Gooseneck Camera System for Hidden Body Part Imaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current imaging systems lack the ability to effectively capture and display images of hidden body parts, such as the back of the head or neck, without the need for external assistance, and do not provide a convenient means to examine blemishes like warts, moles, or irritations.
Innovation Solution
A body-viewing camera system comprising an image capture unit with a gooseneck tubing and a source of illumination, allowing users to extend their reach and capture images of hard-to-see areas, which are then displayed and manipulated on an image display unit for examination and storage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a standard camera is used without extension mechanisms, then the device structure remains simple, but the user cannot capture images of hidden body parts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a gooseneck tubing that extends the camera in a flexible, multi-directional manner, allowing the camera to reach hidden body parts that are not in the direct line of sight of the user. This spatial extension resolves the contradiction by adding dimensional capability without fundamentally complicating the device structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The gooseneck tubing acts as an intermediary component between the user's hand and the camera, providing flexible reach extension. This mediator allows the camera to access hidden areas while keeping the main camera body simple and manageable.
2Loss of information
If the camera is positioned to view hidden body parts, then images of blemishes can be captured, but the user cannot directly view these images without additional equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a visual copy of the captured image and transmits it to a display device that the user can view. This copying mechanism allows the user to see hidden body parts indirectly through the displayed image, resolving the visibility issue without requiring the user to physically see the body part directly.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the camera head is rigidly positioned, then the orientation is stable, but the camera cannot be oriented to view different hidden body parts
Solution Approach 1:
The gooseneck tubing provides dynamic positioning capability, allowing the camera head to be oriented in various directions while maintaining stability once positioned. The flexible yet supportive structure enables both adaptability for different viewing angles and stability for clear imaging.
Solution Approach 2:
The gooseneck tubing's curved, flexible structure allows multi-directional orientation of the camera head while maintaining structural integrity. The curved design enables the camera to reach around and view hidden body parts while keeping the orientation stable during imaging.
4Illumination intensity
If no illumination source is provided, then the device remains simple, but hidden body parts cannot be properly illuminated for clear imaging
Solution Approach 1:
The illumination source is merged with the camera head, creating an integrated unit where both imaging and lighting functions coexist in the same component. This merging provides necessary illumination for hidden body parts while minimizing additional complexity by combining functions rather than adding separate systems.
Data Source
AI summary
The body-viewing camera system comprises an image capture unit and an image display unit. The image capture unit may be an imaging unit adapted to be held by a user and may be aimed at a body part by the user. The body-viewing camera system may present a still image or a video on the image display unit showing the body part selected by the user. A gooseneck tubing located on the image capture unit may extend the reach of the user and may retain an orientation of a camera within the image capture unit be established by the user such that the image capture unit may image a hidden body part to determine the presence and extent of one or more blemishes.