Multi-element cover for a multi-camera endoscope

• US 10,517,464 B2
• Filed: 01/20/2017
• Issued: 12/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EndoChoice Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: EndoChoice Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Salman, Golan, Aizenfeld, Amram, Avron, Jeruham
• Primary Examiner(s): Kasztejna, Matthew J
• Application Number:
  US15/411,103
• Publication Number:
  US 20170127914A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,075 Days
• Field of Search: 600109, 600113, 600129-130, 600156, 600157, 600165, 600170-171
• 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 1/00181 for multiple fixed viewing angles A61B1/00193 takes precedence
• 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: G02B 23/2423 of the distal end
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/2476 Non-optical details, e.g. housings, mountings, supports
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0006 with means to keep optical surfaces clean, e.g. by preventing or removing dirt, stains, contamination, condensation G02B1/18 takes precedence; cleaning in general B08B

Abstract

A multi-camera endoscope includes a the tip section comprising: a front looking camera and a front discrete illuminator to essentially illuminate the field of view of said front looking camera; a right side looking camera and a right discrete illuminator to essentially illuminate the field of view of said right side looking camera; a left side looking camera and a left discrete illuminator to essentially illuminate the field of view 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. The tip cover includes removable or repositionable window components which provide access to internal components of the tip for repair or removal, without removing the main tip cover.

Claims

1. A multi-component cover for a tip section of a multi-viewing element endoscope, said tip section comprising a front pointing viewing element and at least one side pointing viewing element, wherein each viewing element comprises an image sensor and a lens assembly, and each viewing element is associated with a discrete illuminator, said multi-component cover comprising:

a main component configured to cover a portion of said tip section, said main component comprising 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

a removable window component located on the one or more side walls of said main component, said removable window component configured to removably cover a window opening located on said main component, wherein the optical axis of the front pointing viewing element and the optical axis of the at least one side pointing viewing element do not extend through the window opening, wherein said window opening is positioned to allow access to an inner part of said tip section without removing said main component.

2. The multi-component cover of claim 1, wherein said window opening is located on the main component such that it aligns with said removable window component.

3. The multi-component cover of claim 1, wherein said window opening has edges that are adapted to couple to the removable window component.

4. The multi-component cover of claim 1, wherein said window opening is aligned with at least one of:

said side pointing viewing element;

an optical assembly of said side pointing viewing element;

a side discrete illuminator; and

a side nozzle.

5. The multi-component cover of claim 4, wherein said window opening is aligned such that a distance from said window opening to the underlying side pointing viewing element, the underlying optical assembly, the underlying side nozzle, or the underlying side discrete illuminator is in a range of 0 to 3 millimeters.

6. The multi-component cover of claim 1, wherein the removable window component is a first removable window component, and wherein the multi-component cover further comprises a second removable window component positioned on a front end of the main component of said tip cover, said second removable window component being configured to cover a front window opening which allows access to a front inner part of said tip section.

7. The multi-component cover of claim 6, wherein said second removable window component comprises a window for at least one of:

said front pointing viewing element;

an optical assembly of said front pointing viewing element;

a front discrete illuminator;

a working/service channel;

a front nozzle; and

a front jet.

8. The multi-component cover of claim 7, wherein said window of the second removable window component is aligned such that a distance from said window of the second removable window component to the front pointing viewing element or front discrete illuminator is in a range of 0 to 3 millimeters.

9. The multi-component cover of claim 1, wherein the main component further includes a groove on one of the one or more side walls, said groove being configured to allow the removable window component to slide along the groove and be repositioned on, or removed from, the multi-component cover.

10. The multi-component cover of claim 1, wherein the removable window component comprises a flat surface to assist in directing a cleaning fluid injected from an injector channel towards a side optical assembly and one or more optical windows.

11. The multi-component cover of claim 1, wherein said tip section has a diameter of 17 mm or less.

12. The multi-component cover of claim 1, wherein said main component is cylindrical in shape and has a diameter ranging between 2 mm and 17 mm.

13. The multi-component cover of claim 1, wherein said removable window component comprises a flat depression having openings for accessing a side optical lens assembly, side illuminators and a side nozzle.

14. The multi-component cover of claim 1, wherein said window opening is positioned on a circumference of said main component at a distance of 1 to 9 mm from the distal face of said main component.

15. The multi-component cover of claim 1, wherein said window opening is positioned on a circumference of said main component at a distance of 7 mm to 7.9 mm from the distal face of said main component.

16. A tip section of a multi-camera endoscope, the tip section comprising:

a front looking camera;

a first side looking camera;

an electronic circuit board coupled to at least one of the front looking camera and the first side looking camera; and

a multi-component cover configured to cover said tip section, the multi-component cover comprising;

a main component configured to cover at least a portion of said tip section; and

a first side removable component coupled to a side surface portion of said main component, wherein said first side removable component is configured to removably cover an opening located on said main component, wherein the optical axis of the front looking camera and the optical axis of the first side looking camera do not extend through the opening, wherein said opening provides an unobstructed pathway between an area exterior to the tip section and the electronic circuit board when the first side removable component is removed from the opening, and wherein said opening is positioned to allow access to an inner part of said tip section without removing said main component.

17. The tip section of claim 16, wherein said tip section further comprises a second side looking camera, and said multi-component cover further comprises a second side removable component coupled to a side surface portion of said main component on an opposite side of said first side removable component, wherein said second side removable component is configured to cover a second opening located on said main component, wherein said second opening is configured to allow access to an inner part of said tip section without removing said main component, further wherein, when said first and second side removable components are in place on said main component, a distance from said first side removable component and said second side removable component to said first side looking camera and said second side looking camera, respectively, is in a range of 0 to 3 millimeters.

18. The tip section of claim 16 wherein said multi-component cover further comprises a front removable component configured to cover an opening located on a front portion of said main component and wherein said opening on the front portion is configured to allow access to the inner part of the tip section without removing said main component, wherein when said front removable component is in place on said main component, a distance from the front removable component to said front looking camera is in a range of 0 to 3 millimeters.

19. The tip section of claim 16, wherein said main component comprises a channel alongside said side removable component, and said side removable component is configured to be longitudinally pushed and slid through said channel to be repositioned in an open position in which the inner parts of the tip section can be accessed through said opening.

20. A multi-component cover for the a tip section of an endoscope, said tip section comprising at least one of a front pointing viewing element and a side pointing viewing element, wherein the at least one of a front pointing viewing element and a side pointing viewing element comprises an image sensor, said multi-component cover comprising:

a main component configured to cover a portion of said tip section, said main component comprising 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

a removable window component located on the one or more side walls of said main component, said removable window component configured to removably cover a window opening located on said main component, wherein the optical axis of the at least one of a front pointing viewing element and the side pointing viewing element does not extend through the window opening, wherein said window opening is positioned to allow access to an inner part of said tip section without removing said main component.