United Sciences, LLC

Wess Eric Sharpe

Karol Hatzilias

Scott C Cahall

Samuel W Harris

Harris L Bergman

Giorgos Hatzilias

David G Stites

Harry S Strothers, Iv

Ruizhi Hong

Nathanael Berglund

Eohan George

Jerry Foster

Keith A Blanton

Harris Bergman

Stefan T Posey

Apparatus and methods for optical scanning, including an optical probe capable of motion for optical scanning with respect to both the interior and the exterior of a scanned object, the optical probe also including light conducting apparatus disposed so as to conduct scan illumination from a source of scan illumination through the probe; light reflecting apparatus disposed so as to project scan illumination radially away from a longitudinal axis of the probe with at least some of the scan illumination projected onto the scanned object; optical line forming apparatus disposed so as to project scan illumination as a line of scan illumination with at least some of the scan illumination projected onto the scanned object; and a lens disposed so as to conduct, through the probe to an optical sensor, scan illumination reflected from the scanned object.

Optical scanning and measurement

An otoscanner including an otoscanner body, the body comprising a hand grip, the body having mounted upon it an ear probe, a tracking illumination emitter, a plurality of tracking illumination sensors, and a display screen, the otoscanner body having mounted within it an image sensor; wherein the image sensor operates at a video frame rate that is twice a standard video frame rate; a laser light source is strobed during capture by the image sensor of alternate video frames; video frames are captured by the image sensor when only the non-laser video illumination illuminates the scanned ear; and images for constructing 3D images are captured by the image sensor only when the strobed laser light illuminates the scanned ear.

Otoscanner with camera for video and scanning

An otoscanner including an otoscanner body, the body comprising a hand grip, the body having mounted upon it an ear probe, a tracking illumination emitter, a plurality of tracking illumination sensors, and a display screen, the otoscanner body having mounted within it an image sensor; the ear probe comprising a wide-angle lens optically coupled to the image sensor, laser light source, a laser optical element, and a source of non-laser video illumination; the plurality of tracking illumination sensors disposed upon the otoscanner body so as to sense reflections of tracking illumination emitted from the tracking illumination emitter and reflected from tracking targets installed at positions that are fixed relative to the scanned ear; the image sensor coupled for data communications to a data processor, with the data processor configured so that it functions by constructing a 3D image of the interior of the scanned ear.

Otoscanner with pressure sensor for compliance measurement

An otoscanner including an otoscanner body, the body comprising a hand grip, the body having mounted upon it an ear probe, a tracking illumination emitter, a plurality of tracking illumination sensors, and a display screen, the otoscanner body having mounted within it an image sensor; the image sensor coupled for data communications to a data processor, with the data processor configured to function by inferring, from a tracked position of the ear probe, previously recorded statistics describing typical ear sizes according to human demographics, and currently recorded demographic information regarding a person whose ear is scanned, the actual present position of the ear probe in relation to at least one part of the scanned ear; and providing a warning when the probe moves within a predefined distance from the part of the scanned ear.

Otoscanner with safety warning system

Otoscanning with 3D modeling

An otoscanner including an otoscanner body, the body comprising a hand grip, the body having mounted upon it an ear probe, a tracking illumination emitter, a plurality of tracking illumination sensors, and a display screen, the otoscanner body having mounted within it an image sensor; the ear probe comprising a wide-angle lens optically coupled to the image sensor, laser light source, a laser optical element, and a source of non-laser video illumination; the display screen coupled for data communications to the image sensor, the display screen displaying images of the scanned ear, the display screen positioned on the otoscanner body in relation to the ear probe so that when the ear probe is positioned for scanning, both the display screen and the ear probe are visible to a operator operating the otoscanner; and a data processor configured to construct a 3D image of the interior of the scanned ear.

Video otoscanner with line-of-sight probe and screen

Optical scanning with an optical probe composed of an elongated cylinder of transparent material mounted upon an optical scanner body; one or more sources of scan illumination mounted in the probe distally or proximally with respect to the scanner body and projecting scan illumination longitudinally through the probe; a radially-reflecting optical element mounted in the probe having a conical mirror on a surface of the radially-reflecting optical element, the mirror oriented so as to project scan illumination radially away from a longitudinal axis of the probe with at least some of the scan illumination projected onto a scanned object; a lens mounted in the probe between the radially-reflecting optical element and the scanner body and disposed so as to conduct to an optical sensor scan illumination reflected from the scanned object.

Illumination for optical scan and measurement

An otoscanner including a conical laser-reflective optical element and a laser light source and the conical laser-reflecting optical element are configured so that the conical laser-reflecting optical element, when illuminated by the laser light source, projects a broken ring of laser light upon an interior surface of the ear when the ear probe is positioned in the ear and a diffractive laser optic lens and the laser light source and the diffractive laser optic lens are configured so that the diffractive laser optic lens, when illuminated by the laser light source, projects upon an interior surface of the ear a fan of laser light at a predetermined angle with respect to a front surface of the diffractive laser optic lens when the ear probe is positioned in the ear.

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Vinings, GA, United States of America

Wess Eric Sharpe