Patents by Inventor Francois Lacombe
Francois Lacombe has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 10765412Abstract: The invention relates to an endoscopic instrument (1) having an elongate body with a distal end (4) designed to be introduced into the body of the patient so as to come into proximity with an internal organ, the distal end carrying a tool (7) for intervention on the internal organ. The endoscopic instrument has a fool (10) rigidly connected to the distal end and designed to bear on the internal organ, and also controllable means (13) for conferring movements on the tool, at least in directions transverse to a longitudinal axis (X) of the distal end of the endoscopic instrument, when the foot is bearing against the internal organ.Type: GrantFiled: June 25, 2012Date of Patent: September 8, 2020Assignees: UNIVERSITE PIERRE ET MARIE CURIE (PARIS 6), CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE, MAUNA KEA TECHNOLOGIES, ENDOCONTROLInventors: Benoît Rosa, Benoît Herman, Jérôme Szewczyk, Guillaume Morel, Clément Vidal, Patrick Henri, François Lacombe, Jérôme Lopez
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Patent number: 8808171Abstract: An endoscopy device includes several light guides (1, 2, 3), each light guide having one or more optical fibers. The light guides are coupled with a sweeping system (4) arranged to direct an excitation light beam in alternation in one of the fibers of the guides from the proximal end of the guide including the one of the fibers. In this way, the proximal ends of the guides may make use of the same sweeping system, whereas the distal ends of the guides may be installed simultaneously in different zones of interest of an object or animal (10) under study for an almost simultaneous observation of the zones of interest. The invention also relates to an endoscopy method used in a device according to the invention. A device and a method according to the invention may be applied to quasi-simultaneous reflectance, fluorescence, multi-photon imaging of several areas of interest.Type: GrantFiled: May 11, 2007Date of Patent: August 19, 2014Assignee: Mauna Kea TechnologiesInventors: Francois Lacombe, Bertrand Viellerobe, Nicolas Boularot, Francois Doussoux, Aymeric Perchant
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Publication number: 20140207150Abstract: The invention relates to an endoscopic instrument (1) having an elongate body with a distal end (4) designed to be introduced into the body of the patient so as to come into proximity with an internal organ, the distal end carrying a tool (7) for intervention on the internal organ. The endoscopic instrument has a fool (10) rigidly connected to the distal end and designed to bear on the internal organ, and also controllable means (13) for conferring movements on the tool, at least in directions transverse to a longitudinal axis (X) of the distal end of the endoscopic instrument, when the foot is bearing against the internal organ.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 25, 2012Publication date: July 24, 2014Applicants: UNIVERSITE PIERRE ET MARIE CURIE (PARIS 6), ENDOCONTROL, MAUNA KEA TECHNOLOGIES, CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUEInventors: Benoît Rosa, Benoît Herman, Jérôme Szewczyk, Guillaume Morel, Clément Vidal, Patrick Henri, François Lacombe, Jérôme Lopez
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Patent number: 8644663Abstract: An imaging device including an illumination module including at least one emitter for emitting at least one excitation beam, a scanning and injection module including an image guide, a proximal end and a distal end of which are linked by a plurality of optical fibers, and a scanning and injection optical system configured to alternately inject the at least one excitation beam into an optical fiber of the image guide from the proximal end of the image guide, and a detection module including at least one detector for detecting at least one luminous flux collected at the distal end of the image guide. At least one of the illumination module and the detection module is optically conjugated with the scanning and injection module by a conjugating optical fiber.Type: GrantFiled: January 10, 2011Date of Patent: February 4, 2014Assignee: Mauna Kea TechnologiesInventors: Bertrand Viellerobe, Francois Lacombe, Nicolas Boularot, Francois Doussoux, Nicolas Lavillonniere
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Patent number: 8600134Abstract: A method for processing images acquired in real time through a medical device, said images being loaded into a buffer, comprising the steps of: stopping the loading of the images into the buffer, processing loaded images using an incremental algorithm, displaying successively intermediate results of the processing, resuming the loading and stopping the processing based on an evaluation of said intermediate results.Type: GrantFiled: January 29, 2010Date of Patent: December 3, 2013Assignee: Mauna Kea TechnologiesInventors: Tom Vercauteren, Aymeric Perchant, Francois Lacombe, Nicolas Savoire
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Patent number: 8577445Abstract: An optical head includes: a point source producing an excitation beam, optical elements adapted to converge the optical beam into an excitation point located in a subsurface plane relative to the surface of a sample, the plane being perpendicular to the optical axis of the optical head; and elements for scanning the excitation point so as to define an observation field in the subsurface plane along two perpendicular scanning directions, a rapid online scanning and a slow columnar scanning. The invention includes micro-electrical mechanical systems designed to move in translation along a selected displacement at least one of the optical elements, which is mobile along a direction perpendicular to the optical axis so as to obtain at least one of the scanning directions. The invention provides the advantages of maintaining an axial illumination of the sample and of using a miniature head.Type: GrantFiled: December 12, 2003Date of Patent: November 5, 2013Assignee: Mauna Kea TechnologiesInventors: Frederic Berier, Bertrand Viellerobe, Magalie Genet, Francois Lacombe, Pedro Santos
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Patent number: 8267869Abstract: A method to perform an endoscopic biopsy includes deploying a mechanical forceps through an accessory channel of an endoscope assembly, deploying an optical probe through the accessory channel to an area of investigation, optically evaluating tissue at the area of investigation, actuating the mechanical forceps to grasp a sample of the tissue, and retrieving the mechanical forceps and the optical probe through the accessory channel of the endoscope assembly. A biopsy apparatus includes a delivery conduit, an optical probe configured to investigate the tissue upon a distal end of an optical conduit extending through the delivery conduit, and a forceps assembly slidably engaged over the optical conduit, the forceps assembly comprising jaws configured to operate between a closed position and at least one open position, wherein the jaws of the forceps are urged into the closed position as the forceps are retracted within the delivery conduit.Type: GrantFiled: December 31, 2009Date of Patent: September 18, 2012Assignee: Manua Kea TechnologiesInventors: Francois Lacombe, David Hughett, Chris Tihansky, Magalie Genet
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Patent number: 8237131Abstract: A system for carrying out fibered multiphoton microscopic imagery of a sample (10) for use in endoscopy or fluorescence microscopy includes: a femtosecond pulsed laser (1, 2) for generating a multiphoton excitation laser radiation; an image guide (8) having a number of optical fibers and permitting the sample to be illuminated by a point-by-point scanning in a subsurface plane; pre-compensating elements (4) for pre-compensating for dispersion effects of the excitation pulses in the image guide (8), these elements being situated between the pulsed laser and the image guide (8); scanning elements for directing, in succession, the excitation laser beam in a fiber of the image guide, and; in particular, an optical head (9) for focussing the excitation laser beam exiting the image guide in the sample (10).Type: GrantFiled: October 21, 2005Date of Patent: August 7, 2012Assignees: Mauna Kea Technologies, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Universite de LimogesInventors: Bertrand Viellerobe, Francois Lacombe, Alexandre Loiseau, Frederic Louradour, Mickael Lelek, Alain Barthelemy, Dominique Pagnoux
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Publication number: 20110274325Abstract: A method for processing images acquired in real time through a medical device, said images being loaded into a buffer, comprising the steps of: stopping the loading of the images into the buffer, processing loaded images using an incremental algorithm, displaying successively intermediate results of the processing, resuming the loading and stopping the processing based on an evaluation of said intermediate results.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 29, 2010Publication date: November 10, 2011Applicant: MAUNA KEA TECHNOLOGIESInventors: Tom Vercauteren, Aymeric Perchant, Francois Lacombe, Nicolas Savoire
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Publication number: 20110133101Abstract: An imaging device including an illumination module including at least one emitter for emitting at least one excitation beam, a scanning and injection module including an image guide, a proximal end and a distal end of which are linked by a plurality of optical fibers, and a scanning and injection optical system configured to alternately inject the at least one excitation beam into an optical fiber of the image guide from the proximal end of the image guide, and a detection module including at least one detector for detecting at least one luminous flux collected at the distal end of the image guide. At least one of the illumination module and the detection module is optically conjugated with the scanning and injection module by a conjugating optical fiber.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 10, 2011Publication date: June 9, 2011Applicant: MAUNA KEA TECHNOLOGIESInventors: Bertrand Viellerobe, Francois Lacombe, Nicolas Boularot, Francois Doussoux, Nicolas Lavillonniere
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Patent number: 7950801Abstract: The invention relates to a device, for measuring the contrast of fringes in a Michelson interferometer at full field, comprising a Wollaston prism for diverting two perpendicular incident polarizations into two different emergent directions, said diverting means being arranged within the interferometer as substitute for a single polarizer. The device is of application to a Michelson interferometer used in an OCT tomographical system and comprising means for obtaining interferometric contrast without use of a modulation technique or synchronous detection methods.Type: GrantFiled: January 21, 2005Date of Patent: May 31, 2011Assignees: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Observatoire de Paris, Mauna Kea TechnologiesInventors: François Lacombe, David Lafaille
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Patent number: 7911590Abstract: The invention relates to a method for measuring the speed of a particle such as a red blood cell moving inside a flow such as a flow of the blood, using a light scanning microscope. The inventive method comprises the following steps: acquisition of an image by x and y light scanning on a plane containing the object; detection on the plane (x, y) of a mark on the plane (x, y); estimation of the speed vg of the object from the gradient thus determined.Type: GrantFiled: March 25, 2005Date of Patent: March 22, 2011Assignee: Mauna Kea TechnologiesInventors: Francois Lacombe, Georges Le Goualher, Aymeric Perchant, Nicholas Ayache
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Patent number: 7869679Abstract: An imaging device includes an illumination module comprising at least one emitter for emitting at least one excitation beam; a scanning and injection module comprising an image guide, a proximal end and a distal end of which are linked by a plurality of optical fibers; a scanning and injection optical system configured to alternately inject the at least one excitation beam into an optical fiber of the image guide from the proximal end of the image guide; a detection module comprising a detector for detecting a luminous flux collected at the distal end of the image guide, wherein at least one of the illumination module and the detection module is optically conjugated with the scanning and injection module using a conjugating optical fiber.Type: GrantFiled: October 10, 2008Date of Patent: January 11, 2011Assignee: Mauna Kea TechnologiesInventors: Bertrand Viellerobe, Francois Lacombe, Nicolas Boularot, Francois Doussoux, Nicolas Lavillonniere
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Publication number: 20100234686Abstract: An endoscopy device includes several light guides (1, 2, 3), each light guide having one or more optical fibres. The light guides are coupled with a sweeping system (4) arranged to direct an excitation light beam in alternation in one of the fibres of the guides from the proximal end of the guide including the one of the fibres. In this way, the proximal ends of the guides may make use of the same sweeping system, whereas the distal ends of the guides may be installed simultaneously in different zones of interest of an object or animal (10) under study for an almost simultaneous observation of the zones of interest. The invention also relates to an endoscopy method used in a device according to the invention. A device and a method according to the invention may be applied to quasi-simultaneous reflectance, fluorescence, multi-photon imaging of several areas of interest.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 11, 2007Publication date: September 16, 2010Applicant: Mauna Kea TechnologiesInventors: Francois Lacombe, Bertrand Viellerobe, Nicolas Boularot, Francois Doussoux, Aymeric Perchant
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Publication number: 20100168610Abstract: A method to perform an endoscopic biopsy includes deploying a mechanical forceps through an accessory channel of an endoscope assembly, deploying an optical probe through the accessory channel to an area of investigation, optically evaluating tissue at the area of investigation, actuating the mechanical forceps to grasp a sample of the tissue, and retrieving the mechanical forceps and the optical probe through the accessory channel of the endoscope assembly. A biopsy apparatus includes a delivery conduit, an optical probe configured to investigate the tissue upon a distal end of an optical conduit extending through the delivery conduit, and a forceps assembly slidably engaged over the optical conduit, the forceps assembly comprising jaws configured to operate between a closed position and at least one open position, wherein the jaws of the forceps are urged into the closed position as the forceps are retracted within the delivery conduit.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 31, 2009Publication date: July 1, 2010Applicant: MAUNA KEA TECHNOLOGIESInventors: Francois Lacombe, David Hughett, Chris Tihansky, Magalie Genet
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Patent number: 7658495Abstract: A sighting device for an examination by in vivo tomography of an eye of a subject including a viewer controlled by a control system for displaying at least one moving target where the at least one moving target has at least one of a programmable shape and a programmable trajectory, and is visible by the eye of the subject during the examination period to allow the subject to fixate and follow the target with their eye.Type: GrantFiled: September 12, 2008Date of Patent: February 9, 2010Assignees: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Observatoire de Paris, Mauna Kea TechnologiesInventors: François Lacombe, David Lafaille, Marie Glanc, Eric Gendron, Douchane Stefanovitch
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Publication number: 20090097806Abstract: An imaging device includes an illumination module comprising at least one emitter for emitting at least one excitation beam; a scanning and injection module comprising an image guide, a proximal end and a distal end of which are linked by a plurality of optical fibers; a scanning and injection optical system configured to alternately inject the at least one excitation beam into an optical fiber of the image guide from the proximal end of the image guide; a detection module comprising a detector for detecting a luminous flux collected at the distal end of the image guide, wherein at least one of the illumination module and the detection module is optically conjugated with the scanning and injection module using a conjugating optical fiber.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 10, 2008Publication date: April 16, 2009Applicant: MAUNA KEA TECHNOLOGIESInventors: Bertrand Viellerobe, Francois Lacombe, Nicolas Boularot, Francois Doussoux, Nicolas Lavillonniere
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Patent number: 7513619Abstract: An in-vivo high resolution lateral and axial tomography system of the retina, is provided, including a Michelson interferometer, generating a tomographical image by full field OCT interference with Z sweeping, adaptive optical correction apparatus, correcting the wave fronts coming from and going to the eye, including a reference source, a deformable mirror and wave surface analysis apparatus, detection apparatus producing an image from an interferometric measurement using the OCT principle and apparatus for focussing the wave surface analyser. The apparatus for focussing are embodied and controlled, synchronously with the Z sweeping to force the deformable mirror to adopt an additional curvature, such as to combine the input light source and detection apparatus at a given depth in the retina.Type: GrantFiled: January 21, 2005Date of Patent: April 7, 2009Assignees: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Observatoire de Paris, Mauna Kea TechnologiesInventors: François Lacombe, David Lafaille, Marie Glanc, Eric Gendron
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Publication number: 20090002630Abstract: A sighting device for an examination by in vivo tomography of an eye of a subject including a viewer controlled by a control system for displaying at least one moving target where the at least one moving target has at least one of a programmable shape and a programmable trajectory, and is visible by the eye of the subject during the examination period to allow the subject to fixate and follow the target with their eye.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 12, 2008Publication date: January 1, 2009Inventors: Francois Lacombe, David Lafaille, Marie Glanc, Eric Gendron, Douchane Stefanovitch
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Patent number: 7438415Abstract: A sighting device is provided for an examination of the eye, including at least one moving target with a programmable form and trajectory, the target being displayed on a visualisation unit, such as an appropriate screen and visible from both eyes during the examination. An in-vivo tomographical eye examination system is also provided, including: a Michelson interferometer, generating a full-field OCT image, adaptable optical apparatus, arranged between the interferometer and an eye for examination, achieving the correction of the wavefronts coming from the eye and also the wavefronts going to the eye, detection apparatus, arranged after the interferometer, permitting the interferometric measurement by the OCT principle without modulation nor synchronized detection and a sighting device, with at least one mobile target with a programmable form and trajectory, the target being displayed on an appropriate screen and visible from at least one of the eyes during the examination.Type: GrantFiled: January 21, 2005Date of Patent: October 21, 2008Assignees: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Observatoire de Paris, Mauna Kea TechnologiesInventors: François Lacombe, David Lafaille, Marie Glanc, Eric Gendron, Douchane Stefanovitch