Smartphone Endoscope With Fiber Optic Bundle and Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-resolution optical endoscopes are expensive, bulky, and require specialized training to operate, making them inaccessible in low-resource settings, where diseases like cancer and cardiac conditions have high incidence and mortality rates due to lack of access to advanced imaging equipment and skilled professionals.
Innovation Solution
A smartphone endoscope system integrating a first imaging sensor and a second imaging sensor with an imaging optics attachment, including a light source, beam splitter, fiber optic imaging bundle, and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy components, allowing for narrow-band imaging, fluorescence imaging, and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy on a compact, affordable platform.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If expensive optical components (thermal lamps, cooled CCD cameras, discrete lens and filters, spectrographs) are used to achieve high-resolution imaging, then imaging quality is improved, but device cost and complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a smartphone camera as a simplified copy/alternative to expensive cooled CCD cameras and spectrographs. The smartphone's imaging sensor and processing capabilities replicate the function of these complex instruments, achieving comparable diagnostic utility at a fraction of the cost and complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces expensive, delicate optical components with more robust, affordable alternatives. The smartphone-based system uses commercially available, inexpensive components that can be easily replaced or upgraded, eliminating the need for costly thermal lamps and precision spectrographs.
2Measurement precision
If bulky optical components and scanning mirrors are used to achieve high-resolution imaging, then imaging quality is improved, but device portability and compatibility with MRI/CT scanners deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates mechanical scanning mirrors and complex optical steering mechanisms by using digital image processing and software-based methods. The smartphone's processor and algorithms replace the need for mechanical scanning components, achieving high-resolution imaging without bulky moving parts.
3Measurement precision
If sophisticated instruments with multiple components are used to achieve high-resolution imaging, then imaging quality is improved, but ease of operation and accessibility to untrained users deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates multiple imaging functions (white light imaging, narrow band imaging, fluorescence imaging, and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy) into a single smartphone-based platform. This multi-functional system can be operated by any smartphone user without requiring specialized training, as the smartphone's interface and processing handle all complexity.
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
The smartphone endoscope system provides a cost-effective, easy-to-use solution for high-resolution imaging, enabling early detection of diseases like cancer and cardiac conditions in resource-poor settings, leveraging smartphone technology for improved diagnostic accuracy and accessibility.
Implementation Method 1
a fiber optic imaging bundle... configured to (1) deliver the excitation light to a target, (2) collect a fluorescence emission or a reflectance emission or both from the target, and (3) transmit the fluorescence emission or reflectance emission
Implementation Method 2
a transmission grating... to transmit the diffuse reflectance emission through a collimator, a slit, and transmission grating to the second imaging sensor
Implementation Method 3
a beam splitter receiving the excitation light from the first light source and further reflecting the excitation light onto an objective lens
Implementation Method 4
the objective lens further focusing the excitation light onto a fiber optic imaging bundle
Implementation Method 5
collect a fluorescence emission or a reflectance emission or both from the target
Implementation Method 6
diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) with a fiber optic probe can noninvasively quantify the optical properties of epithelial tissues
Data Source
AI summary
A smartphone endoscope system includes a smartphone with first and second imaging sensors, and an imaging optics attachment. The imaging optics attachment includes a first and second imaging apparatus, the first imaging apparatus including a first light source, a beam splitter, an objective lens, and a fiber optic imaging bundle, wherein the fiber optic imaging bundle delivers excitation light to a target which emits a fluorescence emission and a reflectance emission both collected by the fiber optic imaging bundle and transmitted to the first imaging sensor. The second imaging apparatus includes a second light source, a DRS source fiber delivering broadband light to the target which produces a diffuse reflectance emission, a DRS detection fiber, a collimator, a slit, and a transmission grating wherein the transmission grating diffracts diffuse reflectance emission and creates diffracted light which is transmitted to a second imaging sensor.