KR102655475B1 - Medical borescopes and related methods and systems - Google Patents

Abstract

Borescopes and related methods. In some embodiments, a medical borescope system includes a medical borescope including a tube including a first end and a second end opposite the first end; a light source positioned adjacent the first end and configured to produce light at the first end; and an image sensor positioned adjacent the first end. The system may be configured to receive image data from an image sensor detachably coupleable with a medical borescope such that the dongle can be coupled with a plurality of separate medical borescopes. It may further include a data communication link coupled with an image sensor and a dongle containing an image processor. The dongle can be configured to at least one of receive and detect borescope-specific parameter data from the medical borescope, wherein the borescope-specific parameter data includes data native to the medical borescope.

Description

Medical borescopes and related methods and systems

Cross-reference to related applications

This application is a U.S. patent filed on July 2, 2014, entitled “PORTABLE SCOPE FOR MEDICAL PROCEDURES.” Provisional patent application number. 35 U.S.C. 62/020,389. In part Continuing Application Serial No. filed July 2, 2015, entitled “BORESCOPES AND RELATED METHODS AND SYSTEMS” claiming benefit under § (119)(e). It is 14/790,977. Each of the aforementioned applications is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

technology field

Embodiments of the invention relate to borescoping techniques, which may include, for example, laparoscopy, endoscopy, other related medical borescoping, and other industrial applications, such as engine, turbine, or building inspections. .

Borescope technology has been applied in the medical field for many years. For example, laparoscopy and endoscopy both involve a medical professional inserting a borescope into the patient. Borescopes allow medical practitioners to view organs inside a patient without exposing them through surgery.

In a typical laparoscopic system, a laparoscope including a rod lens tube and a handle body is connected to a processing stack used to process image data received from the laparoscope. The rod lens tube is the part of the laparoscope that is inserted into the patient's abdominal cavity. High intensity light is introduced into the lens and illuminates the tissue. Light reflected from the surface of the tissue is transmitted through a rod lens to a camera that captures an image that is transmitted via wires to image processing equipment in the equipment stack.

As described above, conventional laparoscopic systems have several drawbacks. For example, laparoscopic systems require large stacks of equipment to generate light and process video images. The light is typically a high intensity xenon (xe) light source delivered to the laparoscope via a fiber optic cable. Fiber-optic cables are fragile and a hindrance to medical practitioners. Additionally, high intensity light sources can be very hot and, if improperly monitored, can even burn the patient or burn the drape covering the patient. Additionally, light sources may change color or intensity from one setup to the next or over time, necessitating frequent white balancing. Additionally, rod lenses are fragile, which limits their use in some conditions and/or require costly repair or replacement. In fact, an entire secondary industry has developed around repairing broken rod lens tubes.

Embodiments disclosed herein include systems, methods, and systems configured to provide medical professionals with a highly portable medical borescope system (e.g., a laparoscopic system) that eliminates the need for an external light source or large video image processing equipment; and devices. Although the preferred embodiments may be most appropriate for use in the medical field, it is contemplated that several other fields may benefit from the present disclosure. For example, various embodiments disclosed in this application may be used in industrial applications, such as inspection and/or of aircraft engines, other engines and/or turbines, building inspections, tank inspection, surveillance, forensics, and the like. Or you can have maintenance. Because many of these applications, like many medical applications, require visual inspection of areas that can become messy and/or contain remote access points, the portability and/or disposable properties disclosed in this application may not be realistic. It can be particularly useful in relation to a variety of fields and applications, both medical and non-medical.

Some embodiments disclosed herein may provide a laparoscopic body that is disposable or suitable for a single use or a limited number of uses (e.g., 10 uses). In some such embodiments, the system may be configured to enforce one-time use. For example, some embodiments may be configured to track usage data, such as, for example, the duration of operation and/or the number of times the borescope is turned on. In some such embodiments, the system may be configured to disable or change operating and/or control parameters of the borescope in response to determining that an operating parameter or threshold has been exceeded.

In some embodiments, the dongle may be used to query the borescope for any data that may be stored on the borescope, such as model identification data or calibration data, for example. The dongle can then be configured to change certain operating or control parameters based on data received from the borescope. For example, the dongle may use data received from the borescope to adjust the display characteristics of the image produced by the borescope to adjust the It can enable clinicians to view images of the same or similar quality regardless of deformation. In this way, a single dongle can also be used with several different borescopes.

In some embodiments, the dongle and/or borescope may also or alternatively be used to provide data to government authorities, for example, similar to the use of a “black box” in the airline industry. It may be configured to acquire and store data. One or more sensors may be located at the tip of the borescope or elsewhere. These sensors can be used to receive a variety of data, such as temperatures, pressures, velocities, images, orientations, etc., that can be used to reproduce certain aspects of a medical procedure. For example, in some embodiments, such data may be tracked throughout the medical procedure, or at intermittent points throughout the medical procedure. In other embodiments, certain events, especially unexpected events, may trigger the collection of such data.

In some embodiments, a clock and/or timer may be provided on the dongle and/or borescope. This clock/timer can be used to correlate any usage data with a date stamp. In this way, specific aspects of a medical procedure can be correlated with usage data so that specific aspects of the procedure can be reproduced and traced back to the specific time or times in which they occurred. In embodiments where the borescope contains model identification data, this data may be stored and linked to the usage data to determine whether the borescope used with a particular dongle is associated with a particular set of usage data.

The system may also include a portable image processing dongle in communication with the laparoscope. The dongle outputs the video image to a display. The dongle may attach to a non-dedicated display via a universal connector or may include common display connectors such as, for example, HDMI, USB, or Lightning™ connectors for connecting to a dedicated display.

In some embodiments, mobility and/or disposableness of the laparoscope may be achieved by placing the LED and image sensor within the body of the laparoscope (i.e., within the portion of the laparoscope placed in the sterile field of the patient). For example, some embodiments include a medical borescope tube having a first tube end and a second tube end. The first tube end may be distal from the handle body and the second tube end may be in communication with the handle body. A light source and an image sensor may be disposed at the end of the first tube. Power may communicate with the light source and the image sensor. A data link may connect the image sensor to an image processor. The image processor may be placed within a dongle connected to the handle body via a flexible wire.

In at least one alternative embodiment, instead of communicating to a dongle, a mobile computing device, such as a tablet or mobile phone, may communicate with the handle body, such as via wired cables and/or wireless communication links. As such, the mobile computing device can process the image data and present the processed data to a display for viewing. The mobile computing device may also provide additional general computing functions related to medical data sharing and image data analysis.

As a further example, some implementations may include methods for processing image data received from an image sensor disposed within the tip of a medical borescope device. The method may include serializing image data received from an image sensor or otherwise receiving and/or processing image data from an image sensor, the image sensor of which is connected to a medical borescope tube. It may be disposed at the first end. The method may further include transmitting image data (in some implementations, serialized image data) along the medical borescope tube to a second end of the medical borescope tube. Additionally, the method may include deserializing or otherwise processing and/or receiving image data at an image processor, which may be located within a dongle in communication with the image processor. The method may also include using the image processor to interpolate color from image data, correct color saturation, filter noise, gamma encode, and/or convert image data from RGB to YUV. may include.

In some embodiments, the image processor (eg, within the dongle) includes a white balancing module. The white balancing module can set white balance based on the color spectrum of the LED in the tip of the borescope. Accordingly, the image processing can be pre-calibrated during the manufacturing stage, avoiding the user's need to adjust the white balance for each use.

In a preferred embodiment, the bore scope may include a fixed lens that is pre-focused at a desired depth of field. The lens may be placed at the distal end of the bore scope just distal to the sensor at a fixed distance to create a fixed lens. The fixed lens and image sensor at the distal end can be pre-focused, thereby eliminating the need for the medical practitioner to focus the lens. The fixed lens, pre-focused, pre-calibrated white balance allows the medical practitioner to plug in to the borescope to monitor and receive high quality images with minimal technical assistance or adjustments. .

In an example of a medical borescope device according to some embodiments, the device may include a tube including a second tube end opposite the first tube end. The handle body may be combined with the tube. A light source, such as a light emitting diode, may be positioned adjacent the first tube end and configured to generate light at the first tube end. The device may further include an image sensor positioned adjacent the first tube end and a power source, such as a battery, that may be configured to provide power to at least one of the light source and the image sensor. In some embodiments, the battery or other power source may be used to provide power to the light source, the image sensor, and/or any other components of the device.

A data communication link may be coupled to the image sensor. The device may further include a dongle including an image processor configured to receive image data from the image sensor. This may reduce cost and increase the flexibility/portability of the imaging system by allowing the device to be combined with a standard display on a portable computing device. In some embodiments, the dongle may include a common, general-purpose and/or non-custom, display connector, such as HDMI or USB, for use with a common, non-customized, non-custom display, such as a mobile general-purpose computing device. A display from can be used to display images from the device. Accordingly, in some embodiments, the dongle may be configured to couple with a mobile general-purpose computing device to allow the display of such device to be used to display images from the device. In some embodiments, the power source may be part of the dongle.

In some embodiments, the first tube end is distal from the handle body and the second tube end is coupled to the handle body. In some embodiments, the dongle may be coupled or coupleable to the handle body. Accordingly, in some embodiments, particularly disposable embodiments, a dongle may be configured to be removed from the device and attached to a new device after disposal of the original device or at least a portion of the original device. In other embodiments, however, the dongle may be disposable with the remainder of the device, or at least with the remainder of the disposable portion of the device.

Some embodiments may further include a flexible wire connector for coupling the dongle to the handle body. Alternatively, the dongle may be electrically coupled directly to the handle body without intervening wires, or to other parts of the device. For example, in some embodiments, the dongle may plug into the handle body, or other part of the device. Alternatively, the dongle may be coupled wirelessly to the device.

In some embodiments, the device may include a tip assembly that may include a printed circuit board. In some such embodiments, the image sensor may be located on or otherwise coupled to the printed circuit board. In some embodiments, the light source may be spaced apart from the circuit board. Accordingly, some such embodiments may include a spacing mount configured to space the light source from the circuit board. In some embodiments, the spacing mount itself may include a printed circuit board. Alternatively, the spacing mount may be configured to simply space a light source from a circuit board, and the light source may be coupled to another circuit board by other means.

In some embodiments, at least a portion of the medical borescope device may be disposable. In some such embodiments, the medical borescope device may be configured to limit at least one of the duration and number of uses of the medical borescope device to a preset value. This can be accomplished, for example, by recording at least one of the duration and number of uses in a flash memory component or other non-volatile memory component located within the medical borescope device. In some embodiments, this memory component may be located in a tip assembly of the device, the tip assembly of which may be separable from the rest of the device. In some such embodiments, the memory component may be located on a printed circuit board located within the tip assembly.

In an example of a medical borescope system according to some embodiments, the system may include a medical borescope. The medical borescope may include a handle body coupled to the tube and a light source positioned adjacent the first tube end and configured to generate light at the first tube end. The borescope may further include an image sensor positioned adjacent the first tube end and a data communication link coupled with the image sensor coupled with a data communication link.

The system may further include a mobile general purpose computing device, such as a mobile phone, tablet, or laptop computer, having a visual display coupled to the medical borescope. The mobile general-purpose computing device may include an image processor configured to receive image data from the image sensor of the borescope. A visual display of the mobile general purpose computing device may be configured to display information received from the image processor.

In an example of a method for processing image data received from an image sensor located within a medical borescope device according to some implementations, the method includes receiving image data from an image sensor located within a medical borescope device. can do. The image data may be sent to an image processor, which may be located within a dongle or mobile general-purpose computing device coupled with the medical borescope device. The image data can then be processed using the image processor and the resulting processed image data can be transmitted from the image processor to a visual display.

Some implementations may further include disposing of the medical borescope device, or disposing of at least a portion of the device. Accordingly, as noted above, some embodiments may be specifically configured to be used once, or to be used a predetermined number of times and/or for a predetermined duration of time. In some such embodiments, a second medical borescope device may be coupled with the dongle or the mobile general purpose computing device after disposal of the first device, or at least a portion of the first device. In some of the above implementations and embodiments, both the original medical borescope device and the second medical borescope device may be configured to limit at least one of the duration and number of uses of the medical borescope device to a preconfigured value. You can. Accordingly, in some such embodiments and implementations, a memory component may be configured to store cycle on/offs and/or time of use associated with the device and the device may detect a threshold number of use and/or time of use. The device may be configured to transmit a command to disable or otherwise limit use of the device.

In another example of a medical borescope system according to some embodiments, the system includes a medical borescope including a tube including a first tube end and a second tube end opposite the first tube end; a light source positioned adjacent the first tube end and configured to produce light at the first tube end; And it may include an image sensor located adjacent to the end of the first tube. The system may further include a dongle including an image processor configured to receive image data from the image sensor and a data communication link coupled with the image sensor. The dongle can be detachably coupled to the medical borescope so that the dongle can be coupled to a plurality of separate medical borescopes. The dongle is further configured to receive and detect calibration data associated with the medical borescope, and/or borescope-specific parameter data, such as at least one of a serial number and model number associated with the medical borescope. It can be. Preferably, the borescope-specific parameter data is stored in the medical borescope and includes data unique to the medical borescope.

In some embodiments, at least a portion of the medical borescope device is disposable. In some such embodiments, the medical borescope device may be configured to determine at least one of a duration and number of uses of the medical borescope device to force one-time use of at least a portion of the medical borescope device. In some such embodiments, the medical borescope device may be configured to determine at least one of the duration and number of uses of the medical borescope device by using the dongle to detect at least one of the duration and number of uses. You can. In some such embodiments, the dongle disables the medical borescope device when detecting usage of the medical borescope device above a threshold, provides an audible warning, provides a visible warning, and generates a warning signal. By transmitting, it may be configured to limit at least one of the use period and number of uses of the medical borescope device to a threshold value.

In another example of a method for medical imaging according to some implementations, the method may include detachably coupling a first medical borescope device and a dongle. The first medical borescope device may be disposable and may include borescope data stored on a memory component of the first medical borescope device. The method may further include receiving at least a portion of the borescope data from the first medical borescope device in the dongle. In some implementations, all of the borescope data can be transmitted to the dongle.

The method may further include adjusting operating parameters of the first medical borescope device using at least a portion of the borescope data and the dongle. Image data may also be received in the dongle from an image sensor located within the first medical borescope device and processed on the dongle using an image processor located within the dongle. The first medical borescope device can then be positioned such that the dongle can be coupled with a second medical borescope device. The second medical borescope device may also include borescope data stored on a memory component of the second medical borescope device. The borescope data of the second medical borescope device may be separate from the borescope data of the first medical borescope device.

In some such implementations, the two medical borescope devices can be distinguished from each other using their individual borescope data. Accordingly, in some implementations, the borescope data of the first medical borescope device may include information unique to the first medical borescope device, and the borescope data of the second medical borescope device may include information unique to the first medical borescope device. Contains information unique to the second medical borescope device. For the example, the borescope data of the first medical borescope device may include model identification data for the first medical borescope device, and the borescope data of the second medical borescope device may include the second medical borescope device. May include model identification data for the medical borescope device. Alternatively or additionally, the borescope data of the first medical borescope device may include calibration data for the first medical borescope device, and the borescope data of the second medical borescope device may include calibration data for the second medical borescope device. May contain calibration data for the borescope device.

Some implementations may further include recording usage data associated with the second medical borescope device. In some such implementations, the dongle can be used to process the usage data to determine whether the second medical borescope device exceeds a threshold usage parameter, and the second medical borescope device violating the threshold usage parameter. When detecting use of a borescope device, the dongle may be used to at least one of: disable a second medical borescope device, provide an audible warning, provide a visual warning, and transmit a warning signal. .

In a particular example of a method for obtaining and storing usage data from a medical borescope according to some embodiments, the method includes a tube comprising a first tube end and a second tube end opposite the first tube end. medical borescope; a light source positioned adjacent the first tube end and configured to produce light at the first tube end; And it may include obtaining an image sensor located adjacent to the end of the first tube. The method may further include coupling a dongle to the medical borescope, wherein the dongle includes an image processor configured to receive image data from the image sensor. Usage data from the medical borescope during a medical procedure can be stored on the dongle, after which the dongle can be removed from the medical borescope. The data may then be accessed, such as transferred to another computer or system, and/or the data may be stored in a database for potential future access. there is.

In some implementations, the dongle can include a memory component. In some such implementations, storing usage data may include storing usage data on the memory component. In other implementations, the medical borescope can include a memory component. In some such implementations, storing usage data may include storing usage data on the memory component.

The usage data may include, for example, the duration of the medical procedure, images associated with unexpected events during the medical procedure, time stamps associated with the medical procedure, temperature measurements associated with the medical procedure, and power associated with the medical borescope. It may contain one or more cycle counters.

Some implementations may further include initiating at least one of a clock and a counter upon initiation of a medical procedure with the medical borescope. Some of these implementations may include correlating at least one time stamp from at least one of a clock and a counter with sensor data such as, for example, image data acquired during a medical procedure, temperature data, speed data, orientation data, etc. there is.

Some implementations may further include correlating the usage data with model identification data associated with the medical borescope. In some implementations, the model identification data may include at least one of a serial number and a model number associated with the medical borescope.

Additional features and advantages of example implementations of the invention may be disclosed in the description that follows, and to some extent will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of such example implementations. The features and advantages of these embodiments may be realized and obtained using the tools and combinations recited in the appended claims. These and other features will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, or may be learned by practice of these example implementations disclosed below. Additionally, features, structures, steps or characteristics disclosed herein in connection with an embodiment may be combined in any suitable way in one or more alternative embodiments.

To illustrate the manner in which the above and other advantages and features of the invention may be obtained, a more detailed description of the invention briefly described above will be provided with reference to specific embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. Understanding that these drawings merely illustrate exemplary embodiments of the invention and are not to be considered as limiting its scope, the invention will be described and explained in further particulars and details through the use of the accompanying drawings.
1 shows an example of a laparoscopic procedure according to an embodiment of the invention.
Figure 2 shows a laparoscope according to an embodiment of the invention.
Figure 3 shows an alternative embodiment of a laparoscope.
Figure 4A shows a medical borescope device with a removable borescope tube according to another embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 4B shows an embodiment of an interchangeable borescope tube.
Figure 4C shows another embodiment of an interchangeable borescope tube.
Figure 5 shows another embodiment of an interchangeable borescope tube connected to the handle body.
6A shows an exploded view of an assembly positioned within and/or configured to form the tip of a borescope tube according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6B shows a cross-section of the tip of the borescope tube shown in FIG. 6A.
7 shows another embodiment of the tip of a borescope tube according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 8 shows an embodiment of a laparoscope with an articulable tip.
Figure 9 shows a series of steps in a method for carrying out an embodiment of the invention.
Figure 10A shows an exploded view of a tip assembly positioned within and/or configured to form the tip of a borescope tube.
Figure 10B is another exploded view of the tip assembly of Figure 10A.
Figure 11A is a perspective view of a handle body for a borescope system according to an alternative embodiment.
Figure 11B is a side view of the handle body of Figure 11A.
Figure 12A is a perspective view of a borescope system according to another alternative embodiment.
FIG. 12B is an enlarged view of the tip of the borescope of the borescope system illustrated in FIG. 12A.
13 is a flow chart illustrating an example of a method for using a borescope system according to some implementations.

Embodiments disclosed in this application provide a highly portable medical borescope system (e.g., a laparoscopic or endoscopic system) that can preclude the need for an external light source or bulky and/or customized video image processing equipment. may include systems, methods, and devices configured to provide. Some embodiments may provide a laparoscopic body that is disposable or suitable for a single use or a limited number of uses (eg, 10 uses). In some embodiments, the system may further include a portable image processing dongle in communication with the laparoscope. The dongle can output video images to a display. The dongle may attach to a non-dedicated display via a universal connector or may include one or more common display connectors such as, for example, HDMI, USB, or Lightning connectors for connecting to a dedicated display.

Mobility and/or disposableness of the laparoscope can be achieved by placing the LED and image sensor within the body of the laparoscope (i.e., within the portion of the laparoscope placed in the sterile field of the patient).

Accordingly, implementations disclosed in this application may allow medical professionals to utilize medical borescope technologies in a variety of different locations, including the field. Additionally, some implementations may allow medical professionals to use a single medical borescope system to efficiently perform several different medical borescope procedures. For example, a medical professional may use the same medical borescope system to perform both endoscopic and laparoscopic procedures. As such, some embodiments could offer significant advantages in third world countries and countries with otherwise inadequate medical care by providing a low-cost, highly transportable medical borescope system.

Additionally, some implementations can be easily integrated into a wide variety of different medical systems. For example, many conventional surgical suites include highly integrated systems that communicate with medical devices from a single manufacturer or group of manufacturers. In contrast, some implementations disclosed in this application provide output ports that perform the necessary image processing and communicate over a variety of different general purpose protocols such as HDMI, VGA, USB, Display Port, MINI Display Port, and other common protocols. can provide communication for a single dongle device. Accordingly, some implementations may allow the medical borescope system to communicate with a variety of conventional devices such as standard high definition televisions, tablet computers, desktop computers, and/or any other display device containing commonly used communication ports. You can.

1 shows an example of a laparoscopic procedure according to an embodiment of the invention. In particular, Figure 1 depicts a laparoscopic procedure to be performed on a patient 140 using an embodiment of a laparoscopic system 100 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Specifically, the laparoscope 110 is inserted into the patient's 140 abdomen through a port 150. Laparoscope 110 communicates with dongle 120, which transmits image data to television display 130. The transmitted image data may include information received from a laparoscope 110 inserted within the patient's 140 abdomen.

In at least one embodiment, dongle 120 may include one or more common output ports. For example, dongle 120 can communicate with television display 130 through an HDMI port. As such, television display 130 need not be a specially designed component, but instead may be an off-the-shelf television set. Similarly, dongle 120 may include common computer input/output ports, such as USB ports. As such, dongle 120 can communicate with an external computing device through a USB port. Accordingly, dongle 120 can provide a communication port that communicates to a general purpose computer or mobile device, such as a tablet or smartphone, and does not require a dedicated processing stack.

Additionally, dongle 120 may include an integrated processing unit. In at least one implementation, the integrated processing unit may include a field programmable gate array (FPGA), microcontroller, programmable integrated circuit, and/or any other type of processing unit. The processing unit may be configured to receive image data from the laparoscope 110 and perform various processing functions on the image data. For example, the processing unit can format image data for various video and image formats readable by devices that can connect to dongle 120 through the dongle's various ports.

The processing unit may also be configured to perform various image processing tasks on the received image data. For example, the processing unit may perform color interpolation operations, color saturation and correction operations, noise filtering, gamma correction, and other similar image processing functions on the received image data.

In one embodiment, the processing unit performs white balancing. White balance can be pre-calibrated based on the known light spectrum of the LEDs used in the borescope. The processing unit may also include one or more buttons for user-controlled white balance, exposure, gain, zoom, or macro settings.

In some embodiments, the processing unit may also include a user interface (Ul) module for generating display information to be transmitted to the display. For example, one or more settings of the borescope can be displayed as an image on a display so that the user can view and/or change the settings. Creating a UI from a processing unit allows the video image to be displayed on TVs or monitors sold under the generic name.

As shown in Figure 1, some embodiments may include a medical borescope system that is extremely mobile and highly compatible with commonly available devices. For example, as opposed to requiring a customized medical set that houses a dedicated processing stack, the implementation of medical borescope systems shown in Figure 1 can communicate with standard television displays and is simply a small, easy-to-use device for processing. It only requires one portable dongle. Accordingly, those skilled in the art will recognize the advantages that such a system can provide to field hospitals and medically compromised areas where expensive and heavy equipment is not readily accessible.

In some embodiments, the laparoscope can be configured to not connect to an external light source. The light source for laparoscopic system 100 may instead be located within laparoscope 110. In some such embodiments, a light source may be positioned at the distal end of the laparoscope 110 to directly illuminate the subject's tissue. In some embodiments, illumination can be provided without the use of light pipes or optical fibers, which can reduce the complexity of the lighting system and avoid diffusion of light.

Continuing with the drawings, FIG. 2 illustrates a laparoscopic system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The illustrated laparoscopic system 100 includes a laparoscopic 110 dongle 120. The illustrated laparoscope 110 further includes a borescope tube 210 connected to the handle body 200. The handle body 200 may include one or more input components 212a, 212b. Input components 212a, 212b may be used by medical professionals to adjust various properties of image data received in real time. For example, a medical professional may operate white balance, focus, or zoom using sliding switches or knobs 212a, 212b located on the handle body 200 for easy access. In other embodiments, the laparoscope 110 may not have any user-operated features (e.g., no buttons), which reduces the cost and complexity of cleaning and sterilization. In this embodiment, various aspects of the device may be controlled by the processing unit.

In some embodiments, handle 200 may have shapes, features, or features that allow a user to easily determine, for example, by tactile feel or visual inspection, which side of the device is up and which side is down. Or it may contain elements. For example, in the embodiment of FIG. 2 , notches 202 are provided so that the user can grasp the handle 200 and immediately and/or easily feel which side is up, which allows the user to position the handle 200 in the desired orientation. This can be useful for providing images. Other embodiments are contemplated in which notch 202 may be replaced with another feature or element, such as a protrusion or similar. Alternatively, the handle 200 may include an asymmetric shape, such as that shown in the embodiment of Figures 11a and 11b, which is discussed in more detail below. This configuration may allow the user to hold the handle and determine based solely on tactile feel whether the device is held in a preferred orientation of rotation. In still other embodiments, a visible element, such as an image, marking, or similar, may be provided on only one side of the handle 200 to allow immediate visual confirmation of the rotational orientation of the device. Notches 202, features, or components, along with other elements mentioned herein, allow a surgeon or other user to determine the rotational orientation of the handle, by visual inspection and/or tactile feel, in the borescope handle. These are all examples of means to check the rotation direction of .

In the depicted embodiment, laparoscope 110 may communicate with dongle 120 via a wired connection. As shown, dongle 120 can be positioned communicatively between laparoscope 110 and the display device. In various embodiments, dongle 120 may include several different sizes and form factors. For example, dongle 120 can include any dimension resulting in a volume equal to or less than 16 cubic inches. In contrast, at the bottom, dongle 120 may include any dimension resulting in a volume equal to or greater than 1 cubic inch. Moreover, dongle 120 may include a volume between 2 cubic inches and 14 cubic inches, 4 cubic inches and 12 cubic inches, 6 cubic inches and 10 cubic inches, or 8 cubic inches and 9 cubic inches.

As disclosed above, dongle 120 may include a processing unit configured to perform various image processing tasks. For example, the image processing unit may format received image data into readable formats at various output ports 230a, 230b. Dongle 120 may also include a multicasting module that enables delivery of data to multiple output devices simultaneously. For example, dongle 120 may output image data to a plurality of high-definition television displays located at different locations around the medical room. Additionally, the multicast module may be configured to broadcast simultaneously on a plurality of different output port types disposed on dongle 120. For example, the multicast module can transmit image data to both the HDMI output port and the VGA output port simultaneously. As such, multiple different display types can be connected to dongle 120 and each receive the same information from dongle 120 through individual output port types. In some embodiments, image data may be unicast or multicast simultaneously over a network, such as an Ethernet, Wi-Fi, or fiber optic network, for example.

Dongle 120 may be connected to laparoscope 110 and/or display 130 (FIG. 1) using a cord of a specific length to minimize cord tangles while simultaneously positioning the dongle in a desired location with respect to the patient. For example, in some embodiments, codes may be selected to place the dongle outside of the sterile field. In some embodiments the data cable between the laparoscope and the dongle may be greater than 2, 4, or 6 feet and/or less than 14, 12, or 10 feet, or within the foregoing ranges. In some embodiments, the dongle can be connected to the monitor with a cord that is less than 14, 10, 8, 4, 2, or even 1 foot. The dongle can be placed in a protective case (e.g. a rubber case) that protects the dongle so that it can be placed on the floor where it can be stepped on. Alternatively, the dongle may include a clip for attaching the dongle to a bed post. Additional alternative means for connecting the dongle to an external device or element may include screws and/or mounting plates to connect the dongle to a monitor or to mount the dongle to a standard rack.

Additionally, in at least one implementation, dongle 120 may include an electrical outlet 220 configured to provide power to dongle 120, laparoscope 110, and/or display. In alternative embodiments, dongle 120 may include an integrated power source, such as battery 125, illustrated in FIG. 4A that may be used to power dongle 120 and/or laparoscope 110. In some embodiments, battery 125 may be rechargeable. Additionally, in at least one implementation, dongle 120 may include a port that can receive power from and communicate with an external device, such as a USB port that communicates with a computer.

Figure 3 shows an alternative embodiment of a laparoscopic system. In this embodiment, the laparoscopic system 100 includes an alternative shape for the handle body 200, input components 212a, 212b instead of a dongle, and alternative configurations for the mobile computing device 300. In alternative embodiments, instead of mobile computing device 300, laparoscopic system 100 may communicate with a desktop computer.

In at least one embodiment, mobile computing device 300 may include a tablet computer, smart phone, or laptop computer. Mobile computing device 300 may be configured to perform various image processing tasks on image data received from laparoscopic system 100. For example, mobile computing device 300 may provide various viewing features, image editing features, video and image storage features, data sharing features, and other similar computer-enabled functions. Additionally, when a medical professional attempts to make adjustments to input components 212a, 212b, the adjustments may be received by mobile computing device 300, which may then use the laparoscopic system to execute the adjustments received from the medical professional. Any necessary adjustments that need to be made within 100) can be initiated.

To communicate with laparoscopic system 100, mobile computing device 300 may include a custom software application. The software application may be configured to communicate with the laparoscopic system 100 and provide various laparoscopic specific functions. Additionally, the software application may include streaming functionality that allows images received by mobile computing device 300 to be streamed to a remote location. In this way, the specialist can actually participate in the laparoscopic procedure, even if the specialist is in a remote location.

Turning now to Figures 4A-4C, Figure 4A illustrates an embodiment of a laparoscope with a removable borescope tube in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. System 100 shown in FIG. 4A includes borescope tube 210, handle body 200, and dongle 120 listed above. Additionally, in some embodiments, laparoscopic system 100 may include an interchangeable borescope 210. For example, borescope 210 of FIG. 4A includes interchangeable tube portions 400 and attachment points 430. In particular, the interchangeable tube portion 400 of FIG. 4A includes a laparoscopic tube 400 of a specific diameter and length.

Figures 4b and 4c show various embodiments of interchangeable tube portions 410,420. The interchangeable tube portion 410 includes a laparoscopic tube portion 410 having longer and narrower dimensions than the laparoscopic tube portion 400 shown in FIG. 4A. In contrast to the laparoscopic tubes 400 and 410 shown in Figures 4A and 4B, Figure 4C shows an endoscopic tube portion 420. Both the laparoscopic tube portion 410 in FIG. 4B and the endoscopic tube portion 420 in FIG. 4C may communicate with the same attachment point 430.

In some embodiments, one or more tube portions may include a non-conductive material, such as a plastic or ceramic material, that may act as a shield from other devices, such as cautery devices or other electrosurgical devices. there is. These materials may make up the entire tube portion, or a portion of the tube. In some embodiments, a shield tube may be positioned concentrically above another tube. In some embodiments, other shielding technologies/features, such as a Faraday cage, may be incorporated within or otherwise adjacent to the non-conducting tube or tube portion.

Accordingly, in some embodiments, a medical professional may select from several different tube sections to meet the needs of a particular procedure. For example, the embodiment of the borescope system shown in Figure 4A can be incorporated into a laparoscope with a variety of different borescope lengths, diameters, stiffnesses, material types (e.g., steel, plastic, etc.), and /Or perform laparoscopic procedures requiring surgical tools. In at least one embodiment, laparoscopic tube portions may also be available in several different levels of deformation, such that certain laparoscopic tube portions are rigid while other portions include significant flexibility.

Similarly, some implementations may perform a variety of different endoscopic procedures that likewise require different borescope properties. For example, in some embodiments and implementations, a single medical borescope system can be used with endoscopes sized for infants, children, and/or adults. Additionally, several other features and capabilities may be incorporated into an individual endoscope to allow the medical practitioner to select the optical tool, specific surgical tools integrated into the tool, specific sensors integrated into the tool, dimensions of the tool, materials of construction, and/or other similar features. and select specific endoscopic tubes based on capabilities.

Additionally, embodiments of the borescope system disclosed in Figures 4a, 4b, and 4c provide a system in which individual borescope portions 400, 410, 420 can also be easily sterilized and cleaned. For example, in at least one embodiment, borescope portions 400, 410, 420 are discardable after each procedure so that new, sterilized borescope portions 400, 410, 420 are used for each procedure. In an alternative embodiment, the borescope tube portions 400, 410, 420 are removable so that they can be easily cleaned and sterilized.

4A shows an attachment point 430 extending from the handle body 200, but in at least one implementation, the borescope tube portions 400, 410, 420 are interchangeable and connect directly to the handle body 200. In either case, attachment point 430 can be positioned such that no portion of the attachment point contacts non-sterile surfaces. In this way, the contact point 430 and handle body 200 may not require the same level of sterilization as the borescope tube portions 400, 410, 420.

Moreover, in at least one embodiment, the borescope tube portions 400, 410, 420 may be integrated into a single structure such that the borescope tube portions 400, 410, 420 may not be removable from the handle body 200. In this case, the handle body 200 can be interchangeably connected to the dongle 120. As such, various types of laparoscopes and endoscopes can be interchangeably connected to a single dongle 120, including their individual handle bodies 200.

5 shows an implementation of an interchangeable borescope tube connected to a handle body according to another embodiment. In particular, FIG. 5 shows the borescope tube 210 and the handle body 200 connected via a pin and latch connection 500. Pin and latch connection 500 may include one or more pins 510 extending from the body of borescope tube 210. One or more pins 510 may be accommodated by one or more latches 520 formed in a receiving hole 530 in the handle body 200. The one or more pins 510 and one or more latches 520 may be spaced apart such that each one or more pins 510 may only be accommodated by certain latches 520, such that the borescope tube 210 It is required to have a specific orientation with respect to the handle body 200.

Various alternative embodiments may include connectors in addition to pin and latch connections 500. For example, borescope tube 210 and handle body 200 may be connected via a screw type connection, clamp connection, press fit connection, or any other common connection type. In at least one implementation, a connection type to limit rotational movement between the borescope tube 210 and the handle body 200 may be desirable. This may be necessary to prevent the borescope tube 210 from becoming disconnected from the handle body 200 when in use.

In at least one implementation, borescope tube 210 may also include electrical connection points 540 disposed around the bottom portion of borescope tube 210. Electrical connection points 540 may be configured to receive power from the handle body 200 and provide a communication path between tools within the borescope tube 210 and components within the handle body 200. Electrical connection points 540 are shown as electrically conductive contact pads disposed around the bottom of borescope tube 210; however, in other implementations, electrical connection points 540 may be connected to borescope tube 210. It can be positioned anywhere that contacts the handle body 200. Additionally, electrical connection points 540 may include pin and socket connections, magnetic connections, inductive connections, and any other common connection type. Similarly, if optical fibers or some other communication medium are used, appropriate connection points may also be incorporated into the borescope tube 210 and handle body 200.

Figures 6A-6B and Figure 7 show an embodiment of a tip 600 of a borescope tube according to another embodiment. The illustrated tip 600 is the portion of the borescope positioned at the forefront that is inserted into the patient and includes the portion of the borescope tube distal to the handle body 200. Tip 600 may include various features, including one or more LED lights 610, image sensors 620, through ports 670, and other medical borescope components. In at least one embodiment, one or more LEDs 610 may include several different colors and intensities. The different LEDs 610 may individually have their own address and may be controlled by a medical professional or automatically by a processing unit within the borescope tube, within the handle body 200, or within the dongle 120. there is.

Figures 6a and 6b illustrate example parts that may be used in the tip 600 of a borescope according to some embodiments of the invention. Figure 6a illustrates an exploded view and Figure 6b illustrates a cross-sectional view. Tip 600 includes housing 614, lens assembly 611, cover glass 635, light emitting diode (LED) 610, wiring 616, spacing mount 617, image sensor 620, and printing. Includes circuit board (PCB) 640 and assembly screws 623. Sensor 620 can be mounted directly on PCB 640 and PCB 640 can be mounted on housing 614 to secure PCB 640. Lens assembly 611 includes an optical component 530 (i.e., lens) mounted at a certain distance from image sensor 620 to provide appropriate focus. Threads 613 allow the lens assembly 611 to be moved relative to the housing 614 to change the spacing 621 between the image sensor 620 and the optical element 530. Cover glass 635 may be sealed to housing 614 to prevent fluids within the patient from contacting lens assembly 611. Cover glass 635 can also protect the lens assembly from being struck, which (if unprotected) could cause the lens to move out of focus.

Image sensor 620 may include a custom CMOS sensor, an off-the-shelf CMOS sensor, or any other digital image capture device. Additionally, image sensor 620 may be configured to capture images and video at a variety of different resolutions, including but not limited to 720p, 720i, 1080p, 1080i, and other similar high resolution formats. The image sensor 620 also includes a pixel size within the range of greater than 0.8 μm, 1 μm, or 2 μm and/or less than 4 μm, 3 μm, less than 2 μm, or any front top size and bottom size. can do.

LED 610 may be mounted in housing 614. In a preferred embodiment, LED 610 is mounted essentially flush with the end of housing 614 to minimize tunneling of light. LED 610 is mounted flush with housing 614. It may be mounted off the PCB 640 to allow for placement. For example, LED 610 may be within 3 mm, 2 mm, or 1 mm of the end of housing 614. Mounting LED 610 off PCB 640 can be accomplished using wire 616 that powers LED 610. LED 610 may be mounted to housing 614 using optically pure epoxy or other suitable methods. A cover glass may also be used over the LED 610 (not shown).

In some embodiments, LED 610 can be mounted on PCB 640 and a light guide can be used to direct light to an opening at the distal end of tip 600. In one embodiment, the light guide may be smaller than 20 cm, 10 cm, 5 cm, or 2 cm. The LED 610 is preferably placed at the tip 600, but the use of a light pipe may also be placed at an intermediate location within the borescope tube or within the handle of the borescope. However, the LED 610 is placed within the borescope so that no external cables need to be attached to the light source. Placing the LED 610 within the borescope minimizes the distance the light must travel and excludes light sources with different emission spectra from being attached. The borescope's built-in LEDs 610 are then white balanced at the time of manufacture to ensure appropriate tissue color with little or no input from the user.

The portion of housing 614 surrounding LED 610 is used to optically isolate LED 610 from side exposure of light to image sensor 620. For example, LED 610 is laterally isolated from cover glass 635. This isolation prevents light from diffusing or reflecting back to the cover glass 635 or image sensor 620 before it is reflected from the tissue. Because LED 610 and image sensor 620 are very close, this isolation is important to achieve a usable signal-to-noise ratio. LED 610 is preferably mounted on the end of image sensor 620, and more preferably on the end of cover glass 635.

In at least one implementation, LEDs 610 and image sensor 620 can be attached to a common printed circuit board 640. LEDs 610 and image sensor 620 may communicate with the handle body 200 through one or more wires. Additionally, the LEDs 610 and the image sensor 620 may receive power through a plurality of wires. In a preferred embodiment, image sensor 620 and/or PCB 640 preprocesses the pixel data and produces serialized data that can be transmitted over a relatively large distance (e.g., greater than 50, 75, or 100 cm). Stream can be output. In a preferred embodiment the image data output from tip 600 is serialized data from a MIPI or LVDS interface. Image data may be at least 8 or at least 12 bits, and the data may be RGB data or Bayer data.

Various embodiments of the invention may provide various optical configurations. For example, in at least one embodiment, the optics may be configured as a fixed 0 degree lens 630 with a small aperture such that the optics include a high depth of field. Additionally, the optics can be configured so that they focus at 10 cm instead of 1 m, which is typical of many conventional CMOS optical systems. Specifically, the optics may include an approximately 90 degree field of view (FOV) with a near depth of field of approximately 15 mm and a far depth of field of approximately 100 mm.

Additionally, in at least one embodiment, the optics may include a fish-eye lens or a wide-angle lens. In this embodiment, dongle 120 may also include an image processing component configured to flatten an image received from a wide-angle lens or a fisheye lens so that at least some of the distortion from the lens is removed from the final image. In at least one embodiment, interchangeable borescope tubes are available with a variety of optics so that a medical practitioner can select a particular borescope tube based on desired optical properties.

In at least one embodiment, the borescope has a fixed lens having a depth of field of at least 30 cm, 50 cm or 70 cm and/or less than and/or within 120 cm, 100 cm or 90 cm. The lower boundary of the focal range may be less than 20 cm, 15 cm, 10 cm or 5 cm and the upper boundary of the focal range may be greater than 50 cm, 70 mm, 90 cm or 110 cm. For the purposes of the present invention, the lens may be considered focal, where the lens produces a spot size of less than 2 pixels.

The F# of the lens is selected to provide sufficient light at the selected depth of field. Lenses can have an F# greater than or equal to 2.5, 3.5, 5.5, 7.5, or 10.

Figures 6 and 7 show a scope with a zero degree angle. However, the lens may also have an angled lens (ie, with respect to the axis of the borescope tube). The lens angle may be greater than or equal to 15, 25, or 45 degrees and/or less than or equal to 65, 50, or 35 degrees. The angle of field of view (FOV) may be greater than 60, 75, or 90 degrees and/or less than 110, 100, or 90 degrees, or within the ranges above. In one embodiment, the optical instrument system may include a focal length of approximately 2 mm and an F# of approximately 2.4.

In some embodiments, software image rotation may be used to preserve the preferred orientation of the image on the display while the user rotates the scope. In some such embodiments, the system and/or device may be configured to be controlled on the device, such as by way of a dial on a handle. In some embodiments, one or more rotation, orientation, and/or tilt sensors, such as accelerometers, may be provided to enable desired image orientation/rotation.

Figure 7 shows an embodiment with three LEDs around the image sensor 620. Through port 670 may include a passageway that extends at least partially upward the length of the medical borescope tube. In at least one embodiment, through port 670 may be configured to allow a medical professional to insert a medical tool into a patient through through port 670. For example, a medical professional may insert a biopsy tool through through port 670 so that specific tissue identified by the borescope can be removed for biopsy.

In addition to providing a variety of optical instruments for viewing by a medical practitioner within a patient, in some embodiments, a medical borescope may include an articulated portion. For example, Figure 8 shows an embodiment of a laparoscope with an articulable tip. Specifically, borescope tube 210 includes an articulation point 800 that orients tip 600 in a direction non-parallel to borescope tube 210. In at least one implementation, the articulation point 800 can articulate up to 90 degrees in any direction relative to the borescope tube 210. As such, tip 600 can move within a complete hemisphere extending radially outward from articulation point 800.

One or more sliders 810 may be positioned along the handle body 200, although a variety of different ways to control the articulation of the tip 600 may be used by way of example. In at least one embodiment, slider(s) 810 may be positioned near one or more input components 212a, 212b that may manipulate various properties of images received through the medical borescope. Each slider 810 may be configured to articulate an articulation point 800 along a single individual axis. As such, a medical practitioner using a combination of sliders 810 in some embodiments may position tip 600 to align with any point along a hemisphere extending outward from articulation point 800.

By controlling the articulation of the tip 600 of the borescope within the patient, the medical practitioner can more easily observe various surfaces within the patient. This may provide a particular benefit to fixed lens systems, where the FOV may otherwise be limited directly forward from the tip 600.

Accordingly, Figures 1-8 and the corresponding text illustrate one or more methods, systems and/or devices for using a medical borescope including digital image sensors and interchangeable endoscopic tubes within the tip of the endoscopic borescope. Explain it another way. Those skilled in the art will understand that implementations of the invention may also be described as methods involving one or more actions or steps to achieve a particular result. For example, Figure 9 illustrates flow charts of a series of operations in a method for processing image data received from a medical borescope tool. The operations/steps of Figure 9 are described below with reference to the components and modules illustrated in Figures 1-8.

For example, Figure 9 shows a flow chart for implementation of a method for processing image data received from a medical borescope tool, which may include serializing the image data (900). Operation 900 includes serializing image data received from an image sensor, the image sensor disposed at a first end of a medical borescope tube. For example, FIG. 6A shows the tip 600 of a medical borescope tube 210 that includes an image sensor 620. Information received via image sensor 620 is serialized before being transmitted along medical borescope tube 210.

Figure 9 also shows that the method may include an act of transmitting image data (910). Operation 910 includes transmitting serialized image data along the medical borescope tube to a second end of the medical borescope tube. For example, Figure 6A shows electrical communication paths connecting the image sensor to the second end of the medical borescope tube 210.

Additionally, Figure 9 illustrates that the method may include an act of deserializing image data (920). Operation 920 may include deserializing image data from an image processor, where the image processor is located within a dongle in communication with an image sensor. For example, Figure 2 shows a dongle 120 communicating with a laparoscope 110. Dongle 120 includes an image processor that receives data transmitted from image sensor 620 and deserializes the received data.

Figure 9 also shows that the method may include an act of interpolating colors (930). Operation 930 includes interpolating colors from image data using an image processor. For example, Figure 2 shows a dongle 120 communicating with a laparoscope 110. Dongle 120 includes an image processor configured to interpolate color information from image data received from image sensor 620 .

Additionally, Figure 9 illustrates that the method may include an act of correcting color saturation (940). Operation 940 includes correcting color saturation using an image processor. For example, Figure 2 shows a dongle communicating with a laparoscope 110. Dongle 120 includes an image processor configured to correct color saturation in image data received from image sensor 620 .

Figure 9 also shows that the method may include an act of filtering noise (950). Operation 950 may include filtering noise in the image data using an image processor. For example, Figure 2 shows a dongle communicating with a laparoscope 110. Dongle 120 includes an image processor configured to filter out noise in image data received from image sensor 620 .

Moreover, Figure 9 shows that the method may include an act of gamma encoding an image (960). Operation 960 may include gamma encoding the image data using an image processor. For example, Figure 2 shows a dongle communicating with a laparoscope 110. The dongle may include an image processor configured to gamma encode image data received from image sensor 620.

Additionally, Figure 9 illustrates that the method may include an act of transforming an image (970). Operation 970 may include converting image data from RGB to YUV. For example, Figure 2 shows a dongle communicating with a laparoscope 110. The dongle may include an image processor configured to convert RGB data received from the image sensor 620 into YUV data.

Additionally, with the implementation shown in FIG. 9 , in at least one implementation, instead of processing the data using an image processor disposed within the dongle 120, the data is transferred from the image sensor to a mobile computing device, such as a tablet. Can be shipped. In this embodiment, a tablet can be used to perform the necessary image processing and image display.

Figures 10a and 10b show an exploded view of another embodiment of a tip assembly 1000 positioned within and/or configured to form the tip of a borescope tube. In the depicted embodiment, the tip assembly 1000 is configured to be inserted into the distal end of the tube by inserting the inner collar 1022 of the housing 1014. Of course, various alternative embodiments are contemplated, such as inserting assembly 1000 around the exterior of the borescope tube or otherwise engaging assembly 1000 with the distal end of the borescope tube.

As tip assembly 600, tip assembly 1000 may be coupled to a handle body, such as handle body 200, and will typically comprise a portion of a borescope that is initially inserted into the patient. Tip assembly 1000 includes one or more light sources 1010, such as LED lights, one or more image sensors 1020, and/or other medical borescope components. Light sources 1010 may be manually controllable by a medical professional or automatically controlled by a processing unit within a borescope tube, handle body, dongle, and/or mobile, general purpose, computing device, such as a mobile phone or tablet computer. It can be.

Tip assembly 1000 further includes a printed circuit board (PCB) 1040. Image sensor(s) 1020 may be directly coupled to PCB 1040. However, light source(s) 1010 may be spaced apart from PCB 1040. More specifically, the light source(s) 1010 may be configured to physically separate the light source(s) 1010 from the PCB 1040 and/or position the light source(s) 1010 closer to the distal end of the tip. It may be positioned on a spacing mount 1017 configured to do so. In some preferred embodiments, the light source(s) 1010 may be positioned flush with, or at least substantially flush with, the distal end of the housing 1014 and/or the tip assembly 1000 itself. This can be useful to prevent shadowing effects or otherwise create better images. Accordingly, in the depicted embodiment, light source/LED 1010 is located within cavity 1019 (see FIG. 10B) formed within housing 1014. The perimeter of housing 1014 defining cavity 1019 may be flush with the distal end of tip assembly 1000.

Tip assembly 1000 includes lens assembly 1011, cover glass 1035, and one or more fasteners, such as fasteners 1018 and 1023, that can be used to secure in place various components of assembly 1000. Includes more. One or more lenses or other optical components may be positioned within lens cavity 1012 formed within lens assembly 1011 to provide desired focusing for image sensor 1020. Lens assembly 1011 may be positioned within a lens housing cavity 1015 formed within housing 1014. In some embodiments, threads, such as threads 613 on assembly 600, may be used to change the spacing between image sensor 1020 and a lens within lens assembly 1011 so that lens assembly 1011 can be attached to housing 1014. ) can be provided to allow movement with respect to.

Cover glass 1035 may be sealed to housing 614 to prevent fluids from contacting lens assembly 1011 or otherwise entering tip assembly 1000, and may also provide a protective function. You can. In the depicted embodiment, the cover glass 1035 is specifically configured to cover the lens (in the lens assembly 1011) and its associated image sensor 1020 without also covering the light source/LED 1010. This can be useful to avoid light reflected from the light source/LED 1010 from entering the image sensor 1020 and blurring the resulting image.

The portion of housing 1014 surrounding light source/LED 1010 may be used to optically isolate light source/LED 1010 from side exposure of light to image sensor 1020. For example, as mentioned above, the light source/LED 1010 is isolated from the cover glass 1035, preventing light from reflecting to the image sensor 1020 before reflecting from the tissue. Additionally, as also mentioned above, the light source/LED is preferably set away from the PCB 1040 on which the image sensor 1020 can be mounted to further improve image quality. In some embodiments, light source/LED 1010 may be positioned distal to image sensor 1020 and also distal to cover glass 1035. However, in other embodiments, the light source/LED 1010 may be positioned flush with or even recessed/proximal to the cover glass 1035.

Accordingly, the depicted embodiment includes two transparent media physically separated from each other, one of which covers the lens and/or image sensor 1020 (cover glass 1035), and the other of which covers the light source. / Covers LED (1010). In the depicted embodiment, the transparent medium covering the light source/LED 1010 may include an epoxy surrounding the light source/LED 1010. However, other embodiments are contemplated in which a separate transparent cover is positioned distally of the light source/LED 1010, such as at the distal end of the cavity 1019 flush with the distal end of the housing 1014. Another embodiment is contemplated where the light source/LED 1010 is sealed adjacent to the exterior surface of the assembly 1000 so that a transparent light source cover is not required. However, it is preferred that any cover used does not extend across both the light source and the lens/image sensor as described above to avoid reflection blurring.

Image sensor 1020 may include a CMOS sensor or any other image sensor available to those skilled in the art, including but not limited to 720p, 720i, 1080p, 1080i, and other similar high resolution formats. It may be configured to capture images and/or video at several different resolutions, including.

As mentioned above, light source/LED 1010 may be mounted in housing 1014. In preferred embodiments, the light source/LED 1010 is flush with, or at least substantially flush with, an end of the housing 1014 (which in some embodiments may also be flush with an end of the assembly 1000) to minimize tunneling of light. can be mounted on the same height. However, in other embodiments, the light source/LED 1010 may be recessed from or extend beyond the distal end of the housing 1014 and/or the distal end of the assembly 1000.

In some embodiments, light source/LED 1010 and image sensor 1020 may be combined with the same PCB 1040. In these embodiments, it may also be useful to physically separate the light source/LED 1010 from the PCB 1040 as mentioned above. However, in other embodiments, different PCBs may be provided for light source/LED 1010 and image sensor 1020. For example, in some embodiments, spacing mount 1017 may also, or alternatively, include a PCB such that light source/LED 1010 and image sensor 1020 are electrically coupled to separate PCBs. . In these embodiments, spacing mount 1017 may serve as a means to space the PCB and light source/LED 1010 from another PCB 1040 where image sensor 1020 may be located.

One or more PCBs, such as spacing mount/PCB 1017 and/or PCB 1040, may be configured to record the number of uses and/or duration of the device, such as a flash memory component 1042 or other non-volatile May contain memory components. This feature may be used to prevent or at least inhibit uses of disposable components of the device (in some embodiments, the entire borescope device in addition to the dongle for image processing) beyond a preconfigured number of times or duration of time.

Thus, for example, in some embodiments, a memory component may be configured to store cycle on/off cycles associated with the device and may be configured to transmit a command upon detecting a threshold number of uses so that the device may stop using the device. Disable or otherwise limit it. Similarly, in other embodiments, the memory component may be configured to track and/or record a duration of time while the device is on and/or operating. The device may be configured to transmit a command upon detecting a threshold usage time duration, causing the device to disable or otherwise limit use of the device.

In some embodiments, the threshold may be single-use. In other words, some embodiments may be specifically configured to allow use of the device in a single procedure and then exclude or at least prohibit attempts at further use.

In alternative embodiments, the memory component may be located elsewhere within tip assembly 1000 or elsewhere within the borescope device. In some embodiments, the tip assembly may include smart chips, electronic counters, or time-based lockouts to provide an indication of times and/or durations of use. This data may then be stored in a flash memory component or other non-volatile memory component on the tip assembly, such as a PCB within the tip assembly.

Steps of a method for detecting a threshold number and/or duration of use, and/or disabling or otherwise limiting use of a device upon detecting a threshold may include a tip/device or, alternatively, a dongle. Alternatively, it may be implemented using machine-readable instructions stored on a non-transitory machine-readable medium that can be located on a general-purpose mobile computing device.

In some embodiments, the dongle may be configured to limit usage of the borescope in response to receiving and/or detecting certain conditions, such as usage conditions exceeding a threshold. Accordingly, in some embodiments, the dongle may be configured to query the borescope, e.g., in response to detecting or determining that at least one of a threshold duration and a threshold number of uses of the borescope device has been exceeded. Disable the borescope, provide an audible warning, provide a visible warning, and/or transmit a warning signal to prevent or prevent further use.

In some embodiments, usage data may be stored on the dongle instead of or in addition to the borescope device itself. Accordingly, the dongle may be configured to receive usage data such as a number of hours, power cycle number, timestamps, etc. from the borescope, or alternatively may be configured to detect some or all of this data on itself. For example, in some embodiments, the dongle may be configured to detect a power up or power cycle and initiate a timer or clock. Upon detecting power down or a second power cycle, the dongle may be configured to stop the timer/clock. This way, data does not need to be stored in the borescope itself, which can limit costs, especially for disposable medical borescope devices.

Usage data, whether generated from a borescope or dongle, may be simply stored for record keeping, or alternatively may be structured to result in one or more actions as described above, such as when detecting a critical condition.

In some embodiments, other instructions, settings, or data may alternatively, or additionally, be stored on PCB 1040 and/or otherwise in tip assembly 1000. For example, in some embodiments, zoom settings, lighting settings, image processing settings, or other similar settings or data may be stored in non-transitory memory located on PCB 1040 and/or otherwise stored in a tip. It can be stored in assembly (1000). Such data may also, or alternatively, be configured so that tip assembly 1000 and/or one or more other components of the borescope are releasably coupled with tip assembly 1000 such that they can be disposed of after a single use or a limited number of uses. It can be stored in a dongle.

Figures 11a and 11b show a handle body 1100 for a borescope system according to an alternative embodiment. Handle body 1100 includes a distal end 1102 through which a borescope tube can extend. The handle body 1100 further includes a proximal end 1104 from which one or more wires may extend. As described above, these wires may in some embodiments be combined with a dongle and/or mobile computing device.

Port 1106 at distal end 1102 may be configured to receive a borescope tube. In some embodiments, the borescope tube can be releasably coupled with port 1106. Alternatively, the borescope tube may be permanently attached to the handle body 1100 at port 1106. Similarly, at the proximal end 1104, another port 1108 may be provided through which one or more wires may extend to convey image data to a dongle, computing device, and/or display.

The handle body 1100 may further include a narrow stem 1110 adjacent the proximal end 1104 to enable the user to confirm by feel or visual inspection that the handle body 1100 is in the desired rotational orientation during the procedure. there is. The narrow stem 1110 also partially defines a recess 1115 on the bottom surface of the handle body 1100. Additionally, recess 1115 provides the ability to confirm by tactile or visual inspection that the handle body 1100 is in a desired rotational orientation during the procedure. In use, the surgeon/user is expected to maintain the handle body 1100 with one or more of the user's fingers, most typically the pinky and/or ring finger, resting within the recess 1115 during use. Accordingly, recess 1115 and/or narrow stem 1110 are further examples of means for ascertaining the rotational orientation of the borescope handle.

In some embodiments, a dongle and/or borescope, such as tip assembly 1000, may be used to store data useful for regulatory record keeping, incident reporting, or general record keeping. In other words, the dongle and/or borescope may be configured to operate similar to a “black box” to the aircraft industry. More specifically, in some embodiments, usage data may be obtained from a medical borescope during a medical procedure and the borescope device to allow subsequent access to obtain information regarding the use of the medical borescope during a medical procedure. It can be stored on its own or in a dongle. This information may allow regulators, courts, etc. to determine where and/or when something occurred during a particular proceeding. Alternatively, such information may be used solely for internal company/hospital record keeping purposes. In some embodiments, usage data may be correlated with other data, such as time data and/or model/device identification data, so that a better picture of one or more events and the device being used to perform a medical procedure can be obtained and stored. there is. Providing model/device identification data allows the dongle to be removed and used with other borescopes while maintaining a link between the stored data and the device used to perform the specific procedure, allowing the dongle to be used to store black box data. This may be particularly useful in relation to examples.

This usage data could allow for the recreation of certain aspects of medical procedures. In some embodiments and implementations, the usage data may include, for example, the duration of the medical procedure, images associated with the medical procedure, such as images triggered by unexpected events during the medical procedure, a timestamp associated with the medical procedure, or a medical procedure. It may include one or more of the following: temperature measurements associated with the borescope, orientation of the borescope, position of the borescope, speed of the borescope, such as peak velocity of the borescope during a medical procedure, and a power cycle counter associated with the medical borescope.

Alternatively, or additionally, parameters and/or calibration data may be stored in the dongle and/or borescope device and/or transmitted to the dongle and/or other devices separately or together with the usage data. For example, in some embodiments and implementations, model identification data, such as a serial number or model number associated with a medical borescope, may be stored. In some such embodiments, model identification data may be stored within the borescope device, such as within a memory component on the tip of the device. This data may then allow the dongle to query the borescope and adjust operating and/or control parameters depending on the specific borescope detected. In this way, a single dongle can be used with several different scopes. For example, the dongle may determine whether the scope is an HD scope or an SD scope, the size of the lens used on the scope, the type and/or number of optics, etc. This information can also be used to enable or disable certain features on the scope depending on their function.

In some embodiments and implementations, usage data may be used only for the “black box” purposes mentioned above. In other embodiments and implementations, only model identification data may be obtained and stored. Alternatively, usage data may be obtained and used for different purposes in addition to or as an alternative to black box purposes. For example, usage data may be used to limit the duration and/or number of uses of devices reviewed elsewhere in this application. In some such embodiments, usage data may be used to force/control retirement of one or more parts of the borescope.

In some embodiments, certain data may be stored on the borescope and queried by and/or sent to the dongle to further control/limit the use of the device in this manner. For example, in some embodiments, a number of allowable uses, allowable periods of use, and/or allowable operating configurations may be stored within a memory component of the borescope and, when combined with a dongle, store such control parameters. Can be obtained by dongle to force. In some embodiments, upon detecting that a control parameter threshold has been exceeded, the dongle may be configured to disable or otherwise limit further use of the borescope device.

In some embodiments and implementations, calibration data may be stored on the borescope device and/or dongle. In some preferred embodiments, this calibration data may be stored in the borescope device, such as a memory component that may be located at the tip of the borescope device, and may be queried by or transmitted to the dongle. Other data that can operate in conjunction with this calibration data can be stored on the dongle. For example, in some embodiments, lens calibration data, such as calibration parameters, may be stored in the borescope and/or the dongle so that the dongle can query the borescope for specific lens calibration data and then query a centralized database. Appropriate corrections can be applied according to the lens data received from the borescope. As another example of calibration data, white balance parameters may be stored on the borescope and/or dongle if a particular LED has sufficient variation from part to part or if multiple LED manufacturers are used for a particular borescope or set for borescopes. , the content of the color spectrum of the LEDs for a particular scope may be stored in a memory component within the scope, and in some such embodiments, such data may be transferred to a dongle for use in calibration of the borescope prior to the procedure.

Another embodiment of borescope 1200 is shown in Figures 12A and 12B. Borescope 1200 includes a handle having a distal end 1202 from which a borescope tube 1220 extends. In preferred embodiments, borescope tube 1220 includes a non-conductive material, such as polycarbonate or polyether ether ketone (PEEK). This can offer several advantages, such as preventing arcing, which can contribute to the stability of the device. The inventors have also discovered that non-conductive tubes can provide desirable electromagnetic isolation that can prevent or at least reduce electromagnetic interference (EMI) with signals generated within tube 1220. Providing a non-conducting tube portion can also simplify the configuration required to provide EMI shielding.

Borescope 1200 further includes a proximal end 1204. Instead of including a wire that can be coupled to the dongle, the borescope 1200 includes a dongle 1300 that can be inserted directly into a port 1235 formed in the handle of the borescope 1200. However, a port 1208 may also be formed in the proximal end 1204 for other purposes, if desired.

Dongle 1300 further includes a memory element 1310 and a processor 1320 that can be used to process image data from the image sensor of borescope 1200 as described above. Dongle 1300 further includes a data port 1330 that can be used to couple dongle 1300 with borescope 1200, and in some embodiments allows dongle 1300 to be coupled with another device, such as a general purpose computer. It is also permissible. In this manner, data acquired from borescope 1200, such as usage data, as discussed above, may be stored in memory element 1310 and ultimately transferred to another computer depending on the medical procedure.

The handle of the borescope 1200 further includes a narrow stem 1210 adjacent the proximal end 1204 where, by tactile or visual inspection, the user determines that the handle is in the desired rotational orientation during the procedure, as previously noted. You can check it. Narrow stem 1210 also partially defines a recess 1215 on the bottom surface of the handle body. Additionally, recess 1215 provides the ability to confirm by tactile or visual inspection that the handle body 1200 is in a desired rotational orientation during the procedure.

Borescope tube 1220 includes a tip 1230. Tip 1230 and/or other components within borescope 1200 may include various additional functional elements. An example of this combination of elements is shown in Figure 12, an enlarged view of tip 1230. Tip 1230 includes three LEDs 1240 positioned in a circumferential fashion relative to image sensor 1260. Tip 1230 may further include one or more through ports 1270 that may extend at least partially the length of borescope tube 1220 and/or the handle of borescope 1200. Tip 1230 may further include one or more lenses 1250 as discussed previously.

To enable one or more of the data storage/transfer aspects described above, tip 1230 may further include a memory element 1280 and one or more sensors 1282. Examples of sensors that may be useful for collecting data, such as usage data, include temperature sensors, pressure sensors, impedance sensors, gyroscopes, timers, clocks, etc. In some embodiments, one or more sensors 1282 may include a second image sensor. This image sensor can be used to capture images at selected moments separate from the first image sensor 1260. Data acquired during a surgical procedure from such sensor(s) may be stored in memory element 1280 and, ultimately, in some embodiments, a similar memory element such as memory element 1310 located within dongle 1300. Can be shipped to .

An example of a method 1300 for use of a borescope system including a borescope device and a dongle is illustrated in the flow chart of FIG. 13 . Method 1300 begins with step 1305 where a dongle can be coupled with a borescope. In some implementations, the dongle can be combined with a disposable borescope. The borescope can then be queried by the dongle in step 1310. In some implementations, step 1310 may include querying the borescope for model identification data, such as a serial number and/or model identification. Alternatively, or additionally, calibration data may be obtained from the borescope. Alternatively, or additionally, usage parameters and/or previous usage data may be obtained at step 1310 to enable the dongle to limit unwanted use of the borescope. At step 1315, data acquired from the borescope may be stored in the dongle for later use.

At step 1320, an inquiry may be made as to whether a usage parameter has been exceeded. For example, as discussed above, in some implementations, queries regarding whether the borescope has been previously used or whether the borescope has exceeded a predetermined threshold duration or number of uses may be performed by the dongle. You can. If so, further use of the borescope may be restricted at step 1325. For example, in some implementations, the dongle may disable one or more functions of the borescope at step 1325. If the usage parameters have not been exceeded, process 1300 may proceed to step 1330, at which point the procedure may begin using the borescope. In some implementations, step 1330 may further include starting a clock or counter to allow for tracking further usage of the device.

Below in step 1330, usage data may be sensed during a medical procedure in step 1335. For example, as mentioned above, one or more sensors located on the tip and/or borescope may be used to track and/or record various aspects of the procedure for later recovery. In some implementations, process 1300 may return to step 1320 at various points throughout the procedure, in conjunction with or as an alternative to preceding step 1320 with a medical procedure. For example, in some embodiments, a dongle or other element of the system may track usage on the borescope to determine if usage parameters are exceeded during a medical procedure along with sensing usage data during the procedure, and /Or you can query this usage periodically.

Usage data obtained during the procedure may be sent to the dongle at step 1340. This may occur when data is collected in step 1335 or may occur after the procedure is complete. In alternative implementations, usage data can simply be stored within the tip or other location within the borescope device itself rather than the dongle.

After step 1340, the dongle may be removed at step 1345 to allow storage of data acquired during the procedure. In some implementations, one or more portions of the scope may be discarded and the dongle may be used in conjunction with a new bore scope at step 1350.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiments should be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is therefore indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes that imply equivalent scope in the claims are to be accommodated within their scope.

Claims (20)

In a medical borescope system,
As a medical borescope,
A tube comprising a first tube end and a second tube end opposite from the first tube end, the tube comprising a non-conductive material, the tube being opaque to visible light, and the tube comprising: Constructed to reduce electromagnetic interference within -;
a light source positioned adjacent the first tube end and configured to produce light at the first tube end; and
the medical borescope comprising an image sensor positioned adjacent the first tube end;
a data communication link coupled with the image sensor; and
A dongle including an image processor configured to receive image data from the image sensor, wherein the dongle is removably mateable with the medical borescope so that it can be coupled with a plurality of separate medical borescopes. and the dongle is further configured to receive and detect borescope-specific parameter data from the medical borescope, wherein the borescope-specific parameter data is data unique to the medical borescope. and wherein the dongle is further configured to query the single specific borescope for parameters that are unique to the single specific borescope. The medical borescope system of claim 1, wherein the borescope-specific parameter data includes calibration data associated with the medical borescope. The medical borescope of claim 1, wherein the borescope-specific parameter data includes at least one of a serial number and a model number associated with the medical borescope, and the borescope-specific parameter data is stored in the medical borescope. system. The medical borescope system of claim 1, wherein the medical borescope device is disposable, and the medical borescope device is configured to determine at least one of a duration and number of uses of the medical borescope device. 5. The medical device of claim 4, wherein the medical borescope device is configured to determine at least one of the duration and number of uses of the medical borescope device by using the dongle to detect at least one of the duration and number of uses. Borescope system. The method of claim 5, wherein the dongle disables the medical borescope device upon detecting usage of the medical borescope device above a threshold, provides an audible warning, and provides a visual warning, A medical borescope system, configured to limit at least one of a period of use and number of uses of the medical borescope device to a threshold value by transmitting a warning signal. In a method for medical imaging,
Removably coupling a dongle with a first medical borescope device, wherein the first medical borescope device is disposable, and the first medical borescope device is configured to be configured to store a dongle on a memory component of the first medical borescope device. said combining step, including stored borescope data;
receiving at least a portion of the borescope data at the dongle from the first medical borescope device;
adjusting operating parameters of the first medical borescope device using at least a portion of the borescope data and the dongle;
receiving image data in the dongle from an image sensor located within the first medical borescope device;
processing the image data using an image processor located within the dongle;
disposing of the first medical borescope device; and
coupling the dongle with a second medical borescope device, the second medical borescope device comprising borescope data stored on a memory component of the second medical borescope device, the second medical borescope device comprising: The borescope data of the scope device is separate from the borescope data of the first medical borescope device, and the dongle is further configured to query the single specific borescope for parameters that are unique to the single specific borescope. , method. The method of claim 7, wherein the borescope data of the first medical borescope device includes information unique to the first medical borescope device, and the borescope data of the second medical borescope device includes the second medical borescope. A method for including information unique to a device. The method of claim 8, wherein the borescope data of the first medical borescope device includes model identification data for the first medical borescope device, and the borescope data of the second medical borescope device includes the second medical bore. A method comprising model identification data for a scope device. The method of claim 8, wherein the borescope data of the first medical borescope device includes calibration data for the first medical borescope device, and the borescope data of the second medical borescope device includes the second medical borescope. A method comprising calibration data for a device. In claim 7,
recording usage data associated with the second medical borescope device;
using the dongle to process the usage data to determine whether the second medical borescope device has exceeded a threshold usage parameter; and
When detecting use of the second medical borescope device that violates the threshold usage parameter, at least one of disabling the second medical borescope device, providing an audible warning, providing a visible warning, and transmitting a warning signal. The method further comprising using the dongle for. A method for obtaining and storing usage data from a medical borescope, said method comprising:
As a step in acquiring a medical borescope,
A tube comprising a first tube end and a second tube end opposite from the first tube end, the tube comprising a non-conductive material, the tube being opaque to visible light, and the tube comprising: Constructed to reduce electromagnetic interference within -;
a light source positioned adjacent the first tube end and configured to produce light at the first tube end; and
the obtaining step comprising: the medical borescope comprising an image sensor positioned adjacent the first tube end;
coupling a dongle to the medical borescope, the dongle comprising an image processor, the image processor configured to receive image data from the image sensor;
storing usage data from the medical borescope during a medical procedure;
Removing the dongle from the medical borescope; and
accessing the usage data to obtain information regarding usage of the medical borescope during the medical procedure;
The method of claim 1, wherein the dongle is further configured to query a single, specific borescope for parameters that are unique to the single, specific borescope. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the dongle includes a memory component, and storing the usage data includes storing the usage data on the memory component. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the medical borescope includes a memory component, and storing the usage data includes storing the usage data on the memory component. The method of claim 12, wherein the usage data includes duration of the medical procedure, images associated with unexpected events during the medical procedure, time stamps associated with the medical procedure, temperature measurements associated with the medical procedure, and information associated with the medical borescope. A method comprising at least one of a power cycle counter. 13. The method of claim 12, further comprising: initiating at least one of a clock and a counter upon initiation of a medical procedure with the medical borescope. 17. The method of claim 16, further comprising correlating sensor data obtained during the medical procedure with at least one time stamp from at least one of a clock and a counter. The method of claim 17 , wherein the sensor data includes at least one of image data and temperature data. 13. The method of claim 12, further comprising correlating the usage data with model identification data associated with the medical borescope. The method of claim 19 , wherein the model identification data includes at least one of a serial number and a model number associated with the medical borescope.

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