In vivo image capturing system including capsule enclosing a camera
First Claim
1. An in vivo image capturing system comprising:
- a panoramic camera with a field of view (FOV) exceeding 180 degrees;
a capsule enclosing the panoramic camera, the capsule comprising a transparent window configured to pass light into the panoramic camera, the transparent window having an interior surface and an exterior surface;
a light source enclosed within the capsule;
a reflector configured within the capsule to reflect a ray of light from the light source, away from the panoramic camera;
wherein wherever incoming image rays and outgoing illuminating light rays intersect at a common point on any surface of the transparent window, an angle between an outgoing illuminating light ray and a surface normal exceeds an angle between an incoming image ray and the surface normal such that a reflection of the outgoing illuminating light ray from said any surface is not within the field of view (FOV) of the panoramic camera.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An in vivo image capturing system includes a capsule, and a camera encased within the capsule and configured to capture through a transparent window of the capsule, a view outside the capsule. The system includes a light source enclosed within the capsule and a reflector configured to reflect a ray of light from the light source, away from the camera. Wherever incoming image rays and outgoing illuminating light rays intersect at a common point on any surface of the transparent window, an angle between an outgoing illuminating light ray and a surface normal exceeds an angle between an incoming image ray and the surface normal such that a reflection of the outgoing illuminating light ray from said any surface is not within a field of view (FOV) of the camera.
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Citations
54 Claims
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1. An in vivo image capturing system comprising:
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a panoramic camera with a field of view (FOV) exceeding 180 degrees; a capsule enclosing the panoramic camera, the capsule comprising a transparent window configured to pass light into the panoramic camera, the transparent window having an interior surface and an exterior surface; a light source enclosed within the capsule; a reflector configured within the capsule to reflect a ray of light from the light source, away from the panoramic camera; wherein wherever incoming image rays and outgoing illuminating light rays intersect at a common point on any surface of the transparent window, an angle between an outgoing illuminating light ray and a surface normal exceeds an angle between an incoming image ray and the surface normal such that a reflection of the outgoing illuminating light ray from said any surface is not within the field of view (FOV) of the panoramic camera. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method for in vivo imaging with a camera encased within a capsule, comprising:
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providing a capsule housing having a window at least partially transparent to electromagnetic radiation in a given wavelength range; wherein the camera is a panoramic camera with a field of view exceeding 180 degrees; ingesting said capsule by a patient; emitting electromagnetic radiation in said given wavelength range through a first set of inner and outer transparent window surface regions of the window of said capsule housing; detecting images from reflections of said electromagnetic radiation by a subject surface of said patient, through a second set of inner and outer transparent window surface regions of the window with an image sensor in the panoramic camera; wherein the capsule comprises a reflector configured to reflect a ray of light from an illuminating light source, away from the panoramic camera; wherein wherever incoming image rays and outgoing illuminating light rays intersect at a common point on any surface of the window, an angle between an outgoing illuminating light ray and a surface normal exceeds an angle between an incoming image ray and the surface normal such that a reflection of the outgoing illuminating light ray from said any surface is not within a field of view (FOV) of the panoramic camera. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. An in vivo image capturing system comprising:
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a capsule enclosing a camera, the capsule comprising a transparent window configured to pass light into the camera; a light source enclosed within the capsule; a reflector configured within the capsule to reflect at least one ray of light from the light source; wherein wherever outgoing illuminating light rays after reflection by the reflector intersect with incoming image rays at a common point on a surface of the transparent window, an angle between an outgoing illuminating light ray reflected by the reflector and a surface normal exceeds an angle between an incoming image ray and the surface normal such that a reflection of the outgoing illuminating light ray from said surface is not within a field of view (FOV) of the camera. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A method for in vivo imaging with an ingestible capsule, the method comprising:
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generating electromagnetic radiation at an illumination source in the ingestible capsule; using a reflector within the ingestible capsule to reflect at least one ray of said electromagnetic radiation away from a camera in the ingestible capsule; emitting through a transparent window of the ingestible capsule, at least one portion of said electromagnetic radiation including said at least one ray of said electromagnetic radiation; and using an image sensor in the camera, to detect at least one image of a gastrointestinal tract, at least from reflections of said at least one portion outside the ingestible capsule that are received through the transparent window; wherein wherever outgoing illuminating rays, after reflection by the reflector, intersect with incoming image rays at a common point on a surface of the transparent window, an angle between an outgoing illuminating ray reflected by the reflector and a surface normal exceeds an angle between an incoming image ray and the surface normal such that a reflection of the outgoing illuminating ray from said surface is not within a field of view (FOV) of the camera. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. An in vivo image capturing system comprising:
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a capsule enclosing a camera, the capsule comprising a transparent window configured to pass light into the camera; a light source enclosed within the capsule; a reflector configured within the capsule to reflect at least one ray of light from the light source; whereby the transparent window comprises a point P on an outer surface thereof, at which a ray A entering the capsule is captured at a largest field angle by an aperture of the camera, and the transparent window is adapted to refract the ray A at an angle α
2 with respect to a surface normal;wherein the reflector is positioned at a distance g measured; (a) from an intersection of a line segment between the point P, at an angle −
α
2 with the surface normal, and an inner wall of the transparent window;(b) to an apex of the reflector; and such that wherever outgoing illuminating light rays after reflection by the reflector intersect with incoming image rays at the point P on the outer surface of the transparent window, an angle between an outgoing illuminating light ray reflected by the reflector and the surface normal exceeds |α
2|. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
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49. A method for in vivo imaging with an ingestible capsule, the method comprising:
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providing a capsule having a window at least partially transparent to electromagnetic radiation in a given wavelength range; ingesting said capsule by a patient; emitting electromagnetic radiation in said given wavelength range from said capsule; detecting images from reflections of said electromagnetic radiation with an image sensor using a camera; whereby the window comprises a point P on an outer surface, at which a ray A entering the capsule is captured at a largest field angle by an aperture of the camera, and the window is adapted to refract the ray A at an angle α
2 with respect to a surface normal;wherein a reflector is positioned at a distance g measured; (a) from an intersection of a line segment between the point P, at an angle −
α
2 with the surface normal, and an inner wall of the window;(b) to an apex of the reflector; and such that wherever outgoing illuminating light rays after reflection by the reflector intersect with incoming image rays at the point P on the outer surface of the window, an angle between an outgoing illuminating light ray reflected by the reflector and the surface normal exceeds |α
2|. - View Dependent Claims (50, 51, 52, 53, 54)
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Specification