Patents Examined by John P. Leubecker
  • Patent number: 11806904
    Abstract: A method of manufacture of a tip part assembly for an endoscope, including: providing a bending section; providing a camera assembly including a camera module and a circuit board positioned at the proximal end of the assembly; providing a cup-shaped housing defining a distal end of the manufactured tip part assembly and including a circumferential wall extending between proximal and distal ends of the housing and a distal end wall positioned at the distal end of the housing, the circumferential wall and the distal end wall enclosing a spacing; inserting the camera assembly through the open proximal end of the housing so that the camera assembly is at least partly positioned within the spacing; and filling a liquid adhesive into the spacing through the open proximal end of the housing so that the camera assembly is at least partly embedded in the adhesive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: AMBU A/S
    Inventor: Morten Sørensen
  • Patent number: 11805984
    Abstract: A stereoscopic endoscope comprises at least one image sensor for sensing a first image and a second image of a pair of stereo images. The first image is sensed based on light passing through a first aperture within the stereoscopic endoscope and the second image is sensed based on light passing through a second aperture within the stereoscopic endoscope. The stereoscope endoscope comprises a liquid crystal layer disposed between two layers of glass comprising a first arrangement of electrodes, such that each of the first aperture and the second aperture is created in the liquid crystal layer using a portion of the first arrangement of electrodes, wherein a spacing between the first aperture and the second aperture, and a polarization state associated with each of the first and second apertures are controlled using corresponding control signals provided through the first arrangement of electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: INTUITIVE SURGICAL OPERATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Ian E. McDowall, Arthur Louis Berman
  • Patent number: 11805987
    Abstract: An endoscope includes: a distal-end rigid portion including an opening through which an instrument protrudes; a raising base disposed in the opening and configured to change a direction in which the instrument protrudes; a rotary shaft fixed to the raising base so as to rotate together with the raising base; an arm fixed to the rotary shaft so as to rotate the rotary shaft; a housing formed separately from the distal-end rigid portion, the housing including: a first bearing including a first shaft hole to rotatably support the rotary shaft; and a second bearing integrally formed with the first bearing and including a second shaft hole that is coaxially arranged with the first shaft hole so as to rotatably support the rotary shaft; and a seal member disposed between an outer circumference of the rotary shaft and an inner circumference of the first shaft hole to keep watertightness therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Jin Hiraoka
  • Patent number: 11794389
    Abstract: A method of manufacture of a tip part assembly for an endoscope having a proximal end and a distal end opposite from the proximal end, the method including: providing a bending section having a proximal end and a distal end, providing a camera assembly including a camera module, providing a substantially tubular circumferential wall having a proximal end and a distal end opposite from the proximal end, providing a distal end wall, arranging the camera module to be held by or attached to the distal end wall, manufacturing a housing by adjoining the distal end wall to the distal end of the circumferential wall, the housing including the circumferential wall and the distal end wall and enclosing a spacing that houses at least a portion of the camera module, and adjoining the distal end of the bending section and the proximal end of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: AMBU A/S
    Inventor: Morten Sørensen
  • Patent number: 11786108
    Abstract: A disposable endoscope with a tip part including a vision sensor, an exterior housing having a front wall and a circumferential wall, an interior spacing of the exterior housing accommodating the vision sensor, and a camera window positioned at least partly in front of the vision sensor, the housing further comprising a nozzle provided at the distal end of the tip part and configured to flush an exterior surface of the window, wherein the front wall and the nozzle are integrally formed in one piece from one polymer material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: AMBU A/S
    Inventors: Morten Sørensen, Lasse Markworth Johnsen
  • Patent number: 11786114
    Abstract: Systems for liquid biopsy and/or drug delivery may include a capsule endoscope and a tether coupled to the capsule endoscope. The tether may include a flexible member with a lumen in fluidic communication with a port configured to permit passage of fluid, and the port may be, for example, on the capsule endoscope or the tether. In methods for liquid biopsy and/or drug delivery, the capsule endoscope may be advanced into a gastrointestinal tract of a patient, and navigated to a region of interest, where a patient sample may be withdrawn and/or a therapeutic substance may be administered through the lumen (e.g., through the port).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: AnX Robotica Corp
    Inventor: Xiaodong Duan
  • Patent number: 11771309
    Abstract: A robotic system is described for determining whether a flexible instrument has buckled. The robotic system comprises a medical instrument comprising an elongate body, and further comprises a first sensor placed in a first portion of the elongate body, and a controller. A command is directed to the elongate body. The first sensor generates sensor data providing information regarding a first measured status of the portion of the elongate body. The controller receives sensor data generated from the first sensor, and compare the first measured status with a first expected status expected to be caused by the command; and responsive to the first measured status deviating from the first expected status one of more or less than a first associated threshold, determine that the elongate body has buckled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: Auris Health, Inc.
    Inventors: David P. Noonan, Don A. Tanaka
  • Patent number: 11774742
    Abstract: An optical unit for endoscope includes: a moving barrel which is a soft magnetic body, configured to hold a lens; a fixed barrel which is a non-magnetic body, configured to movably hold the moving barrel on an inner circumferential face; a pair of yokes arranged on an outer face of the fixed barrel; a coil wound around the outer face of the fixed barrel and a magnet arranged on a part in the circumferential direction, between the pair of yokes; and a magnetic body member with magnetism stronger than magnetism of the moving barrel, the magnetic body member being arranged on a part of the moving barrel in the circumferential direction, corresponding to the magnet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Shun Ogi
  • Patent number: 11766163
    Abstract: A tip part (2) for an endoscope (1) having at least one transparent part and at least one opaque part providing an outer surface. The outer surface comprises a transparent outer surface part (6, 7) and an opaque outer surface part (9, 10), respectively. The transparent outer surface part is smooth (6, 7) and at least a part of the opaque outer surface part (9, 10) is provided with a hydrophobic structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignee: AMBU A/S
    Inventors: Morten Sørensen, Jan Guldberg Hansen
  • Patent number: 11759094
    Abstract: A medical imaging system, said system comprises a device configured to be inserted to a patient's body, comprising an elongated tube, comprising two or more cameras for capturing visual content in the vicinity of the device in different directions of view, a wireless module configured to transmit data captured by the two or more cameras to a remote devices, and a video receiving system configured to wirelessly receive and synchronize images captured by the two or more cameras, process the images into video and display the video on one or more display devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: 270 SURGICAL LTD.
    Inventor: Avraham Levy
  • Patent number: 11759098
    Abstract: An endoscope apparatus including: a light source configured to emit illumination light including light in a first wavelength band included in a blue wavelength band, light in a first narrowband included in a green wavelength band, and light in a second narrowband having a same light absorption coefficient of hemoglobin as that of the light in the first narrowband; an imager configured to acquire a first image of an object in the first wavelength band, a first narrowband image of the object in the first narrowband, and a second narrowband image of the object in the second narrowband; and a processor including hardware. The processor is configured to implement acquiring scattering characteristics information based on a comparison result between the first narrowband image and the second narrowband image, and generating an observation image using the first image, the first narrowband image, and the scattering characteristics information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jumpei Takahashi, Ryosuke Ito, Yohei Tanikawa, Takayuki Tsukagoshi, Yuki Shono
  • Patent number: 11751753
    Abstract: A medical system includes an insertion device including a handle, an insertion portion with at least one lumen, a port fluidly coupled to the lumen, and a connection portion. The medical system also includes a medical device including a handle, an insertion portion, and a connection portion configured to be coupled to the connection portion of the insertion device. The connection portion of the medical device is configured to be coupled to the connection portion of the insertion device to form an electronic and physical connection between the insertion device and the medical device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc.
    Inventors: Amy Levasseur, Louis J. Barbato, William J. Abner
  • Patent number: 11744436
    Abstract: A subject observation system includes a light source, a light sensor, an image pickup device, a light source controller configured to cause the light source to alternately perform low-luminance illumination and high-luminance illumination at a predetermined luminance ratio, and a video processor configured to generate an HDR image, and sets a target sensor value S(n) in a temporarily succeeding n frame based on a sensor value S(n?1) in a temporarily preceding (n?1) frame and the luminance ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yusuke Yabe
  • Patent number: 11744442
    Abstract: An endoscope includes an endoscope shaft (3), which has a cylindrical shaft tube (4), and an endoscope head (2), which is arranged at a proximal end of the endoscope shaft (3). A distal end region (11) of the endoscope head (2), has a cylindrical interior (13) with a peripheral groove (15). The shaft tube (4) is inserted into the cylindrical interior (13) and folded into the peripheral groove (15). The groove (15) is not rotationally symmetrical. An endoscope head and a method for producing an endoscope are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: KARL STORZ SE & CO. KG
    Inventors: Daniel Kärcher, Claus Kramer
  • Patent number: 11737646
    Abstract: A medical image processing device includes a processor configured to: acquire a first captured image captured based on light from an observation target irradiated with light in a first wavelength band, the observation target emitting fluorescence upon being irradiated with excitation light in a second wavelength band; acquire a second captured image captured based on the excitation light and the fluorescence from the observation target irradiated with the excitation light; specify a target area in which a pixel level is not lower than a predetermined threshold, in the first captured image; and generate, for an area at a same position as the target area, a superimposed image only including pixels in the target area in the first captured image, among pixels in the area at the same position as the target area in the second captured image and pixels in the target area in the first captured image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: SONY OLYMPUS MEDICAL SOLUTIONS INC.
    Inventor: Taihei Michihata
  • Patent number: 11730347
    Abstract: A system comprises an endoscope with a wide-angle lens and a camera. An image of a field of view is captured by the endoscope and a portion of the image is displayed on the display. A popup image is generated and displayed upon image analysis identification of an occurrence of bleeding or motion of edges of an incision that is within the field of view, but outside the portion of the field of view displayed on the display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: Asensus Surgical Europe S.á.R.L.
    Inventors: Tal Nir, Yehuda Pfeffer
  • Patent number: 11730352
    Abstract: A method for image-capturing of an internal organ by a miniature imaging device, comprising: generating a light at a first light intensity on to a subject area of an internal organ and capturing an image of the subject area by a miniature imaging device configured under default exposure parameter values; computing a second light intensity and optimized exposure parameter values based on brightness of the captured image, an orientation, a position, and a motion of the miniature imaging device; and generating a light at the second light intensity on to the subject area and recapturing the image of the subject area by the miniature imaging device configured under the optimized exposure parameter values. The second light intensity and optimized exposure parameter values are derived by an ex vivo processing unit in wireless data communication with the miniature imaging device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute Company Limited
    Inventors: Chi Chung Leung, Hanqiang Huang
  • Patent number: 11723523
    Abstract: An elevator for an endoscope comprises a first end secured to the endoscope, a second end movable by an actuator, a flexible portion positioned between the first and second ends that is rotatable when the second end is moved by the actuator, and a guide portion extending between the flexible portion and the second end to receive an endotherapy instrument extending from the endoscope, the guide portion comprising a chute to guide the endotherapy instrument leaving the endoscope. A method of forming an elevator comprises forming from a planar sheet of material an elongate body comprising a length between first and second ends, a width, and a thickness, forming a guide body in the elongate body, bending the elongate body such that first and second lengths of the elongate body oppose each other to form an interior space, and bending the guide body to extend into the interior space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: Gyrus ACMI, Inc.
    Inventors: Joey Magno, Kurt G. Shelton, Thomas J. Holman, Michael Sansoucy
  • Patent number: 11723513
    Abstract: An endoscope system includes a light source apparatus to generate an illumination light including a first light in a red to near infrared region, a second light in a green region, and a third light in a blue region, an image pickup device to pick up an image of an object and output an image pickup signal, and a processor to generate a first to third color components corresponding to the first to third lights based on an image generated according to the image pickup signal. The processor generates two of three color components that are blue, green, and red included in an observation image by using a second color component, and generates one remaining color component by using a first color component, and generates respective color components of red, green, and blue included in a white light observation image by using the first to third color components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kei Kubo, Makoto Igarashi
  • Patent number: 11717138
    Abstract: An imaging unit includes: a first lens group configured to form a first optical image; a second lens group configured to form a second optical image; an objective lens group having a first region and a second region; a single image sensor configured to generate an image signal; a first holding frame having a first holding hole and a second holding hole; a second holding frame configured to hold the objective lens group; and a third holding frame configured to hold the image sensor. A depth of field of a first optical system formed of the objective lens group and the first lens group is set so as to entirely include a depth of field of a second optical system formed of the objective lens group and the second lens group and to be deeper than the depth of field of the second optical system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yuichi Wataya