Angled endoscope tip image capture unit
First Claim
1. An apparatus comprising:
- a non-zero degree endoscope comprising a body, a distal portion, and an image capture unit, the distal portion including a distal face, the body being configured for being coupled to a robotic arm of the apparatus;
the distal portion being connected to the body, and the distal portion comprising a lengthwise axis, the distal face being at a fixed angle to the lengthwise axis of the distal portion; and
the image capture unit comprising a zero degree lens stack, the zero degree lens stack having a non-folded optical path, the image capture unit having a lengthwise axis, and the image capture unit being mounted in the distal portion, the image capture unit being fixed in position with the lengthwise axis of the image capture unit intersecting the lengthwise axis of the body to define a non-zero degree angle and with the zero degree lens stack positioned to receive light incident on the distal face.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A family of endoscopes includes a non-zero degree endoscope (210) and a zero degree endoscope (200). Zero degree endoscope (210) includes a first image capture unit (220A) mounted in a distal portion (270A) of the zero degree endoscope with a lengthwise axis of the first image capture unit substantially parallel to a lengthwise axis of that distal portion. Non-zero degree endoscope (210) includes a second image capture unit (220B) mounted in a distal portion (270B) of the non-zero degree endoscope with a lengthwise axis of the second image capture unit intersecting a lengthwise axis of that distal portion at a non-zero angle α. The first and second image capture units have substantially identical non-folded optical paths.
16 Citations
23 Claims
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1. An apparatus comprising:
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a non-zero degree endoscope comprising a body, a distal portion, and an image capture unit, the distal portion including a distal face, the body being configured for being coupled to a robotic arm of the apparatus;
the distal portion being connected to the body, and the distal portion comprising a lengthwise axis, the distal face being at a fixed angle to the lengthwise axis of the distal portion; andthe image capture unit comprising a zero degree lens stack, the zero degree lens stack having a non-folded optical path, the image capture unit having a lengthwise axis, and the image capture unit being mounted in the distal portion, the image capture unit being fixed in position with the lengthwise axis of the image capture unit intersecting the lengthwise axis of the body to define a non-zero degree angle and with the zero degree lens stack positioned to receive light incident on the distal face. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An endoscope comprising:
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a body configured for being coupled to a robotic arm; a distal portion connected to the body, the distal portion comprising a proximal end, a distal end, a distal face of the distal end, and a lengthwise axis extending between the proximal end and the distal end, the distal face being at a fixed angle to the lengthwise axis; and an image capture unit including an image forming lens assembly and an image sensor, the image forming lens assembly comprising a non-folded optical path between an entry location of light into the image forming lens assembly and the image sensor, and the image capture unit being mounted in a fixed position of the distal end of the distal portion at an angle to the lengthwise axis with the image forming lens assembly positioned to receive light incident on the distal face. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A family of endoscopes comprising:
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a zero degree endoscope including a first body, a first distal portion, and a first image capture unit, the first body being configured for coupling to a robotic arm, the first distal portion being connected to the first body, the first distal portion having a first lengthwise axis, the first image capture unit having a second lengthwise axis, the first image capture unit being mounted in the first distal portion with the second lengthwise axis of the first image capture unit substantially parallel to the first lengthwise axis of the distal portion; and a non-zero degree endoscope including a second body, a second distal portion, and a second image capture unit, the second body being configured for mounting on a robotic arm, the second distal portion being connected to the second body, the second distal portion having a third lengthwise axis, the second image capture unit having a fourth lengthwise axis, the second image capture unit being mounted in the second distal portion of the non-zero degree endoscope with the fourth lengthwise axis of the second image capture unit intersecting the third lengthwise axis of the second distal portion at a non-zero angle, the first and second image capture units having nearly identical non-folded optical paths between an entry location of light into each image capture unit and an imager of each image capture unit, and the first body being different from the second body. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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21. A method comprising:
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mounting an image capture unit in a body of an endoscope by moving the image capture unit through an opening in a distal face of the body, the body having a first lengthwise axis, the image capture unit having a second lengthwise axis when mounted in the body, where the second lengthwise axis of the image capture unit intersects the first lengthwise axis of the body at a non-zero angle; and mounting a camera retainer within the opening of the distal face, the camera retainer having a first surface and a second surface, the first surface contacting the image capture unit and the second surface being aligned with the distal face of the body, wherein the image capture unit has a non-folded optical path between the first surface and an image sensor of the image capture unit. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23)
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Specification