Medical scanning assembly with variable image capture and display

A method for operating a scanned beam imaging system comprising:

• providing a scanned beam imaging system including a housing, a radiation source configured to direct a beam of radiation into or through said housing, a collector, and an adjustable element positioned to reflect said beam of radiation or to receive said beam of radiation therethrough;
• inserting said housing into a body such that said beam of radiation is directed onto an area within said body and said collector receives radiation returned from the area within the body;
• and
• physically adjusting said adjustable element to vary a property of said beam of radiation that is reflected thereby or received therethrough.

A scanned beam imaging system comprising:

• an elongated housing suitable for insertion into a body and having an area, in end view of less than about 19 mm2;
• a radiation source configured to direct a beam of radiation into or through said housing;
• a scanning reflector positioned in said housing and configured to direct said beam of radiation onto an area within the body;
• a collector positioned in said housing and configured to receive radiation returned from the area within the body;
• and
• a display device operatively coupled to said collector, said display device being configured to display a representation of radiation received by said collector to thereby display a representation of said area with the body, wherein said display device is configured, upon receiving an input from an operator, to display a zoomed image of part of said representation, wherein said image is electronically zoomed by post radiation-acquisition processing.

A scanned beam imaging system comprising:

• a housing suitable for insertion into a body;
• a radiation source configured to direct a beam of radiation into or through said housing;
• an oscillatable scanning reflector configured to direct said beam of radiation onto an area within the body;
• a collector configured to receive radiation returned from the area within the body;
• and
• a controller operatively coupled to said reflector to control the oscillations of said reflector, wherein said controller is configured, upon receiving an input from an operator, to vary the amplitude and center of oscillations to provide a zoom and pan feature, and wherein said controller is configured to vary said oscillations such that a predetermined point remains generally at the center of the area scanned by said directed beam of radiation.

A scanned beam imaging system comprising:

• a housing suitable for insertion into a body;
• a radiation source configured to direct a beam of radiation into or through said housing;
• at least two scanning oscillatable reflectors configured to direct said beam of radiation onto an area within the body, wherein the combined range of oscillation of said reflectors is greater than 180 degrees;
• and
• a collector configured to receive radiation returned from the area within the body.

A scanned beam imaging system comprising:

• a housing suitable for insertion into a body;
• a radiation source configured to direct a beam of radiation into or through said housing;
• a scanning reflector configured to direct said beam of radiation onto an area within the body;
• and
• a collector configured to receive radiation returned from the area within the body, wherein at least one of said collector or said reflector is movable relative to the other.

A scanned beam imaging system comprising:

• a housing suitable for insertion into a body;
• a radiation source configured to direct a beam of radiation into or through said housing;
• a scanning reflector configured to direct said beam of radiation onto an area within the body;
• and
• a collector including an aperture for receiving radiation returned from the area within the body, wherein said aperture is formable into various forms.

A scanning system comprising:

• a scanned beam imaging system including:
• a housing suitable for insertion into a body;
• a radiation source configured to direct a beam of radiation into or through said housing;
• a scanning reflector configured to direct said beam of radiation onto an area within the body;
• and
• a collector configured to receive radiation returned from the area within the body, wherein said scanned beam imaging system is configured to capture image data of at least two differing areas within said area of said body with different magnification with respect to the differing areas;
• and
• a display device operatively coupled to said collector, said display device being divided into six display zones that are simultaneously viewable, wherein at least some of said display zones are configured to display representations of said at least two differing areas.