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EP-4735929-A1 - OPTICAL IMAGING SYSTEM, APPARATUS FOR AN OPTICAL IMAGING SYSTEM, METHOD AND COMPUTER PROGRAM

EP4735929A1EP 4735929 A1EP4735929 A1EP 4735929A1EP-4735929-A1

Abstract

Examples relate to an optical imaging system 100 comprising a microscope (120). The microscope (120) comprises at most one optical imaging sensor (122) configured to acquire a first image of a sample (110) based on a first frequency range of visible light and a second image of the sample (110) based on a second frequency range of infrared light. Further, the microscope (120) comprises a first optical element (116) arranged along an optical path (140) of the microscope (120) for collimating a beam of light. The microscope (120) further comprises a second optical element (118) arranged along the optical path (140) of the microscope (120) defining the first aperture of the microscope (120) for the first frequency range of visible light. Further, the microscope (120) comprises an infrared filter (126) arranged along the optical path (140) of the microscope (120) defining a second aperture of the microscope (120) for the second frequency range of infrared light. The first aperture is different from the second aperture.

Inventors

  • ZHANG, LEI
  • Ang, Yan Eng

Assignees

  • LEICA INSTRUMENTS (SINGAPORE) PTE. LTD.
  • Leica Microsystems CMS GmbH

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20240614

Claims (12)

  1. 1. An optical imaging system (100), comprising: a microscope (104) comprising: at most one optical imaging sensor (122) configured to acquire a first image of a sample (110) based on a first frequency range of visible light and a second image of the sample (110) based on a second frequency range of infrared light; a first optical element (116) arranged along an optical path (120) of the microscope (104) for collimating a beam of light; a second optical element (118) arranged along the optical path (120) of the microscope (104) defining a first aperture of the microscope (104) for the first frequency range of visible light; and an infrared filter (126) arranged along the optical path (120) of the microscope (104) defining a second aperture of the microscope (104) for the second frequency range of infrared light, wherein the first aperture is different from the second aperture.
  2. 2. The optical imaging system (100) according to claim 1, wherein the first aperture is greater than the second aperture.
  3. 3. The optical imaging system (100) according to claim 2, wherein the first aperture is at least 200% greater than the second aperture.
  4. 4. The optical imaging system (100) according any one of the preceding claims, wherein a depth of field of the first image is lower than a depth of field of the second image.
  5. 5. The optical imaging system (100) according any one of the preceding claims, wherein the at most one optical imaging sensor (122) is an RGB-infrared optical imaging sensor.
  6. 6. The optical imaging system (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the infrared filter (126) has an opening (128) arranged along an optical axis (140) of the optical path (120).
  7. 7. The optical imaging system (100) according to claim 6, wherein the infrared filter (126) is transparent to the first frequency range.
  8. 8. The optical imaging system (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the optical imaging sensor (122) is configured to receive visible light from the sample (110) indicative of the first image and infrared light from the sample (110) indicative of the second image at the same time.
  9. 9. The optical imaging system (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising an apparatus (130) configured to: receive sensor data from at most one optical imaging sensor (122), the sensor data indicative of a first image of a sample (110) based on a first frequency range of visible light; and a second image of the sample (110) based on a second frequency range of infrared light, wherein a depth of field of the second image is greater than a depth of field of the first image; and increase a depth of field of the first image based on the depth of field of the second image.
  10. 10. An apparatus (130) for an optical imaging system (100), comprising one or more processors (134) and one or more storage devices (136), wherein the apparatus (130) is configured to: receive sensor data from at most one optical imaging sensor (122), the sensor data indicative of: a first image of a sample (110) based on a first frequency range of visible light; and a second image of the sample (110) based on a second frequency range of infrared light, wherein a depth of field of the second image is greater than a depth of field of the first image; and increase a depth of field of the first image based on the depth of field of the second image.
  11. 11. A method (400) for an optical imaging system, comprising: receiving (410) a first image of a sample based on a first frequency range of visible light; receiving (420) a second image of the sample based on a second frequency range of infrared light, wherein a depth of field of the second image is greater than the depth of field of the first image; and increasing (430) a depth of field of the first image based on the depth of field of the second image.
  12. 12. A computer program with a program code for performing the method according to claim 11 when the computer program is executed on a processor.

Description

Optical Imaging System, Apparatus for an Optical Imaging System, Method and Computer Program Technical field Examples relate to an optical imaging system, such as surgical optical imaging system, and an apparatus for an optical imaging system, a method, and a computer program. Background In a multi-sensor microscope, multiple sensors or cameras are used to simultaneously capture images at different focal planes. Each sensor is positioned at a specific focal distance within the system. By capturing images at various focal planes, the microscope can obtain information from different depths in the sample, effectively extending the depth of field (DOF). The captured images from each sensor can then be combined using software algorithms to create a final composite image that exhibits an extended DOF. This technique allows for greater clarity and detail throughout the sample, even in regions that would normally appear out of focus in a single image. However, the use of multiple sensors or cameras is costly and resource intensive. Alternatively, wave-front coding and color-coding optical element on the aperture are usually used on single sensor camera system by implementing diffraction or color cutting filter on the aperture plane, respectively. Wave-front coding requires a complete camera model and calculates the diffraction parameters of the optical element. However, the parameters from the model are not accurate since the error accumulation in the real world is hard to model. This leads to the inaccurate design of the optical element which will cause more artifact in postprocessing. Color coding allows different color of light to pass different size of aperture. However, the total amount of light is reduced when passing color coded optical elements which reduces the image quality. Thus, there may be a desire for an improved concept for improving a DOF of an optical imaging system. Summary This desire is addressed by the subject-matter of the independent claims. The concept proposed in the present disclosure is based on the insight, that a DOF of a first image can be increased based on a DOF of a second image utilizing at most one optical imaging sensor and an infrared filter to provide two different apertures for a microscope. The different apertures may be provided for different wavelengths captured by the at most one optical imaging sensor. In this way, image acquisition with different DOF for different wavelengths can be achieved. By combining images acquired with different DOF, a DOF for a desired wavelength can be increased. Examples provide an optical imaging system comprising a microscope. The microscope comprises at most one optical imaging sensor configured to acquire a first image of a sample based on a first frequency range of visible light and a second image of the sample based on a second frequency range of infrared light. Further, the microscope comprises a first optical element arranged along an optical path of the microscope for collimating a beam of light. The microscope further comprises a second optical element arranged along the optical path of the microscope defining the first aperture of the microscope for the first frequency range of visible light. Further, the microscope comprises an infrared filter arranged along the optical path of the microscope defining a second aperture of the microscope for the second frequency range of infrared light. The first aperture is different from the second aperture. The infrared filter may be arranged between the first optical element and the second optical element. For example, the infrared filter may be arranged in an area of the optical path, in which the beam of light is collimated. The infrared filter may be opaque to infrared light and transparent to visible light. Thus, by using the infrared filter the aperture of the microscope for infrared light can be set to a different value than the aperture of the microscope for visible light. In this way, images with different DOF can be acquired. By combining the acquired images with different DOFs, DOF of a desired wavelength, e.g., visible light, can be increased. In an example, the first aperture may be greater than the second aperture. When the second aperture is smaller, a DOF of the image acquired with infrared light may be increased. Thus, the information about the image received from the increased DOF of the infrared light can be used to post process an image acquired using visible light. The post processing may increase a DOF of the image acquired with visible light. In an example, the first aperture may be at least 200% greater than the second aperture. In this way, a desired relationship between the DOF of infrared light and visible light can be set. In an example, a DOF of the first image may be lower than a DOF of the second image. Thus, the second image can be used to increase the DOF of the first image. In an example, the at most one optical imaging sensor may be an RGB infrared optical i