Claims
- 1. A compact imaging instrument capable of performing multiple examination tasks, said instrument comprising:
- a hand-gripable housing including an interior;
- a plurality of instrument heads, at least one of said instrument heads having a contained illumination assembly;
- mounting means for interchangeably and releasably mounting each of said plurality of instrument heads to said housing;
- an electronic image sensor disposed in one of said housing and said plurality of instrument heads;
- at least one optical element disposed in the interior of at least one of said housing and said plurality of instrument heads, said at least one optical element being aligned to focus an optical image onto said electronic image sensor along a defined optical axis; and
- transmission means including at least one first electrical contact disposed in said housing and connected to a contained power source, each of said instrument heads including at least one second electrical contact for engaging said at least one first electrical contact when an instrument head is attached to said housing.
- 2. An imaging instrument as recited in claim 1, in which said mounting means includes a latching member provided on one of said plurality of instrument heads and said housing and engagement means provided on the other of said housing and said plurality of instrument heads for receiving said latching member.
- 3. An imaging instrument as recited in claim 2, wherein said housing includes at least one facing surface, said latching member depending from one end of each of said plurality of instrument heads and said engagement means disposed on said at least one facing surface.
- 4. An imaging instrument as recited in claim 3, wherein said latching member is rotatably mounted to said engagement means between an open unlocked position and a closed locked position.
- 5. An imaging instrument as recited in claim 4, wherein said latching member includes a pair of diametrically opposed ear portions, said engagement means including a cavity sized for receiving said latching member and having radially disposed slots for engaging said ear portions.
- 6. An imaging instrument as recited in claim 5, wherein said radially disposed slots each include a stop defining the closed locked position for an attached instrument head.
- 7. An imaging instrument as recited in claim 6, wherein said transmission means engages said electrical contacts only after said latching member has been rotated to said locked position.
- 8. An imaging instrument as recited in claim 1, wherein said illumination assembly includes at least one light source having said at least one second electrical contact extending therefrom.
- 9. An imaging instrument as recited in claim 8, wherein said at least one second electrical contact of said illumination assembly contacts said at least one first electrical contact of said transmission means when an instrument head having said illumination assembly is attached thereto.
- 10. An imaging instrument as recited in claim 8, including means for adjusting the position of said illumination assembly relative to said viewing axis and said optical viewing means.
- 11. An imaging instrument as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of said plurality of instrument heads includes said electronic image sensor, said transmission means including electrical contact members in each of said at least one of said plurality of instrument heads and said housing for enabling said image sensor when an instrument head having said electronic image sensor is attached to said housing.
- 12. An imaging instrument as recited in claim 1, wherein said power source includes at least one battery disposed in said housing.
- 13. An imaging instrument as recited in claim 12, wherein said at least one battery is rechargeable.
- 14. An imaging instrument as recited in claim 13, including means for recharging said at least one battery without removal from said instrument body.
- 15. An imaging instrument as recited in claim 12, wherein said at least one battery is removable from said housing.
- 16. An imaging instrument as recited in claim 1, including image transmission means for transmitting an image signal from said electronic image sensor to a video peripheral device.
- 17. An imaging instrument as recited in claim 16, wherein said image transmission means includes an RF circuit board and antenna attached to said electronic image sensor for wireless transmission of said image signals to a video peripheral device.
- 18. An imaging instrument as recited in claim 16, wherein said video peripheral device is a video processor.
- 19. An imaging instrument as recited in claim 16, wherein said video peripheral device is a video processor.
- 20. An imaging instrument as recited in claim 16, wherein said video peripheral device is a monitor.
- 21. An imaging instrument as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of said instrument heads is an otoscopic instrument head.
- 22. An imaging instrument as recited in claim 21, wherein said otoscopic instrument head includes an illumination assembly and an insufflation port.
- 23. An imaging instrument as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of said instrument heads is a surface microscope head.
- 24. An imaging instrument as recited in claim 23, wherein said surface microscope head includes a housing having a distal surface contacting window and an illumination assembly disposed adjacent said window, said illumination assembly further including at least one light source and anti-glare means for transmitting light from said at least one light source to said window without substantial glare.
- 25. An imaging instrument as recited in claim 24, including a cylindrical light pipe extending from said illumination assembly to said distal window.
- 26. An imaging instrument as recited in claim 24, wherein said anti-glare means includes at least one polarizer element disposed in proximity to one of said optical viewing means and said at least one light source.
- 27. An imaging instrument as recited in claim 1, including an adjustable lens cell disposed within at least one of said instrument heads along said optical axis and aligned with said electronic image sensor, said lens cell being axially adjustable for focusing an optical image onto said sensor.
- 28. An imaging instrument as recited in claim 1, wherein said housing comprises a hand-held digital camera having an integral display for displaying at least one image from said electronic image sensor.
- 29. An imaging instrument as recited in claim 28, including a controller disposed in said housing and having memory means capable of storing image data obtained from said electronic image sensor.
- 30. An imaging instrument as recited in claim 29, including data capture means for capturing data other than imaging data from said electronic image sensor.
- 31. An imaging instrument as recited in claim 30, wherein said data capture means includes audio recording means for recording audio data.
- 32. An imaging instrument as recited in claim 31, including audio playback means for playing back audio data stored by said data capture means.
- 33. An imaging instrument as recited in claim 30, wherein said memory means can store data captured by said data capture means and said electronic image sensor.
- 34. An imaging instrument as recited in claim 33, wherein said memory means is removable from said housing.
- 35. An imaging instrument as recited in claim 30, including means for editing data stored in said memory means.
- 36. An imaging instrument as recited in claim 33, including control means for transferring stored data between at least one external device and said memory means.
- 37. An imaging instrument as recited in claim 36, including a medical instrument provided as an external device which is connectable to said housing and said control means to permit transfer of data therebetween.
- 38. An imaging instrument as recited in claim 36, including a computer provided as an external device which is connectable to said housing and said control means for allowing transfer of data therebetween.
- 39. An imaging instrument as recited in claim 38, wherein said control means includes for receiving operating instructions from said computer.
- 40. An imaging instrument as recited in claim 36, wherein said control means includes a receiving cradle having means for retaining said housing, said cradle including data transfer means for transferring stored data from said memory means to at least one external device.
- 41. An imaging instrument as recited in claim 40, wherein said instrument includes at least one rechargeable battery, said cradle having means for selectively recharging said at least one rechargeable battery when said instrument is attached thereto.
- 42. An imaging instrument as recited in claim 36, wherein said control means includes means for allowing two or more images stored in said memory means to be displayed simultaneously.
- 43. An imaging instrument as recited in claim 40, wherein said cradle includes means for separately powering said instrument.
- 44. An imaging instrument as recited in claim 36, wherein said at least one external device includes means for selectively separating identified data stored in said memory means of said instrument.
- 45. An imaging instrument as recited in claim 33, wherein said memory means includes means for storing captured data into identifiable folders.
- 46. An imaging instrument as recited in claim 30, wherein said data capture means includes means for annotating notes relating to at least one displayed image.
- 47. An imaging instrument as recited in claim 46, wherein said integral display means is touch-sensitive, allowing annotation data to directly added thereon.
- 48. An imaging instrument as recited in claim 29, including means for identifying and decoding patterns from a video image stored in said memory means.
- 49. An imaging instrument as recited in claim 48, wherein said patterns include 1D and 2D bar-code symbols contained in an image captured by said electronic image sensor.
- 50. An imaging instrument as recited in claim 28, wherein said display includes a number of image fields, said instrument including means for selectively displaying a plurality of stored images in said image fields.
- 51. An imaging instrument as recited in claim 1, including means for interconnecting said housing with a video remote peripheral device.
- 52. An imaging instrument as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of said plurality of instrument heads is a general viewing instrument head.
- 53. An imaging instrument as recited in claim 52, in which said general viewing instrument head includes focusing optics for varying the focus distance.
- 54. An imaging instrument as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of said plurality of instrument heads is a magnifying instrument head having optical viewing means for focusing a magnified image onto said electronic image sensor.
- 55. A compact imaging instrument capable of performing multiple types of examination, said instrument comprising:
- an instrument housing comprising a photographic digital camera; and
- a plurality of instrument heads interchangeably attachable to the exterior of said housing, each of said instrument heads having a different optical system having at least one optical element for directing a substantially focused optical image onto an electronic image sensor said electronic image sensor being disposed in one of said instrument housing and said plurality of instrument head.
- 56. An imaging instrument as recited in claim 55, wherein said plurality of instrument heads includes at least one of a general viewing head, an otoscopic head, a surface microscopic head, and a magnifying head.
- 57. An imaging instrument as recited in claim 55, wherein said electronic image sensor is disposed in said photographic digital camera.
- 58. An imaging instrument as recited in claim 57, wherein said photographic digital camera includes a display integral with said housing for displaying at least one image captured by said electronic image sensor, and multi-media data capture means for capturing data other than image data.
- 59. An imaging instrument as recited in claim 58, wherein said photographic digital camera further includes a controller having memory means for digitally storing image data as well as data captured by said data capture means.
- 60. An imaging instrument as recited in claim 59, wherein said controller includes means for identifying data captured by said image sensor and said multi-media data capture means and for storing the identified data into specified portions of memory as a folder file.
- 61. An imaging instrument as recited in claim 58, wherein said display is a touch-sensitive LCD, having means for annotating onto at least one displayed image.
- 62. A compact medical diagnostic instrument comprising:
- a modified hand-held photographic digital camera having a compact housing;
- at least one diagnostic instrument head releasably attachable to the exterior of said housing of said camera, which has been retrofitted to allow selective attachment of said at least one instrument head, said at least one instrument head containing an optical system;
- an electronic image sensor disposed within one of said camera housing and said at least one instrument head for capturing at least one image of interest which has been directed to said electronic image sensor by said optical system;
- a display integral with said camera housing for displaying at least one image captured by said electronic image sensor;
- multi-media data storage means within said hand-held digital camera for storing multiple forms of data other than image data selectively with said captured image data and
- transmitting means including at least one first electrical contact disposed in said instrument housing connected to a contained power source, said at least one instrument head including at least one second electrical contact for engaging said first electrical contact when said at least one instrument head selectively attached in locking engagement to the exterior of said housing.
- 63. An imaging instrument as recited in claim 62, wherein said multiple forms of data include at least one of annotation and audio data.
- 64. An imaging instrument as recited in claim 62, including a plurality of instrument heads selectively and interchangeably attachable to said modified hand-held digital camera housing, each of said instrument heads having an optical viewing system capable of effectively viewing a different target of interest and for directing an image of said target to said electronic image sensor.
- 65. A record management system comprising:
- a hand-held digital camera defined by a single unitary camera housing which has been modified to selectively accommodate one of a plurality of interchangeable instrument heads attachable to an exterior side of said camera housing, each of said instrument heads having an optical system for directing an image onto an electronic image sensor disposed in one of said camera housing and said plurality of interchangeable instrument heads, said hand-held digital camera having multi-media data capture and data storage means for electronically capturing and storing video data captured by said electronic image sensor and at least one other form of data either separately or in conjunction with captured video data and an integral display for displaying captured video data; and
- means for transferring stored data between said camera and at least one remote processing device, said at least one remote processing device including means for automatically converting audio data stored in said modified camera into textual data, and for organizing transferred data, including converted audio data, into a record format.
- 66. A record management system comprising:
- a medical diagnostic instrument including a modified hand-held photographic digital camera and a plurality of interchangeable instrument heads, each of said instrument heads being releasably attachable to a(retrofitted exterior of said modified photographic digital camera and having an optical system for directing an image onto an electronic image sensor disposed in one of said digital camera and said instrument heads, said instrument heads being one of an otoscopic instrument head, a skin surface microscope head, a magnifying instrument head and a general viewing instrument head,
- said instrument further including an integral display for displaying at least one directed image, and data capture and storage means disposed in said housing for digitally capturing and storing audio and video data; and
- means for transferring digitally stored data between said diagnostic instrument to at least one processor, said at least one processor including means for converting audio data stored by said camera into text data, and for organizing data transferred from said instrument including said converted text data into a record format.
- 67. A compact imaging instrument capable of performing multiple examination tasks comprising:
- a modified hand-held grippable photographic digital camera having contained data capturing means for capturing video data and at least one other form of data including audio data and data storage means for digitally storing captured video and audio data within a modified hand-held camera body; and
- a plurality of instrument heads, each of said instrument heads having a contained optical system; and in which each of said instrument heads and said modified camera body include:
- mounting means for interchangeably and releasably mounting each of said plurality of instrument heads to said modified camera body so as to align the optical system of each said instrument head to the data capturing means of said camera when an instrument head is selectively attached to the modified hand-held photogaphic digital camera.
- 68. An instrument as recited in claim 67, wherein at least one of said instrument heads includes an illumination system alignable with said data capturing means, said mounting means including means for electrically interconnecting said illumination system with a power supply contained within said camera body when said at least one instrument head is attached thereto.
- 69. An instrument as recited in claim 68, wherein said electrical interconnection means includes means for activating the illumination system of a mounted instrument head only if said head is moved into a locking position relative to said camera body.
- 70. An instrument as recited in claim 67, wherein said digital camera includes an integral display for displaying image data captured by said data capture means.
- 71. An instrument as recited in claim 67, wherein said plurality of instrument heads includes at least one of an otoscopic, general viewing, magnification and skin surface microscope instrument head.
- 72. An instrument as recited in claim 67, wherein said data storage means includes means for creating patient data folders for storing data captured by said data capturing means in conjunction with said plurality of instrument heads.
- 73. An imaging instrument as recited in claim 67, including an illumination system disposed in one of said photographic digital camera and said plurality of instrument heads, said illumination system having a light source and means for optically transmitting light from said light source to a target being viewed.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is based on provisional applications U.S. application Ser. No. 60/043,374, filed Apr. 4, 1997.
US Referenced Citations (30)