Next-generation Fundus Camera with Full Color Image Acquisition in 0-lx Visible Light by 1.12-micron Square Pixel, 4K, 30-fps BSI CMOS Image Sensor with Advanced NIR Multi-spectral Imaging System

Abstract

This paper presents a near-infrared (NIR) multi-spectral imaging system, which can be applied to a CMOS image sensor with fine pixels. Using the multi-spectral technology, NIR1: near 800 nm, NIR2: 870 nm, and NIR3: 940 nm in the NIR wavelength were acquired for a target image. Using this image sensor and imaging system and with the application of interpolation and color correction processing, a color image is reproduced by only multi-NIR signal without visible light (0 lx). We also developed a next-generation fundus camera, which employed this multi-spectral imaging system with a multi-NIR LED illuminator. This multi-NIR LED illumination system, which was also developed, is designed to emit light with high efficiency despite its size of 2.3 mm square in size. We applied this NIR multi-spectral camera module with the multi-NIR LED illuminator to the next-generation fundus camera; the retinal pigment appears progressively more transparent, revealing the underlying choroid.