With Control Or Monitoring Of Endoscope Functions Patents (Class 600/118)
  • Patent number: 8636648
    Abstract: An improved endoscopic device which is introduced into the intestinal tract of a living organism and which operates autonomously therein, adapted to obtain and store or transmit one or more types of data such as visual image data, laser autofluorescensce data, or ultrasonic waveform data. In another aspect of the disclosure, a probe for autonomously operating within an intestinal tract of a living human is disclosed. In one embodiment, the probe includes: a data processor; an antigen detector; and a communications device. In one variant, the processor comprises at least one sleep mode configured to place at least portions of the probe in a reduced state of power consumption based at least one of (i) a detection of a prescribed antigen; and/or (ii) an absence of a detection of a prescribed antigen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: West View Research, LLC
    Inventor: Robert F. Gazdzinski
  • Patent number: 8632457
    Abstract: An object of the invention is to receive, with a high sensitivity, a radio signal transmitted within a short time before a capsule endoscope reaches the stomach of a subject and acquire, in a satisfactory state, information on the interior of the subject such as image data picked up by the capsule endoscope. The receiving apparatus according to the invention includes a plurality of receiving antennas including a specified receiving antenna for receiving a radio signal from a capsule endoscope before the stomach is reached, a switching controller, an arrival determining unit and a mode switching unit. The switching controller performs a control operation for switching to and maintaining the receiving antenna in an initial mode or a control operation for switching to the receiving antennas in a normal mode. The arrival determining unit determines whether the capsule endoscope has reached the stomach or not.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2014
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Ayako Nagase, Seiichiro Kimoto, Manabu Fujita, Toshiaki Shigemori, Akira Matsui, Kazutaka Nakatsuchi
  • Patent number: 8622895
    Abstract: In the present invention, a logical block of an FPGA is configured by a serial communication unit, a serial communication control portion, an EEPROM controller, an abnormal signal processing portion, an LED controller, an operation mode controller, a DPRAM, a clutch signal input portion, a jig substrate input output portion, a RAM, a motor controller, a motor drive waveform generating portion, an RL (right and left) motor current F/B portion, a UD (up and down) motor current F/B portion, a potentiometer control portion, a thermistor control portion, an RL encoder control portion, a UD encoder control portion, and an FPGA block abnormality monitoring portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2014
    Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corp.
    Inventor: Toshimasa Kawai
  • Patent number: 8625434
    Abstract: An inspection apparatus can be provided in a system with a workstation computer. In one embodiment, the inspection apparatus can include a user interface enabling the inspection apparatus to initiate, responsively to an action by an inspector, an IP based voice communication connection with an external computer of the system. In one embodiment, the inspection apparatus and the workstation computer can be in communication with a central server that can receive data collected by said the inspection apparatus and can receive data requests from the workstation computer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2014
    Assignee: GE Inspection Technologies LP
    Inventors: Bradford Morse, Thomas D. Britton, James Jonathon Delmonico
  • Patent number: 8622892
    Abstract: The in-vivo image acquiring apparatus includes an imaging unit which captures an inside of a subject, a transmission processing unit which wirelessly transmits the image information captured by the imaging unit, a power supply unit which supplies driving power for each unit of the apparatus, and a switching unit which detects an external input and switches a supply state of the driving power from the power supply unit. The apparatus also includes a mode setting unit which sets predetermined operation modes based on information of the external input which is input to the switching unit, and a control unit which controls the operation of each unit of the apparatus according to the operation mode set by the mode setting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2014
    Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corp.
    Inventors: Kei Mitsuhashi, Ayako Nagase
  • Patent number: 8617055
    Abstract: An endoscope apparatus includes: a plurality of connection portions to which an endoscope can be connected, respectively, wherein a priority setting portion sets a connection priority of the plurality of connection portions, a drive portion supplies a drive signal to one endoscope and a control portion that controls so that the drive portion supplies the drive signal to any one endoscope only based on the connection priority. The endoscope apparatus further includes an identification portion that identifies the kind of endoscope based on a resistance value of a specific resistance that differs according to a kind of the endoscope that is arranged in the endoscope, and that is detected by cancelling a contact resistance in the connection portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corp.
    Inventors: Kiyotaka Kanno, Koichiro Tabuchi, Keisuke Tsutsui, Makoto Ono
  • Patent number: 8602968
    Abstract: When an operation instruction is input by a first (second) control output instruction input device, locus calculation means calculates a locus of movement of a first (second) therapeutic device on the basis of any one of joint sections, which is instructed to operate. On the basis of a calculation result by the locus calculation means, therapeutic device operation control means controls an operation of the first (second) therapeutic device by a first (second) active mechanism. Thereby, there is provided an endoscope apparatus which can improve the operational efficiency and positional precision of the therapeutic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corp.
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Umemoto, Kazuhiko Takahashi, Tetsuo Nonami
  • Patent number: 8602969
    Abstract: A capsule medical apparatus system includes a rotating magnetic field generation apparatus that generates a desired rotating magnetic field in three-dimensional directions, a capsule medical apparatus that includes a magnet and a needle for puncture that can be projected and retracted in a rotation direction of the rotating magnetic field and is rotated in the direction of the rotating magnetic field when the rotating magnetic field is applied to the magnet, a step-out operation detecting unit that detects a step-out operation by which the capsule medical apparatus is inversely rotated when a luminal surface is punctured with the needle, and a magnetic-field control instructing unit that controls the rotating magnetic field generation apparatus on the basis of a detection result performed by the step-out operation detecting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corp.
    Inventor: Shinsuke Tanaka
  • Patent number: 8602978
    Abstract: A temperature control apparatus for an endoscope includes: a temperature detection section that detects a temperature of an object to be heated, the object to be heated being heated by a heater; a semiconductor switch that performs switching between supply and shut off of the power to the heater; a control section that controls the semiconductor switch to perform temperature control for the object to be heated, and performs heating stopping control to turn the semiconductor switch off; a mechanical switch that performs switching between continuity and shut off of a power line; and a heating stopping circuit that if an abnormality occurs in temperature control for the heater, performs heating stopping control to turn the mechanical switch off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corp.
    Inventor: Kazunori Segawa
  • Patent number: 8599250
    Abstract: A system for wirelessly powering various devices positioned on an endoscope, including, for example, a light source, various electronics including an imager and/or a memory device. The system is further provided such that video signal processing parameters are automatically set for an endoscopic video camera system based upon characteristics of an attached endoscope, with reduced EMI and improved inventory tracking, maintenance and quality assurance, and reducing the necessity for adjustment and alignment of the endoscope and camera to achieve the data transfer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Karl Storz Imaging, Inc.
    Inventors: Marc R. Amling, Hans David Hoeg, David Chatenever, Charles E. Ankner
  • Patent number: 8591408
    Abstract: A medical instrument having a lighting system for illumination a target area, the system comprising a light source and associated power controller, the system being configured to move from a first illumination mode to a second illumination mode based on a sensed or determined changed condition, such as predetermined temperature and/or change in a scene or brightness signal, or lack of change, from an image sensor that may be associated with the instrument.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: Gyrus ACMI, Inc.
    Inventors: Lawrence J. St. George, Christopher A. Cook
  • Patent number: 8591400
    Abstract: A medical instrument, includes: an insertion section having a treatment instrument projection port and an active bending section at a position on the insertion section's proximal end portion side of the treatment instrument projection port; a joystick by which an operation of the active bending section is inputted; a driving section for driving the active bending section; and a control section for controlling the joystick and the driving section, and the control section having an active bending section which performs a control in one control mode selected from a plurality of different control modes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corp.
    Inventor: Yuta Sugiyama
  • Publication number: 20130303852
    Abstract: A body cavity internal pressure regulating device is connected to an endoscope including a suction channel used for suction under manual control and a forceps channel used to insert an instrument into a body cavity, and the body cavity internal pressure regulating device regulates a body cavity internal pressure. A gas supply unit performs a gas supply through the forceps channel. A suction detection unit detects that suction is being performed under manual control through the suction channel. A control unit terminates the gas supply being performed by the gas supply unit according to a result of detection by the suction detection unit when the control unit detects that suction is being performed under manual control through the suction channel while the gas supply unit is performing a gas supply.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2013
    Publication date: November 14, 2013
    Inventors: Kunitoshi HIRAGA, Takefumi UESUGI, Yuma KASUYA
  • Patent number: 8583207
    Abstract: An audio/video recording method and device for recording a main audio/video file and at least one index audio/video file corresponding to the main audio/video file. A section of the index audio/video files can be transformed into text data serving as a portion of file names of the main audio/video file. When a user collates or uses the main audio/video file, the index audio/video file is used to accelerate distinguishing what the main audio/video files are, thereby facilitating searching, classification and management of the main audio/video file effectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: National Central University
    Inventors: Jang-Zern Tsai, Cheng-Deng Kuo, Ssu-Hsien Chuang, Ping-Hsiang Tsai
  • Patent number: 8579799
    Abstract: In a search mode of an electronic endoscope system, ordinary light images and special light images are captured from a body cavity respectively under white light and special light. Simultaneously, biological information on the body cavity is acquired from image signals obtained under the special light. The ordinary and special light images are associated with the acquired biological information and stored in an image accumulator. By pressing a lock-on switch while confining a target in an area designating frame on an ordinary image on a monitor, the target is designated and biological information on the target is determined. Thereafter, biological information associated with the latest image in the image accumulator is compared with the biological information on the search target. If the latest image contains an area having the same biological information as the search target, the area designating frame is displayed on that area on the monitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Yamaguchi, Takayuki Iida
  • Patent number: 8574151
    Abstract: A body-insertable apparatus includes an imaging unit that captures an in-vivo image of a subject; a signal processing unit that writes the in-vivo image in a memory, reads the in-vivo image from the memory on a pixel basis and converts the in-vivo image to serial information to transfer the serial information; and a rate converter that converts a transfer processing rate to a rate higher than a writing processing rate. The transfer processing rate is at which the signal processing unit reads the in-vivo image from the memory and converts the in-vivo image to the serial information to transfer the serial information. The writing processing rate is at which the signal processing unit writes the in-vivo image in the memory. The apparatus also includes a transmitting unit that wirelessly transmits the serial information transferred from the signal processing unit at a transmission rate corresponding to the transfer processing rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corp.
    Inventor: Kei Mitsuhashi
  • Patent number: 8577501
    Abstract: A remote control unit configured to wirelessly control a mobile robot moving through an environment and having a robot camera. The remote control unit comprises a privacy button operable by a local user and configured to engage a privacy mode of the mobile robot, and a wireless transmitter configured to emit a wireless control signal to the mobile robot based on input from a keypad of the RC unit. The wireless control signal is configured to cause the robot camera to block the field of view of the robot camera such that the environment of the mobile robot is obscured when the privacy mode of the mobile robot is engaged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: iRobot Corporation
    Inventors: Matthew Cross, Tony Campbell
  • Patent number: 8568296
    Abstract: An in-vivo observing system for observing inside of a subject includes an illuminating unit configured to illuminate inside of the subject by illumination light; an imaging unit configured to sequentially capture in-vivo images of the subject illuminated by the illumination light; a direction change unit configured to change an image capturing direction of the imaging unit; and a control unit configured to control the direction change unit to set an angular difference in the imaging capturing direction less than an angle of view of the imaging unit when the imaging unit captures two continuous in-vivo images while causing the direction change unit to change the image capturing direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corp.
    Inventor: Hironao Kawano
  • Patent number: 8568295
    Abstract: An endoscope system includes at least an endoscope of the endoscope and an accessory, a placement unit on which the endoscope is adapted to be placed, a detecting unit configured to detect whether the endoscope is placed on the placement unit or not, an actuating unit for at least one of the endoscope and the accessory, an operating unit for operating the actuating unit, and a control unit configured to be switched between a normal mode wherein the actuating unit is controlled according to an operation to the operating unit and a restricting mode wherein the actuating unit is controlled regardless of an operation to the operating unit, on the basis of a result of detection by the detecting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corp.
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Umemoto, Kazuhiko Takahashi
  • Patent number: 8568302
    Abstract: Waypoints for a steerable medical device are stored as the steerable medical device is moved within a patient. The stored waypoints are an ordered sequence of locations. The ordered sequence of locations defines a safe path within the patient for moving an articulatable portion of the steerable medical device. The articulatable portion of the steerable medical device is constrained to follow the safe path as the articulatable portion moves within the patient. For example, the articulatable portion of the steerable medical device is constrained to remain within a boundary region enclosing the safe path as the articulatable portion of the steerable medical device follows the safe path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc.
    Inventors: Caitlin Quance Donhowe, Amir Belson, Kristoffer John Donhowe, Kenneth Robert Krieg, Eric Michael Storne, Thomas J. Yorkey, Jun Zhang
  • Patent number: 8562515
    Abstract: A capsule endoscope system includes a capsule endoscope and a receiver. The capsule endoscope has plural image pickup units for endoscopic imaging by passing a gastrointestinal tract in a body. The receiver for wireless communication with the capsule endoscope receives and stores image data from the capsule endoscope. The receiver includes a data analyzer for retrieving position relationship data expressing a position relationship of the image pickup units to a target region in the gastrointestinal tract. A CPU of the receiver produces a command signal according to the position relationship data for determining a number of frames of imaging per unit time for respectively the plural image pickup units. The capsule endoscope includes a CPU for controlling operation of the plural image pickup units according to the command signal from the receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Naoyuki Nishino
  • Patent number: 8556803
    Abstract: A medical apparatus system includes: an image generating section that generates an image in an observation field of view obtained from an observing section including an objective lens; an information collecting section that collects information of a treatment instrument; a distortion setting section that sets virtual distortion on the outside of the observation field of view from a characteristic of distortion of the objective lens; a distorted image generating section that generates a distorted image on the outside of the observation field of view with respect to the treatment instrument; and an image combining section that generates a combined image such that an image of the treatment instrument on the inside of the observation field of view and a distorted image of the treatment instrument coincide with each other in a boundary of the observation field of view.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corp.
    Inventor: Ken Shigeta
  • Patent number: 8556802
    Abstract: An endoscope device is provided. The endoscope device includes a capsule sensor entering a human body for detection and sending a signal, a driving device movably disposed outside of the human body and moving and rotating the capsule sensor in the human body with non-contact force for omni-directional human body detection, a data receiving device disposed outside of the human body and receiving signals from the capsule sensor, and a power supply device providing power to the driving device and the data receiving device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: National Taiwan University
    Inventors: Chih-Wen Liu, R-Shin Tzeng, Gi-Shih Lien
  • Patent number: 8550987
    Abstract: An electronic endoscope apparatus having a scope and a processor. The processor includes a plurality of image processing means and a first setting means. Each of the image processing means performs different image processing. ON/OFF of functions and/or parameters used for the processing are set individually with respect to each of the image processing means. The scope includes a memory having at least one area configured to store ON/OFF setting of the function of each of the image processing means and/or a value of the processing parameter used for each processing. The first setting means of the processor reads information stored in the area of the memory of the scope to set the function of each of the image processing means to ON or OFF and supply a predetermined parameter to each of the image processing means based on the information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Kazunori Abe
  • Patent number: 8545398
    Abstract: An in-vivo image acquiring system includes a capsule endoscope which is introduced into the inside of a subject to acquire an in-vivo image of the subject and a receiving apparatus for receiving the in-vivo images of the subject from the capsule endoscope through receiving antennas. The capsule endoscope transmits the in-vivo images of the subject taken successively at a time interval corresponding to function or feature of the capsule endoscope. The receiving apparatus calculates a time interval of the in-vivo images received successively from the capsule endoscope and identifies the in-vivo images depending on the function or feature of the capsule endoscope based on a calculated time interval.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corp.
    Inventor: Seiichiro Kimoto
  • Publication number: 20130253270
    Abstract: A medical device includes an insertion tube, having a proximal end and a distal end, which is configured for insertion into a body cavity of a subject. An optical assembly is contained in the distal end and configured to form an image of a target region in the body cavity. A working channel passes through the insertion tube and is configured to convey a fluid from the proximal to the distal end. The working channel has a segment adjacent to the distal end that is narrowed so as to cause the fluid to exit the working channel into the target region in a diverging cone.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2013
    Publication date: September 26, 2013
    Inventors: Shai Finkman, Doron Adler
  • Patent number: 8537209
    Abstract: An endoscope device in which endoscope images and patient information can be recorded in a removable storage medium and in which the endoscope images and patient information recorded in the storage medium can be reproduced. The endoscope device has a selection means for reproducing the endoscope images in a list form and selecting at least one endoscope image from the reproduced list; a display means for inputting additional information other than the patient information, adding the additional information to the endoscope image selected by the selection means, and displaying the result; and a recording/reproduction means for recording the selected endoscope image and the additional information in the storage medium or reproducing the image and the information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Tomoki Iwasaki, Tsutomu Hirai, Susumu Hashimoto, Katsuyuki Saito, Takehiro Nakagawa
  • Patent number: 8535221
    Abstract: First to third lights are applied to a body cavity from a light source. The first and second lights have different wavelength ranges. Each of the first and second lights varies in absorbance in accordance with oxygen saturation of hemoglobin. The third light is a reference light used for comparison with the first and second lights. A monitoring section monitors a first light quantity ratio between the first and third lights and a second light quantity ratio between the second and third lights. A controller controls the light source such that first and second light quantity ratios reach their respective standard values. First to third data are obtained from images captured with illumination of the three lights, respectively. Vessel depth information and oxygen saturation information are obtained simultaneously from a first brightness ratio between the first and third data and a second brightness ratio between the second and third data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: FujiFilm Corporation
    Inventor: Takaaki Saito
  • Patent number: 8529436
    Abstract: An endoscope, an endoscope system having an endoscope, and an endoscope control method are disclosed. The endoscope includes: a main body and a buoyancy control device. The main body may be configured in the form of a capsule and include an image capturing unit for capturing image information. The buoyancy control device may control buoyancy by changing the volume of the main body. Images of various types of internal organs can be precisely captured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: i3System Corp.
    Inventors: Han Jung, Byung-Hyuk Kim, Yong-Woo Lee, Chul Cha, Sung-Do Kim
  • Patent number: 8526737
    Abstract: In a telemanipulation system for manipulating objects located in a workspace at a remote worksite by an operator from an operator's station, such as in a remote surgical system, the remote worksite having a manipulator with an end effector for manipulating an object at the workspace, such as a body cavity, a controller including a hand control at the control operator's station for remote control of the manipulator, an image capture device, such as a camera, and image output device for reproducing a viewable real-time image, the improvement wherein a position sensor associated with the image capture device senses position relative to the end effector and a processor transforms the viewable real-time image into a perspective image with correlated manipulation of the end effector by the hand controller such that the operator can manipulate the end effector and the manipulator as if viewing the workspace in true presence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: SRI International
    Inventor: Philip S. Green
  • Patent number: 8523766
    Abstract: The endoscope is equipped with: a curving manipulation unit provided on the main body manipulating unit, for performing a manual operation which causes the curving portion; a curving drive unit for coupling the curving manipulation unit to the curving portion so as to curve the curving portion in response to a manipulation performed by the curving manipulation unit; a manipulating force detecting unit for detecting a manipulating force applied to the curving manipulation unit; a manipulation assisting power calculating unit for calculating manipulation assisting power corresponding to the manipulating force detected by the manipulating force detecting unit; and a rotation driving force generating unit for applying a driving force via a driving force transferring mechanism to the curving drive unit, so as to generate the manipulation assisting power calculated by the manipulation assisting power calculating unit; in which the rotation driving force generating unit is arranged in an appendix unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshimitsu Kudoh, Tsuyoshi Ashida
  • Publication number: 20130225927
    Abstract: A capsule endoscope includes, inside a capsule casing, an information acquiring section that acquires information on an inside of a body of a subject, a battery that supplies power, a detection section that, upon detection of introduction to the inside of the body of the subject, outputs a detection signal, a signal receiving section that receives a control signal from an outside and outputs an internal signal, and a control section that controls power supply from the battery to the information acquiring section according to the internal signal and the detection signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2013
    Publication date: August 29, 2013
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Olympus Corporation
  • Publication number: 20130225923
    Abstract: A capsule endoscope includes: an in vivo information acquiring section that acquires information on an inside of a body of a subject; a battery that supplies power; a power source switch that turns on/off power supply from the battery to the in vivo information acquiring section; a detection section that includes at least two electrodes disposed on an outer face of a casing, and, upon detection of introduction to the inside of the body of the subject based on a change in electric resistance between the electrodes, outputs a detection signal; and a control section that controls the power source switch according to the detection signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2013
    Publication date: August 29, 2013
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
  • Publication number: 20130225924
    Abstract: A medical scope with a probe capable of being utilized for a single imaging procedure is described. The medical scope has a control unit with a programmable memory unit, a socket for receiving a plug end of the probe, and the probe having a light guide and a pair of power wires extending along the length thereof. The control unit also has a display screen, a set of switches to control functions, and a light source. The probe includes a check bit memory unit for retaining a selected value that the control unit will detect, a zero value indicating a new probe and a non-zero value indicating a used probe. Therefore, the used probe will be rejected by the control unit and cannot be used again.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2011
    Publication date: August 29, 2013
    Inventors: Norman Simms, John Lescota
  • Patent number: 8517919
    Abstract: A receiver of capsule endoscopic system downloads diagnostic information of a patient obtained by a past diagnosis from a data storage of work station. A data analyzer of the receiver compares the diagnostic information and present information obtained by use of a capsule endoscope during endoscopy. A CPU produces a control command in which a frame rate of image shooting by use of the capsule endoscope is set based on an analysis result of the data analyzer. The produced control command is wirelessly transmitted via a radio wave from the receiver. The capsule endoscope wirelessly receives the control command from the receiver via the radio wave, and performs image shooting with the frame rate set by the control command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Naoyuki Nishino
  • Patent number: 8517917
    Abstract: A capsule medical apparatus includes a needle driving unit that punctures an internal region of a subject with an injection needle and pulls out the injection needle from the internal region, a liquid injection unit that injects a liquid into the internal region through the injection needle, and a leak prevention unit that prevents the liquid that is injected into the internal region from leaking from the internal region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corp.
    Inventors: Shinsuke Tanaka, Hironobu Takizawa, Hironao Kawano, Masaki Takahashi
  • Patent number: 8517920
    Abstract: An imaging-device driving unit comprising a detector and an exposure controller is provided. The imaging-device driving unit controls a CMOS imaging device amounted in an endoscope. The detector detects the pattern of emitted illumination light. The illumination light is emitted by a light source. The illumination light is shone on a subject. The CMOS imaging device is ordered to capture an optical image of the subject. The exposure controller orders the CMOS imaging device to perform the global exposure and the line exposure when the patterns of emitted illumination light detected by the detector are the first and second patterns, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Hoya Corporation
    Inventors: Nobuhiro Tani, Noriko Iriyama
  • Publication number: 20130217968
    Abstract: An endoscope apparatus comprising an irradiating section that switches over time between irradiating a target with light in a first wavelength region and light in a second wavelength region; a light receiving section that receives returned light from the target; a movement identifying section that identifies movement of the target, based on an image of the target captured using returned light from the target irradiated by light in the first wavelength region; a control section that that predicts timings at which a phase of the movement of the target is a predetermined phase, based on the movement identified by the movement identifying section, and causes the irradiating section to emit light in the second wavelength region at the predicted timings; and an image generating section that generates an image of the target based on the returned light received by the light receiving section at the predicted timings.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2011
    Publication date: August 22, 2013
    Inventors: Kenta MATSUBARA, Hiroshi YAMAGUCHI
  • Patent number: 8512227
    Abstract: An apparatus is provided which assists operations required for a medical instrument. A tubular portion and a therapeutic member of the instrument are inserted through a channel of an insertion tube of an endoscope. In the apparatus, a first drive unit enables the therapeutic member to perform the desired therapeutic operations responsively to a first command signal and a second drive unit enables the tubular portion inserted in the channel to convey responsively to a second command signal. An input device is provided at which two kinds of commands are allowed to be inputted command by command. The two kinds of commands allow the therapeutic member and the tubular portion to be driven in parallel with each other. A controller provides the first and second drive units with the first and second command signals, respectively, in accordance with the two kinds of commands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corp.
    Inventors: Kazushi Murakami, Yoshio Onuki, Takaaki Komiya, Yasuhito Kura, Takehiro Nishiie
  • Patent number: 8509509
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus of the invention includes a first feature value calculation unit adapted to calculate a first feature value for each pixel in an image picked up of living tissue, where the first feature value represents a value of an index which indicates what shape a local region; a second feature value calculation unit adapted to calculate a degree of concentration of a gradient vector as a second feature value based on the gradient vector for each pixel in the image; an evaluation value calculation unit adapted to calculate a geometric evaluation value for each pixel, based on calculation results of the first feature value and the second feature value; and a region extraction unit of separately extracting a candidate region of the linear structure and a candidate region of the massive structure based on a calculation result of the geometric evaluation value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corp.
    Inventor: Yusuke Tomoto
  • Publication number: 20130197308
    Abstract: An endoscopic apparatus includes an ultrasonic vibrator, a diffraction grating, an electrical energy generator, a detector, a determination unit, a controller. The diffraction grating converts the ultrasonic vibration into a surface acoustic wave propagating on a surface of the transparent member. The detector detects reflected electrical energy reflected from the energy supply system. The determination unit determines whether the electrical energy suitable to drive the ultrasonic vibrator has been supplied to the ultrasonic vibrator based on the reflected electrical energy detected by the detector. The controller controls the electrical energy output from the signal generator based on a determination result of the determination unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Publication date: August 1, 2013
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Olympus Corporation
  • Patent number: 8496577
    Abstract: An endoscope apparatus comprising an irradiating section that switches over time between irradiating a target with light in a first wavelength region and light in a second wavelength region; a light receiving section that receives returned light from the target; a movement identifying section that identifies movement of the target, based on an image of the target captured using returned light from the target irradiated by light in the first wavelength region; a control section that that predicts timings at which a phase of the movement of the target is a predetermined phase, based on the movement identified by the movement identifying section, and causes the irradiating section to emit light in the second wavelength region at the predicted timings; and an image generating section that generates an image of the target based on the returned light received by the light receiving section at the predicted timings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2013
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Kenta Matsubara, Hiroshi Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 8488295
    Abstract: A selectively rigidizable and actively steerable device is described. In one aspect, an articulatable device is described that includes a flexible inner tube having a first lumen, a flexible outer tube that receives the inner tube, and a multiplicity of overlapping, rigidizable scale-like strips. Each scale-like strip is coupled with the inner tube and positioned between the inner and outer tubes. Of particular note, the overlapping strips are actuatable between a non-rigidized state in which overlapping strips are slideable relative to one another and a rigidized state in which overlapping strips are not slideable relative to one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: SRI International
    Inventors: Pablo Garcia, Thomas Low, Bryan Chavez, Harsha Prahlad
  • Patent number: 8480568
    Abstract: An endoscope apparatus includes an endoscope which has an insertion portion which is provided with a distal end portion and a bendable bending portion at a distal end side and is inserted into a body cavity of a subject, a relative position calculation section which calculates a relative position of the distal end portion in the body cavity to the subject, a selection section which selects a search method corresponding to the position detected from a plurality of search methods for searching for a bending direction of the bending portion, based on the calculated relative position, a bending direction determination section which determines the bending direction of the bending portion according to the selected search method, and a bending drive section which bends and drives the bending portion based on the determined bending direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corp.
    Inventor: Hideki Tanaka
  • Patent number: 8475364
    Abstract: An endotracheal intubation device includes an inflatable cuff connected to an inflation tube, visualization means, where the visualization means include means to enlighten and an image guide, where the means to enlighten, the image guide, and the inflation tube are associated to a first three ways connector adapted to connect the endotracheal intubation device to a control panel; a packaging is also provided containing the endotracheal intubation device wherein the first three ways connector is placed across the packaging so as to allow checking the endotracheal intubation device without impairing its sterility with an endotracheal intubation device tester; an intubation method is further provided using the packaging, the control panel and the endotracheal intubation device tester.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Inventor: Frederic Supiez
  • Patent number: 8475363
    Abstract: A coil arrangement for contact-free guidance of a magnetic element such as an endoscopy capsule, has a number of individual coils arranged in pairs by which the components of a guidance field are generated. By arranging the individual coils to include coils corresponding to blades at an exterior of a cylindrical surface, the number of degrees of freedom required for guidance can be obtained with fewer individual coils and fewer power amplifiers to operate the coils.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Johannes Reinschke
  • Patent number: 8465421
    Abstract: A medical device includes an insertion tube, having a proximal end and a distal end, which is configured for insertion into a body cavity of a subject. An optical assembly is contained in the distal end and configured to form an image of a target region in the body cavity. A working channel passes through the insertion tube and is configured to convey a fluid from the proximal to the distal end. The working channel has a segment adjacent to the distal end that is narrowed so as to cause the fluid to exit the working channel into the target region in a diverging cone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2013
    Assignee: C2Cure Inc.
    Inventors: Shai Finkman, Doron Adler
  • Patent number: 8460177
    Abstract: A system and method for guiding a capsule medical device. The method includes: changing, by a control unit, a gradient distribution of a gradient magnetic field generated by a magnetic field generator in a vertical direction, the magnetic field generator generating at least the gradient magnetic field in the vertical direction to guide a capsule medical device that includes a magnetic-field responding unit; detecting, by a position detector, a position of the capsule medical device in the vertical direction based on a gradient distribution of the gradient magnetic field generated by the magnetic field generator, a physical parameter of the capsule medical device, and a physical parameter of a liquid when the capsule medical device starts to move; and setting, by the control unit, the magnetic field generated by the magnetic field generator based on the detected position of the capsule medical device in the vertical direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corp.
    Inventors: Hironao Kawano, Henrik Keller, Aleksandar Juloski
  • Publication number: 20130144121
    Abstract: A medical instrument having a lighting system for illumination a target area, the system comprising a light source and associated power controller, the system being configured to move from a first illumination mode to a second illumination mode based on a sensed or determined changed condition, such as predetermined temperature and/or change in a scene or brightness signal, or lack of change, from an image sensor that may be associated with the instrument.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2013
    Publication date: June 6, 2013
    Applicant: GYRUS ACMI, Inc. d.b.a. Olynpus Surgical Technologies America
    Inventor: GYRUS ACMI, Inc. d.b.a. Olynpus Surgical Technologies America
  • Patent number: 8453639
    Abstract: An automatic video instillator that can accurately and easily administer inhalation into an airway of an animal by providing images of a throat is provided. An automatic video instillator includes a case defining a space, a guide unit that protrudes frontward from the case to secure an airway of an animal by being inserted through a throat of the animal, an image pickup unit that is installed on a front end of the guide unit to capture images of portions in front of the guide unit, an administration unit that is installed through the case and the guide unit to administer an inhalation, an administration switch for adjusting administration of a predetermined amount of the inhalation directed to the administration unit into the airway of the animal, and an image display unit that is connected to the image pickup unit to allow a user to see the images captured by the image pickup unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2013
    Assignees: Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, Doobae System
    Inventors: Jin-Sung Kim, Bae Lee, In-Cheol Hwang, Chang-Woo Song, Sang-Seop Han