Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090268015 | AUGMENTED STEREOSCOPIC VISUALIZATION FOR A SURGICAL ROBOT - A robotic surgical system positions and holds an endoscope. A visible imaging system is coupled to the endoscope. The visible imaging system captures a visible image of tissue. An alternate imaging system is also coupled to the endoscope. The alternate imaging system captures a fluorescence image of at least a portion of the tissue. A stereoscopic video display system is coupled to the visible imaging system and to the alternate imaging system. The stereoscopic video display system outputs a real-time stereoscopic image comprising a three-dimensional presentation of a blend of a fluorescence image associated with the captured fluorescence image, and the visible image. | 10-29-2009 |
20100245541 | TARGETS, FIXTURES, AND WORKFLOWS FOR CALIBRATING AN ENDOSCOPIC CAMERA - The present disclosure relates to calibration assemblies and methods for use with an imaging system, such as an endoscopic imaging system. A calibration assembly includes: an interface for constraining engagement with an endoscopic imaging system; a target coupled with the interface so as to be within the field of view of the imaging system, the target including multiple of markers having calibration features that include identification features; and a processor configured to identify from first and second images obtained at first and second relative spatial arrangements between the imaging system and the target, respectively, at least some of the markers from the identification features, and using the identified markers and calibration feature positions within the images to generate calibration data. | 09-30-2010 |
20100261961 | HERMETICALLY SEALED DISTAL SENSOR ENDOSCOPE - In one embodiment, an endoscopic camera for a robotic surgical system includes a stereo camera module mounted to a robotic arm of a patient side cart. The optical and electro-optic components of the camera module are hermetically sealed within a first housing. Signals from an electro-optic component travel through traces in a ceramic substrate forming one side of the hermetically sealed first housing. A second housing surrounds the first housing and optical fibers are dispersed between the housings to provide lighting in a body cavity. The camera module may be sterilized by an autoclave. | 10-14-2010 |
20120206582 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR DEMOSAICING IMAGES WITH HIGHLY CORRELATED COLOR CHANNELS - In one embodiment of the invention, an apparatus is disclosed including an image sensor, a color filter array, and an image processor. The image sensor has an active area with a matrix of camera pixels. The color filter array is in optical alignment over the matrix of the camera pixels. The color filter array assigns alternating single colors to each camera pixel. The image processor receives the camera pixels and includes a correlation detector to detect spatial correlation of color information between pairs of colors in the pixel data captured by the camera pixels. The correlation detector further controls demosaicing of the camera pixels into full color pixels with improved resolution. The apparatus may further include demosaicing logic to demosaic the camera pixels into the full color pixels with improved resolution in response to the spatial correlation of the color information between pairs of colors. | 08-16-2012 |
20120209287 | METHOD AND STRUCTURE FOR IMAGE LOCAL CONTRAST ENHANCEMENT - A local contrast enhancement method transforms a first plurality of color components of a first visual color image into a modified brightness component by using a first transformation. The first plurality of color components are in a first color space. The modified brightness component is a brightness component of a second color space. The second color space also includes a plurality of chromatic components. The method transforms all the color components of the first color space into the chromatic components of the second color space. The method then transforms the modified brightness component and the chromatic components of the second color space into a plurality of new color components, in the first color space, of a second visual color image. The method transmits the plurality of new color components to a device such as a display device. The second visual color image has enhanced contrast in comparison to the first visual color image. | 08-16-2012 |
20120268579 | TARGETS, FIXTURES, AND WORKFLOWS FOR CALIBRATING AN ENDOSCOPIC CAMERA - The present disclosure relates to calibration assemblies and methods for use with an imaging system, such as an endoscopic imaging system. A calibration assembly includes: an interface for constraining engagement with an endoscopic imaging system; a target coupled with the interface on as to be within the field of view of the imaging system, the target including multiple of markers having calibration features that include identification features; and a processor configured to identify from first and second images obtained at first and second relative spatial arrangements between the imaging system and the target, respectively, at least some of the markers from the identification features, and using the identified markers and calibration feature positions within the images to generate calibration data. | 10-25-2012 |
20140018613 | HERMETICALLY SEALED ENDOSCOPE - In one embodiment, an endoscopic camera for a robotic surgical system includes a stereo camera module mounted to a robotic arm of a patient side cart. The optical and electro-optic components of the camera module are hermetically sealed within a first housing. Signals from an electro-optic component travel through traces in a ceramic substrate forming one side of the hermetically sealed first housing. A second housing surrounds the first housing and optical fibers are dispersed between the housings to provide lighting in a body cavity. The camera module may be sterilized by an autoclave. | 01-16-2014 |
20140135579 | ENDOSCOPIC SYSTEM WITH ELECTROGMAGNETIC INTERFERENCE SHIELDING - An endoscopic system can include an endoscope shaft having a proximal end and a distal end. The endoscopic system can have a sensor system that includes an electrically active sensor mounted proximate the distal end and positioned to sense at least one characteristic of an environment in which the distal end is located, a data signal transmission line connected to the sensor to transmit data signals between the sensor and a signal processor, and an electrical power transmission line connected to the sensor to transmit power to the sensor. The endoscopic system also can include a floating ground element arranged to provide an electrical reference for the sensor system. Voltage induced by an electromagnetic interference external to the endoscopic system on at least one of the data signal transmission line or electrical power line is substantially similar to the voltage induced by the electromagnetic interference on the floating ground element. | 05-15-2014 |
20140155758 | LOW CAPACITANCE ENDOSCOPIC SYSTEM - An endoscopic system can include an endoscope shaft having a proximal end and a distal end, and an electrically active sensor system including at least one sensor mounted proximate the distal end and positioned to sense at least one characteristic of an environment in which the distal end is located. The capacitance of the sensor system relative to earth ground maintains current leakage to a level that meets a cardiac float rating. | 06-05-2014 |
20140176680 | Methods and Apparatus for Demosaicing Images with Highly Correlated Color Channels - In one embodiment of the invention, an apparatus is disclosed including an image sensor, a color filter array, and an image processor. The image sensor has an active area with a matrix of camera pixels. The color filter array is in optical alignment over the matrix of the camera pixels. The color filter array assigns alternating single colors to each camera pixel. The image processor receives the camera pixels and includes a correlation detector to detect spatial correlation of color information between pairs of colors in the pixel data captured by the camera pixels. The correlation detector further controls demosaicing of the camera pixels into full color pixels with improved resolution. The apparatus may further include demosaicing logic to demosaic the camera pixels into the full color pixels with improved resolution in response to the spatial correlation of the color information between pairs of colors. | 06-26-2014 |
20140282196 | ROBOTIC SYSTEM PROVIDING USER SELECTABLE ACTIONS ASSOCIATED WITH GAZE TRACKING - A robotic system provides user selectable actions associated with gaze tracking according to user interface types. User initiated correction and/or recalibration of the gaze tracking may be performed during the processing of individual of the user selectable actions. | 09-18-2014 |
20140343541 | LASER FIDUCIALS FOR AXIS ALIGNMENT IN CATARACT SURGERY - A fiducial is generated on an internal anatomical structure of the eye of a patient with a surgical laser. A tonic artificial intraocular lens (IOL) is positioned so that a marker of the tonic IOL is in a predetermined positional relationship relative to the fiducial. This positioning aligns the tonic IOL with the astigmatic or other axis of the eye. The toric IOL is then implanted in the eye of the patient with high accuracy. | 11-20-2014 |
20150018674 | CORNEAL TOPOGRAPHY MEASUREMENT AND ALIGNMENT OF CORNEAL SURGICAL PROCEDURES - Methods and apparatus are configures to measure an eye without contacting the eye with a patient interface, and these measurements are used to determine alignment and placement of the incisions when the patient interface contacts the eye. The pre-contact locations of one or more structures of the eye can be used to determine corresponding post-contact locations of the one or more optical structures of the eye when the patient interface has contacted the eye, such that the laser incisions are placed at locations that promote normal vision of the eye. The incisions are positioned in relation to the pre-contact optical structures of the eye, such as an astigmatic treatment axis, nodal points of the eye, and visual axis of the eye. | 01-15-2015 |