An Innovative Endoscopic Instrument with Full-Field Viewing and Intelligent Imagi

描述(由申请人提供)：美国国家消化疾病信息中心(NDDIC)估计，美国每年有6000万至7000万人受到消化系统疾病的影响。每年，仅在美国，胃肠道疾病就占了3000多万次办公室就诊和1000多万次胃肠道内窥镜检查，检查的消化道包括食道、胃、小肠、结肠和直肠。相关的国家成本每年超过600亿美元。除了早期预防外，迫切需要有效、低成本、舒适的早期诊断技术来改善这种情况。传统的微创内窥镜仍然存在主要的结构设计缺陷，给患者带来严重的不适和数十亿美元的损失。基于我们正在申请专利的360度成像光学系统，具有独特的图像去翘曲和强大的全景稳定技术，我们建议的系统将具有以下临床影响和意义：微创和有效的360度观看视频内窥镜：除了传统的前瞻性视角外，我们的设备还提供即时的360度观看图像，无需机械操作，不再需要弯曲针尖。没有缺失的胃肠道紊乱区域：我们的设备提供完整的360度胃肠道周围，任何区域都不会错过。准确快速的诊断：通过更有效的图像配准和稳定，系统软件有望帮助胃肠道医生/护士快速(预计为3倍)并准确诊断异常。。。“尖端芯片”低成本系统，更好地被大众接受和有效的疾病预防：由于其独特的结构和光学设计，我们预计系统总成本约为300美元。可扩展和可扩展的技术：开发的专有全方位技术可以轻松地应用于现有的诊断工具(内窥镜、结肠镜、胃镜等)，为患者提供类似的好处。Global Markets Direct发布的研究报告发现，在慢性病人口数量增加和老龄化的推动下，美国柔性内窥镜市场在2008-2015年间的价值为6.93亿美元，预计在2008-2015年间每年增长7.7%，到2015年将达到11亿美元。硬质内窥镜(如腹腔镜、泌尿外科和关节镜)的市场规模略小于软性内窥镜，但市场增长率相近。全球市场正接近100亿美元。随着新兴经济体的推进，全球内窥镜需求预计将以更快的速度增长。因此，拟议的系统和技术的商业化潜力和经济影响是巨大的。 公共卫生相关性：在SBIR项目下开发的内窥镜系统和技术将为胃肠道疾病的早期诊断和预防提供一种低成本和微创的方法，从而为胃肠道患者提供巨大的好处。该系统提供了一种创新的全景成像和传统的前瞻成像技术，使患者的不适感更少，诊断时间更短，结果更准确。随着现有内窥镜的扩展能力，拟议的系统预计将在这个价值100亿美元的行业中占有相当大的市场份额。其他受益于这项研究的医疗领域包括泌尿学、神经学、妇科、关节镜等，用于下一代膀胱镜、神经内窥镜、腹腔镜等。受益于这项技术的非医疗领域包括商业周界监测和供水和燃气管道检测-另一个数十亿美元的市场。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NDDIC) estimates that between 60 and 70 million people in the US are affected by digestive diseases each year. Annually, diseases of the GI tract account for more than 30 million office visits and more than 10 million GI endoscopic procedures in the United States alone for the examinations of digestive tract including the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, colon, and rectum. The associated national cost is over $60 billion per year. Aside from early stage prevention, effective, low cost, and comfortable early diagnosis technologies are in great need to improve the situation. Traditional minimally invasive endoscopies still have major structural design drawbacks causing significant discomfort and billions of dollars' more to the patients. Built on our patent pending 360 degree imaging optics, with unique image unwarping and robust panoramic stabilization techniques, our proposed system will have the following clinic impact and significance: A minimally invasive and effective 360 degrees viewing video endoscopy: In addition to the traditional forward looking view, our equipment offers instant 360 degrees viewing images mechanically free, there is no need to bend the tip any more. No missing GI disorder areas: Our equipment offers a complete 360 degrees surrounding of the GI tract, no area will be missed. Accurate and rapid diagnosis: Through more effective image registration and stabilization, System SW is expected to help GI doctors/nurses to rapidly (expected by a factor of 3) and accurately diagnose abnormalities. .. "Chip-on-the-tip" low cost system for better mass acceptance and effective disease prevention: Due to its unique structural and optical design, we expect total system cost around $300. Expandable and scalable technology: The proprietary omni-directional technology developed can be easily applied to existing diagnosis instruments (endoscopes, colonscope, gastroscope, etc) to provide similar benefits to the patients The research report published by Global Markets Direct finds that, driven by the increasing number of the chronically ill population and aging, the U.S. flexible endoscope market valued at $693 million in 2008 is forecast to grow by 7.7% annually during 2008-2015 to reach $1.1 billion by 2015. The market of the rigid endoscopes (e.g. laparoscopy, urology and arthroscopy) is slightly smaller than flexible endoscopes, but with similar market growth rate. Global market is approaching $10 billion. With the advance of the emerging economies, the global endoscope demand is expected to grow with an increased rate. The commercialization potential and economic impact of the proposed system and technology is thus significant. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The endoscopy system and technology developed under this SBIR project will provide great benefit to GI patients by providing a low cost and minimally invasive method for early GI tract disease diagnosis and prevention. The proposed system provides an innovative panoramic imaging and traditional forward looking imaging technique leading to less discomfort to patients, much shorter diagnosis time yet with more accurate results. With the extended capability over current endoscopes, proposed system is expected to have a reasonably large market share of this 10 billion dollar industry. Other medical areas benefitting from this research include urology, neurology, gynecology, arthroscopy etc. for the next generation cystoscopy, neuroendoscopy, laparoscopy, etc. Non-medical fields to benefit this technology include commercial perimeter surveillance, and water and gas pipe inspection - another multi-billion market.