Position tracking and control for a scanning assembly

• US 7,983,739 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2007
• Issued: 07/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Weir, Michael P., Dunki-Jacobs, Robert J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen; Tse
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HIEN NGOC
• Application Number:
  US11/845,457
• Publication Number:
  US 20090062658A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,422 Days
• Field of Search: 600/476, 359/236
• US Class Current: 600/476
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00096 Optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00172 with means for scanning
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0062 Arrangements for scanning
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0084 for introduction into the body, e.g. by catheters A61B5/1459 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/24 Detecting, measuring or recording bioelectric or biomagnetic signals of the body or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/2423 of the distal end
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/2469 using optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/0833 the reflecting element being a micromechanical device, e.g. a MEMS mirror, DMD G02B26/0825 takes precedence; micromechanical devices in general B81B
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/101 with both horizontal and vertical deflecting means, e.g. raster or XY scanners colour television using laser beams scanning a display screen H04N9/3129
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/32 Fiducial marks and measuring scales within the optical system

Abstract

A scanned beam imaging system including a radiation source configured to provide a beam of radiation, a movable element configured to direct the beam of radiation onto a scanned area, and a collector configured to receive radiation returned from the scanned area. The imaging system further includes a housing that houses the movable element therein and a reference mark coupled to or received in the housing. The reference mark is positioned such that at least part of the radiation from the radiation source is directable at the reference mark.

Claims

1. A scanned beam imaging system comprising:

a radiation source configured to provide a beam of radiation;

a movable element configured to direct said beam of radiation onto a scanned area;

a collector configured to receive at least part of said radiation returned from the scanned area;

a housing that houses said movable element therein;

a reference mark coupled to or received in said housing and positioned such that at least part of said radiation from said radiation source is directable at said reference mark; and

a processor operatively coupled to said collector and configured to recognize image data corresponding to said reference mark such that the position of said movable element can be determined.

2. The imaging system of claim 1 wherein said at least part of said radiation is directable at said reference mark by said movable element.

3. The imaging system of claim 1 wherein said reference mark is positioned such that a mask image of said reference mark is positioned at or adjacent to an outer edge of said scanned area.

4. The imaging system of claim 1 further including a controller operatively coupled to said movable element to control movement of said movable element, and said controller being operatively coupled to said processor such that said movable element can be oscillated in a desired manner.

5. The imaging system of claim 1 wherein said processor utilizes the position of said movable element to process the data from said collector and construct image data relating to said scanned area.

6. The imaging system of claim 1 wherein said processor is configured to generate predicted image data corresponding to a portion of said scanned area which is masked by said reference mark.

7. The imaging system of claim 1 wherein said housing includes an optical element forming an outer component of said housing which receives said beam of radiation there through, and wherein said reference mark is directly coupled to or integrated in said optical element.

8. The imaging system of claim 1 wherein said system is configured such that radiation directed at said reference mark is captured by said collector such that said captured radiation does not interact with said scanned area.

9. The imaging system of claim 1 further comprising a display device operatively coupled to said collector, said display device being configured to display a representation of radiation received by said collector to thereby display a representation of at least part of said scanned area.

10. The imaging system of claim 9 wherein said system is configured such that said display device displays a representation of only part of said scanned area, and wherein said displayed portion of said scanned area does not include areas of said scanned area upon which said reference mark is projected.

11. The imaging system of claim 1 further including a processor operatively coupled to said collector and configured to recognize image data corresponding to said reference mark, wherein said processor is configured to compare captured image data corresponding to said reference mark to stored values of the physical qualities of said reference mark for image normalization purposes.

12. The imaging system of claim 1 wherein said reference mark is controllable such that said reference mark is intermittently provided in the path of said radiation.

13. The imaging system of claim 1 wherein said reference mark includes portions that are generally opaque relative to said radiation.

14. The imaging system of claim 1 wherein said design includes indicia printed, positioned, or otherwise formed or located thereon, and wherein said indicia is of a type not expected to be found in the scanned area to allow easy identification of the reference mark.

15. The imaging system of claim 1 wherein said movable element is oscillatable about a first axis at a first frequency and a second perpendicular axis at a second frequency.

16. The imaging system of claim 1 wherein said housing is suitable for insertion into a body, and wherein said scanned area is tissue in said body.

17. The imaging system of claim 1 wherein said housing includes an optical element forming an outer component of said housing which receives said beam of radiation there through, said optical element including said reference mark, and wherein said reference mark is positioned such that at least part of said radiation from said radiation source is directable at said reference mark before said beam entirely passes through said optical element.

18. The imaging system of claim 1 wherein said moveable element is a reflector or an optical fiber.

22. The system of claim 1 wherein said reference mark is positioned at a point having a unique position known in three dimensions relative to said housing, and wherein said movable element is configured to direct said beam of radiation at said reference mark such that when said processor recognizes said image data said processor determines that said beam is intersecting said reference mark at said known position.

23. The system of claim 1 further comprising a supplemental reference mark coupled to or received in said housing and positioned such that at least part of said radiation from said radiation source is directable at said supplemental reference mark, wherein said supplemental reference mark is entirely discrete from and spaced apart from said reference mark, and wherein said reference mark and said supplemental reference mark include indicia that is unique relative to the other to distinguish the reference marks from each other.

19. A scanned beam imaging system comprising:

a housing suitable for insertion into a body;

a radiation source configured to provide a beam of radiation;

a movable element configured to direct said beam of radiation through said housing and onto an area within the body;

a reference mark coupled to or received in said housing and positioned such that at least part of said radiation from said radiation source is directable at said reference mark;

a collector configured to receive at least part of said radiation returned from the area within the body to aid in generating an image of said area within the body; and

a processor operatively coupled to said collector and configured to recognize image data corresponding to said reference mark such that at least one of the position of the movable element, or a trajectory of said beam of radiation, can be determined.

20. The imaging system of claim 19 wherein said movable element is positioned in said housing and configured to direct said beam of radiation onto said area within the body and at said reference mark.

21. A method for operating a scanned beam imaging system comprising:

providing a scanned beam imaging system including a housing, a radiation source, a movable element, a collector, and a reference mark which is positioned in or coupled to said housing;

causing said radiation source to emit a beam of radiation;

causing said movable element to direct said beam of radiation onto a scanned area;

causing said movable element to direct said beam of radiation at said reference mark;

operating said collector such that said collector receives at least part of said radiation returned from the scanned area; and

processing an output of said collector to recognize image data corresponding to said reference mark to thereby determine the position of said movable element in at least two dimensions.