Integrated panoramic and forward view endoscope

摘要

The objective of the present invention is to provide a single endoscope that provides a field of view substantially greater than a hemisphere comprising a forward field of view and a panoramic field of view that are integrated on a single image plane. The invention is described with respect to a rigid endoscope, but the technology can be implemented on a flexible endoscope as well. The advantage of such an endoscope is that it would provide substantially more information to the physician than any single existing endoscope, and it can be used in place of multiple endoscopes with varying directions of view that are swapped throughout a procedure to provide different views. The invention can also be used in non-medical applications for inspection in closed or generally inaccessible spaces such as for example the interior of jet engines.