Endoscopes used in urology for transurethral imaging and procedures have small diameters on the distal end for minimal invasiveness. The resolution of such endoscopes is relatively low. While larger, laparoscopic imaging tools now routinely offer high-definition image quality;the endoscopic images still typically contain nearly 100 times fewer pixels. Emerging fiber-free endoscopes with distal-end sensors still fall short of high-definition video by an order of magnitude. The proposed Super-Zoom Endoscope (SuZE) will dramatically increase the resolution of endoscopic imaging in urology, providing high definition imagery for natural, panoramic views with HD displays, less user fatigue, and improved recognition of anatomical landmarks and indications of disease. The optional stereo imaging capability of the SuZE endoscope will improve depth perception and allow for instruments reaching the site for examination or treatment faster and less invasively. The fast, dynamic electronically controlled location of high- resolution region of interest will serve applications of SuZE in robotic surgery. The primary application of SuZE is envisioned in indourology, including cystoscopy, ureteroscopy, lithotripsy, transurethral bladder tumor resection, bladder biopsies, fulguration, and radical prostatectomy. A broader range of applications is in gastrointestinal endoscopy, gynecologic endoscopy, arthroscopy, neuroendoscopy, ENT endoscopy, pulmonary endoscopy, and vascular endoscopy. The Phase I studies were very successful. They established feasibility of the fiberoptic endoscope with a dramatically higher imaging resolution, compared to the existing sate of the art, with the same cross-section (diameter) of the endoscope. The demonstrated resolution was 4X to 8X higher than the fiber-limited resolution of the imaging bundle. Phase I demonstrated the possibility to retrofit the SuZE design to existing commercial endoscopic cameras. The Phase II specific aims are 1) to design and build the prototype SuZE endoscopic camera;2) to design and demonstrate the stereoscopic version of the endoscope - SuZE-S;3) to implement advanced real-time image-processing algorithms in compact, portable dedicated hardware;4) to demonstrate practical use of the SuZE endoscope in surgical skills lab tests and in cadaver tests. The result of the Phase II will be first-generation, functional preproduction prototype of the SuZE endoscope, tested in preclinical trials.
Endoscopes used in minimally invasive procedures of urology are small in size, which limits their imaging resolution. As a result, the image quality is significantly lower compared to laparoscopes and other imaging tools that now routinely offer high- resolution output. The overall goal of the proposed project is to develop a small endoscope for use in endourology with high definition image quality, dramatically higher than with existing technology.
