Wireless endoscopic camera

• US 20080139881A1
• Filed: 11/15/2007
• Published: 06/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stryker Corporation
• Original Assignee: Stryker Corporation
• Inventors: McCarthy, Emmet, Cover, Reid, Nambakam, Vasudev
• Granted Patent: US 8,545,396 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/103
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00009 of image signals during a use of endoscope
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00016 using wireless means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00036 Means for power saving, e.g. sleeping mode
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00105 characterised by modular construction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/041 Capsule endoscopes for imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/044 for absorption imaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/60 using transform coding
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/56 provided with illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control

Abstract

A system and method for wirelessly transmitting a video image signal from an endoscopic camera to a receiver or control unit for storage and/or display on a video monitor. Use of a frame-specific, variable compression algorithm capable of progressively encoding a data stream provides for a better performing and higher quality wireless endoscopic camera system capable of generating images at varying resolutions. Use of a short-range, high-performance wireless technology, such as Ultrawideband (UWB), improves the performance capabilities of the system, while minimizing power consumption and extending battery life. Implementations of error correcting codes, as well as the use of multiple transmitting and receiving antennas, further improve the fidelity of the wireless communication.

Claims

1. A wireless endoscopic camera system, comprising:

a surgical endoscope for viewing tissue within the body of a patient;

a camera head for processing digital image data representative of an endoscopic image viewed by the endoscope, the camera head having a proximal end and a distal end, with the distal end detachably connected to the endoscope;

a compression unit contained within the camera head for reducing the amount of digital image data required to represent the endoscopic image;

a transmitter contained within the camera head for conveying the compressed digital image data to a remote receiver; and

a plurality of antennas located on a body of the camera head and in communication with the transmitter for receiving the compressed digital image data from the transmitter and wirelessly relaying the compressed digital image data to the remote receiver.

2. The wireless endoscopic camera system according to claim 1:

wherein the remote receiver includes a plurality of antennas for receiving the compressed digital image data wirelessly conveyed by the transmitter; and

wherein the wireless endoscopic camera system operates in a multiple input, multiple output (MIMO) mode, whereby the compressed digital image data is simultaneously conveyed along multiple wireless paths between the transmitter and the remote receiver.

3. The wireless endoscopic camera system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of camera head antennas are mounted upon the camera head so as to be essentially flush with the body of the camera head.

4. The wireless endoscopic camera system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of camera head antennas project outwardly from the body of the camera head.

5. The wireless endoscopic camera system according to claim 4, wherein the plurality of camera head antennas are cantilevered outwardly from the body of the camera head so as to be generally parallel with a longitudinal axis of an endoscope detachably connected to the distal end of the camera head.

6. The wireless endoscopic camera system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of antennas located on the body of the camera head comprises at least one antenna that is mounted upon the camera head so as to be essentially flush with the body of the camera head, and at least one antenna cantilevered from the body of the camera head so as to be generally parallel with a longitudinal axis of an endoscope detachably connected to the distal end of the camera end.

7. The wireless endoscopic camera system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of antennas is an omnidirectional antenna.

8. The wireless endoscopic camera system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of antennas located on the body of the camera head operate in a differential mode.

9. The wireless endoscopic camera system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of antennas located on the body of the camera head operate in a switching mode whereby transmission of the digital image data is automatically routed to the antenna having the strongest signal strength.

10. The wireless endoscopic camera system according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter configures the plurality of antennas to operate in phase.

11. The wireless endoscopic camera system according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter configures the plurality of antennas so that at least one antenna operates out-of-phase with respect to the other antennas.

12. The wireless endoscopic camera system according to claim 1, wherein all wireless transmissions by the transmitter fall within a 3.1 GHz to 10.6 GHz radio spectrum.

13. The wireless endoscopic camera system according to claim 1, wherein all wireless transmission from the transmitter have a data rate equal to or exceeding 50 Mbit/sec.

14. A wireless endoscopic camera system, comprising:

a surgical endoscope for viewing tissue within the body of a patient;

a camera for converting an optical image viewed by the endoscope into digital image data;

a processor for running one or more predetermined algorithms that compress the digital image data one image frame at a time, with the compression of each image frame of data being conducted independently of any other image frames of data;

a transmitter for establishing one or more wireless links to a remote receiver and conveying the compressed digital image data over at least one of the wireless links; and

a plurality of antennas in communication with the transmitter for receiving the compressed digital image data from the transmitter and wirelessly relaying the compressed digital image data to the remote receiver.

15. The wireless endoscopic camera system according to claim 14, wherein the individual frames of digital image data are compressed utilizing a lossy compression algorithm by default, but upon receiving a request from a user, one or more select frames of digital image data are instead compressed utilizing a lossless compression algorithm.

16. The wireless endoscopic camera system according to claim 14, wherein the processor compresses the individual frames of digital image data at a rate that is dynamically adjusted in response to a detected quality of at least one wireless link established with the remote receiver.

17. The wireless endoscopic camera system according to claim 14, wherein each frame of digital image data is conveyed to the remote receiver as a progressively encoded bit stream of data that can be converted into a first endoscopic image having a first resolution, and a second endoscopic image equivalent to the first endoscopic image but having a second resolution that is different than the first resolution.

18. The wireless endoscopic camera system according to claim 14, wherein for each frame of digital image data, select digital image data representing a default quality image is first conveyed to the remote receiver, then additional digital image data that can be utilized to create a higher quality image is conveyed to the remote receiver.

19. The wireless endoscopic camera system according to claim 14, wherein for any one frame of digital image data, a first region of the frame is compressed at a first level, while a second region of the frame is compressed at a second level different than said first level.

20. The wireless endoscopic camera system according to claim 14, wherein the digital image data is compressed by an algorithm compliant with the JPEG 2000 standard.

21. The wireless endoscopic camera system according to claim 14, wherein at least one of the wireless links is configured into multiple sub-channels of varying reliability, with select portions of a digital image data stream being conveyed over a first sub-channel having high reliability, while remaining portions of the digital image data stream are conveyed over one or more second sub-channels having lower reliability.

22. A wireless endoscopic camera system, comprising:

a surgical endoscope for viewing tissue within the body of a patient and incorporating a first transmitter for wirelessly conveying image data representing the tissue being viewed;

a camera head for processing digital image data representative of an endoscopic image viewed by the endoscope, the camera head having a proximal end and a distal end;

a first receiver within the distal end of the camera head for wirelessly receiving the image data conveyed by the endoscope when the endoscope is detachably connected to the distal end of the camera head;

a compression unit contained within the camera head for reducing the amount of digital image data required to represent the endoscopic image; and

a second transmitter contained within the camera head for wirelessly conveying the compressed digital image data; and

a second receiver remote from the camera head for wirelessly retrieving the compressed digital image data conveyed by the second transmitter.

23. The wireless endoscopic camera system according to claim 22, wherein the first transmitter and first receiver communicate data between each other utilizing one of infra-red light or a laser.

24. A wireless endoscopic camera system, comprising:

a surgical endoscope for viewing tissue within the body of a patient and incorporating at least one component that requires electrical energy to function, the endoscope having a proximal end and a distal end, with at least one electrical contact disposed on the distal end;

a camera head for processing digital image data representative of an endoscopic image viewed by the endoscope, the camera head having a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end being detachably connected to the endoscope to allow relative rotation between the endoscope and the camera head;

at least one electrically-energized contact ring that receives power from the camera head and is mounted upon the distal end of the camera head;

a compression unit contained within the camera head for reducing the amount of digital image data required to represent the endoscopic image; and

a transmitter contained within the camera head for wirelessly conveying the compressed digital image data; and

a receiver remote from the camera head for wirelessly retrieving the compressed digital image data conveyed by the second transmitter;

wherein the at least one electrical contact electrically contacts the at least one electrically-energized contact ring when the endoscope is connected to the camera head to transfer electrical energy from the camera head to the endoscope component and allow transfer of electrical energy from the camera head to the endoscope component during relative rotation between the camera head and the endoscope.

25. The wireless endoscopic camera system according to claim 24, wherein one of the at least one electrically-energized contact ring exhibits varying electrical resistance depending on a degree of rotation existing between the endoscope and camera head.

26. A method of wirelessly conveying endoscopic images from a surgical endoscope to a remote receiver, comprising the steps of:

viewing tissue within the body of patient utilizing the endoscope;

converting an optical image of the tissue viewed by the endoscope into digital image data;

compressing the digital image data one image frame at a time, with the compression of each image frame of data occurring independently of any other image frames of data;

establishing one or more wireless links to the remote receiver; and

transmitting the compressed digital image data over the one or more wireless links to the remote receiver using at least one of a plurality of antennas.

27. The method according to claim 26, further comprising the steps of:

compressing each frame of digital image data utilizing a default lossy compression algorithm; and

compressing one or more selected frames of digital image data utilizing a lossless compression algorithm instead of the default lossy compression algorithm upon demand by a user for one or more higher resolution endoscopic images.

28. The method according to claim 26, further comprising the steps of:

wirelessly transmitting the compressed digital image data as a progressively encoded bit stream of data; and

converting the progressively encoded bit stream of data into a first endoscopic image having a first resolution, and a second endoscopic image equivalent to the first endoscopic image but having a second resolution that is different than the first resolution.

29. The method according to claim 26, further comprising the steps of:

configuring at least one of the wireless links into multiple sub-channels of varying reliability;

conveying select portions of a digital image data stream over a first sub-channel having high reliability; and

conveying remaining portions of the digital image data stream over one or more second sub-channels having lower reliability.

30. A wireless endoscopic camera system, comprising:

a surgical endoscope for viewing tissue within the body of a patient;

a camera head for processing digital image data representative of an endoscopic image viewed by the endoscope, the camera head having a proximal end and a distal end, with the distal end detachably connected to the endoscope;

a compression unit contained within the camera head for reducing the amount of digital image data required to represent the endoscopic image;

a transmitter contained within the camera head for conveying the compressed digital image data to a remote receiver; and

at least one antenna located on a body of the camera head and in communication with the transmitter for receiving the compressed digital image data from the transmitter and wirelessly relaying the compressed digital image data to the remote receiver.

31. The wireless endoscopic camera system according to claim 30, wherein one or more of the at least one antenna is mounted upon the camera head in such a manner so as to either project outwardly from the body of the camera head, or to be essentially flush with the body of the camera head.

32. The wireless endoscopic camera system according to claim 31, wherein one or more of the at least one antenna is cantilevered outwardly from the body of the camera head so as to be generally parallel with a longitudinal axis of an endoscope detachably connected to the distal end of the camera head.

33. The wireless endoscopic camera system according to claim 30, wherein one or more of the at least one antenna is an omnidirectional antenna.

34. The wireless endoscopic camera system according to claim 30, wherein all wireless transmissions by the transmitter fall within a 3.1 GHz to 10.6 GHz radio spectrum.

35. The wireless endoscopic camera system according to claim 30, wherein all wireless transmission from the transmitter have a data rate equal to or exceeding 50 Mbit/sec.