Method and device of imaging with an in vivo imager

• US 20080045788A1
• Filed: 07/30/2007
• Published: 02/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Given Imaging Limited (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Given Imaging Limited (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Gilad, Zvika, Iddan, Gavriel, Rabinovitz, Elisha
• Application Number:
  US11/878,966
• Publication Number:
  US 20080045788A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/109
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0005 combining images e.g. side-by-side, superimposed or tiled
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/041 Capsule endoscopes for imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0084 for introduction into the body, e.g. by catheters A61B5/1459 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/07 Endoradiosondes
• 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

There is provided an imager which may be used for capturing an object on only portion of its active area. This imager may further be used to capture additional optic information on one or more of its area that is unusable for the object. The additional optic information may be indicative of several physical or chemical variables such as measured pressure, measured pH, measured temperature and the like. These measurements may be transformed into optical signal which may be received on the imager and transmitted using the transmission infrastructure used for transmission of the optical data of the object.

Claims

1. An autonomous in vivo device comprising:

an imager

a first optical system to provide an optical image of a first optical

scene onto a first portion of said imager; and

at least one second optical system adapted to provide at least one second optical image of at least one second optical scene onto at least one second portion of said imager.

2. The in vivo device of claim 1 wherein said at least one second optical system comprises means to guide light from said optical scene onto said at least one second portion of said imager.

3. The in vivo device of claim 2 wherein said at least one second optical system further comprises means to guide light from an illumination source to said second optical scene, wherein said illumination source is located within said in vivo device.

4. The in vivo device of claim 1 wherein said at least one second optical scene is indicative of one or more of the list comprising pressure outside of said in vivo device, temperature outside of said in vivo device, chemical response of a sample and pH outside of said in vivo device.