Endoscopic diagnostic system and associated method
OwnerPeter J. Wilk, Naomi L. Nakaoinventors
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for use in medical diagnosis uses an endoscope having an insertion member, a sensor mounted at least in part to the insertion member for receiving energy waves from internal body tissues of a patient, and a converter operatively connected to the sensor for generating electrical signals encoding information contained in the energy waves. An analyzing unit is operatively connected to the converter for automatically identifying an organic object from the electrically encoded information, while a signal generator is operatively connected to the analyzing unit for automatically generating an alert signal sensible by an operator to inform the operator of the existence of the organic object.
Claims9
A medical method comprising the steps of:
- providing an endoscope assembly including a flexible insertion member;
- inserting said insertion member into a colon of a patient;
- upon insertion of said insertion member into the patient's colon, generating visible light energy and emitting said light energy from a distal end of said insertion member;
- collecting visible light energy reflected from organic tissues in the patient's colon upon said step of emitting;
- transmitting, in a proximal direction along said insertion member, image information contained in the reflected light energy;
- detecting, via said insertion member, infrared electromagnetic energy emitted by said organic tissues;
- in response to said step of detecting, generating an electrical signal;
- transmitting said electrical signal in a proximal direction along said insertion member;
- storing image type data for a multiplicity of previously identified internal organic structures;
- operating a computer to compare said image information with said image type data and to analyze and correlate information contained in said electrical signal with said image information to automatically identify said organic tissues as a polyp;
- and
- automatically generating an alert signal sensible by an operator to inform said operator of the existence of the polyp.
A medical method comprising the steps of:
- providing an endoscope assembly including a flexible insertion member;
- inserting said insertion member into a colon of a patient;
- upon insertion of said insertion member into the patient's colon, generating visible light energy and emitting said light energy from a distal end of said insertion member;
- collecting light energy reflected from organic tissues in the patient's colon upon said step of emitting;
- transmitting, in a proximal direction along said insertion member, image information contained in the reflected light energy;
- generating ultrasonic pressure waves;
- emitting said pressure waves from said insertion member towards said organic tissues;
- detecting ultrasonic pressure waves reflected from said organic tissues;
- analyzing the reflected ultrasonic pressure waves to produce digitized data encoding a three dimensional structure of said organic tissues;
- storing image type data for a multiplicity of previously identified internal organic structures;
- operating a computer to compare said image information with said image type data and to analyze and correlate said digitized data with said image information to automatically identify said organic tissues as a polyp;
- and
- automatically generating an alert signal sensible by an operator to inform said operator of the existence of the polyp.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.