WIRELESSLY POWERED MEDICAL DEVICES AND INSTRUMENTS

• US 20090270679A1
• Filed: 04/17/2009
• Published: 10/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Karl Storz Imaging, Inc (Karl Storz Se & Co. Kg)
• Original Assignee: KARL Storz Development Corp.
• Inventors: Hoeg, Hans David, Ankner, Charles E.
• Granted Patent: US 9,526,407 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/109
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00016 using wireless means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00029 externally powered, e.g. wireless
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/041 Capsule endoscopes for imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/042 characterised by a proximal camera, e.g. a CCD camera
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0214 of power generation or supply

Abstract

A medical device that is wirelessly powered by a resonant magnetic field, the device automatically coupling to a power transmitter in a control unit when brought within a threshold radius. In one embodiment, the control unit automatically identifies the medical device and automatically adjusts its settings to control the medical device.

Claims

1. A video endoscope system comprising:

an endoscope including;

an imager generating video image data stream;

a light source generating illuminating light;

an endoscope transceiver coupled to and providing power to said imager and said light source;

a power transceiver generating a resonant magnetic field;

said endoscope transceiver tuned to said resonant magnetic field such that resonant interaction occurs between said endoscope transceiver and said power transceiver and power is transmitted to said endoscope transceiver via said resonant interaction;

a display coupled to said endoscope;

said endoscope wirelessly transmitting the video image data stream to said display and said image data is presented on said display.

2. The video endoscope system according to claim 1 wherein said power transceiver is positioned in a control unit and comprises a control unit transceiver.

3. The video endoscope system according to claim 2 wherein when said endoscope is brought within a predefined radius of said power transceiver, said power transceiver and said endoscope transceiver automatically wirelessly couple to each other and said control unit automatically identifies said endoscope and automatically adjusts operational settings of said control unit based upon the identification.

4. The video endoscope system according to claim 2 wherein said control unit includes a processor and said control unit is coupled between said endoscope and said display.

5. The video endoscope system according to claim 4 wherein said processor receives and processes the video image data stream prior to transmission to said display.

6. The video endoscope system according to claim 1 wherein said endoscope transceiver and said power transceiver each comprise a power channel and a data channel.

7. The video endoscope system according to claim 6 wherein the video image data stream is transmitted from said endoscope transceiver to said power transceiver via the data channel and control data is transmitted from said control unit transceiver to said endoscope transceiver via the data channel.

8. The video endoscope system according to claim 1 wherein said endoscope further comprises a power storage coupled to said endoscope transceiver such that, in the event of an interruption in the wireless coupling between said endoscope transceiver and said power transceiver, said power storage provides electrical power to said imager and said light source to avoid interruption in the transmission of the video image data stream.

9. The video endoscope system according to claim 8 wherein when said endoscope transceiver is wirelessly coupled to said power transceiver, said power storage charges.

10. The video endoscope system according to claim 1 further comprising a data storage and said video image data stream is saved in said data storage.

11. The video endoscope system according to claim 10 wherein said video image data stream is retrievable such that said video image data stream may be accessed and played on said display.

12. The video endoscope system according to claim 11 wherein said video image data stream is annotated and saved.

13. The video endoscope system according to claim 12 wherein the annotation may comprise a written, audio or visual annotation.

14. The video endoscope system according to claim 1 wherein said endoscope is coupled to a network.

15. The video endoscope system according to claim 14 wherein said network comprises the Internet.

16. The video endoscope system according to claim 14 wherein said video endoscope system is coupled to a surgical suite comprising at least one controller and at least one surgical tool in addition to said endoscope.

17. The video endoscope system according to claim 1 wherein said video image data stream comprises from about 30 to 60 frames of information per second.

18. A method for displaying a video data image stream on a display comprising the steps of:

positioning an imager in an endoscope;

positioning a light source in the endoscope;

positioning an endoscope transceiver in the endoscope;

coupling the endoscope transceiver to the imager and the light source;

providing a power transceiver;

generating a resonant magnetic field with the power transceiver;

tuning the endoscope transceiver to the resonant magnetic field such that resonant interaction occurs between the endoscope transceiver and the power transceiver;

transmitting power from the power transceiver to the endoscope transceiver via the resonant interaction;

powering the imager and the light source with the power received by the endoscope transceiver;

generating illuminating light with the light source;

generating a video image data stream with the imager;

wirelessly transmitting the video image data stream from the endoscope to a display;

displaying the video image data stream on a display.

19. The method according to claim 18 wherein the power transceiver is positioned in a control unit and comprises a control unit transceiver.

20. The method according to claim 19 further comprising the steps of:

automatically wirelessly coupling the endoscope transceiver to the power transceiver when the endoscope is brought within a predefined radius of the power transceiver;

automatically identifying the endoscope; and

automatically adjusting operational settings of the control unit based upon the identification.

21. The method according to claim 18 wherein the endoscope transceiver and said power transceiver each have a power channel and a data channel.

22. The method according to claim 21 further comprising the steps of:

transmitting the video image data stream from the endoscope transceiver to the power transceiver via the data channel; and

transmitting control data from the power transceiver to the endoscope transceiver via the data channel.

23. The method according to claim 18 further comprising the steps of:

positioning a power storage on the endoscope and coupling the power storage to the endoscope transceiver, such that, in the event of an interruption in the wireless coupling between the endoscope transceiver and the power transceiver, the power storage provides power to the imager and the light source to avoid interruption in the transmission of the video image data stream.

24. The method according to claim 18 further comprising the step of saving the video image data stream in the data storage.

25. The method according to claim 24 further comprising the steps of:

retrieving the video image data stream from the data storage; and

displaying the retrieved video image data stream on the display.

26. The method according to claim 25 further comprising the step of annotating and saving the video image data stream.

27. The method according to claim 18 further comprising the step of coupling the endoscope to a network.

28. The method according to claim 18 further comprising the step of coupling the video endoscope system to a surgical suite that includes at least one controller and at least one surgical tool in addition to the endoscope.

29. The method according to claim 18 wherein the video image data stream includes from about 30 to 60 frames of information per second.

30. A medical device system comprising:

a medical device including;

an electronic circuit;

a resonant receiver coupled to and providing power to said electrical circuit;

a power transmitting unit including a resonant transmitter generating a resonant magnetic field;

said resonant receiver tuned to said resonant magnetic field such that resonant interaction occurs between said resonant receiver and said resonant transmitter and power to operate the medical device is transmitted to said resonant receiver via said resonant interaction.

31. The medical device system according to claim 30 further comprising a control unit for controlling the medical device, wherein the resonant transmitter is positioned in said control unit.

32. The medical device system according to claim 31 wherein said resonant transmitter and resonant receiver each comprise a transceiver, and each transceiver comprises a power channel and a data channel.

33. The medical device system according to claim 32 wherein medical device data is transmitted from said resonant receiver to said resonant transmitter via the data channel and control data is transmitted from said resonant transmitter to said resonant receiver via the data channel.

34. The medical device system according to claim 31 wherein when said medical device is brought within a predefined radius of said control unit, said control unit and said medical device automatically wirelessly resonantly couple to each other and said control unit automatically identifies said medical device and automatically adjusts operational settings of said control unit based upon the identification.

35. The medical device system according to claim 30 wherein said control unit is coupled to a network.

36. The medical device system according to claim 35 wherein said network comprises the Internet.

37. The medical device system according to claim 35 wherein said control unit is coupled to a surgical suite comprising at least one controller and at least one surgical tool in addition to said endoscope.

38. The medical device system according to claim 30 wherein said medical device further comprises a power storage coupled to said resonant receiver such that, in the event of an interruption in the wireless coupling between said resonant receiver and said power transmitting unit, said power storage provides electrical power to said electronic circuit to avoid interruption in the operation of the medical device.

39. The medical device system according to claim 38 wherein when said resonant receiver is coupled via resonant interaction to said resonant transmitter, said power storage charges.

40. The medical device system according to claim 30 where said medical device comprises a plurality of medical devices and wherein each medical device is provided with an electronic circuit and a resonant receiver coupled to and providing power to said electrical circuit, and said resonant receivers in each medical device are tuned to said resonant magnetic field such that resonant interaction occurs between each of said resonant receivers and said resonant transmitter and power to operate the medical devices is transmitted to said resonant receivers via said resonant interaction.

41. An endoscope system comprising:

an endoscope having;

a light source generating illuminating light;

an endoscope transceiver coupled to and providing power to said light source;

a power transceiver generating a resonant magnetic field;

said endoscope transceiver tuned to said resonant magnetic field such that resonant interaction occurs between said endoscope transceiver and said power transceiver and power is transmitted to said endoscope transceiver via said resonant interaction.

42. The endoscope system according to claim 41 further comprising a camera detachably coupled to said endoscope, said camera generating a video image data stream representative of reflected light received by said endoscope.

43. The endoscope system according to claim 42 further comprising a display coupled to said camera, wherein said camera transmits the video image data stream to said display and said image data is presented on said display.

44. The endoscope system according to claim 41 wherein said camera is coupled to a network.

45. The endoscope system according to claim 44 wherein said network comprises the Internet.

46. The endoscope system according to claim 44 wherein said camera is coupled to a surgical suite comprising at least one controller and at least one surgical tool in addition to said endoscope.

47. The endoscope system according to claim 43 further comprising a control unit coupled between said camera and said display.

48. The endoscope system according to claim 47 wherein said camera is coupled to said control unit via a cable.

49. The endoscope system according to claim 47 wherein said power transceiver is positioned in said control unit and comprises a control unit transceiver.

50. The endoscope system according to claim 49 wherein when said endoscope is brought within a predefined radius of said control unit transceiver, said control unit transceiver and said endoscope transceiver automatically wirelessly couple to each other.

51. The endoscope system according to claim 50 wherein when said camera is coupled to said control unit, said control unit automatically identifies said camera and automatically adjusts operational settings of said control unit based upon the identification.

52. The endoscope system according to claim 47 wherein said control unit includes a processor that receives and processes the video image data stream.

53. The endoscope system according to claim 41 wherein said endoscope further comprises a power storage coupled to said endoscope transceiver such that, in the event of an interruption in the wireless resonant coupling between said endoscope transceiver and said power transceiver, said power storage provides electrical power to said light source.

54. The endoscope system according to claim 53 wherein when said endoscope transceiver is wirelessly resonantly coupled to said power transceiver, said power storage charges.