Endoscopic camera head and endoscopic device

• US 10,456,017 B2
• Filed: 04/19/2016
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Olympus Medical Solutions Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Olympus Medical Solutions Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ohno, Naoyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Senfi, Behrooz M
• Application Number:
  US15/132,277
• Publication Number:
  US 20160323527A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,288 Days
• Field of Search: 348 45, 348 47
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00096 Optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00105 characterised by modular construction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00163 Optical arrangements A61B1/002, A61B1/06 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00195 with eyepieces
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/042 characterised by a proximal camera, e.g. a CCD camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/11 Anti-reflection coatings
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/2446 of the image relay G02B23/26 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/2453 of the proximal end
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/2469 using optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0018 with means for preventing ghost images anti-reflection coatings G02B1/11
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/555 for picking-up images in sites, inaccessible due to their dimensions or hazardous conditions, e.g. endoscopes or borescopes

Abstract

There is provided a endoscopic camera head including a cover glass, provided on a connecting face that connects to a base of an endoscope, and disposed to cover an opening for taking into a housing observation light guided inside a lens barrel of the endoscope to the base, and an image sensor configured to receive the observation light passing through the cover glass and entering the housing, and capture an image of a target of observation. In the image sensor, an anti-reflective coating is provided on at least one face of a protective glass disposed facing opposite a light receiving face configured to receive the observation light.

Claims

1. An endoscopic camera head removably connectable to an endoscope comprising:

a cover glass disposed to cover an opening for taking into a housing observation light from the connected endoscope; and

an image sensor configured to receive the observation light passing through the cover glass and entering the housing, and capture an image of a target of observation, wherein

the image sensor including a light receiving face that is configured to receive the observation light and a protective glass that is disposed opposite the light receiving face,

in the image sensor, an anti-reflective and light pass-through coating is provided on at least one face of the protective glass, and

the anti-reflective and light pass-through coating is configured to moderate reflections of the observation light from the at least one face of the protective glass.

2. The endoscopic camera head according to claim 1, wherein

in the image sensor, the protective glass is disposed at least a predetermined distance away from the light receiving face, and

the predetermined distance is determined according to an intensity of stray light produced by a reflection of the observation light off the protective glass.

3. The endoscopic camera head according to claim 1, wherein

in the image sensor, the protective glass is disposed tilted by at least a predetermined angle with respect to the light receiving face.

4. The endoscopic camera head according to claim 1, wherein

the cover glass is disposed tilted by a predetermined angle with respect to the protective glass of the image sensor.

5. The endoscopic camera head according to claim 1, wherein

the cover glass is made of sapphire glass.

6. An endoscopic device, comprising:

an endoscopic camera head including;

a cover glass disposed to cover an opening for taking into a housing observation light, and

an image sensor configured to receive the observation light passing through the cover glass and entering the housing, and capture an image of a target of observation,

wherein the image seonsor including a light receiving face that is configured to receive the observation light and a protective glass that is disposed opposite the light receiving face,

in the image sensor, an anti-reflective and light pass-through coating is provided on a at least one face of the protective glass and the anti-reflective and light pass-through coating is configured to moderate reflections of the observation light from the at least one face of the protective glass; and

an endoscope removably connectable to the endoscopic camera head and which guides the observation light into the housing of the endoscopic camera head, the endoscope including an eyepiece lens that is provided at a position facing opposite the cover glass.

7. The endoscopic device according to claim 6, wherein

the eyepiece lens, the cover glass, and the protective glass are disposed so as not to be approximately parallel to each other.

8. The endoscopic device according to claim 6, wherein

the eyepiece lens is made of sapphire glass.