Imaging device and related methods
First Claim
1. An imaging device insertible into a human body comprising:
- a sheath;
a light source mounted on a first platform and disposed within the sheath for illuminating at least a portion of a target region;
a photo-sensor mounted on a second platform and disposed within the sheath for sensing light energy received from at least a portion of the target region; and
a movable assembly adapted to move the first platform in at least two dimensions relative to the target region.
2 Assignments
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Accused Products
Abstract
In one embodiment, the invention provides an imaging device having a light source, a photo-sensor and a scanning assembly. In some embodiments, the light source is fixedly mounted in the first end of an elongated sheath and is adapted for illuminating a target, and the photo-sensor is mounted on the scanning assembly, also in the first end of the elongated sheath, and is adapted to detect light energy from the target. In other embodiments, the light source is movably mounted and the detector is held stationary. In other embodiments, both the light source and the photo-sensor are movably mounted. The scanning devices synchronously capture light energy from each of a plurality locations on the target, the light energy resulting from illumination by the light source, and synchronously digitizes the output from the photo-sensor from each of the plurality of locations on the target to generate an image of the target.
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Citations
28 Claims
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1. An imaging device insertible into a human body comprising:
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a sheath;
a light source mounted on a first platform and disposed within the sheath for illuminating at least a portion of a target region;
a photo-sensor mounted on a second platform and disposed within the sheath for sensing light energy received from at least a portion of the target region; and
a movable assembly adapted to move the first platform in at least two dimensions relative to the target region. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An imaging device insertible into a human body comprising:
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a fiber optic element;
a movable assembly coupled to the fiber optic element for enabling at least one end of the fiber optic element to move in at least two dimensions relative to a target region;
a light source in optical communication with the fiber optic element for illuminating at least a portion of a target region;
a photo-sensor in optical communication with the fiber optic element for sensing energy received from at least a portion of the target region; and
a beam splitter/combiner adapted for providing the optical communication between the light source and the fiber optic element and between the photo-sensor and the fiber optic element. - View Dependent Claims (16)
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17. A method for imaging a target region inside a human body comprising:
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positioning a sheath relative to the target region inside the human body;
illuminating at least a portion of a target region with a light source disposed within the sheath;
sensing energy received from at least a portion of the target region with a photo-sensor disposed within the sheath; and
moving the photo-sensor in at least two dimensions relative to the target region with a movable assembly. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A method for imaging a target region inside a human body comprising:
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inserting a fiber optic element relative to the target region inside the human body;
moving the fiber optic element in at least two dimensions relative to the target region with a movable assembly coupled to the fiber optic element;
illuminating at least a portion of a target region via a light source in optical communication with the fiber optic element; and
sensing energy received from at least a portion of the target region via a photo-sensor in optical communication with the fiber optic element. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28)
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Specification