Ingestible endoscopic optical scanning device
An ingestible scanning device includes, in an embodiment, a capsule housing having a transparent window and sized so as to be ingestible, a photo-sensing array located within the capsule housing, a mirror located within the housing and oriented to direct an image from a surface outside the transparent window to the photo-sensing array, and a light source for illuminating the surface outside the transparent window.
1. An ingestible scanning device, comprising:
an ingestible capsule housing having a transparent window;
a plurality of photosensors arranged to extend across a diameter of the ingestible capsule housing and to be perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the ingestible capsule housing to form a single-axis photo-sensing array located within the ingestible capsule housing;
a mirror located within the ingestible capsule housing and oriented to reflect an image from a surface outside the transparent window to the single-axis photo-sensing array;
a light source configured to illuminate the surface outside the transparent window; and
a cylindrical lens, between the single-axis photo-sensing array and the mirror, arranged to have a curvature perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the ingestible capsule housing,
wherein a relative position of the cylindrical lens to the single-axis photo-sensing array is moveable to sequentially focus the image onto the single-axis photo-sensing array.
2. The ingestible scanning device of claim 1 , wherein the mirror is rotatable.
3. The ingestible scanning device of claim 2 , further comprising an adjustable-speed motor coupled to the mirror.
4. The ingestible scanning device of claim 3 , wherein an achievable resolution of a scanned axis and a speed of imaging is adjustable by adjusting a speed of the adjustable-speed motor.
5. The ingestible scanning device of claim 1 , wherein the mirror is a cylindrically symmetrical reflective element or is an element combining reflective and refractive surfaces.
6. The ingestible scanning device of claim 1 , further comprising a toroidal lens located around the single-axis photo-sensing array, the toroidal lens being oriented to direct light from the light source onto the mirror.
7. The ingestible scanning device of claim 1 , wherein the light source is located within the ingestible capsule housing.
8. The ingestible scanning device of claim 1 , wherein the light source is attached to an outer surface of the ingestible capsule housing.
9. The ingestible scanning device of claim 1 , wherein the light source is a light emitting diode.
10. The ingestible scanning device of claim 1 , wherein the light source is a light distribution ring.
11. The ingestible scanning device of claim 10 , wherein the light distribution ring is configured to output light around approximately a perimeter of the ingestible capsule housing.
12. The ingestible scanning device of claim 1 , wherein the single-axis photo-sensing array is capable of being read a line at a time.
13. The ingestible scanning device of claim 1 , wherein the relative position is moveable to sequentially focus light from different regions of the image onto the single-axis photo-sensing array.
14. The ingestible scanning device of claim 1 , wherein the cylindrical lens is moveable to sequentially focus light from the image onto the single-axis photo-sensing array.
15. The ingestible scanning device of claim 1 , wherein the single-axis photo-sensing array is moveable to sequentially focus light from the image onto the single-axis photo-sensing array.