US 12,440,095 B2
Physical assessment device with coordinated LED drive circuit for image capture
David M. Babson, Skaneateles Falls, NY (US); and Kenneth V. Coon, Skaneateles Falls, NY (US)
Assigned to WELCH ALLYN, INC., Skaneateles Falls, NY (US)
Filed by Welch Allyn, Inc., Skaneateles Falls, NY (US)
Filed on Apr. 15, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/722,068.
Application 17/722,068 is a continuation in part of application No. 17/483,347, filed on Sep. 23, 2021.
Application 17/483,347 is a continuation of application No. 16/248,482, filed on Jan. 15, 2019, granted, now 11,147,441, issued on Oct. 19, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/258,226, filed on Apr. 19, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/617,929, filed on Jan. 16, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2022/0233065 A1, Jul. 28, 2022
Int. Cl. A61B 3/00 (2006.01); A61B 1/00 (2006.01); A61B 1/227 (2006.01); A61B 3/12 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 1/227 (2013.01) [A61B 1/00006 (2013.01); A61B 1/00032 (2013.01); A61B 1/00052 (2013.01); A61B 1/00105 (2013.01); A61B 1/00108 (2013.01); A61B 1/00124 (2013.01); A61B 1/00128 (2013.01); A61B 1/00195 (2013.01); A61B 3/0091 (2013.01); A61B 3/12 (2013.01); A61B 3/1208 (2013.01)] 7 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A physical assessment device comprising:
an instrument head having a distal end, an opposing proximal end and an interior, the instrument head comprising an illumination assembly including at least one LED and a drive circuit for powering the at least one LED with a pulse width modulation (PWM) current to achieve a variable brightness of the at least one LED;
an optical assembly disposed within the instrument head including a plurality of optical components disposed along an optical axis; and
an adapter interface member disposed at the proximal end of the instrument head, the adapter interface member enabling an image capture device to be attached to the instrument head and aligned with the optical axis, the image capture device being configured to capture images of medical targets when illuminated by the at least one LED with the variable brightness, wherein the drive circuit is coordinated with the image capture device to ensure that the medical targets are at least partially illuminated during the capturing of the images notwithstanding the variable brightness of the at least one LED being achieved using the PWM current, wherein the drive circuit outputs a substantially triangle wave current with a minimum current value greater than zero to allow illumination of the medical target throughout the entirety of a duty cycle such that images of medical targets captured by the attached image capture device are substantially free of defects or artifacts, notwithstanding the variable brightness of the at least one LED.