STEREOVIDEOSCOPE AND METHOD OF USING THE SAME

• US 20090198100A1
• Filed: 05/16/2007
• Published: 08/06/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kent Moore
• Original Assignee: Kent Moore
• Inventors: Moore, Kent
• Granted Patent: US 8,162,820 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/109
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00193 adapted for stereoscopic vision
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/042 characterised by a proximal camera, e.g. a CCD camera
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/267 for the respiratory tract, e.g. laryngoscopes, bronchoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4818 Sleep apnoea

Abstract

A system and method for acquiring measurements of a portion of a patient'"'"'s anatomy are provided. For example, the system includes a stereovideoscope including a scope coupled to a flexible tubing and configured to be positioned within the patient'"'"'s body. The scope includes a plurality of stereoscopic lenses configured to capture data indicative of the portion of the patient'"'"'s anatomy, and the flexible tubing includes a biocompatible material. In addition, the system includes a processing element that is in communication with the stereovideoscope and that is configured to generate an image based on the captured data in order to acquire at least one geometrical measurement indicative of the portion of the patient'"'"'s anatomy.

Claims

1. A system for acquiring measurements of a patient'"'"'s upper airway comprising:

a stereovideoscope comprising a scope coupled to a flexible tubing and configured to be positioned within the patient'"'"'s upper airway, said scope comprising a plurality of stereoscopic lenses configured to capture data indicative of a portion of the patient'"'"'s upper airway, said flexible tubing comprising a biocompatible material; and

a processing element in communication with said stereovideoscope and configured to generate an image indicative of a portion of the patient'"'"'s upper airway based on the captured data in order to acquire at least one geometrical measurement indicative of the portion of the patient'"'"'s upper airway.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said flexible tubing has a diameter of less than 5 mm.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said processing element is portable.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said processing element is configured to generate images in order to acquire at least one measurement selected from a group consisting of linear, angular, depth, profile, and area measurements of the portion of the patient'"'"'s upper airway.

5. The system of claim 17, wherein said processing element is configured to determine a probability of the patient'"'"'s response to a tongue-based treatment based on at least one measurement of a most critical site of proximal narrowing of the patient'"'"'s upper airway with the patient'"'"'s mandible at rest and the mandible in an advanced position.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said stereovideoscope comprises a CCD camera.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said scope is permanently or interchangeably attached to a distal end of said flexible tubing.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said stereovideoscope is capable of being sterilized.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said processing element comprises a computer or a monitor.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein said processing element is configured to determine a probability of the patient'"'"'s response to a tongue-based treatment based on the at least one acquired geometrical measurement.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein said processing element is configured to determine a probability of the patient'"'"'s response to a tongue-based treatment based on at least an anterior/posterior measurement and a lateral measurement of the portion of the patient'"'"'s upper airway.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein said processing element is configured to determine a probability of the patient'"'"'s response to a tongue-based treatment based on the at least one acquired geometrical measurement and patient-specific physiological data.

10. A method for acquiring measurements of a portion of a patient'"'"'s upper airway comprising the steps of:

positioning a stereovideoscope within the patient'"'"'s upper airway;

capturing data indicative of the portion of the patient'"'"'s anatomy with a stereovideoscope, the stereovideoscope comprising a scope coupled to a flexible tubing, the scope comprising a plurality of stereoscopic lenses, and the flexible tubing comprising a biocompatible material; and

generating an image indicative of the patient'"'"'s upper airway based on the captured data; and

acquiring at least one geometrical measurement indicative of the portion of the patient'"'"'s anatomy using the generated image.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the acquiring step comprises acquiring at least one measurement selected from a group consisting of linear, angular, depth, profile, and area measurements of the portion of the patient'"'"'s anatomy using the generated image.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the acquiring step comprises acquiring at least one measurement of a most critical site of proximal narrowing of the patient'"'"'s upper airway with the patient'"'"'s mandible at rest and the mandible in an advanced position.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising determining a probability of response to a tongue-based treatment based on said at least one acquired measurement.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the generating step comprises generating a three-dimensional image of a portion of the patient'"'"'s anatomy.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the acquiring step comprises acquiring at least one measurement of the portion of the patient'"'"'s anatomy using a triangulation technique.

12. (canceled)