Integrated panoramic and forward view endoscope
First Claim
1. An endoscopic optical system comprising;
- a panoramic/forward viewing optical element which collects image information from the forward field of view and the panoramic field of view; and
an endoscope objective that collects and focuses the image information from the panoramic/forward viewing optical element; and
an endoscopic eyepiece to view the image information; and
an endoscopic relay system to transmit image information through the endoscope from the endoscope objective to the endoscopic eyepiece; and
a means of endoscopic illumination to distribute light to the forward field of view and the panoramic field of view.
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Abstract
The objective of the present invention is to provide a single endoscope that provides a field of view substantially greater than a hemisphere comprising a forward field of view and a panoramic field of view that are integrated on a single image plane. The invention is described with respect to a rigid endoscope, but the technology can be implemented on a flexible endoscope as well. The advantage of such an endoscope is that it would provide substantially more information to the physician than any single existing endoscope, and it can be used in place of multiple endoscopes with varying directions of view that are swapped throughout a procedure to provide different views. The invention can also be used in non-medical applications for inspection in closed or generally inaccessible spaces such as for example the interior of jet engines.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. An endoscopic optical system comprising;
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a panoramic/forward viewing optical element which collects image information from the forward field of view and the panoramic field of view; and
an endoscope objective that collects and focuses the image information from the panoramic/forward viewing optical element; and
an endoscopic eyepiece to view the image information; and
an endoscopic relay system to transmit image information through the endoscope from the endoscope objective to the endoscopic eyepiece; and
a means of endoscopic illumination to distribute light to the forward field of view and the panoramic field of view. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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Specification