US 12,453,465 B2
Wigglegram camera system for use with retractors
Todd D. McIntyre, Irvine, CA (US); and Peter G. Davis, Irvine, CA (US)
Assigned to Viseon, Inc., Irvine, CA (US)
Appl. No. 19/109,738
Filed by Viseon, Inc., Irvine, CA (US)
PCT Filed Sep. 8, 2023, PCT No. PCT/US2023/032361
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Mar. 7, 2025,
PCT Pub. No. WO2024/054670, PCT Pub. Date Mar. 14, 2024.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/404,920, filed on Sep. 8, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2025/0255469 A1, Aug. 14, 2025
Int. Cl. A61B 17/02 (2006.01); A61B 1/00 (2006.01); A61B 1/04 (2006.01); A61B 1/045 (2006.01); A61B 1/32 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 1/042 (2013.01) [A61B 1/0005 (2013.01); A61B 1/00183 (2013.01); A61B 1/00193 (2013.01); A61B 1/045 (2013.01); A61B 1/32 (2013.01); A61B 17/0218 (2013.01)] 8 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A camera and retractor system for access to a surgical workspace within a body of a patient, said system comprising:
a retractor system comprising at least one retracting element operable to retract body tissue to create a surgical working channel defined by said retracting element of the retractor system for access to the surgical workspace within the body of the patient;
a camera assembly secured to the retractor system at the proximal end of the working channel, with a portion of the camera assembly overhanging the working channel and extending into a space defined by the working channel of the at least one retracting element; wherein
the camera assembly is characterized by a viewing axis and comprises an image sensor with an imaging sensor axis, and a first reflecting element positioned to reflect light from the working channel to the imaging sensor; and
the camera assembly further comprises a rotatable reflector mount disposed within the camera assembly and configured to rotate the first reflecting element to direct images from the surgical working channel to the image sensor;
a display screen; and
a control system operable to (1) control the camera assembly to rotate the rotatable reflector mount to move the viewing axis between a first position and a second position, with the viewing axis directed toward the surgical workspace in both the first position and the second position, (2) control the camera assembly to obtain a first image of the surgical workspace when the viewing axis is in the first position and obtain a second image of the surgical workspace when the viewing axis is in the second position and (3) control the display screen to display the first image and second image in alternating fashion in a single area of the display screen;
at a rate sufficient to provide useful 3D images on the display from which a surgeon operating through the retractor can discern the relative depth of anatomical structures in the surgical site.