Endoscopic Console Light Control for Retinal Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
Endoscopic surgical procedures face challenges with high-intensity light from endoscopes causing thermal and over-illumination hazards, such as retinal damage and scorching of surgical materials when the endoscope is not in use or removed from the body cavity.
Innovation Solution
An endoscopic console system that determines when the endoscope is outside a body cavity by analyzing electronic images and reducing light output to a lower, non-zero level to prevent hazards, while still allowing for detection of reinsertion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If high-intensity light is provided to the endoscope, then illumination quality is improved, but thermal and over-illumination hazards increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the light intensity level based on the detected position of the endoscope. When the endoscope is detected to be outside the body cavity, the system automatically reduces light intensity to a lower level, and when inside, restores normal illumination intensity. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction by making the light output flexible rather than static.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses image analysis to detect the position of the endoscope and provides feedback to control the light output. The console receives images from the camera head, analyzes them to determine whether the endoscope is inside or outside the body cavity, and adjusts light intensity accordingly. This feedback mechanism ensures that high intensity light is only provided when necessary.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If light is reduced to prevent hazards, then safety is improved, but detection capability of reinsertion deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies partial action by maintaining a non-zero light level even when the endoscope is detected outside the body cavity. Rather than completely shutting off the light, the system reduces it to a lower but non-zero level, which is sufficient for safety but may not be optimal for detection. This partial reduction balances safety requirements with detection needs.
Solution Approach 2:
The system maintains continuous light output at a reduced level to ensure the endoscope remains visible and detectable even when outside the body cavity. This continuous action allows the system to detect reinsertion events while maintaining safety, as the light is never completely turned off.
Data Source
AI summary
Controlling endoscopic light output. One example is a method of operating an endoscopic system, the method comprising: providing, from an endoscopic console, light to an endoscope at a first illumination level; receiving, by the endoscopic console, a first electronic image from a camera head associated with the endoscope; partitioning, by the endoscopic console, the first electronic image into a plurality of regions; calculating, by the endoscopic console, a value indicative of exposure for each region of the plurality of regions, thereby creating a plurality of values indicative of exposure; determining, by the endoscopic console, that a distal end of the endoscope is outside a body cavity, the determination based on the plurality of values indicative of exposure; and reducing, by the endoscopic console, the light provided to the endoscope to a second illumination level lower than the first illumination level.