Disposable endoscope

• US 5,341,240 A
• Filed: 02/06/1992
• Issued: 08/23/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Linvatec Corporation (Jefferies Financial Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Linvatec Corporation (Jefferies Financial Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Broome, Barry G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Henry, Jon W.
• Application Number:
  US07/833,416
• Time in Patent Office: 929 Days
• Field of Search: 358/98, 359/434, 359/435, 359/643, 359/645, 359/644, 359/367, 128/4, 128/6
• US Class Current: 359/435
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/055 having rod-lens arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/0095 Relay lenses or rod lenses in instruments for viewing the inside of hollow bodies G02B23/2446
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/2407 Optical details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

An endoscope includes a disposable probe and a non-disposable focusing ocular. The probe includes a transfer module assembly including one or more relay modules, and an objective element including a distal glass window, a molded plastic prism and three molded plastic lenses. Each of the relay modules contains an entry glass rod, an intermediate glass rod, and an exit rod, each having flat end surfaces and two identical molded plastic doublets. The elements of the ocular are all of glass and include an axially movable focusing doublet and two non-movable doublets. The disposable probe introduces certain aberrations into the image. The non-disposable focusing ocular corrects these aberrations. A single curved surface is formed on the distal glass window of the probe; all other curved optical surfaces of the disposable probe are formed on molded plastic members, thereby reducing the cost of the probe sufficiently to be cost-effective for single patient, disposable use.

Claims

1. A focusing ocular group for connection to a predetermined endoscope probe and adapted to therewith comprise a surgical endoscope capable of providing a corrected image to means for forming a visible image, said predetermined probe forming an uncorrected image with optical aberration including at least a predetermined degree of field curvature and a predetermined degree of lateral chromatic aberration sufficient to render the uncorrected image unusable in surgical procedures, said focusing ocular group including optical elements comprising:

one or more axially movable focusing elements; and

two doublet lens groups;

wherein the optical elements of said focusing ocular group include one or more elements to compensate for said predetermined degree of field curvature and predetermined degree of lateral chromatic aberration in the uncorrected image formed by said probe.

2. The focusing ocular group of claim 1, wherein the uncorrected image formed by said predetermined probe is substantially corrected with respect to one or more of spherical aberration and coma before reaching said focusing ocular group.

3. The focusing ocular group of claim 1, wherein said two doublet lens groups of said focusing ocular group include a first doublet to be disposed toward the probe for providing image forming power and substantial correction for axial chromatic aberration in said uncorrected image, and a second doublet to be disposed toward said means for forming a visible image for providing correction for lateral chromatic aberration in said uncorrected image.

4. The focusing ocular group of claim 3, wherein said second doublet further corrects residual astigmatism in the uncorrected image formed by the probe.

5. The focusing ocular group of claim 4, wherein said one or more axially movable focusing elements of said focusing ocular group comprises a third doublet lens group.

6. The focusing ocular group of claim 5, wherein said third focusing doublet comprises two glass elements, the first element of said focusing doublet being defined by the following optical parameters:

radius of surface toward said probe--infinity

radius of surface toward the means for forming a visible image--6.573 mm, concave

thickness at optical axis--2.032 mm

refractive index--1.589

dispersion--61.27; and

the second element of said focusing doublet being defined by the following optical parameters;

radius of surface toward said probe--6.573 mm, concave

radius of surface toward the means for forming a visible image--14.126 mm, convex

thickness at optical axis--2.681 mm

refractive index--1.596

dispersion--39.18.

7. The focusing ocular group of claim 6, wherein the material of said first element of said third focusing doublet is type SK5 optical glass, and the material of said second element of said third focusing doublet is type F8 optical glass.

8. The focusing ocular group of claim 7, wherein the elements of said first and second doublets of said ocular group are of glass.

9. The focusing ocular group of claim 8, wherein the elements of said first doublet of said ocular group are cemented to one another.

10. The focusing ocular group of claim 9, wherein a first element of said first doublet of said focusing ocular group disposed toward said probe is defined by the following optical parameters:

radius of surface toward said probe--9.823 mm, convex

radius of surface toward the means for forming a visible image--3.810 mm, concave

thickness at optical axis--4.572 mm

refractive index--1.620

dispersion--60.33; and

a second element of said first doublet of said ocular group disposed toward said means for forming a visible image is defined by the following optical parameters;

radius of surface toward said probe--3.810 mm

radius of surface toward the means for forming an image--infinite

thickness at optical axis--2,032 mm

refractive index--1.744

dispersion--44.72.

11. The focusing ocular group of claim 10, wherein the material of said first element of said first doublet of said focusing ocular group is type SK16 optical glass, and the material of said element of said first doublet of said focusing ocular group disposed toward said means for forming an image is type F8 optical glass.

12. The focusing ocular group of claim 11, wherein a first element of said second doublet of said focusing ocular group disposed toward said probe is defined by the following optical parameters:

radius of surface toward said probe--8.604 mm, convex

radius of surface toward the means for forming a visible image--8.604 mm, convex

thickness at optical axis--3.810 mm

refractive index--1.589

dispersion--61.27; and

the second element of said second doublet of said ocular group disposed toward said means for forming an image is defined by the following optical parameters;

radius of surface toward said probe--2.908 mm, concave

radius of surface toward the means for forming a visible image--infinity

thickness at optical axis--2.032 mm

refractive index--1.785

dispersion--25.76.

13. The focusing ocular group of claim 12, wherein the material of said first element of said second doublet of said focusing ocular group is type SK5 optical glass and the material of said second element of said second doublet of said focusing ocular group disposed is type SF11 optical glass.

21. The focusing ocular group of claim 1 wherein the optical aberration in the uncorrected image formed by said predetermined probe additionally includes one or more of spherical aberration and coma, and wherein the optical elements of said focusing ocular group include one or more elements to compensate for said spherical aberration and coma.

14. An endoscope for being operatively connected to a video camera for imaging the interior of a body cavity, defined by the following prescription for optical surfaces S₁ -S₂₆ and S₃₉ -S₆₇ thereof, surface S₁ being the distal surface of an objective of said endoscope, surface S₆₇ being the proximal surface of an ocular of said endoscope, sand surface S₇₁ being a light sensitive imaging surface of a video camera operatively connected to said endoscope:

space="preserve" listing-type="tabular">______________________________________ Radius (mm) or Thickness S.sub.n Aspheric Values (mm) Medium I.R. Disp. ______________________________________ 1 INFINITY 0.762000 LAF2 1.74400 44.72 2 1.17650 0.270000 AIR 3 INFINITY 1.651000 NAS30 1.56400 35.00 4 INFINITY (-43.50) 1.524000 REFL (NAS30) 5 INFINITY (+56.00) 1.778000 REFL (NAS30) 6 INFINITY 0.127000 AIR 7 3.30200 2.286000 PMMA 1.49200 57.40 8 c = -0.249431 0.356564 AIR k = -1.026659 A = 0.491000E-02 B = 0.133746E-02 C = D = 0.0 9 c = 0.249431 2.286000 PMMA 1.49200 57.40 k = -1.026659 A = -0.491000E-02 B = -0.1337463-02 C = D = 0.0 10 -3.30200 0.241087 AIR 11 -7.12576 1.651000 NAS30 1.56400 35.00 12 4.94207 1.674264 AIR 13 INFINITY 1.016000 AIR 14 INFINITY 12.700000 BASF2 1.66446 35.83 15 INFINITY 0.254000 AIR 16 9.23300 1.778000 NAS30 1.56400 35.00 17 4.33469 0.000000 CEMENT/ 1.56000 44.00 AIR 18 4.33469 2.286000 PMMA 1.49200 57.40 19 c = -0.121238 0.254000 AIR k = -1.317139 A = -0.269762E-04 B = 0.681709E-04 C = D = 0.0 20 INFINITY 28.575000 BASF2 1.66446 35.83 21 INFINITY 0.254000 AIR 22 c = 0.121238 2.286000 PMMA 1.49200 57.40 k = -1.317139 A = 0.269762E-04 B = -0.681709E-04 C = D = 0.0 23 -4.33469 0.000000 CEMENT/ 1.56000 44.00 AIR 24 -4.33469 1.778000 NAS30 1.56400 35.00 25 -9.23300 0.254000 AIR 1.66446 35.83 26 INFINITY 28.575000 BASF2 39 INFINITY 0.254000 AIR 40 9.23300 1.778000 NAS30 1.56400 35.00 41 4.33469 0.000000 CEMENT/ 1.56000 44.00 AIR 42 4.33469 2.286000 PMMA 1.49200 57.40 43 c = -0.121238 0.254000 AIR k = -1.317139 A = -0.269762E-04 B = 0.681709E-04 C = D = 0.0 44 INFINITY 28.575000 BASF2 1.66446 35.83 45 INFINITY 0.254000 AIR 46 c = 0.121238 2.286000 PMMA 1.49200 57.40 k = -1.317139 A = 0.269762E-04 B = -0.681709E-04 C = D = 0.0 47 -4.33469 0.000000 CEMENT/ 1.56000 44.00 AIR 48 -4.33469 1.778000 NAS30 1.56400 35.00 49 -9.23300 0.25400 AIR 50 INFINITY 6.350000 BASF2 1.66446 35.83 51 INFINITY 0.000000 AIR 52 INFINITY 1.000000 BK7 1.51680 64.17 53 INFINITY 0.254000 AIR 54 INFINITY 1.000000 BK7 1.51680 64.17 55 INFINITY 3.253251 AIR 56 INFINITY 2.540000 AIR 57 INFINITY 2.032000 SK5 1.58913 61.27 58 6.57332 2.680977 F8 1.59551 39.18 59 -14.12584 22.223063 AIR 60 INFINITY 0.000000 AIR 61 9.82357 4.572000 SK16 1.62041 60.33 62 -3.81000 2.032000 LAF2 1.74400 44.72 63 INFINITY 3.623418 AIR 64 8.60409 3.810000 SK5 1.58913 61.27 65 -8.60409 3.621807 AIR 66 -2.90783 2.032000 SF11 1.78472 25.76 67 INFINITY 12.700000 AIR 71 INFINITY 0.000000 AIR (Image Plane) ______________________________________

15. The endoscope of claim 14, wherein said surfaces S₁₆ -S₂₁ define a relay subgroup, said relay subgroup being repeatable to extend the length of a transfer module assembly.

16. A disposable probe adapted to be coupled to a predetermined focusing ocular and to therewith comprise an endoscope, said probe comprising an objective for forming a substantially uncorrected image and a transfer module assembly for presenting said uncorrected image to said predetermined focusing ocular, said disposable probe introducing predetermined optical aberration into the uncorrected image presented to the focusing ocular, said predetermined aberration including at least field curvature and lateral chromatic aberration to a degree rendering the uncorrected image unusable in surgical procedures, and wherein said predetermined focusing ocular comprises lens means for correcting said predetermined aberration in said uncorrected image;

and wherein said transfer module assembly comprises;

one or more relay modules, each comprising;

a plano-surfaced entry rod;

;

a first doublet;

a plano-surfaced intermediate rod;

a second doublet; and

a plano-surfaced exit rod.

17. The disposable probe of claim 16, wherein said plano rods are formed of glass, and said doublets are molded of plastic.

18. The disposable probe of claim 17, wherein at least one lens of each of said doublets is aspheric.

19. A method for manufacturing and using a surgical endoscope for providing a visible image of the interior of a body cavity or the like to an observer, comprising the steps of:

(1) manufacturing a number of plano glass rods, flat glass windows, and molded plastic optical elements;

(2) assembling an endoscopic probe comprising said flat glass windows, plano glass rods, and molded plastic elements, such that said probe includes no more than one glass element having optical power, and such that said probe comprises an image-forming objective and a transfer module assembly;

(3) assembling said endoscopic probe to a predetermined focusing ocular;

(4) connecting said focusing ocular to means for presenting a visible image to an observer;

(5) inserting said probe into an endoscopic portal to juxtapose said objective to the interior of a body cavity or the like;

(6) employing said image-forming objective to form an uncorrected image of the interior of the body cavity or the like, said image exhibiting predetermined aberration;

(7) employing said transfer module assembly to transfer said uncorrected image to said ocular, said uncorrected image as transferred to said ocular including substantial predetermined aberration, including at least pre-selected degrees of lateral chromatic aberration and field curvature;

(8) employing said predetermined ocular to correct the substantial predetermined aberration in said uncorrected image and to transfer a corrected image of the interior of the body cavity or the like to said means for presenting a visible image to an observer; and

(9) employing said means for presenting to present a corrected visible image of the interior of the body cavity or the like to the observer.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein said preselected degree of field curvature and lateral chromatic aberration are sufficient to render the uncorrected image unusable for surgical procedures.