IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,402,831
Granted Patent B2
US 12,402,831 · App. 17/516,109 · Granted Sep 2, 2025

Finger inserts for a nailfold imaging device

Inventor: Ian Butterworth (Somerville, MA)
Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
A61B5/449A61B5/0077A61B5/0082A61B5/02241A61B5/0261A61B5/6826A61B5/702A61B2562/146A61B2562/16A61B2562/164A61B2562/168G06V40/1341
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,402,831
App. No.
17/516,109
Granted
Sep 2, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A finger insert for use with a nailfold imaging device includes a housing to receive the user's finger and an immersion substance (e.g., immersion oil), and a deformable pad that holds the user's finger in place during imaging, as well as prevent bubble formation in the substance. The housing includes a transparent wall to facilitate imaging of the finger. The transparent wall includes multiple angled portions that prevent or reduce contact between the nailfold and the wall, to ensure sufficient blood flow through the nailfold region for imaging.

Claims (36)

1. A finger insert for a finger imaging device, the finger insert comprising:

a housing defining an opening, wherein the housing is adapted to receive a finger of a subject, the housing including:

a first wall;

a second wall, the second wall being optically transparent to facilitate imaging of capillaries in a nailfold of the finger by the finger imaging device when the finger insert is inserted in the finger imaging device, the second wall including a first wall portion, a second wall portion angled with respect to the first wall portion, and a third wall portion angled with respect to the first wall portion, wherein during use at least a portion of a nail of the finger is pressed against the second wall portion, the third wall portion, or both, and wherein a knuckle of the finger is pressed against the first wall portion; and

a socket to abut against a distal phalange of the finger during use, the socket being curved to conform to a shape of the distal phalange of the finger; and

a plurality of deformable spacers to elastically deform upon insertion of the finger into the finger insert, the plurality of deformable spacers positioned on at least a portion of the first wall to fill a gap between the first wall and the finger of the subject when the finger is inserted into the finger insert, and to press the finger towards the second wall,

wherein the first wall portion, the second wall portion, and the socket are arranged such that when the distal phalange of the finger abuts against the socket and when the knuckle and nail of the finger are pressed against the second wall, contact between the nailfold of the finger and the second wall is prevented.

2. The finger insert of claim 1 , wherein the socket is positioned such that the distal phalange of the finger of the subject lands on the socket as approximately centered about a longitudinal axis of the housing.

3. The finger insert of claim 1 , wherein the second wall portion is angled with respect to the first wall portion by about 10 degrees to about 30 degrees.

4. The finger insert of claim 1 , wherein the third wall portion is angled with respect to the second wall portion by about 10 degrees to about 30 degrees.

5. The finger insert of claim 1 , wherein the housing is further configured to be fluid-tight to hold a liquid to facilitate imaging of the capillaries in the nailfold of the finger of the subject.

6. The finger insert of claim 1 , wherein the housing is composed of an inelastic material.

7. The finger insert of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of deformable spacers are attached to the first wall.

8. A finger insert for a finger imaging device, the finger insert comprising:

a housing defining an opening adapted to receive a finger of a subject, the housing including:

a first wall;

a second wall, the second wall being optically transparent to facilitate imaging of capillaries in a nailfold of the finger by the finger imaging device when the finger insert is inserted in the finger imaging device, wherein during use at least a portion of a nail of the finger is pressed against the second wall and disposed in a nail space defined by the first wall and the second wall; and

a landing region to abut against a distal phalange of the finger during use; and

a plurality of deformable spacers positioned on at least a portion of the first wall, the plurality of deformable spacers arranged to fill a gap between the first wall and the finger of the subject when the finger is inserted into the finger insert and to press the finger towards the second wall, such that the nailfold of the finger is disposed in proximity of the second wall without contacting the second wall to facilitate imaging of the capillaries in the nailfold when at least a portion of the distal phalange of the finger abuts against the landing region and when at least the portion of the nail of the finger is pressed against the second wall.

9. The finger insert of claim 8 , wherein the second wall further includes a first wall portion, a second wall portion angled with respect to the first wall portion, and a third wall portion angled with respect to the first wall portion, and wherein during use at least a portion of the nail of the finger is pressed against the second wall portion, the third wall portion, or both.

10. The finger insert of claim 9 , wherein the second wall portion is angled with respect to the first wall portion by about 10 degrees to about 30 degrees towards a longitudinal axis of the housing to engage the nail of the finger.

11. The finger insert of claim 9 , wherein the third wall portion is angled with respect to the second wall portion by about 10 degrees to about 30 degrees away from a longitudinal axis of the housing to at least partly define the nail space and to accommodate the nail of the finger.

12. The finger insert of claim 8 , wherein the housing is further configured to be fluid-tight to hold a liquid to facilitate imaging of the capillaries in the nailfold of the finger of the subject.

13. The finger insert of claim 8 , wherein the housing is composed of an inelastic material.

14. The finger insert of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of deformable spacers are formed directly on the first wall.

15. A finger insert for a finger imaging device, the finger insert comprising:

a housing defining an opening to receive a finger of a subject, the housing including:

a first wall;

a second wall, the second wall being optically transparent to facilitate imaging of capillaries in a nailfold of the finger by the finger imaging device when the finger insert is inserted in the finger imaging device, wherein during use a knuckle of the finger is pressed to abut against the second wall and be fixed in position with respect to the second wall; and

a landing region comprising a curved socket to conform to a shape of a distal phalange of the finger and to abut against the distal phalange of the finger during use; and

a plurality of deformable spacers positioned on at least a portion of the first wall, the plurality of deformable spacers arranged to fill a gap between the first wall and the finger when the finger is inserted into the finger insert and to press the finger towards the second wall, such that the nailfold of the finger is disposed in proximity of the second wall without contacting the second wall to facilitate imaging of the capillaries when at least a portion of the distal phalange of the finger abuts against the landing region and when the knuckle and at least a portion of a nail of the finger are pressed to abut against the second wall and be fixed in position with respect to the second wall.

16. The finger insert of claim 15 , wherein the second wall further includes a first wall portion, and a second wall portion angled with respect to the first wall portion, wherein during use the knuckle of the finger is wholly pressed against the first wall portion.

17. The finger insert of claim 16 , wherein the second wall portion is angled with respect to the first wall portion by about 10 degrees to about 30 degrees towards a longitudinal axis of the housing.

18. The finger insert of claim 15 , wherein the housing is further configured to be fluid-tight to hold a liquid to facilitate imaging of the capillaries in the nailfold of the finger of the subject.

19. The finger insert of claim 15 , wherein the housing is composed of an inelastic material.

20. The finger insert of claim 15 , further comprising a deformable pad formed on the first wall, wherein the deformable pad includes the plurality of deformable spacers formed thereon.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 2, 2021
From: BUTTERWORTH, IAN
To: MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
Reel/Frame 058269/0319 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 16882966 · May 26, 2020
Provisional Application 62878011 · Jul 24, 2019
Related Publication 20220192589A1 · Jun 23, 2022
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