Endoscope System

• US 20090105538A1
• Filed: 07/28/2008
• Published: 04/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: PSIP, LLC
• Original Assignee: PSIP, LLC
• Inventors: Van Dam, Jacques, Bayer, Lex
• Application Number:
  US12/181,280
• Publication Number:
  US 20090105538A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/109
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00103 designed for single use
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00105 characterised by modular construction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/005 Flexible endoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/05 characterised by the image sensor, e.g. camera, being in the distal end portion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0676 at distal tip of an endoscope
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0684 using light emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/2275 with controlled air pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/233 for the nose, i.e. nasoscopes , e.g. testing of patency of Eustachian tubes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/273 for the upper alimentary canal, e.g. oesophagoscopes, gastroscopes

Abstract

An endoscope system includes a catheter having a camera module, a wall mounted unit including an LCD screen, and a control box that processes video images captured by the camera module and output video signals to the LCD screen to display the captured video images.

Claims

1. An endoscope system comprising:

a catheter having a camera module;

a wall mounted unit including an LCD screen; and

a control box that processes video images captured by the camera module and output video signals to the LCD screen to display the captured video images.

2. The endoscope system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of catheters.

3. The endoscope system of claim 2, wherein the lengths of the catheters vary.

4. The endoscope system of claim 3, wherein the stiffness levels of the catheters vary.

5. The endoscope system of claim 2, wherein the catheters are single-use catheters.

6. The endoscope system of claim 2, wherein each catheter includes a camera module.

7. The endoscope system of claim 6, wherein one of the camera modules is a disposable camera module designed for examining a patient'"'"'s ear and another of the camera modules is a disposable camera module designed for examining a patient'"'"'s nasal cavities.

8. The endoscope system of claim 6, wherein the image sensor sizes and optical characteristics of the camera modules vary.

9. The endoscope system of claim 6, wherein each catheter has a proximal end and a distal end, and has a connector at the proximal end.

10. The endoscope system of claim 9, wherein the connector has electrical contacts for relaying electrical and communication signals.

11. The endoscope system of claim 1, wherein the camera module includes an LED and a light pipe for transmitting light generated by the LED.

12. The endoscope system of claim 1, wherein the wall mounted unit includes a handle that is detachably connectable to the catheter.

13. The endoscope system of claim 12, wherein the wall mounted unit further includes a back panel, an interface module, an air pump that sends air to the handle.

14. The endoscope system of claim 1, wherein the LCD screen is a touch sensitive display having software controlled buttons, whereby an operator is able to perform control functions by touching the buttons.

15. An endoscope system comprising:

a flexiable catheter having a camera module, wherein the flexible catheter has no lumens and is not steerable; and

a control box that processes video images captured by the camera module and output video signals to a screen to display the captured video images.

16. A catheter comprising:

a tubular member; and

a camera module connected to an end of the tubular member, wherein the camera module has a diameter that is greater than a diameter of the tubular member.

17. The catheter of claim 16, wherein the diameter of the tubular member is 90%, 80%, 70%, 60%, 50%, 40% or 30% of the diameter of the camera module.

18. A method of detecting Barrett'"'"'s esophagus, comprising

inserting a catheter of a gastroscope system into a patient'"'"'s esophagus;

identifying an area of known esophageal tissue on a screen of the gastroscope system, and setting a first base line point in terms of image properties in the area of esophageal tissue;

identifying an area of known stomach epithelial tissue on the screen of the gastroscope system, and setting a second base line point in terms of image properties in the area of stomach epithelial tissue;

identifying areas of stomach epithelial cells on the screen based on the first and second base points; and

accentuating the identified areas of stomach epithelial cells.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of identifying the areas of stomach epithelial cells includes analyzing the areas for various color properties.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising measuring the degree of metaplasia by analyzing color properties.

21. A method of detecting Barrett'"'"'s esophagus, comprising

inserting a catheter of a gastroscope system into a patient'"'"'s esophagus;

identifying an area of known esophageal tissue on a screen of the gastroscope system, and setting a base line point in terms of image properties in the area of esophageal tissue;

identifying areas of stomach epithelial cells on the screen based on the base points; and

accentuating the identified areas of stomach epithelial cells.

22. A method of detecting Barrett'"'"'s esophagus, comprising

inserting a catheter of a gastroscope system into a patient'"'"'s esophagus;

identifying an area of known stomach epithelial tissue on the screen of the gastroscope system, and setting a base line point in terms of image properties in the area of stomach epithelial tissue;

identifying areas of stomach epithelial cells on the screen based on the base points; and

accentuating the identified areas of stomach epithelial cells.

23. A method for determining a length of metaplasia, the method comprising:

inserting a catheter of a gastroscope system into a patient'"'"'s esophagus;

identifying upper and lower borders of the area of metaplasia;

moving a camera module of the gastroscope system from one of the upper and lower borders to the other while capturing partial images of the interior surface of the esophagus;

identifying similar regions or corresponding key points between two captured images;

calculating a distance by which a key point or corresponding area has moved from the earlier one of the two images to the later of the two images; and

obtaining a length of metaplasia by adding the calculated distances.

24. A method for determining an abnormal tissue, the method comprising:

setting a baseline level in a region of an esophagus to calibrate based on one or more factors; and

emphasizing regions of the esophagus that are dissimilar to the calibrated region.