ARTHROSCOPIC INSTRUMENT ASSEMBLY AND METHOD OF LOCALIZING MUSCULOSKELETAL STRUCTURES DURING ARTHROSCOPIC SURGERY

摘要

An arthroscopic instrument assembly (100) comprising: an illumination system (120) for illuminating an operative field including a light source (122a) configured to produce light having at least one ligament excitation wavelength; an arthroscope (110); an image transmission system (130) configured to transmit a fluorescent image of the operative field at a distal end (112b) of the arthroscope (110) to an image viewing system (150); an image processing system (140) configured to process the fluorescent image as it pa sses through the image transmission system so as to provide a false color fluorescent image of the operative field in which a contrast between ligament and bone structures present in the operative field is enhanced relative to the unprocessed fluorescent image ; and an image viewing system (150) operably connected to the image transmission system (130) and including a display (152) configured to enable viewing of the false color fluorescent image.