PLUGGABLE VISION MODULE AND PORTABLE DISPLAY FOR ENDOSCOPY

• US 20090318758A1
• Filed: 03/27/2009
• Published: 12/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vivid Medical, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Vivid Medical, Inc.
• Inventors: Farr, Mina, Togami, Chris, Sasser, Gary D., Wall, Franklin J. JR.
• Granted Patent: US 9,033,870 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/112
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00098 Deflecting means for inserted tools
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/005 Flexible endoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/018 for receiving instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/043 for fluorescence imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/05 characterised by the image sensor, e.g. camera, being in the distal end portion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0638 providing two or more wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0655 Control therefor
• 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 17/00234 for minimally invasive surgery A61B17/0218, A61B17/0469, A61B17/12013, A61B17/1285, A61B17/29, A61B17/320016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3421 Cannulas
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3439 with means for changing the inner diameter of the cannula, e.g. expandable A61B17/3423, A61B17/3431 take precedence; catheters A61M25/0662
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/3484 Anchoring means, e.g. spreading-out umbrella-like structure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/0813 Accessories designed for easy sterilising, i.e. re-usable
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/309 using white LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/372 Details of monitor hardware
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/37 Surgical systems with images on a monitor during operation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/53 connected to the surgeon's body, e.g. by a belt

Abstract

Various embodiments for providing removable and pluggable opto-electronic modules for illumination and imaging for endoscopy or borescopy are provided for use with portable display devices. Generally, various medical or industrial devices can include one or more solid state or other compact electro-optic illuminating elements located thereon. Additionally, such opto-electronic modules may include illuminating optics, imaging optics, and/or image capture devices. The illuminating elements may have different wavelengths and can be time-synchronized with an image sensor to illuminate an object for imaging or detecting purpose or other conditioning purpose. The removable opto-electronic modules may be plugged in on the exterior surface of a device, inside the device, deployably coupled to the distal end of the device, or otherwise disposed on the device.

Claims

1. A device for insertion into a body cavity, the device comprising:

a device body having a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end being configured to be at least partially inserted into the body cavity;

an opto-electronic module located on the device body;

a power source, control electronics, and display device electrically coupled to the opto-electronic module via electrical lines from the proximal end of the device body to the distal end of the device body; and

an electrical connector disposed at the proximal end of the device body, the electrical connector configured to electrically connect the power source, control electronics, and display device to the electrical lines.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the opto-electronic module contains one or more of:

a light emitting device (LED), a laser diode (LD), an ultraviolet (UV) light source, an infrared (IR) light source, a CCD sensor, or a CMOS sensor.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the device body is one or more of:

rigid, partially rigid, flexible, partially flexible, filled inside, or hollow inside.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the device comprises any one of:

a cannula, a speculum, or a catheter with a tool access hole inside the device.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the device body is configured to be attached to:

a direct laryngoscope blade or a medical access device devised to enter the body through an incision or a natural orifice.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the device body comprises a flexible tubular portion and wherein any one of a rigid, flexible, articulating or robotic medical body can be inserted through the flexible tubular portion of the device or otherwise attached to the device.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the opto-electronic module and the device body are configured to be removably attached to a medical access device.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the removable opto-electronic module is inserted into a fully sealed and dry air filled housing within the device body behind an airtight optical window.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the fully sealed and dry air filled housing includes one or more moisture absorbing elements to maintain the air dry.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the opto-electronic module comprises an image sensor, the device further comprising an imaging window interposed between the distal end of the device body and the image sensor, wherein heat from the image sensor or from a heat-generating resistor included in the device is coupled to the imaging window to substantially prevent formation of condensation on the imaging window.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the opto-electronic module is deployably configured such that in an insertion position, the opto-electronic module is substantially contained within a profile of the device body, and in a deployed position, at least a portion of the opto-electronic module is disposed external to the profile of the device body.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the electrical connector is on an extended portion of the device with flexible cable.

13. A device for display of medical vision images and video, the device comprising:

a portable display screen and housing;

a mounting mechanism disposed on the back of the housing, the mounting mechanism configured to removably engage a complementary mounting mechanism on a structure for removably mounting the portable display screen and housing to the structure; and

means for communicatively coupling the portable display screen to one or both of an opto-electronic vision module or an opto-electronic illumination module.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the device is coupled to a power supply, the power supply comprising an external power supply or a battery power supply included in the device, and wherein the device provides a portion of the power supply to one or both of the opto-electronic vision module or the opto-electronic illumination module.

15. The device of claim 13, further comprising:

illumination and imaging control electronics providing imaging control of the opto-electronic vision module and the opto-electronic illumination module; and

image processing electronics providing image processing of image data received from the opto-electronic vision module.

16. The device of claim 13, further comprising local or transferable means for storage of images and video data for one or more opto-electronic vision modules.

17. The device of claim 13, wherein the mounting mechanism allows the device to be removably mounted on an IV post with rotational and pivotal adjustment capabilities.

18. The device of claim 13, wherein the mounting mechanism allows the device to be removably disposed on a surface or another device with tilt adjustment capabilities.

19. The device of claim 13, wherein the mounting mechanism allows the device to be removably mounted on a handle of a medical device with rotational and tilt adjustment capabilities.

20. The device of claim 13, wherein the mounting mechanism allows the device to be removably mounted to a wearable attachment device that can be worn by a user.

21. The device of claim 20, wherein the wearable attachment device is configured to attach the device to an arm or wrist of a user, the wearable attachment device comprising a tilt mechanism and one or more of:

a snap memory band, an elastic band, or a Velcro band used around the arm or one or more fingers of the user.

22. The device of claim 20, wherein the wearable attachment device is configured to hang the device from a neck of the user, the wearable attachment device comprising a flexible hanging and attachment mechanism that allows the device to be stored close to a body of the user when the device is not in use or to fold out to a fixed position from the body of the user when the device is in use.

23. The device of claim 13, wherein stereoscopic viewing capability of images displayed on the display screen is provided by a pair of time-synchronized shutter glasses or view port LCDs.

24. The device of claim 13, wherein a plurality of 2 D or 3 D input imaging devices are connected to the device for remote 2 D or 3 D viewing.

25. The device of claim 13, further comprising a user interface, the user interface including one or more of:

hard or soft electronic keys, a mouse, a joystick, a touch screen, or voice activated command electronics.

26. The device of claim 13, further comprising one or more of:

input means, output means, cellular communication capabilities, computing means, wireless connectivity, GPS capabilities, personal digital assistant capabilities, note-taking capabilities, dictation capabilities, or video conferencing capabilities.

27. An electronic dongle device for control, process and transmission of medical vision images and video, the device comprising:

illumination and imaging control electronics configured to provide illumination and imaging control of one or more opto-electronic illumination modules and one or more opto-electronic vision modules;

image processing electronics configured to provide image processing of image data received from the one or more opto-electronic vision modules;

a battery electrically connected to the imaging control electronics and the image processing electronics to power the imaging control electronics and the image processing electronics; and

a cable configured to communicatively couple the electronic dongle to the one or more opto-electronic illumination modules and the one or more opto-electronic vision modules.

28. The electronic dongle of claim 27, wherein the battery is configured to further provide power to the one or more opto-electronic illumination modules and the one or more opto-electronic vision modules.

29. The electronic dongle of claim 27, further comprising compression electronics configured to compress the image data received from the one or more opto-electronic vision modules, wherein the battery is electrically connected to the compression electronics to power the compression electronics.

30. The electronic dongle of claim 27, further comprising a wireless transmitter, a wireless receiver, or both, for wireless transmission of image data and control signals to one or more wireless control and display units.

31. The electronic dongle of claim 27, further comprising a local display screen for viewing images.

32. The electronic dongle of claim 27, wherein the electronic dongle further comprises one or more of:

a cellular phone, a computing device, or a storage device.