Operating microscope providing an image of an obscured object

Claim 2

A microscope for providing an image in the visible spectrum of an object obscured from direct view by a layer of material which is substantially opaque to visible light, comprising: means for illuminating the object with radiation including visible light and penetrating radiation, wherein the layer of material obscuring the object is substantially transparent to said penetrating radiation; means for forming a visible image of the obscured object; means for detecting penetrating radiation reflected from the object obscured by the layer of material and for producing a penetrating radiation image; means for displaying a converted image of said object corresponding to said penetrating radiation image; and means for combining the visible image of the obscured object and the converted image to provide an overlaid image in the visible spectrum of the object.

Claim 3

The microscope of claim 1, wherein said layer of material is blood, and wherein said penetrating radiation is radiation of wavelength greater than about 620 nanometers.

Claim 4

The microscope of claim 1, further comprising image enhancement means, interposed between said means for detecting and said means for displaying, for enhancing the converted image.

Claim 5

The microscope of claim 1, wherein said means for forming a visible image are the optical elements of a conventional microscope, and wherein said means for detecting, said means for displaying and said means for combining are adapted to be retrofit to said conventional microscope.

Claim 6

The microscope of claim 4, wherein said conventional microscope is a binocular microscope, and wherein penetrating radiation imaging apparatus comprising two of each of said means for detecting, said means for displaying, and said means for combining is adapted to be retrofit to said binocular microscope.

Claim 7

The microscope of claim 4, wherein said conventional microscope is a surgeon's operating microscope, and wherein said layer of material is blood.

Claim 8

The microscope of claim 6, wherein said penetrating radiation is of wavelength at least about 620 nanometers.

Claim 9

The microscope of claim 1, wherein said means for displaying is a video display device.

Claim 10

The microscope of claim 8, wherein said means for combining is beam combiner means.

Claim 11

The microscope of claim 1, wherein said microscope comprises main optics which are substantially equally transmissive to visible light and to said penetrating radiation, and said microscope further comprising: beamsplitter means for splitting a fraction of the visible light and the penetrating radiation reflected from said object, and filter means for passing only the split fraction of the reflected penetrating radiation to said means for detecting said penetrating radiation.

Claim 14

The method of claim 11, wherein said material is blood and said penetrating radiation is radiation of wavelength at least about 620 nanometers.

Claim 15

The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of enhancing the converted image of said object prior to combining said visible and converted images.

Claim 16

The method of claim 11, wherein said converted image is produced by video display means.

Claim 17

The method of claim 14, wherein said converted image produced by said video display means is combined optically with said image of the obscured object.

Claim 18

Apparatus for providing an image of an object obscured by a layer of material, comprising: means for illuminating the object with visible light and with penetrating radiation to which the material obscuring the object is substantially transparent; optical means for gathering both visible light and penetrating radiation reflected from the object and the layer of material; beamsplitter means for splitting the reflected visible light and penetrating radiation gathered by said optical means to produce a first split fraction and a second split fraction; filter means for passing only the penetrating radiation portion of said first split fraction; detector means for detecting a penetrating radiation image from the penetrating radiation portion of the first split fraction; display means, responsive to said detector means, for providing a converted image corresponding to said penetrating radiation image; and means for combining in real time said converted image provided by said display means with a visible image of the obscured object formed from said second split fraction split by said beamsplitter means.

Claim 19

Apparatus for providing an image of an object obscured by a layer of material, comprising: means for illuminating the object with visible light and with penetrating radiation to which the material obscuring the object is substantially transparent; optical means for gathering both visible light and penetrating radiation reflected from the object and the layer of material; beamsplitter means for splitting the reflected visible light and penetrating radiation gathered by said optical means to produce a first split fraction and a second split fraction; filter means for passing only the penetrating radiation portion of said first split fraction; detector means for detecting a penetrating radiation image from the penetrating radiation portion of the first split fraction; display means, responsive to said detector means, for providing a converted image corresponding to said penetrating radiation image; and means for combining in real time said converted image provided by said display means with a visible image of the obscured object formed from said second split fraction split by said beamsplitter means.

Claim 20

The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the layer of material is blood, and said penetrating radiation is radiation of wavelength not less than about 620 nanometers.

Claim 21

The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said apparatus is comprised by a binocular microscope.

Claim 22

The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said beamsplitter means, said filter means, said detector means, said display means, and said means for combining are provided in duplicate in dual optical paths of said binocular microscope.

Claim 23

The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said duplicate elements are adapted to be conveniently and readily attached to a binocular microscope.

Claim 24

The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said binocular microscope is an operating microscope.

Claim 25

The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising image enhancement means for enhancing the converted image provided by said display means.

Claim 26

The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said display means is video display means.

Claim 27

A microscope for providing a real time image of an object obscured from direct view by a layer of blood, comprising: means for illuminating the object with radiation including visible light and penetrating radiation of at least about 620 nanometers wavelength; means for forming a visible image of the obscured object; means for detecting the penetrating radiation reflected from the object beneath the layer of blood and for producing a penetrating radiation image; means, responsive to said means for detecting, for generating a converting image of said object corresponding to said penetrating radiation image; and means for combining the visible and converted images for simultaneous, real time viewing of the object.

Claim 28

A microscope for providing a real time image of an object obscured from direct view by a layer of blood, comprising: means for illuminating the object with radiation including visible light and penetrating radiation of at least about 620 nanometers wavelength; means for forming a visible image of the obscured object; means for detecting the penetrating radiation reflected from the object beneath the layer of blood and for producing a penetrating radiation image; means, responsive to said means for detecting, for generating a converting image of said object corresponding to said penetrating radiation image; and means for combining the visible and converted images for simultaneous, real time viewing of the object.

Claim 29

The microscope of claim 24, further comprising image enhancement means for enhancing said converted image of this object.

Claim 30

The microscope of claim 24, wherein said means for forming a visible image of the object are the optical elements of a conventional microscope, and wherein said means for detecting, said means for generating a converted image, and said means for combining are adapted to be readily added to said conventional microscope.

Claim 31

The microscope of claim 26, wherein said conventional microscope is a binocular microscope, and two of each of said means for detecting, said means for generating a converted image, and said means for combining are added to said conventional microscope.

Claim 32

The microscope of claim 24, wherein said microscope is a surgeon's operating microscope.

Claim 33

The microscope of claim 24, wherein said means for generating a converted image is a video display device.

Claim 34

The microscope of claim 24, wherein said means for combining said visible and converted images is beam combiner means.

Claim 35

The microscope of claim 24, wherein said microscope comprises main optics which are substantially equally transmissive to visible light and to said penetrating radiation, said microscope further comprising beamsplitter means for splitting a fraction of the visible light and the penetrating radiation, and filter means for passing only said penetrating radiation of said fraction to said means for detecting the penetrating radiation.

Claim 38

The method of claim 32, further comprising the step of enhancing the converted image of said object prior to combining said visible and converted images.

Claim 39

The method of claim 33, wherein said converted image is formed by video display means.

Claim 40

The method of claim 34, wherein said converted image formed by said video display means is combined optically with said visible image.

Claim 41

Apparatus for providing a visible image of an object obscured by a layer of a material substantially opaque to visible light superimposed upon a converted image of the underlying object, comprising: means for illuminating the object with visible light of wavelength in the range 380-620 nm and with penetrating radiation of wavelength less than 380 nm or more than 620 nm, wherein the material obscuring the object is substantially transparent to said penetrating radiation; optical means for gathering both reflected visible light and penetrating radiation; beamsplitter means for splitting the gathered visible light and penetrating radiation into first and second fractions; filter means for passing substantially only the penetrating radiation portion of the first fraction; detector means for forming an image responsive to the filtered reflected penetrating radiation; display means responsive to said detector means for providing a visible converted image corresponding to the detected reflected penetrating radiation; and means for combining the visible converted image provided by the display means with a visible image formed using the second fraction of the gathered visible light and penetrating radiation.

Claim 42

Apparatus for providing a visible image of an object obscured by a layer of a material substantially opaque to visible light superimposed upon a converted image of the underlying object, comprising: means for illuminating the object with visible light of wavelength in the range 380-620 nm and with penetrating radiation of wavelength less than 380 nm or more than 620 nm, wherein the material obscuring the object is substantially transparent to said penetrating radiation; optical means for gathering both reflected visible light and penetrating radiation; beamsplitter means for splitting the gathered visible light and penetrating radiation into first and second fractions; filter means for passing substantially only the penetrating radiation portion of the first fraction; detector means for forming an image responsive to the filtered reflected penetrating radiation; display means responsive to said detector means for providing a visible converted image corresponding to the detected reflected penetrating radiation; and means for combining the visible converted image provided by the display means with a visible image formed using the second fraction of the gathered visible light and penetrating radiation.

Claim 43

The apparatus of claim 36, wherein said material is blood, and said penetrating radiation is radiation of wavelength not less than substantially 620 nanometers.

Claim 44

The apparatus of claim 36, wherein said apparatus is a binocular microscope.

Claim 45

The apparatus of claim 38, wherein said beamsplitter means, said filter means, said detector means, said display means, and said means for combining are provided in duplicate in dual optical paths of said binocular microscope.