Endoscope Digital Field of View Maneuvering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current laparoscopic surgery systems lack the ability to digitally maneuver the field of view of endoscopic images, requiring physical movement of the endoscope or lenses to adjust the camera's perspective, which can be cumbersome and risky, especially in robotic systems.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising an endoscope with a wide-angle lens and a camera, along with computer software that allows for digital manipulation of the field of view without physical movement, enabling selection and adjustment of the image field via a computer program, including digital zoom and automatic focusing on specific items of interest.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If physical movement of the endoscope or lenses is used to adjust the camera's perspective, then the field of view can be changed, but the system becomes cumbersome and risky
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical system of physically moving the endoscope or lenses with a digital image processing system. The computer program processes the captured image to digitally adjust the field of view, magnify specific areas, and reposition the view without any physical movement of the endoscope or optical components, thereby eliminating mechanical complexity and safety risks
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a digital copy or representation of the physical field of view through image capture and processing. Instead of moving the physical endoscope to change the view, the system captures the image and digitally manipulates it to produce multiple virtual perspectives from a single physical position, allowing flexible view adjustment without physical movement
2Area of stationary object
If a wide-angle lens is used to capture a large field of view, then overview capability is improved, but the ability to provide close-up views is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the field of view dynamically adjustable through digital processing. The system can switch between wide overview views and magnified close-up views by digitally cropping and enlarging specific regions of the captured image, allowing the effective field of view to change dynamically without changing the physical lens or endoscope position
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a digital processing dimension to the optical system. By processing the 2D captured image through computer algorithms, the system creates virtual magnification and perspective changes that supplement the physical wide-angle lens, effectively providing both overview and close-up capabilities from a single optical configuration
3Ease of operation
If digital image processing is used to maneuver the field of view, then physical manipulation is reduced, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical manipulation systems with a computer-based digital image processing system. Instead of using motors, actuators, or mechanical linkages to move the endoscope or lenses, the system uses software algorithms to digitally manipulate the captured image, achieving field of view adjustment through computational methods rather than mechanical means
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution allows for flexible and precise control of the endoscopic image, reducing the need for physical manipulation of the endoscope, enhancing surgical precision and safety by enabling continuous or discrete digital adjustment of the field of view and automatic focusing on critical areas.
Implementation Method 1
at least one endoscope having at least one wide-angle lens in said endoscope's distal end
Data Source
AI summary
A system for altering the field of view of an endoscope image, comprising: an endoscope with a wide-angle lens in its distal end and a camera in its proximal end. The wide angle lens provides images of the endoscope's field of view. A processor, by selecting a portion of the endoscope's field of view, enables virtual maneuvering of a display field of view without physically maneuvering the endoscope or the wide-angle lens.