Objective lens system for endoscopes and image pickup system equipped with said objective lens system

• US 4,986,642 A
• Filed: 11/18/1988
• Issued: 01/22/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Olympus Optical Company Ltd. (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Company Ltd. (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Fukuda, Hiroyuki, Takahashi, Susumu, Yokota, Akira
• Primary Examiner(s): Arnold, Bruce Y.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gass, Rebecca D.
• Application Number:
  US07/272,991
• Time in Patent Office: 795 Days
• Field of Search: 350/439, 350/445, 350/432
• US Class Current: 359/708
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 17/045 having static image erecting or reversing properties only optical derotators G02B27/642; optical devices for controlling the direction of light using movable or deformable optical elements G02B26/08
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/12 with means for image conversion or intensification
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/243 Objectives for endoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 9/10 one + and one - component

Abstract

An image pickup system using an objective lens system for endoscopes consisting of an objective lens system comprising a front lens unit having negative refractive power and a rear lens unit having positive refractive power, and an optical system comprising an image sensor, and so adapted as to permit disposing the image sensor obliquely or parallel relatively to the optical axis by prolonging back focal length of said objective lens system and arranging an optical path deflecting system between said objective lens system and said image sensor.

Claims

1. An objective lens system for endoscopes comprising:

a front lens unit having negative refractive power,

a rear lens unit having positive refractive power,

said objective lens system having a long back focal length and satisfying the following condition (1);

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">|f.sub.1 /f|<

3.8 (1)

wherein the reference symbol f, represents focal length of the front lens unit and the reference symbol f designates focal length of the objective lens system as a whole,

in combination with an image pick-up system including;

an image sensor arranged obliquely or parallel relative to the optical axis of said objective lens system, and

an optical path deflecting system arranged between said objective lens system and said image sensor,

said image pickup system satisfying the following condition (7);

##EQU5## wherein the reference symbol I represents height of image, the reference symbol SK designates the distance from the final lens surface of the objective lens system to the image plane determined by the paraxial theory and the reference symbol EX denotes the distance from said final lens surface to the exit pupil.

2. An objective lens system for endoscopes according to claim 1 satisfying the following condition (2):

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">0.4<

f.sub.2 /f<

30 (2)

wherein the reference symbol f₂ represents focal length of the rear lens unit.

3. An objective lens system according to claim 1 or 2 wherein said front lens unit comprises a single negative lens component, said rear lens unit comprises a plural number of lens components including at least one positive cemented doublet consisting of a positive lens element and a negative lens element, and the positive cemented doublet arranged on the extreme object side is so designed as to satisfy the following conditions (9) and (10):

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">n.sub.p >

n.sub.n (

     9)

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">ν

.sub.p <

ν

.sub.n (

     10)

wherein the reference symbols n_p and n_n represent refractive indices of said positive lens element and said negative lens element respectively, and the reference symbols ν

_p and ν

_n designate Abbe'"'"'s numbers of said positive lens element and said negative lens element respectively.

4. An image pickup system for endoscopes according to claim 1 or 2 wherein a rectangular aperture stop is arranged before said optical path deflecting system.

5. An image pickup system for endoscopes according to claim 1 or 2 wherein said objective lens system comprises at least one lens component made of quartz.

6. An image pickup system for endoscopes according to claim 1 or 2 comprising an infrared cut filter.

7. An objective lens system for endoscopes comprising:

a front lens unit having negative refractive power,

a rear lens unit having positive refractive power,

said objective lens system having a long back focal length and satisfying the following condition (1);

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">|f.sub.1 /f|<

3.8 (1)

wherein the reference symbol f₁ represents focal length of the front lens unit and the reference symbol f designates focal length of the objective lens system as a whole, and

satisfying the following condition (11);

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">|h.sub.1 φ

.sub.1 |>

1.15|h.sub.4 φ

.sub.4 | (11)

wherein the reference symbol h₁ represents average height of the principal ray at the lens component arranged on the extreme object side, the reference symbol h₄ designates average height of the principal ray at the lens component arranged on the extreme image side, the reference symbol φ

₁ denotes power of the component arranged on the extreme image side and the reference symbol φ

₄ represents power of the lens component arranged on the extreme image side.

8. An objective lens system for endoscopes according to claim 7 satisfying the following condition (12) and (13):

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">0.2<

|R.sub.1 |/f<

10 (12)

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">0.2<

|R.sub.4 |/f<

10 (13)

wherein the reference symbol R₁ represents radius of curvature on the concave surface of the lens component arranged on the extreme object side and the reference symbol R₄ designates radius of curvature on the concave surface of the lens Component arranged on the extreme image side.

9. An objective lens system for endoscope comprising:

a front lens unit having negative refractive power, and

a rear lens unit having positive refractive power,

said objective lens system having a long back focal length and satisfying the following condition (1);

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">|f.sub.1 /f<

3.8 (1)

wherein the reference symbol f₁ represents focal length of the front lens unit and the reference symbol f designates focal length of the objective lens system as a whole, and

also satisfying condition (2);

11. An objective lens system for endoscopes according to claim 9 comprising, at a location before said aperture stop, a cemented doublet having a convex surface on the image side, and a lens component selected from a single-element plano-convex lens component and a meniscus lens component.

14. An objective lens system for endoscopes according to claim 11 wherein said rear lens unit consists of a front subunit disposed at a location before said airspace and a rear subunit disposed at a location after said airspace, and satisfies the following condition (14):

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">2≦

f.sub.A2 /f.sub.1 | (14)

wherein the reference symbol f_A2 represents focal length of the rear subunit.

17. An objective lens system for endoscopes according to claim 9 or 14 wherein said objective lens system has an airspace at which the axial marginal ray is nearly parallel to the optical axis and said aperture stop is disposed at a location before said airspace.

10. 4<

f₂ /f<

30 (2)

wherein the reference symbol f₂ represents focal length of the rear lens unit, and

wherein said rear lens unit has an aperture stop and a lens component having an aspherical surface on the object side including portions whose curvature is gradually enhanced as said portions are farther from the optical axis.

12. An objective lens system for endoscopes comprising:

a front lens unit having negative refractive power

a rear lens unit having positive refractive power,

said objective lens system having a long back focal length and satisfying the following conditions (1) and (2);

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">|f.sub.1 /f<

3.8 (1)

wherein the reference symbol f₁ represents focal length of the front lens unit and the reference symbol f designates focal length of the objective lens system as a whole,

15. An image pickup system for endoscope according to claim 12 comprising an image sensor arranged obliquely or parallel relative to the optical axis of said objective lens system, and an optical path deflecting system arranged between said objective lens system and said image sensor.

18. An objective lens system for endoscopes according to claim 15 wherein said rear lens unit consists of a front subunit disposed at a location before said airspace and a rear subunit disposed at a location after said airspace, and satisfies the following condition (14):

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">2≦

f.sub.A2 /|f.sub.1 | (14)

wherein the reference symbol f_A2 represents focal length of the rear subunit.

19. An image pickup system for endoscopes according to claim 15 comprising an image sensor arranged one of obliquely and parallel relative to the optical axis of said objective lens system, and an optical path deflecting system arranged between said objective lens system and said image sensor.

22. An objective lens system for endoscopes according to claim 18 satisfying the following condition (16):

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">f.sub.M >

2f (16)

wherein the reference symbol f_M represents focal length of said rear subsystem.

25. An image pickup system for endoscopes according to claim 18, 19 or 20 comprising an image sensor arranged obliquely or parallel relative to the optical axis of said objective lens system, and an optical path deflecting system arranged between said objective lens system and said image sensor.

13. 4<

f₂ /f<

30 (2)

wherein the reference symbol f₂ represents focal length of the rear lens unit, and

wherein said objective lens system has an airspace at which the axial marginal ray becomes nearly parallel to the optical axis and an aperture stop disposed at a location before said airspace.

16. An objective lens system for endoscopes comprising:

a front lens unit having negative refractive power, and

a rear lens unit having positive refractive power,

said objective lens system having a long back focal length and satisfying the following condition (1);

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">1f.sub.1 |f|<

3.8 (1)

wherein the reference symbol f₁ represents focal length of the front lens unit and the reference symbol f designates focal length of the objective lens system as a whole, and

also satisfying condition (2);

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">0.4<

f.sub.2 /f<

30 (2)

wherein the reference symbol f₂ represents focal length of the rear lens unit, and

wherein said rear lens unit has an aperture stop therein and a lens component having an aspherical surface on the image side including portions whose curvature is gradually lowered as said portions are farther from the optical axis.

20. An objective lens system for endoscopes comprising:

a front lens unit having negative refractive power

a rear lens unit having positive refractive power,

said objective lens system having a long back focal length and satisfying the following condition (1);

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">|f.sub.1 /f|<

3.8 (1)

wherein the reference symbol f₁ represents focal length of the front lens unit and the reference symbol f designates focal length of the objective lens system as a whole,

and satisfying the following conditions (2) and (5);

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">0.4<

f.sub.2 /f<

30 (2)

wherein the reference symbol f₂ represents focal length of the rear lens unit, and

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">|f.sub.B /f|>

1.4 (5)

wherein the reference symbol f_B represents back focal length of the objective lens system, and

wherein said rear lens unit is equipped with an aperture stop arranged therein and comprises, at a location before said aperture stop, a cemented doublet having a convex surface on the image side, and a lens component selected from a single-element plano-convex lens component and a meniscus lens component,

wherein said objective lens system has an airspace at which the axial marginal ray becomes nearly parallel to the optical axis, and comprises a front subsystem arranged at a location before said airspace and a rear subsystem arranged at a location after said airspace, and satisfies the following condition (15);

21. -1. 5<

p_A <

0 (15)

wherein the reference symbol p_A represents Petzval'"'"'s sum of said subsystem.

23. An objective lens system for endoscopes comprising:

a front lens unit having negative refractive power,

a rear lens unit having positive refractive power,

said objective lens system having a long back focal length and satisfying the following condition (1);

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">|f.sub.1 /f|<

3.8 (1)

wherein the reference symbol f₁ represents focal length of the front lens unit and the reference symbol f designates focal length of the objective lens system as a whole,

24. 4<

f₂ /f<

30 (2)

wherein the reference symbol f₂ represents focal length of the rear lens unit, and

wherein an aspherical surface is arranged in said front lens unit.

30. An objective lens system for endoscopes according to claim 24 comprising an optical path deflecting system on the image side of said rear lens unit and an aperture stop between said rear lens unit and said optical path deflecting system, said objective lens system satisfying the following conditions (3) and (4):

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">-1.2<

f.sub.1 /f<

-0.5 (3)

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">1.5<

f.sub.2 /f<

2.5 (4).

31. An objective lens system for endoscopes according to claim 24 comprising an optical path deflecting system on the image side of said rear lens unit and an aperture stop between said rear lens unit and said optical path deflecting system, said objective lens system satisfying the following conditions (6):

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">|f.sub.B /f>

3 (6).

32. An image pickup system for endoscopes according to claim 24 comprising an image sensor arranged obliquely or parallelly relative to the optical axis of said objective lens system and an optical path deflecting system arranged between said objective lens system and said image sensor, said image pickup system satisfying the following condition (7):

##EQU6## wherein the reference symbol I represents height of image, the reference symbol SK designates the distance from the final lens surface of the objective lens system to the image plane determined by the paraxial theory and the reference symbol EX denotes the distance from said final lens surface to the exit pupil.

38. An objective lens system for endoscope according to claim 24 wherein said rear lens unit comprises lens components having positive refractive powers respectfully, and a lens component arranged on the extreme image side and having a concave surface kept in contact with air, said objective lens system satisfying the following condition (8):

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">|θ

.sub.1 |>

|θ

.sub.2 /3|(8)

wherein the reference symbol θ

₁ represents the angle formed between the offaxial principal ray emerging from the objective lens system and the optical axis, and the reference symbol θ

₂ designates the angle formed between the offaxial principal ray and the offaxial ray having passed through the marginal portion of a stop.

39. An objective lens system for endoscopes according to claim 24 satisfying the following condition (11):

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">|h.sub.1 φ

.sub.1 |>

|1.15|h.sub.4 φ

.sub.4 | (11)

wherein the reference symbol h₁ represents average height of the principal ray at the lens component arranged on the extreme object side, the reference symbol h₄ designates average height of the principal ray at the lens component arranged on the extreme image side, the reference symbol φ

₁ denotes power of the lens component arranged on the extreme image side and the reference symbol φ

₄ represents power of the lens component arranged on the extreme image side.

41. An objective lens system for endoscopes according to claim 24 wherein said rear lens unit is equipped with an aperture stop arranged therein and a lens component having an aspherical surface on the object side thereof including portions whose curvature is gradually enhanced as said portions are farther from the optical axis.

42. An objective lens system for endoscopes according to claim 24 wherein said rear lens unit is equipped with an aperture stop arranged therein and a lens component having an aspherical surface on the image side thereof including portions whose curvature is gradually lowered as said portions are farther from the optical axis.

44. An objective lens system for endoscope according to claim 38 wherein said rear lens unit consists of a front subunit arranged at a location before said airspace and a rear subunit arranged at a location after said airspace, and satisfying the following condition (14):

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">2≦

f.sub.A2 /|f.sub.1 | (14)

wherein the reference symbol f_A2 represents focal length of the rear subunit.

45. An image pickup system for endoscopes according to claim 39 comprising an image sensor arranged obliquely or parallel relative to the optical axis of said objective lens system, and an optical path deflecting system arranged between said objective lens system and said image sensor.

46. An image pickup system for endoscopes according to claim 38 comprising an image sensor arranged obliquely or parallel relative to the optical axis of said objective lens system, and an optical path deflecting system arranged between said objective lens system and said image sensor.

48. An objective lens system for endoscopes according to claim 42 wherein said objective lens system has an airspace at which the axial marginal ray becomes nearly parallel to the optical axis, and comprises a front subsystem arranged at a location before said airspace and a rear subsystem arranged at a location after said airspace, and satisfying the following condition (15):

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">-1.5p.sub.A <

0 (15)

wherein the reference symbol p_A represents Petzval'"'"'s sum of said subsystem.

51. An objective lens system for endoscopes according to claim 24 wherein said rear lens unit is equipped with an aperture stop arranged therein and comprises, at a location before said aperture stop, a lens component selected from a cemented doublet having a convex surface on the image side, a plano-convex lens component and a meniscus lens component.

52. An objective lens system for endoscopes according to claim 24 wherein said objective lens system has an airspace at which the axial marginal ray becomes nearly parallel to the optical axis and an aperture stop is arranged at a location before said airspace.

54. An objective lens system for endoscopes according to claim 46 or 47 wherein said rear lens unit consists of a front subunit arranged at a location before said airspace and a rear subunit arranged at a location after said airspace, and satisfying the following condition (14):

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">2≦

f.sub.A2 /|f.sub.1 | (14)

wherein the reference symbol f_A2 represents focal length of the rear subunit.

56. An objective lens system for endoscopes according to claim 24 wherein an aspherical surface is arranged in said front lens unit.

26. An objective lens system for endoscopes comprising:

a front lens unit having negative refractive power,

a rear lens unit having positive refractive power,

said objective lens system having a long back focal length and satisfying the following condition (1);

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">|f.sub.1 /f|<

3.8 (1)

wherein the reference symbol f₁ represents focal length of the front lens unit and the reference symbol f designates focal length of the objective lens system as a whole,

wherein said rear lens unit comprises lens components having positive refractive powers respectively, and a lens component arranged on the extreme image side and having a concave surface kept in contact with air, said objective lens system satisfying the following condition (8);

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">|θ

.sub. |>

|θ

.sub. 2/3|(8)

wherein the reference symbol θ

₁ represents the angle formed between the offaxial principal ray emerging from the objective lens system and the optical axis, and the reference symbol θ

₂ designates the angle formed between the offaxial principal ray and the offaxial ray having passed through the marginal portion of a stop.

27. An objective lens system for endoscopes comprising:

a front lens unit having negative refractive power,

a rear lens unit having positive refractive power,

said objective lens system having a long back focal length and satisfying the following condition (1);

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">|f.sub.1 /f<

3.8 (1)

wherein the reference symbol f₁ represents focal length of the front lens unit and the reference symbol f designates focal length of the objective lens system as a whole,

and also satisfying the following condition (2);

33. An image pickup system for endoscopes according to claim 27 wherein said rear lens unit comprises lens components having positive refractive powers respectively, and a lens component arranged on the extreme image side and having a concave surface kept in contact with air, said objective lens system satisfying the following condition (8):

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">|θ

.sub.1 |>

|θ

.sub.2 /3|(8)

wherein the reference symbol θ

₁ represents the angle formed between the offaxial principal ray emerging from the objective lens system and the optical axis, and the reference symbol θ

₂ designates the angle formed between the offaxial principal ray and the offaxial ray having passes through the marginal portion of a stop.

34. An image pickup system for endoscopes according to claim 27 wherein a rectangular aperture stop is arranged before said optical path deflecting system.

35. An image pickup system for endoscopes according to claim 27 wherein said objective lens system comprises at least one lens component made of quartz.

36. An image pickup system for endoscopes according to claim 27 comprising an infrared cut filter.

37. An objective lens system for endoscopes according to claim 27 wherein said front lens unit comprises a single negative lens component, said rear lens unit comprises a plural number of lens components including at least one positive cemented doublet consisting of a positive lens element and a negative lens element, and the positive cemented doublet arranged on the extreme object side satisfying the following conditions (9) and (10):

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">n.sub.p >

n.sub.n (

     9)

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">ν

.sub.p <

ν

.sub.n (

     10)

wherein the reference symbols n_p and n_n represent refractive indices of said positive lens element and said negative lens element respectively, and the reference symbols ν

_p and ν

_n designate Abbe'"'"'s numbers of said positive lens element and said negative lens element respectively.

40. An objective lens system for endoscopes according to claim 34 satisfying the following condition (12) and (13):

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">0.2<

|R.sub.1 |/f<

10 (12)

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">0.2<

|R.sub.4 |/f<

10 (13)

wherein the reference symbol R₁ represents radius of curvature on the concave surface of the lens component arranged on the extreme object side and the reference symbol R₄ designates radius of curvature on the concave surface of the lens component arranged on the extreme image side.

43. An objective lens system for endoscopes according to claim 36 or 37 wherein said objective lens system has an airspace at which the axial marginal ray becomes nearly parallel to the optical axis and said aperture stop is arranged at a location before said airspace.

47. An objective lens system for endoscopes according to claim 36 or 37 comprising, at a location before said aperture stop, a lens component selected from a cemented doublet having a convex surface on the image side, a plano-convex lens component and a meniscus lens component.

49. An image pickup system for endoscopes according to claim 43 comprising an image sensor arranged obliquely or parallel relative to the optical axis of said objective lens system, and an optical path deflecting system arranged between said objective lens system and said image sensor.

50. An objective lens system for endoscopes according to claim 43 satisfying the following condition (16):

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">f.sub.M >

2f (16)

wherein the reference symbol f_M represents focal length of said rear subsystem.

53. An image pickup system for endoscopes according to claim 47 comprising an image sensor arranged obliquely or parallel relative to the optical axis of said objective lens system, and an optical path deflecting system arranged between said objective lens system and said image sensor.

55. An image pickup system for endoscopes according to claim 49 comprising an image sensor arranged obliquely or parallel relative to the optical axis of said objective lens system, and an optical path deflecting system arranged between said objective lens system and said image sensor.

28. 4<

f₂ /f<

30 (2)

wherein the reference symbol f₂ represents focal length of the rear lens unit,

wherein said rear lens unit comprises lens components having positive refractive powers respectively, and a lens component arranged on the extreme image side and having a concave surface kept in contact with air, said objective lens system satisfying the following condition (8);

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">|θ

.sub.1 |>

|θ

.sub.2 /3|(8)

wherein the reference symbol θ

₁ represents the angle formed between the offaxial principal ray emerging from the objective lens system and the optical axis, and the reference symbol θ

₂ designates the angle formed between the offaxial principal ray and the offaxial ray having passed through the marginal portion of a stop.

29. An objective lens system for endoscopes comprising a front lens unit having negative refractive power and a rear lens unit having positive refractive power, said objective lens system having a long back focal length and satisfying the following conditions (1), (2) and (5):

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">|f.sub.1 /f|<

3.8 (1)

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">0.4<

f.sub.2 /f<

30 (2)

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">|f.sub.B /f|>

1.4 (5)

wherein the reference symbol f represents focal length of the objective lens system as a whole, the reference symbol f₁ designates focal length of the front lens unit, the reference symbol f₂ denotes focal length of the rear lens unit and the reference symbol f_B represents back focal length of the objective lens system.