With Endoscope Patents (Class 348/65)
  • Patent number: 11979681
    Abstract: A method implemented by an image recording unit having a normal state and an error state of operation. The method includes: receiving metadata specifying information about a patient and/or an endoscopic procedure; receiving images generated by an image sensor of an endoscope, the images corresponding to optical images received by the image sensor and comprising single images and/or a stream of images; controlling a display to show the images; in response to a first user input in the normal state, storing the images and the metadata in a memory of the image recording unit, and in the error state, overwriting with new data at least some of the metadata.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: AMBU A/S
    Inventors: Jakob Koch, Brian Nielsen
  • Patent number: 11950759
    Abstract: A screen (70) of a display (7) includes a main screen (71), sub-screens (72) and (73), and an input list screen (74). During an examination using an endoscope (1), a control device (4) displays a plurality of types of information on the examination on the main screen (71) and the sub-screens (72) and (73), respectively. In addition, the control device (4) displays, on the input list screen (74), an option of the information to be displayed in a switching target information region included in the main screen (71) and the sub-screens (72) and (73). Moreover, the control device (4) switches the information to be displayed in the switching target information region based on a user operation of selecting the option.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Koji Shimomura
  • Patent number: 11857165
    Abstract: A method for endoscopic imaging including: capturing white light images with a video endoscope under white light illumination; evaluating the captured white light images for a structure having a predefined characteristic, when the presence of the structure having the predefined characteristic is found in a white light image, setting a special light imaging mode in which a light source generates special light illumination using the at least one special light and one or more images of a video stream are captured under the special light illumination and subjected to image processing in the set special light processing mode; identifying a subregion of the at least one white light image that contains the structure with the predefined characteristic and reading out only the subregion of a CMOS image sensor associated with the video endoscope, and processing the image data read out from the subregion as one or more special light images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: OLYMPUS WINTER & IBE GMBH
    Inventor: Thorsten Juergens
  • Patent number: 11830902
    Abstract: A semiconductor apparatus including: a first substrate; a first wiring structure; a second substrate; and a second wiring structure, wherein the first wiring structure has a first wiring layer bonded to wiring of the second wiring structure, a second wiring layer connected to the first wiring layer by a first via, and a third wiring layer connected to the second wiring layer by a second via, at least part of the second via is located at a range distanced, by at least a width of the first via, from an axis of the first via, a thickness of the second wiring layer is less than the width of the first via, a major constituent of the first wiring layer, the second wiring layer and the first via is copper, and a layer that is made from a material different from copper is disposed between the first via and the second wiring layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koji Hara, Yusuke Onuki, Tsuyoshi Miyagawa, Shinichi Saeki, Shinsuke Kojima
  • Patent number: 11808935
    Abstract: An endoscope includes an objective optical system provided in a distal end portion of an insertion portion, and a light splitting element configured to split a light beam from an objective optical system into a plurality of light beams including a first light beam and a second light beam. The first light beam is reflected by a reflection mirror, and is formed into an image on a first image pickup device. The second light beam is formed into an image on a second image pickup device. The first image pickup device and the second image pickup device are disposed adjacent to the light splitting element at positions different from each other with respect to an optical axis of the light beam from the objective optical system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takeo Suzuki, Isamu Nakajima, Shoichiro Mochimaru
  • Patent number: 11749400
    Abstract: A medical care support device includes: an acquisition unit that acquires medical information including medical image data obtained by capturing a digestive tract of a subject; a derivation unit that derives presence or absence of a foreign object in the digestive tract, based on the medical information and a learned model learned in advance using plural pieces of learning medical information including the medical image data in which a label according to a kind of the foreign object is assigned to the foreign object in the digestive tract according to each organ of the digestive tract, and derives at least one of position, size, or kind of the foreign object if the foreign object is present; and an output unit that outputs removal information of the foreign object according to the at least one of position, size, or kind of the foreign object, based on a result of the derivation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: FUJIFILM CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takeshi Fukuda, Haruyasu Nakatsugawa
  • Patent number: 11742072
    Abstract: Disclosed are an apparatus and method for assisting the diagnosis of a medical image by an automated system. A computing system includes a memory or database that stores a plurality of medical image diagnosis algorithms each having a medical image diagnosis function. A processor inside the computing system extracts diagnosis requirements for a medical image by analyzing the medical image, selects a plurality of diagnosis application algorithms to be applied to the diagnose of the medical image from among a plurality of medical image diagnosis algorithms based on the diagnosis requirements, and generates display information including diagnosis results for the image frame by applying the plurality of selected diagnosis application algorithms to the image frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: INFINITT HEALTHCARE CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Chung Il Ahn
  • Patent number: 11703964
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a switch, which includes a first input port, a second input port, an output port and a control circuit. The output port outputs image data received by the first input port. The control circuit receives a first electrical characteristic and a second electrical characteristic from the first input port and the second input port respectively, and changes a third electrical characteristic of the output port when the second electrical characteristic is different from the first electrical characteristic, and then the output port outputs image data received by the second input port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: ATEN INTERNATIONAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yan-Chan Huang, Yen-Yang Hsieh
  • Patent number: 11595571
    Abstract: A control apparatus comprises a generation unit that generates a first synchronization signal and a second synchronization signal; and a control unit that controls the generation unit. The control unit controls the generation unit such that the first synchronization signal used to repeatedly readout a first image signal to be sequentially displayed on a display and the second synchronization signal used to display the first image signal on the display are output with a predetermined time difference. In a case where a second image signal is read out at a timing corresponding to a shooting instruction between readouts of the first image signals, the first and second synchronization signals are output with the predetermined time difference before and after the readouts of the second image signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shigeyoshi Ito
  • Patent number: 11583251
    Abstract: An ultrasound imaging probe (204) includes a transducer array (210). The transducer array includes one or more transducer elements (212). The ultrasound imaging probe further includes an illumination component (218) and an optical imaging component (220). The ultrasound imaging probe further includes an elongated housing (302) with a long axis (304). The elongated housing includes a proximal end region (306) affixed to a handle (308) and a distal end region (310) with a tip region (312). The elongated housing houses the transducer array, the illumination component, and the optical imaging component in the distal end region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: BK MEDICAL APS
    Inventors: Marianne Andersen, Terry A. Kling, Henrik Jensen, Johannes Paede
  • Patent number: 11553836
    Abstract: Disclosed is a peroral endoscopic apparatus of a swallowable type, the peroral endoscopic apparatus including: at least one imaging unit configured to perform imaging of a human body digestive system and output image data; at least one ultrasonic unit configured to output ultrasonic data on a submucosal region of the digestive system and a peripheral organ located therearound; a magnetic unit configured to adjust a position, a posture, and a proceeding direction of the peroral endoscopic apparatus in response to an external magnetic force; a transceiving unit configured to transmit the image data and the ultrasonic data to an external device or receive an external control signal; a control unit configured to control the imaging unit and the ultrasonic unit to perform imaging of the digestive system and the submucosal region simultaneously or individually; and a power supply unit configured to supply power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: ENDOLFIN CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Han Bo Shim
  • Patent number: 11539889
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method for the noise optimization of a camera, in particular a handheld thermal imaging camera. Images are captured by means of the camera in at least one method step; at least one movement characteristic variable is detected by means of at least one sensor unit of the camera in at least one method step; and image data of captured images is averaged by means of a computing unit of the camera in at least one method step. At least a number of images to be averaged are determined by means of the computing unit of the camera at least on the basis of an intensity of the detected movement characteristic variable, in particular a change rate, in at least one method step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Frank, Daniel Marquardt, Axel Rumberg, Mike Uhlig, Patrick Meyer, Tatiana Babkina
  • Patent number: 11523733
    Abstract: A plurality of kinds of illumination light are emitted while being switched according to a specific light emission pattern. A plurality of observation images, which are obtained from image pickup of an object to be observed illuminated with each illumination light, are acquired. Control to display the plurality of observation images on a display unit while switching the plurality of observation images according to a specific display pattern is performed. The specific light emission pattern is fixed and the specific display pattern is changeable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Masahiro Kubo
  • Patent number: 11511064
    Abstract: An intubation apparatus includes an inserting section that has an elongated shape and is to be inserted from a mouth of a subject toward a target site. An intubation tube is formed to extend along a longitudinal direction of the inserting section and is advanceable and retractable with respect to the inserting section. An imaging section is placed at a tip end of the inserting section and takes an in vivo image of the body of the subject. A detecting section detects a target site from the in vivo image based on a feature amount of the target site that is preset. A notifying section is disposed integrally with or separately from the intubation apparatus and notifies an operator who operates the inserting section. A notification controller controls the notifying section to notify of information relating to the target site of the subject based on a result of the detection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: NIHON KOHDEN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yukio Taniguchi, Tsutomu Wakabayashi
  • Patent number: 11516420
    Abstract: An imaging system includes a camera unit and a main body. A clock detection circuit is configured to detect a first clock signal of the camera unit from first digital data transmitted from the camera unit. A phase comparator is configured to generate second digital data that represent a difference between a phase of the first clock signal and a phase of a second clock signal of the main body. A second communicator is configured to perform communication in a second direction in which the second digital data are transmitted to the camera unit in a blanking period. A first clock generation circuit is configured to generate the first clock signal synchronized with the second clock signal on the basis of the second digital data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hideki Kato
  • Patent number: 11514579
    Abstract: An improved method of performing object segmentation and classification that reduces the memory required to perform these tasks, while increasing predictive accuracy. The improved method utilizes a capsule network with dynamic routing. Capsule networks allow for the preservation of information about the input by replacing max-pooling layers with convolutional strides and dynamic routing, allowing for the reconstruction of an input image from output capsule vectors. The present invention expands the use of capsule networks to the task of object segmentation and medical image-based cancer diagnosis for the first time in the literature; extends the idea of convolutional capsules with locally-connected routing and propose the concept of deconvolutional capsules; extends the masked reconstruction to reconstruct the positive input class; and proposes a capsule-based pooling operation for diagnosis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: University of Central Florida Research Foundation, Inc.
    Inventors: Ulas Bagci, Rodney LaLonde, Naji Khosravan
  • Patent number: 11497390
    Abstract: An endoscope apparatus includes a color image pickup device, a light source device configured to simultaneously illuminate the subject with light in a first wavelength band having a spectral characteristic of a narrow band having a peak in a range from a wavelength of 585 nm to a wavelength of 615 nm and light in a second wavelength band having a spectral characteristic for making, among a red signal, a green signal, and a blue signal, a pixel value of the red signal smallest, and a processor configured to assign either one of the red signal generated by return light from the subject illuminated with the light in the first wavelength band and the green signal or the blue signal generated by return light from the subject illuminated with the light in the second wavelength band to each of output channels corresponding to the respective colors in a display device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yuji Kutsuma
  • Patent number: 11471024
    Abstract: A surgical imaging system including a surgical imaging device including identification information; a holding arm that holds and controls a position of the imaging device; a user interface configured to provide non-contact operation of the holding arm; and processing circuitry configured to control the holding arm according to the identification information and an output of the user interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Seiji Wada, Tatsumi Sakaguchi, Takeshi Maeda, Kana Matsuura
  • Patent number: 11464394
    Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide a medical diagnosis support device, an endoscope system, and a medical diagnosis support method where the visibility of a recognition result of a medical image is high. A medical diagnosis support device according to an aspect of the invention includes an image acquisition section that acquires medical images in time series, a detection section that detects a region of interest included in the medical images, a discrimination section that performs the discrimination of the medical images, a display control section that causes a display device to display any one of a result of the detection or a result of the discrimination, and a setting section that sets a waiting time required until the display is performed after the detection or the discrimination is performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Maiko Endo
  • Patent number: 11432704
    Abstract: An image pickup apparatus includes: a plurality of image pickup devices configured to pick up images of a same object and sequentially read the images for each line; an objective optical system configured to form the images at different image-forming positions on the image pickup devices; a memory configured to record predetermined time differences for reading the leading positions of the effective pixels of the images at the same timing; and an I2C control circuit configured to control the image reading timing of the image pickup devices by generating a plurality of synchronizing signals based on a master synchronizing signal and supplying the synchronizing signals to the image pickup devices after shifting the synchronizing signals by the respective predetermined time differences.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Fumiyuki Adachi
  • Patent number: 11410454
    Abstract: According to an embodiment disclosed herein, an electronic device may include a housing, a display panel including a plurality of pixels housed in the housing, a flexible printed circuit board electrically connected to the display panel, a fingerprint sensor disposed under at least a portion of the display panel and on the flexible printed circuit board, a display driver integrated circuit (IC) and a processor electrically connected to the fingerprint sensor and the display driver IC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jong Kon Bae, Yo Han Lee, Yun Pyo Hong, Dong Hwy Kim, Han Yu Ool Kim, Dong Kyoon Han, Kwang Tai Kim
  • Patent number: 11389665
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a capsule type photodynamic therapy apparatus. The apparatus has an anchor packaged with a silicone dome to anchor the apparatus to target tissue in a body by an endoscope, and includes a battery to communicate with an external device via human body communication in the silicone dome, and is repeatedly operated several times under the control of the external device to irradiate the target tissue with a therapeutic light source and thereby repeatedly treat the target tissue several times.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: KOREA PHOTONICS TECHNOLOGY INSTITUTE
    Inventors: GiDong Sa, Ja-Yeon Kim, Sun-Hee Ahn, JinYoung An, Sa-Ung Kim, EunBee Kim, Ji-Ho Jeong
  • Patent number: 11369252
    Abstract: An endoscope system having: a transmission cable electrically connecting an actuator that moves an optical element along an optical axis direction and a driving signal generator for generating and supplying a driving signal for driving the actuator; a detector configured to detect magnitude of the driving signal output from the driving signal generator to be supplied to the actuator through the transmission cable; and a processor configured to supply the driving signal with an initial driving voltage value to the actuator for a predetermined time, calculate a combined resistance value including a resistance value of the transmission cable and a resistance value of the actuator, based on at least the detected magnitude of the driving signal, calculate a driving voltage of the actuator, based on the calculated combined resistance value and a preset rated current value of the actuator, and cause a storage to record the calculated driving voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Teppei Yanagisawa
  • Patent number: 11375114
    Abstract: A control device includes a processor configured to: perform movie display control of causing a display to sequentially display images acquired in time series, and still image display control of causing the display to display any of the images as a still image; detect a first operation on a switch; determine whether a predetermined operation condition for the switch is satisfied, after the first operation has been detected; switch, when the first operation is detected while the movie display control is being executed, from the movie display control to the still image display control and causing the display to display, as a still image, an image displayed at a timing at which the first operation is detected; and cause, when the processor determines that the predetermined operation condition is satisfied, a memory to store the image displayed as a still image under the still image display control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: SONY OLYMPUS MEDICAL SOLUTIONS INC.
    Inventor: Sadayuki Tamonoki
  • Patent number: 11369257
    Abstract: An endoscope having an endoscope shaft and a main body, which is connected to the endoscope shaft and on which a first dial that has a first contact surface is mounted in a rotatable manner, is provided. The main body has a second contact surface against which the first contact surface bears. The contact surfaces move against one another when the first dial is rotated. A first setting unit is provided, using which a pressure force with which the first contact surface is pressed against the second contact surface is settable in order to set a minimum torque that is necessary in order to rotate the first dial.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: Henke-Sass, Wolf GmbH
    Inventors: Andreas Mattes, Sabine Pauli
  • Patent number: 11369254
    Abstract: An endoscope includes a scope and an image capturing unit accommodated inside the scope. The image capturing unit includes: first and second prisms; a reflection film provided between oblique faces of the first and second prisms; a first trimming filter on which visible light transmitted through the first prism is incident on the first trimming filter via the reflection film; a first image sensor facing the first trimming filter; a second trimming filter on which near-infrared light transmitted through the second prism being incident on the second trimming filter via the reflection film; and a second image sensor facing the second trimming filter. The first prism is fixed to the second prism, the first trimming filter is fixed to the first prism, and the second trimming filter is fixed to the second prism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignees: NIREC CORPORATION, NATIONAL UNIVERSITY CORPORATION KOCHI UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Takayuki Sato, Haruyasu Katahira, Tetsuo Sumida, Shigehiro Kanayama
  • Patent number: 11361406
    Abstract: A disclosed image processing apparatus includes a processor comprising hardware, the processor being configured to obtain a plurality of temporally continuous images generated by continuously imaging a subject illuminated with illumination light; calculate a correction coefficient on the basis of a correction target frame among the plurality of images; revise the correction coefficient of the correction target frame on the basis of the correction coefficient of each of a plurality of frames within a predetermined time set beforehand from a shooting time of the correction target frame; and create a display image on the basis of the correction target frame and the correction coefficient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mitsutaka Kimura, Masashi Hirota
  • Patent number: 11357388
    Abstract: A medical imaging system including: imaging circuitry configured to capture an image; a defractive filter array mounted over the sensor circuitry and a separation device configured to adjust the distance between the defractive filter array and the sensor circuitry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Matthew Lawrenson, Christopher Wright, Naoyuki Hirota
  • Patent number: 11344189
    Abstract: The disclosure extends to systems and methods for reducing the area of an image sensor by reducing the imaging sensor pad count used for data transmission and clock generation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: DePuy Synthes Products, Inc.
    Inventors: Laurent Blanquart, Donald M. Wichern
  • Patent number: 11348273
    Abstract: A data capture system includes: a first capture node including: a first set of image sensors, and a first computing device connected with the first set of image sensors and configured to: control the first set of image sensors to capture respective images of an object within a capture volume; generate a first point cloud based on the images; and transmit the first point cloud to a data capture server for dimensioning of the object; and a second capture node including: a second set of image sensors, and a second computing device connected with the second set of image sensors and configured to: control the second set of image sensors to capture respective images of the object; generate a second point cloud based on the images; and transmit the second point cloud to the data capture server.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Zebra Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Charles Burton Swope, Stanko Jelavic, Miguel X. Gines
  • Patent number: 11330971
    Abstract: An endoscope system, wherein a processor reads out light distribution information which is information indicating a relationship between an arrangement of an image pickup device and a distribution of illumination light emission positions and which includes information about a light distribution angle of illumination light and the number of illuminating portions, a part of parameters of a light adjustment parameter and a parameter flag from an endoscope, and controls amounts of light of the illuminating portions by selecting the part of the parameters with priority over the light adjustment parameters at time of selecting the light adjustment parameter based on the light distribution information, if it is specified by the parameter flag that the part of the parameters are used for the light adjustment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Ryuichi Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 11323598
    Abstract: An image pickup apparatus disposed in an endoscope includes an optical unit in which a plurality of optical members are stacked, an image pickup unit including an image pickup device and a plurality of semiconductor devices, mold resin covering the optical unit and the image pickup unit, and a wiring board bonded to the image pickup unit, in which a recess is provided on an outer peripheral surface of the mold resin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ken Yamamoto, Takatoshi Igarashi, Takuro Suyama, Kazuhiro Yoshida, Kensuke Suga
  • Patent number: 11311176
    Abstract: An endoscope insertion observation apparatus includes a processor designed to perform functions including: detecting an insertion state of an insertion portion of an endoscope that is insertable into and extractable from a subject; determining whether or not the insertion portion has reached a second site in the subject from a first site in the subject and/or whether the insertion portion has reached the first site from the second site in the subject based on a detection result of the insertion state; and calculating a duration of movement of the insertion portion from the first site to the second site after determining that the insertion portion has reached the second site, or a duration of movement of the insertion portion from the second site to the first site after determining that the insertion portion has reached the first site.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takechiyo Nakamitsu, Kensuke Miyake, Akira Murata, Isamu Nakajima
  • Patent number: 11311343
    Abstract: An embodiment of the invention is an endoscopy system with newly designed docking block, brake control, wire tension adjustment, bending angle sensor, memory chip data storage, valve control, imaging lens cleaning, optimized lumen arrangement and distal position sensor. The docking block can have a one-touch retaining mechanism. Braking control can be accessed by the endoscopist at the hand grip or knobs. Wire tension can be relaxed or tightened in response to surgeon or endoscopist control. Bending angle sensors can protect surgical instruments. Memory chip can store usage data of the endoscope. Multiple valves can have priority control. Lenses can be cleaned with one touch of a button. Lumens can be arranged to maximize imaging and lighting angles. Position markers accompanied with sensors can position the distal end of the endoscope automatically in the optimal position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignees: ENDOMASTER PTE LTD, HOYA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tae Zar Lwin, Isaac David Penny, Christopher Lee Shih Hao Sam Soon, Tomonori Yamamoto, Naoyuki Naito, Tetsu Hirayama, Takahiro Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 11304589
    Abstract: An endoscope includes: an imager; a transmission path configured to connect a controller and the imager with each other; a superimposed signal generating circuit configured to generate, as a superimposed signal, a signal obtained by associating High and Low of a pulsed data signal with a change in a pulse width of a pulsed reference clock signal; a parallel-serial converter circuit configured to perform parallel-serial conversion on the imaging signal; a PLL circuit configured to generate a multiplied clock signal; a restoring circuit configured to restore, based on the superimposed signal and the multiplied clock signal, the reference clock signal and the data signal contained in the superimposed signal; and a timing generating circuit configured to generate, based on the reference clock signal and the data signal, a drive signal for driving the imager.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takanori Tanaka
  • Patent number: 11303324
    Abstract: A radio transmission apparatus (1) includes: a radio communication unit (2) that performs radio communication by a first radio communication scheme; a radio communication unit (3) that performs radio communication by a second radio communication scheme; an abnormality determination unit (4) that determines whether an abnormality has occurred in the radio communication performed by the radio communication unit (2); and a control unit (5) that controls transmission and reception of management information about the radio transmission apparatus (1) using the radio communication unit (2) or (3). When an abnormality has occurred in the radio communication performed by the radio communication unit (2), the control unit (5) performs control so that the management information is transmitted and received to and from a predetermined apparatus by using the radio communication unit (3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: NEC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takatoshi Ogawa
  • Patent number: 11297272
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes: a first semiconductor substrate including a light receiver that receives incident light; and a second semiconductor substrate including an image processing circuit that processes a signal from the light receiver and generates an image signal. The second semiconductor substrate includes: a nonvolatile memory including a region in which use history data is stored; and a control circuit (use history securing circuit) that restricts output of the image signal when the use history data is stored in the nonvolatile memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: NUVOTON TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION JAPAN
    Inventor: Kazutoshi Onozawa
  • Patent number: 11278192
    Abstract: An endoscope includes an image pick-up device at a distal end part of an insertion part capable of being inserted into a body cavity. The image pick-up device includes a lens barrel that holds an imaging lens; an image sensor having a rectangular shape as an outer peripheral shape of the image reception surface on which imaging light incident via the imaging lens; and a sensor holder that holds the image sensor in a state where the image reception surface intersects a longitudinal direction of the insertion part. The sensor holder has a fitting part fitted to the lens barrel, and an extending wall part that extends in the longitudinal direction of the insertion part from the fitting part to cover at least a portion of the outer peripheral surface of the image sensor, and the fitting part and the extending wall part are integrally configured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Takashi Yashiro, Issei Suzuki
  • Patent number: 11265430
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes an acceptance unit that accepts an input of setting change information of the information processing apparatus, a setting change unit that changes a setting of the information processing apparatus by using the setting change information accepted by the acceptance unit, and a transmission unit that transmits the setting change information accepted by the acceptance unit to other apparatuses through BLE communication which is a communication method in which it is not necessary to specify a communication partner in advance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
    Inventor: Shungo Nakayama
  • Patent number: 11265492
    Abstract: Disclosed are a power characteristic measurement device, an image system including the power characteristic measurement device and an operating method of the image system, and the power characteristic measurement device may include a comparison circuit suitable for comparing impedance of an image sensor with impedance of a modeled image sensor, and an extraction circuit suitable for extracting the impedance of the image sensor according to a comparison result of the comparison circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventor: Jeong-Gon Lee
  • Patent number: 11258990
    Abstract: In an imaging system according to an embodiment of the present invention, a camera unit is configured to transmit imaging data to an information-processing unit as a downlink packet. The camera unit is configured to hold predetermined data in the imaging data as a transmission key. The information-processing unit is configured to receive the downlink packet, recognize the predetermined data in the imaging data as the transmission key, and generate a reception key on the basis of the transmission key. The information-processing unit is configured to transmit an uplink packet including the reception key and a register-setting signal indicating an imaging condition to the camera unit. The camera unit is configured to write the register-setting signal received with the reception key in a register when the transmission key and the reception key meet a predetermined condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Masato Osawa
  • Patent number: 11253138
    Abstract: The disclosed technology is directed to an endoscopic apparatus comprises an endoscope having a cable connected to an electronic circuit part of the endoscope. The cable includes an elongated covering and an elongated component configured to be concentrically engaged with the elongated covering. A securing member is used to bind and to secure the elongated covering and the elongated component to one another. The elongated covering includes at least one recess formed on an outer circumferential area of the elongated covering on which the securing member binds and secures the elongated covering. The securing member has a portion that sinks in the at least one recess and secures the elongated covering and the elongated component that is exposed through the at least one recess.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Nagamizu
  • Patent number: 11253139
    Abstract: The disclosure extends to systems and methods for reducing the area of an image sensor by employing bi-directional pads used for both image data issuance and configuration command reception and internal supply voltage generation, for reducing the number of conductors in an endoscope system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: DePuy Synthes Products, Inc.
    Inventor: Laurent Blanquart
  • Patent number: 11249300
    Abstract: A modular assembly of an endoscope light source and an image-capturing module includes: a circuit board having a lower plate and an elevation support platform located on the top surface of the lower plate and having a predefined height, a bottom surface of the lower plate having a plurality of bottom electrode sheets disposed thereon, a top end of the elevation support platform having a plurality of light source electrode sheets disposed thereon, the plurality of light source electrode sheets using a plurality of lead wires to penetrate through the elevation support platform and the lower plate in order to be electrically connected to the plurality of bottom electrode sheets; a plurality of light emitting diode chips having a florescent powder gel covered thereon; an image-capturing module; and a fixation glue cured and attached onto the image-capturing module, the elevation support platform and the fluorescent powder gel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: MEDICAL INTUBATION TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Ming-Yuan Lin
  • Patent number: 11245817
    Abstract: A housing for a high temperature video camera system includes a support and a conductor. The support has at least one compartment defined therein, the at least one compartment being airtight with respect to a support exterior and configured for accommodating at least one of a camera and a battery. A plurality of insulation layers is stacked in a linear direction to form the support, including the at least one compartment, where an outer periphery of each insulation layer of the plurality of insulation layers defines the support exterior. A conductor interposed between at least one pair of immediately adjacent insulation layers of the plurality of insulation layers and extends from the at least one compartment to the support exterior. The conductor connects a plurality of exterior lights disposed external to the support with a battery disposed in the at least one compartment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Jared D. Sebree
  • Patent number: 11244429
    Abstract: A method of providing a sharpness measure for an image comprises detecting an object region within an image; obtaining meta-data for the image; and scaling the chosen object region to a fixed size. A gradient map is calculated for the scaled object region and compared against a threshold determined for the image to provide a filtered gradient map of values exceeding the threshold. The threshold for the image is a function of at least: a contrast level for the detected object region, a distance to the subject and an ISO/gain used for image acquisition. A sharpness measure for the object region is determined as a function of the filtered gradient map values, the sharpness measure being proportional to the filtered gradient map values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: FotoNation Limited
    Inventors: Florin Nanu, Adrian Bobei, Alexandru Malaescu, Cosmin Clapon
  • Patent number: 11232570
    Abstract: A diagnostic system, method, and a computer-readable storage medium for determining a severity of a gastric condition, such as gastritis, in a subject are disclosed. The diagnostic system includes a processor that obtains an image of a stomach of the subject collected by an endoscope. The processor can compare the subject image with reference normal and abnormal stomach images. If the subject image is abnormal, the processor can generate a subject abnormality image indicative of the differences between the subject image and the normal image. By comparing the generated subject abnormality image with reference abnormality images representative of different severity levels of gastritis, the processor can diagnose the subject as having a particular severity level of gastritis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hirokazu Nozaki, Wataru Hashimoto, Takashi Suzuki, Mitsunori Kubo, Yusuke Kuwa, Yuji Sakamoto, Mariko Otagiri, Naoki Yoshida, Yoji Watanabe
  • Patent number: 11224333
    Abstract: A stereo endoscope including: a shaft; and an objective lens including: a distal objective lens portion, where beam paths of right and left partial images extend through common optical components; a proximal objective lens portion, where the beam paths of the right and left partial images extend through separate optical components; and a transition portion, where the beam paths of the right and left partial images, which emerge from the distal objective lens portion at an angle to one another, are aligned parallel to one another; the transition portion comprises a lateral spreading arrangement including optical components for increasing a distance between the beam paths of the right and left partial images; and the lateral spreading arrangement is configured to laterally spread the beam paths of the right and left partial images asymmetrically in relation to an optical axis of the distal objective lens portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: OLYMPUS WINTER & IBE GMBH
    Inventor: Jianxin Zhao
  • Patent number: 11218647
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes: an imager configured to capture a subject image formed via an optical system including a focus lens to generate image data; a focusing driver configured to adjust a focus lens position at which the focus lens is positioned along an optical axis in the optical system; and a controller configured to perform image processing for scaling an image indicated by the image data based on the focus lens position, wherein the focusing driver moves the focus lens position back and forth in predetermined wobbling period, and wherein the controller controls a correction factor to follow a change in which the focus lens position swings in a period longer than the wobbling period, the correction factor defining the scaling of the image in the image processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Koji Shibuno, Masahiro Murakami
  • Patent number: 11202615
    Abstract: A method for determining the position and/or orientation of at least one sensor system relative to the base structure of a scanning system during scanning of an object, the method includes obtaining one or more tracking images using one or more cameras, where the cameras are in a fixed position with respect to the sensor system; and determining from the one or more tracking images the position and/or orientation of the sensor system relative to the base structure at a given time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: 3SHAPE A/S
    Inventors: Thomas Sangild Sørensen, Sami Brandt