speckle reducer according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

6 is a flowchart illustrating a method of collecting images of a multi-wavelength laser image capturing apparatus having a speckle reducer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 6, the first image capturing apparatus 100 irradiates the laser light to the target object 200 (S110).

Thereafter, the first image capturing apparatus 100 removes the image noise due to the speckle phenomenon on the speckle signal formed by scattering the irradiated laser light from the target object 200 (S130).

Then, the first image capturing apparatus 100 captures the speckle signal from which the image noise is removed to acquire the speckle image (S150).

Then, the first image capturing apparatus 100 analyzes the speckle image (S170), and outputs the analyzed speckle image (S190).

The other Example

First, referring to FIG. 7, a multi-wavelength laser image collecting apparatus having a speckle reducer according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described.

7 is a block diagram for explaining a multi-wavelength laser image capturing apparatus having a speckle reducing unit according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 7, a multi-wavelength laser image capturing apparatus (hereinafter, referred to as a 'second image capturing apparatus') 300 having a speckle reducer according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a multi- Laser light is irradiated.

The second image collecting apparatus 300 receives the speckle signal formed by scattering the irradiated multi-wavelength laser light from the object 200 and the fluorescent light signal excited from the object 200 by the irradiated multi- And a speckle image and a fluorescence image are acquired by photographing each of the speckle signal and the fluorescence signal.

At this time, the second image capturing apparatus 300 includes a speckle reducing unit, removes image noise (that is, speckle noise) due to the speckle phenomenon from the speckle signal and the fluorescence signal through the speckle reducing unit, Each of the speckle signal and the fluorescence signal is photographed to acquire a speckle image and a fluorescence image.

That is, the second image capturing apparatus 300 includes a speckle reducing unit that removes image noise due to speckle development, a laser speckle image capable of imaging blood flow without an external contrast agent, Spectroscopic images for fluorescence images, blood oxygen saturation images, etc. for the blood volume can be obtained.

The target object 200 may be a body tissue or the like. In particular, the target object 200 may be a biotissue that has been exposed due to skin tissue of the hands and feet, surgical techniques, or other factors. Here, the space for accommodating the target object 200 is for accommodating the target object 200 in a non-contact manner, and may be implemented as a chamber-type structure into which the target object 200 can be inserted. In addition, the space accommodating the target object 200 can remove unnecessary external light.

Hereinafter, a multi-wavelength laser image collecting apparatus having a speckle reducer according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 8 to 10. FIG.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram for explaining the multi-wavelength laser image collecting apparatus shown in FIG. 7 in more detail, FIG. 9 is a block diagram for further explaining the image photographing unit shown in FIG. 8, 1 is a view for explaining an example of a multi-wavelength laser image collecting apparatus.

8 to 10, the second image capturing apparatus 300 includes a light source unit 310, a light source control unit 320, a light diffusion unit 330, an image capturing unit 340, an image analyzing unit 350, And a video output unit 360.

The light source unit 310 irradiates multi-wavelength laser light through the free space.

At this time, the light source unit 310 may use a laser light source having a relatively low absorption in the epidermis and dermal region of the skin and high interference of the visible light ray and the extreme infrared ray region having large scattering effect, as multi-wavelength laser light. When a multi-wavelength laser beam is irradiated to the object 200 through the light source 310, a speckle signal is generated through random interference in a scatterer included in the object 200, and at the same time, The fluorescence signal generated from the fluorescent material contained in the target object 200 is excited.

In addition, the light source unit 310 can irradiate laser light including two wavelengths having a large difference in absorbance between in-vivo hemoglobin and oxidized hemoglobin.

Here, the laser light source is a near-infrared light source having a wavelength of 700 nm to 1000 nm which absorbs relatively little light in the epidermal and dermal regions of the skin, and may include visible light including wavelength regions of 632 nm and 660 nm. In particular, the laser light source may be a multi-wavelength laser light source including the 660 nm, 820 nm, and 852 nm bands. Preferably, the laser light source is a highly coherent diode laser in the 760 nm wavelength band (748 nm to 789 nm), a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) for exciting a fluorescent substance such as indocyanine green (ICG) And the like.

The light source control unit 320 supplies power to the light source unit 310 and controls the operation of the light source unit 310.

The light diffusing unit 330 allows the laser beam irradiated through the light source unit 310 to have a uniform amount of light spatially distributed to the object 200.

The image capturing unit 340 receives the speckle signal formed by scattering the multi-wavelength laser light irradiated through the light source unit 310 from the target object 200 and the multi-wavelength laser light irradiated through the light source unit 310, ) To acquire a speckle image and a fluorescence image.

The image capturing unit 340 may include a lens 341, a dichroic filter 342, a first image capturing unit 343, and a second image capturing unit 344.

The lens 341 transmits a speckle signal formed by scattering from the target object 200 and a fluorescence signal excited from the target object 200 to the dichroic filter 342 so that the speckle signal and the fluorescence signal are transmitted to the first image The image pickup unit 343 and the second image pickup unit 344.

The dichroic filter 342 converts the speckle signal formed by scattering the multi-wavelength laser light irradiated through the light source unit 310 from the target object 200 and the multi-wavelength laser light irradiated through the light source unit 310 And separates the excited fluorescence signal from the target object 200 into a space. That is, the dichroic filter 342 transmits the speckle signal to the first image capturing unit 343, and transmits the fluorescence signal to the second image capturing unit 344. Here, the dichroic filter 342 can be a combination of single dichroic filters and the wavelength division range can be changed. In particular, the dichroic filter 342 may include a filter that selectively reflects a wavelength band having a center around 760 nm.

The first image capturing unit 343 captures a speckle signal formed by scattering the multi-wavelength laser light irradiated through the light source unit 310 from the target object 200 to acquire a speckle image. To this end, the first image capturing unit 343 may include a first bandpass filter 345a, a first speckle reduction unit 347a, and a first image sensor 349a.

The first band-pass filter 345a selectively transmits only light having a specific wavelength to remove the influence of unnecessary external light. That is, the first band-pass filter 345a can transmit only light having a predetermined wavelength in a speckle signal formed by scattering from the target object 200. [ The first bandpass filter 345a may be positioned between the dichroic filter 342 and the first speckle reduction unit 347a. Here, the first band-pass filter 345a may include a plurality of sub-band pass filters for transmitting light of different wavelengths.

The first speckle reduction unit 347a can remove the image noise due to the speckle phenomenon with respect to the speckle signal separated through the dichroic filter 342. [ That is, the first speckle reduction unit 347a can remove the image noise on the speckle signal passed through the first band-pass filter 345a. Here, the detailed structure of the first speckle reduction unit 347a is the same as that of the speckle reduction unit 147 according to the previous embodiment of the present invention (one embodiment of the present invention), and thus a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The first image sensor 349a can acquire a speckle image by capturing a speckle signal from which image noise is removed through the first speckle reduction unit 347a. Here, the first image sensor 349a may be a CCD image sensor, a CMOS image sensor, or the like, which is an image sensor having high quantum efficiency in the visible light and near infrared region.

The second image capturing unit 344 acquires the speckle image by capturing the fluorescence signal excited from the target object 200 by the multi-wavelength laser light irradiated through the light source unit 310. To this end, the second image capturing unit 344 may include a second bandpass filter 345b, a second speckle reduction unit 347b, and a second image sensor 349b.

The second band-pass filter 345b selectively transmits only light having a specific wavelength to remove the influence of unnecessary external light. That is, the second band-pass filter 345b can transmit only the light having the predetermined wavelength in the excitation fluorescence signal from the object 200. [ The second bandpass filter 345b may be positioned between the dichroic filter 342 and the second speckle reduction unit 347b. Here, the second bandpass filter 345b may include a plurality of subband pass filters for transmitting light of different wavelengths.

The second speckle reduction unit 347b can remove image noise due to the speckle phenomenon with respect to the fluorescence signal separated through the dichroic filter 342. [ That is, the second speckle reduction unit 347b can remove the image noise on the fluorescence signal that has passed through the second bandpass filter 345b. Here, the detailed structure of the second speckle reduction unit 347b is the same as that of the speckle reduction unit 147 according to the previous embodiment of the present invention (one embodiment of the present invention), so that detailed description is omitted.

The second image sensor 349b can acquire the fluorescence image by capturing the fluorescence signal from which the image noise is removed through the second speckle reduction unit 347b. Here, the second image sensor 349b may be an image sensor having high quantum efficiency in the visible light and near infrared region, such as a CCD image sensor, a CMOS image sensor, and the like.

The image analysis unit 350 analyzes the speckle image and the fluorescence image by performing a speckle contrast operation on the speckle image and the fluorescence image obtained through the image capturing unit 340. The image analysis method may be selected from the group consisting of LASCA (Laser Speckle Contrast Analysis), mLSI (Modified Laser Speckle Imaging), tLASCA (Temporally LASCA), sLASCA (Spatially LASCA), anisotropic processing, , Preferably a temporal technique and a spatial filter technique can be used in combination.

The image analyzing unit 350 may control the operation of the light source unit 310 and the image capturing unit 340 based on the image provided from the image capturing unit 340. For example, when the image captured by the image capturing unit 340 is insufficient due to insufficient amount of light or excessive amount of light, a control signal for controlling the light amount of the light source may be applied. The image analysis unit 350 may adjust the exposure time of the image capturing unit 340 in addition to adjusting the light amount of the light source. The image analyzing unit 350 increases the exposure time of the image capturing unit 340 in conjunction with the light amount of the light source when the image of the photographed object is insufficient in light amount and increases the exposure time of the image capturing unit 340 Can be reduced and the biometric image signal that is easy to read can be collected and analyzed.

The image output unit 360 includes a display module (not shown), and outputs speckle images and fluorescence images analyzed by the image analysis unit 350 through a display module.

11, a description will now be made of an image acquisition method of a multi-wavelength laser image acquisition apparatus having a speckle reducer according to another embodiment of the present invention.

11 is a flowchart illustrating a method of collecting images of a multi-wavelength laser image capturing apparatus having a speckle reducer according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 11, the second image capturing apparatus 300 irradiates the multi-wavelength laser light to the target object 200 (S310).

Thereafter, the second image capturing apparatus 300 irradiates the speckle signal formed by scattering the irradiated multi-wavelength laser light from the target object 200 and the fluorescence signal excited from the target object 200 by the irradiated multi- (S320).

Then, the second image capturing apparatus 300 removes image noise from the separated speckle signal (S330).

In operation S340, the second image capturing apparatus 300 captures a speckle signal from which image noise has been removed to acquire a speckle image.

In addition, the second image capturing apparatus 300 removes image noise from the separated fluorescence signal (S350).

In operation S360, the second image capturing apparatus 300 captures the fluorescence signal from which the image noise has been removed and obtains the fluorescence image.

Then, the second image capturing apparatus 300 analyzes the speckle image and the fluorescence image (S370), and outputs the analyzed speckle image and fluorescence image (S380).

Another aspect of the present invention Example

First, referring to FIG. 12, a multi-wavelength laser image collecting apparatus having a speckle reducer according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described.

12 is a block diagram for explaining a multi-wavelength laser image collecting apparatus having a speckle reducing unit according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 12, a multi-wavelength laser image collecting apparatus (hereinafter referred to as a 'third image collecting apparatus') 400 having a speckle reducer according to another embodiment of the present invention Wavelength laser light.

The third image acquisition device 400 converts the speckle signal formed by scattering the irradiated multi-wavelength laser light from the object 200 and the fluorescence signal excited by the irradiated multi-wavelength laser light from the target object 200 into a space And a speckle image and a fluorescence image are acquired by photographing each of the speckle signal and the fluorescence signal.

At this time, the third image capturing apparatus 400 includes a speckle reducing unit, removes image noise (that is, speckle noise) due to the speckle phenomenon from the speckle signal and the fluorescence signal through the speckle reducing unit, Each of the speckle signal and the fluorescence signal is photographed to acquire a speckle image and a fluorescence image.

That is, the third image capturing apparatus 400 includes a speckle reducing unit for removing image noise due to speckle development, and includes a laser speckle image capable of imaging blood flow without an external contrast agent, Spectroscopic images for fluorescence images, blood oxygen saturation images, etc. for the blood volume can be obtained.

The target object 200 may be a body tissue or the like. In particular, the target object 200 may be a biotissue that has been exposed due to skin tissue of the hands and feet, surgical techniques, or other factors. Here, the space for accommodating the target object 200 is for accommodating the target object 200 in a non-contact manner, and may be implemented as a chamber-type structure into which the target object 200 can be inserted. In addition, the space accommodating the target object 200 can remove unnecessary external light.

Next, a multi-wavelength laser image collecting apparatus having a speckle reducer according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 13 and 14. FIG.

FIG. 13 is a block diagram for explaining the multi-wavelength laser image collecting apparatus shown in FIG. 12 in more detail, and FIG. 14 is a view for explaining an example of the multi-wavelength laser image collecting apparatus shown in FIG.

13 and 14, the third image capturing apparatus 400 includes a light source unit 410, a light source control unit 420, an optical fiber 470, an image capturing unit 440, an image analyzing unit 450, And an output unit 460.

Since the third image capturing apparatus 400 according to the present embodiment is substantially the same as the second image capturing apparatus 300 according to the previous embodiment (another embodiment of the present invention), only differences will be described below .

The light source unit 410 irradiates the target object 200 with laser light through the optical fiber 470.

15, a method of collecting images of a multi-wavelength laser image capturing apparatus having a speckle reducer according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described.

15 is a flowchart illustrating a method of collecting images of a multi-wavelength laser image capturing apparatus having a speckle reducer according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 15, the third image capturing apparatus 400 irradiates the multi-wavelength laser light to the target object 200 through the optical fiber 470 (S410).

Then, the third image capturing apparatus 400 irradiates a speckle signal formed by scattering the irradiated multi-wavelength laser light from the object 200 and a fluorescent signal excited by the irradiated multi-wavelength laser light from the object 200, (S420).

Then, the third image capturing apparatus 400 removes the image noise from the separated speckle signal (S430).

Then, the third image capturing apparatus 400 captures the speckle signal from which the image noise is removed to acquire the speckle image (S440).

In addition, the third image capturing apparatus 400 removes image noise from the separated fluorescence signal (S450).

In operation S460, the third image capturing apparatus 400 captures the fluorescence signal from which the image noise is removed and obtains the fluorescence image.

Then, the third image capturing apparatus 400 analyzes the speckle image and the fluorescence image (S470), and outputs the analyzed speckle image and fluorescence image (S480).

Meanwhile, in the case where the image collecting apparatuses 100, 300, and 400 according to the embodiments of the present invention take a plurality of images at different exposure times and acquire a plurality of images having different exposure times, In order to acquire more accurate blood flow image information by minimizing the influence of external factors due to changes in external optical factors with high precision, it is necessary to use a laser having a uniform and constant brightness value The light amount of light can be corrected in conjunction with the exposure time.

To this end, the image collecting apparatuses 100, 300, and 400 according to embodiments of the present invention may include a light amount controller (not shown) and a light controller (not shown).

The light amount adjusting unit can adjust the light amount of the laser light to be irradiated so as to have a light amount corresponding to the control signal of the light amount controlling unit by rotating the polarizer according to the control signal of the light amount controlling unit.

The light amount control unit controls the light amount adjusting unit such that the amount of laser light irradiated through the light source units 110, 310, and 410 is different for each exposure time when the image taking unit 140, 340, Can be controlled.

That is, the light amount control unit adjusts the amount of light of the laser light to be irradiated through the light source units 110, 310, and 410 so that the plurality of images having different exposure times have the same brightness value, So that the light amount control unit can be controlled.

More specifically, the light amount controller may determine the common brightness value based on the light amount value-brightness value information according to the previously obtained exposure time. Here, the light amount value may be a rotation angle value of the light amount control unit, a voltage value corresponding to the rotation angle value of the light amount control unit, an input pulse number corresponding to the rotation angle value, and the like.

That is, the light amount control unit obtains the brightness value range from the minimum brightness value to the maximum brightness value according to the exposure time based on the light amount value-brightness value information according to the previously obtained exposure time, and obtains the brightness value range A common brightness value can be determined within a range. At this time, the light intensity controller can determine the maximum brightness value as the common brightness value within the overlapping brightness value range of the brightness value range per exposure time.

The light amount control unit adjusts the light amount so that the light amount of the laser light irradiated through the light source units 110, 310, and 410 is different according to the exposure time based on the light amount value-brightness value information according to the previously obtained exposure time and the determined common brightness value Can be controlled.

That is, the light amount controller can acquire the light amount value by the exposure time in the light amount value-brightness value information according to the previously obtained exposure time based on the common brightness value. The light amount control unit may control the light amount control unit to provide a control signal to the light amount control unit so that the light amount of the laser light irradiated through the light source units 110, 310, and 410 is different for each exposure time based on the light amount value acquired for each exposure time have. Here, the control signal may include a light amount value or the like obtained for each exposure time.

In this manner, by controlling the light amount adjusting unit so that the light amount of the laser light irradiated through the light source units 110, 310, and 410 is different according to the exposure time, the light amount of the laser light is adjusted so that a plurality of images, Value.

The present invention can also be embodied as computer-readable codes on a computer-readable recording medium. A computer-readable recording medium includes all kinds of recording apparatuses in which data that can be read by a computer is stored. Examples of the computer-readable recording medium include a ROM, a RAM, a CD-ROM, a magnetic tape, a floppy disk, and an optical data storage device. In addition, the computer-readable recording medium may be distributed to computer devices connected to a wired / wireless communication network, and a computer-readable code may be stored and executed in a distributed manner.

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, but, on the contrary, It will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

100, 300, 400: multi-wavelength laser image acquisition system,
110, 310, 410: a light source unit, 120, 320, 420: a light source control unit,
130, 330: light diffusion unit, 140, 340, 440: image capturing unit,
150, 350, 450: image analysis unit, 160, 360, 460: image output unit,
470: optical fiber, 200: target object

Claims (13)

A light source unit for irradiating laser light; And
An image capturing unit that captures a speckle signal formed by scattering laser light emitted through the light source from a target object to acquire a speckle image;
/ RTI >
Wherein the image capturing unit includes a speckle reduction unit for removing image noise due to speckle phenomenon. The method of claim 1,
The speckle reduction unit may include:
A ring-shaped magnetic body;
A membrane fixed to one surface of the magnetic body;
A ring-shaped vibrator coupled to the center of the membrane, the ring-shaped vibrator having a coil on an outer surface thereof and disposed in an inner space of the magnetic body; And
An optical scatterer disposed on a laser light transmission path that is an inner space of the oscillator;
And a spectral attenuator, wherein the spectral attenuator comprises a spectral attenuator. The method of claim 1,
The light source section irradiates multi-wavelength laser light,
The image capturing unit includes:
A dichroic filter for splitting a speckle signal formed by scattering multi-wavelength laser light irradiated through the light source unit from a target object and a multi-wavelength laser light irradiated through the light source unit into a fluorescent signal excited from a target object;
A first speckle reduction unit for removing image noise due to a speckle phenomenon on a speckle signal separated through the dichroic filter;
A first image sensor for acquiring a speckle image by photographing a speckle signal from which image noise is removed through the first speckle reduction unit;
A second speckle reduction unit that removes image noise due to a speckle phenomenon on a fluorescence signal separated through the dichroic filter; And
A second image sensor for acquiring a fluorescence image by capturing a fluorescence signal from which image noise is removed through the second speckle reduction unit;
And a spectral attenuator, wherein the spectral attenuator comprises a spectral attenuator. 4. The method of claim 3,
The image capturing unit includes:
A first bandpass filter positioned between the dichroic filter and the first speckle reduction unit and transmitting only light having a predetermined wavelength; And
A second bandpass filter positioned between the dichroic filter and the second speckle reduction unit and transmitting only light having a predetermined wavelength;
Further comprising a speckle reducing unit. 5. The method of claim 4,
Wherein at least one of the first band-pass filter and the second band-pass filter includes a plurality of sub-band pass filters for transmitting light of different wavelengths. The method of claim 1,
Wherein the light source unit includes a speckle reducing unit that irradiates a target object with laser light through an optical fiber. A method for image acquisition in a multi-wavelength laser image acquisition apparatus including a speckle reduction unit,
Irradiating a laser beam onto a target object; And
The speckle signal generated by scattering the irradiated laser light from the target object is removed, the image noise due to the speckle phenomenon is removed through the speckle reduction unit, the speckle signal with the image noise removed is photographed, ;
And a speckle reducing unit including the speckle reducing unit. 8. The method of claim 7,
The speckle reduction unit may include:
A ring-shaped magnetic body;
A membrane fixed to one surface of the magnetic body;
A ring-shaped vibrator coupled to the center of the membrane, the ring-shaped vibrator having a coil on an outer surface thereof and disposed in an inner space of the magnetic body; And
An optical scatterer disposed on a laser light transmission path that is an inner space of the oscillator;
Wherein the spectral attenuator comprises a spectral attenuator. 8. The method of claim 7,
Wherein the irradiating the laser light comprises irradiating the object with the multi-wavelength laser light,
Wherein the speckle reduction unit includes a first speckle reduction unit and a second speckle reduction unit,
In the image acquiring step,
Separating a speckle signal formed by scattering multi-wavelength laser light irradiated through a dichroic filter from a target object and a fluorescent signal excited by the irradiated multi-wavelength laser light from a target object into a space;
Removing the image noise due to the speckle phenomenon on the speckle signal separated by the first speckle reduction unit through the dichroic filter;
Capturing a speckle signal from which image noise is removed through the first speckle reduction unit to acquire a speckle image;
Removing the image noise due to a speckle phenomenon on the fluorescent signal separated by the second speckle filter through the dichroic filter; And
Capturing a fluorescence signal from which image noise is removed through the second speckle reduction unit to obtain a fluorescence image;
Wherein the spectral attenuator comprises a spectral attenuator. The method of claim 9,
In the image acquiring step,
Passing only light having a predetermined wavelength through a first bandpass filter positioned between the dichroic filter and the first speckle reduction unit; And
Transmitting only light having a predetermined wavelength through a second bandpass filter positioned between the dichroic filter and the second speckle reduction unit;
Further comprising a speckle reducing unit, wherein the speckle reducing unit comprises: 11. The method of claim 10,
Wherein at least one of the first bandpass filter and the second bandpass filter includes a plurality of subband pass filters for transmitting light of different wavelengths, the image of the multi-wavelength laser image collecting apparatus having a speckle reducer Collection method. 8. The method of claim 7,
Wherein the step of irradiating laser light comprises irradiating a laser light to a target object through an optical fiber. A computer program stored in a computer-readable recording medium for causing a computer to execute a method of collecting images of a multi-wavelength laser image capturing apparatus having a speckle reducer according to any one of claims 7 to 12.

Images