Multi-element cover for a multi-camera endoscope

• US 10,070,774 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2016
• Issued: 09/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: EndoChoice Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: EndoChoice Innovation Center Ltd. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Levi, Moshe, Aizenfeld, Amram, Salman, Golan
• Primary Examiner(s): KASZTEJNA, MATTHEW JOHN
• Application Number:
  US15/144,569
• Publication Number:
  US 20170020371A1
• Time in Patent Office: 862 Days
• Field of Search: 600109, 600113, 600129-130, 600156-157, 600165, 600170-171
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00089 Hoods
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00091 Nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00096 Optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0011 Manufacturing of endoscope parts
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00137 End pieces at either end of the endoscope, e.g. caps, seals or forceps plugs
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00142 with means for preventing contamination, e.g. by using a sanitary sheath
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00177 for 90 degrees side-viewing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00179 for off-axis viewing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00181 for multiple fixed viewing angles A61B1/00193 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/015 Control of fluid supply or evacuation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/018 for receiving instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/05 characterised by the image sensor, e.g. camera, being in the distal end portion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/051 Details of CCD assembly
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0615 for radial illumination
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0676 at distal tip of an endoscope
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0684 using light emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/126 provided with means for cleaning in-use
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 13/003 Blowing gases other than for carrying powders, e.g. for inflating, dilating or rinsing
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 3/02 Enemata; Irrigators
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 3/0202 with electronic control means or interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/2423 : of the distal end
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/2461 : Illumination
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/2476 : Non-optical details, e.g. housings, mountings, supports
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/2484 : Arrangements in relation to a camera or imaging device processing or control of video signals generated by an endoscope H04N23/60, H04N23/70

Abstract

There is provided herein a tip section of a multi-camera endoscope, the tip section comprising: a front looking camera and a front discrete illuminator to essentially illuminate the Field Of View (FOV) of said front looking camera; a right side looking camera and a right discrete illuminator to essentially illuminate the FOV of said right side looking camera; a left side looking camera and a left discrete illuminator to essentially illuminate the FOV of said left side looking camera; and a multi component cover configured to cover and seal said tip section such as to essentially prevent entry of fluids from the environment of said endoscope to inner parts of said tip section.

Claims

1. A tip section of an endoscope, the tip section comprising:

a fluid channeling component;

an electronic circuit board coupled to the fluid channeling component;

a viewing element coupled to the electronic circuit board, the viewing element having an optical axis;

and

a cover configured to cover said electronic circuit board, said viewing element, and said fluid channeling component, wherein the cover comprises;

a first unitary component configured to cover said electronic circuit board, said viewing element, and said fluid channeling component, wherein the first unitary component comprises a distal face and one or more side walls extending proximally from said distal face and extending longitudinally along a length of the tip section, and wherein the first unitary component has a central longitudinal axis, the central longitudinal axis extending transverse to the optical axis of the viewing element; and

a window component configured to be inserted into, and removed from, a window opening in the first unitary component, wherein the window opening is configured to allow access to at least one of the viewing element and the electronic circuit board without removing the first unitary component when the window component is removed from the window opening, and wherein a central axis of the window opening extends transverse to the optical axis of the viewing element.

2. The tip section of claim 1, wherein the viewing element includes a first side-looking camera for viewing an area on a first side of the first unitary component, and wherein the tip section further comprises a front-looking camera for viewing an area distal to the distal face of the first unitary component, a second side-looking camera for viewing an area on a second side of the first unitary component opposite the first side, and wherein the window opening is on a third side of the first unitary component extending between the first and second sides.

3. The tip section of claim 2 wherein the distal face of the first unitary component comprises an opening configured to align with the front-looking camera.

4. The tip section of claim 3 wherein the first side of the first unitary component comprises an opening configured to align with the first side-looking camera, wherein the opening is in a planar surface of the first side of the first unitary component, and the window opening is in a curved surface of the third side of the first unitary component.

5. The tip section of claim 1, further including a plurality of illuminators coupled to the electronic circuit board.

6. The tip section of claim 5 wherein the distal face of the first unitary component comprises a plurality of windows configured to align with said plurality of illuminators.

7. The tip section of claim 5 wherein the one or more side walls of the first unitary component comprises a plurality of windows configured to align with a portion of said plurality of illuminators.

8. In a tip section of an endoscope having a fluid channeling component, an electronic circuit board, a viewing element having an optical axis, and a cover configured to cover said electronic circuit board, said viewing element, and said fluid channeling component, a method of using said tip section comprising:

installing a cylindrical covering component over said electronic circuit board, said viewing element, and said fluid channeling component, wherein the cylindrical covering component comprises a distal face and one or more side walls extending proximally from said distal face and extending longitudinally along a length of the tip section, and wherein the cylindrical covering component has a central longitudinal axis extending transverse to the optical axis the viewing element; and

removing a window component from the cylindrical covering component to access the electronic circuit board without removing the cylindrical covering component, wherein the window opening is positioned at a portion of the cylindrical covering component providing an unobstructed pathway between an area exterior to the tip section and the electronic circuit board when the window component is removed from the window opening.

9. The method of using said tip section of claim 8, wherein the viewing element includes a first side-looking camera for viewing an area on a first side of the cylindrical covering component, and wherein the tip section further comprises a front-looking camera for viewing an area distal to the distal face of the cylindrical covering component, a second side-looking camera for viewing an area on a second side of the cylindrical covering component opposite the first side, wherein the window opening is on a third side of the cylindrical covering component between the first and second sides.

10. The method of using said tip section of claim 8, the further including a plurality of illuminators coupled to the electronic circuit board.

11. A tip section of an endoscope, the tip section comprising:

a fluid channeling component;

an electronic circuit board coupled to the fluid channeling component;

a viewing element coupled to the electronic circuit board, the viewing element having an optical axis;

an illuminator coupled to the electronic circuit board; and

a cover configured to cover portions of said electronic circuit board, said viewing element, said illuminator, and said fluid channeling component, wherein the cover comprises;

a sleeve configured to cover said portions of said electronic circuit board, said viewing element, said illuminator, and said fluid channeling component, wherein the sleeve comprises a distal face and one or more side walls extending proximally from said distal face and extending longitudinally along a length of the tip section, and wherein the sleeve has a central longitudinal axis, the central longitudinal axis extending transverse to the optical axis of the viewing element; and

a window component configured to be inserted into, and removed from, a window opening in the sleeve, wherein the window opening is configured to allow access to said portions of said electronic circuit board, said viewing element, and said illuminator without removing the sleeve when the window component is removed from the window opening, and wherein a central axis of the window opening extends transverse to the optical axis of the viewing element.

12. The tip section of claim 11, wherein the fluid channeling component includes a working channel extending therethrough.

13. The tip section of claim 12, wherein the distal face of the sleeve includes an opening aligned with the working channel, wherein the distal face of the sleeve further includes a window aligned with the illuminator.

14. The tip section of claim 13, wherein the window opening is at the one or more side walls.

15. The tip section of claim 11, wherein the viewing element is a first viewing element, wherein the tip section further includes a second viewing element and a third viewing element, wherein optical axes of the first and second viewing elements are aligned, and wherein an optical axis of the third viewing element extends transverse to the optical axes of the first and second viewing elements.

16. The tip section of claim 11, wherein a length dimension of the window opening extending longitudinally along the length of the tip section is greater than a width dimension of the window opening.

17. The tip section of claim 16, wherein a length dimension of the window component extending longitudinally along the length of the tip section is greater than a width dimension of the window component.

18. The tip section of claim 11, wherein the window opening includes curved proximal and distal ends, and linear side walls connecting the proximal and distal ends.

19. The tip section of claim 18, wherein the window component includes curved proximal and distal ends, and linear side walls connecting the proximal and distal ends.