A medical device may include a sheath extending from a proximal end to a distal end. The medical device may further include a light source coupled to the sheath. The light source may have a first state in which light is not emitted distally of sheath and a second state where the light source emits a visual pattern distally of the distal end of the sheath. The visual pattern may represent a cross-sectional dimension of a structural feature of the sheath.

An intra-oral scanning system includes a hand piece having a scanning head with one or more projectors for projecting light onto an oral region and image sensors for detecting reflected light in the oral region. A computer system is operatively connected to the hand piece for receiving data from the image sensors. The data is representative of a scanned area in the oral region. The computer system images a 3D representation of the scanned area and a display assembly operatively connected to the computer system displays the 3D representation of the scanned area. A transducer operatively connected to the computer system emits a visual, audible and/or vibratory signal that provides information related to a status of the scanning system.

Medical imaging systems for use in conjunction with an endoscope are described. Generally, the medical imaging system includes an illumination source configured to generate illuminating photons. The illuminating photons are transmitted to one or more filters configured to filter a first plurality of illuminating photons and generate a first plurality of filtered photons comprising a first passband wavelength and a second plurality of filtered photons comprising a second passband wavelength. A sample is then illuminated with the first plurality of filtered photons and the second plurality of filtered photons to generate a first plurality of interacted photons and a second plurality of interacted photons. One or more detectors are configured to detect the first plurality of interacted photons and the second plurality of interacted photons and generate one or more image data sets.

The foregoing application describes a system and method of performing a minimally invasive surgical operation. More specifically, the invention involves the use of disposable cannula and slender dilators of variable lengths, which incorporate a source of illumination to carry light to a surgical site and video capabilities for capturing and displaying images from a CMOS or CCD camera device. According to one embodiment, fiber optics run semi-circumferentially or along walls of the cannula/dilator and terminate at about a centimeter from the distal end of the cannula/dilator, thereby preventing illumination from “bottoming out” at the floor of the incision. According to one alternate embodiment, the light fibers may be fashioned in an annulus around one or more camera chips to provide illumination and video of the surgical site. In still another embodiment, the light fibers may be replaced by light emitting diodes in a more remote light source or alternatively at the distal-tip of the CMOS or CCD camera device.

An illumination device comprises: an optical member that is provided with a circular ring-shaped or horseshoe-shaped light-guiding layer and diffusion layer, which are laminated in a central axis direction, the light-guiding layer having a light-entrance surface facing a tangential direction; and a light-introducing member that is disposed at the radially outer side of the optical member and that introduces illumination light into the light-guiding layer from the light-entrance surface, in the tangential direction; wherein the diffusion layer diffuses the illumination light entering from the light-guiding layer by volume scattering, and the optical member is formed, at least, of one end surface in the axial direction and emits the illumination light emitted from the diffusion layer.

The present invention is aimed to design an improved lighting assembly for camera module of an endoscope. The camera module is received in a cylinder body, which is connected with the tail end of the tube of the endoscope. The character of this invention is to provide a secondary lighting apparatus between the cylinder body and the tube. The secondary lighting apparatus includes several LEDs being mounted inside annular-arrayed and covered by a transparent ring. The annular-arrayed LEDs can emit light through the transparent ring with 360 degrees lighting outwards that provides a perfect lighting effect for capturing the inner images of patients and will facilitate the judgement of users or doctors.

An endoscope includes: a first image acquisition portion configured to acquire a first object image from a first direction; a second image acquisition portion configured to acquire a second object image from a second direction different from the first direction; first illumination light emission portions provided on a straight line with the first image acquisition portion, the first image acquisition portion being interposed between the first illumination light emission portions, and arranged along a line orthogonal to an optical axis of the first image acquisition portion; and second illumination light emission portions lined up and arranged on a plane where the second image acquisition portion is arranged at the insertion portion, and a lining direction of the first illumination light emission portions and a lining direction of the second illumination light emission portions are arranged at positions to be a twisted relation.

The present invention relates to an improved lighting assembly for camera module of an endoscope. The camera module is received in a cylinder body, which is connected with the tail end of a tube of the endoscope. The cylinder body is provided with two side openings covered by related transparent caps. Several lighting sources are mounted in the cylinder body at the position near the side openings that emits side lightings to increase whole lighting effect in the working cavity and facilitates to obtain clear image captured from camera module. Moreover, the front cover is provided with an annular misty portion related to the position above the front lighting sources around the camera module. Hence, the forward emitting lighting will be foggy that can thus avoid from the reflected lighting spots and benefit the use of the present endoscope to catch clear images of patient's inner cavity.

This endoscope has an observation optical system provided in a distal end of an inserted portion of the endoscope, for observation of an object, and plural illumination optical systems provided in the inserted portion, for illuminating a certain angle of view, wherein one illumination optical system having the widest light distribution is distant from the observation optical system relative to another illumination optical systems having the narrowest light distribution, and the following conditional expression is satisfied,
0.6≦|φ.sub.S.Math.f.sub.W/φ.sub.W.Math.f.sub.S|≦1.0  (1) wherein f.sub.W is a focal length of the widest light distribution optical system, f.sub.S is a focal length of the narrowest light distribution optical system, φ.sub.W is an outer diameter of the lens nearest to the object within the widest light distribution optical system, and φ.sub.S is an outer diameter of the lens nearest to the object within the narrowest light distribution optical system.

A medical imaging system, is formed of a lighting module, preferably using a single LED. The LED illuminates a reflection chamber, located to receive light from the LED, said reflection chamber terminating in a fiber interfacing surface. An optical fiber, connects to the fiber interfacing surface, and receives light therefrom when said LED is energized. The optical fiber has a first surface connected to the fiber interfacing surface, and has a second surface at an opposite end of the optical fiber from the first surface. A light guide, has a first end, optically coupled to the second end of said optical fiber, and the light guide directs light from the first end into a cone shaped surface at a second end, that directs light away from a center of the cone shaped surface into a hollow cylindrical shape of light, creating an illumination by the light at a distal end of the hollow cylindrical shape opposite the first end. A camera, mounted inside the light guide, within an inside of the cone shaped surface images the area illuminated by the light guide.