An artificial compound eye for stereoendoscopy.
A scanning endoscope has been designed with the ability to both project three-dimensional images and provide precise measurements of internal structures. This is beneficial for minimally invasive surgery, where surgeons suffer from a lack of depth perception, limited field of view, and the absence of a reference frame for dimensional measurements. Borrowing from the insect compound eye, the design uses an array of prisms, each facing a different direction but with overlapping fields of view. The prisms redirect their respective images normal to a fibre optic imaging plane and are individually controlled by electro-chromic shutters. The device thereby retains the ability to scan in multiple directions without mechanical parts and uses only a single camera. Comparison of the overlapping images with known prism positions allows for the calculation of absolute coordinates. Results from large-scale models show that the technology is plausible, and fabrication methods for a smaller device are discussed.
Szema
R
R
Department of Biomedical Engineering and School of Medicine, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA. robert.szema@uhmc.sunysb.edu
Rastegar
J
J
Lee
L
L
D003867:Depth Perception; D019723:Endoscopes; D004867:Equipment Design; D055095:Optics and Photonics