METHODS AND DEVICES FOR ENDOSCOPIC IMAGING

• US 20100262000A1
• Filed: 06/23/2010
• Published: 10/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ananth Natarajan, Jeffrey M. Wallace, Keith Peacock, Nitish V. Thakor, Santosh Venkatesha
• Original Assignee: Ananth Natarajan, Jeffrey M. Wallace, Keith Peacock, Nitish V. Thakor, Santosh Venkatesha
• Inventors: Natarajan, Ananth, Peacock, Keith, Venkatesha, Santosh, Wallace, Jeffrey M., Thakor, Nitish V.
• Application Number:
  US12/821,387
• Publication Number:
  US 20100262000A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/424
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00096 Optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00177 for 90 degrees side-viewing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00186 with imaging filters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0625 for multiple fixed illumination angles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0646 with illumination filters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/303 for the vagina, i.e. vaginoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 10/0275 with sample notch, e.g. on the side of inner stylet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 10/0291 for uterus A61B10/0045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/42 Gynaecological or obstetrical instruments or methods ligaturing clamps or clips for the umbilical cord A61B17/122; curettage A61B17/320708; dilators A61M29/00

Abstract

Embodiments include devices and methods. One embodiment includes a method for imaging an endometrial cavity, including acquiring a plurality of images using an imaging system. A first part of the imaging system is positioned within the endometrial cavity. At least portions of two or more of the images are combined into a representation of at least a portion of the endometrial cavity. The combining at least portions of two of the images may include determining any motion of the first part of the imaging system, between the two or more of the images. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Claims

1. A method for imaging an organ system cavity comprising:

positioning a first part of an imaging system in the organ system cavity;

acquiring a plurality of images using the imaging system;

combining at least portions of two or more of the images into a representation of at least a portion of the organ system cavity, wherein the combining at least portions of two or more of the images includes determining any motion of the first part of the imaging system relative to the organ system cavity, between the two or more of the images; and

determining the motion of the imaging device between two or more of the images, using at least one of;

contract trackers using physical frames, contact trackers using physical stages, non-contact trackers using optical tracking systems or portions thereof, non-contact trackers using electromagnetic tracking systems or portions thereof, and non-contact trackers using positioning system trackers or portions thereof.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing at least one calibration process at a time that is selected from:

(i) prior to the determining the motion of the imaging device between two or more of the images in order to improve accuracy, and (ii) during the determining the motion of the imaging device between two or more of the images in order to improve accuracy.