EP-4740844-A1 - MEDICAL LIGHT SOURCE DEVICE, MEDICAL IMAGING SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR OPERATING A MEDICAL LIGHT SOURCE DEVICE AND/OR A MEDICAL IMAGING SYSTEM

Abstract

The present invention relates to a medical light source device (10) comprising a lighting element (12) configured to generate light with an output light spectrum (92) and a conversion element (16) configured to convert the light with the output light spectrum (92) at least partially into light with a second light spectrum (18) such that illumination light can be provided simultaneously with light with a first light spectrum (14) and with the second light spectrum (18), wherein the first light spectrum (14) corresponds spectrally to the output light spectrum (92), wherein the first light spectrum (14) lies at least partially in a shorter wavelength range than the second light spectrum (18), wherein the first light spectrum (14) overlaps the second light spectrum (18) by at most 50%, wherein the first light spectrum (14) has a smaller bandwidth (20) compared to the second light spectrum (18), and wherein the first light spectrum (14) and the second light spectrum can be used to determine the (18) at least one physiological parameter can be determined.

Inventors

• Buschle, Lukas

Assignees

• Karl Storz SE & Co. KG

Dates

Publication Date

20260513

Application Date

20251103

Claims (18)

1. Medical light source device (10), comprising: - a lighting device (12) which is designed to produce light with an output light spectrum (92), and - a conversion element (16) which is configured to convert the light with the initial light spectrum (92) at least partially into light with a second light spectrum (18) in such a way that illumination light can be provided simultaneously with light with a first light spectrum (14) and with the second light spectrum (18), where the first light spectrum (14) corresponds spectrally to the initial light spectrum (92), wherein the first light spectrum (14) lies at least partially in a shorter wavelength range than the second light spectrum (18), where the first light spectrum (14) overlaps the second light spectrum (18) by at most 50%, wherein the first light spectrum (14) has a smaller bandwidth (20) compared to the second light spectrum (18), and where at least one physiological parameter can be determined from the first light spectrum (14) and the second light spectrum (18).
2. Medical light source device (10) according to claim 1, wherein the lighting device (12) is configured to produce red light and the conversion element (16) is configured to convert red light into near-infrared light.
3. Medical light source device (10) according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: - a band-stop filter (22) for blocking light in a spectral band (24) which is spectrally between principal wavelength ranges (26) of the first light spectrum (14) and the second light spectrum (18).
4. Medical light source device (10) according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising: - an adjustment element (28) which is configured to adjust an intensity (30) of the light with the first light spectrum (14) and an intensity (32) of the light with the second light spectrum (18).
5. Medical light source device (10) according to claim 4, wherein the matching element (28) is formed by the conversion element (16), and wherein a transmission of the conversion element (16) is selected such that the intensity (30) of the light with the first light spectrum (14) and the intensity (32) of the light with the second light spectrum (18) can be provided in an adapted manner.
6. Medical light source device (10) according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising: - another illuminating element (34) and another conversion element (36), which have different spectral properties than the illuminating element (12) and the conversion element (16).
7. Medical light source device (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the conversion element (16) is configured to convert the light with the initial light spectrum (92) into the light with the second light spectrum (18) with a time delay.
8. Medical imaging system (38), in particular endoscopic, microscopic and/or exoscopic imaging system, comprising: - a medical light source device (10) according to one of the preceding claims, which is configured to provide illumination light for illuminating an object area, and - an image acquisition device (40) which is configured to image the object area and to generate image data of the object area, wherein the image data includes spatial and spectral information relating to a reflection of the object area as a result of illumination with light with the first light spectrum (14) and the second light spectrum (18).
9. Medical imaging system (38) according to claim 8, where the image data can be generated in a light spectrum-specific manner for the first light spectrum (14) and the second light spectrum (18).
10. Medical imaging system (38) according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the image acquisition device (40) comprises two image acquisition sensors (42) which are light-sensitive in different wavelength ranges.
11. Medical imaging system (38) according to claim 9, wherein the image acquisition device (40) comprises an image acquisition sensor (42) which is configured to acquire the image data for the first light spectrum (14) and the second light spectrum (18).
12. Medical imaging system (38) according to claim 11, wherein the image acquisition sensor (42) comprises a color filter array (44) which includes segments (46) which have different light transmittances in different wavelength ranges of visible light, wherein the segments (46) have at least approximately the same light transmittance in at least one near-infrared wavelength range.
13. Medical imaging system (38) according to one of claims 8 to 12, wherein the image acquisition device (40) comprises an optical filter (48) configured to block light with the first light spectrum (14).
14. Medical imaging system (38) according to any one of claims 8 to 13, further comprising: - an evaluation unit (50) which is set up to determine the physiological parameter according to the spatial and spectral information.
15. Medical imaging system (38) according to claim 14, wherein the evaluation unit (50) is set up to compare at least two different intensity values relating to the first light spectrum (14) and the second light spectrum (18) in order to determine the physiological parameter.
16. Medical imaging system (38) according to claim 14 or 15, wherein the evaluation unit (50) is set up to determine the physiological parameter on the basis of at least two different spectral reference points (52, 54), wherein a first spectral reference point (52) is in the region of a first intensity maximum (56) of the first light spectrum (14) and a second spectral reference point (54) is in the region of a second intensity maximum (58) of the second light spectrum (18).
17. Medical imaging system (38) at least according to one of claims 8 to 16, further comprising: - an endoscope shaft (60) with a proximal section (62) and a distal section (64), wherein the light source device (10) is arranged in the distal section (64).
18. Method for operating a medical light source device (10), in particular according to one of claims 1 to 7, and/or a medical imaging system, in particular according to one of claims 8 to 17, comprising the following steps: - Generating light with an output light spectrum (92); and - Converting the light with the initial light spectrum (92) at least partially into light with a second light spectrum (18) such that illumination light can be provided simultaneously with light with a first light spectrum (14) and with the second light spectrum (18), where the first light spectrum (14) corresponds spectrally to the initial light spectrum (92), wherein the first light spectrum (14) lies at least partially in a shorter wavelength range than the second light spectrum (18), where the first light spectrum (14) overlaps the second light spectrum (18) by at most 50%, wherein the first light spectrum (14) has a smaller bandwidth (20) compared to the second light spectrum (18), and where at least one physiological parameter can be determined from the first light spectrum (14) and the second light spectrum (18).

Description

The present application relates to a medical light source device, a medical imaging system and a method for operating a medical light source device and/or a medical imaging system. Devices and methods for multispectral imaging are known in the art. Multispectral imaging exploits the fact that an object can have wavelength-dependent optical properties. To visualize these properties, the object is illuminated with light in different wavelength ranges in so-called light-source-side multispectral imaging. This allows specific images of the object to be acquired for each wavelength range, and wavelength-specific image information to be generated and analyzed. Subsequently, parameters can be calculated that can be used to assess changes or the state of the object. Multispectral imaging is gaining increasing importance, particularly in the medical field, as it allows for the efficient determination of tissue oxygenation or the presence of a tumor, for example. In light-source-side multispectral imaging, current technology requires several illumination sources, each providing light with a different spectrum. The wavelength ranges of these spectra are shifted relative to each other. For example, a red and a green illumination source can be used, their emitted light being directed onto a common path. For multispectral imaging, the two illumination sources are then activated sequentially, and an image of the object is acquired with each. A white light illumination source is also typically included so that white light images can be acquired in addition to multispectral images. As described, the light source setup requires the use of multiple lighting devices, which leads to a number of challenges. Firstly, the number of medical devices in an operating room is increasing rapidly with technological advancements. Consequently, the space required for these medical devices is constantly growing. On the other hand, the use of multiple lighting devices requires careful coordination and calibration of the spatial distribution of the emitted light to ensure uniform and precise illumination. To ensure proper lighting, this calibration is technically demanding and time-consuming, which increases production costs and can affect the reliability of the systems. Furthermore, the thermal management of a light source device for multispectral imaging is complex and presents significant design challenges. Typically, the individual light sources are mounted on their own cooling devices, such as heat sinks, to ensure thermally stable operation within a narrow operating window. Within this window, the light source emits light at a predetermined, calibrated intensity, thereby achieving the desired illumination levels and subsequently enabling reproducible multispectral images. Since the individual light sources can thermally influence each other, their arrangement must be carefully considered. This arrangement becomes disproportionately more complex with each additional light source. Another aspect concerns endoscopes with distally mounted image sensors and illumination devices. Such image sensors and illumination devices are common in flexible and stereo endoscopes. In these types of endoscopes, the available space within the shaft is limited, making the integration of additional elements a design challenge. Based on the prior art, the invention can be based on the objective of efficiently providing illumination light for multispectral imaging. The object is achieved according to the invention by a medical light source device, a medical imaging system and a method for operating a medical light source device and/or a medical imaging system as described herein and defined in the claims. The present invention provides for a medical light source device. This device comprises a lighting element configured to generate light with an output light spectrum. Furthermore, the light source device includes a conversion element configured to convert the light with the output light spectrum, at least partially, into light with a second light spectrum such that illumination light can be provided simultaneously with light with a first light spectrum and the second light spectrum, particularly in at least one operating state. The first light spectrum corresponds spectrally to the output light spectrum. The first light spectrum lies, at least partially, in a shorter wavelength range than the second light spectrum. In addition, the first light spectrum overlaps the The second light spectrum is at most 50%. Furthermore, the first light spectrum has a narrower bandwidth compared to the second. At least one physiological parameter can be determined from the first and second light spectra. The invention further provides for a medical imaging system, in particular an endoscopic, microscopic, and/or exoscopic imaging system. The imaging system comprises a medical light source device according to the invention, which is configured to provide illumination light for