Camera head

• US 10,420,216 B2
• Filed: 06/09/2016
• Issued: 09/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medigus Limited
• Original Assignee: Medigus Limited
• Inventors: Govrin, Amir, Sonnenschein, Minelu
• Primary Examiner(s): Senfi, Behrooz M
• Application Number:
  US15/579,410
• Publication Number:
  US 20180168041A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,195 Days
• Field of Search: 348 76
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/051 Details of CCD assembly
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0607 for annular 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: G02B 23/243 Objectives for endoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/2469 using optical fibres
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/57 Mechanical or electrical details of cameras or camera modules specially adapted for being embedded in other devices
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/144 Stacked arrangements of planar printed circuit boards
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/042 Stacked spaced PCBs; Planar parts of folded flexible circuits having mounted components in between or spaced from each other
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09027 Non-rectangular flat PCB, e.g. circular
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10106 Light emitting diode [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10121 Optical component, e.g. opto-electronic component
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10151 Sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10303 Pin-in-hole mounted pins
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10318 Surface mounted metallic pins
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/2036 Permanent spacer or stand-off in a printed circuit or printed circuit assembly pattern for applying drops or paste H05K2203/0545

Abstract

A video camera head is comprised of at least two rigid printed circuit boards (PCBS) arranged in parallel planes. The at least two PCBs are mechanically supported one above the other by pins made of an electricity conducting material that conduct electrical power from the bottom PCB to electronic components or illumination means mounted on the other PCBs and signals from a solid state sensor chip mounted on one of the other PCBs of the at least two PCBs to the bottom PCB. Several embodiments of the video camera head are described.

Claims

1. A video camera head comprised of at least two rigid printed circuit boards (PCBS) arranged in parallel planes, wherein the at least two PCBs are mechanically supported one above the other by pins made of an electricity conducting material that conduct electrical power from the bottom PCB to electronic components or illumination means mounted on the other PCBs of the at least two PCBs and signals from a solid state sensor chip mounted on one of the other PCBs of the at least two PCBs to the bottom PCB;

characterized in that the pins are located within the surface area of each of the PCBs and pass through vias created in the PCBs.

2. The video camera head of claim 1 wherein the illumination means comprise at least one LED.

3. The video camera head of claim 2 wherein the illumination means comprise a ring array of LEDs.

4. The video camera head of claim 1 comprising an objective optical system.

5. The video camera head of claim 1 comprised of three PCBs, wherein electronic components for receiving signals from a solid state sensor and outputting a video signal are mounted on the bottom PCB, a solid state sensor chip is mounted on the middle PCB, an objective optical system and illumination means are mounted on the top PCB, and pins made of electricity conducting material (a) mechanically support the middle and top PCBs above the bottom PCB,(b) conduct electrical power from the bottom PCB to the middle and top PCBs, and (c) conduct signals from the sensor chip on the middle PCB to the bottom PCB.

6. The video camera head of claim 1 comprised of two PCBs, wherein electronic components for receiving signals from a solid state sensor and outputting a video signal are mounted on the bottom PCB, a solid state sensor chip is mounted on the top side of the bottom PCB, an objective optical system and illumination means are mounted on the top PCB, and pins made of electricity conducting material mechanically support the top PCB above the bottom PCB and conduct electrical power from the bottom PCB to top PCB, and through vias are used to conduct electrical power from the bottom side to the top side of the bottom PCB and to conduct signals from the sensor chip on the top side to the bottom side of the bottom PCB.

7. The video camera head of claim 1 comprised of four PCBs, wherein electronic components for receiving signals from a solid state sensor and outputting a video signal are mounted on the first (bottom) and second PCBs, a solid state sensor chip is mounted on the third PCB, an objective optical system and illumination means are mounted on the fourth (top) PCB, and pins made of electricity conducting material (a) mechanically support the second, third, and fourth PCBs above the first PCB, (b) conduct electrical power from the first PCB to the second, third, and fourth PCBs, and (c) conduct signals from the sensor chip on the third PCB to the first PCB.

15. The video camera of claim 1 wherein the pins are one of rigid or flexible.

16. The video camera of claim 1 wherein the PCBs are of any shape, symmetric or non-symmetric.

17. The video camera of claim 1 wherein the shapes and dimensions of some or all of the PCBs in a camera head are different from the shapes and dimensions of other PCBs in the camera head.

8. A video camera head comprised of at least two rigid printed circuit boards (PCBS) arranged in parallel planes, wherein an objective optical system and illumination means are mounted on the distal end of a housing of the camera head, a solid state sensor chip is mounted on a PCB below the objective optical system, electronic components for receiving signals from a solid state sensor and outputting a video signal are mounted on at least one of the PCBs, the at least two PCBs are mechanically supported one above the other by electrically conducting pins, and the illumination means supported on the distal end of the camera housing are output couplers of optical fibers or the distal end of light guides;

wherein the pins;

(a) conduct electrical power from the bottom PCB to electronic components mounted on the other PCBs of the at least two PCBs;

(b) conduct signals from the solid state sensor chip to the bottom PCB; and

(c) are located within the surface area of each of the PCBs and pass through vias created in the PCBs.

9. The video camera of claim 8 wherein a light source for the illumination means is any conventional light source used with endoscopic systems.

10. The video camera of claim 9 wherein the light source is at least one LED that is mounted on one of the PCBs in the camera head or proximally from it.

11. The video camera of claim 10 wherein the light from the at least one LED is transferred to the distal end of a housing of the camera head through hollow light guides.

12. The video camera of claim 10 wherein the at least one LED is mounted on a PCB together with the solid state sensor chip.

13. The video camera of claim 10 wherein the at least one LED is mounted on a PCB below the PCB on which the solid state sensor chip is mounted.

14. The video camera of claim 9 wherein the light source is located remotely from the camera head and the light is transferred directly from the light source to an output coupler on the distal end of the camera housing or to one of the PCBs where it is coupled into a hollow light guide.

18. The video camera of claim 8 wherein some or all of the components of the objective optical system are mounted on the housing of the camera head.