Patents Examined by William Chou
  • Patent number: 10092243
    Abstract: A personal electronic device (PED)-endoscope image and diagnosis capture system is provided. The system includes a PED adapter having a magnification lens connection side and a PED connection side. A magnification lens is connectable with the lens connection side of the PED adapter. An eyepiece lens coupler is also provided and connects the magnification lens to the endoscope eyepiece. A PED is connected to the PED adapter and includes a processor, a memory and an image capture system with a PED lens. The PED adapter aligns the magnification lens with the PED lens. The processor is configured to activate the image capture system using a remote or voice-activated trigger signal and store captured images in the PED memory. Patient data and examination data can be associated with the images, and the images and data can be transferred from the PED to an electronic medical records system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania
    Inventors: Natasha Mirza, Jason Brant
  • Patent number: 10092174
    Abstract: A cooling device according to the invention includes: a first flow channel configured so that a coolant passes; a first heat receiving portion; a first heat radiating portion arranged in the first flow channel; a first heat transferring portion configured to transfer heat from the first heat receiving portion to the first heat radiating portion; a second flow channel configured so that the coolant passes; a second heat receiving portion; a second heat radiating portion arranged in the second flow channel; and a second heat transferring portion configured having a longer length than the first heat transferring portion and transferring heat from the second heat receiving portion to the second heat radiating portion. The second heat radiating portion is configured having a larger surface area than the first heat radiating portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yutaka Shirota, Takahiro Masaki
  • Patent number: 10080563
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to hand held powered surgical devices, loading unit detection assemblies, surgical adapters and/or adapter assemblies for use between and for interconnecting the powered surgical device or handle assembly and an end effector for clamping, cutting, stapling and/or sealing tissue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: Covidien LP
    Inventors: David Nicholas, John Beardsley, Russell Pribanic, Michael Zemlok
  • Patent number: 10076229
    Abstract: An over-tube was developed for receiving and guiding endoscopic instruments into a patient's anus, through the colon, and into the peritoneum. The over-tube has a flexible sheath adapted for insertion into the anus through the colon and out the peritoneum of a patient. A stiffened region is used to protect the colonic wall from injury during insertion of medical instruments through the patient's lower gastrointestinal tract. The proximal end of the over-tube is surrounded by two narrow inflatable balloons on either side of the colotomy to keep the device in place with its lumen open into the peritoneum and further prevent leakage of insufflation. The device may comprise two channels, one for duel channel endoscopes and larger medical instruments or single lumen endoscopes, and an additional channel for surgical instruments. A distal valve prevents insufflation leakage, making the device especially useful in NOTES surgeries.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2018
    Assignee: University of South Florida
    Inventors: Alexander S. Rosemurgy, Sharona B. Ross
  • Patent number: 10070801
    Abstract: A system for extending the visual capabilities and working channel of a bronchoscope including a probe having optic and/or tracking capabilities at a distal tip thereof and capable of being advanced through the working channel of a standard bronchoscope. The probe also includes a working channel through which various diagnostic and treatment tools may be advanced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignee: COVIDIEN LP
    Inventors: Benny Greenburg, Oded Zur, Raphael Meloul
  • Patent number: 10070776
    Abstract: This endoscope device can simplify the determination of the moving direction of a focusing lens, and can improve the accuracy of auto focusing. The endoscope has the following elements: an optical system having a focusing lens; a lens moving unit which moves the focusing lens along an optical axis thereof; an image capturing unit which obtains an optical image of an object from the optical system as a plurality of images each of which has a different focal position from each other; a moving direction determining section which determines whether to change the observation depth on the basis of the plurality of images, and determines a moving direction toward which the focusing lens is to be moved on the bases of the images; and a drive control unit which controls the lens moving unit to move the focusing lens toward a determined moving direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mitsujiro Konno, Akikazu Yachi
  • Patent number: 10064541
    Abstract: In an embodiment, the present specification is an alarm/warning system for notifying a user cleaning an endoscope that the main connector/electrical connector of endoscope has not been covered by a connector cover. The warning system indicates an absence of a connector cover cup when the connector of the endoscope is not connected to a main control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: EndoChoice, Inc.
    Inventors: Leonid Krivopisk, Yuri Gershov
  • Patent number: 10058233
    Abstract: An insertion apparatus includes an inserting section, a rotary cylinder, a motor, motor control section, a moving average calculating section, and a torque limit determining section. The inserting section is formed along a longitudinal axis. The rotary cylinder is provided to be rotatable around a longitudinal axis of the inserting section. The motor rotates the rotary cylinder. The motor control section supplies a motor current to drive the motor. The moving average calculating section calculates an average of the motor current within a predetermined period, after the motor starts up. The torque limit determining section determines whether torque of the motor is in a limit state by comparing a calculating result by the moving average calculating section with a predetermined torque limit set value, at timing except startup of the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Toshimasa Kawai
  • Patent number: 10034600
    Abstract: An endoscope apparatus includes: a light source section configured to generate first light emitted to a subject having hemoglobin and second light; an image pickup section configured to receive light from the subject irradiated with the light from the light source section to generate an image pickup signal; an image generation section configured to generate an observation image of the subject from a first image pickup signal generated by receiving light from the subject irradiated with the first light and a second image pickup signal generated by receiving light from the subject irradiated with the second light; and a control section configured to control a spectral product of at least one of the first light and the second light such that a spectral product in the wavelength band of the first light falls within 50% to 150% of a spectral product in the wavelength band of the second light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2018
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Makoto Igarashi
  • Patent number: 10022123
    Abstract: Adapter assemblies are provided for selectively interconnecting a surgical end effector that is configured to perform at least a pair of functions and a surgical device that is configured to actuate the end effector, wherein the adapter assembly includes an adapter knob housing configured and adapted for connection with the surgical device and to be in operative communication with each of the at least one rotatable drive shaft of the surgical device, the adapter knob housing defining a lumen extending longitudinally therethrough and a ring gear formed in an inner surface of the lumen of the adapter knob housing, the ring gear defining an internal array of gear teeth which are engaged with a spur gear of a rotatable drive shaft. The adapter knob housing may be a unitary member and may be formed of plastic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Assignee: Covidien LP
    Inventors: Ryan Williams, Stanislaw Marczyk
  • Patent number: 10010245
    Abstract: A subject irradiated with violet light and green light is imaged to obtain RGB signals, based on which a base image is produced. Frequency filtering processing is applied to the B signal to obtain a blood vessel extraction signal, in which a most superficial blood vessel, a superficial blood vessel, and a middle-layer blood vessel at different depths are extracted. Edge strength of each blood vessel in the blood vessel extraction signal is calculated. Display control processing based on the edge strength of each blood vessel is applied to the base image. Thereby, a first image or a second image is produced. In the first image, the most superficial blood vessel, the superficial blood vessel, and the middle-layer blood vessel are displayed in a distinguishable manner. In the second image, the most superficial blood vessel, the superficial blood vessel, and the middle-layer blood vessel are selectively enhanced or suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Yuki Terakawa
  • Patent number: 9993143
    Abstract: A capsule endoscope includes an image pickup device, a memory configured to store brightness information acquired by the image pickup device, and a control section configured to perform control to compare the brightness information acquired by the image pickup device with brightness information acquired by the image pickup device immediately before acquiring the brightness information and stored in the memory, cause the image pickup device to acquire brightness information when the comparison result is no greater than a threshold, compare the acquired brightness information with the brightness information acquired by the image pickup device immediately before and stored in the memory, and cause the image pickup device to pick up an image when the comparison result is greater than the threshold and cause the memory to store the picked-up image or cause an image transmitting section provided in the capsule endoscope to transmit the image to outside the capsule endoscope.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kei Mitsuhashi
  • Patent number: 9974430
    Abstract: An ingestible scanning device includes, in an embodiment, a capsule housing having a transparent window and sized so as to be ingestible, a photo-sensing array located within the capsule housing, a mirror located within the housing and oriented to direct an image from a surface outside the transparent window to the photo-sensing array, and a light source for illuminating the surface outside the transparent window.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: Innurvation, Inc.
    Inventors: William Robert Bandy, Brian Glenn Jamieson, Kevin James Powell, Kenneth Edward Salsman, Robert Charles Schober, John Weitzner, Michael R. Arneson
  • Patent number: 9962065
    Abstract: An optical scanning observation system includes: an endoscope having an optical scanning portion for scanning an object; a drive signal generation portion configured to generate a drive signal and supply the signal to the optical scanning portion; an electric-current measurement portion configured to measure an electric current value of the drive signal; a first storage portion in which a measured electric current value when the temperature of the optical scanning portion is a predetermined temperature is stored; a second storage portion in which a plurality of parameters that are set according to the size of the measured electric current value are stored; and a correction processing portion configured to correct a scanning range of the endoscope by reading in from the second storage portion a parameter that corresponds to the size of the measured electric current value read in from the first storage portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Soichiro Koshika
  • Patent number: 9962070
    Abstract: Violet light and blue light is applied sequentially to an object. In a wavelength range (380-440 nm) of the violet light, each of reflectances of most-superficial and superficial blood vessels is lower than reflectance of middle-layer blood vessels. In a wavelength range (440-480 nm) of the blue light, the reflectance of the middle-layer blood vessels is lower than those of the most-superficial and superficial blood vessels. Brightness of mucous membrane in a normalized first signal obtained under the violet light is equivalent to that in a normalized second signal obtained under the blue light. A subtraction image is obtained by subtraction between the normalized first and second signals, and superimposed on the first signal. A special image, in which the most-superficial and superficial blood vessels correspond to falling edges and the middle-layer blood vessels correspond to rising edges and the blood vessels are distinguished from each other, is produced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Yuki Terakawa
  • Patent number: 9955965
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a surgical device, comprising: a jaw assembly defining a first longitudinal axis and including a first jaw and a second jaw moveable relative to the first jaw; an elongated body defining a second longitudinal axis and coupled to a proximal end of the jaw assembly, wherein the jaw assembly is configured to articulate about an articulation axis transverse to the second longitudinal axis relative to the elongated body; a handle assembly coupled to a proximal end of the elongated body and comprising at least one motor mechanically coupled to the jaw assembly; and a control assembly coupled to the handle assembly, the control assembly including a first control button, a second control button, a first rocker device disposed about the first control button and configured to rotate thereabout, and a second rocker device disposed about the second control button and configured to rotate thereabout.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: Covidien LP
    Inventors: Xingrui Chen, David A. Nicholas, Matthew J. Chowaniec, Michael A. Zemlok, Blaine Williams, Anthony Calderoni
  • Patent number: 9955855
    Abstract: The invention relates to an electrical connection piece for a video endoscope having a hermetically closed video unit in a shaft of the endoscope, a video endoscope, and a method for producing an electrical connection in a video endoscope. The electrical connection piece according to the invention includes an at least partially flexible printed circuit board having conductive tracks, wherein the printed circuit board has a base surface with openings for contact pins of a hermetic feedthrough, and a flexible first arm and a flexible second arm that branch off in different, in particular opposite, directions from the base surface, wherein the first arm and the second arm each have a flat end surface at the respective ends facing away from the base surface, wherein the conductive tracks extend between the openings on the base surface and electrical contacting surfaces in the end surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: OLYMPUS WINTER & IBE GMBH
    Inventors: Martin Wieters, Sebastian Jungbauer, Alrun Thuemen, Nils Torkuhl, Enno Ehlers
  • Patent number: 9949624
    Abstract: A living body observation system includes: an illuminating light generation section configured to generate first light and second light; an image pickup section; a computation section configured to calculate a difference degree indicating a degree of difference between a luminance value of a first image obtained by picking up an image of return light of the first light and a luminance value of a second image obtained by picking up an image of return light of the second light in a same pixel; an enhancement processing section configured to enhance a contrast of the pixel in which the difference degree exceeds a threshold relative to a pixel in which the difference degree does not exceed the threshold; and an observation image creation section configured to create an observation image by using the first image after the process by the enhancement processing section and the second image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Makoto Igarashi
  • Patent number: 9943220
    Abstract: A tubular insertion system includes an insertion unit including a bendable portion, a bending operation mechanism that operates the bendable portion. The tubular insertion system further includes a bending operation amount detection/calculation device that calculates bending operation amount information, a bent shape detection/calculation device that calculates bent shape information, and a first operation support information acquisition unit that acquires first operation support information based on at least one of the bending operation amount information and the bent shape information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Eiji Yamamoto, Jun Hane, Hiromasa Fujita, Jun Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 9943372
    Abstract: A device for controlling an endoscope system for laparoscopic surgery. The device includes a wearable interface and an automated assistant for maneuvering an endoscope to a desired location, and at least one wearable operator. The wearable operator includes a transmitter that is in communication with at least one instrument. The system also includes a wireless receiver to receive signals from the transmitter and a computerized laparoscopy system that is in communication with the wireless receiver and that provides a visual depiction of a selected instrument.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: M.S.T. MEDICAL SURGERY TECHNOLOGIES LTD.
    Inventors: Mordehai Sholev, Gal Atarot, Motti Frimer