Plenoptic otoscope

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9565996-B2
Application number	US-201313896924-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 17, 2013
Priority date	Jan 18, 2013
Publication date	Feb 14, 2017
Grant date	Feb 14, 2017

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 otoscope comprising:
a primary imaging system comprising an otoscope objective and relay optics cooperating to form an image of an inside of an ear at an intermediate image plane, the primary imaging system characterized by a pupil plane;
a plenoptic sensor comprising a microimaging array and a sensor array, the microimaging array positioned at the intermediate image plane and the sensor array positioned at a first pupil plane conjugate; and
a filter module positioned at a second pupil plane conjugate, the filter module comprising at least two different spectral filters, each spectral filter covering a different portion of the second pupil plane conjugate, wherein light that forms the image of the inside of the ear passes through the at least two different spectral filters.

2. The plenoptic otoscope of claim 1 further comprising:
a detachable tip, the filter module located in the detachable tip and positioned at an entrance pupil of the primary imaging system when the detachable tip is attached to the otoscope.

3. The plenoptic otoscope of claim 1 further comprising:
a set of detachable tips, each detachable tip including a different filter module, wherein the filter module is positioned at an entrance pupil of the primary imaging system when the detachable tip is attached to the otoscope.

4. The plenoptic otoscope of claim 1 wherein the filter module comprises a plurality of different filters selected to distinguish different ear conditions.

5. The plenoptic otoscope of claim 1 wherein the filter module is translatable relative to the primary imaging system.

6. The plenoptic otoscope of claim 1 wherein the otoscope is operable in a depth imaging mode, in which the sensor array captures a plenoptic image that is suitable to be processed to provide a three-dimensional depth image of the inside of the ear.

7. The plenoptic otoscope of claim 1 wherein the otoscope is operable in a spectral imaging mode, in which the sensor array captures a plenoptic image that is suitable to be processed to provide two or more different spectral images of the inside of the ear.

8. The plenoptic otoscope of claim 1 wherein the otoscope is switchable between a depth imaging mode and a spectral imaging mode.

9. The plenoptic otoscope of claim 8 wherein switching between the depth imaging mode and the spectral imaging mode comprises changing a depth of field for the primary imaging system.

10. The plenoptic otoscope of claim 9 wherein the depth of field is less than 5 mm when the otoscope is in the depth imaging mode, and the depth of field is greater than 5 mm when the otoscope is in the spectral imaging mode.

11. The plenoptic otoscope of claim 8 wherein switching between the depth imaging mode and the spectral imaging mode comprises changing a focus for the primary imaging system.

12. The plenoptic otoscope of claim 8 :
wherein the filter module comprises a plurality of different spectral filters and a clear filter, and the filter module is translatable relative to the primary imaging system;
wherein switching between the depth imaging mode and the spectral imaging mode comprises translating the filter module so that the clear filter is illuminated when the otoscope is used in the depth imaging mode and the spectral filters are illuminated when the otoscope is used in the spectral imaging mode.

13. The plenoptic otoscope of claim 1 further comprising:
a viewfinder coupled to the primary imaging system.

14. The plenoptic otoscope of claim 1 wherein the microimaging array is a microlens array.

15. The plenoptic otoscope of claim 1 wherein the microimaging array is a microlens array with microlenses having a diameter between 10 and 100 μm.

16. The plenoptic otoscope of claim 1 wherein the primary imaging system includes an aperture that is sufficiently large that the primary imaging system has an F-number that is not greater than F/8.

17. An after-market plenoptic conversion kit for use with a digital otoscope having a sensor, the digital otoscope characterized by a pupil plane and an image plane, the kit comprising:
a plenoptic sensor comprising a microimaging array and a sensor array, the plenoptic sensor attachable to the digital otoscope to replace the sensor in the digital otoscope, the microimaging array positioned at the image plane of the digital otoscope and the sensor array positioned at a first pupil plane conjugate of the digital otoscope when the after-market plenoptic conversion kit is attached to the digital otoscope; and
a filter module positioned at a second pupil plane conjugate of the digital otoscope when the after-market plenoptic conversion kit is attached to the digital otoscope, the filter module comprising at least two different spectral filters, each spectral filter covering a different portion of the second pupil plane conjugate, wherein light that forms the image of the inside of the ear passes through the at least two different spectral filters.

Assignees

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

Inventors

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

Classifications

• A61B1/00186

  with imaging filters · CPC title

• A61B1/227 Primary

  for ears, i.e. otoscopes · CPC title

• A61B5/12

  Audiometering · CPC title

• A61B5/0062

  Arrangements for scanning · CPC title

• A61B5/0082

  adapted for particular medical purposes · CPC title