Plenoptic otoscope

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10660512-B2
Application number	US-201715413133-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 23, 2017
Priority date	Jan 18, 2013
Publication date	May 26, 2020
Grant date	May 26, 2020

Abstract

A plenoptic otoscope enables three-dimensional and/or spectral imaging of the inside of the ear to assist in improved diagnosis of inflammations and infections. The plenoptic otoscope includes a primary imaging system and a plenoptic sensor. The primary imaging system includes an otoscope objective and relay optics, which cooperate to form an image of an inside of an ear at an intermediate image plane. The plenoptic sensor includes a microimaging array positioned at the intermediate image plane and a sensor array positioned at a conjugate of the pupil plane. An optional filter module may be positioned at the pupil plane or one of its conjugates to facilitate three-dimensional and/or spectral imaging.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A plenoptic digital otoscope system comprising:
otoscope optics comprising an otoscope objective and relay optics that cooperate to form a conventional optical image of a tympanic membrane of an ear, the otoscope optics characterized by an image plane and by a pupil plane;
a plenoptic sensor comprising a microlens array and a sensor array, the microlens array positioned at the image plane and the sensor array positioned at a conjugate of the pupil plane, the plenoptic sensor converting the conventional optical image to a plenoptic image of the tympanic membrane, the sensor array capturing the plenoptic image; and
an image processing computing module that processes the plenoptic image to extract depth data for the tympanic membrane.

2. The plenoptic digital otoscope system of claim 1 wherein the image processing computing module processes the plenoptic image to extract a three-dimensional image of the tympanic membrane.

3. The plenoptic digital otoscope system of claim 1 wherein the image processing computing module processes the plenoptic image to extract a three-dimensional shape of the tympanic membrane.

4. The plenoptic digital otoscope system of claim 1 wherein the depth data is extracted with a depth resolution of not worse than 2 mm.

5. The plenoptic digital otoscope system of claim 1 wherein the depth data is extracted with a depth resolution of approximately 0.5 mm.

6. The plenoptic digital otoscope system of claim 1 wherein the image processing computing module processes view pairs in the plenoptic image to extract the depth data for the tympanic membrane.

7. The plenoptic digital otoscope system of claim 1 wherein the depth data indicates if the tympanic membrane is bulging or retracted.

8. The plenoptic digital otoscope system of claim 1 wherein the depth data facilitates diagnosis of a condition of the ear.

9. The plenoptic digital otoscope system of claim 1 wherein the depth data facilitates diagnosis of a condition of the ear, the condition selected from a group consisting of acute otitis media, otitis media with effusion, and otitis media with no effusion.

10. The plenoptic digital otoscope system of claim 1 wherein the otoscope optics has a depth of field of less than 5 mm.

11. The plenoptic digital otoscope system of claim 1 wherein the otoscope optics has a depth of field of less than 2 mm.

12. The plenoptic digital otoscope system of claim 1 wherein the otoscope optics has an F-number of F/5 or faster.

13. The plenoptic digital otoscope system of claim 1 wherein the otoscope optics is characterized by a working distance in a range of 27-45 mm.

14. The plenoptic digital otoscope system of claim 1 wherein the otoscope optics produces the conventional optical image with a magnification in a range of 0.5-1.

15. The plenoptic digital otoscope system of claim 1 further comprising a focusing mechanism that can adjust a focus of the otoscope optics by up to 20 mm.

16. The plenoptic digital otoscope system of claim 1 wherein the microlens array comprises microlenses with a size between 10 and 100 m.

17. The plenoptic digital otoscope system of claim 1 further comprising:
a plenoptic otoscope head mounted on top of a handle, wherein the otoscope optics are housed in the plenoptic otoscope head and an illumination source is housed in the handle.

18. The plenoptic digital otoscope system of claim 1 further comprising:
a viewfinder that displays the conventional optical image of the tympanic membrane during image capture.

19. The plenoptic digital otoscope system of claim 1 further comprising:
a display for displaying a three-dimensional image of the tympanic membrane extracted by the image processing computing module from the plenoptic image.

20. An after-market plenoptic conversion kit for use with a digital otoscope having otoscope optics and an original sensor, the kit comprising:
a plenoptic sensor comprising a microlens array and a sensor array, the plenoptic sensor attachable to the digital otoscope to replace the original sensor in the digital otoscope, the microlens array positioned at an image plane of the otoscope optics and the sensor array positioned at a conjugate of a pupil plane of the otoscope optics when the plenoptic sensor is attached to the digital otoscope; and
an image processing computing module that processes a plenoptic image captured by the sensor array to extract depth data for a tympanic membrane imaged by the otoscope optics.

Assignees

• Berkner Kathrin
• Shroff Sapna A
• Meng Lingfei
• Balram Nikhil
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Berkner Kathrin
• Shroff Sapna A
• Meng Lingfei
• Balram Nikhil

Classifications

• A61B5/0082

  adapted for particular medical purposes · CPC title

• A61B5/12

  Audiometering · CPC title

• A61B1/00186

  with imaging filters · CPC title

• A61B5/0062

  Arrangements for scanning · CPC title

• A61B1/227 Primary

  for ears, i.e. otoscopes · CPC title