Scanning beam imaging with adjustable detector sensitivity or gain

• US 7,589,316 B2
• Filed: 01/18/2007
• Issued: 09/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Dunki-Jacobs, Robert J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yam; Stephen
• Application Number:
  US11/624,238
• Publication Number:
  US 20080173803A1
• Time in Patent Office: 971 Days
• Field of Search: 250/214.A, 250/214.C, 250/234, 250/235, 250/559.22, 600/101, 600/109, 600/160, 600/476, 356/600, 356/601, 356/602, 356/608, 359/212, 359/213, 359/214, 359/215
• US Class Current: 250/235
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00098 Deflecting means for inserted tools
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00183 for variable viewing angles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/045 Control thereof

Abstract

A scanning beam assembly comprising: a beam generator to generate a beam of radiation, an oscillating reflector configured to deflect the beam at varying angles of excursion to yield a scanned beam that scans a field of view, an optical detector that detects light reflected from the field of view, the detector including at least one of an adjustable gain and adjustable sensitivity, and a controller programmable to control the gain and/or sensitivity of the detector.

Claims

1. A scanning beam assembly comprising:

a beam generator to generate a first beam of radiation,

an oscillating reflector configured to deflect the first beam of radiation at varying angles of excursion to yield a scanned beam that scans a field of view,

an optical detector that detects light reflected from the field of view, the detector including at least one of an adjustable gain and adjustable sensitivity, and

a controller programmable to vary the gain and/or sensitivity of the detector depending on the angle of excursions,

wherein the beam assembly includes a partially reflective surface that reflects the first beam of radiation from the beam generator to the oscillating reflector and wherein the controller is programmed to increase the sensitivity of the detector when the scanned beam intersects the partially reflective surface for all distances from the oscillating reflector to illuminated spots in the field of view.

2. The scanning beam assembly of claim 1 wherein the controller is programmed to increase the gain of the detector when the scanned beam is reflected at predetermined wide angles of excursion within the field of view for all distances from the oscillating reflector to illuminated spots in the field of view.

3. The scanning beam assembly of claim 2 wherein the controller is programmed to increase the gain of the detector when the scanned beam is reflected at an angle greater than about 25 degrees.

4. The scanning beam assembly of claim 1 wherein the beam assembly includes a partially reflective surface that reflects the first beam of radiation from the beam generator to the oscillating reflector and wherein the controller is programmed to increase the gain of the detector when the scanned beam is reflected at predetermined wide angles of excursion for all distances from the oscillating reflector to illuminated spots in the field of view and to increase the sensitivity of the detector when the scanned beam intersects the partially reflective surface for all distances from the oscillating reflector to illuminated spots in the field of view.

5. The scanning beam assembly of claim 4 wherein the controller is programmed to increase the gain of the detector when the scanned beam is reflected at an angle greater than about 25 degrees.

6. The scanning beam assembly of claim 1 wherein the detector includes a detector element and a means for adjusting the gain or sensitivity of the detector.

7. The scanning beam assembly of claim 6 wherein the means for adjusting the gain or sensitivity of the detector is selected from the group consisting of a variable gain amplifier, a controllable power source, or a combination thereof.

8. The scanning beam assembly of claim 7 wherein the detector includes a detector element selected from the group consisting of a PMT, CCD, photodiode, an avalanche photodiode, and amorphous silicon.

9. The scanning beam assembly of claim 6 wherein the oscillating reflector includes a MEMS scanner and a concave optic.

10. The scanning beam assembly of claim 9 wherein the assembly forms part of a scanning beam imager or a scanning beam illuminator.

11. The scanning beam assembly of claim 10 wherein the assembly includes a partially reflective surface that reflects the beam of radiation from the beam generator to the oscillating reflector and the controller is programmed to increase the sensitivity of the detector when the scanned beam intersects the partially reflective surface for all distances from the oscillating reflector to illuminated spots in the field of view.

12. The scanning beam assembly of claim 11 wherein the controller is programmed to increase the gain of the detector when the scanned beam is reflected at angles greater than about 25 degrees.

13. A scanned beam endoscope comprising:

an endoscope, and

a scanning beam assembly including;

a beam generator to generate a first beam of radiation,

an oscillating reflector configured to deflect the first beam of radiation at varying angles of excursion to yield a scanned beam that scans a field of view,

an optical detector that detects light reflected from the field of view, the detector including at least one of an adjustable gain and sensitivity, and

a controller programmable to vary the gain and/or sensitivity of the detector depending on the angle of excursion,

wherein the beam assembly includes a partially reflective surface that reflects the first beam of radiation from the beam generator to the oscillating reflector and wherein the controller is programmed to increase the sensitivity of the detector when the scanned beam intersects the partially reflective surface for all distances from the oscillating reflector to illuminated spots in the field of view.

14. The endoscope of claim 13 wherein the controller is programmed to increase the gain of the detector when the scanned beam is reflected at predetermined wide angles of excursion for all distances from the oscillating reflector to illuminated spots in the field of view.

15. The endoscope of claim 14 the controller is programmed to increase the gain of the detector when the scanned beam is reflected at an angle greater than about 20 degrees.

16. The endoscope of claim 13 wherein the beam assembly includes a partially reflective surface that reflects the first beam of radiation from the beam generator to the oscillating reflector and wherein the controller is programmed to increase the gain of the detector when the scanned beam is reflected at predetermined wide angles of excursion for all distances from the oscillating reflector to illuminated spots in the field of view and to increase the sensitivity of the detector when the scanned beam intersects the partially reflective surface for all distances from the oscillating reflector to illuminated spots in the field of view.

17. The endoscope of claim 13 wherein the detector includes a detector element and a means for adjusting the gain or sensitivity of the detector.

18. The endoscope of claim 17 wherein the means for adjusting the gain or sensitivity of the detector is selected from the group consisting of a variable gain amplifier, a controllable power source, or a combination thereof.

19. A scanning beam assembly comprising:

a beam generator to generate a first beam of radiation,

an oscillating reflector configured to deflect the first beam of radiation at varying angles of excursion to yield a scanned beam that scans a field of view,

an optical detector that detects light reflected from the field of view, the detector including at least one of an adjustable gain and adjustable sensitivity, and

a controller programmable to vary the gain and/or sensitivity of the detector depending on the angle of excursion, wherein the controller is programmed to increase the gain of the detector when the scanned beam is reflected at an angle greater than about 25 degrees, and

vherein the beam assembly includes a partially reflective surface that reflects the first beam of radiation from the beam generator to the oscillating reflector and wherein the controller is programmed to increase the gain of the detector when the scanned beam is reflected at predetermined wide angles of excursion for all distances from the oscillating reflector to illuminated spots in the field of view and to increase the sensitivity of the detector when the scanned beam intersects the partially reflective surface for all distances from the oscillating reflector to illuminated spots in the field of view.