Annular vision system
AssigneeIntuitive Sugical Operations, Inc.
InventorsPeter M. Herzlinger, Giuseppe Maria Prisco, Vincent Duindam, David Q. Larkin
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A vision system that may be used in a catheter or similar guiding instrument includes receptors distributed in an annular area. Each of the receptors has a field of view covering only a portion of an object environment, and the field of view of each of the receptors overlaps with at least one of the fields of view of the other receptors. A processing system can receive image data from the receptors and combine image data from the receptors to construct a visual representation of the entirety of the object environment.
Claims27
A system comprising:
- an elongated structure including an instrument lumen extending through the elongated structure, the elongated structure having a distal end including an annular area surrounding an unobstructed opening out of which an end of an instrument inserted through the instrument lumen may extend past the distal end of the elongated structure;
- a plurality of receptors, each of the receptors comprising an optical system with an optical axis passing through the annular area, the optical systems being distributed around the instrument lumen, wherein each of the receptors captures light from a field of view covering only a portion of an object environment, and wherein the field of view of each of the receptors overlaps with at least one of the fields of view of the other receptors;
- and
- a processing system coupled to receive and process image data derived from the light that the receptors capture, wherein the processing system combines the image data to construct a representation of the object environment.
A medical system comprising:
- an elongated structure that is deployable in a body and that includes a lumen that accommodates insertion of a medical instrument through the elongated structure and out of an opening at a distal end of the elongated structure, an annular area surrounding the opening and leaving the opening unobstructed;
- and
- a plurality of receptors distributed around the lumen and having respective optical axes extending through the annular area, wherein each of the receptors captures light from a field of view covering only a portion of an object environment of the medical instrument extending from the opening.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.