Abstract: An endoscope's solid-state camera and illumination emitter are mounted on opposite sides of a flexible circuit board. The flexible circuit board is mounted at the distal end of the insertion shaft by engaging in a slot in a chassis. The chassis is formed as two subcomponents designed to mate together. The slot is formed as two opposing sub-slots each formed into the two subcomponents. The sub-slots are designed to capture the flexible circuit board during assembly, and to bend the flexible circuit board into a desired shape as the two chassis subcomponents are brought together. The camera is urged into a desired position by the resilience of the flexible circuit board as bent by the slot. The flexible circuit board has a retaining clip at its distal end. The retaining clip is clipped to hold the camera and illumination emitter in desired relationship within the distal tip of the insertion shaft.

Abstract: During manufacture of a medical device, parameters if the device are measured, and results of that measurement are stored in a database. For example, parameters of an endoscope's image sensor may be measured and stored in the database. The medical device has a machine-readable serial number. A computer reads the serial number and records a reduction of an on-hand inventory of the medical devices. When the on-hand inventory warrants reordering to replenish the on-hand inventory. When warranted, the computer places an order with a supplier of medical devices of the class to replenish inventory. A computer controlling the medical device may read the database to obtain the measured properties. The obtained data may be used to calibrate or adjust the device's function. For example, white balance and color correction of an endoscope may be used to compute normalized video.

Abstract: In an endoscope system, a processor is programmed to control the image sensor and/or illumination to underexpose or overexpose every other frame of the video image data. The image sensor generates image data at a frame rate. Successive pairs of frames of the image data are combined to recover dynamic range and detail in over-bright or over-dark portions of the image, and the combined frames have the full frame rate of the video as generated by the image sensor. A machine learning model processes the video to simultaneously upsample the image data to a resolution higher than that captured by the image sensor, to sharpen edges, and to enhance local contrast. A two-output PID control algorithm controls exposure intensity by controlling at least two of gain, exposure, and illumination to achieve image display at a setpoint intensity, maximum change per step of the PID control damped to prevent oscillation.

Abstract: An endoscope. One or more image sensors are designed to capture image data in visible light. One or more image sensors are designed to capture image data in a nonvisible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. An insertion shaft is designed to support the visible and nonvisible image sensors at or near a distal tip with sufficient rigidity to permit guidance to a surgical site in a human body. Image processing software is trained through machine learning to enhance image quality of at least the nonvisible portion of the image, and to present the enhanced nonvisible image as a real-time, visible presentation to a surgeon. A handle has electronics for drive of illumination circuitry and to receive imaging signal from the imaging circuitry. A joint between the proximal handle portion and the insertion shaft is designed to separably connect the insertion shaft to the proximal handle portion. When separated, the joint permits removal of the insertion shaft for disposal and replacement.

Abstract: An injection needle has a point designed to pierce flesh of a living body, and has a fluid passage therethrough designed for delivery of a therapeutic agent at a delivery site within the body, the delivery site to be reached by piercing at which an injection fluid is to be delivered via the fluid passage. The outer diameter of the needle is no more than about 2.1 mm. Solid state illumination circuitry and an imaging sensor are designed to provide illumination and imaging, and are mounted within supporting structure designed to support the illumination circuitry and imaging sensor within the needle arranged for illuminating and viewing the delivery site reached by piercing.

Abstract: An endoscope. One or more image sensors are designed to capture image data in visible light. One or more image sensors are designed to capture image data in a nonvisible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. An insertion shaft is designed to support the visible and nonvisible image sensors at or near a distal tip with sufficient rigidity to permit guidance to a surgical site in a human body. Image processing software is trained through machine learning to enhance image quality of at least the nonvisible portion of the image, and to present the enhanced nonvisible image as a real-time, visible presentation to a surgeon. A handle has electronics for drive of illumination circuitry and to receive imaging signal from the imaging circuitry. A joint between the proximal handle portion and the insertion shaft is designed to separably connect the insertion shaft to the proximal handle portion. When separated, the joint permits removal of the insertion shaft for disposal and replacement.

Abstract: An endoscope with a handle and an insertion shaft. The insertion shaft has solid state illumination and imaging circuitry at or near a tip designed to provide illumination and imaging of the interior of a body cavity for a surgeon during surgery. The proximal portion of the handle has electronics for drive of the illumination circuitry and to receive imaging signal from the imaging circuitry, the proximal handle portion being designed to permit sterilization between uses. A joint between the proximal handle portion and the insertion shaft is designed to separably connect the insertion shaft to the proximal handle portion. When it is separated, the joint permits removal of the insertion shaft for disposal and replacement. The joint is designed so that, when connected, the joint can transfer mechanical force from a surgeon's hand to the insertion shaft, and provides electrical connectivity between the proximal handle circuitry and the illumination and imaging circuitry.

Abstract: A distributed intercom system that interconnects a hub and various keypad and door zone units having microphones and/or speakers via CAT5 or similar cable having multiple twisted pairs. Audio is carried between all devices over a first audio wire pair, in analog signal format, forming an audio bus. Audio twisted pair acts as a data communication bus for control messages. One or more of receiver units may be active, while only one keypad device can be individually instructed to connect its corresponding microphone circuit to the audio bus. Determination of which unit is selected to be the transmitter occurs under the control of the hub. For example, in a case where a first user wishes to speak to another user in a different room, the first user presses a “talk” button at his keypad, causing that keypad to send out a message on a data communication bus to the hub.