Eyepiece Display Adapter for Diagnostic Tool Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing manually guided vision aid instruments, such as ophthalmoscopes and otoscopes, pose significant physical dexterity challenges due to the need for precise alignment with small openings like the human eye's pupil, which undergoes involuntary micro-movements.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a handheld diagnostic tool with an optical port and an eyepiece, combined with a display device that includes a camera and a channel to securely attach to the eyepiece, allowing for digital image capture and display while maintaining alignment and enabling rotation for improved ergonomics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manually guided vision aid instruments are used for examining small openings like the pupil, then diagnostic examination capability is improved, but physical dexterity challenges and handling difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary device that attaches to the vision aid instrument to provide digital capture and display capabilities. This intermediary system acts as a mediator between the manual instrument and the patient's anatomy, allowing the clinician to use digital assistance (display screen, digital capture) to improve alignment precision while maintaining the manual guidance capability of the original instrument.
2Adaptability or versatility
If digital display and image capture capabilities are added to handheld diagnostic tools, then convenience and functionality are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the digital display device with the handheld diagnostic tool by providing a mounting interface that attaches the display to the instrument. This combining approach integrates digital capture, display, and annotation capabilities with the existing manual vision aid, creating a unified system that improves functional versatility while managing complexity through modular integration rather than complete redesign.
Solution Approach 2:
The display device is designed with multi-functionality, serving as both a digital capture system and a display/annotation system. The single device performs multiple functions (image capture, real-time display, image saving, sharing, and annotation) that would otherwise require separate instruments, thereby improving adaptability while controlling overall system complexity.
3Ease of operation
If the device allows rotation for improved ergonomics, then ease of operation is improved, but alignment maintenance becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a rotatable mounting interface that allows the display device to be dynamically adjusted to different angular positions. This dynamic adjustment capability enables the clinician to rotate the display to an ergonomically comfortable position while the system maintains the optical alignment through the rotatable connection point, thereby improving ease of operation without sacrificing alignment precision.
Data Source
AI summary
An example system is described herein for a display device to couple with a handheld diagnostic tool allowing an optical device to be converted to digitally imaging and back and used for performing a medical examination by a clinician. The display device includes an interface that includes the ability to attach to an eyepiece of the diagnostic device. The display device includes a camera within the channel to align with the eyepiece and capture image data through the diagnostic device when the display device is coupled with the diagnostic device. The display device has the camera essentially centered along a length and width of the body such that the display device maintains the balance of the diagnostic device. The display device further includes sensors to determine an orientation of the display device to annotate image data with an indication of a reference frame.