Ingestible endoscopic optical scanning device

• US 9,974,430 B2
• Filed: 09/06/2013
• Issued: 05/22/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Innurvation Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Innurvation Incorporated
• Inventors: Bandy, William Robert, Jamieson, Brian Glenn, Powell, Kevin James, Salsman, Kenneth Edward, Schober, Robert Charles, Weitzner, John, Arneson, Michael R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Anhtuan T
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHOU, WILLIAM B
• Application Number:
  US14/020,110
• Publication Number:
  US 20140221742A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,719 Days
• Field of Search: 600109, 600476, 600160, 600178, 600170, 600176
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/041 Capsule endoscopes for imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0607 for annular illumination
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0684 using light emitting diodes [LED]

Abstract

An ingestible scanning device includes, in an embodiment, a capsule housing having a transparent window and sized so as to be ingestible, a photo-sensing array located within the capsule housing, a mirror located within the housing and oriented to direct an image from a surface outside the transparent window to the photo-sensing array, and a light source for illuminating the surface outside the transparent window.

Claims

1. An ingestible scanning device, comprising:

an ingestible capsule housing having a transparent window;

a plurality of photosensors arranged to extend across a diameter of the ingestible capsule housing and to be perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the ingestible capsule housing to form a single-axis photo-sensing array located within the ingestible capsule housing;

a mirror located within the ingestible capsule housing and oriented to reflect an image from a surface outside the transparent window to the single-axis photo-sensing array;

a light source configured to illuminate the surface outside the transparent window; and

a cylindrical lens, between the single-axis photo-sensing array and the mirror, arranged to have a curvature perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the ingestible capsule housing,

wherein a relative position of the cylindrical lens to the single-axis photo-sensing array is moveable to sequentially focus the image onto the single-axis photo-sensing array.

2. The ingestible scanning device of claim 1, wherein the mirror is rotatable.

3. The ingestible scanning device of claim 2, further comprising an adjustable-speed motor coupled to the mirror.

4. The ingestible scanning device of claim 3, wherein an achievable resolution of a scanned axis and a speed of imaging is adjustable by adjusting a speed of the adjustable-speed motor.

5. The ingestible scanning device of claim 1, wherein the mirror is a cylindrically symmetrical reflective element or is an element combining reflective and refractive surfaces.

6. The ingestible scanning device of claim 1, further comprising a toroidal lens located around the single-axis photo-sensing array, the toroidal lens being oriented to direct light from the light source onto the mirror.

7. The ingestible scanning device of claim 1, wherein the light source is located within the ingestible capsule housing.

8. The ingestible scanning device of claim 1, wherein the light source is attached to an outer surface of the ingestible capsule housing.

9. The ingestible scanning device of claim 1, wherein the light source is a light emitting diode.

10. The ingestible scanning device of claim 1, wherein the light source is a light distribution ring.

11. The ingestible scanning device of claim 10, wherein the light distribution ring is configured to output light around approximately a perimeter of the ingestible capsule housing.

12. The ingestible scanning device of claim 1, wherein the single-axis photo-sensing array is capable of being read a line at a time.

13. The ingestible scanning device of claim 1, wherein the relative position is moveable to sequentially focus light from different regions of the image onto the single-axis photo-sensing array.

14. The ingestible scanning device of claim 1, wherein the cylindrical lens is moveable to sequentially focus light from the image onto the single-axis photo-sensing array.

15. The ingestible scanning device of claim 1, wherein the single-axis photo-sensing array is moveable to sequentially focus light from the image onto the single-axis photo-sensing array.