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Publication Number
US-10682039-B2
Publication Date
2020-06-16
Expiration Date
Abstract
A video endoscopic device has a camera head and two parallel optical arrangements, each with optical components, arranged coaxially with one another along a common first optical axis of the optical components of a respective optical arrangement and in the interior of an endoscope shaft. The optical components transmit an optical image from a distal end of the respective optical arrangement to a proximal end of the respective optical arrangement. The camera head contains at least one image sensor comprising a recording plane and at least two projection objectives, each having a second optical axis and arranged to project an image onto the image sensor. The optical arrangements comprise a collimating optical unit for generating an at least approximately parallel beam path at the outlet of the respective optical arrangement. The respective collimating optical unit has a third optical axis arranged coaxially with the optical components of the optical arrangements.
Core Innovation
The invention relates to a stereoscopic rigid video endoscopic device having a set of different interchangeable endoscopes with different stereoscopic base lengths. Each interchangeable endoscope includes two parallel optical arrangements arranged at least in part in an interior of the respective endoscope shaft, and a camera head is releasably connected to the endoscope shaft by a mechanical coupling and is arranged adjacent to or adjoining the proximal ends of the optical arrangements.
In the camera head, at least one image sensor with at least one recording plane is provided together with at least two projection objectives having second optical axes. The endoscope shaft includes a collimating optical unit at the proximal end of each optical arrangement for generating an at least approximately parallel beam path at the outlet of the optical arrangement, and each collimating optical unit has a third optical axis arranged coaxially with the optical components or laterally offset by at most half a diameter of the collimating optical unit from the common first optical axis.
The projection objectives image the parallel beam path onto a focus in the recording plane. At least one projection objective is arranged so that the second optical axis has a lateral distance, measuring at most half a diameter of the projection objective, from the third optical axis of the collimating optical unit, and no deflecting optical element is arranged between the collimating optical unit and the respective projection objective so that the parallel beam path enters the projection objective off-center with a lateral distance from the second optical axis.
The lateral distance between the projection objectives is larger than the lateral distance between the collimating optical units, enabling connection of each interchangeable endoscope to the camera head without a need for adapting the arrangement of the projection objectives to adapt the lateral distance between the second optical axis and the third optical axis. This provides a tolerance-robust stereoscopic imaging arrangement that avoids sensitivity requiring adaptation of projection-objective spacing for different interchangeable endoscopes and base lengths.
Claims Coverage
The coverage centers on one independent claim defining a stereoscopic rigid video endoscopic device with a camera head and interchangeable endoscopes, where stereoscopic base lengths are handled by fixed camera-head projection optics coordinated with collimating optics in the endoscope shaft using constrained lateral-axis relationships. The independent claim includes the core mechanical coupling to connect different endoscopes without adapting projection-objective spacing and defines the optical-axis constraints that avoid off-center beam entry into the projection objectives.
Interchangeable stereoscopic endoscopes with releasably connected camera head
A video endoscopic device uses a set of different interchangeable endoscopes with different stereoscopic base lengths, each having two parallel optical arrangements in the respective endoscope shaft, and a camera head releasably connected to the endoscope shaft by a mechanical coupling and arranged adjacent to the proximal ends of the optical arrangements for connection to different interchangeable endoscopes.
Collimating optical units generating parallel beam path at the outlets
Each optical arrangement comprises a collimating optical unit at the respective proximal end of the optical arrangement for generating an at least approximately parallel beam path at the outlet of the respective optical arrangement, with a third optical axis arranged coaxially with the optical components or laterally offset by at most half a diameter of the collimating optical unit from the common first optical axis.
Projection objectives imaging the parallel beam path onto sensor recording plane
The camera head comprises at least one image sensor having at least one recording plane and at least two projection objectives each having a second optical axis arranged and configured to project an image onto the image sensor, where each projection objective is arranged and configured to image the parallel beam path generated by a respective collimating optical unit on at least one focus in the recording plane.
Constrained lateral axis relationships without deflecting element between collimating unit and projection objective
At least one projection objective is arranged so that the respective second optical axis has a lateral distance, measuring at most half a diameter of the projection objective, from the third optical axis of the collimating optical unit, and no deflecting optical element is arranged between the collimating optical unit and the respective projection objective so that the parallel beam path enters the at least one projection objective off-center with a lateral distance from the second optical axis.
Fixed camera-head projection-objective spacing for different endoscopes without adaptation
The lateral distance between the projection objectives of the camera head is larger than the lateral distance between the collimating optical units of the endoscope shaft, and each of the set of different interchangeable endoscopes can be connected with the camera head without a need for adapting the arrangement of the at least one of the projection objectives to adapt the lateral distance between the second optical axis and the third optical axis.
The independent claim establishes stereoscopic base-length handling by coordinating a fixed camera-head projection-objective layout with endoscope-shaft collimating optical units using constrained lateral-axis relationships, including a half-diameter lateral-offset limit, and prohibiting a deflecting optical element between the collimating unit and the projection objective. This coordination enables connection to different interchangeable endoscopes without adapting projection-objective arrangement.
Stated Advantages
Tolerance-robust design that is low sensitivity.
Enabling connection of different interchangeable endoscopes to the camera head without needing to adapt the arrangement of the projection objectives.
Increased distance between stereoscopic partial images on the recording plane by the specified lateral-axis relationships between the collimating-unit optical axes and the projection-objective optical axes.
Enabling a stereoscopic imaging arrangement on the sensor by imaging a parallel beam path onto focus in the recording plane.
Documented Applications
Stereoscopic rigid video endoscopy using a set of different interchangeable endoscopes with different stereoscopic base lengths connected to a releasable camera head for stereoscopic image processing/display.
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