Granted Patent B2

US 12,268,366 · App. 17/723,967 · Granted Apr 8, 2025

Inventors: David Matthew Babson (Warners, NY); Kenneth V. Coon, III (Jordan, NY); James Stuart Ledwith (Syracuse, NY); Jeffrey K. Moat (Ithaca, NY); David Gregory Perkins (Tully, NY)

Assignee: Welch Allyn, Inc.

A61B1/227A61B1/00032A61B1/00036A61B1/00066A61B1/0684

Abstract

Claims (62)

1. A medical device, comprising:

a head comprising a light source; and

a handle coupled to the head, the handle comprising:

a battery configured to supply a voltage to the light source;

one or more processors; and

memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform acts comprising:

receiving an indication associated with adjusting an output of the light source; determining an amount of current drawn by the light source from the battery;

determining, based at least in part on the amount of current drawn, that the light source comprises a Halogen light bulb or a light emitting diode (LED);

determining, based at least in part on determining that the light source comprises the Halogen light bulb or the LED, a threshold amount of time;

determining that the threshold amount of time has elapsed since the battery has supplied the voltage to the light source; and

causing, based at least in part on the threshold amount of time elapsing, the light source to be disabled by disconnecting the battery from the light source.

2. The medical device of claim 1 , wherein determining, based at least in part on the amount of current drawn, that the light source comprises the Halogen light bulb or the LED comprises comparing the current drawn to a threshold current.

3. The medical device of claim 1 , wherein the medical device comprises at least one of an ophthalmoscope, an otoscope, a dermatoscope, an endoscope, or a probe.

4. A medical device, comprising:

a head portion including a light source; and

a handle portion coupled to the head portion, the handle portion including:

one or more processors;

one or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform acts comprising:

receiving an indication associated with adjusting an output of the light source;

determining an amount of current drawn by the light source;

determining, based at least in part on the amount of current drawn, a type of the light source;

determining, based at least in part on the type of the light source, an amount of time associated with disabling the light source;

causing a voltage to be supplied to the light source;

determining a time associated with causing the voltage to be supplied to the light source;

determining that the voltage has been supplied to the light source for a threshold amount of time; and

terminating supply of the voltage to the light source.

5. The medical device of claim 4 , the acts further comprising determining, based at least in part on the type of the light source, the threshold amount of time.

6. The medical device of claim 4 , the acts further comprising:

determining that the amount of current drawn by the light source is greater than a first threshold amount of current, wherein the type of the light source comprises a Halogen light bulb, or

determining that the amount of current drawn by the light source is less than a second threshold amount of current, wherein the type of the light source comprises a light emitting diode (LED).

7. The medical device of claim 4 , wherein handle further comprises a power source configured to supply the voltage to the light source.

8. The medical device of claim 4 , wherein the medical device comprises at least one of an ophthalmoscope, a dermatoscope, an endoscope, or a probe.

9. A method, comprising:

providing the medical device of claim 4 ;

determining an amount of current being drawn by the light source;

determining, based at least in part on the amount of current, a type of the light source;

determining, based at least in part on the type of light source, an amount of time associated with disabling the light source;

causing a voltage to be supplied to the light source;

determining a length of time associated with causing the voltage to be supplied to the light source;

determining, based on the length of time, that the voltage has been supplied to the light source for a threshold amount of time; and

terminating supply of the voltage to the light source.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

receiving an indication associated with one of an output of the light source or of an output of a second light source;

determining a second amount of current being drawn by one of the light source or the second light source; and

determining, based at least in part on the second amount of current, that the light source comprises the type of light source or a second type of light source.

11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

receiving an indication associated with an adjustment to the voltage;

causing a second voltage to be supplied to the light source;

determining that the threshold amount of time has elapsed since supplying the second voltage; and

causing, based at least in part on the threshold amount of time elapsing, the light source to be disabled by terminating power to the light source.

12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising determining, based at least in part on the type of light source, a range of voltages to supply the light source, the voltage being within the range of voltages.

13. The method of claim 9 , further comprising determining that the amount of current is greater than a threshold amount of current, wherein determining the type of light source comprises determining that the light source comprises a Halogen light bulb.

14. The method of claim 9 , further comprising determining that the amount of current is less than a threshold amount of current, wherein determining the type of light source comprises determining that the light source comprises a light emitting diode (LED).

15. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

determining that the threshold amount of time has not elapsed since supplying the voltage; and

upon determining that the threshold amount of time has not elapsed since supplying the voltage, continuing to cause the voltage to be supplied to the light source.

16. The method of claim 9 , further comprising causing a test voltage to be supplied to the light source, and wherein determining the amount of current being drawn by the light source is based at least in part on the test voltage.

17. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

determining an absence of an adjustment to the voltage supplied to the light source;

determining that the threshold amount of time has elapsed since supplying the voltage; and

causing the light source to be disabled by terminating power to the light source.

18. The method of claim 9 , wherein the method is performed by at least one of an ophthalmoscope, an otoscope, a dermatoscope, an endoscope, or a probe.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (22)