OPTO-ELECTRONIC ILLUMINATION AND VISION MODULE FOR ENDOSCOPY

• US 20080208006A1
• Filed: 04/28/2008
• Published: 08/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vivid Medical, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Vivid Medical, Inc.
• Inventors: Farr, Mina
• Granted Patent: US 8,602,971 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/178
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00177 for 90 degrees side-viewing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00186 with imaging filters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0607 for annular illumination
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0625 for multiple fixed illumination angles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0653 with wavelength conversion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0676 at distal tip of an endoscope
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0684 using light emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/227 for ears, i.e. otoscopes

Abstract

Various embodiments for providing removable and pluggable opto-electronic modules for illumination and imaging for endoscopy or borescopy are provided. Generally, various medical or industrial devices can include one or more solid state or other compact electro-optic illuminating elements located thereon. Additionally, such opto-electronic modules may include illuminating optics, imaging optics, image capture devices, and heat dissipation mechanisms. The illumination elements may have different wavelengths and can be time synchronized with an image sensor to illuminate an object for imaging or detecting purpose or otherwise conditioning purpose. The optoelectronic modules may include means for optical and/or wireless communication. The removable opto-electronic modules may be plugged in on the exterior surface of a device, inside the device, deployably coupled to the distal end of the device, or otherwise disposed on the device.

Claims

1. A device for insertion into a body cavity, the device comprising:

a tubular portion having a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end being configured to be at least partially inserted into the body cavity;

an opto-electronic module located on the tubular portion; and

a power source electrically coupled to the opto-electronic module.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is any one of an endoscope tool, a cannula, a surgical tool, or a borescopy tool.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the opto-electronic module contains one or more of:

a light emitting device (LED), a laser diode (LD), an ultraviolet (UV) light source, an infrared (IR) light source, and a CCD or CMOS sensor.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the opto-electronic module is removable from the tubular portion.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the removable opto-electronic module is inserted into a fully sealed and dry air filled housing within the tubular portion behind an airtight optical window.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the fully sealed and dry air filled housing includes one or more moisture absorbing elements to maintain the air dry.

7. The device of claim 4, wherein the removable opto-electronic module is independently covered with a fully sealed protective cover and a sealed optical window in font of optical illumination and imaging paths of the removable opto-electronic module, wherein the fully sealed protective cover is removable from the opto-electronic module.

8. The device of claim 4, wherein the opto-electronic module is exchangeable with one or more additional exchangeable opto-electronic modules, each opto-electronic module including a different solid state electro-optic element or a combination of different solid state electro-optic elements.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the opto-electronic module emits a wavelength that is at least one of red, green, blue, ultraviolet (UV), infrared (IR), or white, or a combination thereof

10. The device of claim 9, wherein at least one of the opto-electronic modules is configured to emit ultraviolet or deep blue light to induce bio-fluorescence of one or more areas of the body cavity.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the bio-fluorescence is enhanced by the application of one or more of a staining chemical, a reactive agent, and a dye to the one or more areas of the body cavity.

12. The device of claim 9, wherein collected spectral images are processed further to perform structural analysis on type of tissue.

13. A device for insertion into a body cavity, the device comprising:

a tubular portion having a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end being configured to be at least partially inserted into the body cavity;

an opto-electronic module located in the tubular portion; and

a power source electrically coupled to the opto-electronic module.

14. The device of claim 13, further comprising at least one of detecting, imaging, or manipulating elements, or a combination thereof, disposed in the tubular portion.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the opto-electronic module, detecting element, imaging element, and/or manipulating element is removable from the tubular portion.

16. The device of claim 14, wherein the opto-electronic module includes multiple illumination and imaging electro-optic elements and their associated optics, the multiple illumination and imaging electro-optic elements and their associated optics being configured to view multiple directions of view with respect to a longitudinal axis of the tubular body to collect multiple images, and wherein the multiple images are electronically stitched together to achieve a substantially larger field of view.

17. The device of claim 13, further comprising a plurality of solid state electro-optic elements of various wavelengths, wherein the plurality of electro-optic elements are electrically linked to an image capture device disposed in the tubular portion, and wherein the plurality of electro-optic elements are time synchronized with the image capture device to provide a color image or appropriately captured multi-spectral images for further processing.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein at least two of the plurality of solid state electro-optic elements are configured to emit infra red light of different spectral ranges, including at least a first infra red spectral range and a second infra red spectral range, enabling the display of depth-specific two dimensional image information obtained by individually collecting light within the first infra red spectral range and light within the second infra red spectral range.

19. The device of claim 18, where the depth dependent 2 dimensional image information can be used to construct a 3 dimensional image of the body cavity or of an object within the body cavity.

20. The device of claim 13, wherein the opto-electronic module is part of a combination illuminator and imaging system, wherein the combination illuminator and imaging system is electrically coupled to the tubular portion to supply electrical power to the opto-electronic module and transmit imaging signals out of the opto-electronic module.

21. The device of claim 20, wherein at least one of electrical, wireless, and optical means of communication is configured inside the opto-electronic module for the communication of imaging data to a display device.

22. The device of claim 21, wherein one or more multiplexed optical transmitters and receive units in single or multiple wavelengths, are connected between the pluggable opto-electronic module and an external control unit using a multimode optical fiber in a single or bidirectional optical communication link.

23. The device of claim 13, further comprising an imaging window disposed in the distal end of the tubular portion, wherein the opto-electronic module includes at least a light source, and wherein conductive heat generated from the opto-electronic module is coupled to the imaging window to prevent condensation on the imaging window.

24. The device of claim 23, wherein the opto-electronic module is at least partially conductively coupled to the tubular portion to conduct heat away from the opto-electronic module.

25. The device of claim 24, wherein the tubular portion includes heat pipes or micro-channels for conveying a cooling fluid to transfer heat from the opto-electronic module to the proximal end of the tubular portion outside the body.

26. The device of claim 13, wherein the opto-electronic module is deployably configured such that in an insertion position, the opto-electronic module is contained within the tubular portion, and in a deployed position, the opto-electronic modules is disposed external to the tubular portion such that optical images are able to pass through the imaging elements. 27. A removable and pluggable optoelectronic illumination device for insertion into a body cavity, the optoelectronic illumination device comprising:

one or more solid state illumination elements configured to be electrically coupled to a power source external to the optoelectronic illumination device and to illuminate at least a portion of the body cavity;

wherein the optoelectronic illumination device is configured to be removably coupled onto or into the distal end of a borescopic device, the borescopic device including electrical connections for relaying electricity between the one or more solid state illumination elements and the power source.