Patent · US Active

Imaging method and apparatus

US9510730B2 · kind B2 · utility

0Cited by

7References

18Claims

0Family size

Assignees

Optiscan PTY Ltd. · AU
Carl Zeiss Meditec AG · DE

Inventors

Hans-Joachim Miesner · Aalen, DE
Christoph Hauger · Aalen, DE
Werner Nahm · Vellberg, DE
Frank Rudolph · Depew, US
Guido Hattendorf · Phoenix, US
Peter Maxwell Delaney · Melbourne, AU
John Allen · Petworth, GB

Key dates

Filing date	Mar 28, 2014
Grant date	Dec 6, 2016
Priority date	—
Expiry date	Mar 28, 2034

Classification

Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
CPC primaryA61B1/00172
WIPO fieldMedical technology
WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An imaging apparatus and method are provided. The probe for an imaging apparatus includes a manually manipulable proximal portion; a straight distal portion with a distal tip for locating at a site to define an observational field; and a curved portion between the proximal portion and the distal portion. The imaging method includes the steps of locating a distal tip of an imaging probe at a site to define an observational field; irradiating the observational field from the distal tip; and collecting a return signal at the distal tip; wherein the probe comprises a manually manipulable proximal portion. The apparatus and method provided herein are useful for various applications including but not limited to endomicroscopy and other microsurgical procedures performed under optical stereoscopic magnified visualization, such as neurosurgery, ENT/facial surgery and spinal surgery.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.