WO2022243994A1

WO2022243994A1 - Distal tip of a multi camera medical imaging device

Info

Publication number: WO2022243994A1
Application number: PCT/IL2022/050507
Authority: WO
Inventors: Golan Salman; Amram Aizenfeld; Avraham Levy
Original assignee: 270 Surgical Ltd.
Priority date: 2021-05-19
Filing date: 2022-05-16
Publication date: 2022-11-24

Abstract

Provided is an endoscope having a tip at a distal section thereof, the tip includes a front facing camera and a bottom facing camera, allowing to obtain a vertical panoramic image of a body cavity. Further provided are imaging systems including the endoscope and methods of using the same in various endoscopic procedures.

Description

DISTAL TIP OF A MULTI CAMERA MEDICAL IMAGING DEVICE

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to an endoscope distal tip having a front facing camera and a bottom facing camera, configured to provide a vertical panoramic view.

BACKGROUND

An endoscope is a medical device used to image an anatomical site (e.g., an anatomical/body cavity, a hollow organ). Unlike some other medical imaging devices, the endoscope is inserted into the anatomical site (e.g., through small incisions made on the skin of the patient). An endoscope can be employed not only to inspect an anatomical site and organs therein (and diagnose a medical condition in the anatomical site) but also as a visual aid in surgical procedures. Medical procedures involving endoscopy include laparoscopy, arthroscopy, cystoscopy, ureterostomy, thoracic endoscopy and hysterectomy. When performing such medical procedures, it would be advantageous to obtain detailed vertical panoramic view, in particular in a short working distance.

There is thus a need in the art for an endoscope system having two cameras, capable of providing a vertical panoramic view of target body regions at short working distances, during the endoscopic procedure. SUMMARY

Aspects of the disclosure, according to some embodiments thereof, relate to endoscope having two cameras at the endoscope distal tip, wherein a first camera is front facing and a second camera is bottom facing, wherein the field of view of each of the cameras at least partially overlap, consequently allowing providing vertical panoramic view of area/region(s) of interest of a subject’s body, preferably at a short working distance.

According to some embodiments, there is provided an advantageous endoscope system that may be used to provide enhanced, focused vertical images of regions of interest at a relatively short working distances during endoscopic procedures, to thereby result in more accurate and safe medical procedures.

According to some embodiments, the devices and systems disclosed herein are advantageous, as they allow obtaining, visualizing and/or identifying objects or areas/regions of interest in a cost effective and efficient manner, during the medical procedure, by utilizing two cameras configured to provide a combined field of view at a desired working distance, while being small and compact enough to fit within the limited space of the endoscope tip, and without compromising image quality.

According to some embodiments, the devices and systems disclosed herein are further advantageous as they allow a desired overlap (for example, in the range of 30- 40%) in the field of views of the front facing camera and the bottom facing cameras, wherein advantageously, the field of view (FOV) overlap is within the working distance of the cameras, thereby allowing providing enhanced and focused vertical panoramic image. According to some embodiments, the relation between the optical routes ("vision direction") of the two cameras advantageously allow providing enhanced vertical panoramic images. As detailed below herein, the relation between the optical routes may be affected by, for example, but not limited to: the type of cameras, the type and/or size of the lenses of the cameras, the type and/or size of the sensors of the cameras, the distance between the cameras, the relative angles of the cameras in relation to the longitudinal axis of the endoscope body (shaft), the relative angles of the cameras in relation to the longitudinal axis of the endoscope handle’s user control interface, and the like, or any combination thereof. Each possibility is a separate embodiment.

According to some embodiments, the disclosed devices and systems thus allow providing a continuous view of the medical tool used during then endoscopic procedures, which is capable of being viewed simultaneously by the two cameras, due to the relatively short distance overlap point between the respective field of views of the cameras.

According to some embodiments, advantageously, the systems and devices disclosed herein further allow obtaining a 3D vertical image of a region of interest, due to the relatively high overlap percentage (over about 30%) between the field of views of the two cameras, even at relatively short working distances.

According to some embodiments, there is provided an endoscope distal tip which includes: a front facing first camera; and a bottom facing second camera; wherein a field of view of the first camera at least partially overlap with a field of view of the second camera, thereby providing a vertical panoramic image of a region of interest.

According to some embodiments, the endoscope may further include one or more illumination components associated with the first camera and/or with the second camera.

According to some embodiments, at least one illumination component of the one or more illumination components is or includes a discrete light source.

According to some embodiments, each of said first and second cameras includes a discrete illumination component.

The endoscope tip according to any one of claims 2-4, According to some embodiments, wherein the first camera is associated with three illumination components.

According to some embodiments, the front camera may be positioned at an angle relative to a longitudinal axis of a shaft associated with the tip.

According to some embodiments, the angle may be in the range of about 10-40 degrees. According to some embodiments, the angle may be in the range of about 15-35 degrees.

According to some embodiments, the second camera maybe essentially perpendicular relative to a longitudinal axis of a shaft associated with the tip.

According to some embodiments, the second camera may be tilted at an angle in the range of about 0.1 to about 5 degrees relative to a longitudinal axis of a shaft associated with the tip.

According to some embodiments, the overlap in the field of view between the first camera and the second camera is about 20-50%. According to some embodiments, the overlap in the field of view between the first camera and the second camera is about 30-40%.

According to some embodiments, the overlap between the field of view of the first camera and the field of view of the second camera is within a working distance of the first camera and the second camera.

According to some embodiments, the field of view of each of the first and second cameras is in the range of about 65 to about 145 degrees. In some embodiments, the field of view of each of the first and second cameras is in the range of about 80 to about 120 degrees. According to some embodiments, a depth of field of each of the first and second cameras may be in the range of about 0.5 to about 40mm. According to some embodiments, a depth of field of each of the first and second cameras may be in the range of about 1 to about 30mm.

According to some embodiments, a working distance of each of the first and second cameras may be the range of about 5 to about 150 mm.

According to some embodiments, the provided image may be a 3D image.

According to some embodiments, the front facing camera and/or the bottom facing camera include an optical sensor selected from CMOS and CCD.

According to some embodiments, there is provided an endoscope which includes the tip disclosed herein at a distal section of an elongated shaft of the endoscope.

According to some embodiments, the shaft may be configured to be inserted to a region of interest within an anatomical body cavity. According to some embodiments, the shaft may be rigid, semi-rigid or flexible.

According to some embodiments, the endoscope may be for use in endoscopic procedures selected from: laparoscopy, thoracic endoscopy, colonoscopy, genecology arthroscopy, cystoscopy, ureterostomy, hysterectomy, renal procedures, urological procedures, nasal procedure and orthopedic procedures. According to some embodiments, there is provided a medical imaging system which includes the endoscope disclosed herein (i.e., an endoscope having a distal tip with front facing and bottom facing cameras, as disclosed herein), and a display configured to display the images and/or video generated by the cameras.

According to some embodiments, the medical imaging system includes a processing unit configured to receive images obtained from the front camera and the bottom camera and generate in real time a vertical panoramic image at varying depth of fields.

According to some embodiments, the image generated by the imaging system is a 3D image of a body cavity, in which the endoscope tip resides.

According to some embodiments, the generated image may be obtained at the working distance of the front camera and/or the bottom camera. According to some embodiments, the working distance may be in the range of about 5-150mm. According to some embodiments, the working distance may be in the range of about 15 -25mm.

According to some embodiments, there is provided a method for obtaining a vertical panoramic image of a region of interest in a subject body, the method includes: inserting into the region of interest an endoscope shaft comprising the endoscope distal tip as disclosed herein; and generating a vertical panoramic image of the region of interest within a working distance of the front and/or second camera.

According to some embodiments, the generated vertical panoramic image may be generated in real time by a processing unit configured to generate said vertical panoramic image based on images obtained from the front camera and the bottom camera, wherein the vertical panoramic image is generated based a combined field of view of a field of view of the first camera and a field of view of the second camera.

According to some embodiments, the vertical image generated by the method is a 3D image. According to some embodiments, the method may further include displaying the vertical panoramic image on a display.

Certain embodiments of the present disclosure may include some, all, or none of the above advantages. One or more other technical advantages may be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the figures, descriptions, and claims included herein. Moreover, while specific advantages have been enumerated above, various embodiments may include all, some, or none of the enumerated advantages.

Aspects of the disclosure may be described in the general context of computer- executable instructions, such as program modules, being executed by a computer. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, and so forth, which perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. Disclosed embodiments may also be practiced in distributed computing environments where tasks are performed by remote processing devices that are linked through a communications network. In a distributed computing environment, program modules may be located in both local and remote computer storage media including memory storage devices.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Some embodiments of the disclosure are described herein with reference to the accompanying figures. The description, together with the figures, makes apparent to a person having ordinary skill in the art how some embodiments may be practiced. The figures are for the purpose of illustrative description and no attempt is made to show structural details of an embodiment in more detail than is necessary for a fundamental understanding of the disclosure. For the sake of clarity, some objects depicted in the figures are not to scale.

In the figures:

Fig. 1 - shows a schematic, perspective view of an endoscope including a handle, and an elongated shaft having a distal tip having a font facing camera and a bottom facing camera, according to some embodiments; Figs. 2A-2C - schematically show perspective side-views of exemplary distal tips of an endoscope of Fig. 1, according to some embodiments;

Fig. 3A - schematically shows a close-up view of a cross section of distal tip of an endoscope of Fig. 2A and 2C, according to some embodiments; Fig. 3B - schematically shows a close-up view of a cross section of distal tip of an endoscope of Fig. 2A and 2C, according to some embodiments;

Fig. 3C - shows schematic close-up view of a cross section of a portion of a distal tip of an endoscope of Fig. 1, according to some embodiments.

Fig. 4A - shows schematic illustration of a cross section of field of views of two cameras at a distal tip of an endoscope of Figs. 3A-3C, according to some embodiments;

Fig. 4B shows an illustration of a panoramic view generated by two cameras at a distal tip of an endoscope of Fig. 4A, according to some embodiments;

Fig. 5A - shows a schematic illustration of the field of view (FOV) of a front camera at a distal tip of an endoscope of Fig. 4A, according to some embodiments; Fig. 5B - shows a schematic illustration of the field of view (FOV) of a bottom camera at a distal tip of an endoscope of Fig. 4A, according to some embodiments; and

Fig. 5C - shows a schematic illustration of a combined field of view (FOV) of a front camera and a bottom camera at a distal tip of an endoscope of Fig. 4A, according to some embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The principles, uses, and implementations of the teachings herein may be better understood with reference to the accompanying description and figures. Upon perusal of the description and figures present herein, one skilled in the art will be able to implement the teachings herein without undue effort or experimentation. In the figures, same reference numerals refer to same parts throughout. According to some embodiments, there is provided herein an advantageous endoscope having a front camera and a bottom camera at a distal end (tip) thereof, each having a field of view, wherein the combined field of view (i.e., the overlap between the respective field of views of the cameras) provides a vertical panoramic view, or vertical 3D images of body regions in which the distal tip of the endoscope resides. Advantageously, the overlap between the respective field of views (FOVs) of the cameras (i.e., the combined FOV) is with in the working distance of the cameras, thereby facilitating obtaining focused images at relatively short working distances.

As used herein, the terms "camera", “imaging unit” refer to a unit which includes an optical lens assembly, associated with at least one optical sensor. In some embodiments, each of the optical lens assemblies is associated with an optical sensor. In some embodiments, the term "imaging unit" is interchangeable with camera.

As used herein, the terms “lens”, “lenses”, “lens assembly”, refer to an optical components/lens associated with a suitable image sensor, capable of forming an image.

As used herein the terms “optical sensor” “imaging sensor” and “image sensor” may interchangeably be used. The terms refer to a sensor as known in the art which conveys information from the optical lens to make/generate an image. In some embodiments, the image sensor may be of the type of charge coupled device (CCD) or a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS).

As used herein the terms “depth of field” and “depth of view”, may interchangeably be used. The terms refer to a range of distances through which an object/region being imaged may move in or out of the plane of best focus while maintaining an acceptable level of contrast at a particular spatial frequency or resolution. In other words, the terms relate to the ability of the lens assembly to maintain a desired amount of image quality as an object is positioned closer to/farther away from the best focus.

As used herein, the term "working distance" relates to a specific distance through which an object/region being imaged is in the plane of best focus. In some embodiments, a working distance is a distance between the end of a lens and the object/region being imaged. In some embodiments, a working distance is a value within a range of values of a corresponding depth of field.

The terms "first camera", "front facing camera" and "front camera" may interchangeably be used.

The terms "second camera", "bottom facing camera" and "bottom camera" may interchangeably be used.

Reference is now made to Fig. 1, which schematically depict an endoscope, according to some embodiments. As shown in Fig. 1, endoscope 100 includes an elongated shaft 102, configured to be inserted into an anatomical site (e.g., an anatomical cavity), and a handle 104, configured to be held by a user (e.g., a surgeon) of endoscope 100 and to facilitate guiding and manipulation of elongated shaft 102 (particularly a distal section 106 thereof) within the anatomical site. Shaft 102 may include a shaft body in the form of a rigid tubular member. Shaft distal section 106 includes a distal tip 108 thereof, two cameras: a front facing camera 110 and a bottom facing camera 112. As detailed herein, each of the cameras may include one or more illumination components, such as front facing illumination components 114, which may be, for example, light emitting diodes (LEDs). According to some embodiments, each of illumination components is or includes a discrete light source. According to some embodiments, wherein illumination the components include LEDs, the LEDs may include, for example, one or more white light LEDs, infrared LEDs, near infrared LEDs, an ultraviolet LED, and/or a combination thereof. It is noted that in embodiments wherein illumination components include LEDs configured to produce light outside the visible spectrum (e.g., an infrared spectrum, a UV spectrum), the cameras may include suitable sensors configured to detect such type of light (e.g., infrared light, ultraviolet). That is, the cameras will have capacities of e.g., infrared cameras and so on. According to some embodiments, the illumination components may include the distal tips of respective optical fibers (not shown).

The handle 104 may include a user control interface 116 configured to allow a user to control endoscope 100 functions. User control interface 116 may be functionally associated with the cameras and/or illumination components via an electronic coupling between shaft 102 and handle 104. According to some embodiments, user control interface 114 may allow, for example, to control zoom, focus, views, record/stop recording, freeze frame functions, etc., of the cameras and/or to adjust the light intensity provided by the respective illumination components.

According to some embodiments, the front facing camera 110 and the bottom facing camera 112 may include any type of suitable optical sensor, including, for example, a charge coupled device (CCD) image sensor or a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor.

Reference is now made to Figs. 2A-2C, which schematically show perspective side-views of exemplary distal tips of an endoscope of Fig. 1, according to some embodiments. As shown in Fig. 2A, distal tip 150 (which may be identical or similar to distal tip 108 of Fig. 1), includes a front facing camera 152 and a bottom facing camera 154. Front facing camera 152 is positioned at a front surface 151 of a distal end 153 of the distal tip 150, and is configured to provide a front view (as detailed below herein). As shown in Fig. 2A, front facing camera 152 may be tilted at an angle relative to a longitudinal axis, represented by Axis A-A, of the elongated shaft body (which may be identical or similar to elongated shaft 102 of Fig. 1), portion 160 of the shaft is shown. In some embodiments, the distal end 153 of the tip 150 is slanted at an angle relative to the elongated shaft body, represented by Axis A-A (as further detailed herein). Associated with front camera 152 are one or more illumination components, shown in Fig. 2A, as front facing illumination components 156A-C. Bottom facing camera 154 is placed essentially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis A-A of the elongated shaft body, but in some instances may also be tilted or slanted (as further elaborated below herein). The image(s) obtained from the bottom camera are from a plain which is parallel (or substantially parallel, if the camera is tilted) to the longitudinal axis A-A of the shaft 160. The bottom facing camera 154 is associated with one or more illumination component(s), shown as bottom facing illumination component 158 in Fig. 2A.

As shown in Fig. 2B, distal tip 170 (which may be identical or similar to tip 108 of Fig. 1), includes a front facing camera 172 and a bottom facing camera 174. Front facing camera 172 is positioned at a front surface 171 of a distal end 173 of the distal tip 170, and is configured to provide a front view (as detailed below herein). As shown in Fig. 2B, front facing camera 172 may be tilted at an angle relative to a longitudinal axis, represented by Axis A-A, of the elongated shaft body which may be identical or similar to elongated shaft 102 of Fig. 1), portion 180 thereof is shown. In some embodiments, the distal end 173 of the distal tip 170 is slanted at an angle relative to the longitudinal axis A-A of the elongated shaft body (as further detailed herein). Associated with front camera 172 are one or more illumination components, shown in Fig. 2B, as front facing illumination component 176. Bottom facing camera 164 is placed essentially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis A-A of the elongated shaft body 180, but in some instances may also be tilted or slanted (as further elaborated below herein). The image(s) obtained from the bottom camera 174 are from a plain which is parallel (or substantially parallel, if the camera is tilted) to the longitudinal axis A-A of the shaft. Bottom facing camera 164 is associated with one or more illumination component(s), shown as bottom facing illumination component 168 in Fig. 2B.

As shown in Fig. 2C, distal tip 190 includes a front facing camera 192 and a bottom facing camera 194. Front facing camera 192 is positioned at a front surface 191 of a distal end 193 of the distal tip 190, and is configured to provide a front view (as detailed below herein). As shown in Fig. 2C, front facing camera 192 may be tilted at an angle relative to an elongated shaft body (portion 199 thereof is shown). A shown in Fig. 2C, the distal tip 190 and shaft body 199 are continuously formed. In some embodiments, the diameter of the distal tip 190 and the shaft body 199 are essentially similar. In some embodiments, the distal end 193 of the distal tip 190 is slanted at an angle relative to a longitudinal axis, represented by Axis A-A, of the elongated shaft body 199. Associated with front camera 192 are one or more illumination components, shown in Fig. 2C as front facing illumination components 196A-C. Bottom facing camera 194 is placed essentially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis A-A of the elongated shaft body 199, but in some instances may also be tilted or slanted (as further elaborated below herein). The image(s) obtained from the bottom camera 194 are from a plain which is parallel (or substantially parallel, if the camera is tilted) to the longitudinal axis A-A of the shaft 199. Bottom facing camera 194 is associated with one or more illumination component(s). shown as bottom facing illumination component 198 in Fig. 2C.

Reference is now made to Fig. 3A, which shows a close-up view of a cross section of distal tip of an endoscope of Fig. 2A and 2C, according to some embodiments. As shown in Fig. 3A, distal tip 200 includes a first, front facing camera 202, which is housed within housing 210. The front facing camera 202 is tilted/angled relative to a longitudinal axis of a shaft of the endoscope (represented by Axis A-A), as detailed herein, and as exemplified in Fig. 3C below herein. The positioning and/or tilting of the front camera 202 may be adjustable or predetermined and may be dictated by the housing thereof. In some embodiments, the entire front surface/face 214 of the distal tip 200 (i.e., the surface of a distal end 215 of the distal tip 200) may be angled relative to the longitudinal axis A- A of the shaft. Further shown in Fig. 3A is front lens 220 of front camera 202, which may be positioned at any region of the front surface 214, such as, upper, central or lower region, closer to the circumference or to the center of the front face 214. As shown in Fig. 3A, the front lens 220 (hence the front camera 202) is situated at a lower circumferential region of the front surface 214. Further shown in Fig. 3 A are front facing illumination components, of which two exemplary front facing illumination components, 206A-B are shown on the front surface 214 of the distal tip 200. The front facing illumination components 206 are located within their respective housing/opening in front surface/face 214. Front facing illumination components 206A-B preferably provide illumination in the direction towards which the front camera 202 is facing. In other words, front facing illumination components 206 are configured to provide illumination to the field of view of the front camera 202. Further shown in Fig. 3A is bottom facing camera 204. Bottom facing camera 204 may be located essentially perpendicularly (i.e., Axis B- B) to the longitudinal axis of the shaft (Axis A-A), such that bottom facing lens 216 of bottom facing camera 204 is essentially parallel to that axis (A-A). In some embodiments, the bottom facing camera 204 is located at an angle relative to the longitudinal axis A-A of the shaft, as detailed herein and as further exemplified in Fig. 3B. The bottom facing camera 204 is located/placed within housing/niche 212, which can hold/house the camera (for example, lens assembly, sensor, etc.) parts. Further shown is corresponding bottom facing illumination component 208, which is situated in a corresponding opening/housing. In some embodiments, as elaborated herein, the distance between the front facing camera 202 and the bottom facing camera 204 may be adjusted or predetermined, and may be such as to allow maximal overlap in the respective field of views of the two cameras. Accordingly, to this aim, the front facing camera 202 may be located at the lower circumference region of the front distal surface/face 214 of the distal tip 200. Reference is now made to Fig. 3B, which shows a close-up view of a cross section of distal tip of an endoscope of Fig. 2A and 2C, according to some embodiments. As shown in Fig. 3B, distal tip 250 includes a first, front facing camera 252, which is housed within housing 260. The front facing camera 252 is tilted/angled relative to a longitudinal axis of a shaft of the endoscope (Axis A-A) as further exemplified in Fig. 3C below herein. The positioning and/or tilting of the front facing camera 252 may be adjustable or predetermined and may be dictated by the housing 260 thereof. In some embodiments, entire front surface/face 264 of the distal tip 250 (i.e., the surface of a distal end 265 of the distal tip 250) may be angled relative to the longitudinal axis A-A of the shaft. Further shown in Fig. 3B is front facing lens 270 of front facing camera 252, which may be positioned at any region of the front surface 264, such as, upper, central or lower region, closer to the circumference or to the center of the front surface 264. As shown in Fig. 3B, the front facing lens 270 (hence the front facing camera 252) is situated at a lower circumferential region of the front surface 264. Further shown in Fig. 3B are front facing illumination components, of which two exemplary front facing illumination components, 256A-B are shown on the front surface 264 of the distal tip 250. The front facing illumination components are located within their respective housing/opening in front surface/face 264. Front facing illumination components 256A-B preferably provide illumination in the direction towards which the front camera 252 is facing. In other words, front facing illumination components 256 are configured to provide illumination to the field of view of the front facing camera 252. Further shown in Fig. 3B is bottom facing camera 254 having a lens 266, the bottom facing camera 254 housed in housing/niche 262. Bottom facing camera 254 may be positioned at an adjustable or predetermined angle (a) relative to the longitudinal axis of the shaft (Axis A-A). Angle a is formed between the A-A axis and the D axis, which is the axis on which the bottom camera lens lies. Angle a may be in the range of 0-10 degrees, such as, for example, 1.5, 2.5, 3.5, 5 degrees. When bottom camera 254 is tilted, it is not perpendicular to Axis A-A (being perpendicular is represented by axis line B-B'), but is rather at an angle b, which is defined by line B-C. Further shown is corresponding bottom facing illumination component 258, which is situated in a corresponding opening/housing and faces essentially the same direction of view as the bottom facing camera 254. In some embodiments, bottom facing illumination component 258 is parallel to Axis A-A. In some embodiments, the bottom facing illumination component 258 is at an angle a relative to the Axis A-A. In some embodiments, the bottom facing illumination component may be placed proximally relative to the bottom camera, to thereby facilitate improved overlap in the FOV between the bottom camera and the front camera. In some embodiments, in such a setting in which the bottom facing camera 254 is tilted as described herein, improved /enhanced overlap in the respective field of views of the two cameras may be facilitated.

Reference is now made to Fig. 3C, which shows schematic close-up view of a cross section of a portion of a distal tip of an endoscope of Fig. 1, according to some embodiments. Shown in Fig. 3C is distal end 282 of a distal tip 280 and a front camera assembly 284 (a lens assembly of the front camera 284 not shown) and a circuit board assembly (CBA) 290. CBA 290 may include a printed circuit board (PCB) 294 and electronic components (not shown), such as processors, amplifiers, and discrete components. PCB 294 may be flexible, rigid, and/or flex-rigid. Front camera assembly 284, and front illumination components (not shown) may be mounted on a PCB arm 296 of PCB 294. Further shown in Axis A-A, which is parallel to a longitudinal axis of a shaft of the endoscope (not shown), such as shaft 102 of endoscope 100 as shown in Fig. 1. The distal end 282 of the distal tip 280, and hence, the front camera 284, may be tilted/angled/slanted at an angle d, which is the angle formed between the Axis B-B, which is perpendicular to Axis A-A, and Axis B-D, which is the axis that is parallel to a front face 283 of the distal tip 280 and/or front facing lens (not shown) of the front camera assembly 284. The axis B-B extends from a proximal edge 295 of a PCB arm 296 of PCB 294. Angle d may be adjusted or predetermined. Angle d may be assumed by the PCB arm 296 of which the front camera 284 mounted on and/or by the structure of the distal end 282 of the distal tip 280. Angle d may be in the range of, for example, about 0-45 degrees, such as, for example, 15 degrees, 25 degrees, 30 degrees, 35 degrees, and the like. In some embodiments, angle d may be determined so as to allow improved/enhanced or maximal overlap between the FOV of the front camera 284 and the bottom camera (not shown). In some embodiments, the size of angle d may be adjusted or determined based on angle a (shown in Fig. 3B) and/or the distance between the lenses of the front and bottom camera, and vice-versa. In some embodiments, a tilted front camera 284 allows overlap between the FOVs of the two cameras at a closer distance, to thereby provide a panoramic view from a shorter (closer) working distance. According to some embodiments, each of the cameras includes a lens assembly and an image sensor. According to some embodiments, the image sensors may be a CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor) image sensor, a CCD (charge- coupled device) image sensor and the like.

According to some embodiments, the endoscope shaft may have a round or substantially round transverse cross-section. According to some embodiments, the distal tip may have a round or substantially round transverse cross-section, except in some embodiments, at a distal portion thereof where it is being slanted or angled, as shown, for example, in Figs. 2A-C. According to some embodiments, the tip may be of a greater diameter than the shaft. In some embodiments, the tip may be of essentially the same diameter as the shaft. According to some such embodiments, a proximal portion of the distal tip may be tapered (i.e., narrowing in the proximal direction).

According to some embodiments, the endoscope may be functionally associated with a main control unit which includes processing circuitry (e.g., one or more processors and memory components) configured to process (digital data) from the front and bottom cameras such as to display the captured image(s), and video streams on a display/monitor. In particular, the processing circuitry may be configured to process the digital data received from each of the cameras, such as to produce therefrom video flies/streams providing a panoramic/surround view of the anatomical site, as explained below. According to some embodiments, the processing circuitry may be configured to process the data received from the cameras to produce a combined video stream providing a continuous and consistent (seamless) frontal panoramic view of the anatomical site. The main control unit may include a user configured to allow a user to operate main control unit and/or may allow control thereof using one or more input devices (for example, an external user control interface connectable thereto, such as a keyboard, a mouse, a portable computer, a mobile computational device (such as a smartphone or a tablet), a voice controller, and the like). According to some embodiments, the main control unit may further be configured to partially or fully operate the cameras and/or the illumination components. Some operational aspects may be operated automatically, while other operational aspects or functions may be operated using a user interface and/or input devices. According to some embodiments, the main control unit may include a display for presenting information regarding the operation of the endoscope, such as the brightness levels of the cameras, zoom options, focus, and the like. According to some embodiments, the control unit for example, via a touch screen display, may further allow controlling for example, the zoom, focus, imaging, selecting images from specific cameras, compiling images from various cameras, creating a panoramic image, record/stop recording functions, freeze frame function, and/or the brightness of the cameras, and/or to adjust the light intensity of the illumination components. According to some embodiments, the choice of information presented may be controlled/selected by the user.

According to some embodiments, the endoscope may be functionally associated with the main control via a utility cable connected to or configured to be connected to a proximal section of the handle of the endoscope, and further configured to be connected to the main control unit. The utility cable may include at least one data cable for receiving video signals from the camera(s), and at least one power cable for providing electrical power to the cameras and to the illumination component(s), as well as to operationally control parameters of the camera(s) and illumination component(s). Additionally or alternatively, according to some embodiments the endoscope may include a wireless communication unit (for example, a Bluetooth antenna or Wi-Fi) configured to communicatively associate the endoscope with the main control unit. According to some embodiments, wherein the illumination components include the distal tips of optical fibers and wherein the light source(s) is positioned in the main control unit, the cable will also include one or more optical fibers configured to guide the light produced by the light source(s) to an optical fiber(s) in the handle, wherefrom the light will be guided to optical fibers in the endoscope shaft.

According to some embodiments, images/videos from the different cameras, may be displayed separately (e.g., side-by-side, picture on picture, in an equal aspect ratio, in an un-equal aspect ratios, in multiple copies of one or more of the video streams, and the like) on the monitor, and/or may be presented as a single vertical panoramic/surround, image/video. According to some embodiments, the user interface and/or the input devices and/or the user control interface are configured to allow switching between images/videos corresponding to different FOVs of the different cameras. According to some embodiments, each of the cameras has a field of view and the field-of-view (FOV) provided by endoscope may the combination of the respective FOVs provided by each of the cameras. The cameras may be configured to provide a continuous and consistent FOV. In some embodiments, the FOVs ofthe two cameras at least partially overlap, to thereby provide a panoramic vertical view of a region of interest.

Reference is now made to Figs. 4A-4B, which show schematic illustration of field of views of two cameras at the distal tip of an endoscope of Figs. 3A-C, and a panoramic view generated thereby, according to some embodiments. As schematically shown in Fig. 4A, endoscope 300 includes an elongated shaft 302, having a distal tip 304. The distal tip 304 includes a front facing camera 306, which is slanted/tilted relative to a longitudinal axis, Axis A-A, of shaft 302. A field of view (FOV 310) of front facing camera 306 is defined by lines E and E'. Further included with distal tip 304 is bottom facing camera 308, a field of view (312) of which is represented by lines F and F'. As shown in Fig. 4A, FOV 310 and FOV 312 at least partially overlap, for example, at region 314, at least partially defined by lines E and F. As further detailed below, the degree of overlapping between the FOVs of the front camera 306 and bottom camera 308 may be determined by the slanting angle of the front camera 306, distance between the bottom camera 308 and the front camera 306 (for example, the distance between the respective lenses or image sensors of the cameras) and/or a slanting angle of the bottom camera 308. Shown in Fig. 4B, is a presentation of combined panoramic view 350 generated based on images obtained from the front camera (image 352) and the bottom camera (image 354), in particular, at the overlapping region of their respective field of views. In some embodiments, a tilted front camera allows overlap between the FOVs of the two cameras at a closer distance, to thereby provide a panoramic view from a shorter (closer) working distance.

Reference is now made to Fig. 5A, which shows a schematic illustration of the field of view (FOV) of a front camera at a distal tip of an endoscope of Fig. 4A, according to some embodiments. As shown in Fig. 5A, distal tip 402 of an endoscope (portion 404 of an elongated shaft of the endoscope is shown (such as elongated shaft 102 of Fig. 1)) includes a bottom facing camera 406 and a front facing camera 408. Further shown are front facing illumination components 409A-C. Further shown in Fig. 5 A is a front field of view (FOV 410) of the front facing camera 408 and optical axis O of front facing camera 408. Front FOV 410 may define a pyramid with a rectangular cross-sectional area 420 (e.g., when a front image sensor of the front facing camera 408 is rectangular). In some embodiments, the front FOV 410 is defined as a pyramid with rectangular cross section area 420 and is tilted at an angle (for example angle d, shown in Fig. 3C) relative to a longitudinal axis A-A of shaft 404. The tilting or slanting angle may be in the range of, for example, 1-40 degrees and any subranges thereof, such as, 15 degrees, 25 degrees, 30 degrees, 35 degrees. According to some embodiments, wherein the optical axis O of front camera 408 is perpendicular, or substantially perpendicular, to a front surface 412 of the distal tip 402, cross-sectional area 420 may define a plane, which is parallel, or substantially parallel, to the z'x -plane (and to front surface 412). According to some embodiments, a bottom edge 422 of cross-sectional area 420 may be parallel, or substantially parallel, to the x'-axis. According to some embodiments, front FOV 410 may be in the range of between 60-140 degrees. In some embodiments, the front FOV may be in the range of between about 70-130 degrees. In some embodiments, the front FOV may be in the range of between about 80-120 degrees. In some embodiments, the front FOV may be in the range of between about 85-110 degrees. In some embodiments, the front FOV may be in the range of between about 90-105 degrees. In some embodiments, the depth of field of the front camera may be in the range of about 1 -50mm . In some embodiments, the depth of field of the front camera may be in the range of about 1-40 mm. In some embodiments, the depth of field of the front camera may be in the range of about l-30mm. In some embodiments, the working distance of the front camera may be in the range of about 1 -200mm. In some embodiments, the working distance of the front camera may be in the range of about 1-180mm. In some embodiments, the working distance of the front camera may be in the range of about 5-150mm.

Reference is now made to Fig. 5B, which shows a schematic illustration of the field of view (FOV) of a bottom camera at a distal tip of an endoscope of Fig. 4A, according to some embodiments. As shown in Fig. 5B, distal tip 402 of an endoscope, (such as endoscope 100 of Fig. 1) includes a bottom facing camera 406 and a front facing camera 408. Further shown are front illumination components 409A-C and bottom illumination component 480. Also illustrated in Fig. 5B is a bottom field of view (FOV 460) of the bottom facing camera 406. bottom FOV 460 may define a pyramid with a rectangular cross-sectional area 462 (e.g., when a bottom image sensor of the bottom facing camera 406 is rectangular). In some embodiments, the bottom FOV 460 is defined as a pyramid with rectangular cross section area 462 and is tilted at an angle (for example angle a, shown in Fig. 3B) relative to a longitudinal axis A-A of the endoscope shaft. The tilting or slanting angle may be in the range of, for example, 0-8 degrees and any subranges thereof, such as, 1.5, 2.5, 3.5 degree. In some embodiments, as detailed above, the bottom camera 406 may be placed perpendicular to the longitudinal axis A-A of the endoscope elongated shaft, or at angle of between about 85-90 degrees relative thereto, such that it is tilted in the direction of the front camera 408. According to some embodiments, bottom FOV 460 may be in the range of between 60-140 degrees. In some embodiments, the bottom FOV may be in the range of between about 70-130 degrees. In some embodiments, the bottom FOV may be in the range of between about 80-120 degrees. In some embodiments, the bottom FOV may be in the range of between about 85-110 degrees. In some embodiments, the bottom FOV may be in the range of between about 90-105 degrees. In some embodiments, the depth of field of the bottom camera may be in the range of about 1-50mm. In some embodiments, the depth of field of the bottom camera may be in the range of about 1-40 mm. In some embodiments, the depth of field of the bottom camera may be in the range of about 1-30mm. In some embodiments, the working distance of the bottom camera may be in the range of about l-200mm. In some embodiments, the working distance of the bottom camera may be in the range of about 1- 180mm. In some embodiments, the working distance of the bottom camera may be in the range of about 5- 150mm.

Reference is now made to Fig. 5C, which shows a schematic illustration of a combined field of view (FOV) of a front and bottom cameras at a distal tip of an endoscope, according to some embodiments. Distal tip 402 of an endoscope (portion 404 of an elongated shaft of the endoscope is shown, such as elongated shaft 102 of Fig. 1) includes a bottom facing camera 406 and a front facing camera 408. Further shown are front illumination components 409A-C. Also shown is a front field of view (FOV 410, also shown in Fig. 5A) of the front facing camera 408 and a field of view 460 of the bottom camera 406, also shown in Fig. 5B. As can be seen in Fig. 5C, the front FOV 410 and the bottom FOV 460 at least partially overlap to form a combined (joint) FOV. Front FOV 420 defines a pyramid, which is delineated in Fig. 5C by (red-colored) dashed- dotted lines. Bottom FOV 460 defines a pyramid, which is delineated in by (blue-colored) dashed lines. Front FOV 420 and bottom FOV 460 combine to form a continuous (i.e., panoramic) FOV characterized by a vertical FOV 470 of about 90-180 degrees (for example 90 degrees, 150 degrees, 180 degrees). In some embodiments, the overlap region/overlap point is advantageously at about the working distance of the front and bottom cameras. For example, the overlap point/region may be at a distance of about 5- 30mm from a front facing lens of each camera to a target region, such as front facing lens 220, 270 of front facing camera 202, 252 and bottom facing lens 216, 266 of bottom camera 204, 254 of Figs. 3 A and 3B, respectively. For example, the overlap point/region may be at a distance of about 10-25mm from the front facing lens of each camera to the target region. For example, the overlap point/region may be at a distance of about 19mm from the front facing lens of each camera to the target region.

In some embodiments, the front facing camera and the bottom facing camera are similar or identical with respect of one or more of: type, shape, size, working distance, depth of field, field of view, and the like, or any combination thereof. Each possibility is a separate embodiment.

According to some embodiments, the optical lenses the front and bottom camera may be different from each other with respect of one or more of their properties, including, but not limited to: size, composition, type, working distance, focal length, depth of field, position, location, plane, distance, and/or topology. Each possibility is a separate embodiment.

In some embodiments, each of the cameras may include one or more illumination components, each illumination component may include one or more light emitting diode(s) (LEDs).

According to some embodiments, there is provided an endoscope having at a distal end/tip thereof two cameras: a front facing camera and a bottom facing camera, wherein the front facing camera is tilted or slanted at an angle relatively to the longitudinal axis of the shaft of the endoscope.

According to some embodiments, the endoscope distal tip disclosed herein, may be used in various types of endoscopes, such as, flexible, semi-rigid and rigid endoscopes. According to some exemplary embodiments, flexible endoscope may include such endoscopes for use in renal procedures, urological procedures, nasal procedure, orthopedic procedures, and the like. In some embodiments, such endoscopes may provide a combined vertical field of view, in the range of about 80-180. In some embodiments, such endoscopes may provide a combined vertical field of view, in the range of about SO HO degrees.

According to some embodiments, endoscopes for use in procedures such as, for example, colonoscopy, genecology, laparoscopy, may provide a combined vertical field of view, in the range of about 80-180 degrees. In some embodiments, the combined vertical field of view, in the range of about 80-120 degrees.

According to some embodiments, there is provided a method for obtaining a vertical panoramic image of a region of interest, for example, in a body cavity, at close working distances relative to an endoscope distal tip, the method includes inserting into the body cavity an endoscope shaft having a tip at the distal section thereof, wherein the distal tip includes a first, front facing camera and a second, bottom facing camera, wherein the FOV of the first camera and the FOV of the second camera at least partially overlap and obtaining or generating a focused vertical panoramic image of the body cavity at a desired working distance relative to the distal tip.

In some embodiments, the working distance and/or the depth of field may be in any desired range, based on the type of endoscope and the medical procedure. In some embodiments, the type, size, distance between the front and bottom cameras, slanting angle of the front camera and/or of the bottom camera may be adjusted or predetermined and may affect one or more of the parameters of: field of view, combined field of view, depth of field, working distance, FOV overlap region, and the like, or any combination thereof.

In some embodiments, the generated vertical panoramic image may be generated in real time, by a processing unit (for example, processing unit of a main control unit), which is configured to generate the image based on the images obtained from the front camera and the bottom camera. In some embodiments, the processing unit is configured to generate the panoramic image by interpolation and/or superposition of the images obtained from the two cameras. According to some embodiments, there is provided an endoscope which includes a handle, and a compatible shaft having a tip as disclosed herein, at a distal section of the shaft.

According to some embodiments, there is provided an endoscope which includes the tip as disclosed herein, at a distal section of an elongated shaft of the endoscope.

According to some embodiments, shaft is configured to be inserted to a region of interest within an anatomical body cavity.

According to some embodiments, the shaft may be rigid, semi-rigid or flexible.

According to some embodiments, the endoscope disclosed herein may be used in endoscopic procedures selected from: laparoscopy, thoracic endoscopy, colonoscopy, genecology arthroscopy, cystoscopy, ureterostomy, hysterectomy, renal procedures, urological procedures, nasal procedure and orthopedic procedures. Each possibility is a separate embodiment.

According to some embodiments, there is provided a medical imaging system which includes the endoscope disclosed herein, and a display configured to display the images and/or video generated by the front and/or bottom camera.

According to some embodiments, the system may further include a processing unit configured to receive images obtained from the o front and/or bottom camera and generate in real time a vertical panoramic image. In some embodiments, the generated focused image is a 3D image of a body cavity, in which the endoscope tip resides.

According to some embodiments, there is provided a method of using an endoscope having a tip as disclosed herein, for obtaining a vertical panoramic image (still or video) of a body cavity at close working distances.

According to some embodiments, there is provided a method for obtaining a vertical panoramic image of a region of interest at a desired working distance relative to the tip of an endoscope, the method may include the steps of: inserting into the region of interest an endoscope shaft having a tip at a distal section thereof, the tip includes a front facing camera and bottom facing camera; and generating a vertical panoramic image of the region of interest within a working distance of the cameras.

According to some embodiments, the working distance is in the range of about 5- 250 millimeters.

According to some embodiments, the generated vertical panoramic image is generated in real time by a processing unit configured to generate the image based on the images obtained from the front camera and the bottom camera.

According to some embodiments, the vertical image is a 3D image.

According to some embodiments, the method may further include displaying the image on a display.

In some embodiments, the method may further include presenting or displaying the panoramic image and/or the individual images obtained from the cameras.

In the description and claims of the application, the words “include” and “have”, and forms thereof, are not limited to members in a list with which the words may be associated.

Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains. In case of conflict, the patent specification, including definitions, governs. As used herein, the indefinite articles “a” and “an” mean “at least one” or “one or more” unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

Unless specifically stated otherwise, as apparent from the disclosure, it is appreciated that, according to some embodiments, terms such as “processing”, “computing”, “calculating”, “determining”, “estimating”, “assessing”, “gauging” or the like, may refer to the action and/or processes of a computer or computing system, or similar electronic computing device, that manipulate and/or transform data, represented as physical (e.g. electronic) quantities within the computing system’s registers and/or memories, into other data similarly represented as physical quantities within the computing system’s memories, registers or other such information storage, transmission or display devices.

Embodiments of the present disclosure may include apparatuses for performing the operations herein. The apparatuses may be specially constructed for the desired purposes or may include a general-purpose computer(s) selectively activated or reconfigured by a computer program stored in the computer. Such a computer program may be stored in a computer readable storage medium, such as, but not limited to, any type of disk including floppy disks, optical disks, CD-ROMs, magnetic-optical disks, read-only memories (ROMs), random access memories (RAMs), electrically programmable read-only memories (EPROMs), electrically erasable and programmable read only memories (EEPROMs), magnetic or optical cards, or any other type of media suitable for storing electronic instructions, and capable of being coupled to a computer system bus. In some embodiments, a computer may include of the apparatuses may include FPGA, microcontrollers, DSP and video ICS.

The processes and displays presented herein are not inherently related to any particular computer or other apparatus. Various general-purpose systems may be used with programs in accordance with the teachings herein, or it may prove convenient to construct a more specialized apparatus to perform the desired method(s). The desired structure(s) for a variety of these systems appear from the description below. In addition, embodiments of the present disclosure are not described with reference to any particular programming language. It will be appreciated that a variety of programming languages may be used to implement the teachings of the present disclosure as described herein.

As used herein, the term “about” may be used to specify a value of a quantity or parameter (e.g., the length of an element) to within a continuous range of values in the neighborhood of (and including) a given (stated) value. According to some embodiments, “about” may specify the value of a parameter to be between 99 % and 101 % of the given value. In such embodiments, for example, the statement “the length of the element is equal to about 1 millimeter” is equivalent to the statement “the length of the element is between 0.99 millimeters and 1.01 millimeters”.

As used herein, according to some embodiments, the terms “substantially” and “about” may be interchangeable. For ease of description, in some of the figures a three-dimensional cartesian coordinate system (with orthogonal axes x, y, and z) was introduced. It is noted that the orientation of the coordinate system relative to a depicted object may vary from one figure to another. Further, the symbol Q may be used to represent an axis pointing “out of the page”, while the symbol ® may be used to represent an axis pointing “into the page”.

It is appreciated that certain features of the disclosure, which are, for clarity, described in the context of separate embodiments, may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features of the disclosure, which are, for brevity, described in the context of a single embodiment, may also be provided separately or in any suitable sub-combination or as suitable in any other described embodiment of the disclosure. No feature described in the context of an embodiment is to be considered an essential feature of that embodiment, unless explicitly specified as such.

Although steps of methods according to some embodiments may be described in a specific sequence, methods of the disclosure may include some or all of the described steps carried out in a different order. A method of the disclosure may include a few of the steps described or all of the steps described. No particular step in a disclosed method is to be considered an essential step of that method, unless explicitly specified as such.

Although the disclosure is described in conjunction with specific embodiments thereof, it is evident that numerous alternatives, modifications and variations that are apparent to those skilled in the art may exist. Accordingly, the disclosure embraces all such alternatives, modifications and variations that fall within the scope of the appended claims. It is to be understood that the disclosure is not necessarily limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of the components and/or methods set forth herein. Other embodiments may be practiced, and an embodiment may be carried out in various ways.

The phraseology and terminology employed herein are for descriptive purpose and should not be regarded as limiting. Citation or identification of any reference in this application shall not be construed as an admission that such reference is available as prior art to the disclosure. Section headings are used herein to ease understanding of the specification and should not be construed as necessarily limiting.

Claims

CLAIMS What is claimed is:

1. An endoscope distal tip comprising: a front facing first camera; and a bottom facing second camera; wherein a field of view of the first camera at least partially overlap with a field of view of the second camera, thereby providing a vertical panoramic image of a region of interest.

2. The endoscope tip according to claim 1, further comprising one or more illumination components associated with the first camera and/or with the second camera.

3. The endoscope tip according to claim 2, wherein at least one illumination component of the one or more illumination components is or comprises a discrete light source.

4. The endoscope tip according to any one of claims 2-3, wherein each of said first and second cameras comprises a discrete illumination component.

5. The endoscope tip according to any one of claims 2-4, wherein the first camera is associated with three illumination components.

6. The endoscope tip according to any one of claims 1-4, wherein the front camera is positioned at an angle relative to a longitudinal axis of a shaft associated with the tip.

7. The endoscope tip according to claim 6, wherein the angle is in the range of about 10-40 degrees.

8. The endoscope tip according to any one of claims 6-7, wherein the angle is in the range of about 15-35 degrees.

9. The endoscope tip according to any one of claims 1-8, wherein the second camera is essentially perpendicular relative to a longitudinal axis of a shaft associated with the tip.

10. The endoscope tip according to any one of claims 1-8, wherein the second camera is tilted at an angle in the range of about 0.1 to about 5 degrees relative to a longitudinal axis of a shaft associated with the tip.

11. The endoscope tip according to any one of claims 1-10, wherein the overlap in the field of view between the first camera and the second camera is about 20-50%.

12. The endoscope tip according to any one of claims 1-11, wherein the overlap in the field of view between the first camera and the second camera is about 30-40%.

13. The endoscope tip according to any one of claims 1-12, wherein the overlap between the field of view of the first camera and the field of view of the second camera is within a working distance of the first camera and the second camera.

14. The endoscope tip according to any one of claims 1-13, wherein the field of view of each of the first and second cameras is in the range of about 65 to about 145 degrees.

15. The endoscope tip according to any one of claims 1-14, wherein the field of view of each of the first and second cameras is in the range of about 80 to about 120 degrees.

16. The endoscope tip according to any one of claims 1-15, wherein a depth of field of each of the first and second cameras is in the range of about 0.5 to about 40mm.

17. The endoscope tip according to any one of claims 1-16, wherein a depth of field of each of the first and second cameras is in the range of about 1 to about 30mm.

18. The endoscope tip according to any one of claims 1-17, wherein a working distance of each of the first and second cameras is in the range of about 5 to about 150 mm.

19. The endoscope tip according to any one of claims 1-18, wherein the provided image is a 3D image.

20. The endoscope tip according to any one of claims 1-19, wherein the front facing camera and/or the bottom facing camera comprises an optical sensor selected from CMOS and CCD.

21. An endoscope comprising the tip according to any one of claims 1-20 at a distal section of an elongated shaft of the endoscope.

22. The endoscope according to claim 21, wherein the shaft is configured to be inserted to a region of interest within an anatomical body cavity.

23. The endoscope according to any one of claims 21-22, wherein the shaft is rigid, semi-rigid or flexible.

24. The endoscope according to any one of claims 21-23, for use in endoscopic procedures selected from: laparoscopy, thoracic endoscopy, colonoscopy, genecology arthroscopy, cystoscopy, ureterostomy, hysterectomy, renal procedures, urological procedures, nasal procedure and orthopedic procedures.

25. A medical imaging system comprising the endoscope of any one of claims 21-24, and a display configured to display the images and/or video generated by the cameras.

26. The medical imaging system according to claim 25, further comprising a processing unit configured to receive images obtained from the front camera and the bottom camera, and generate in real time a vertical panoramic image at varying depth of fields.

27. The medical imaging system according to any one of claims 25-26, wherein the generated image is a 3D image of a body cavity, in which the endoscope tip resides.

28. The medical imaging system according to any one of claims 25-27, wherein the generated image is obtained at the working distance of the front camera and/or the bottom camera.

29. The medical imaging system according to claim 28, wherein the working distance is in the range of about 5-150mm.

30. The medical imaging system according to any of claims 28-20, wherein the working distance is in the range of about 15 -25mm.

31. A method for obtaining a vertical panoramic image of a region of interest in a subject body, the method comprising: inserting into the region of interest an endoscope shaft comprising the endoscope distal tip of any one of claims 1-20; and generating a vertical panoramic image of the region of interest within a working distance of the front and/or second camera.

32. The method according to claim 30, wherein the working distance is in the range of about 5-150 millimeters.

33. The method according to any one of claims 31-32, wherein the generated vertical panoramic image is generated in real time by a processing unit configured to generate said vertical panoramic image based on images obtained from the front camera and the bottom camera, wherein the vertical panoramic image is generated based a combined field of view of a field of view of the first camera and a field of view of the second camera.

34. The method according to any one of claims 30-33, wherein the vertical image is a 3D image.

35. The method according to any one of claims 30-34, further comprising displaying the vertical panoramic image on a display.