US 12,072,483 B2
Method for producing images from a medical device with split images on common image sensors
George E. Duckett, III, Castaic, CA (US); and Marios Kyperountas, Goleta, CA (US)
Assigned to KARL STORZ Imaging, Inc., Goleta, CA (US)
Filed by KARL STORZ Imaging, Inc., Goleta, CA (US)
Filed on Jan. 17, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/097,679.
Application 18/097,679 is a continuation of application No. 17/116,976, filed on Dec. 9, 2020, granted, now 11,586,029.
Prior Publication US 2024/0069325 A1, Feb. 29, 2024
Int. Cl. A61B 1/05 (2006.01); A61B 1/00 (2006.01); A61B 1/04 (2006.01); G02B 23/24 (2006.01); H04N 23/50 (2023.01)
CPC G02B 23/2453 (2013.01) [A61B 1/000095 (2022.02); A61B 1/00186 (2013.01); A61B 1/00188 (2013.01); A61B 1/04 (2013.01); A61B 1/05 (2013.01); H04N 23/555 (2023.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An imaging method for producing images from a medical scope, comprising the steps of:
receiving, in a substantially afocal state, an image light from a medical scope;
directing the received image light along a single optical channel;
splitting the received image light into a substantially afocal first portion of light and a substantially afocal second portion of light;
directing the first portion of light along a first optical path and the second portion of light along a second optical path;
passing the first portion of light and the second portion of light through focusing optics such that they come into focus at an image plane of a first image sensor or an image plane of a second image sensor;
splitting, in an image space, the first portion of light after passing through the focusing optics into a third focused portion and a fourth focused portion of light and directing the third focused portion of light to a first portion of the first image sensor and the fourth portion of light to a second portion of the second image sensor;
splitting, in an image space, the second portion of light after passing through the focusing optics into a fifth focused portion of light and a sixth focused portion of light and directing the fifth portion of light to a second portion of the first image sensor and the sixth portion of light to a second portion of the second image sensor, wherein the first and second portions of both the first and second image sensors do not overlap;
capturing an image of the third focused portion of light and the fourth focused portion of light with the first image sensor; and
capturing an image of the fifth focused portion of light and the sixth focused portion of light with the second image sensor.