MIDDLEVILLE – LumenFlow on Monday announced it has been granted a U.S. patent for its 360 Degree View Imaging System that offers single image analysis of the interior or exterior of any cylindrical surface. The device is used in quality control for automotive and engineering applications and the company said has strong potential in the medical device and medical quality and safety industries.
By utilizing a ring of LEDs to illuminate the surface, a specially integrated camera and a unique compound conical reflector lens, the 360 Degree View Imaging System allows for inspection of the full-circumference of any cylindrical surface area in one complete, high-resolution image. This enables automated systems to check for quality measures down to 40 microns as verification for quality assessments or for use in a variety of applications where a precise view and measurement is required.
?We are happy to have the recognition and protection for our proprietary invention offered by the patent process,? said Brain Zatzke, director of manufacturing for LumenFlow. ?Our system is a unique advancement for this type of application. Existing systems share problems of low resolution, optical distortion and aberrations. The benefit of our 360 Degree View Imaging System is the ability to view and measure areas of interest at a speed and accuracy not possible with other devices.?
The imaging technology was originally designed for use in a quality control device for examining the underside of valve seats for General Motors to ensure the seats are pressed properly in the cylinder heads. The technology has promising applications for use in other industries, including the medical field. For example, the 360 Degree View Imaging System could allow pharmaceutical packing companies to ensure the tamper proof seal on pill bottles are properly fixed or whether the tabs on locking pill bottle caps are intact. Another promising application LumenFlow is actively pursing is to create a miniature scale version of the device which would allow physicians to see 360 degree views inside the body via a borescope. Today?s current technology only provides physicians with a forward view.
The device won an honorable mention from NASA Tech Briefs? Create the Future Design Contest earlier this year. The patent is U.S. Patent No. 7636204. LumenFlow is a member of the West Michigan Medical Device Consortium.
Established in 2000, click on LumenFlow.Com is a photonic engineering and manufacturing company that provides design, development and manufacturing services across a variety of photonics disciplines including: optical, mechanical, electronic and manufacturing.
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