Endoscopic imaging of an organ system
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of investigating uterine pathologies using a map of the endometrial lining of an uninsufflated uterus of a patient, comprising:
- attaching an image sensor to an imaging channel contained within a body portion of an endoscope, where the imaging channel connects to an omni-directional tip located at the end of the body portion of the endoscope and possessing optics that enable the image sensor to image endometrial lining coapted around the circumference of the omni-directional tip;
inserting the body portion of the endoscope into the collapsed cavity formed by the uninsufflated uterus of the patient;
moving a portion of the endoscope that is outside the patient'"'"'s body to move the omni-directional tip of the endoscope around the collapsed cavity formed by the uninsufflated uterus of the patient;
obtaining a series of images of the portions of the endometrial lining that coapt around the circumference of the omni-directional tip of the endoscope as the omni-directional tip moves around the collapsed cavity formed by the uninsufflated uterus of the patient;
processing the series of images to remove at least a portion of the distortion in the images introduced by the omni-directional tip and the endoscope; and
combining at least a portion of the processed images into at least one map of the endometrial lining of the uterus of the patient.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Certain embodiments include an endoscope and methods for imaging using the endoscope. The endoscope may include an imaging channel and a tip positioned at one end of the imaging channel, the tip adapted to collect light from a field of view that extends 360° around at least a portion of the endoscope and to transmit the light to the imaging channel. Certain embodiments may also utilize various sensors, controllers and processing mechanisms to record and process images into a representation, move the endoscope in and out of the endometrial cavity, and to biopsy a portion of the endometrium.
65 Citations
28 Claims
-
1. A method of investigating uterine pathologies using a map of the endometrial lining of an uninsufflated uterus of a patient, comprising:
-
attaching an image sensor to an imaging channel contained within a body portion of an endoscope, where the imaging channel connects to an omni-directional tip located at the end of the body portion of the endoscope and possessing optics that enable the image sensor to image endometrial lining coapted around the circumference of the omni-directional tip; inserting the body portion of the endoscope into the collapsed cavity formed by the uninsufflated uterus of the patient; moving a portion of the endoscope that is outside the patient'"'"'s body to move the omni-directional tip of the endoscope around the collapsed cavity formed by the uninsufflated uterus of the patient; obtaining a series of images of the portions of the endometrial lining that coapt around the circumference of the omni-directional tip of the endoscope as the omni-directional tip moves around the collapsed cavity formed by the uninsufflated uterus of the patient; processing the series of images to remove at least a portion of the distortion in the images introduced by the omni-directional tip and the endoscope; and combining at least a portion of the processed images into at least one map of the endometrial lining of the uterus of the patient. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
-
-
25. A method of mapping the endometrial lining of an uninsufflated uterus of a patient, comprising:
-
attaching an image sensor to an imaging channel contained within a body portion of an endoscope having a distal end and a proximal end, where the imaging channel extends along an optical axis to an omni-directional tip located at the distal end of the body portion of the endoscope, where the omni-directional tip includes a rigid window that extends along a length of the body portion of the endoscope and around the circumference of the body portion of the endoscope and has a field of view projecting out from the rigid window that is capable of imaging a portion of the endometrium alongside the length of the body portion of the endoscope that includes the rigid window; inserting the omni-directional tip of the endoscope into the collapsed cavity formed by the uninsufflated uterus of the patient so that the endometrial lining of the uninsufflated uterus becomes in contact with the rigid window of the omni-directional tip; moving a portion of the endoscope that is outside the patient'"'"'s body to move the omni-directional tip of the endoscope around the collapsed cavity formed by the uninsufflated uterus of the patient; capturing images of portions of the endometrial lining extending around the circumference of the endoscope and in contact with the rigid window using the image sensor as the omni-directional tip moves around the collapsed cavity formed by the uninsufflated uterus of the patient, where the images include warping introduced due to the optics of the omni-directional tip that image light from the field of view of the window; applying a transformation to each image to dewarp the image and produce anatomical images; and combining at least a portion of the processed images into at least one map of the endometrial lining of the uterus of the patient. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28)
-
Specification