Automated control of irrigation and aspiration in a single-use endoscope
The present invention is an integrated and automated irrigation and aspiration system for use in an endoscopic imaging system. The system provides for the automated cleaning of poorly prepared patients during a colonoscopy procedure as well as automated cleaning of an imaging system of an endoscope. The invention analyzes images obtained from an image sensor to detect the presence of an obstructed field of view, whereupon a wash routine is initiated to remove the obstruction. The wash routine may be adjusted in accordance with environmental conditions within the patient that are sensed by one or more sensors within the endoscope. In another embodiment, insufflation is automatically controlled to inflate a patient's colon as a function of one or more sensor readings obtained from one or more environmental sensor(s) on the endoscope.
1. An endoscopic imaging system, comprising:
a control unit that is connectable to an endoscope that has an image sensor to be inserted within a patient;
a processor configured to analyze images produced by the image sensor of an endoscope;
a source of irrigation and aspiration connected to the control unit and configured to be selectively controlled by the processor to deliver an irrigant through the endoscope and to aspirate the irrigant from the endoscope when the processor detects a blockage in a field of view of the image sensor; and
a computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform a method of image analysis and source of irrigation and aspiration control by:
determining if the field of view of the endoscope is obstructed based on at least an image signal obtained from the image sensor; and
controlling the source of irrigation and aspiration to deliver an irrigant through the endoscope and to aspirate the irrigant from the endoscope to remove the obstruction.
2. The endoscopic imaging system of claim 1 , further comprising one or more environmental sensors disposed within the endoscope, and wherein the method further comprises:
receiving signals from the one or more environmental sensors; and
adjusting the operation of the source of irrigation and aspiration as a function of the signals received from the one or more environmental sensors.
3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the one or more environmental sensors include a sensor for measuring the size of a cavity in which the endoscope is placed, and wherein the processor controls the source of irrigation and aspiration as a function of the cavity size.
4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the one or more environmental sensors include a pressure sensor, and wherein the processor controls the source of irrigation and aspiration as a function of the sensed pressure.
5. The system of claim 2 , wherein the one or more environmental sensors include a sensor that detects a thickness of a colon wall and wherein the processor controls the source of irrigation and aspiration as a function of the colon wall thickness.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computer-executable instructions that cause the processor to determine if the field of view of the endoscope is obstructed based on at least an image signal obtained from the image sensor further include instructions for:
analyzing the image for a number of pixels having a color not representative of clean colon tissue; and
indicating a blockage based on the number of such pixels.
7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the computer-executable instructions that cause the processor to determine if the field of view of the endoscope is obstructed based on at least an image signal obtained from the image sensor further include instructions for obtaining an image of the patient's clean healthy colon tissue to calibrate the method of image analysis.
8. A method performed by a computer processor for automatically initiating a wash cycle to a patient undergoing a colonoscopy, comprising:
receiving a first image of colon tissue from an image sensor at a distal end of an endoscope;
receiving a second image of colon tissue from the image sensor;
comparing a color of a portion of the second image to a color of a portion of the first image to detect the presence of an obstruction in the field of view of the image sensor; and
if the color of the portion of the second image is not representative of the color of the portion of the first image, automatically initiating the wash cycle to remove the obstruction.
9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising obtaining a measurement from an environmental sensor within the patient and controlling the wash cycle as a function of the measurement obtained.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the measurement is obtained by measuring the size of the colon adjacent the distal end of the endoscope.
11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the measurement is obtained by measuring the pressure adjacent the distal end of the endoscope.
12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the measurement is obtained by measuring the thickness of the colon wall adjacent the distal end of the endoscope.
13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the measurement is obtained by measuring the depth of insertion of the endoscope adjacent the distal end of the endoscope.