Abstract: An otoscanner including an otoscanner body, the body comprising a hand grip, the body having mounted upon it an ear probe, a tracking illumination emitter, a plurality of tracking illumination sensors, and a display screen, the otoscanner body having mounted within it an image sensor; the ear probe comprising a wide-angle lens optically coupled to the image sensor, laser light source, a laser optical element, and a source of non-laser video illumination; the plurality of tracking illumination sensors disposed upon the otoscanner body so as to sense reflections of tracking illumination emitted from the tracking illumination emitter and reflected from tracking targets installed at positions that are fixed relative to the scanned ear; the image sensor coupled for data communications to a data processor, with the data processor configured so that it functions by constructing a 3D image of the interior of the scanned ear.

Abstract: An otoscanner including an otoscanner body, the body comprising a hand grip, the body having mounted upon it an ear probe, a tracking illumination emitter, a plurality of tracking illumination sensors, and a display screen, the otoscanner body having mounted within it an image sensor; the image sensor coupled for data communications to a data processor, with the data processor configured to function by inferring, from a tracked position of the ear probe, previously recorded statistics describing typical ear sizes according to human demographics, and currently recorded demographic information regarding a person whose ear is scanned, the actual present position of the ear probe in relation to at least one part of the scanned ear; and providing a warning when the probe moves within a predefined distance from the part of the scanned ear.

Abstract: A device for scanning a body orifice or surface including a light source and a wide angle lens. The light from the light source is projected in a pattern distal or adjacent to the wide angle lens. Preferably, the pattern is within a focal surface of the wide angle lens. The pattern intersects a surface of the body orifice, such as an ear canal, and defines a partial lateral portion of the pattern extending along the surface. A processor is configured to receive an image of the lateral portion from the wide angle lens and determine a position of the lateral portion in a coordinate system using a known focal surface of the wide angle lens. Multiple lateral portions are reconstructed by the processor to build a three-dimensional shape. This three-dimensional shape may be used for purposes such as diagnostic, navigation, or custom-fitting of medical devices, such as hearing aids.

Abstract: An otoscanner including an otoscanner body, the body comprising a hand grip, the body having mounted upon it an ear probe, a tracking illumination emitter, a plurality of tracking illumination sensors, and a display screen, the otoscanner body having mounted within it an image sensor; wherein the image sensor operates at a video frame rate that is twice a standard video frame rate; a laser light source is strobed during capture by the image sensor of alternate video frames; video frames are captured by the image sensor when only the non-laser video illumination illuminates the scanned ear; and images for constructing 3D images are captured by the image sensor only when the strobed laser light illuminates the scanned ear.

Abstract: An otoscanner including an otoscanner body, the body comprising a hand grip, the body having mounted upon it an ear probe, a tracking illumination emitter, a plurality of tracking illumination sensors, and a display screen, the otoscanner body having mounted within it an image sensor; the ear probe comprising a wide-angle lens optically coupled to the image sensor, laser light source, a laser optical element, and a source of non-laser video illumination; the display screen coupled for data communications to the image sensor, the display screen displaying images of the scanned ear, the display screen positioned on the otoscanner body in relation to the ear probe so that when the ear probe is positioned for scanning, both the display screen and the ear probe are visible to a operator operating the otoscanner; and a data processor configured to construct a 3D image of the interior of the scanned ear.

Abstract: An otoscanner including an otoscanner body, the body comprising a hand grip, the body having mounted upon it an ear probe, a tracking illumination emitter, a plurality of tracking illumination sensors, and a display screen, the otoscanner body having mounted within it an image sensor; the ear probe comprising a wide-angle lens optically coupled to the image sensor, laser light source, a laser optical element, and a source of non-laser video illumination; the plurality of tracking illumination sensors disposed upon the otoscanner body so as to sense reflections of tracking illumination emitted from the tracking illumination emitter and reflected from tracking targets installed at positions that are fixed relative to the scanned ear; the image sensor coupled for data communications to a data processor, with the data processor configured so that it functions by constructing a 3D image of the interior of the scanned ear.

Abstract: An otoscanner including a conical laser-reflective optical element and a laser light source and the conical laser-reflecting optical element are configured so that the conical laser-reflecting optical element, when illuminated by the laser light source, projects a broken ring of laser light upon an interior surface of the ear when the ear probe is positioned in the ear and a diffractive laser optic lens and the laser light source and the diffractive laser optic lens are configured so that the diffractive laser optic lens, when illuminated by the laser light source, projects upon an interior surface of the ear a fan of laser light at a predetermined angle with respect to a front surface of the diffractive laser optic lens when the ear probe is positioned in the ear.

Abstract: Determination of structure-from-motion that includes a scanner body having mounted upon it a tracking illumination emitter and one or more tracking illumination sensors, the tracking illumination sensors disposed upon the scanner body so as to sense reflections of tracking illumination, the scanned object characterized by an object space defined by fixed positions of tracking targets; the scanner body having mounted within it an image sensor, the scanner body characterized by a scanner space, the image sensor coupled for data communications to a data processor and a computer memory, the image sensor and the processor capturing one or more images of the scanned object; and the data processor configured so that it determines by structure-from-motion, based upon the one or more captured images and tracked positions of the probe inferred from reflections of tracking illumination, the location in object space of a feature of the scanned object.

Abstract: An otoscanner including an otoscanner body, the body comprising a hand grip, the body having mounted upon it an ear probe, a tracking illumination emitter, a plurality of tracking illumination sensors, and a display screen, the otoscanner body having mounted within it an image sensor; wherein the image sensor operates at a video frame rate that is twice a standard video frame rate; a laser light source is strobed during capture by the image sensor of alternate video frames; video frames are captured by the image sensor when only the non-laser video illumination illuminates the scanned ear; and images for constructing 3D images are captured by the image sensor only when the strobed laser light illuminates the scanned ear.

Abstract: An otoscanner including an otoscanner body, the body comprising a hand grip, the body having mounted upon it an ear probe, a tracking illumination emitter, a plurality of tracking illumination sensors, and a display screen, the otoscanner body having mounted within it an image sensor; the ear probe comprising a wide-angle lens optically coupled to the image sensor, laser light source, a laser optical element, and a source of non-laser video illumination; the plurality of tracking illumination sensors disposed upon the otoscanner body so as to sense reflections of tracking illumination emitted from the tracking illumination emitter and reflected from tracking targets installed at positions that are fixed relative to the scanned ear; the image sensor coupled for data communications to a data processor, with the data processor configured so that it functions by constructing a 3D image of the interior of the scanned ear.

Abstract: An otoscanner including an otoscanner body, the body comprising a hand grip, the body having mounted upon it an ear probe, a tracking illumination emitter, a plurality of tracking illumination sensors, and a display screen, the otoscanner body having mounted within it an image sensor; the ear probe comprising a wide-angle lens optically coupled to the image sensor, laser light source, a laser optical element, and a source of non-laser video illumination; the plurality of tracking illumination sensors disposed upon the otoscanner body so as to sense reflections of tracking illumination emitted from the tracking illumination emitter and reflected from tracking targets installed at positions that are fixed relative to the scanned ear; the image sensor coupled for data communications to a data processor, with the data processor configured so that it functions by constructing a 3D image of the interior of the scanned ear.

Abstract: An otoscanner including a conical laser-reflective optical element and a laser light source and the conical laser-reflecting optical element are configured so that the conical laser-reflecting optical element, when illuminated by the laser light source, projects a broken ring of laser light upon an interior surface of the ear when the ear probe is positioned in the ear and a diffractive laser optic lens and the laser light source and the diffractive laser optic lens are configured so that the diffractive laser optic lens, when illuminated by the laser light source, projects upon an interior surface of the ear a fan of laser light at a predetermined angle with respect to a front surface of the diffractive laser optic lens when the ear probe is positioned in the ear.

Abstract: An otoscanner including an otoscanner body, the body comprising a hand grip, the body having mounted upon it an ear probe, a tracking illumination emitter, a plurality of tracking illumination sensors, and a display screen, the otoscanner body having mounted within it an image sensor; the ear probe comprising a wide-angle lens optically coupled to the image sensor, laser light source, a laser optical element, and a source of non-laser video illumination; the display screen coupled for data communications to the image sensor, the display screen displaying images of the scanned ear, the display screen positioned on the otoscanner body in relation to the ear probe so that when the ear probe is positioned for scanning, both the display screen and the ear probe are visible to a operator operating the otoscanner; and a data processor configured to construct a 3D image of the interior of the scanned ear.

Abstract: An otoscanner including an otoscanner body, the body comprising a hand grip, the body having mounted upon it an ear probe, a tracking illumination emitter, a plurality of tracking illumination sensors, and a display screen, the otoscanner body having mounted within it an image sensor; the image sensor coupled for data communications to a data processor, with the data processor configured to function by inferring, from a tracked position of the ear probe, previously recorded statistics describing typical ear sizes according to human demographics, and currently recorded demographic information regarding a person whose ear is scanned, the actual present position of the ear probe in relation to at least one part of the scanned ear; and providing a warning when the probe moves within a predefined distance from the part of the scanned ear.

Abstract: A device for scanning a body orifice or surface including a light source and a wide angle lens. The light from the light source is projected in a pattern distal or adjacent to the wide angle lens. Preferably, the pattern is within a focal surface of the wide angle lens. The pattern intersects a surface of the body orifice, such as an ear canal, and defines a partial lateral portion of the pattern extending along the surface. A processor is configured to receive an image of the lateral portion from the wide angle lens and determine a position of the lateral portion in a coordinate system using a known focal surface of the wide angle lens. Multiple lateral portions are reconstructed by the processor to build a three-dimensional shape. This three-dimensional shape may be used for purposes such as diagnostic, navigation, or custom-fitting of medical devices, such as hearing aids.

Abstract: A divider for a rear seat of a motor vehicle is formed as a single, free-standing element having a block that is compressible and has shape memory, wherein the block has a pliable covering and has a base and a back surface. A lap restraint belt interface has a first slot that extends through the block for accepting an inserted lap restraint belt and the first slot is oriented for compressively urging at least a portion of the base against a bottom surface of the rear seat and a portion of the back surface toward a backrest when the inserted lap restraint belt is engaged. A second interface accepts a second restraint device and is oriented for adding a compressively urging force at least toward the backrest of the rear seat when the second restraint device is engaged.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus (40) has an optical sensor (14) with sensing elements (18). Each sensing element (18) has an array of sensing components (28). Each sensing component (28) provides a signal corresponding to a pixel for forming an image as an array of pixels. A lens array (76) has a number of lens elements (66). Each lens element (66) directs light to a corresponding sensing element (18) in the optical sensor (14). A prism array (60) has a number of prism elements (62), each prism element (62) directing incident light from the image field toward a corresponding lens element (66) in the lens array (76).

Abstract: An optical system has a first lens element (L1) having an outer portion (36) and a first tapered surface (34). A second lens element (L2) has an outer portion (26) and a second tapered surface (24). The first lens element (L1) and the second lens element (L2) are spaced apart relative to each other and centered relative to the optical axis (O) by a portion of the first tapered surface (34) being in contact with a portion of the second tapered surface (24), the outer portion (36) of the first lens element (L1) being spaced apart from the outer portion (26) of the second lens element (L2).

Abstract: An optical system is provided. In order from an object side to an image side, the optical system includes a first lens element having a positive power, a meniscus shape, and an object side surface. The object side surface of the first lens element is convex toward the object side. A second lens element has a negative power, a meniscus shape, and an object side surface. The object side surface of the second lens element is concave toward the object side. A third lens element has a positive power. An aperture stop is positioned on or in front of an object side of the first lens element.