Abstract: The present disclosure pertains to an apparatus and methods of an imaging device for obtaining images from the walls of luminal organs or a surgical cavity. The device is capable of passage through luminal organs or introduction into surgical cavities, and obtains images by rapidly scanning a focused light beam on the tissue to be imaged and receiving light from the tissue. The device comprises at least one mechanism for projecting a 2-dimensional (2-D) optical pattern, such as a 2-D scanner (508) or a 2-D optical array forming a closed loop scan pattern (506). The device comprises at least one other beam scanning mechanism, such as a rotary or angular scanner (510) such that cycloid scan pattern is formed on the surface to be scanned, and also has embodiments of focusing optics at different regimes of numerical aperture. The disclosure also describes methods for accurate image reconstruction with embodiments of hardware control and post-acquisition processing.

Abstract: The present disclosure pertains to an apparatus and methods of an imaging device for obtaining images from the walls of luminal organs or a surgical cavity. The device is capable of passage through luminal organs or introduction into surgical cavities, and obtains images by rapidly scanning a focused light beam on the tissue to be imaged and receiving light from the tissue. The device comprises at least one mechanism for projecting a 2-dimensional (2-D) optical pattern, such as a 2-D scanner (508) or a 2-D optical array forming a closed loop scan pattern (506). The device comprises at least one other beam scanning mechanism, such as a rotary or angular scanner (510) such that cycloid scan pattern is formed on the surface to be scanned, and also has embodiments of focusing optics at different regimes of numerical aperture. The disclosure also describes methods for accurate image reconstruction with embodiments of hardware control and post-acquisition processing.

Abstract: The invention pertains to an apparatus and methods of a medical imaging device for obtaining images from the walls of luminal organs or a surgical cavity. The invention is a rigid enclosure that is capable of passage through luminal organs or introduction into surgical cavities, and obtains images by rapidly scanning a focused light beam on the tissue to be imaged and receiving light from the tissue. The invention has at least one beam scanning mechanism and has multiple embodiments of scanning and focusing optics at different regimes of numerical aperture. The invention also describes methods for correcting inaccurate beam scanning. The device is capable of performing imaging, image guided therapy, tissue excision, or other interventional procedures.

Abstract: A gripping apparatus has at least two elongated piercing elements which slide in elongated collars or sleeves between open retracted positions and closed gripping positions. The piercing elements define an angle and they move toward the vertex of the defined angle when they move from the open position to the closed position. The orientation of the piercing elements and their path of travel are such that objects are reliably and securely held when the piercing elements are in their closed positions and positively released when the piercing elements are in their open positions. A sensor may be provided with the gripping apparatus to sense the presence or condition of the gripped object. The gripping apparatus is especially useful in grasping the root masses of plants for transplanting purposes.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for de-stemming picked tomatoes. Each tomato is introduced into the upper end of a generally vertically disposed, open-ended, resilient, open-mesh fabric tube, a substantial portion of which approximates but is larger than the diameter of the tomato. The stem penetrates into and through the open mesh at some point, the open areas being somewhat larger than the stem, while the tomato continues to fall, thereby exerting a bending moment on the stem that snaps the stem from the fruit. The tomato, free from its stem, is discharged from a lower end of the tube.