US 5,653,677 · Granted 1997-08-05

The Detachable Camera Head That Turned Endoscopes Into Wireless Explorers

Imagine a tiny camera on a stick that you can snap off and send into tight spaces without dragging the whole instrument behind it. This patent describes an endoscope where the imaging unit detaches magnetically and communicates wirelessly, so doctors can position the camera independently and see what's happening inside a patient's body more flexibly.

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The plain-English version

What it protects

The claim covers an endoscope design where the imaging unit (the camera head) can be physically separated from the main shaft and held in place by an electromagnet or similar mechanism. What's protected here is the specific arrangement that lets the camera detach, the wireless radio-wave communication between the separated camera and the main body, and the method of using a wire or other retrieval mechanism to pull the camera back into its storage pocket. The design also covers providing independent observation equipment on the main body itself.

Why it matters

This patent represents a significant shift in endoscope design philosophy. Instead of treating the camera as a permanent part of the rigid shaft, it creates a modular system where the imaging head can work independently. This unlocks new clinical possibilities: doctors could navigate tight or curved anatomy with just the thin shaft, then deploy the camera payload only when needed. The wireless communication aspect eliminates tethering constraints and reduces mechanical stress on delicate optics during insertion and removal.

Real-world use

A gastroenterologist inserts a slim endoscope shaft into a patient's stomach, then detaches the camera head to take detailed images of a specific area without having to reposition the entire instrument.

Original USPTO abstract

An electronic endoscope apparatus has an imaging unit separable from the distal end portion of an endoscope and is capable of easily handling and operating the separated imaging unit. In the apparatus, the imaging unit having an imaging device is arranged as a separate member so that the imaging unit can be separated from the distal end portion of the endoscope, and the imaging unit is held in the accommodating pocket of the endoscope by holding means such as, for example, an electromagnet or the like. Therefore, the imaging unit is separated from the distal end portion of the endoscope by turning off the electromagnet when the endoscope is inserted into a desired position of an observing subject and can carry out picking-up operation as an imaging unit independently of the endoscope. An electric signal is transmitted between an endoscope main body and the imaging unit as a radio wave through antennas. Observing means may be provided with the endoscope main body independently of the imaging unit and further a stereoscopic image may be formed by the imaging unit and the observing means. In addition, a wire can be disposed in the endoscope main body to hold the imaging unit in the accommodating unit as well as collect the separated imaging unit to the accommodating pocket. Moreover, when the wire is also used as a signal line, a signal transmission can be realized by a simple arrangement.

Patent details

Publication number: US 5,653,677
Filing date: 1995-04-04
Grant date: 1997-08-05
Assignee: Fuji Photo Optical Co. Ltd
Inventor(s): OKADA; FUJIO, SUZUKI; SHIGEO
CPC class: A61B1/041

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