Optical head for endoscope

• US 20060063976A1
• Filed: 09/01/2005
• Published: 03/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stryker GI Services CV (Stryker Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Stryker GI Ltd. (Stryker Corporation)
• Inventors: Levin, Victor, Shezifi, Omer, Aizenfeld, Amram, Oz, Dan, Krivopisk, Leonid, Bar-Or, Yakov, Gershov, Yuri
• Granted Patent: US 8,449,457 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/179
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00096 Optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00101 the distal tip features being detachable
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0638 providing two or more wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0655 Control therefor
• 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 1/31 for the rectum, e.g. proctoscopes, sigmoidoscopes , colonoscopes

Abstract

An optical head for an endoscope is fitted with an imaging system comprising a solid state imaging sensor and with an illuminating system comprising illuminating means, e.g. LED'"'"'s. At least one illuminating means is defined by a parameter, which value is different from the value of the same parameter of the remaining illuminating means. Among the parameters are luminous intensity, luminous intensity distribution angle, and direction of the longitudinal axis of the illuminating means.

Claims

1. An optical head for an endoscope, said optical head being fitted with an imaging system comprising a CCD-chip or CMOS and with an illuminating system comprising an illuminating module fitted with several illuminating means, wherein at least one illuminating means is defined by a parameter, which value is different from a value of the same parameter of the remaining illuminating means.

2. The optical head as defined on claim 1, in which said parameter is selected from the group consisting of luminous intensity, luminous intensity distribution angle, and direction of longitudinal axis of the illuminating means.

3. The optical head as defined in claim 1, in which said illuminating means are LED'"'"'s and said illuminating module comprises a mounting plate on which are deployed the LED'"'"'s, wherein said LED'"'"'s are divided into two groups located respectively at the left side and the right side of an imaginary longitudinal middle plane of the optical head.

4. The optical head as defined in claim 3, in which said mounting plate comprises a ceramic hybrid module.

5. The optical head as defined in claim 3, in which said mounting plate has a saddle-like configuration and each of said groups of LED'"'"'s is located within a respective arched region provided at the left and the right side of the imaginary longitudinal middle plane.

6. The optical head as defined in claim 5, in which each of said groups of LED'"'"'s consists of three LED'"'"'s, including two outside LED'"'"'s and a middle LED.

7. The optical head as defined in claim 6, in which the LED'"'"'s are situated symmetrically with respect to the imaginary longitudinal middle plane.

8. The optical head as defined in claim 7, in which the LED'"'"'s are secured on the mounting plate in such a manner that their longitudinal axes are directed parallel to the longitudinal axis of the optical head.

9. The optical head as defined in claim 8, in which the luminous intensity distribution angle of the middle LED is different from the luminous intensity distribution angle of the outside LED'"'"'s.

10. The optical head as defined in claim 9, in which the luminous intensity distribution angle of the middle LED is wider than the luminous intensity distribution angle of the outside LED'"'"'s.

11. The optical head as defined in claim 7, in which the LED'"'"'s are secured on the mounting plate in such a manner that longitudinal axes of the outside LED'"'"'s are directed not parallel to the longitudinal axis of the optical head.

12. The optical head as defined in claim 11, in which diameter of the middle LED'"'"'s is larger than diameter of the outside LED'"'"'s.

13. The optical head as defined in claim 11, in which the luminous intensity distribution angle of the middle LED is narrower than the luminous intensity distribution angle of the outside LED'"'"'s.

14. The optical head as defined in claim 11, in which the luminous intensity of the middle LED is not equal to the luminous intensity of the outside LED'"'"'s.

15. The optical head as defined in claim 2, comprising a means for controlling the luminous intensity of the LED'"'"'s.

16. The optical head as defined in claim 15, in which the CCD-chip has a field of view, which is divided into virtual regions that are associated with respective LED'"'"'s and said means for controlling the luminous intensity comprises at least one current source supplying a current to a respective LED, said current depends on a preset value of the average illumination level of the virtual region associated with this LED.

17. The optical head as defined in claim 1, further comprising a disposable cap detachably connectable to said optical head.

18. The optical head as defined in claim 17, in which said optical head is detachably connectable to the cap by a snap connection.

19. The optical head as defined in claim 18, in which said snap connection comprises an elastically deflectable tongue for engagement with a hole.

20. A method for controlling an optical head of an endoscope, said optical head being provided with an imaging system comprising a solid state imaging sensor and with an illuminating system comprising an illuminating module fitted with several illuminating means, said method comprises dividing the field of view of the imaging sensor into virtual regions that are associated with respective illuminating means and supplying electrical current to a respective illuminating means depending on the average illumination level of the virtual region associated with this illuminating means.