MULTI-CAMERA ENDOSCOPE

• US 20110263938A1
• Filed: 06/16/2010
• Published: 10/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EndoChoice Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: EndoChoice Innovation Center Ltd. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Levy, Avi
• Granted Patent: US 9,554,692 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/109
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/000094 extracting biological structures
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0005 combining images e.g. side-by-side, superimposed or tiled
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00066 Proximal part of endoscope body, e.g. handles A61B1/0052 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00091 Nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00096 Optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00101 the distal tip features being detachable
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00114 Electrical cables in or with an endoscope
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00177 for 90 degrees side-viewing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00181 for multiple fixed viewing angles A61B1/00193 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00188 with focusing or zooming features
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/005 Flexible endoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/018 for receiving instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/045 Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/05 characterised by the image sensor, e.g. camera, being in the distal end portion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/051 Details of CCD assembly
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0615 for radial illumination
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0625 for multiple fixed illumination angles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0638 providing two or more wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0684 using light emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/126 provided with means for cleaning in-use
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/31 : for the rectum, e.g. proctoscopes, sigmoidoscopes , colonoscopes

Abstract

A multi-camera endoscope which includes an elongated shaft terminating with a tip section turnable by way of a bending section, wherein the tip section includes: a front-pointing camera and a discrete front illuminator associated therewith; a front fluid injector configured for cleaning at least one of said front-pointing camera and said discrete front illuminator; a side-pointing camera and a discrete side illuminator associated therewith; a side fluid injector configured for cleaning at least one of said side-pointing camera and said discrete side illuminator; a working channel configured for insertion of a surgical tool; and a pathway fluid injector for inflating and/or cleaning a body cavity into which the endoscope is inserted.

Claims

1-54. -54. (canceled)

55. A multi-camera endoscope comprising:

an elongated shaft terminating with a tip section turnable by way of a bending section, wherein said tip section comprises;

a front-pointing camera and a discrete front illuminator associated therewith;

a front fluid injector configured for cleaning at least one of said front-pointing camera and said discrete front illuminator;

a side-pointing camera and a discrete side illuminator associated therewith;

a side fluid injector configured for cleaning at least one of said side-pointing camera and said discrete side illuminator;

a working channel configured for insertion of a surgical tool; and

a pathway fluid injector for inflating and/or cleaning a body cavity into which the endoscope is inserted.

56. The multi-camera endoscope according to claim 55, wherein said front-pointing camera and said side-pointing camera are pointing at directions essentially perpendicular to one another.

57. The multi-camera endoscope according to claim 55, wherein said front-pointing camera and said side-pointing camera are pointing approximately 100 to 145 degrees relative to one another.

58. The multi-camera endoscope according to claim 55, wherein a center of said side-pointing camera is positioned approximately 7 to 11 millimeters from a distal end of said tip section.

59. The multi-camera endoscope according to claim 55, wherein each of said discrete front and side illuminators comprises a light-emitting diode (LED).

60. The multi-camera endoscope according to claim 59, wherein at least one of said discrete front and side illuminators is configured to emit white light, ultraviolet light, infrared light, near-infrared light or any combination thereof.

61. The multi-camera endoscope according to claim 55, wherein said discrete front and side illuminators are configured to emit light in different wavelengths.

62. The multi-camera endoscope according to claim 55, wherein said tip section further comprises an additional discrete front illuminator configured to emit light having a different wavelength than said discrete front illuminator.

63. The multi-camera endoscope according to claim 62, wherein said additional discrete front illuminator and said discrete front illuminator are configured to simultaneously emit light, each at a different wavelength.

64. The multi-camera endoscope according to claim 55, wherein said tip section further comprises an additional discrete side illuminator configured to emit light having a different wavelength than said discrete side illuminator.

65. The multi-camera endoscope according to claim 64, wherein said additional discrete side illuminator and said discrete side illuminator are configured to simultaneously emit light, each at a different wavelength.

66. The multi-camera endoscope according to claim 55, wherein each of said front-pointing camera and said side-pointing camera comprises a Charge Coupled Device (CCD) or a Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor.

67. The multi-camera endoscope according to claim 55, wherein said front and side fluid injectors are connected to a same fluid supply channel.

68. The multi-camera endoscope according to claim 67, wherein said pathway fluid injector is connected to said fluid supply channel, together with said front and side fluid injectors.

69. The multi-camera endoscope according to claim 55, wherein at least one of said front and side-pointing cameras comprises a lens assembly providing a field of view of 120 degrees or more.

70. The multi-camera endoscope according to claim 55, wherein at least one of said front and side-pointing cameras comprises a lens assembly providing a field of view of 150 degrees or more.

71. The multi-camera endoscope according to claim 55, wherein said front-pointing camera comprises a lens assembly providing a focal length of approximately 3-100 millimeters.

72. The multi-camera endoscope according to claim 55, wherein said side-pointing camera comprises a lens assembly providing a focal length of approximately 2-33 millimeters.

73. The multi-camera endoscope according to claim 55, wherein said tip section further comprises an opposite side-pointing camera pointing at a direction essentially opposite to said side-pointing camera.

74. The multi-camera endoscope according to claim 55, wherein said tip section further comprises a perpendicular side-pointing camera pointing at a direction essentially perpendicular to said side-pointing camera.

75. The multi-camera endoscope according to claim 55, wherein said endoscope is a colonoscope.

76. The multi-camera endoscope according to claim 55, wherein fields of view of said front-pointing camera and side-pointing camera are at least partially overlapping, such that an object of interest viewed via said side-pointing camera remains in the field of view of said side-pointing camera while said tip section is being turned towards the object, and at least until the object becomes visible through said front-pointing camera.

77. A multi-camera endoscopy system comprising:

an endoscope comprising a handle and an elongated shaft terminating with a tip section turnable by way of a bending section, wherein said tip section comprises;

a front-pointing camera and a discrete front illuminator associated therewith,

a front fluid injector configured for cleaning at least one of said front-pointing camera and said discrete front illuminator,

a side-pointing camera and a discrete side illuminator associated therewith,

a side fluid injector configured for cleaning at least one of said side-pointing camera and said discrete side illuminator,

a working channel configured for insertion of a surgical tool, and

a pathway fluid injector for inflating and/or cleaning a body cavity into which the endoscope is inserted;

a controller connected to said handle of said endoscope by way of a utility cable; and

a display connected to said controller and configured to display video streams received from said front and side-pointing cameras.