Module mounting mirror endoscopy

• US 20110118611A1
• Filed: 10/28/2010
• Published: 05/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AccuVein LLC
• Original Assignee: AccuVein LLC
• Inventors: Luciano, Vincent, Wood, Fred, Goldman, Ron
• Granted Patent: US 8,665,507 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/478
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/3405 using mechanical guide means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/366 using projection of images directly onto the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0062 Arrangements for scanning
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/489 Blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/427 Locating point where body is to be pierced, e.g. vein location means using ultrasonic waves, injection site templates

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a two-dimensional scanning arrangement for a laser vein-illumination device that includes a base and a frame connected to the base using at least one flexible hinge. The hinge allows the frame to move angularly with respect to the base in a first direction. The invention further includes a means for exciting angular oscillations of the frame at or near said frame'"'"'s resonant frequency. An elastic torsional element having a proximal end rigidly attached to said frame and a distal end rigidly attached to a mirror is also included. The torsional element allows the mirror to move angularly with respect to the frame in a second direction, generally perpendicular to the first direction. There may also be a means for exciting the angular oscillations of the mirror.

The invention also includes a device for optically inspecting confined spaces having one or more small access orifices. The device includes at least one laser light source and a scanning means which scans one or more laser beam in a two-dimensional pattern over an inspection area. Also present is at least one light detector, sensitive to the light of the laser beam(s) being reflected from the inspection area. There is also a connecting member being thin and long enough to reach the inspection area through the access orifice.

Claims

1. ) A two-dimensional scanning arrangement for a laser vein-illumination device comprising:

a) A base;

b) A frame, connected to said base using at least one flexible hinge, said hinge allowing the frame to move angularly with respect to the base in a first direction

c) Means of exciting angular oscillations of the frame at or near said frame'"'"'s resonant frequency;

d) An elastic torsional element, said torsional element having a proximal end rigidly attached to said frame and a distal end rigidly attached to a mirror, and said torsional element allowing said mirror to move angularly with respect to the frame in a second direction, generally perpendicular to the first direction;

e) Means for exciting the angular oscillations of the mirror.

2. ) The arrangement of claim 1, wherein said elastic torsional element is a glass fiber.

3. ) The arrangement of claim 1, wherein said elastic torsional element is excited in a resonant node higher than fundamental.

4. ) The arrangement of claim 1, wherein said elastic torsional element carries a permanent magnet attached to it and a coil is placed in close proximity to said magnet.

5. ) The arrangement of claim 4, where said coil and magnet are is used for driving the mirror oscillations.

6. ) The arrangement of claim 5, where said coil and magnet are used for positional feedback of the mirror oscillations.

7. ) The arrangement of claim 6, the coil-magnet system has a feedback state, during which no external voltage is applied to the coil and a drive state, during which the external voltage is applied to the coil

8. ) The arrangement of claim 4, where said coil-magnet system is used for deriving the positional feedback of the frame oscillations.

9. ) The arrangement of claim 1, where a piezo-electric element is attached to the proximal end of the elastic torsional element.

10. ) The arrangement of claim 1, where a piezo-electric element is attached to the frame near the proximal end of the elastic torsional element.

11. ) The arrangement of claim 1, where the axis of rotation of the mirror in the second direction passes through the center of the mirror.

12. ) The arrangement of claim 1, where the frame is connected to a base using at least two hinges, said two hinges being conductive and carrying electrical signals

13. ) The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the frame carries a permanent magnet rigidly attached to it and a coil is placed in a close proximity to said magnet.

14. ) The arrangement of claim 13, where said coil-magnet system is used for driving the frame oscillations.

15. ) The arrangement of claim 13, where said coil-magnet system is used for deriving the positional feedback of the frame oscillations.

16. ) The arrangement of claim 13, where said coil-magnet system is used for both driving the frame oscillations and deriving positional feedback of the frame oscillations.

17. ) The arrangement of claim 16, where the coil-magnet system has a feedback state, during which no external voltage is applied to the coil and a drive state, during which the external voltage is applied to the coil.

18. ) The arrangement of claim 17 wherein said feedback state and said drive state has variable or non-periodic durations.

19. ) A device for optically inspecting confined spaces having one or more small access orifices, comprising:

a) At least one laser light source;

b) A scanning means, which scans the laser beam (s) in a two-dimensional pattern over an inspection area;

c) At least one light detector, sensitive to the light of said laser beam(s) being reflected from the inspection area;

d) A connecting member, said connecting member being thin and long enough to reach the inspection area through the access orifice, said connecting member comprising;

i) A distal end brought into proximity to the inspection area;

ii) A proximal end equipped means of visually presenting the optical information gathered from the inspection area to the eyes of a User;

iii) Means for delivery of said optical information between the distal and proximal ends;

iv) Means for delivery of other electrical and optical signals between one or more of the laser light source, the scanning means and the light detector.

20. ) The device according to claim 19 where said means of visually presenting the optical information is an LCD screen.

21. ) The device according to claim 19 wherein at least one of the laser light source, the scanning means or the light detector is located at the distal end of the connecting member.

22. ) The device according to claim 19 wherein at least one of the laser light source, the scanning means or the light detector is located at the proximate end of the connecting member.

23. ) The device of claim 19, wherein there is at least one electrical conductor running between the proximal and distal ends of the connecting member and carrying electrical signals.

24. ) The device of claim 19, wherein there is at least one optical conductor running between the proximal and distal ends of the connecting member and carrying optical signals

25. ) The device of claim 19, wherein the light detector is at the proximal end and the light reflected from the inspection area is collected at the distal end and transmitted to the proximal end through an optical fiber.

26. ) The device of claim 19, wherein a single optical fiber is used to carry both the laser light from the source and the light reflected from the inspected area.

27. ) The device of claim 19, wherein the scanning means is at the distal end of the connecting member.

28. ) The device of claim 27, wherein the scanning means is two angularly oscillating mirrors.

29. ) The device of claim 27, wherein the scanning means is of a single bi-axial angularly oscillating mirror.

30. ) The device of claim 27, wherein the scanning means is a lens linearly oscillating with respect to the laser beam directed to the lens.

31. ) The device of claim 27, wherein the scanning means is a single angularly oscillating mirror and a lens linearly oscillating in a direction non-parallel to the direction of mirror oscillations.

32. ) The device of claim 27, wherein the scanning arrangement consists of a fiber and the distal end of said fiber is made to oscillate.

33. ) The device of claim 32, wherein at least the end of the fiber oscillates in one direction with the fiber'"'"'s own principal resonant frequency.

34. ) The device of claim 32, wherein the end of the fiber is made to oscillate by piezo-electric elements attached to the fiber longitudinally and forming a bi-morph with the fiber.

35. ) The device of claim 32, wherein the end of the fiber is made to oscillate by piezo-electric elements attached to the fiber transversely.

36. ) The device of claim 32, wherein the end of the fiber is made to oscillate by a permanent magnet attached to the fiber and subjected to a variable magnetic field.

37. ) The device of claim 32, wherein the distal end of the fiber is rigidly connected to a mirror, an wherein said mirror is not perpendicular to said fiber.

38. ) The device of claim 27, wherein the fiber is an optical fiber carrying the laser light.

39. ) The device of claim 27, wherein the field of view of the light detector is smaller than the total area swept by the laser spot and said field of view moves synchronously with the laser spot.

40. ) The device of claim 39, wherein the light reflected from the inspection area passes through the same scanning arrangement as the light emitted by the laser source.

41. ) The device of claim 39, wherein the light emitted by the laser source is carried by a first optical fiber and the light reflected from the inspection area is carried by the second optical fiber, said optical fibers been mechanically coupled and made to oscillate together

42. ) The device of claim 19, wherein the scanning is situated at the proximal end of the connecting member.

43. ) The device of claim 42, wherein the laser beam is coupled into an optical fiber after being scanned.

44. ) The device of claim 43, wherein the light detector is at the proximal end and the light reflected from the inspection area is carried back to the detector through the same optical fiber.

45. ) The device of claim 43, wherein the light detector is at the proximal end and the light reflected from the inspected area is carried back to the detector through a different optical fiber.

46. ) The device of claim 42, wherein the scanning means includes a laser source of variable wavelength and at least one grating.

47. ) The device of claim 43, wherein the optical fiber is a single-mode fiber.

48. ) The device of claim 42, wherein the scanning means includes at least two optical fibers to deliver the light from the laser source and a means of controllably delaying the light in each fiber.

49. ) The device of claim 42, wherein a field of view of the light detector is smaller than the total area swept by a laser spot and said field of view moves synchronously with the laser spot.

50. ) The device of claim 49, wherein at least two optical fibers deliver the light reflected from the inspection area to the light detector and there are means of controllably delaying the light in each fiber.

51. ) The device of claim 19, wherein one or more of the laser light source, the scanning means and the light detector are all at the proximal end of the connecting member and the image information is transmitted from the distal end optically.

52. ) The device of claim 51, wherein the connecting member is rigid.

53. ) The device of claim 52, wherein the connecting member is tubular.

54. ) The device of claim 53, wherein the connecting member contains at least one relay lens

55. ) The device of claim 54, wherein the connecting member contains at least one rod relay lens known as a Hopkins Rod Lens.

56. ) The device of claim 51, wherein the connecting member has a reflective inner surface.

57. ) A laser based endoscopic imager comprising

a laser camera, said laser camera comprising:

a) at least one laser light source,

b) a scanning means which scans at least one laser beam in a two dimensional pattern over an inspection area,

c) at least one light detector, sensitive to the light of the at least one laser beam being reflected from the inspection area,

said imager further comprising a connecting member, said connecting member being then having a length long enough to reach an inspection area through an access orifice, said laser camera including a means for visually presenting optical information from the inspection area to a user.

58. The imager according to claim 57 wherein said connecting member comprises a distal end brought into proximity to the inspection area and a proximal end having said camera.

59. The imager according to claim 58 further comprising a means for delivery of optical information between said distal and proximal ends.

60. The imager according to claim 59 further comprising a means for delivery of other electrical and optical signals between one or more of the laser light source, the scanning means and the light detector.

61. The imager according to claim 57 where said camera has a scanning laser beam and at least one detector which receives laser light reflected from the surface of the inspection area.

62. The imager according to claim 57 wherein said scanning arrangement forms a laser beam into a raster pattern.

63. The imager according to claim 62 wherein said scanning arrangement directs the laser beam toward an inspection area.

64. The imager according to claim 63 wherein said laser beam is directed through an optical window.