US 7,479,106 B2 · Automated control of irrigation and aspiration in a single-use endoscope

Abstract

The present invention is an integrated and automated irrigation and aspiration system for use in an endoscopic imaging system. The system provides for the automated cleaning of poorly prepared patients during a colonoscopy procedure as well as automated cleaning of an imaging system of an endoscope. The invention analyzes images obtained from an image sensor to detect the presence of an obstructed field of view, whereupon a wash routine is initiated to remove the obstruction. The wash routine may be adjusted in accordance with environmental conditions within the patient that are sensed by one or more sensors within the endoscope. In another embodiment, insufflation is automatically controlled to inflate a patient's colon as a function of one or more sensor readings obtained from one or more environmental sensor(s) on the endoscope.

Claims13

Dependent claims

An endoscopic imaging system, comprising:

a control unit that is connectable to an endoscope that has an image sensor to be inserted within a patient;
a processor configured to analyze images produced by the image sensor of an endoscope;
a source of irrigation and aspiration connected to the control unit and configured to be selectively controlled by the processor to deliver an irrigant through the endoscope and to aspirate the irrigant from the endoscope when the processor detects a blockage in a field of view of the image sensor;
and
a computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform a method of image analysis and source of irrigation and aspiration control by:
determining if the field of view of the endoscope is obstructed based on at least an image signal obtained from the image sensor;
and
controlling the source of irrigation and aspiration to deliver an irrigant through the endoscope and to aspirate the irrigant from the endoscope to remove the obstruction.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Automated control of irrigation and aspiration in a single-use endoscope

Life of this patent

Automated control of irrigation and aspiration in a single-use endoscope

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims13