Electronically Steerable Endoscope
US6261226A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 1, 1998 |
| Grant date | Jul 17, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 1, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04N23/555
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A multiple view endoscope provides "on command" images of a plurality of different fields of view surrounding the distal end of the endoscope without having to move the endoscope from an initially established position in order to access the different fields of view. In one embodiment, a CCD element comprising a plurality of CCD cells forms a circumferential band about the distal portion of the endoscope. In another embodiment, the plurality of CCD cells covers substantially all of the outer side wall of the shaft adjacent to the distal end. In both embodiments, a processing device functions to either use the outputs from all the CCD cells to generate a display image or use the outputs from only selected ones of the CCD cells to generate a display image of a selected portion of the entire image captured by the CCD element.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.