Abstract:
Die Erfindung betrifft ein medizinisches Endoskop mit einem langgestreckten, mindestens abschnittweise flexiblen Schaftteil, das in Längsrichtung von mindestens einem, eine Vielzahl einzelner Fasern aufweisenden Lichtleiter durchlaufen wird, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass Fasern des Lichtleiters in einem Bereich, in dem sie einen flexiblen Abschnitt des Schaftteils durchlaufen, mittels eines flexiblen Klebstoffs verklebt sind. Darüber hinaus betrifft die Erfindung auch Verfahren zur Montage eines erfindungsgemäßen medizinischen Endoskops, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass sie Schritte umfassen, bei denen man (a) einen, eine Vielzahl einzelner Fasern aufweisenden, Lichtleiter mindestens bereichsweise mit dem flexiblen Klebstoff benetzt, (b) den Klebstoff aushärten lässt und (c) den Lichtleiter anschließend in das Schaftteil einzieht; oder (a) einen eine Vielzahl einzelner Fasern aufweisenden Lichtleiter in das Schaftteil einzieht, (b) den flexiblen Klebstoff in einen Abschnitt des Schaftteils einspritzt und (c) den Klebstoff aushärten lässt.
Abstract:
Exemplary embodiments provide systems and methods for imaging an object, combustion or a fluid. In a method for obtaining a three dimensional image of an object using one or more fiber based endoscopes, a calibration object having a plurality of reference points having known coordinates is provided. The reference points located on the calibration object are imaged to generate re-projected coordinates representing images of said reference points. The coordinates of the reference points are compared with the re-projected coordinates and adjusted to create an accurate image of an object.
Abstract:
The present disclosure describes a device and method for detecting distributed pressures along a medical device. The device includes an optical fiber that is helically wound around the flexible shaft of the medical device. Responsive to microbends caused by the application of a pressure to the optical fiber, attenuation occurs as light propagates down the optical fiber. The device detects the light attenuation and calculates the pressure exerted on the device. Accordingly, a physician can ensure pressure induced by the medical device does not surpass clinically safe levels.
Abstract:
The invention relates to a flexible endoscope or an endoscope attachment and to a method for producing same. Until now only glass fiber endoscopes have existed for examining very small channels that are highly sensitive to mechanical or sensory stimuli in particular in medicine, such as the tuba auditiva for example. Said glass fiber endoscopes are flexible but still too rigid to be painlessly inserted into the middle ear for example. Thus, said glass fiber endoscopes carry the risk of hemorrhages and mucous membrane injuries which can lead inter alia to the formation of scars with subsequent chronic middle ear inflammation. A soft, highly flexible endoscope made of silicone would solve said problems and render operations such as those that are currently carried out for diagnostic purposes unnecessary in many cases. The flexibility of the endoscope is achieved by using silicone as the imaging material. The light guides are produced from highly flexible soft silicone that is highly transparent in the light spectrum required for use by applying, pressing, and curing silicones that are initially liquid in layers. Each layer, which has a thickness of only a few micrometers, consists of rib waveguides which have a width and height of a few micrometers and which are made of a highly refractive silicone layer (core) surrounded by a weakly refractive silicone layer (casing), and each strip waveguide of the highly refractive structured layer generates an image pixel. A soft silicone lens (2) which can be produced by curing a drop of silicone on an anti-adhesive coated substrate focuses the image signal onto the waveguide matrix (1). The waveguide matrix (1) and the lens (2) are encased with an optically highly transparent, weakly refractive casing (3). An optically insulating soft material (4), for example silicone, is subsequently applied by spraying, brushing, or the like and cured. Further functions can be realized in said optically insulating layer (4), for example a mechanical control that is realized by thin metal bands, by means of which the distal end of the endoscope can be bent, or channels for feeding and suctioning liquids. Finally, the endoscope is coated with an optically conductive casing which is used to supply light for lighting the object to be observed and which consists of an optically transparent silicone layer or a layer system of optically transparent, weakly and highly refractive silicone layers, wherein a highly refractive shaft 6 can be found between two weakly refractive shafts (5) and (7) so that the light is guided in the highly refractive region (6). The silicone endoscope is suitable for examining very small channels that are highly sensitive to mechanical or sensory stimuli in particular in medicine on the basis of the material properties of the silicone endoscope.
Abstract:
A system for near-infrared autofluorescence measurement of a subject, the system comprising: a light source configured to emit an excitation light at near-infrared; a medium configured for delivering the excitation light to the subject; and a processing section for processing an autofluorescence signal from the subject at near-infrared resulting from the excitation light impinging upon the subject so as to analyze the subject. For example, the processing section comprises a spectrometer for detecting the autofluorescence signal at near-infrared to analyze the subject. As another example, the processing section comprises an image sensor for generating an image based on the autofluorescence signal.