Stryker Corporation

Vasudev Nambakam

Benjamin H Feingold

Simon S Hui

Salmaan Hameed

Andrew J Hamel

Amit A Mahadik

Reid S Cover

William H L Chang

Michael G Hilldoerfer

Michael D Baycura

Emmet McCarthy

John Thomas Shen

Ajay Ramesh

Brandon B Hunter

Chien Mien Pang

Harman Singh

Perry Hu

Joshua Talbert

Emmet Mccarthy

Reid Cover

Benjamin Hyman Feingold

A method of obtaining a clear endoscopic image includes emitting light from an endoscope into a body cavity; receiving light reflected from the body cavity at a variable-attenuator, the variable-attenuator comprising a plurality of light attenuating elements that are aligned with a plurality of pixels of at least one the image sensor; controlling the variable-attenuator to attenuate light passing through the plurality of light attenuating elements and into the plurality of pixels of the at least one image sensor; capturing an image with the plurality of pixels of the at least one image sensor.

System for obtaining clear endoscope images

A light source includes a first LED in communication with a first DAC; a second LED in communication with a second DAC; a third LED in communication with a third DAC; a color sensor capable of sensing light in the visible light spectrum; and one or more processors configured for: receiving color intensity values from the color sensor, determining whether the color intensity values are balanced to achieve white light, adjusting the current to the second DAC and third DAC until the color intensity levels are balanced to achieve white light at a combined intensity level, setting a new red LED current value, a new green LED current value, and a new blue LED current value to adjust the combined intensity level toward a target intensity level, and repeating the setting step until the target intensity level is achieved.

Endoscopic light source and imaging system

A method of generating illumination by a light source for transmission to an endoscope includes emitting light from a plurality of light emitters of the light source, each light emitter emitting light having a different wavelength range from other light emitters of the plurality of light emitters; combining the light emitted from the plurality of light emitters into a combined light; receiving and condensing the combined light by a focusing optic to create a condensed light; and receiving and orienting the condensed light in a straight path direction by a collimating optic.

Endoscopic LED light source having a feedback control system

A method for providing light to an endoscope includes emitting light from a plurality of light emitting diodes, filtering the light with a plurality of dichroic filter elements, collimating and mixing light received from the dichroic filter elements into a combined light, sensing the combined light at a color sensor and determining a sensed color balance of the combined light, comparing the sensed color balance with a predetermined color balance, and varying at least one power signal to control a light intensity output by at least one of the plurality of light emitting diodes so that the sensed color balance corresponds to the predetermined color balance.

A wireless endoscopic camera system includes a surgical endoscope for viewing tissue within a patient, an imager for converting an optical image viewed by the endoscope into digital image data, a processor for processing the digital image data, a transmitter for establishing at least one wireless link to a remote receiver and conveying the processed digital image data over the at least one wireless link, and a plurality of antennas of a camera head that are in communication with the transmitter for receiving the digital image data from the transmitter and wirelessly relaying the digital image data to the remote receiver.

Wireless endoscopic camera

An endoscopic system including an endoscope, a light source for the endoscope and at least one image sensor for capturing a plurality of images of a body cavity. The light source is configured to emit light from the endoscope and into the body cavity such that the light is reflected off of a plurality of locations in the body cavity. The system also includes a control system for controlling both the light source and the at least one image sensor to vary parameters of the light source and the at least one image sensor such that the plurality of images have underexposed and overexposed regions. The endoscopic system could alternatively include a variable-attenuator element device adjacent the image sensor and configured to be located between the body cavity and the image sensor for capturing a single clear image with the image sensor.

An endoscopic system having a light source that can operate in two modes is provided. The first mode provides a white light to an endoscope to transmit the light to a surgical site or other object, the reflection of which can be received by the endoscope and for the process. The second mode of the light source provides infrared excitation light and light in the blue and green wavelength spectra to an endoscope to transmit the light to an object such as a surgical site. The blue and green reflected light, as well as light from excitation markers, which is an infrared light at a different wavelength than the excitation infrared light, is received by the endoscope and further processed.

An external endoscope light source system includes light emitting diodes for providing a light output to an endoscope. The light is provided to a fiber optic cable for transmission to the endoscope.

Endoscopic LED light source

A system and method for wirelessly transmitting a video image signal from an endoscopic camera to a receiver or control unit for storage and/or display on a video monitor. Use of a frame-specific, variable compression algorithm capable of progressively encoding a data stream provides for a better performing and higher quality wireless endoscopic camera system capable of generating images at varying resolutions. Use of a short-range, high-performance wireless technology, such as Ultrawideband (UWB), improves the performance capabilities of the system, while minimizing power consumption and extending battery life. Implementations of error correcting codes, as well as the use of multiple transmitting and receiving antennas, further improve the fidelity of the wireless communication.

A wireless foot control apparatus allows an operator to control multiple medical devices during an endoscopic medical procedure. The apparatus comprises a control console with controls designed for foot operation to control various medical devices. The controls include one or more foot pedals and foot switches to control the devices, including a selection switch to allow selection of the device to be controlled at a particular time. The console transmits signals over a wireless medium, to cause a remote receiver unit to select the device to be controlled and to control the selected device over a wired medium, in response to operation of the foot controls. The console may include a rechargeable battery, which may be sealed within the console's housing and charged inductively when the console is placed in a charging station. The receiver unit and the charging station can be separate units or integrated within a single housing.

Foot-operated control console for wirelessly controlling medical devices

An external endoscope light source system includes light emitting diodes for providing a light output to an endoscope. The light is provided to a fiber optic cable for transmission to the endoscope. A fiber optic receives a portion of the light output and provides the output to a color sensor for sensing color values. The color values are provided to a controller that adjusts power to the various LEDs to provide a white light output. Instead of a color sensor in the light source, the light source can receive a white balance signal from a video camera provided for an endoscope. The white balance signal varies intensity of light output from each of the LEDs to obtain a white light output. The camera also provides shutter speed of a camera image sensor to the light source. The shutter speed is used to pulse or modulate the light output only when the shutter of the camera is open. By modulating the light output by the light source, the amount of heat generated by the light source is minimized.

A method and apparatus for wirelessly synchronizing operation of an image sensor of an endoscopic video camera unit having a wireless transmitter with operation of a portable endoscopic light source unit includes transmitting a message packet with a target camera shutter period, light source target phase/trigger time/OFF time and light source target ON time to the light source unit. The light source unit controls the start time and the ON time for light output by a light source. The video camera unit includes a light detector for detecting the actual light source start time and duration of light output to provide closed-loop feedback. A camera controller ensures synchronization between the shutter period of the image sensor and actual operation of the light source based on the actual phase and actual ON time sensed by the light detector and the previously communicated target phase/trigger time/OFF time and target ON time.

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

Vasudev Nambakam