METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR CALIBRATION OF A SENSOR ASSOCIATED WITH AN ENDOSCOPE

• US 20140246563A1
• Filed: 03/04/2014
• Published: 09/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: SPROUL, Jason, McCAFFREY, Nathaniel, McNALLY, James, BAREAU, Jane, KEITH, Laura
• Granted Patent: US 9,723,972 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/208.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00057 provided with means for testing or calibration
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00131 Accessories for endoscopes

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention include an apparatus including an enclosure configured to receive an endoscope having an electromagnetic radiation sensor. The apparatus also includes an electromagnetic radiation source having at least a portion disposed within the enclosure. The electromagnetic radiation source is configured to emit electromagnetic radiation based on a calibration instruction. The electromagnetic radiation sensor is configured to receive at least a portion of the electromagnetic radiation when at least a portion of the endoscope is coupled to the enclosure.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

an enclosure configured to receive an endoscope having an electromagnetic radiation sensor; and

an electromagnetic radiation source having at least a portion disposed within the enclosure, the electromagnetic radiation source being configured to emit electromagnetic radiation based on a calibration instruction, the electromagnetic radiation sensor being configured to receive at least a portion of the electromagnetic radiation when at least a portion of the endoscope is coupled to the enclosure.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the electromagnetic radiation sensor is configured to produce a signal based on the portion of the electromagnetic radiation; and

the apparatus further comprises a processor configured to;

determine a correction factor associated with the electromagnetic radiation sensor based on the signal, and

send the correction factor to the endoscope.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the electromagnetic radiation sensor is configured to produce a signal based on a first calibration target defined by the received portion of the electromagnetic radiation; and

the apparatus further comprises a processor configured to trigger the electromagnetic radiation source to emit electromagnetic radiation defining a second calibration target in response to the signal, the second calibration target being different from the first calibration target.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the portion of the electromagnetic radiation is a first portion of the electromagnetic radiation; and

the apparatus further comprises;

a detector configured to receive a second portion of the electromagnetic radiation and produce a signal based on an intensity level associated with at least the second portion of the electromagnetic radiation, and

a processor configured to trigger the electromagnetic radiation source to emit electromagnetic radiation based on the signal.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an actuator coupled to the electromagnetic radiation source and configured to move the electromagnetic radiation source relative to the endoscope.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising a control module connected to the actuator and configured to control movement of the actuator.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the endoscope is a first endoscope and the calibration instruction is a first calibration instruction associated with the first endoscope;

the enclosure is further configured to receive a plurality of different endoscopes including the first endoscope and a second endoscope different than the first endoscope; and

the electromagnetic radiation source is configured to emit electromagnetic radiation based on a second calibration instruction associated with the second endoscope, the second calibration instruction being different than the first calibration instruction.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a processor configured to trigger the endoscope to acquire at least one frame based on the electromagnetic radiation in response to the calibration instruction, when at least the portion of the endoscope is coupled to the enclosure;

wherein the electromagnetic radiation source is a liquid crystal display.

9. A method comprising:

emitting electromagnetic radiation at a first time from an electromagnetic radiation source that has at least a portion disposed within an enclosure;

receiving a signal from a sensor, the signal being defined based on a portion of the electromagnetic radiation received at the sensor while at least a portion of an endoscope is received within the enclosure; and

emitting electromagnetic radiation at a second time different than the first time in response to the signal and based on a calibration algorithm associated with the endoscope.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein:

emitting electromagnetic radiation at the first time comprises emitting electromagnetic radiation defining a first calibration target; and

emitting electromagnetic radiation at the second time comprises emitting electromagnetic radiation defining a second calibration target different from the first calibration target.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the sensor is an electromagnetic radiation sensor associated with the endoscope, and the method further comprises:

determining whether a responsiveness of the electromagnetic radiation sensor satisfies a threshold condition based on the signal.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising moving the electromagnetic radiation source relative to the endoscope based on the signal.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein:

the sensor is an electromagnetic radiation sensor associated with the endoscope and the signal is a first signal; and

the method further comprises;

defining a correction factor associated with the electromagnetic radiation sensor based on the first signal;

sending a second signal different than the first signal to the endoscope to trigger the sensor to acquire a frame associated with at least one of the electromagnetic radiation emitted at the first time or the electromagnetic radiation emitted at the second time.

14. An apparatus comprising:

an adapter including an opening configured to be coupled to a portion of an endoscope; and

a calibration unit including a calibration target disposed within the calibration unit, the calibration unit being configured to receive the adapter such that an image sensor of the endoscope has a specified position relative to the calibration target when the adapter is coupled to the calibration unit and the endoscope is coupled to the adapter.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the calibration target is an active calibration component having a portion configured to emit electromagnetic radiation based on a calibration algorithm associated with the endoscope.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein:

the calibration unit includes an orientation feature; and

the specified position includes a specified orientation of the image sensor within a plane normal to a longitudinal axis of the endoscope when the orientation feature of the calibration unit is aligned with an orientation feature of the endoscope.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein:

the adapter includes;

a first orientation feature configured to mate with an orientation feature of the endoscope; and

a second orientation feature configured to mate with an orientation feature associated with the calibration unit.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein:

the adapter includes a portion distal to the image sensor of the endoscope when the endoscope is coupled to the adapter, the portion of the adapter being substantially transparent to visible light; and

a distance between the image sensor and the calibration target depends at least on a dimension of the portion of the adapter distal to the image sensor of the endoscope when the endoscope is coupled to the adapter.

19. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein:

the adapter is a first adapter and the endoscope is a first endoscope;

the calibration unit is configured receive a plurality of adapters, the plurality of adapters including the first adapter and a second adapter different than the first adapter;

the second adapter includes an opening configured to be coupled to a portion of a second endoscope, the second endoscope having a different outer dimension than the first endoscope.

20. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising:

a sensor configured to detect whether the image sensor has the specified position relative to the calibration target; and

a processor communicatively connected to the sensor configured to initiate execution of a calibration algorithm in response to the detection.