EP-4736734-A1 - MEDICAL OBSERVATION SYSTEM, FILTER, AND OPTICAL VIEWING TUBE

EP4736734A1EP 4736734 A1EP4736734 A1EP 4736734A1EP-4736734-A1

Abstract

A medical observation system 1 includes: a light source device 3 configured to emit first light; an imaging element 513 configured to image second light, the second light being return light of the first light from an observation target OB to which the first light has been applied; and a filter 11 disposed on an observation optical path P0 including: a first optical path P1 through which the first light propagates from the light source device 3 to the observation target OB; and a second optical path P2 through which the second light propagates from the observation target OB to the imaging element 513, and configured to partially, substantially, or completely inhibit unnecessary light containing auto-fluorescent light generated from a member forming the observation optical path P0 by at least one of the first light and the second light.

Inventors

IWANE, TETSUAKI
DEGUCHI, TATSUYA
YAMAMOTO, TAKAHIRO

Assignees

Sony Olympus Medical Solutions Inc.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260506
Application Date: 20240626

Claims (17)

A medical observation system comprising: a light source device configured to emit first light; an imaging element configured to image second light, the second light being return light of the first light from an observation target to which the first light has been applied; and a filter disposed on an observation optical path including: a first optical path through which the first light propagates from the light source device to the observation target; and a second optical path through which the second light propagates from the observation target to the imaging element, and configured to partially, substantially, or completely inhibit unnecessary light containing auto-fluorescent light generated from a member forming the observation optical path by at least one of the first light and the second light.
The medical observation system according to claim 1, wherein the filter is disposed on the first optical path, and configured to partially, substantially, or completely inhibit light other than the first light emitted from the light source device.
The medical observation system according to claim 2, further comprising: an optical visual tube including a part of the first optical path and a part of the second optical path, configured to apply the first light to the observation target and capture the second light; and a light guide including a part of the first optical path and configured to propagate the first light emitted from the light source device to the optical visual tube, wherein the filter is disposed at an emission end of the first light in the light source device, an emission end of the first light in the light guide, or an emission end of the first light in the optical visual tube.
The medical observation system according to claim 1, wherein the filter is disposed on the second optical path, and configured to partially, substantially, or completely inhibit light other than observation target light contained in the second light.
The medical observation system according to claim 4, wherein the filter is disposed at a position where the second light is substantially parallel light on the second optical path.
The medical observation system according to claim 4, further comprising: an optical visual tube including a part of the first optical path and a part of the second optical path, configured to apply the first light to the observation target and capture the second light; and a camera head including a part of the second optical path and configured to capture the second light emitted from an eyepiece portion of the optical visual tube, the camera head including the imaging element, wherein the filter is disposed at an incident end of the second light in the optical visual tube, an incident end of the second light in the camera head, or an imaging surface of the imaging element.
The medical observation system according to claim 1, wherein the filter is configured to make an S/N ratio of a signal value of observation target light in a pixel signal obtained by imaging of the imaging element more than 1 by partially, substantially, or completely inhibiting unnecessary light containing the auto-fluorescent light.
The medical observation system according to claim 1, wherein the first light contains excitation light that excites a substance contained in the observation target, and the second light contains observation target light, which is fluorescent light emitted from the substance contained in the observation target by applying the excitation light.
The medical observation system according to claim 1, wherein the filter is detachable from a member constituting the observation optical path.
The medical observation system according to claim 1, further comprising: an optical visual tube including a part of the first optical path and a part of the second optical path, configured to apply the first light to the observation target and capture the second light; and a camera head including a part of the second optical path and configured to capture the second light emitted from an eyepiece portion of the optical visual tube, the camera head including the imaging element, wherein the filter is disposed between the eyepiece portion of the optical visual tube and the camera head on the second optical path.
The medical observation system according to claim 1, further comprising: an optical visual tube including a part of the first optical path and a part of the second optical path, configured to apply the first light to the observation target and capture the second light; and a light guide including a part of the first optical path and configured to propagate the first light emitted from the light source device to the optical visual tube, wherein the filter is disposed between the optical visual tube and the light guide on the first optical path.
The medical observation system according to claim 1, further comprising: an optical visual tube including a part of the first optical path and a part of the second optical path, configured to apply the first light to the observation target and capture the second light; wherein the filter is disposed at an emission end that applies the first light in the optical visual tube to the observation target on the first optical path.
The medical observation system according to claim 1, further comprising: an optical visual tube including a part of the first optical path and a part of the second optical path, configured to apply the first light to the observation target and capture the second light; a light guide including a part of the first optical path and configured to propagate the first light emitted from the light source device to the optical visual tube; and a camera head including a part of the second optical path and configured to capture the second light emitted from an eyepiece portion of the optical visual tube, the camera head including the imaging element, wherein the filter includes: a first filter disposed between the eyepiece portion of the optical visual tube and the camera head on the second optical path; and a second filter disposed between the optical visual tube and the light guide on the first optical path or at an emission end that applies the first light in the optical visual tube to the observation target.
The medical observation system according to claim 1, wherein the light source device includes a first light source configured to emit the first light, and one or a plurality of first light sources is provided.
The medical observation system according to claim 1, wherein the light source device includes a first light source configured to emit the first light, and the first light source includes an LED or a semiconductor laser.
A filter disposed on an observation optical path including: a first optical path through which first light propagates from a light source device configured to emit the first light to an observation target; and a second optical path through which second light propagates, the second light being return light of the first light from the observation target to which the first light has been applied, and configured to partially, substantially, or completely inhibit unnecessary light containing auto-fluorescent light generated from a member forming the observation optical path by at least one of the first light and the second light.
An optical visual tube for applying first light to an observation target and capturing second light, the second light being return light of the first light from the observation target to which the first light has been applied, comprising: a part of a first optical path through which the first light propagates from a light source device configured to emit the first light to the observation target; a part of a second optical path through which the second light propagates; and a filter configured to partially, substantially, or completely inhibit unnecessary light containing auto-fluorescent light generated from a member forming an observation optical path including the first optical path and the second optical path by at least one of the first light and the second light.

Description

Field The present disclosure relates to a medical observation system, a filter, and an optical visual tube. Background A medical observation system has been known in which first light is applied to an observation target (subject such as human) and fluorescent light emitted from a substance contained in the observation target (hereinafter, referred to as observation target fluorescent light) by applying the excitation light is observed (e.g., see Patent Literature 1). The first light contains excitation light, which is narrowband light emitted from a light source device, and visible light such as white light, which is broadband light. According to such fluorescent light observation, a tissue state difficult to be recognized with white light can be grasped via observation target fluorescent light. Therefore, fluorescent light observation can be used for various purposes and applications such as identification of a lesion portion. Citation List Patent Literature Patent Literature 1: JP 2021-132695 A Summary Technical Problem Incidentally, a medical observation system includes an observation optical path including a first optical path and a second optical path. First light propagates through the first optical path from a light source device to an observation target. Second light propagates through the second optical path. The second light is return light (including observation target fluorescent light) of the first light from the observation target to which the first light has been applied. Then, auto-fluorescent light is generated from a member forming the observation optical path by applying the first and second beams of light to the member at the time when the first and second beams of light propagate through the observation optical path. Such auto-fluorescent light has a wavelength band including the wavelength band of the observation target fluorescent light, which is a target of fluorescent light observation, and serves as noise in observing fluorescent light. Thus, there is a demand for a technique that enables good fluorescent light observation. The present disclosure has been made in view of the above, and an object thereof is to provide a medical observation system, a filter, and an optical visual tube which enable good fluorescent light observation Solution to Problem To solve the above-described problem and achieve the object, a medical observation system according to the present disclosure includes: a light source device configured to emit first light; an imaging element configured to image second light, the second light being return light of the first light from an observation target to which the first light has been applied; and a filter disposed on an observation optical path including: a first optical path through which the first light propagates from the light source device to the observation target; and a second optical path through which the second light propagates from the observation target to the imaging element, and configured to partially, substantially, or completely inhibit unnecessary light containing auto-fluorescent light generated from a member forming the observation optical path by at least one of the first light and the second light. Moreover, a filter according to the present disclosure is disposed on an observation optical path, the observation optical path including: a first optical path through which first light propagates from a light source device configured to emit the first light to an observation target; and a second optical path through which second light propagates, the second light being return light of the first light from the observation target to which the first light has been applied, and configured to partially, substantially, or completely inhibit unnecessary light containing auto-fluorescent light generated from a member forming the observation optical path by at least one of the first light and the second light. Moreover, an optical visual tube according to the present disclosure applies first light to an observation target and capturing second light, the second light being return light of the first light from the observation target to which the first light has been applied, and includes: a part of a first optical path through which the first light propagates from a light source device configured to emit the first light to the observation target; a part of a second optical path through which the second light propagates; and a filter configured to partially, substantially, or completely inhibit unnecessary light containing auto-fluorescent light generated from a member forming an observation optical path including the first optical path and the second optical path by at least one of the first light and the second light. Advantageous Effects of Invention The medical observation system, the filter, and the optical visual tube according to the present disclosure enables good fluorescent light observation. Brief Description of Drawings FIG. 1 illustrates a config