Patents by Inventor Ian E. McDowall

Ian E. McDowall has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11968458
    Abstract: An imaging system and method includes a rolling shutter sensor that captures a plurality of images of a scene, a time-varying illumination source that illuminates the scene, and a processor that receives the plurality of images from the rolling shutter sensor and separates the plurality of images into a plurality of feeds. Each of the plurality of images is captured as a series of lines. The rolling shutter sensor and the time-varying illumination source are operated synchronously to cause a plurality of on-cadence lines of the rolling shutter sensor to receive more illumination from the time-varying illumination source than a plurality of off-cadence lines of the rolling shutter sensor. Each of the plurality of feeds has a different contribution of the time-varying illumination source to an overall illumination of the scene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: INTUITIVE SURGICAL OPERATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Jason Paul Watson, Ian E. McDowall
  • Publication number: 20240099565
    Abstract: The technology described herein can be embodied in a stereoscopic endoscope in which the orientation of the two eyes may be determined dynamically as the endoscope is moved and rotated. This may enable an improved user-experience when using an angled stereoscopic endoscope even when it is rotated, for example, to view the sides of a cavity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2023
    Publication date: March 28, 2024
    Inventors: Ian E. McDowall, Arthur Louis Berman
  • Patent number: 11931122
    Abstract: A teleoperated surgical system is provided comprising: a first robotic surgical instrument; an image capture; a user display; a user input command device coupled to receive user input commands to control movement of the first robotic surgical instrument; and a movement controller coupled to scale a rate of movement of the first robotic surgical instrument, based at least in part upon a surgical skill level at using the first robotic surgical instrument of the user providing the received user input commands, from a rate of movement indicated by the user input commands received at the user input command device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc.
    Inventors: William C. Nowlin, Mahdi Azizian, Simon P. DiMaio, Brian D. Hoffman, Anthony M. Jarc, Henry C. Lin, May Quo-Mei Liu, Ian E. McDowall, Brent Tokarchuk
  • Patent number: 11911003
    Abstract: A computer-assisted surgical system simultaneously provides visible light and alternate modality images that identify tissue or increase the visual salience of features of clinical interest that a surgeon normally uses when performing a surgical intervention using the computer-assisted surgical system. Hyperspectral light from tissue of interest is used to safely and efficiently image that tissue even though the tissue may be obscured in the normal visible image of the surgical field. The combination of visible and hyperspectral images are analyzed to provide details and information concerning the tissue or other bodily function that were not previously available.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc.
    Inventors: Ian E. McDowall, Jeffrey M. DiCarlo, Brian D. Hoffman, William Jason Culman
  • Publication number: 20240049943
    Abstract: A fluorescence evaluation apparatus includes a substrate configured to be inserted into a body through a channel having an inside diameter between about 5 millimeters (mm) and about 30 mm and a plurality of fluorescence swatches of a fluorescence imaging agent, each fluorescence swatch being arranged on the substrate and having a different concentration of the fluorescence imaging agent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2021
    Publication date: February 15, 2024
    Inventors: Dennise D. Dalma-Weiszhausz, Ian E. McDowall, Theodore W. Rogers
  • Publication number: 20240024051
    Abstract: A surgical method is provided for use with a teleoperated surgical system (surgical system), the method comprising: recording surgical instrument kinematic information indicative of surgical instrument motion produced within the surgical system during the occurrence of the surgical procedure; determining respective kinematic signatures associated with respective surgical instrument motions; producing an information structure in a computer readable storage device that associates respective kinematic signatures with respective control signals; comparing, during a performance of the surgical procedure surgical instrument kinematic information during the performance with at least one respective kinematic signature; launching, during a performance of the surgical procedure an associated respective control signal in response to a match between surgical instrument kinematics during the performance and a respective kinematic signature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2023
    Publication date: January 25, 2024
    Inventors: Brent Tokarchuk, Mahdi Azizian, Joey Chau, Simon P. DiMaio, Brian D. Hoffman, Anthony M. Jarc, Henry C. Lin, Ian E. McDowall, William C. Nowlin, John D. Seaman, II, Jonathan M. Sorger
  • Publication number: 20240007762
    Abstract: An example method includes causing an illuminator to simultaneously illuminate tissue with a first visible color illumination component, a second visible color illumination component, and a fluorescence excitation illumination component; and causing a display unit to display, based on the illumination, a display scene that includes: a reduced color scene component corresponding to the first and second visible color illumination components, and a highlighted scene component corresponding to the fluorescence excitation illumination component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2023
    Publication date: January 4, 2024
    Inventors: Wenyi Zhao, Jeffrey M. DiCarlo, Ian E. McDowall
  • Patent number: 11850004
    Abstract: A system and method for performing a teleoperational medical procedure is provided. In an example, a medical system includes an imaging instrument, a processor coupled to the imaging instrument, and a non-transitory computer memory coupled to the processor. The non-transitory computer memory stores machine-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to: receive, from the imaging instrument, an image of a patient anatomy, wherein the patient anatomy includes a tissue within a tissue bed; receive an ex vivo model of the tissue after removal of the tissue from the tissue bed; and determine an arrangement of the tissue in the tissue bed from the ex vivo model and the image of the patient anatomy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: INTUITIVE SURGICAL OPERATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Jonathan Michael Sorger, Ian E. McDowall
  • 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
  • Publication number: 20230329830
    Abstract: An illustrative method may include receiving images of a site captured at a same time by a camera, the images comprising a single visible color component image, a first non-visible image associated with first excitation illumination having a first wavelength outside a visible spectrum, and a second non-visible image associated with second excitation illumination having a second wavelength outside the visible spectrum and different than the first wavelength; generating, based on the single visible color component image, a monochromatic image; generating, based on the single visible color component image and the first non-visible image, a first alternate image representative of a first alternate imaging characteristic of the site; generating, based on the single visible color component image and the second non-visible image, a second alternate image representative of a second alternate imaging characteristic of the site; and displaying the monochromatic image combined with the first and second alternate images.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2023
    Publication date: October 19, 2023
    Inventors: Ian E. McDowall, Christopher J. Hasser
  • Publication number: 20230328387
    Abstract: An imaging system and method includes a rolling shutter sensor that captures a plurality of images of a scene, a time-varying illumination source that illuminates the scene, and a processor that receives the plurality of images from the rolling shutter sensor and separates the plurality of images into a plurality of feeds. Each of the plurality of images is captured as a series of lines. The rolling shutter sensor and the time-varying illumination source are operated synchronously to cause a plurality of on-cadence lines of the rolling shutter sensor to receive more illumination from the time-varying illumination source than a plurality of off-cadence lines of the rolling shutter sensor. Each of the plurality of feeds has a different contribution of the time-varying illumination source to an overall illumination of the scene.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 14, 2023
    Publication date: October 12, 2023
    Inventors: Jason Paul Watson, Ian E. McDowall
  • Patent number: 11778340
    Abstract: An example method includes receiving a single frame comprising a first set of pixel data that includes a fluorescence scene component and a second set of pixel data that includes a combination of a visible color component scene and the fluorescence scene component; and generating, based on the first set of pixel data that includes the fluorescence scene component and the second set of pixel data that includes the combination of the visible color component scene and the fluorescence scene component, a display scene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc.
    Inventors: Wenyi Zhao, Jeffrey M. DiCarlo, Ian E. McDowall
  • Patent number: 11737841
    Abstract: A surgical method is provided for use with a teleoperated surgical system (surgical system), the method comprising: recording surgical instrument kinematic information indicative of surgical instrument motion produced within the surgical system during the occurrence of the surgical procedure; determining respective kinematic signatures associated with respective surgical instrument motions; producing an information structure in a computer readable storage device that associates respective kinematic signatures with respective control signals; comparing, during a performance of the surgical procedure surgical instrument kinematic information during the performance with at least one respective kinematic signature; launching, during a performance of the surgical procedure an associated respective control signal in response to a match between surgical instrument kinematics during the performance and a respective kinematic signature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc.
    Inventors: Brent Tokarchuk, Mahdi Azizian, Joey Chau, Simon P. DiMaio, Brian D. Hoffman, Anthony M. Jarc, Henry C. Lin, Ian E. McDowall, William C. Nowlin, John D. Seaman, II, Jonathan M. Sorger
  • Patent number: 11723524
    Abstract: A family of endoscopes includes a non-zero degree endoscope and a zero degree endoscope. The zero degree endoscope includes a first image capture unit mounted in a distal portion of the zero degree endoscope with a lengthwise axis of the first image capture unit substantially parallel to a lengthwise axis of that distal portion. The non-zero degree endoscope includes a second image capture unit mounted in a distal portion of the non-zero degree endoscope with a lengthwise axis of the second image capture unit intersecting a lengthwise axis of that distal portion at a non-zero angle. The first and second image capture units have substantially identical non-folded optical paths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: INTUITIVE SURGICAL OPERATIONS, INC.
    Inventor: Ian E. McDowall
  • Publication number: 20230254469
    Abstract: An image capture device may include an image sensor comprising a first pixel cell and a second pixel cell adjacent to the first pixel cell, a plurality of individual alternative light filters configured to filter non-visible light, one individual alternative light filter of the plurality of individual alternative light filters covering both a first set of pixels of the first pixel cell and a second set of pixels of the second pixel cell, and a plurality of individual visible color filters covering pixels of the first and second pixel cells, the pixels of the first and second pixel cells covered by the individual visible light color filters being different from the first and second sets of pixels covered by the individual alternative light filters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2023
    Publication date: August 10, 2023
    Inventors: David C. Shafer, Jeffrey M. DiCarlo, Ian E. McDowall, Max J. Trejo
  • Patent number: 11717375
    Abstract: An exemplary method includes receiving images of a site captured at a same time by a camera, generating, based one or more of the images, a monochromatic image, generating, based on one or more of the images, an alternate image representative of an alternate imaging characteristic of the site, and displaying the displaying the monochromatic image combined with the alternate image, the alternate image being highlighted relative to the monochromatic image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc.
    Inventors: Ian E. McDowall, Christopher J. Hasser
  • Publication number: 20230240789
    Abstract: Systems and methods for image detection during grasping and stapling include an end effector having a first jaw and a second jaw, an imaging sensor mounted to the end effector and configured to capture images of a material graspable by the end effector, and one or more processors coupled to the end effector and the imaging sensor. The one or more processors are configured to receive the images from the imaging sensor, determine one or more properties of the material based on the images, and display the one or more properties of the material on an interface. In some embodiments, the end effector is part of a medical tool and the material is anatomical tissue. In some embodiments, the end effector further includes one or more of a stapling mechanism configured to staple the material or a cutting mechanism configured to cut the material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2023
    Publication date: August 3, 2023
    Inventors: Andrew J. HAZELTON, Ian E. MCDOWALL, Theodore W. ROGERS
  • Publication number: 20230225795
    Abstract: The technology described herein can be embodied in a method that includes obtaining a representation of a first image of a surgical scene using electromagnetic radiation of a first wavelength range outside the visible range of wavelengths, wherein an amount of electromagnetic radiation of the first wavelength range received from a first tissue type is lower than that received for a second tissue type. The method also includes obtaining a representation of a second image using electromagnetic radiation of a second wavelength range outside the visible range of wavelengths, wherein an amount of electromagnetic radiation of the second wavelength range received from the second tissue type is substantially different from that received for the first tissue type. The visual representation of the surgical scene is rendered on the one or more displays using the representation of the first image and the representation of the second image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2023
    Publication date: July 20, 2023
    Inventors: William Jason Culman, Jeffrey M. DiCarlo, Ian E. McDowall
  • Patent number: 11671581
    Abstract: A stereoscopic image capture device includes a first image sensor, a second image sensor, a first frame timer, and a second frame timer. The first and second frame timers are different frame timers. The first image sensor includes a first plurality of rows of pixels. The second image sensor includes a second plurality of rows of pixels. The first and second image sensors can be separate devices or different areas of a sensor region in an integrated circuit. The first frame timer is coupled to the first image sensor to provide image capture timing signals to the first image sensor. The second frame timer coupled to the second image sensor to provide image capture timing signals to the second image sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc.
    Inventors: David C. Shafer, Jeffrey M. DiCarlo, Ian E. McDowall, Max J. Trejo
  • Publication number: 20230157783
    Abstract: A computer-assisted medical device is configured and used to endoluminally navigate to a location in the gastrointestinal system and there treat certain body lumen wall areas while avoiding other body lumen wall areas. Embodiments ablate the inner mucosal layer and sub-mucosal nerve plexus of the stomach, duodenum and jejunum to effect treatment of insulin resistance and metabolic disorders, such as Type II diabetes (T2D), polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), congestive heart failure (CHF) and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Various sensors are used to assist a clinical operator to navigate from the mouth through the pyloric sphincter and into and through the duodenum and/or jejunum. Various sensors are used to map and identify portions of the duodenum and/or jejunum. Various lumen wall ablation devices and methods are described. Various post-treatment assessments are described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2022
    Publication date: May 25, 2023
    Inventors: Kyle R. Miller, Joseph D. Bogusky, Duane W. Marion, Ian E. McDowall, Tabish Mustufa, Dinesh Rabindran, Benjamin J. Schoettgen, Jignesh Shah, Tao Zhao