Abstract: An illustrative apparatus may perform gaze-based auto-exposure management of image frames. For example, the apparatus may determine, for an image frame within an image frame sequence captured by an image capture system, auto-exposure values for pixel units into which the image frame is divided. The apparatus may then assign weight values to the pixel units based on a gaze direction of a viewer viewing the image frame sequence. Based on the auto-exposure values determined for the pixel units and the weight values assigned to the pixel units, the apparatus may update one or more auto-exposure parameters for use by the image capture system to capture an additional image frame within the image frame sequence. Corresponding apparatuses, systems, and methods for gaze-based auto-exposure management of image frames are also disclosed.

Abstract: A computer-assisted surgical system simultaneously provides visible light and alternate modality images that identify tissue or increase the visual salience of features of clinical interest that a surgeon normally uses when performing a surgical intervention using the computer-assisted surgical system. Hyperspectral light from tissue of interest is used to safely and efficiently image that tissue even though the tissue may be obscured in the normal visible image of the surgical field. The combination of visible and hyperspectral images are analyzed to provide details and information concerning the tissue or other bodily function that were not previously available.

Abstract: An example method includes causing an illuminator to simultaneously illuminate tissue with a first visible color illumination component, a second visible color illumination component, and a fluorescence excitation illumination component; and causing a display unit to display, based on the illumination, a display scene that includes: a reduced color scene component corresponding to the first and second visible color illumination components, and a highlighted scene component corresponding to the fluorescence excitation illumination component.

Abstract: An example method includes determining an estimated pixel noise parameter based on a signal level of a first pixel of the first frame of pixel data; determining a difference between the signal level of the first pixel and at least a signal level of a second pixel; obtaining a filtered pixel based at least in part on a comparison of the difference to the estimated pixel noise parameter; and outputting the filtered pixel to an output frame of filtered pixel data.

Abstract: An illustrative system may include an imaging device and an image processing system. The imaging device may be configured to output first image information corresponding to a first wavelength band associated with fluorescence emitted by a substance and may be configured to output second image information corresponding to a second wavelength band different from the first wavelength band and associated with the fluorescence emitted by the substance. The image processing system may be configured to receive the first image information and the second image information from the imaging device and may determine, based on a comparison of the first image information to the second image information, a property of the substance.

Abstract: An example method includes receiving a single frame comprising a first set of pixel data that includes a fluorescence scene component and a second set of pixel data that includes a combination of a visible color component scene and the fluorescence scene component; and generating, based on the first set of pixel data that includes the fluorescence scene component and the second set of pixel data that includes the combination of the visible color component scene and the fluorescence scene component, a display scene.

Abstract: An illustrative apparatus may determine a color-skew metric for an image frame captured by an image capture system. The color-skew metric may be indicative of an extent to which the image frame skews to a particular color. Based on the color-skew metric and an adaptive target control function, the apparatus may determine a frame auto-exposure target. Based on the frame auto-exposure target, the apparatus may update one or more auto-exposure parameters for use by the image capture system to capture an additional image frame. Corresponding apparatuses, systems, and methods for managing auto-exposure of image frames are also disclosed.

Abstract: An illustrative apparatus may identify, in an image frame captured by an image capture system, an object region corresponding to a depiction of an object portrayed in the image frame. The apparatus may determine a frame auto-exposure value for the image frame by discounting the object region in the image frame. Based on the frame auto-exposure value, the apparatus may update one or more auto-exposure parameters for use by the image capture system to capture an additional image frame. Corresponding apparatuses, systems, and methods for managing auto-exposure of image frames are also disclosed.

Abstract: An image capture device may include an image sensor comprising a first pixel cell and a second pixel cell adjacent to the first pixel cell, a plurality of individual alternative light filters configured to filter non-visible light, one individual alternative light filter of the plurality of individual alternative light filters covering both a first set of pixels of the first pixel cell and a second set of pixels of the second pixel cell, and a plurality of individual visible color filters covering pixels of the first and second pixel cells, the pixels of the first and second pixel cells covered by the individual visible light color filters being different from the first and second sets of pixels covered by the individual alternative light filters.

Abstract: The technology described herein can be embodied in a method that includes obtaining a representation of a first image of a surgical scene using electromagnetic radiation of a first wavelength range outside the visible range of wavelengths, wherein an amount of electromagnetic radiation of the first wavelength range received from a first tissue type is lower than that received for a second tissue type. The method also includes obtaining a representation of a second image using electromagnetic radiation of a second wavelength range outside the visible range of wavelengths, wherein an amount of electromagnetic radiation of the second wavelength range received from the second tissue type is substantially different from that received for the first tissue type. The visual representation of the surgical scene is rendered on the one or more displays using the representation of the first image and the representation of the second image.

Abstract: A system includes an image sensor, an imaging pipeline, and a display device. The image sensor is configured to capture a first frame of pixel data. The imaging pipeline is coupled to the image sensor to receive the first frame of pixel data. The imaging pipeline includes an adaptive noise filter. The adaptive noise filter is configured to filter a pixel based on noise in the pixel. The imaging pipeline is configured to output a second frame of pixel data. The second frame of pixel data includes pixels filtered by the adaptive noise filter. The display device is coupled to the imaging pipeline to receive the second frame of pixel data. The display device is configured to display the second frame of pixel data.

Abstract: A stereoscopic image capture device includes a first image sensor, a second image sensor, a first frame timer, and a second frame timer. The first and second frame timers are different frame timers. The first image sensor includes a first plurality of rows of pixels. The second image sensor includes a second plurality of rows of pixels. The first and second image sensors can be separate devices or different areas of a sensor region in an integrated circuit. The first frame timer is coupled to the first image sensor to provide image capture timing signals to the first image sensor. The second frame timer coupled to the second image sensor to provide image capture timing signals to the second image sensor.

Abstract: The technology described herein can be embodied in a method that includes obtaining a representation of a first image of a surgical scene using electromagnetic radiation of a first wavelength range outside the visible range of wavelengths, wherein an amount of electromagnetic radiation of the first wavelength range received from a first tissue type is lower than that received for a second tissue type. The method also includes obtaining a representation of a second image using electromagnetic radiation of a second wavelength range outside the visible range of wavelengths, wherein an amount of electromagnetic radiation of the second wavelength range received from the second tissue type is substantially different from that received for the first tissue type. The visual representation of the surgical scene is rendered on the one or more displays using the representation of the first image and the representation of the second image.

Abstract: An illustrative surgical system may access a plurality of images captured outside a structure within a patient; detect a difference between spectral reflectances of scenes captured in the plurality of images; and identify, based on the detected difference between the spectral reflectances of the scenes captured in the plurality of images, pixels in at least one of the plurality of images that correspond to structure tissue of the structure.

Abstract: An example method includes receiving a single frame comprising a first set of pixel data that includes a fluorescence scene component and a second set of pixel data that includes a combination of a visible color component scene and the fluorescence scene component; and generating, based on the first set of pixel data that includes the fluorescence scene component and the second set of pixel data that includes the combination of the visible color component scene and the fluorescence scene component, a display scene.

Abstract: An exemplary fluorescence imaging control system may direct, during a surgical procedure performed with a computer-assisted surgical system, an illumination source included in the computer-assisted surgical system to illuminate a scene associated with the surgical procedure with fluorescence excitation illumination configured to excite a fluorophore present at the scene and direct an imaging device included in the computer-assisted surgical system to detect, during the surgical procedure, fluorescence emitted by the fluorophore in response to excitation of the fluorophore by the fluorescence excitation illumination. The fluorescence imaging control system may determine, based on the detected fluorescence, a lifetime of the fluorescence and determine, based on the determined lifetime of the fluorescence, an identity of the fluorophore.

Abstract: An exemplary surgical system is configured to 1) access a plurality of surgical site scenes captured entirely outside a structure within a patient, each surgical site scene in the plurality of surgical site scenes being captured from reflected light of a different waveband of a plurality of wavebands, each waveband of the plurality of wavebands being reflected by structure tissue of the structure and non-structure tissue outside the structure; 2) detect a difference between spectral reflectances of each of the surgical site scenes in the captured surgical site scenes, and 3) identify, based on the detected difference between the spectral reflectances of each of the surgical site scenes in the captured surgical site scenes, pixels in the captured surgical site scenes that correspond to the structure tissue and pixels in the captured surgical site scenes that correspond to the non-structure tissue outside the structure.

Abstract: A system determines that a change in luminance of captured frames of a scene in response to a change in illumination brightness of the scene is less than a threshold value and commands, based on the determination that the change in luminance of the captured frames of the scene is less than the threshold value, attenuation of the illumination brightness of the scene.

Abstract: An illustrative method includes receiving a single frame comprising a first set of pixel data that includes a fluorescence scene component and a second set of pixel data that includes a combination of a visible color component scene and the fluorescence scene component, determining a display fluorescence scene component from the first set of pixel data, determining a display visible scene component from the second set of pixel data, and generating, based on the display fluorescence scene component and the display visible scene component, a display scene.

Abstract: A system includes a controller communicatively coupled to an illuminator and to a camera configured to capture a scene including tissue. The controller may change the output optical power of the illuminator from a first output optical power to a second output optical power so that a subsequently captured frame is captured by the camera from reflected light, the reflected light being light from the illuminator having the second output optical power prior to being reflected. The controller may determine that an endoscope contacted the tissue if the change of the output optical power of the illuminator results in a change of a reflected luminance that is less than a predetermined threshold, the change of the reflected luminance being a change from a first reflected luminance for the first output optical power to a second reflected luminance for the second output optical power.