The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 16, 2002
Filed:
Jun. 17, 1999
InBae Yoon, Ellicott City, MD (US);
Other;
Abstract
A surgical endoscopic instrument for visualizing anatomical tissue and including a tubular barrel carrying an endoscope with a CMOS image sensor and a physical parameter (e.g., temperature) sensor carried on the shaft. CMOS image sensors are fabricated on a single substrate or chip, with all of the required image signal processing circuitry, using the economical CMOS process. The CMOS image sensor is preferably mounted onto the distal end of the endoscope shaft and may include a light source for illuminating the field of visualization. In an alternative embodiment, the endoscope has a fixed objective lens carried on the distal end of a tubular body and a lens train or fiber optic bundle transmits the endoscopic image proximally to a CMOS sensor located in the hand piece. In the present invention, a single semiconductor substrate or chip has a CMOS imaging sensor with, preferably, a microprocessor and the associated signal processing circuitry for generating image signals for transmission to a display and to a data logging computer, outside the body. The surgical instrument carrying the CMOS image sensor preferably includes a distally mounted display, preferably a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), mounted on a flexible stalk for convenient repositioning during a surgical procedure.