Mini-scope for multi-directional imaging

• US 7,835,074 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2007
• Issued: 11/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SARCOS LC (Sarcos Technology & Robotics Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sterling LC
• Inventors: Jacobsen, Stephen C., Smith, Fraser, Marceau, David
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, THONG Q
• Application Number:
  US11/810,702
• Publication Number:
  US 20080304143A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,260 Days
• Field of Search: 359399-431, 359/618, 359/634, 359483-502, 359/367, 359/589
• US Class Current: 359/367
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00181 for multiple fixed viewing angles A61B1/00193 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00183 for variable viewing angles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/05 characterised by the image sensor, e.g. camera, being in the distal end portion
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/2423 of the distal end
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/2484 Arrangements in relation to a camera or imaging device processing or control of video signals generated by an endoscope H04N23/60, H04N23/70
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/141 using dichroic mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/283 used for beam splitting or combining
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/555 for picking-up images in sites, inaccessible due to their dimensions or hazardous conditions, e.g. endoscopes or borescopes

Abstract

A mini-scope for multi-directional imaging is disclosed. The mini-scope includes an elongated mini-scoped body. An emissions aperture is disposed on the distal end of the elongated mini-scope body, which can be configured to emit a beam of optical energy propagating through a flexible optical conductor. A selective mirror is also positioned at the distal end of the elongated mini-scope body and is configured to selectively pass or reflect the beam of optical energy based on the optical characteristics of the beam. A SSID is further disposed on the distal end of the elongated mini-scope body for imaging illumination reflected by an external object in response to the beam of optical energy. This illumination is directed to pass through or reflect from the selective mirror to the camera based on optical characteristics of the beam.

Claims

1. A mini-scope for multi-directional imaging, comprising:

an elongated mini-scope body having a distal end and a proximal end;

an emissions aperture, disposed at the distal end of the elongated mini-scope body and configured to emit a beam of optical energy for illuminating an object;

a selective mirror, disposed at the distal end of the elongated mini-scope body and along an optical path of the beam, and configured to selectively and differentially pass and reflect the beam of optical energy based on optical characteristics of the beam of optical energy; and

a solid state imaging device, disposed at the distal end of the elongated mini-scope body, for imaging illumination reflected by an external object in response to the beam of optical energy, the reflected illumination having passed through and reflected from the selective mirror to the solid state imaging device based on the optical characteristics of the reflected illumination.

2. The mini-scope of claim 1, wherein the selective mirror is a dichroic mirror.

3. The mini-scope of claim 1, wherein the optical characteristics of the beam include frequency characteristics.

4. The mini-scope of claim 1, wherein the selective mirror is a polarizing beam splitter plate.

5. The mini-scope of claim 4, further comprising a flexible optical conductor which comprises a polarization maintaining optical fiber.

6. The mini-scope of claim 4, wherein the polarizing beam splitter plate further comprises:

a mirror portion, having opposing reflecting and nonreflecting faces, configured to pass or reflect the illumination towards the solid state imaging device, based on directional characteristics of the illumination.

7. The mini-scope of claim 1, wherein the optical characteristics of the beam include polarization characteristics.

8. The mini-scope of claim 1, wherein the solid state imaging device comprises a charge coupled device with a gradient index lens.

9. The mini-scope of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of selective mirrors configured to selectively pass or reflect the beam of optical energy based on optical characteristics of the beam.

10. The mini-scope of claim 9, wherein the plurality of selective mirrors includes at least two mirrors having different directional orientations, to reflect portions of the beam of optical energy in at least two different directions and transmit portions of the beam of optical energy in two parallel directions, based on the optical characteristics of the beam.

11. The mini-scope of claim 1 further comprising a rotating device coupled to the elongated mini-scope body and the selective mirror for rotating the selective mirror.

12. The mini-scope of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one light source disposed at the proximal end of the elongated mini-scope body for transmitting the beam of optical energy down a flexible optical conductor;

a processing system, in communication with the solid state imaging device, having imaging software for processing and displaying images recorded by the solid state imaging device; and

at least one display for displaying the images recorded by the solid state imaging device.

13. The mini-scope of claim 12, wherein:

the at least one light source is configured to alternately transmit a first beam of optical energy having a first predefined optical characteristic, and a second beam of optical energy having a second predefined optical characteristic, wherein the second predefined optical characteristic is different from the first predefined optical characteristic; and

the imaging software being configured to display images illuminated with the first beam of optical energy on a first display and to display images illuminated with the second beam of optical energy on a second display.

14. The mini-scope of claim 12, wherein the at least one light source is configured to simultaneously transmit a first beam of optical energy having a first predefined optical characteristic and a second beam of optical energy having a second predefined optical characteristic, wherein the second predefined optical characteristic is different from the first predefined optical characteristic.

15. The mini-scope of claim 14, wherein the imaging software is configured to selectively filter and display images illuminated with the first beam of optical energy on a first display and images illuminated with the second beam of optical energy on a second display.

16. A method for multi-directional imaging with a mini-scope, the method comprising:

transmitting a beam of optical energy to a selective mirror;

passing in a first direction a first portion of the beam of optical energy through a first selective mirror onto a first target based on an optical characteristics of the first portion of the beam;

reflecting in a second direction a second portion of the beam of optical energy by the selective mirror onto a second target, based on an optical characteristics of the second portion of the beam, wherein the optical characteristic of the first portion of the beam is different from the optical characteristic of the second portion of the beam;

imaging with an imaging device, illumination reflected by the first target and passed back through the selective mirror to the imaging device to produce a first recorded image; and

imaging with the imaging device, illumination reflected by the second target and reflected off of the selective mirror to the imaging device to produce a second recorded image.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first direction is non-parallel to the second direction.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the selective mirror is coupled to a rotating device.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising transmitting a portion of the beam of optical energy through the first selective mirror and to a second selective mirror, wherein said second selective mirror is oriented in a direction different than the first selective mirror.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising passing a portion of the beam of optical energy through the second selective mirror and reflecting a portion of the beam off of the second selective mirror.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the first and second mirrors are disposed on the distal end of the mini-scope.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein at the first and second mirrors are coupled to a single support structure.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the support structure is oriented parallel to a longitudinal end of the mini-scope.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising rotating the first and second mirrors about the support structure.

25. The method of claim 20, further comprising passing the portions of the first beam of optical energy in forward and lateral directions.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising receiving the portions of the first and second beams of optical energy that are reflected from a target.

27. The method of claim 16, wherein the optical characteristics of the first and second beams are selected from the group consisting of frequency and polarization.

28. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of transmitting further includes alternatively transmitting the first portion of the beam of optical energy having a first predefined optical characteristic and the second portion of the beam of optical energy having a second predefined optical characteristic.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

processing the first and second recorded images recorded by the imaging device; and

displaying the first and second recorded imagines recorded by the imaging device.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the processing step comprises:

processing the first recorded image for display on a first display screen, and processing the second recorded image for display on a second display screen; and

the displaying step comprises;

displaying the first recorded image on a first screen and the second recorded image on a second screen.

31. A mini-scope for multi-directional imaging, comprising:

an elongated mini-scope body having a distal end and a proximal end;

an emissions aperture, disposed at the distal end of the elongated mini-scope body and configured to emit a beam of optical energy for illuminating an object;

a first selective mirror disposed at the distal end of the elongated mini-scope body and along an optical path of the beam, and configured to selectively and differentially pass and reflect a portion of the beam of optical energy based on optical characteristics of the beam of optical energy;

a second selective mirror disposed at the distal end of the elongated mini-scope body and along an optical path of the beam, and configured to selectively and differently pass and reflect a portion of the beam of optical energy based on optical characteristics of the beam of optical energy;

a solid state imaging device, disposed at the distal end of the elongated mini-scope body for imaging illumination reflected by an external object in response to the beam of optical energy, portions of the reflected illumination having passed through the first and second selective mirrors to the solid state imaging device based on the optical characteristics of the reflected illumination and being reflected from the first and second selective mirrors to the solid state imaging device based on the optical characteristics of the reflected illumination; and

a support structure coupled to at least one of the first and second selective mirrors and adapted to control the orientation of both the first and second selective mirrors.

32. The mini-scope of claim 31, wherein the support structure is coupled to at least one of the first and second selective mirrors at the center of at least one of the first and second selective mirrors and is adapted to rotate the first and second selective mirrors.