Optical Systems for Multi-Sensor Endoscopes

• US 20130296649A1
• Filed: 10/27/2011
• Published: 11/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: EndoChoice Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Peer Medical Ltd.
• Inventors: Kirma, Yaniv, Levin, Victor, Levi, Moshe
• Application Number:
  US13/882,004
• Publication Number:
  US 20130296649A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/109
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00096 Optical elements
• 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 1/00188 with focusing or zooming features
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/05 characterised by the image sensor, e.g. camera, being in the distal end portion
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/001 Miniaturised objectives for electronic devices, e.g. portable telephones, webcams, PDAs, small digital cameras G02B23/243 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/0015 characterised by the lens design
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/005 having spherical lenses only
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/04 Reversed telephoto objectives
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/06 Panoramic objectives; So-called "sky lenses" including panoramic objectives having reflecting surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/2407 Optical details
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/243 Objectives for endoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/2461 Illumination
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/2476 Non-optical details, e.g. housings, mountings, supports
• 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: G02B 7/04 with mechanism for focusing or varying magnification
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 9/60 having five components only

Abstract

There is provided herein an optical system for a tip section of a multi-sensor endoscope, the system comprising: a front-pointing camera sensor; a front objective lens system; a side-pointing camera sensor; and a side objective lens system, wherein at least one of said front and side objective lens systems comprises a front and a rear sub-systems separated by a stop diaphragm, said front sub-system comprises, in order from the object side, a first front negative lens and a second front positive lens, said rear sub-system comprises, in order from the object side, a first rear positive lens, an achromatic sub-assembly comprising a second rear positive lens and a third rear negative lens, wherein the following condition is satisfied: f_{(first rear positive lens)}≦1.8f, where f is the composite focal length of the total lens system and f_{(first rear positive lens)} is the focal length of said first rear positive lens.

Claims

1. An optical system for a tip section of a multi-sensor endoscope, the system comprising:

a front-pointing camera sensor;

a front objective lens system;

a side-pointing camera sensor; and

a side objective lens system,

wherein at least one of said front and side objective lens systems comprises a front and a rear sub-systems seperated by a stop diaphragm,

said front sub-system comprises, in order from the object side, a first front negative lens and a second front positive lens,

said rear sub-system comprises, in order from the object side, a first rear positive lens, an achromatic sub-assembly (optionally, a compound achromatic sub-assembly) comprising a second rear positive lens and a third rear negative lens, wherein the following condition is satisfied;

f_{(first rear positive lens)}≦

1.8f, where f is the composite focal length of the total lens system and f_{(first rear positive lens)} is the focal length of said first rear positive lens.

2. The optical system according to claim 1, wherein said front sub-system further comprises an additional front meniscus lens disposed between said first front negative lens and said second front positive lens.

3. The optical system according to claim 1, wherein said rear sub-system further comprises a rear protective glass situated between said third rear negative lens and said front-pointing and/or side-pointing camera sensor, wherein said rear protective glass is adapted to protect a detector array of said front-pointing and/or side-pointing camera sensor.

4. The optical system according to claim 1, wherein:

f_{(first rear positive lens)}=1.8f, where f is the composite focal length of the total lens system and f_{(first rear positive lens)} is the focal length of said first rear positive lens.

5. The optical system according to claim 1, wherein said front-pointing camera sensor and said front objective lens system are adapted to provide a Depth of Focus (DOF) of between 4 and 110 mm.

6. The optical system according to claim 5, wherein said front-pointing camera sensor and said front objective lens system are adapted to provide a Depth of Focus (DOF) of between 3.5 and 50 mm.

7. The optical system according to claim 1, wherein said front-pointing camera sensor and said front objective lens system are adapted to provide an effective spatial resolution of at least 60 lines per mm at Depth of Focus (DOF) of between 5 and 50 mm.

8. The optical system according to claim 1, wherein said front-pointing camera sensor and said front objective lens system are adapted to provide an effective angular resolution of about 2′

per degree or less at Depth of Focus (DOF) of between 5 and 50 mm.

9. The optical system according to claim 1, wherein said front-pointing camera sensor and said front objective lens system are adapted to provide a Field of View (FOV) of about 150 degrees or more.

10. The optical system according to claim 9, wherein said front-pointing camera sensor and said front objective lens system are adapted to provide a Field of View (FOV) of about 170 degrees or more.

11. The optical system according to claim 1, wherein said front-pointing camera sensor and said front objective lens system have a total optical length of about 5 mm or less.

12. The optical system according to claim 1, wherein said side-pointing camera sensor and said side objective lens system are adapted to provide a Depth of Focus (DOF) of between 3.5 and 50 mm.

13. The optical system according to claim 1, wherein said side-pointing camera sensor and said side objective lens system are adapted to provide a Depth of Focus (DOF) of between 3 and 30 mm.

14. The optical system according to claim 1, wherein said side-pointing camera sensor and said side objective lens system are adapted to provide an effective spatial resolution of at least 60 lines per mm at Depth of Focus (DOF) of between 5 and 50 mm.

15. The optical system according to claim 1 wherein said side-pointing camera sensor and said side objective lens system are adapted to provide an effective angular resolution of about 2′

per degree or less at Depth of Focus (DOF) of between 5 and 50 mm.

16. The optical system according to claim 1, wherein said side-pointing camera sensor and said side objective lens system are adapted to provide a Field of View (FOV) of about 150 degrees or more.

17. The optical system according to claim 1, wherein said side-pointing camera sensor and said side objective lens system are adapted to provide a Field of View (FOV) of about 170 degrees or more.

18. The optical system according to claim 1, wherein said side-pointing camera sensor and said side objective lens system have a total optical length of about 5 mm or less.

19. The optical system according to claim 1, wherein the diameter of said first front negative lens is 2.5 mm or less.

20. An objective lens system for at least one of a front-pointing and side-pointing camera sensors of a multi-sensor endoscope, the objective lens system comprising:

a front and a rear sub-systems separated by a stop diaphragm, wherein

said front sub-system comprises a first front negative lens and a second front positive lens, and

said rear sub-system comprises a first rear positive lens, an achromatic sub-assembly (optionally, a compound achromatic sub-assembly) comprising a second rear positive lens and a third rear negative lens,

wherein the following condition is satisfied;

f_{(first rear positive lens)}≦

1.8f, where f is the composite focal length of the total lens system and f(first rear positive lens) is the focal length of said first rear positive lens.

21. A tip section of a multi-sensor endoscope comprising an optical system comprising:

a front-pointing camera sensor;

a front objective lens system;

a side-pointing camera sensor; and

a side objective lens system,

wherein at least one of said front and side objective lens systems comprises a front and a rear sub-systems seperated by a stop diaphragm,

said front sub-system comprises a first front negative lens and a second front positive lens,

said rear sub-system comprises a first rear positive lens, an achromatic sub-assembly (optionally, a compound achromatic sub-assembly) comprising a second rear positive lens and a third rear negative lens, wherein the following conditions are satisfied;

f_{(first rear positive lens)}≦

1.8f, where f is the composite focal length of the total lens system and f_{(first rear positive lens)} is the focal length of said first rear positive lens.