Karl Storz Endovision, Inc.

Karl Storz Imaging, Inc.

Ethicon Endo-surgery, Inc.

Dashiell A Birnkrant

James P Barry

Indrek-Toomas Polluks

Dana J Landry

Vernon Hopkins, Jr

David J Guerra

John J Elliott, Jr

Gregory J Bakos

Omar J Vakharia

James T Spivey

George E Duckett, Iii

Marc R Amling

Robert Mason Trusty

Robert Tremblay

Tyrel Waagen

Marko Radosevic

Michael Kloter

Brad Anthony Picard

Pirasanth Sivathasan

Margus Lohk

Jordan He

Jason Curtis

John J Elliot, Jr

Robert Shieh

John P Morahn

Naushad Kasim

Gerard Vadenais

Jr John J Elliot

An endoscopic system and method for its operation are disclosed. The system comprises a light source, an endoscope with a distal light entrance surface, an image sensor capturing images through the light entrance surface and a rinsing device for providing a rinsing fluid flow for rinsing the light entrance surface, the method including the steps of receiving a sensor signal from a sensor detecting a user input starting a rinsing operation of the rinsing device, and, upon receipt of the sensor signal, changing an illumination mode of the light source from a first illumination mode to a second illumination mode and/or changing the video capture from a first video capture mode to a second video capture mode. The second illumination and/or video capture mask undesirable visual artifacts which can occur when collecting images with a rolling shutter sensors while performing a liquid flush of the light entrance surface.

Endoscope, endoscopic system and method of operating the endoscopic system

An optical scope includes a body and an elongated shaft. The shaft distal end holds an optical assembly including an imaging lens with a field of view of at least 90 degrees. An LED is coupled to the body and has an output numerical aperture (NA) providing a critical angle larger than the field of view. A first pair of fiber bundles have proximal ends receiving light from the LED with distal ends presented at the shaft distal face, and an NA providing a critical angle less than the field of view. A second pair of fiber bundles also receive light from the LED with distal ends having at the shaft distal face, and have an NA providing a critical angle at least as large as the field of view. The bundles are positioned around imaging lens such that they create a light having a desired intensity profile and properties.

Endoscope device and method with illumination fiber bundles having multiple numerical apertures

A focusable camera module for an endoscope, including a housing including a lens assembly in a distal end of the housing, a carrier disposed within the housing, the carrier having a distal end with an aperture, an image sensor attached inside the carrier adjacent to the aperture, a flexible circuit attached to an edge of the image sensor, and a motor slideably displacing the carrier between a retracted position and an extended position, the aperture adjacent to the lens assembly in the extended position, and an endoscope including the focusable camera module.

Focusable camera module for endoscopes

A flexible circuit assembly for an endoscope or borescope having an image sensor. The flexible circuit assembly has a flexible circuit with a first end, a second end, and a length between its first and second ends, the first end of the flexible circuit electrically connectable with the image sensor. A strengthening member is adjacent to the flexible circuit and along the length of the flexible circuit. An electrically insulated layer retains the strengthening member adjacent to the flexible circuit and encloses at least of portion of the strengthening member and the flexible circuit. The strengthening member may comprise a nitinol wire, and the nitinol wire may have a neutral position such that the nitinol wire returns to the neutral position after being articulated to a different position.

Durable flexible circuit assembly

An image sensor module includes a circuit board, an image sensor, and a turning prism. The circuit board has first and second side sections each extending in a respective plane transverse to a plane of a center section to define a module interior volume. The image sensor has a bottom plane mounted on an inner face of the circuit board within the module interior volume. The turning prism has a mounting surface secured to a top plane of the image sensor. An electronic component arrangement is operatively mounted on the inner face of the circuit board between the image sensor and a circuit board rearward end. A number of wires providing power and data connections to the circuit board are operatively connected to contacts located on the circuit board in the interior volume between the electronic component arrangement and the circuit board rearward end.

Image sensor module with turning prism

An image sensor module includes a circuit board, image sensor, electronic component assembly, and cable assembly. The circuit board includes a center section located between two end sections. The end sections each extend away from the center section and define an interior area there between. The image sensor is secured to an outer face of the circuit board in the center section with sensor contact fingers being connected at the circuit board outer face in one or both end sections. The electronic component arrangement is mounted on an inner face of the circuit board in the center section. A number of wires of the cable assembly extend through an end gap between the circuit board end sections and are connected to the inner face of the circuit board so as to overlap with the sensor contact fingers along a module longitudinal axis.

Compact image sensor module and method of assembly for image sensor modules

A system and method for providing light to an optical scope having a lightport. A light device connects a camera to an optical scope and supplies light to the scope while allowing for scope rotation. The light device has a proximal end attached to the distal end of the camera, a distal end adapted to be attached to and detached from the scope, and a light source. The light source may be powered by electrical power received from the camera. A light cable extends from the light device and has a distal end adapted to be attached to and detached from the light post on the scope to supply light to the scope. The distal end of the light device is rotatable with respect to the distal end of the camera such that the light cable is able to rotate about the optical axis of the camera.

Light device and system for providing light to optical scopes

A heat sink includes first and second elongated heat sink bodies. The first and second elongated heat sink bodies are each formed from a respective electrically and thermally conductive material and also each extend from an LED coupling end of the heat sink to a lead end of the heat sink. An electrical insulator material connects the first and second elongated heat sink bodies together so as to bodies are electrically isolated from each other. Each elongated heat sink body also includes a respective LED coupling surface at the LED coupling end of the heat sink and a respective lead connecting surface located on the respective body at a location spaced apart from the LED coupling end of the heat sink.

Heat sink structure and LED heat sink assemblies

An endoscopic device including a control circuit that is detachably connectable to a handle, where the control circuit functions and is compatible with a wide variety of displays. The handle of the endoscopic device is provided with a connector to transmit image data from a distal end to the detachable control circuit. The control circuit may be provided with a keyed outer surface to guide and maintain the control circuit in an engaged position relative to the handle and connector.

Video endoscopic device with detachable control circuit

A flexible endoscope includes a handle, a flexible shaft having a distal end and a proximal end, a coupling mechanism releasably attaching the handle to the distal end of the flexible shaft, an illumination unit disposed in the flexible shaft, the illumination unit providing light to an area in front of the distal end of the flexible shaft, and an imaging unit disposed in the flexible shaft, the imaging unit generating image data of the area in front of the distal end of the flexible shaft, wherein the coupling mechanism includes an electrical channel for transmitting electrical power to the illumination unit and the imaging unit, and a data channel for transmitting the image data from the imaging unit.

Detachable shaft flexible endoscope

A selectively positionable camera assembly for use in connection with a guide tube assembly that has a guide tube handle portion and at least one guide tube protruding therefrom. In various embodiments, the camera includes an elongated flexible camera portion that is sized to operably extend through at least one of the guide tubes of the guide tube assembly. A camera handle is operably coupled to the elongated flexible camera portion such that the handle is movably supported by at least a portion of the guide tube handle portion. At least one retainer is provided on the guide tube handle and/or the camera handle for releasably retaining the camera handle in any one of a plurality of orientations relative to the portion of the guide tube handle.

Selectively positionable camera for surgical guide tube assembly

A laryngoscope including a control circuit and a camera having a housing enclosing the camera that is detachably connectable to a handle, where the camera functions and is compatible with a wide variety of displays. The laryngoscope may optionally be used in either the video mode where the user views a display presenting image data of the area ahead of the blade, or the user may use the laryngoscope in the direct visualization where the user uses the laryngoscope in a traditional manner directly viewing the area ahead of the blade during the intubation procedure. When used in the video mode, an LED is positioned adjacent to a window enclosing the digital image sensor to defog the window.

Video blade laryngoscope

Disclosed is an endoscope light source safety system including visible light transmitted along an illumination path; a source for providing radiation along at least a portion of the illumination path; an illumination attenuator connectable to the illumination path for receiving said visible light and the radiation; a first reflector connected to said illumination attenuator for reflecting at least a portion of the radiation received by said illumination attenuator; a combiner for combining the radiation from said source into the illumination path; and a detector for receiving at least a portion of the radiation reflected from said first reflector and for generating a signal indicative of the receipt of visible light by said illumination attenuator.

Endoscopic light source safety and control system with optical sensor

An endoscope light source safety system, including visible light transmitted along an illumination path, one or more sources for providing radiation along at least a portion of the illumination path, an optical element for combining the radiation from said one or more sources into the illumination path, an illumination attenuator connectable to the illumination path for receiving said visible light and the radiation, a reflector connected to said illumination attenuator for transmitting said visible light and returning at least a portion of the radiation, and one or more detectors for receiving the returned radiation from said reflector and for generating a signal indicative of the receipt of visible light by said illumination attenuator.

Growing community of inventors

Worcester, MA, United States of America

Dashiell A Birnkrant