Solid State Variable Direction Of View Endoscope With Rotatable Wide-Angle Field For Maximal Image Performance

• US 20140121459A1
• Filed: 11/01/2012
• Published: 05/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Karl Storz Imaging, Inc (Karl Storz Se & Co. Kg)
• Original Assignee: George E. Duckett III
• Inventors: Hoeg, Hans David, Duckett, George E. III
• Granted Patent: US 9,408,527 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/109
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00165 with light-conductive means, e.g. fibre optics A61B1/07 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00174 characterised by the viewing angles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00179 for off-axis viewing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00183 for variable viewing angles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/042 characterised by a proximal camera, e.g. a CCD camera
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/044 for absorption imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/06 with illuminating arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/0883 the refracting element being a prism
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/642 Optical derotators, i.e. systems for compensating for image rotation, e.g. using rotating prisms, mirrors

Abstract

An endoscope and endoscopic surgical system for improving the image resolution/performance of a solid state variable direction of view endoscope. The endoscope and endoscopic surgical system has an optical rotator element that optically rotates the entire wide-angle field so as to make any portion of the wide-angle field visible to an image sensor.

Claims

1. An endoscope comprising:

a body having a distal end, a proximal end, and a longitudinal axis;

a wide-angle objective lens disposed in the distal end of the body for capturing light of a wide viewing field;

an image sensor disposed in the body for detecting the light captured by the wide-angle objective lens and forming one or more images of the wide viewing field; and

an optical rotator interposed between the objective lens and the image sensor,

wherein the optical rotator is rotated such that any portion of the wide viewing field detected by the image sensor is a sensor view.

2. The endoscope of claim 1, wherein the wide-angle objective lens transmits the captured light of the wide viewing field for reception by the optical rotator, and

wherein the optical rotator transmits the captured light of the wide viewing field to the image sensor for detection, and

wherein the sensor is offset from an optical axis such that only some of the captured light is detected by the sensor.

3. The endoscope of claim 1, further comprising a relay lens system interposed between the optical rotator and the wide-angle objective lens,

wherein the relay lens system transmits the captured light of the wide viewing field to the image sensor for detection.

4. The endoscope of claim 1, wherein the objective lens and the optical rotator further comprise an optical axis, wherein the optical axis is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the body.

5. The endoscope of claim 4, wherein the optical axis is included in the sensor view.

6. The endoscope of claim 4, further comprising a relay lens system interposed between the objective lens and the optical rotator,

wherein the objective lens transmits the captured light of the wide viewing field to the relay lens system,

wherein the relay lens system transmits the captured light of the wide viewing field to the optical rotator,

wherein the optical rotator transmits the captured light of the wide viewing field to the image sensor for detection, and

wherein the sensor is offset from the optical axis such that only some of the captured light is detected by the sensor.

7. The endoscope of claim 1, further comprising an image rotator, wherein the image rotator rotates the orientation of the sensor view.

8. The endoscope of claim 7, wherein the image rotator is in communication with a processor for changing the orientation of the sensor view.

9. The endoscope of claim 8, wherein the image rotator changes the orientation of the sensor view in accordance with a user input or with a predetermined algorithm.

10. The endoscope of claim 8, wherein the processor changes the orientation of the sensor view in accordance with a user input or with a predetermined algorithm.

11. The endoscope of claim 1, wherein the optical rotator is a rotational prism selected from the group consisting of:

Dove prisms, reversion or “

K”

prisms, delta prisms, and Pechan prisms.

12. The endoscope of claim 1, further comprising an actuator for rotating the optical rotator.

13. The endoscope of claim 1, further comprising a controller for actuating the optical rotator in accordance with an input signal from an input device.

14. The endoscope of claim 13, wherein the input device allows for selecting a region of interest within the wide viewing field, wherein the region of interest is not larger than the sensor view.

15. The endoscope of claim 14, wherein the input device is selected from a group consisting of a knob, button, joystick, touchpad, touchscreen, foot pedal, gesture detection, voice control, and combinations thereof.

16. The endoscope of claim 15, further comprising an input facility, wherein the input facility is part of the input device.

17. The endoscope of claim 16, wherein the input facility involves moving the region of interest within the wide viewing field so as to select different portions of the wide viewing field for display.

18. The endoscope of claim 17, wherein the moving of the region of interest comprises calculations by a processor to relate the selected new position of the region of interest to the physical parameters of the mechanics of the endoscope.

19. The endoscope of claim 18, wherein the calculations comprise mathematical parameterization based on polar, Euclidean, or other appropriate coordinate systems.

20. The endoscope of claim 19, wherein the calculations comprise mathematical parameterization based on any coordinate system.

21. The endoscope of claim 1, wherein the objective lens continuously captures the light of the wide viewing field.

22. The endoscope of claim 1, wherein the body includes a handle affixed to the proximal end of the body, and wherein the image sensor is disposed in the handle.

23. The endoscope of claim 1, further comprising an illumination system, wherein the illumination system provides light to at least a portion of the wide viewing field.

24. The endoscope of claim 1, wherein the image sensor continuously captures the light provided by the wide-angle objective lens.

25. The endoscope of claim 24, wherein the image sensor captures only a partial amount of the light provided by the wide-angle objective lens.

26. An endoscopic surgical system comprising:

an endoscope having;

a body having a longitudinal axis, a distal end, and a proximal end,

a wide-angle objective lens disposed in the distal end of the body for capturing light of a wide viewing field,

an image sensor disposed in the body for detecting the light captured by the wide-angle objective lens and forming one or more images of the wide viewing field,

a relay lens system interposed between the objective lens and the optical rotator, the relay lens system transmitting the captured light of the wide viewing field,

an optical rotator interposed between the relay lens system and the image sensor, wherein the optical rotator is rotated such that any portion of the wide viewing field detected by the image sensor is a sensor view, and

an input device, wherein the input device allows a user to select a portion of the sensor view corresponding to a region of interest in the wide viewing field; and

a display for presenting to the user the selected portion of the sensor view corresponding to the region of interest in the wide viewing field.

27. The endoscope of claim 26, wherein the endoscope further comprises a solid-state image rotator.

28. The endoscope of claim 27, wherein the solid-state image rotator is in communication with a processor, wherein the processor changes the orientation of the sensor view in accordance with a user input or with a predetermined algorithm.

29. The endoscope of claim 26, wherein the optical rotator is a rotational prism selected from the group consisting of:

Dove prisms, reversion or “

K”

prisms, delta prisms, and Pechan prisms.

30. The endoscope of claim 26, further comprising an actuator for rotating the optical rotator.

31. The endoscope of claim 30, further comprising a controller for actuating the optical rotator in accordance with an input signal from the input device.

32. The endoscopic surgical system of claim 26, wherein the input device is selected from a group consisting of a knob, button, joystick, touchpad, touchscreen, foot pedal, gesture detection, voice control, and combinations thereof.

33. The endoscope of claim 26, wherein the body includes a handle affixed to the proximal end of the body, the image sensor being disposed in the handle.

34. The endoscope of claim 26, further comprising an illumination system, wherein the illumination system provides light to at least a portion of the wide viewing field.

35. The endoscope of claim 26, wherein the objective lens, the relay lens system, and the optical rotator further comprise an optical axis, wherein the optical axis is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the body.

36. The endoscope of claim 35, wherein the optical axis is included in the sensor view.

37. The endoscope of claim 26, wherein the image sensor continuously captures the light provided by the wide-angle objective lens.

38. The endoscope of claim 37, wherein the image sensor captures only a partial amount of the light provided by the wide-angle objective lens.

39. An endoscope comprising:

a body having a longitudinal axis, a distal end, and a proximal end;

a wide-angle objective lens disposed in the distal end of the body, the wide-angle objective lens being able to collect light from a wide viewing field;

an illumination system for providing light to at least a portion of the wide viewing field;

an electronic image sensor disposed in the body; and

an optical rotator interposed between the wide-angle objective lens and the electronic image sensor for rotating the wide viewing field such that any portion of the wide viewing field detected by the electronic image sensor is a sensor view.

40. The endoscope of claim 39, wherein the endoscope is coupled to a display and to an input device to form an endoscopic surgical system.

41. The endoscope of claim 39, further comprising an optical image transmission system interposed between the wide-angle objective lens and the optical rotator, the optical image transmission system receiving the light captured by the wide-angle objective lens,

wherein the captured light is received by the optical rotator,

wherein the optical rotator transmits the captured light of the wide viewing field to the electronic image sensor for detection at any given time, and

wherein the sensor is offset from an optical axis that is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the body, such that only some of the captured light is detected by the sensor.

42. The endoscope of claim 39, further comprising an optical image transmission system interposed between the objective lens and the electronic image sensor, the optical rotator receiving the captured light of the wide viewing field from the wide-angle objective lens and transmitting the captured light of the wide viewing field to the optical image transmission system for detection by the electronic image sensor at any given time.

43. The endoscope of claim 42, wherein the optical image transmission system is a relay lens system or a coherent image fiber bundle.

44. The endoscope of claim 39, wherein the optical rotator is a rotational prism selected from the group consisting of:

Dove prisms, reversion or “

K”

prisms, delta prisms, and Pechan prisms.

45. The endoscope of claim 39, further comprising a solid-state image rotator for electronically rotating the orientation of the sensor view.

46. The endoscope of claim 45, wherein the solid-state image rotator is in communication with a processor, wherein the processor changes the orientation of the sensor view in accordance with a user input or with a predetermined algorithm.

47. The endoscope of claim 39, further comprising an actuator for rotating the optical rotator.

48. The endoscope of claim 47, further comprising a controller for actuating the optical rotator in accordance with an input signal from the input device.

49. The endoscope of claim 39, wherein the input device is selected from a group consisting of a knob, button, joystick, touchpad, touchscreen, foot pedal, gesture detection, voice control, and combinations thereof.

50. The endoscope of claim 49, further comprising an input facility, wherein the input facility is part of the input device.

51. The endoscope of claim 49, wherein the input facility involves moving the region of interest within the wide viewing field so as to select different portions of the wide viewing field for display.

52. The endoscope of claim 39, wherein the body has a diameter of less than 3 mm.

53. The endoscope of claim 39, wherein the body includes a handle affixed to the proximal end of the body, and wherein the image sensor is disposed in the handle.

54. The endoscope of claim 39, wherein the wide-angle objective lens and the optical rotator further comprise an optical axis, wherein the optical axis is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the body.

55. The endoscope of claim 54, wherein the optical axis is included in the sensor view.

56. The endoscope of claim 39, wherein the optical image transmission system includes lens that provides for f-sin(theta) distortion.

57. The endoscope of claim 39, wherein the image sensor continuously captures the light provided by the wide-angle objective lens.

58. The endoscope of claim 57, wherein the image sensor captures only a partial amount of the light provided by the wide-angle objective lens.