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Near-infrared fluorescence imaging is a technology that uses near-infrared light to excite and emit fluorescence signals to achieve imaging. Through this technology, we can observe fine structures and biomolecule information that cannot be seen in the while light mode. Let’s take a closer look at the principles and applications of near-infrared fluorescence imaging! Different image modes of 2nd Generation of Hikimaging MIK5 Fluorescence Solution 1.Principles of near-infrared fluorescence imaging The main absorption peaks of hemoglobin and water are in the visible light region and the infrared region, and there is a light absorption trough in the near-infrared 650-900nm range [1], yet human tissue would absorb and radiate near-infrared light weaker than visible light. Therefore, by choosing light in the near-infrared 650-900nm range as excitation light and fluorescence, deep tissue (1-2cm) images can be obtained. [1] R. A Weissleder, Nat. Biotechnol., 2001, 19, 316-317. ICG(Indocyanine Green,)       ICG is one kind of near-infrared fluorescent dye approved by FDA for in vivo use. Among all NIR fluorescent probe types, ICG is the only clinical diagnostic NIR fluorescent material approved for liver function and ophthalmic angiography.    Advantage Both excitation light and fluorescence are in the near-infrared region and are within the optical window of the tissue, allowing NIR fluorescence imaging. Dry ICG is stable and easy to store Low toxicity, rapid excretion, effective binding to blood lipoproteins, will not leak from the blood circulation, and is safer for patients Easy to prepare, mass-produced, low cost Adsorption phenomenon of ICG fluorescent molecules The amphiphilic nature of ICG lipid allows it to enter the human body through intravenous injection and other methods, and can be free or combined with plasma proteins and transported throughout the body through blood and tissue fluid. Indocyanine Green and its fluorescent reaction Fluorescent molecules located in the lowest energy state (ground state), when irradiated by 700-800nm excitation light, absorb photon energy and are excited to transition to the excited state (absorption process). Within the fluorescence lifetime, fluorescent molecules transition downward from the excited state to the ground state (emission process) with a certain probability, and emit fluorescence in the 820-900nm range. The fluorescence characteristics are shown in the figure below. The light curve is the excitation light absorption response curve, and the dark curve is the fluorescence emission intensity curve. However, in actual scenarios, the fluorescence intensity will be significantly lower than the excitation light intensity. 2.The impact of ICG concentration Lots of researches have been done to illustrate that the fluorescence intensity produced by ICG is related to various factors such as ICG concentration and solvent. Effect of concentration: If the concentration of ICG is too high, the ICG molecules in the solution will clump together to produce polymer ICG (the aggregation phenomenon of ICG fluorescent molecules). The fluorescence yield of polymer ICG is extremely low. At the same time, the presence of polymer ICG in the solution will cause free ICG molecules to form. The probability of receiving excitation light is reduced. Solvent influence: Different solvents have different ICG concentrations at which the fluorescence intensity reaches the maximum value. Therefore, higher concentrations are not always better, It is recommended to choose the appropriate concentration and injection method according to the clinical scenario. Appendex: Introduction of ICG(Indocyanine Green)       ICG is one kind of near-infrared fluorescent dye approved by FDA for in vivo use. Among all NIR fluorescent probe types, ICG is the only clinical diagnostic NIR fluorescent material approved for liver function and ophthalmic angiography. Physical properties: 1.Appearance: dark green cyan or dark brown red powder; 2.Polycyclic structure, and a sulfate group is connected to each polycyclic structure. The polycyclic structure has strong lipophilicity, while sulfuric acid, solubility: soluble in water, DMSO, methanol, ethanol (slightly soluble); 3.Lipid-water amphiphilicity: The two ends of a carbon bond in the ICG molecule are connected to two groups and have a certain degree of water solubility. This complex molecular structure ultimately leads to the ICG molecule being amphipathic, that is, it is both lipophilic and hydrophilic. Advantage Both excitation light and fluorescence are in the near-infrared region and are within the optical window of the tissue, allowing NIR fluorescence imaging. Dry ICG is stable and easy to store Low toxicity, rapid excretion, effective binding to blood lipoproteins, will not leak from the blood circulation, and is safer for patients Easy to prepare, mass-produced, low cost Disadvantage Unstable performance in aqueous solutions and when exposed to light Thanks for watching. DownLoad

Color is an important indicator of endoscopic systems. Do you know what factors affect the color of endoscopic system and how to adjust system parameters to obtain the image color you want? Let’s learn more 1. Color Mode In image processing, common color models include HSB, RGB, CMYK, CIEXYZ, CIELUV, CIELAB, etc. In the HSB color model, hue, saturation, and brightness are the basic descriptions of image properties. Hue is the color reflected from or transmitted through an object. Hue is measured by position on the standard color wheel from 0° to 360°. Typically, hue is identified by a color name, such as red, orange, or green. Saturation refers to the intensity or purity of a color. Saturation represents the proportion of the gray component of the hue, measured as a percentage from 0% (gray) to 100% (a fully saturated pure color). Lightness is the relative lightness or darkness of a color, usually measured as a percentage from 0% (black) to 100% (white). 2.Color Gamut Color gamut Color gamut refers to the range area formed by the number of colors that a certain device can express, that is, the range of colors that various screen display devices, printers or printing devices can express. The colors of the visible spectrum in nature constitute the largest color gamut space of all colors that the human eye can see. The size of the device color gamut space is related to the device, medium, and observation conditions. A device with a larger color gamut displays more colors. The CIE-xy chromaticity diagram developed by the CIE International Association of Illumination is used to visually express the color gamut. In the CIE-xy chromaticity diagram, the range of color gamuts that various display devices can express can be represented by a triangle area composed of RGB three-point lines. The larger the area of the triangle, it means the range of color gamut of the display device. bigger. BT Standard BT.2020: In 2013, the BT.2020 standard for a new generation of UHD (Ultra-high definition) video production and display system promulgated by the International Telecommunication Union Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R), redefined TV broadcasting and consumption Various parameters and indicators of ultra-high-definition video display in the electronic field promote the further standardization of 4K UHD home display equipment, which can display high-density dark green, orange, etc. BT2020 is more suitable for outdoor scenes BT709: It is a standard for high-definition (1080P) video production and display systems released by ITU-R. BT709 is more in line with the color requirements of doctors for scenes in human body chambers. 3.Color Temperature and White Balance Color Temperature Color temperature is a physical quantity used in lighting optics to define the color of a light source. That is, when a black body is heated to a temperature, and the color of the light emitted by it is the same as that emitted by a light source, the temperature at which the black body is heated is called the color temperature of the light source, or color temperature for short. Its unit is represented by “K” (Kelvin temperature unit). The color rendering index of the light source(CRI) The effect of a light source on the color appearance of an object compared to a standard reference light source. The closer the CRI is to 100, the better the color rendering of the light source. The lower the CRI, the darker the object color. White balance is closely related to color temperature Images under different color temperature light sources will show different degrees of color cast. “Low color temperature, warm colors; high color temperature, cool colors”. The human eye has color constancy and can adapt to different color temperature environments. Therefore, unless the color temperature of the light source is very extreme, the human eye will automatically adjust the same white object to white when viewed under different light (color temperature). White balance is to simulate the ability of the human eye to automatically adjust the color and restore the actual color of the object. That is, “Regardless of any light source, white objects can be restored to white.” 4. Other Color Factors Gamma The broad definition of the gamma value is the power exponential relationship between the input value and the output value, which is used to compensate for the nonlinear perception of natural brightness by the human eye. Gamma adjustment can convert the linear information obtained by the photosensitive element into non-linear information similar to the human eye after adjustment. Adjusting the gamma can change the details of the output picture to a certain extent. Contrast Image contrast refers to the measurement of the different brightness levels between the brightest white and the darkest black in the light and dark areas of an image, that is, the size of the grayscale contrast of an image. Generally speaking, the higher the contrast, the clearer and more eye-catching the image, and the brighter the color; while the lower the contrast, the whole picture will be gray. Gain Gain adjustment is to adjust the upper limit value that limits the amplification of image signals. The gain control is the upper limit of the signal gain. The higher the gain, the more sensitive the light sensor, the higher the brightness of the image, and the noise will be amplified. Generally, it is recommended to increase it in scenes with insufficient illumination, and it is recommended to lower it in scenes with strong point light sources to suppress overexposure of point light sources. 5.Color Reproduction of Endoscopy System The degree of color reproduction is to adjust the white balance, contrast and chroma to make the color of the image generally consistent with the color of the original scene, and the effect is restored to the most suitable feeling for human eyes. For example, chroma adjustment: adjust the brightness of the color to make the image color fuller and closer to reality Contrast adjustment: Make the image more layered and enhance the visual effect. Thanks for reading, if you want to know more

There are many image adjustment parameters in an endoscope system. Do you know what these parameters mean and how adjusting these parameters will affect the image? Let’s learn more. 1. Main parameters of the image: pixels and resolution Highest pixls The highest pixel value is the real pixel of the photosensitive device, and this data usually includes the non-imaging part of the photosensitive device. In Pixels. Effective pixels Effective pixels are the number of pixels in the real image, in units of Pixels. Resolution Resolution refers to the image quality record index used in the process of acquisition, transmission and display, as well as the inherent screen structure of the display device itself to express the fineness of the image. Available “Vertical pixels x Horizontal pixels” to quantify. 4K & 1080P The meaning of “P” “P” represents the total number of rows of video pixels. 1080P stands for 1080 lines of pixels. 1080P is usually 1920x1080Pixel. The meaning of “K”？ “K” represents the total number of columns of video pixels. 4K stands for 4000 columns of pixels. 4K is usually 4096x2160Pixel or 3840x2160Pixel. 2. Clarity Clarity Clarity refers to the ability of the imaging device to express the clarity of the imaging picture and display some detailed information; Clarity reflects the clarity of the image seen by the human eye macroscopically, and is the subjective feeling of people on the final image caused by the comprehensive result of the objective performance of the system and equipment; Clarity indicators generally use SFR (Spatial Frequency Response), MTF (Modulation Transfer Function) and TV–Line It can be measured by the thickness of black and white lines, and there are standard test methods and test charts. The measurement data has a clear unit, that is, TV line 3. Sharpness Sharpness Sharpness is an parameter that reflects the sharpness of the image plane and the sharpness of the image edge. The adjustment of sharpness is to adjust the sharpness of the edge of the image. When the sharpness is increased, the details on the image plane are higher and it looks clearer. However, too high sharpness will distort the image, the edges of the object will be jagged, and it will also increase noise. Therefore, it is recommended that the scene with sufficient brightness can be properly improved to enhance the details, and the scene with insufficient brightness is recommended to reduce and improve the noise. Thanks for reading, if you want to know more information, please contact us: link jump DownLoad

Advanced image algorithms De-Highlight: to reduce the overexposure caused by light sources or equipment reflection in the picture. Defog: to eliminate fogging caused by electrosurgery, temperature differences or other reasons during surgery and increases the clarity of vision. Detail Filter: to set the picture into different color modes to optimize surgical visual effects. Dark-Improve: to adjust the local dark areas of the visual field and improve the transparency of the visual field. RDE: to dilute the visual impact of large-area red scenes De-Moire(only used with fiberscope): to automatically identify grid interference and improve the picture. APAE: to automatically detect the field of view and adjust the exposure DownLoad

The newest ISP 2.0 algorithm has been upgraded to optimize the basic image effect of MIK5 platform. The improvement of the algorithm is reflected in three aspects: detail clarity, color distinction and brightness uniformity. There are also three categories of image process algorithms inside MIK5 White Light Mode: Basic image processing, Advanced image processing and Intelligent image processing Basic image processing DNR(Digital Noise Reduction): to eliminate the noise in the picture, making the entire picture smoother. Sharpness: to enhance the details of capillaries. Chroma: to weaken the impact of large areas of some certain color(like blood), optimizing the visual experience Contrast/Brightness/Gamma: to adjust the brightness of the whole picture DownLoad