Wireless determination of endoscope orientation

1. A method for performing a medical procedure using an invasive probe, which includes an insertion tube having distal and proximal ends manipulable by an operator of the invasive probe, the method comprising:

determining an orientation of the distal end relative to the proximal end by wireless transmission of an energy field from one of the distal and proximal ends of the insertion tube to the other of the distal and proximal ends; and

controlling an aspect of the procedure responsively to the orientation.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein determining the orientation comprises transmitting the energy field from a transmitter in the proximal end and sensing the energy field using a receiver in the distal end.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein determining the orientation comprises transmitting the energy field from a transmitter in the distal end and sensing the energy field using a receiver in the proximal end.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the energy field comprises an electromagnetic field.

5. The method according to claim 1 , and comprising inserting the distal end of the probe into a body of a patient, and capturing an image of an area inside the body in proximity to the distal end, wherein controlling the aspect comprises rotating the image responsively to the orientation.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein determining the orientation of the distal end relative to the proximal end comprises finding a first orientation, and wherein rotating the image comprises finding a second orientation of the proximal end of the probe relative to a predefined frame of reference, and rotating the image responsively to the first and second orientations so as to orient the image relative to the predefined frame of reference.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the probe comprises a handle at the proximal end thereof, and wherein determining the orientation comprises finding the orientation of the distal end relative to the handle.

8. Apparatus for performing a medical procedure, comprising:

an invasive probe, comprising an insertion tube having opposite distal and proximal ends manipulable by an operator of the invasive probe, the probe comprising a transmitter, which is arranged to transmit an energy field, and a receiver, which is arranged to receive the energy field, wherein one of the transmitter and the receiver are disposed at the opposite ends of the insertion tube; and

a control unit, which is adapted to determine an orientation of the distal end relative to the proximal end responsively to the energy field received by the receiver.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the transmitter is disposed in the proximal end of the probe, and the receiver is disposed in the distal end.

10. The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the transmitter is disposed in the distal end of the probe, and the receiver is disposed in the proximal end.

11. The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the energy field comprises an electromagnetic field.

12. The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the distal end of the probe is adapted to be inserted into a body of a patient and comprises an imaging assembly, which is arranged to capture an image of an area inside the body in proximity to the distal end, and

wherein the control unit is adapted to rotate the image responsively to the orientation.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the orientation of the distal end relative to the proximal end is a first orientation, and wherein the invasive probe comprises an orientation sensor, which is adapted to determine a second orientation of the proximal end of the probe relative to a predefined frame of reference, and wherein the control unit is adapted to rotate the image responsively to the first and second orientations so as to orient the image relative to the predefined frame of reference.

14. The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the probe comprises a handle at the proximal end thereof, and wherein the control unit is adapted to determine the orientation of the distal end relative to the handle.

15. Apparatus for endoscopy, comprising:

an endoscope, which comprises:

an insertion tube, having distal and proximal ends;

an imaging assembly within the distal end of the insertion tube, for capturing images of objects in proximity to the distal end;

a handle, fixed to the proximal end of the insertion tube; and

a field transmitter and a field receiver, one disposed within the handle and the other disposed within the distal end of the insertion tube;

a display, for displaying the images captured by the imaging assembly; and

a control unit, which is coupled to drive the field transmitter to transmit an energy field, and is coupled to receive signals from the field receiver responsively to the energy field transmitted by the field transmitter, and which is adapted to determine an orientation of the distal end of the insertion tube relative to the handle based on the signals and to rotate the images responsively to the orientation.

16. A method for imaging a cavity using an endoscope having a distal end and a proximal end, the method comprising:

inserting the distal end of the endoscope into the cavity;

manipulating the distal end of the endoscope within the cavity so as to capture optical images of areas of an inner surface of the cavity at multiple, respective viewing angles;

measuring respective orientations of the viewing angles while capturing the images wherein an orientation is measured by wireless transmission of an energy field from one of the distal and proximal ends of the endoscope to the other of the distal and proximal ends; and

mapping the areas of the inner surface that have been imaged by the endoscope responsively to the measured orientations.

17. An endoscopic imaging system, comprising:

an endoscope which comprises:

an insertion tube, having a distal end and a proximal end, which is adapted to be inserted into a cavity;

an imaging assembly within the distal end of the insertion tube, for capturing optical images of areas of an inner surface of the cavity at multiple, respective viewing angles;

an orientation sensor, which is arranged to generated a signal indicative of an orientation of the viewing angles of the images wherein an orientation is measured by wireless transmission of an energy field from one of the distal and proximal ends of the insertion tube to the other of the distal and proximal ends; and

a control unit, which is coupled to receive the images and the signal, and to map the areas of the inner surface by combining the images responsively to the respective viewing angles.