Image sensor and an endoscope using the same

• US 20040082833A1
• Filed: 10/14/2003
• Published: 04/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gyrus ACMI, Inc. (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Given Imaging Limited (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Adler, Doron, Zaretski, Alex, Pillar, Ofer, Blumenzweig, Arie
• Granted Patent: US 7,241,262 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/109
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00096 Optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00193 adapted for stereoscopic vision
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00194 adapted for three-dimensional imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0623 for off-axis illumination
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0638 providing two or more wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0655 Control therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0084 for introduction into the body, e.g. by catheters A61B5/1459 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0275 using tracers, e.g. dye dilution
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/481 involving the use of contrast agents
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/504 for diagnosis of blood vessels, e.g. by angiography
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2209/047 using multispectral pick-up elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/555 for picking-up images in sites, inaccessible due to their dimensions or hazardous conditions, e.g. endoscopes or borescopes

Abstract

An endoscope having restricted dimensions and comprising at least one image gatherer, at least one image distorter and at least one image sensor shaped to fit within said limited dimensions, and wherein said image distorter is operable to distort an image received from said image gatherer so that the image is sensible at said shaped image sensor.

Claims

1. (Original) A pixilated image sensor for insertion within a restricted space, the sensor comprising a plurality of pixels arranged in a selected image distortion pattern, said image distortion pattern being selected to project an image larger than said restricted space to within said restricted space substantially with retention of an image resolution level.

2. (Original) A pixilated image sensor according to claim 1 wherein said image distortion pattern is a splitting of said image into two parts and wherein said pixilated image sensor comprises said pixels arranged in two discontinuous parts.

3. (Original) A pixilated image sensor according to claim 2, wherein said discontinuous parts are arranged in successive lengths.

4. (Original) A pixilated image sensor according to claim 2, wherein said restricted space is an interior longitudinal wall of an endoscope and wherein said discontinuous parts are arranged on successive lengths of said interior longitudinal wall.

5. (Original) A pixilated image sensor according to claim 3, wherein said restricted space is an interior longitudinal wall of an endoscope and wherein said discontinuous parts are arranged on successive lengths of said interior longitudinal wall.

6. (Original) A pixilated image sensor according to claim 1, wherein said distortion pattern is an astigmatic image distortion.

7. (Original) A pixilated image sensor according to claim 6, wherein said distortion pattern is a projection of an image into a rectangular shape having dimensions predetermined to fit within said restricted space.

8. (Original) A pixilated image sensor according to claim 1, including one of a group comprising CMOS-based pixel sensors and CCD based pixel sensors.

9. (Original) A pixilated image sensor according to claim 1 controllable to co-operate with alternating image illumination sources to produce corresponding illuminated images for each illumination source.

10. (Original) An endoscope having restricted dimensions and comprising at least one image gatherer, at least one image distorter and at least one image sensor shaped to fit within said restricted dimensions, and wherein said image distorter is operable to distort an image received from said image gatherer so that the image is sensible at said shaped image sensor substantially with an original image resolution level.

11. (Original) An endoscope according to claim 10, wherein said image distorter comprises an image splitter operable to split said image into two part images.

12. (Original) An endoscope according to claim 11 wherein said image sensor comprises two sensor parts, each separately arranged along longitudinal walls of said endoscope.

13. (Original) An endoscope according to claim 12, wherein said two parts are arranged in successive lengths along opposite longitudinal walls of said endoscope.

14. (Original) An endoscope according to claim 10, wherein said distorter is an astigmatic image distorter.

15. (Original) An endoscope according to claim 14, wherein said astigmatic image distorter is an image rectangulator and said image sensor comprises sensing pixels rearranged to complement rectangulation of said image by said image rectangulator.

16. (Original) An endoscope according to claim 10, wherein said image distorter comprises at least one lens.

17. (Original) An endoscope according to claim 16, wherein said image distorter comprises at least one image-distorting mirror.

18. (Original) An endoscope according to claim 16, wherein said image distorter comprises optical fibers to guide image light substantially from said lens to said image sensor.

19. (Original) An endoscope according to claim 16, wherein said image distorter comprises a second lens.

20. (Original) An endoscope according to claim 17, wherein said image distorter comprises at least a second image-distorting mirror.

21. (Original) An endoscope according to claim 16, wherein said image distorter comprises at least one flat optical plate.

22. (Original) An endoscope according to claim 10, further comprising at least one light source for illuminating an object, said light source being controllable to flash at predetermined times.

23. (Original) An endoscope according to claim 22 further comprising a second light source, said first and said second light sources each separately controllable to flash.

24. (Original) An endoscope according to claim 23, wherein said first light source is a white light source and said second light source is an a source of invisible light radiation.

25. (Original) An endoscope according to claim 24, wherein said second light source is an IR source.

26. (Original) An endoscope according to claim 24, wherein said second light source is a UV light source.

27. (Original) An endoscope according to claim 23, one light source being a right side light source for illuminating an object from a first side and the other light source being a left side light source for illuminating said object from a second side.

28. (Original) An endoscope according to claim 25, one light source comprising light having a first spectral response and the other light source comprising light having a second spectral response.

29. (Original) An endoscope according to claim 27 further comprising color filters associated with said light gatherer to separate light from said image into right and left images to be fed to respective right and left distance measurers to obtain right and left distance measurements for construction of a three-dimensional image.

30. (Original) An endoscope according to claim 27, said light sources being configured to flash alternately.

31. (Original) An endoscope according to claim 27, further comprising a relative brightness measurer for obtaining relative brightnesses of points of said object using respective right and left illumination sources, thereby to deduce 3 dimensional distance information of said object for use in construction of a 3 dimensional image thereof.

32. (Original) An endoscope according to claim 22, further comprising a second image gatherer and a second image sensor.

33. (Original) An endoscope according to claim 32, wherein one of said image sensors is a color image sensor and a second of said image sensors is a monochrome image sensor.

34. (Original) An endoscope according to claim 32, wherein said first and said second image sensors are arranged back to back longitudinally within said endoscope.

35. (Original) An endoscope according to claim 32, wherein said first and said second image sensors are arranged successively longitudinally along said endoscope.

36. (Original) An endoscope according to claim 35, wherein said first and said second image sensors are arranged along a longitudinal wall of said endoscope.

37. (Original) An endoscope according to claim 10, comprising a brightness averager operable to identify brightness differentials due to variations in distances from said endoscope of objects being illuminated, and substantially to cancel said brightness differentials.

38. (Original) An endoscope according to claim 37, further comprising at least one illumination source for illuminating an object with controllable width light pulses and wherein said brightness averager is operable to cancel said brightness differentials by controlling said widths.

39. (Original) An endoscope according to claim 10, having at least two controllable illumination sources, one illumination source for emitting visible light to produce a visible spectrum image and one illumination source for emitting invisible light to produce a corresponding spectral image, said endoscope being controllable to produce desired ratios of visible and invisible corresponding spectral images.

40. (Original) An endoscope system comprising an endoscope and a controller, said endoscope comprising:

at least one image gatherer,

at least one image distorter and

at least one image sensor shaped to fit within restricted dimensions of said endoscope, said image distorter being operable to distort an image received from said image gatherer so that the image is sensible at said shaped image sensor with retention of image resolution,

said controller comprising a dedicated image processor for processing image output of said endoscope.

41. (Original) An endoscope system according to claim 40, wherein said dedicated image processor is a motion video processor operable to produce motion video from said image output.

42. (Original) An endoscope system according to claim 40, wherein said dedicated image processor comprises a 3D modeler for generating a 3D model from said image output.

43. (Original) An endoscope system according to claim 42, wherein said dedicated image processor further comprises a 3D imager operable to generate a stereoscopic display from said 3D model.

44. (Original) An endoscope system according to claim 40, comprising an image recorder for recording imaging.

45. (Original) An endoscope system according to claim 40, comprising a control and display communication link for remote control and remote viewing of said system.

46. (Original) An endoscope system according to claim 40, wherein said image distorter comprises an image splitter operable to split said image into two part images.

47. (Original) An endoscope system according to claim 40, wherein said image sensor comprises two sensor parts, each separately arranged along longitudinal walls of said endoscope.

48. (Original) An endoscope system according to claim 47, wherein said two parts are arranged in successive lengths along opposite longitudinal walls of said endoscope.

49. (Original) An endoscope system according to claim 40, wherein said distorter is an astigmatic image distorter.

50. (Original) An endoscope system according to claim 49, wherein said astigmatic image distorter is an image rectangulator and said image sensor comprises sensing pixels rearranged to complement rectangulation of said image by said image rectangulator.

51. (Original) An endoscope system according to claim 40, wherein said image distorter comprises at least one lens.

52. (Original) An endoscope system according to claim 51, wherein said image distorter comprises at least one image-distorting mirror.

53. (Original) An endoscope according to claim 51, wherein said image distorter comprises optical fibers to guide image light substantially from said lens to said image sensor.

54. (Original) An endoscope system according to claim 51, wherein said image distorter comprises a second lens.

55. (Original) An endoscope system according to claim 51, wherein said image distorter comprises at least a second image-distorting mirror.

56. (Original) An endoscope system according to claim 50, wherein said image distorter comprises at least one flat optical plate.

57. (Original) An endoscope system according to claim 40, further comprising at least one light source for illuminating an object.

58. (Original) An endoscope system according to claim 56, further comprising a second light source, said first and said second light sources each separately controllable to flash.

59. (Original) An endoscope system according to claim 57, wherein said first light source is a white light source and said second light source is an invisible light source.

60. (Original) An endoscope system according to claim 58, one light source being a right side light source for illuminating an object from a first side and the other light source being a left side light source for illuminating said object from a second side.

61. (Original) An endoscope system according to claim 60, one light source comprising light of a first spectral response and the other light source comprising light of a second spectral response.

62. (Original) An endoscope system according to claim 61, further comprising color filters associated with said light gatherer to separate light from said image into right and left images to be fed to respective right and left distance measurers to obtain right and left distance measurements for construction of a three-dimensional image.

63. (Original) An endoscope system according to claim 61, said light sources being configured to flash alternately.

64. (Original) An endoscope system according to claim 61, said light sources being configured to flash simultaneously.

65. (Original) An endoscope system according to claim 61, further comprising a relative brightness measurer for obtaining relative brightnesses of points of said object using respective right and left illumination sources, thereby to deduce 3 dimensional distance information of said object for use in construction of a 3 dimensional image thereof.

66. (Original) An endoscope system according to claim 57, further comprising a second image gatherer and a second image sensor.

67. (Original) An endoscope system according to claim 65, wherein said first and said second image sensors are arranged back to back longitudinally within said endoscope.

68. (Original) An endoscope system according to claim 65, wherein said first and said second image sensors are arranged successively longitudinally along said endoscope.

69. (Original) An endoscope system according to claim 67, wherein said first and said second image sensors are arranged along a longitudinal wall of said endoscope.

70. (Original) An endoscope system according to claim 40, comprising a brightness averager operable to identify brightness differentials due to variations in distances from said endoscope of objects being illuminated, and substantially to reduce said brightness differentials.

71. (Original) An endoscope for internally producing an image of a field of view, said image occupying an area larger than a cross-sectional area of said endoscope, the endoscope comprising:

an image distorter for distorting light received from said field of view into a compact shape, and

an image sensor arranged in said compact shape to receive said distorted light to form an image thereon.

76. (Original) An endoscope according to claim 71, said image distorter comprising an astigmatic lens shaped to distort a square image into a rectangular shape of substantially equivalent area.

77. (Original) An endoscope according to claim 71, further comprising a contrast equalizer for compensating for high contrasts differences due to differential distances of objects in said field of view.

78. (Original) An endoscope according to claim 71, comprising two illumination sources for illuminating said field of view.

79. (Original) An endoscope according to claim 78, said illumination sources being controllable to illuminate alternately, and said image sensor being controllable to gather images in synchronization with said illumination sources thereby to obtain independently illuminated images.

80. (Original) An endoscope according to claim 78, each illumination source having a different predetermined spectral response.

81. (Original) An endoscope according to claim 80, said image sensor comprising pixels, each pixel being responsive to one of said predetermined spectral responses.

82. (Original) An endoscope according to claim 71, said image sensor comprising a plurality of pixels responsive to white light.

83. (Original) An endoscope according to claim 71, said image sensor comprising a plurality of pixels responsive to different wavelengths of light.

84. (Original) An endoscope according to claim 83, said wavelengths comprising at least three of red light, green light, blue light and infra-red light.

85. (Original) An endoscope according to claim 71, further comprising a second image sensor for forming a second image from light obtained from said field of view.

86. (Original) An endoscope according to claim 85, wherein one of said image sensors is a color sensor and a second of said image sensors is a monochrome sensor.

87. (Original) An endoscope according to claim 85, said second image sensor being placed in back to back relationship with said first image sensor over a longitudinal axis of said endoscope.

88. (Original) An endoscope according to claim 85, said second image sensor being placed in end to end relationship with said first image sensor along a longitudinal wall of said endoscope.

89. (Original) An endoscope according to claim 85, said second image sensor being placed across from said first image sensor on facing internal longitudinal walls of said endoscope.

94. (Original) A compact endoscope according to claim 87, wherein said illumination sources are each operable to produce illumination using respectively different spectral responses and said differentiator comprises a series of filters at said image sensor for differentially sensing light having said respectively different spectral responses.

95. (Original) A compact endoscope according to claim 71, wherein said image distorter comprises a plurality of optical fibers for guiding parts of a received image to said image sensor according to said distortion pattern.

72-75. -75. (Cancelled)

90. (Original) A compact endoscope for producing 3D images of a field of view, comprising a first image sensor for receiving a view of said field through a first optical path and a second image sensor for receiving a view of said field through a second optical path, and wherein said first and said second image sensors are placed back to back along a longitudinal axis of said endoscope.

91. (Original) A compact endoscope for producing 3D images of a field of view, comprising a first image sensor for receiving a view of said field through a first optical path and a second image sensor for receiving a view of said field through a second optical path, and wherein said first and said second image sensors are placed end to end along a longitudinal wall of said endoscope.

92. (Original) A compact endoscope for producing 3D images of a field of view, comprising two illumination sources for illuminating said field of view, an image sensor for receiving a view of said field illuminated via each of said illumination sources, and a view differentiator for differentiating between each view.

93. (Original) A compact endoscope according to claim 92, wherein said differentiator is a sequential control for providing sequential operation of said illumination sources.

96. (Original) A method of manufacturing a compact endoscope, comprising:

providing an illumination source,

providing an image distorter,

providing an image ray diverter,

providing an image sensor whose shape has been altered to correspond to a distortion built into said image distorter, said distortion being selected to reduce at least one dimension of said image sensor to less than that of an undistorted version being sensed,

assembling said image distorter, said image ray diverter and said image sensor to form an optical path within an endoscope

97. (Original) A method of obtaining an endoscopic image comprising:

illuminating a field of view,

distorting light reflected from said field of view such as to form a distorted image of said field of view having at least one dimension reduced in comparison to an equivalent dimension of said undistorted image, and

sensing said light within said endoscope using at least one image sensor correspondingly distorted.