Abstract: The invention relates to an arm (1) adapted to be attached to a microscope (10), in particular a surgical microscope (10), wherein the arm (1) comprises at a distal end (21) a light beam deflection member (3) or a camera. An inventive microscope (10) comprises an arm (1).

Abstract: The invention relates to an image processing method and a medical observation device (1) such as a microscope (2) or endoscope. The device and method are used for displaying output image data (54) of soft biological tissue (12). In image-guided surgery, pre-operative three-dimensional image data (6) of the soft biological tissue (12) are elastically matched to interoperative image data (14) which are acquired during surgery. By displaying the elastically matched pre-operative three-dimensional image data (6) together with the interoperative image data (14), the surgeon may be made aware of the consistence of the soft biological tissue (12) below the visible surface layer. Existing systems for image-guided surgery need to be manually readjusted if surgery is done on soft biological tissue (12), which may deform and shift.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method, in particular a fluorescence microscopy or endoscope imaging method for intensity normalization, a non-transient computer readable storage medium (101) and a controller (51) for an endoscope (3) or microscope device (5). In the prior art, common observation devices (1) as surgical microscopes, endoscopes (3) or microscopes (5) have the disadvantage that it is ambiguous whether a detected intensity (97) is due to fluorophore (29) concentration or due to optics setting parameters (73). The inventive method overcomes said disadvantages by automatically adjusting at least one exposure control parameter (83) if at least one optics setting parameter (73) is changed.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus (1) and method for automatically determining the blood flow direction (42) in a blood vessel (14) using the fluorescence light from a fluorophore (16). Blood flow direction (42) is determined by first identifying a blood vessel structure (38) in an input frame (6) from a camera assembly (2) using a pattern recognition module (26). Blood flow direction (42) is determined from the spatial gradient (dI/dx) of the fluorescence intensity (I) along the identified blood vessel structure (38) and the temporal gradient (dI/dt). An output frame (48) is displayed on a display (36) with time-varying marker data (52) overlaid on the identified blood vessels structure (38) and representative of the blood flow direction (42).

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for observing an object (33) using a medical observation apparatus (1), such as a microscope (3), a non-transient computer readable storage medium (95) and a medical observation apparatus (1). Solutions of the art are expensive, bulky and prevents further usage of a microscope (3) is e.g. a robotic arm has a malfunction. The inventive method and medical observation apparatus (1) solves those problems by directing an optical assembly (7) to an object (33) located in a field of view (31), and by keeping the object (33) in focus when the optical assembly (7) is manually shifted, essentially perpendicularly to a viewing axis (17) of the optical assembly (7). The inventive apparatus (1) comprises an optical assembly (7) providing an optical viewing axis (17) and a lens adjustment assembly (29) which is configured to direct the optical assembly (7) to the object (33) in dependence on position data (65).

Abstract: An imaging device includes (a) a light source device arranged to illuminate a sample under investigation with illumination light, (b) a detector device arranged to collect a plurality of images including at least one sample light image backscattered by the sample, and at least one marker light image originating from at least one marker substance in the sample, and (c) a processor device adapted to process the at least one sample light image.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus (1) for tracking a movable target (3), in particular tissue (5), the apparatus (1) comprising at least one applicator (7) for marking the target (3) with at least one type of markers (11), and at least one tracking system (9) which is adapted for monitoring at least the at least one type of markers (11). In order to provide an apparatus and a method for tracking a movable target (3), in particular tissue (5) which improve the reliability of the target tracking and which reduce the risk of damaging a target, it is intended according to the invention that the at least one applicator (7) is adapted for generating a randomly distributed pattern (13) of markers (11) on the target (3).

Abstract: The invention relates to an illumination system (10) for a fluorescence microscope (3) for observation of an object (17) containing at least one fluorophore (19), to a microscope (1) and to a microscope method for illumination of an object (17) comprising at least one fluorophore (19). Solutions of the art have the disadvantage that orientation within an object (17) is difficult and visibility of fluorescing regions of the object (17) is non satisfying.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method, an image processor (26) and a medical observation device (1), such as a microscope or endoscope, for observing an object (4) containing a bolus of at least one fluorophore (12). The object (4) is preferably live tissue comprising several types (16, 18, 20) of tissue. According to the method, a set (34) of component signals (36) is provided. Each component signal (36) represents a fluorescence intensity development of the fluorophore (12) over time in a different type of tissue. A time series (8) of input frames (10) is accessed, one input frame (10) after the other. The input frames (10) represent electronically coded still images of the object (4) at subsequent time. Each input frame (10) contains at least one observation area (22) comprising at least one pixel (23).

Abstract: The invention relates to an iris device (1) for optical imaging systems (71), comprising an aperture arrangement (5) and to a medical imaging system (72) comprising a sensor (15), in particular a camera (15a). Conventional iris devices (1) known from the art unavoidably suffer a necessary trade-off between the depth of field and the amount of light transmitted through the optical system (71), i.e. in particular the amount of light incident on the sensor (15). This disadvantage results from the fact that iris devices (Wo one) of the art transmit or reject light in the same way for all wavelengths (43), i.e. show a spectrally flat transmission property.

Abstract: The invention relates to an illumination filter (36, 44) for an illumination filter system (2) for medical imaging, in particular multispectral fluorescence imaging, as performed e.g. in a microscope (1) or endoscope, in particular a multispectral fluorescence microscope. The present invention provides an illumination filter for medical imaging, in particular a multispectral fluorescence imaging, that is capable of capturing simultaneously more than one fluorescence signal, and allow a homogeneous illumination for obtaining different images from the object illuminated by comprising a spatial filter pattern (43) masking a defined filtering fraction of a first illumination path (47) on the filter and masking a defined filtering fraction of a second illumination path (48, 49, 50) on the filter, wherein the filtering fraction of the first and the second illumination paths (47, 48, 49, 50) are different.

Abstract: The invention relates to an optical filter (1) for transmitting light (13) of a pass wavelength (17), comprising at least two optical filter stages (3) arranged along a transmission direction (11), along which the light (13) of the pass wavelength (17) is transmitted through the optical filter (1), wherein each of the at least two optical filter stages (3) comprises at least one entrance polarizing element (5) and at least one constant retarding element (7). The invention further relates to a camera (53) for simultaneously capturing at least two images, wherein each image is limited to light (13) in a limited spectral band (44) and to a multi-spectral imaging system (87) and an illumination system (73) applying the inventive optical filter (1). Solutions of the art have low peak transmission values and may furthermore only provide monochrome images in real time.

Abstract: An imaging device includes (a) a light source device arranged to illuminate a sample under investigation with illumination light, (b) a detector device arranged to collect a plurality of images including at least one sample light image backscattered by the sample, and at least one marker light image originating from at least one marker substance in the sample, and (c) a processor device adapted to process the at least one sample light image.

Abstract: The invention relates to a microscope or endoscope assembly (1), in particular for a surgical microscope such as an ophthalmic microscope. Especially in eye surgery, but also in other application concerning life tissue, specular reflections of the illumination light are unwanted because they may hide important information contained in a diffuse reflection at the same location. In order to suppress such unwanted specular reflection, the microscope or endoscope assembly according to the invention comprises an observation region (4), in which an object (6) to be observed, such as an eye, can be arranged. The assembly further comprises an illumination light path (8) which extends from an illumination light entry region (24), where illumination light enters into the assembly, to the observation region.

Abstract: An imaging device for medical imaging includes a light source device arranged to illuminate a sample under investigation with illumination light, a detector device arranged to collect a plurality of images including at least two sample light images backscattered by the sample in different spectral ranges, and at least one marker light image originating from at least one marker substance in the sample, and a processor device adapted to process the at least two sample light images and create at least one correction component, the processor device further adapted to correct the marker light image using the at least one correction component.

Abstract: The invention relates to an iris device (1) for optical imaging systems (71), comprising an aperture arrangement (5) and to a medical imaging system (72) comprising a sensor (15), in particular a camera (15a). Conventional iris devices (1) known from the art unavoidably suffer a necessary trade-off between the depth of field and the amount of light transmitted through the optical system (71), i.e. in particular the amount of light incident on the sensor (15). This disadvantage results from the fact that iris devices (Wo one) of the art transmit or reject light in the same way for all wavelengths (43), i.e. show a spectrally flat transmission property.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a surgical microscope (1) with a field of view (9) and comprising an optical imaging system (3) which images an inspection area (11) which is at least partially located in the field of view (9), and to a method for a gesture control of a surgical microscope (1) having an optical imaging system (3). Surgical microscopes (1) of the art have the disadvantage that an adjustment of the microscope parameters, for instance the working distance, field of view (9) or illumination mode, requires the surgeon to put down his or her surgical tools, look up from the microscope's eyepiece (5) and perform the adjustment by operating the microscope handles. Also foot switches and mouth switches where proposed, whereas those are not intuitively operated, require training and are less accurate than hand control of the microscope handles. Thus, the surgeon may lose his or her focus, is confronted with inconveniences and delays and bears an increased risk of contamination.

Abstract: An observation apparatus (1) for enhancing the observation of an object (2) includes an output color image projector (8) for projecting a time sequence (31) of output color images (32) onto a projection area (40) on the object (2). The projector (8) has an output spectrum (60) including, at least in the visible-light range, a set of output spectral bands (60). The apparatus (1) further includes a multispectral camera system (4) for capturing a time sequence (21) of input color images (22) from the projection area (40) in at least two input spectral bands (42) different from the output spectral bands (62). The apparatus (1) is configured to derive the output color images (32) from the input color images (22) and project the output color images (32) onto the projection area (40) in real time.

Abstract: A medical imaging apparatus (1) and method for imaging a light-sensitive object (2), such as tissue (3) of the eye (4), displays the object (2) in spectral bands (30) of the visible light range (37) in which the object is sensitive and cannot be illuminated. The apparatus (1) has a camera (8) for capturing input images (10) in which a spectral signature (36) of the object is represented by an input set (15) of spectral bands (16). The apparatus generates output images (22) in which the spectral signature (60) in the visible light range (37) is represented by an output set (29) of spectral bands (30). Replacing at least one input-only spectral band (38) in the input set (15) by at least one output-only spectral band (39) in the output set (29) enables capture of input images (10) in spectral bands (16) where the object (2) has less sensitivity, such as in the non-visible light-range (18), and display of the object (2) in spectral bands (30) where the object would be too sensitive for illumination (40).

Abstract: The invention relates to a medical inspection apparatus (1), such as a microscope or endoscope, and to a medical inspection method such as microscopy or endoscopy. Visible image data (11) representing a visible-light image (49) and fluorescence image data (12) representing a fluorescent-light image (51) and a pseudocolor (70, 71) are merged to give an improved visual rendition of an object (2) which comprises at least one fluorophore (6) to mark special features of the object (2). This is accomplished in that an image processing unit (18) of the microscope (1) or endoscope is configured to compute a color (ro, go, bo) of an output pixel (54) in the pseudocolor image (53) from at least one pseudocolor (rp, gp, bp), a color (ri, gi, bi) of a first input pixel (50) in the visible-light image (49) and an intensity (f) of a second input pixel (52) in the fluorescent-light image (51).