Abstract: A circuit board design uses CMOS sensors for the tip section of a multi-viewing element endoscope. Side sensors and their optical assemblies are assembled to a common base board to save space. Individual base boards are separately constructed, inserted into grooves of a main base board, and are further connected to the main base board by means of flexible circuit boards.

Abstract: The specification describes endoscopes that enable varying stiffness of an insertion portion in an endoscope assembly. In one example, an actuator operates either a spring or a flexible tube to vary stiffness of the insertion portion. In alternative examples, an elliptical wheel arrangement or screw mechanism provides a means to increase stiffness of the insertion portion of an endoscope assembly. In further examples, fluid and gas may be used inside the insertion potion to vary stiffness by varying pressure of the fluid/gas.

Abstract: In a multiple viewing elements endoscope, fuzziness and blur in the images due to movement of the endoscope is reduced by using flashing illuminators instead of continuous illumination. In one embodiment, LED illuminators are flashed at high intensity and for a very short duration. To address interlacing artifacts, LEDs are flashed once at the end of a field and again at the beginning of the following field to minimize the time difference between the capture of the two fields. In another embodiment, the LEDs are flashed once wherein the single flash overlaps the end of a field and the beginning of the following field. In some embodiments, still images may be captured with fine detail by pressing a button on the endoscope handle which activates the LEDs to flash along with the capture of an image. In one embodiment, pressing a button for still image capture results in the capture of two fields, each accompanied by a flash, which are interlaced to form a single still image frame.

Abstract: There is provided herein a tip section of a multi-viewing element endoscope, the tip section comprising: two or more side-pointing viewing elements positioned at or in proximity to a distal end of said tip section, wherein each of said two or more side-pointing viewing elements having a discrete illuminator associated therewith, wherein the field of view provided by the two or more side-pointing viewing elements covers a front and side views; a working channel configured for insertion of a surgical tool; and a pathway fluid injector for inflating and/or cleaning a body cavity into which the endoscope is inserted.

Abstract: A multi-camera endoscope includes a the tip section comprising: a front looking camera and a front discrete illuminator to essentially illuminate the field of view of said front looking camera; a right side looking camera and a right discrete illuminator to essentially illuminate the field of view of said right side looking camera; a left side looking camera and a left discrete illuminator to essentially illuminate the field of view of said left side looking camera; and a multi-component cover configured to cover and seal said tip section such as to essentially prevent entry of fluids from the environment of said endoscope to inner parts of said tip section. The tip cover includes removable or repositionable window components which provide access to internal components of the tip for repair or removal, without removing the main tip cover.

Abstract: Systems and methods of enhancing images use a contrast limited adaptive histogram equalization (CLAHE) algorithm in a field programmable gate array (FPGA). The images may be obtained by the imaging elements of a multiple imaging elements endoscope of an endoscopy system.

Abstract: A system for detecting the location of an endoscopic device inside a patients' body comprises an endoscope assembly with an insertion tube having a set of codes indicative of an insertion depth and a rotational direction of the endoscopic device and a detector to detect the set of codes and calculate the location information. The images captured by the endoscopic device are automatically tagged with corresponding location information. Optionally, the endoscope assembly further comprises a system for generating three dimensional images and videos without increasing the number of cameras. Optionally, the endoscope assembly further comprises a system having a plurality of sensor devices for generating a real time image map of an endoscopic tip portion traversing a lumen. Optionally, the endoscope assembly further comprises a special garment for colonoscopy patients to preserve the modesty of the patients and to protect a physician from spraying fecal matter.

Abstract: The present specification describes an endoscopy display system including an endoscope with a distal tip having at least three image capturing components, and a handle with an actuator that, when activated, generates a video processing command; a controller including a video processing system adapted to transmit commands to the three image capturing components and receive an image feed from each of said three image capturing components; and a display system, including at least one monitor that concurrently receives and concurrently visually displays each of said processed image feeds, where the video processing system is adapted to process each of said image feeds in accordance with the video processing command to cause at least one of changing a position of, zooming into or out of; recording; freezing; highlighting; or superimposing a navigation indicator upon the at least one of the processed image feeds.

Abstract: A control unit that includes a braking system for fixing the position of an endoscope tip is provided. The control system includes an up-down control knob and a right-left control knob. The brakes are engaged by rotating the control knob itself counter-clockwise from a free wheeling position. After the brakes have been engaged, a sufficient amount of force applied to the control knobs will move the endoscope tip slightly in the corresponding direction, allowing for fine tuning of tip position after braking.

Abstract: A circuit board design uses CMOS sensors for the tip section of a multi-viewing element endoscope. Side sensors and their optical assemblies are assembled to a common base board to save space. Individual base boards are separately constructed, inserted into grooves of a main base board, and are further connected to the main base board by means of flexible circuit boards.

Abstract: A multiple sensor endoscope system and a video processing method, wherein the system includes an endoscope having a plurality of daisy chained image sensors and a central control unit, is described. At least one daisy-chained image sensor includes a sensor array for capturing images and generating video packets from the captured images, a video compression unit configured to compress the video packets, a self-packet buffer configured to store the video packets, a serial-to-parallel de-serializer input unit configured to convert serialized input video packets to parallel data, a chain packet buffer configured to store the video packets received from previous-in-chain image sensors, an arbitration unit configured to interleave the stored video packets, and a serial output unit configured to output serially the interleaved video packets. The central control unit is configured to de-interleave the video packets and regenerate separated images as captured by the plurality of daisy chain image sensors.

Abstract: The present specification describes a method for determining the distance of an object from the tip of an endoscope during an endoscopic procedure, wherein at least one lens is configured to converge light from outside the tip onto a sensor that includes a plurality of photodiodes a portion of which are adjacent pairs of photodiodes configured to be phase detection pixels. The method includes receiving light into each adjacent pair of photodiodes, wherein said light is reflected off a surface of said object; determining a first response curve to said light for a first photodiode of said adjacent pair of photodiodes and a second response curve to said light for a second photodiode of said adjacent pair of photodiodes; identifying an intersection between the first response curve and the second response curve; and using data derived from said intersection to determine said distance to the object.

Abstract: There is provided herein, an endoscope comprising an elongated shaft terminating with a tip section wherein said tip section comprises a permanent section connected to the elongated shaft and a removable section securely connectable to the permanent section, wherein the removable section comprises at least one capture device and at least one light source.

Abstract: A control unit that includes a braking system for fixing the position of an endoscope tip is provided. The control system includes an up-down control knob and a right-left control knob. The brakes are engaged by rotating the control knob itself counter-clockwise from a free wheeling position. After the brakes have been engaged, a sufficient amount of force applied to the control knobs will move the endoscope tip slightly in the corresponding direction, allowing for fine tuning of tip position after braking.

Abstract: A multiple sensor endoscope system and a video processing method, wherein the system includes an endoscope having a plurality of daisy chained image sensors and a central control unit, is described. At least one daisy-chained image sensor includes a sensor array for capturing images and generating video packets from the captured images, a video compression unit configured to compress the video packets, a self-packet buffer configured to store the video packets, a serial-to-parallel de-serializer input unit configured to convert serialized input video packets to parallel data, a chain packet buffer configured to store the video packets received from previous-in-chain image sensors, an arbitration unit configured to interleave the stored video packets, and a serial output unit configured to output serially the interleaved video packets. The central control unit is configured to de-interleave the video packets and regenerate separated images as captured by the plurality of daisy chain image sensors.

Abstract: The present specification describes a method for determining the distance of an object from the tip of an endoscope during an endoscopic procedure, wherein at least one lens is configured to converge light from outside the tip onto a sensor that includes a plurality of photodiodes a portion of which are adjacent pairs of photodiodes configured to be phase detection pixels. The method includes receiving light into each adjacent pair of photodiodes, wherein said light is reflected off a surface of said object; determining a first response curve to said light for a first photodiode of said adjacent pair of photodiodes and a second response curve to said light for a second photodiode of said adjacent pair of photodiodes; identifying an intersection between the first response curve and the second response curve; and using data derived from said intersection to determine said distance to the object.

Abstract: A multi-focal, multi-camera endoscope having a tip section including a first optical assembly for generating a first image of a body cavity; a second optical assembly for generating a second image of a body cavity; at least one illuminator associated with each of the first optical assembly and second optical assembly; and a processing system configured to: zoom the first optical assembly and thereby generate a zoomed first image in place of the first image; and automatically cause a physical display to eliminate a display of the second image and to only display said zoomed first image. To eliminate the display of the second image, the processing system reduces a power supply to the second optical assembly, reduces an illumination intensity of an illuminator associated with the second optical assembly or causes the physical display to power off, darken, or blacken.

Abstract: A system for detecting the location of an endoscopic device inside a patients' body comprises an endoscope assembly with an insertion tube having a set of codes indicative of an insertion depth and a rotational direction of the endoscopic device and a detector to detect the set of codes and calculate the location information. The images captured by the endoscopic device are automatically tagged with corresponding location information. Optionally, the endoscope assembly further comprises a system for generating three dimensional images and videos without increasing the number of cameras. Optionally, the endoscope assembly further comprises a system having a plurality of sensor devices for generating a real time image map of an endoscopic tip portion traversing a lumen. Optionally, the endoscope assembly further comprises a special garment for colonoscopy patients to preserve the modesty of the patients and to protect a physician from spraying fecal matter.

Abstract: A system and method of repositioning a region of interest within an endoscopic image from a first location to a target location on the display screen of an endoscopy system is provided. The endoscopy system includes an insertion portion having a tip section with at least one viewing element for capturing images of a body cavity having the region of interest. The method includes detecting a region of interest within a body cavity, displaying the region of interest on a display screen in communication with the endoscopy system, marking the region of interest on the display screen, selecting a target location on the display screen, estimating a transformation to be applied to the region of interest, and applying the estimated transformation for causing the region of interest to be displayed at the target location of the display screen.

Abstract: The present specification is directed towards endoscopes, such as colonoscopes, that provide a broader field of view and allow extended access of surgical tools and also enable efficient packing of all necessary elements in the tip section, while maintaining their functionality. Also described are methods and systems for capturing and displaying still and video images using an endoscope corresponding to a left-side looking, a front-looking and a right-side looking viewing element of an endoscopic tip generated in a native aspect ratio.