Mini-scope for multi-directional imaging
First Claim
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.
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Accused Products
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.
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Citations
32 Claims
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1. A mini-scope for multi-directional imaging, comprising:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method for multi-directional imaging with a mini-scope, the method comprising:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A mini-scope for multi-directional imaging, comprising:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (32)
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Specification