Ingestible Endoscopic Optical Scanning Device

• US 20100016673A1
• Filed: 02/12/2009
• Published: 01/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Innurvation Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Innurvation Incorporated
• Inventors: Weitzner, John, Schober, Robert Charles, Powell, Kevin James, Bandy, William Robert, Arneson, Michael R., Salsman, Kenneth Edward, Jamieson, Brian Glenn
• Granted Patent: US 8,529,441 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/178
• 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 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.

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

3. 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.

4. The ingestible scanning device of claim 1, further comprising a cylindrical lens between the photo-sensing array and the mirror, the cylindrical lens being oriented to direct light from the mirror onto the photo-sensing array.

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

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

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

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

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