Reduced area imaging device incorporated within wireless endoscopic devices
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A reduced area imaging device is provided for use in medical or dental instruments such as an endoscope. In a first embodiment of the endoscope, connections between imaging device elements and between a video display is achieved by hard-wired connections. In a second embodiment of the endoscope, wireless transmission is used for communications between imaging device components, and/or for transferring video ready signals to a video display. In one configuration of the imaging device, the image sensor is placed remote from the remaining circuitry. In another configuration, all of the circuitry to include the image sensor is placed in a stacked fashion at the same location. The entire imaging device can be placed at the distal tip of an endoscope. Alternatively, the image sensor can be placed remote from the remaining circuitry according to the first configuration, and control box is used which communicates with the image sensor and is placed remotely from the endoscope. Further alternatively, the imaging device can be incorporated in the housing of a standard medical camera which is adapted for use with traditional rod lens endoscopes. In any of the configurations or arrangements, the image sensor may be placed alone on a first circuit board, or timing and control circuits may be included on the first circuit board containing the image sensor. The timing and control circuits and one or more video processing boards can be placed adjacent the image sensor in a tubular portion of the endoscope, in other areas within the endoscope, in the control box, or in combinations of these location.
-
Citations
87 Claims
-
1-45. -45. (canceled)
-
46. A wireless endoscope for wirelessly transmitting image signals, said endoscope comprising:
-
a tubular portion including a distal end, a proximal end and a central passageway extending therethrough;
an image sensor positioned in said tubular portion for receiving images of a surgical site, said image sensor producing an image signal;
timing and control circuitry electrically coupled to said image sensor;
video processing circuitry electrically coupled to said image sensor for processing said image signal and converting said image signal to a post-video signal;
a radio transceiver element mounted in said endoscope and electrically coupled to said video processing circuitry for wirelessly transmitting the post-video signal; and
a radio transceiver module placed remote from said endoscope for receiving said post-video signal and for electrically transferring said post video signal to a video display for viewing video images. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61)
-
-
63. A wireless endoscope for wirelessly transmitting image signals, said endoscope comprising:
-
a tubular portion including a distal end, a proximal end and a central passageway extending there through;
an image sensor positioned in said tubular portion for receiving images of a surgical site, said image sensor producing a pre-video signal;
timing and control circuitry electrically coupled to said image sensor;
a radio transceiver element mounted in said endoscope and electrically coupled to said image sensor for wirelessly transmitting the pre-video signal;
a control placed remote from said endoscope, said control including a radio transceiver module for receiving said pre-video signal and for electrically transferring said pre-video signal for further processing; and
video processing circuitry mounted in said control and electrically coupled to said radio transceiver for processing said pre-video signal and converting said pre-video signal to a post-video signal, said video processing circuitry communicating with a video display for viewing video images. - View Dependent Claims (64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80)
-
-
81. A wireless endoscope for wirelessly transmitting image signals, said endoscope comprising:
-
a tubular portion including a distal end, a proximal end and a central passageway extending there through;
an image sensor positioned in said tubular portion for receiving images of a surgical site, said image sensor producing a pre-video signal;
a radio transceiver element mounted in said endoscope and electrically coupled to said image sensor for wirelessly transmitting the pre-video signal;
a control placed remote from said endoscope, said control including a radio transceiver module for receiving said pre-video signal and for electrically transferring said pre-video signal for further processing;
timing and control circuitry mounted in said control and electrically coupled to said radio transceiver module for producing control signals to control functioning of said image sensor, said radio transceiver module wirelessly transmitting said control signals to said radio transceiver element and said radio transceiver element receiving said control signals and transferring the control signals to the image sensor; and
video processing circuitry mounted in said control and electrically coupled to said radio transceiver module for processing said pre-video signal and converting said pre-video signal to a post-video signal, said video processing circuitry communicating with a video display for viewing video images. - View Dependent Claims (82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87)
-
Specification