Abstract: A method for fluorescent imaging of a subject, the method having the steps of: placing an illuminator in a surgical area of a subject, the illuminator having an emission band substantially similar to an fluorescence imaging agent; administering the fluorescence imaging agent to the subject; acquiring a plurality of images of the surgical area of the subject showing fluorescence intensity over a predetermined time period; and analyzing the plurality of images to determine changes in sensed fluorescence from the fluorescence imaging agent; wherein an exposure gain is applied to the images based on changes in detected intensity of the fluorescence from the illuminator.

Abstract: An endoscopic camera device having an optical assembly; a first image sensor in optical communication with the optical assembly, the first image sensor receiving a first exposure and transmitting a first low dynamic range image; a second image sensor in optical communication with the optical assembly, the second image sensor receiving a second exposure and transmitting a second low dynamic range image, the second exposure being higher than the first exposure; and a processor for receiving the first low dynamic range image and the second low dynamic range image; wherein the processor is configured to combine the first low dynamic range image and the second dynamic range image into a high dynamic range image using a luminosity value derived as a preselected percentage of a cumulative luminosity distribution of at least one of the first low dynamic range image and the second low dynamic range image.

Abstract: An endoscopic camera device having an optical assembly; a first image sensor in optical communication with the optical assembly, the first image sensor receiving a first exposure and transmitting a first low dynamic range image; a second image sensor in optical communication with the optical assembly, the second image sensor receiving a second exposure and transmitting a second low dynamic range image, the second exposure being higher than the first exposure; and a processor for receiving the first low dynamic range image and the second low dynamic range image; wherein the processor is configured to combine the first low dynamic range image and the second dynamic range image into a high dynamic range image using a luminosity value derived as a preselected percentage of a cumulative luminosity distribution of at least one of the first low dynamic range image and the second low dynamic range image.

Abstract: Improved exposure control processes, devices, and systems are provided for wide angle lens imaging systems that suffer from image distortion. The exposure control uses a model of the wide angle lens distortion that estimates the weights that respective pixels of the image would have when producing an undistorted version of the image signal, and then scales pixel intensity values by the respective weights to produce weighted pixel values. The weighted pixel values are provided to an exposure control pixel counting process to produce one or more exposure feedback control signals, which control exposure features of the imaging system.

Abstract: Improved exposure control processes, devices, and systems are provided for wide angle lens imaging systems that suffer from image distortion. The exposure control uses a model of the wide angle lens distortion that estimates the weights that respective pixels of the image would have when producing an undistorted version of the image signal, and then scales pixel intensity values by the respective weights to produce weighted pixel values. The weighted pixel values are provided to an exposure control pixel counting process to produce one or more exposure feedback control signals, which control exposure features of the imaging system.

Abstract: A method of producing a digital video with reduced motion blur or increased brightness, including capturing a digital video using an exposure time that reduces image blur; selecting a first series of sequential images from the digital video capture; combining pixel values of said images to produce a first intermediate image that is brighter than each of the selected sequential images; choosing and processing a reference image to create a second intermediate image that is less blurry than the first intermediate image; identifying moving regions among the selected sequential images; replacing pixel values of moving regions in the first intermediate image with corresponding pixel values from the second intermediate image to produce a first digital video image having reduced motion blur or increased brightness; and repeating these steps for a second series of sequential images that includes at least one image from the first series of sequential images.

Abstract: A method for producing a high-dynamic-range image, comprising receiving a low-resolution image of the scene having a first resolution and captured at a first exposure level; receiving a high-resolution image of a scene having a second resolution and captured at a second exposure level different from the first exposure level, the second resolution being greater than the first resolution; forming a representative low-resolution image from the high-resolution image; forming a residual image corresponding to differences between the high-resolution image and the representative low-resolution image; forming a low-resolution high-dynamic range image by combining the low-resolution image and the representative low-resolution image; producing the high-dynamic-range image by combining the low-resolution high dynamic range image and the residual image; and storing the high-dynamic-range image in a processor accessible memory.

Abstract: A method for producing a high-dynamic-range image, comprising: receiving a low-resolution image of a scene having a first resolution and captured at a first exposure level; receiving a first high-resolution image of the scene having a second resolution and captured at a second exposure level different from the first exposure level, the second resolution being greater than the first resolution; forming a residual image corresponding to high spatial frequency content in the first high-resolution image; forming a second high-resolution image having the second resolution and the first exposure level by combining the low-resolution image and the residual image; producing the high-dynamic-range image by combining the first high-resolution image and the second high-resolution image; and storing the high-dynamic-range image in a processor accessible memory.

Abstract: A method for reducing noise in an image captured using a digital image sensor having pixels being arranged in a rectangular minimal repeating unit, comprising: computing first weighted pixel differences by combining first pixel differences between the pixel value of a central pixel and pixel values for nearby pixels of the first channel in a plurality of directions with corresponding local edge-responsive weighting values; computing second weighted pixel differences by combining second pixel differences between pixel values for pixels of at least one different channel in the plurality of directions with corresponding local edge-responsive weighting values; and computing a noise-reduced pixel value for the central pixel by combining the first and second weighted pixel differences with the pixel value for the central pixel.

Abstract: A method for reducing noise in a color image captured using a digital image sensor having pixels being arranged in a rectangular minimal repeating unit. The method comprises, for a first color channel, determining noise reduced-pixel values using a first noise reducing process that includes computing weighted pixel differences by combining the pixel differences with corresponding local edge-responsive weighting values. The method further comprises a second noise reducing process that includes computing weighted chroma differences by combining chroma differences with corresponding local edge-responsive weighting values.

Abstract: A method includes providing a first image having sparsely sampled panchromatic pixels and color pixels corresponding to at least two color photoresponses. The method also includes interpolating the panchromatic pixels to provide a full-resolution panchromatic image. A noise-reduced value for a particular color pixel in the first image is provided by: selecting a neighborhood of color pixels surrounding a particular color pixel, selecting a neighborhood of panchromatic pixels from the full resolution panchromatic image, and using the values from the selected neighborhoods of color and panchromatic pixels to provide the noise reduced value for the particular color pixel.

Abstract: A method for producing a high-dynamic-range image, comprising: receiving a low-resolution image of a scene having a first resolution and captured at a first exposure level; receiving a first high-resolution image of the scene having a second resolution and captured at a second exposure level different from the first exposure level, the second resolution being greater than the first resolution; forming a residual image corresponding to high spatial frequency content in the first high-resolution image; forming a second high-resolution image having the second resolution and the first exposure level by combining the low-resolution image and the residual image; producing the high-dynamic-range image by combining the first high-resolution image and the second high-resolution image; and storing the high-dynamic-range image in a processor accessible memory.

Abstract: A method for producing a high-dynamic-range image, comprising receiving a low-resolution image of the scene having a first resolution and captured at a first exposure level; receiving a high-resolution image of a scene having a second resolution and captured at a second exposure level different from the first exposure level, the second resolution being greater than the first resolution; forming a representative low-resolution image from the high-resolution image; forming a residual image corresponding to differences between the high-resolution image and the representative low-resolution image; forming a low-resolution high-dynamic range image by combining the low-resolution image and the representative low-resolution image; producing the high-dynamic-range image by combining the low-resolution high dynamic range image and the residual image; and storing the high-dynamic-range image in a processor accessible memory.

Abstract: A method for reducing noise in a color image captured using a digital image sensor having pixels being arranged in a rectangular minimal repeating unit. The method comprises, for a first color channel, determining noise reduced-pixel values using a first noise reducing process that includes computing weighted pixel differences by combining the pixel differences with corresponding local edge-responsive weighting values. The method further comprises a second noise reducing process that includes computing weighted chroma differences by combining chroma differences with corresponding local edge-responsive weighting values.

Abstract: A method for reducing noise in an image captured using a digital image sensor having pixels being arranged in a rectangular minimal repeating unit, comprising: computing first weighted pixel differences by combining first pixel differences between the pixel value of a central pixel and pixel values for nearby pixels of the first channel in a plurality of directions with corresponding local edge-responsive weighting values; computing second weighted pixel differences by combining second pixel differences between pixel values for pixels of at least one different channel in the plurality of directions with corresponding local edge-responsive weighting values; and computing a noise-reduced pixel value for the central pixel by combining the first and second weighted pixel differences with the pixel value for the central pixel.

Abstract: A method of producing a digital video with reduced motion blur or increased brightness, including capturing a digital video using an exposure time that reduces image blur; selecting a first series of sequential images from the digital video capture; combining pixel values of said images to produce a first intermediate image that is brighter than each of the selected sequential images; choosing and processing a reference image to create a second intermediate image that is less blurry than the first intermediate image; identifying moving regions among the selected sequential images; replacing pixel values of moving regions in the first intermediate image with corresponding pixel values from the second intermediate image to produce a first digital video image having reduced motion blur or increased brightness; and repeating these steps for a second series of sequential images that includes at least one image from the first series of sequential images.

Abstract: A method for producing a noise-reduced digital color image, includes providing an image having panchromatic pixels and color pixels corresponding to at least two color photoresponses; providing from the image a panchromatic image and at least one color image; and using the panchromatic image and the color image to produce the noise-reduced digital color image by setting a plurality of color characteristics equal to the corresponding panchromatic characteristics at each color pixel location.

Abstract: A method for producing a noise-reduced digital color image, includes providing an image having panchromatic pixels and color pixels corresponding to at least two color photoresponses; providing from the image a panchromatic image and at least one color image; and using the panchromatic image and the color image to produce the noise-reduced digital color image by setting a plurality of color characteristics equal to the corresponding panchromatic characteristics at each color pixel location.

Abstract: A multipurpose hemofiltration system and method are disclosed for the removal of fluid and/or soluble waste from the blood of a patient. The system continuously monitors the flow rates of drained fluid, blood, and infusate. When necessary, the pumping rates of the infusate, drained fluid and blood are adjusted to remove a preselected amount of fluid from the blood in a preselected time period. A supervisory controller can monitor patient parameters, such as heart rate and blood pressure, and adjust the pumping rates accordingly. The supervisory controller uses fuzzy logic to make expert decisions, based upon a set of supervisory rules, to control each pumping rate to achieve a desired flow rate and to respond to fault conditions. An adaptive controller corrects temporal variations in the flow rate based upon an adaptive law and a control law.

Abstract: A method of producing a digital image with extended dynamic range, includes capturing at least a first full resolution digital image of a scene; combining pixels of a first full resolution digital image to produce a lower resolution digital image identifying dark regions in a first full resolution digital image and replacing the dark regions in the full resolution image with corresponding regions from the brighter, lower resolution image to thereby provide a digital image with extended dynamic range.