Patents Examined by Timothy J. Neal
  • Device and method for tracking the position of an endoscope within a patient's body
    Patent number: 11529197
    Abstract: Systems and methods of tracking the position of an endoscope within a patient's body during an endoscopic procedure is disclosed. The devices and methods include determining a position of the endoscope within the patient in the endoscope's coordinate system, capturing in an image fiducial markers attached to the endoscope by an external optical tracker, transforming the captured fiducial markers from the endoscope's coordinate system to the optical tracker's coordinate system, projecting a virtual image of the endoscope on a model of the patient's organ, and projecting or displaying the combined image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: EndoChoice, Inc.
    Inventor: Achia Kronman
  • Non-conductive borescopes and related imaging techniques
    Patent number: 11529039
    Abstract: Borescopes and related methods that are configured to preclude or minimize imaging in hazy and/or smoky conditions. In some embodiments, the borescope may comprise a shaft made up, at least in part, of a material that is electrically non-conductive material and/or thermally non-conductive, and a tip positioned at a distal end of the shaft. The tip may comprise at least one light source, such as an LED or array of LEDS, configured to deliver electromagnetic radiation in which no more than about 20% of the total spectral output is in the infrared spectrum. The electromagnetic radiation delivered from the at least one light source may comprise a spectrum having at least one of a local maximum and a global maximum between about 450 and about 495 nm. The at least one light source may be configured to deliver between about 20 and about 75 lumens of visible light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: Xenocor, Inc.
    Inventors: Lane G. Brooks, Christopher Joseph Pratt, Ashok C. Khandkar, John T. Langell, Dennis James Muhlestein
  • Surgical controlling device, control method, and surgical system
    Patent number: 11523729
    Abstract: There is provided a surgical controlling device including an exposure controlling section that performs exposure control based on a luminance detection value detected from a biological image, in which the exposure controlling section corrects, on the basis of information regarding an identified surgical optical device, the luminance detection value so as to correct luminance unevenness arising from the surgical optical device. Further, there is provided a control method including performing, by a processor, exposure control based on a luminance detection value detected from a biological image, in which the performing the exposure control further includes correcting the luminance detection value so as to correct, based on information regarding an identified surgical optical device, luminance unevenness arising from the surgical optical device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Masashi Murakita
  • Endoscope system and endoscope
    Patent number: 11510557
    Abstract: An endoscope system includes a mother endoscope, a baby endoscope and a fixing member. The mother endoscope includes a first insertion section, a first operation section, a treatment instrument insertion channel and an opening. The baby endoscope includes a second insertion section and a second operation section. The first operation section includes a projection portion. The second operation section includes a recess portion that is a recessed face formed such that at least part of the recessed face comes into face contact with a surface of the projection portion. The second operation section is fixed to the first operation section in a state where the recess portion is in contact with the surface of the projection portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Xiongwei Wang, Tsukasa Ota, Takuto Yoshinaga
  • Endoscope apparatus and balloon
    Patent number: 11510551
    Abstract: Provided are an endoscope apparatus capable of reducing a diameter of a mounting portion in a case where a balloon is mounted on an insertion part of an endoscope, and the balloon. An endoscope apparatus includes an endoscope having an insertion part, and a balloon mounted on the insertion part. The balloon includes a first sleeve part, a second sleeve part, and a balloon main body. The balloon has an inner diameter of the first sleeve part, which is 1/10 or more and ½ or less of an outer diameter of the insertion part, in a pre-mounting state before the balloon is mounted to the insertion part. An inner diameter of the second sleeve part may be set to 1/10 or more and ½ or less of the outer diameter of the insertion part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Motohiko Matsushita
  • Deflecting endoscope accessory channels
    Patent number: 11503984
    Abstract: A scope system is provided including an elongate tube with a distal portion and a lumen extending therethrough. The scope system also includes at least one accessory channel extending from a proximal end to a distal end and having with an accessory lumen extending therethrough, the at least one accessory channel movably disposed at least partially within the lumen of the elongate tube. The at least one accessory channel includes a distal section and a forward-viewing configuration and a side-viewing configuration. In the forward-viewing configuration, the distal section of the at least one accessory channel is substantially parallel to the distal portion of the elongate tube and in the side-viewing configuration, the distal section of the at least one accessory channel is arced at a radius greater than a radius of the distal portion of the elongate tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: COOK MEDICAL TECHNOLOGIES LLC
    Inventors: Vihar C. Surti, John C. Sigmon, Smitha Smith, Laura Johnson, Andrea C. Mydosh, Tyler E. McLawhorn, Michael J. Brecht, Gregory Hardy, Shaun D. Gittard, William S. Gibbons, Jr.
  • Multi-channel system
    Patent number: 11503989
    Abstract: Provided is an endoscope system including an elongated tube with one or more channels extending in a longitudinal direction along the elongated tube. The channels allow inserting of a viewing device for obtaining images from the distal end, inserting of surgical instruments to operate at the distal end, or passing of materials such as air or water. The channel for inserting the viewing device is enclosed or has a cover at the distal end of the elongated tube, such that the viewing device has no direct contact of body tissues, thereby eliminating the need for sterilization. Also provided is a safe and economical method for conducting endoscopy involving one-time use of a tube to keep the viewing device from directly contacting the body tissues.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: OPCOM INC.
    Inventor: Chih-Yu Ting
  • Surgical system and surgical imaging device
    Patent number: 11503980
    Abstract: The present technology relates to a surgical system and a surgical imaging device enabled to reduce latency. The surgical imaging device generates a surgical image by imaging the inside of a living body, a signal processing device performs predetermined signal processing on the surgical image, and a display device displays the surgical image on which the signal processing is performed. The imaging device generates the surgical image on the basis of scan information indicating a scan order of the surgical image. The present technology can be applied to, for example, an endoscopic surgical system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tsuneo Hayashi
  • Endoscopic device
    Patent number: 11503988
    Abstract: This invention relates to an endoscopic device, and more particularly but not exclusively to an endoscopic device suitable for use in diagnostic and/or surgical procedures. The endoscopic device includes a base and a shaft extending from the base. The shaft is at least partially flexible and includes a bending section that is selectively displaceable between a straight configuration and a bent configuration. The endoscopic device also includes an actuation arrangement for selectively displacing the bending section between the straight and bent positions. The actuation arrangement includes at least one actuator which is at least partially made from a shape memory alloy, and which is configured to displace the bending section of the shaft when electric current is passed therethrough. The actuator is located inside the base of the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: University of Cape Town
    Inventors: Edmund Grey Wessels, Sudesh Sivarasu
  • Multiple channel flexible ureteroscope
    Patent number: 11503993
    Abstract: A ureteroscope system includes a handle; an elongated shaft extends from the handle to a distal end and includes a working channel which is opened at the distal end; an external member extends from a proximal end to a distal end and is coupled to the shaft, the member includes a hub and a tube defining a first external channel; and a coupling mechanism defines first and second tubes and is coupled the distal end of the member to the distal end of the shaft. The first tube defines a first lumen and the second tube defines a second lumen which is sized and shaped to receive a distal end of the member. A proximal portion of the first tube is sized and shaped to be inserted into a distal portion of the shaft such that the first lumen is opened to the working channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: BOSTON SCIENTIFIC SCIMED, INC.
    Inventors: Michael S. H. Chu, Mayur Patel, Sacha Tang
  • Device for shielding endoscopic optics with a fluid barrier
    Patent number: 11490790
    Abstract: The present embodiments provide systems and methods suitable for delivering an agent including a plurality of particles to a target site. In example embodiments, a system suitable for delivering an agent to a target site includes a catheter having a first wall defining a lumen sized for delivery of the agent to the target site. The catheter has a distal end terminating with a primary opening of the lumen, an opposing proximal end, and a longitudinal axis extending between the distal end and the proximal end. At least one secondary opening is formed at the distal end, wherein the secondary opening is configured to allow fluid to flow through the secondary opening to create a steady flow of fluid at an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis and prevent the plurality of particles from flowing through the secondary opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: Cook Medical Technologies LLC
    Inventors: John Crowder Sigmon, Jr., Gregory James Hardy, Shaun Davis Gittard
  • Endoscope apparatus
    Patent number: 11490784
    Abstract: A position specifying section obtains an observation distance by specifying the position of an irradiated region from a picked-up image that is obtained from the image pickup of a subject on which the irradiated region is formed by auxiliary measurement light. An image processing section sets the amount of offset, which corresponds to a height of the irradiated region of a convex portion of the subject, for the observation distance, and generates an offset measurement marker on the basis of the offset distance that obtained by adding the amount of offset to the observation distance. A specific image in which the offset measurement marker is superimposed on the picked-up image is displayed on a display unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Yu Yoshimori
  • Endoscope
    Patent number: 11484188
    Abstract: There is provided an endoscope capable of suppressing the degradation of a distal-end-part body over time that is caused by the sandwiching of a treatment tool. An endoscope includes a distal-end-part body that is provided at a distal end of an insertion unit. The distal-end-part body includes an elevator-housing space-forming wall that forms an elevator-housing space opened in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the longitudinal axis of the insertion unit, a lead-out portion that includes a treatment tool outlet opened into the elevator-housing space, and an elevator that is provided in the elevator-housing space so as to be rotatable about a rotating shaft between a standing position and a fallen position and includes a guide surface guiding a treatment tool. The elevator-housing space-forming wall includes an opening wall portion provided on an opening side of the elevator-housing space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuhiko Morimoto, Satoru Okada, Tsuneo Fukuzawa
  • Endoscope
    Patent number: 11484186
    Abstract: An endoscope in which an erecting operation mechanism is provided at an operation section and that can prevent an increase in size of a holding part of the operation section is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Takashi Harada, Shozo Iyama
  • Endoscope
    Patent number: 11478135
    Abstract: An endoscope having an operating handle comprising a handle housing arranged at a proximal end and an insertion tube extending from said handle towards a distal end of the endoscope and terminating in a steerable tip part at the distal end of the endoscope, the endoscope further comprising a control mechanism with a Bowden cable having an outer guide tube having a first length between a proximal end and a distal end of said outer guide tube and an inner pull-wire having a second length between a proximal end and a distal end of said inner pull-wire, said second length being longer than said first length, the proximal end of the outer guide tube is affixed to the operating handle by means of an adhesive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: AMBU A/S
    Inventor: Kaspar Mat Matthison-Hansen
  • Devices, systems, and methods for providing sealable access to a working channel
    Patent number: 11478233
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates generally to the field of medical devices. In particular, the present disclosure relates to valve configurations providing sealable access for medical instruments to a working channel, such as a working channel for an endoscope.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: BOSTON SCIENTIFIC SCIMED, INC.
    Inventors: Harchetan S. Aneja, Amit Bharos, Swami Upadhyay, Boopathi Rajarathnam
  • Medical observation system, apparatus for controlling the same, and method for controlling the same
    Patent number: 11478133
    Abstract: A medical observation system includes a multi-link structure in which a plurality of links is mutually coupled by joint parts, a medical observation apparatus attached on the multi-link structure, a control part configured to control the multi-link structure or the medical observation apparatus, and a user interface part by which a user inputs an instruction to change a visual field of the medical observation apparatus. When a user instructs to move a visual field of the medical observation apparatus vertically or horizontally, to rotate an oblique-viewing endoscope, or to change a magnification of the visual field via the user interface part, the control part controls the multi-link structure or the medical observation apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takara Kasai, Yohei Kuroda, Takeshi Maeda, Seiji Wada
  • Wireless laparoscopic device with gimballed camera
    Patent number: 11478140
    Abstract: A laparoscopic imaging apparatus has a shaft having a proximal end opposite a distal end, wherein the proximal end is configured for attachment to an actuator, wherein a longitudinal axis extends through the shaft, between the proximal and distal ends, wherein the distal end is configured for insertion into patient anatomy and for attachment of one or more laparoscopic tools, wherein at least a first laparoscopic tool at the distal end pivots on a first gimbal apparatus that is actuable, from the actuator at the proximal end of the shaft, to rotate the at least the first laparoscopic tool about the longitudinal axis of the shaft and, further, to rotate the at least the first laparoscopic tool about at least a second axis, orthogonal to the longitudinal axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Inventors: David Street, Michael H. Freeman, Jordan Boss, Mitchael C. Freeman, Steven Yeager, Victoria McArtor, Brian Santee, Montgomery H. F. Freeman
  • Endoscope
    Patent number: 11471032
    Abstract: An endoscope is proposed with a shaft (2) that is designed as a flexible or rigid elongated hollow body with a main body (3) which houses the shaft (2) on its proximal end (5) with an image guide (7) and a working channel (10) which extend through the shaft (2) from the distal to the proximal end, continuing into the main body (3) wherein the working channel (10) receives an instrument with a distal end (11) of the working channel (10) which is located in the area of the distal end (6) of the shaft (2) with a proximal end (12) of the working channel (10) which is located in or on the main body (3) wherein the cross-section of the working channel (10) is circular at its proximal end (12) and non-circular at its distal end (11) and wherein the working channel (10) has a transitional area (18) in which the circular cross-section transitions into the non-circular cross-section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: Blazejewski MEDI-TECH GmbH
    Inventor: Reinhold Blazejewski
  • Dual-mode endoscopic capsule with image processing capabilities
    Patent number: 11457799
    Abstract: An endoscopic capsule comprising first and second imaging systems, wherein the first imaging system is arranged for obtaining images at a broader spectral range than the second imaging system, the capsule comprising a processor, the capsule arranged for operating in any one of a first mode wherein a frame rate of the first imaging system exceeds a frame rate of the second imaging system, and a second mode wherein the frame rate of the second imaging system exceeds the frame rate of the second imaging system in the first mode, wherein the processor in the first mode is arranged for accessing one or more images from the first imaging system, detecting if there is a polyp in said one or more images, and switching from the first mode to the second mode if a polyp is detected in the one or more images from the first imaging system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Inventors: Esmaeil Shahrak Nadimi, Gunnar Baatrup, Claus Duedal Pedersen