US 12,402,831 B2
Finger inserts for a nailfold imaging device
Ian Butterworth, Somerville, MA (US)
Assigned to Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA (US)
Filed by Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA (US)
Filed on Nov. 1, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/516,109.
Application 17/516,109 is a continuation of application No. 16/882,966, filed on May 26, 2020, granted, now 11,160,492.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/878,011, filed on Jul. 24, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0192589 A1, Jun. 23, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A61B 5/00 (2006.01); A61B 5/022 (2006.01); A61B 5/026 (2006.01); G06V 40/12 (2022.01)
CPC A61B 5/449 (2013.01) [A61B 5/0077 (2013.01); A61B 5/0082 (2013.01); A61B 5/02241 (2013.01); A61B 5/0261 (2013.01); A61B 5/6826 (2013.01); A61B 5/702 (2013.01); A61B 2562/146 (2013.01); A61B 2562/16 (2013.01); A61B 2562/164 (2013.01); A61B 2562/168 (2013.01); G06V 40/1341 (2022.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A finger insert for a finger imaging device, the finger insert comprising:
a housing defining an opening, wherein the housing is adapted to receive a finger of a subject, the housing including:
a first wall;
a second wall, the second wall being optically transparent to facilitate imaging of capillaries in a nailfold of the finger by the finger imaging device when the finger insert is inserted in the finger imaging device, the second wall including a first wall portion, a second wall portion angled with respect to the first wall portion, and a third wall portion angled with respect to the first wall portion, wherein during use at least a portion of a nail of the finger is pressed against the second wall portion, the third wall portion, or both, and wherein a knuckle of the finger is pressed against the first wall portion; and
a socket to abut against a distal phalange of the finger during use, the socket being curved to conform to a shape of the distal phalange of the finger; and
a plurality of deformable spacers to elastically deform upon insertion of the finger into the finger insert, the plurality of deformable spacers positioned on at least a portion of the first wall to fill a gap between the first wall and the finger of the subject when the finger is inserted into the finger insert, and to press the finger towards the second wall,
wherein the first wall portion, the second wall portion, and the socket are arranged such that when the distal phalange of the finger abuts against the socket and when the knuckle and nail of the finger are pressed against the second wall, contact between the nailfold of the finger and the second wall is prevented.