Endoscopic vision system

• US 20060106286A1
• Filed: 12/14/2005
• Published: 05/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Adams, Mark L., Wendlandt, Jeffrey M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,591,785 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/173
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00179 for off-axis viewing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00183 for variable viewing angles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/05 characterised by the image sensor, e.g. camera, being in the distal end portion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/051 Details of CCD assembly

Abstract

The present invention relates to an endoscopic visioning system and related method for both forward and backward viewing of a body lumen. According to an embodiment, the system includes an endoscope, a vision head including a light source and a vision chip on both a proximal and a distal side of the vision head, and an extension arm for moving the vision head away from and back toward the endoscope. Alternatively, the light source and vision chip may be contained in a distal end of the endoscope. In -such an alternative embodiment, the vision head is a parabolic mirror mounted on the extension arm for reflecting images, for example, from behind the distal end of the endoscope to the vision chip in the distal end of the endoscope to permit, for example, a retrograde view of the surgical site entrance.

Claims

1-44. -44. (canceled)

45. An endoscopic system, comprising:

an endoscope including at least two lumens and having a proximal and a distal end;

an extension arm passing through one of the lumens to the distal end of the endoscope; and

a vision head connected to a distal end of the extension arm, a distal face of the vision head including a distal vision chip and being configured to obtain a forward-looking image when the head is adjacent to the distal end of the endoscope, and a proximal face of the vision head including a proximal vision chip and being configured to obtain a backward-looking image when the vision head is spaced away from the distal end of the endoscope.

46. The endoscopic system of claim 45, further comprising an actuator for controlling movement of the extension arm and the vision head.

47. The endoscopic system of claim 46, wherein the actuator is configured to control extension, retraction, and rotation of the arm and vision head.

48. The endoscopic system of claim 45, wherein the vision head is connected to the extension arm in a manner that permits articulation of the vision head relative to the extension arm, and further comprising an angular control for controlling articulation of the vision head with respect to the extension arm.

49. The endoscopic system of claim 48, wherein the arm is connected to the vision head by a ball joint.

50. An endoscopic system, comprising:

an endoscope including at least two lumens and having a proximal and a distal end, the distal end of the endoscope having a vision chip;

an extension arm passing through one of the lumens of the distal end of the endoscope; and

a mirror connected to a distal end of the extension arm, the mirror being extendable, rotatable, and angled relative to the extension arm to provide a maximum field of vision.

51. The endoscopic system of claim 50, wherein the mirror is moveable toward and away from the distal end of the endoscope on the extension arm.

52. The endoscopic system of claim 50, wherein the mirror is a parabolic mirror.

53. The endoscopic system of claim 52, wherein a parabolic surface of the mirror faces the distal end of the endoscope.

54. The endoscopic system of claim 50, wherein the vision chip is positioned to obtain an image reflected in a mirrored surface of the mirror.

55. The endoscopic system of claim 54, further comprising distortion correction means for correcting distortion of the image due to the mirror.

56. A method of providing retrograde vision with an endoscopic system, comprising:

providing an endoscopic system comprising an endoscope, a distal end of the endoscope having a vision chip, an extension arm passing through a lumen of the endoscope to the distal end of the endoscope, and a mirror connected to a distal end of the extension arm;

placing the mirror and the distal end of the endoscope into a body lumen;

extending the mirror away from the distal end of the endoscope;

retrograde viewing an image with the mirror;

obtaining the retrograde image reflected in the mirror with the vision chip; and

correcting distortion of the image caused by the mirror.

57. The method of claim 56, further comprising transmitting the image to a video display.

58. The method of claim 56, wherein extending the mirror away from the distal end of the endoscope includes moving the mirror with the extension arm.

59. The method of claim 56, wherein providing the mirror connected to the distal end of the extension arm includes providing a parabolic mirror.

60. The method of claim 59, wherein providing the parabolic mirror includes providing the mirror such that a parabolic surface of the mirror faces the distal end of the endoscope.

61. A method for obtaining images of a surgical site with an endoscopic system, comprising:

providing an endoscopic system comprising an endoscope, a vision head having proximal and distal faces, each face including a vision chip, and an extension arm passing through a lumen of the endoscope to a distal end of the endoscope, a distal end of the extension arm being connected to the vision head;

placing the vision head and the distal end of the endoscope into a body lumen;

forwardly viewing an image with the vision chip in the distal face of the vision head while the vision head is adjacent to the distal end of the endoscope;

extending the vision head away from the distal end of the endoscope; and

retrogradely viewing an image with the vision chip in the proximal face of the vision head while the vision head is spaced away from the distal end of the endoscope.

62. The method of claim 61, further comprising controlling movement of the extension arm and the vision head with an actuator at the proximal end of the endoscope.

63. The method of claim 62, wherein controlling movement includes extending the arm, retracting the arm, and rotating the vision head.

64. The method of claim 61, further comprising controlling articulation of the vision head relative to the extension arm to provide a maximum field of view.