STERILE ENDOSCOPE SHEATH

• US 20190328216A1
• Filed: 04/26/2019
• Published: 10/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avateramedical GmbH (avateramedical NV)
• Original Assignee: Avateramedical GmbH (avateramedical NV)
• Inventors: Beyer, Stefan, Weise, Fabian
• Granted Patent: US 11,330,968 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00057 provided with means for testing or calibration
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00096 Optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00135 Oversleeves mounted on the endoscope prior to insertion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00142 with means for preventing contamination, e.g. by using a sanitary sheath
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00163 Optical arrangements A61B1/002, A61B1/06 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/05 characterised by the image sensor, e.g. camera, being in the distal end portion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0653 with wavelength conversion

Abstract

An endoscope sheath comprises an optical element arranged at its distal end. The optical element has a light-reflecting element or a light-reflecting area which reflects detection light emitted by the detection light source as reflection light toward a proximal end of the endoscope sheath.

Claims

1. A sterile endoscope sheath for a non-sterile endoscope, comprising:

an optical element arranged at a distal end of the endoscope sheath,

wherein the optical element has one of a light-reflecting element or a light-reflecting area which reflects detection light emitted from a detection light source as reflection light toward a proximal end of the endoscope sheath.

2. The endoscope sheath according to claim 1, wherein the one of the light-reflecting element or the light-reflecting area is transparent in at least one optical wavelength range outside the wavelength range of the detection light.

3. The endoscope sheath according to claim 1, wherein the one of the light-reflecting element or the light-reflecting area reflects light in an ultraviolet (UV), an infrared (IR) or a near-infrared (NIR) wavelength range.

4. The endoscope sheath according to one of the claim 1, wherein the one of the light-reflecting element or the light-reflecting area is arranged on a side of the optical element facing the proximal end of the endoscope sheath.

5. An arrangement for the sterile handling of a non-sterile endoscope in a sterile environment, comprising:

a sterile endoscope sheath having an optical element arranged at a distal end of the endoscope sheath wherein the optical element has one of a light-reflecting element or a light-reflecting area which reflects detection light emitted from a detection light source as reflection light toward a proximal end of the sterile endoscope sheath, and

a non-sterile endoscope comprising an endoscope shaft, an illumination optical system for guiding illumination light and an observation optical system for one of detecting or forwarding ambient light entering a distal end of the endoscope shaft,

wherein the non-sterile endoscope is received in the endoscope sheath and is shielded by it in a sterile manner against the environment.

6. The arrangement according to claim 5, wherein the non-sterile endoscope has a detection optical system for guiding the detection light emitted by the detection light source, which detection optical system is different from the illumination optical system and the observation optical system.

7. The arrangement according to claim 5, wherein the observation optical system guides the reflection light.

8. The arrangement according to claim 5, wherein the non-sterile endoscope has a beam splitter which couples the detection light into the illumination optical system or the detection optical system.

9. The arrangement according to claim 8, wherein the beam splitter couples the reflection light out of the detection optical system or the observation optical system so that it is incident on a sensor element, in particular a photodetector or a CCD sensor.

10. The arrangement according to claim 5, wherein the non-sterile endoscope comprises a sensor element, in particular a photodetector or a CCD chip, which detects the reflection light.

11. The arrangement according to claim 5, wherein the observation optical system comprises an image sensor which detects the ambient light entering the distal end of the endoscope shaft and the reflection light.

12. The arrangement according to claim 11, wherein the arrangement comprises a control unit, configured to further process images captured by the image sensor for image display only in a first operating mode, and to control the detection light source such that the detection light source emits the detection light only in a second operating mode, wherein the image sensor detects the reflection light reflected by the light-reflecting element in the second operating mode.

13. The arrangement according to claim 5, wherein the detection light source emits the illumination light and the detection light is coupled out of the illumination light.

14. The arrangement according to claim 5, wherein the detection light source emits detection light in an ultraviolet, infrared, or near-infrared wavelength range.

15. The arrangement according to claim 5, wherein the detection light source emits coherent detection light.