Endoscope optical system and image pickup apparatus

• US 5,912,764 A
• Filed: 03/13/1997
• Issued: 06/15/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Togino, Takayoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): HENRY, JON W
• Application Number:
  US08/816,266
• Time in Patent Office: 824 Days
• Field of Search: 359/367, 359/678, 359/708, 359/711, 359/720, 359/737, 359/837, 359/728, 359/722, 359/726, 348/65, 600/170, 600/171, 600/176
• US Class Current: 359/367
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00163 Optical arrangements A61B1/002, A61B1/06 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00177 for 90 degrees side-viewing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00179 for off-axis viewing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00188 with focusing or zooming features
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0051 with controlled bending of insertion part
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/243 Objectives for endoscopes

Abstract

A compact endoscope optical system capable of providing a clear image of minimal distortion even at a wide field angle. The endoscope optical system includes an objective optical system for forming an object image. The objective optical system has a prism member (3) having reflecting surfaces (5, 6) for bending an optical path. The endoscope optical system further includes an image transfer system for leading the object image formed by the objective optical system to an observation apparatus along the direction of a major axis. The objective optical system has a configuration producing decentration aberration by bending the optical path. The prism member (3) has at least one curved surface (4 to 7) having an optical action in the optical path. The curved surface is such a non-rotationally symmetric surface having no axis of rotational symmetry in nor out of the surface as to correct the decentration aberration.

Claims

1. An endoscope optical system comprising:

an objective optical system for forming an object image, said objective optical system including a prism member having at least a reflecting surface for bending an optical path; and

an image transfer system for leading the object image formed by said objective optical system to an observation apparatus along a direction of a major axis,

wherein said objective optical system has a configuration that produces decentration aberration by bending the optical path; and

wherein said prism member has at least one curved surface having an optical action in the optical path, said curved surface having no axis of rotational symmetry intersecting a surface of an area thereof where light is transmitted or reflected, said curved surface correcting said decentration aberration.

3. An endoscope optical system according to claim 1, wherein said reflecting surface of said prism member has a surface configuration that produces decentration aberration;

and

wherein said prism member has a refracting surface being a non-rotationally symmetric surface designed to correct said decentration aberration.

4. An endoscope optical system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said non-rotationally symmetric surface has only one plane of symmetry and is defined by the following equation:

##STR3## where C_m (m is an integer of 2 or higher) are coefficients.

5. An endoscope optical system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said non-rotationally symmetric surface is a toric surface.

6. An endoscope optical system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said non-rotationally symmetric surface is an anamorphic surface.

7. An endoscope optical system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said prism member has at least two curved surfaces, said two curved surfaces including a first reflecting surface disposed to face an object at a tilt with respect to an optical axis, and a second reflecting surface tilted with respect to both said first reflecting surface and a plane where an image of said object is formed, at least one of said first and second reflecting surfaces being said non-rotationally symmetric surface;

and

wherein said prism member is arranged such that an optical axis emanating from said object is reflected by said first reflecting surface away from said plane where the image of said object is formed, and thereafter, said optical axis is reflected by said second reflecting surface toward said plane where the image of said object is formed.

8. An endoscope optical system according to claim 7, wherein said prism member is arranged such that the optical axis reflected by said second reflecting surface intersects the optical axis reflected by said first reflecting surface.

9. An endoscope optical system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said prism member has at least two curved surfaces said two curved surfaces including a first reflecting surface disposed to face an object at a tilt with respect to an optical axis, and a second reflecting surface tilted with respect to both said first reflecting surface and a plane where an image of said object is formed;

and

wherein said prism member is arranged such that the optical axis is reflected successively by said first and second reflecting surfaces in an N-shape.

10. An endoscope optical system according to claim 1 or 2, which satisfies the following condition:

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

20 millimeters

where f is a focal length defined by a value obtained by dividing a ray height of a bundle of parallel rays incident on said objective optical system from an object side thereof by a numerical aperture at an image plane.

11. An endoscope optical system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said objective optical system has an optical member having a power, said optical member being disposed closer to an object side than said prism member.

12. An endoscope optical system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said objective optical system has an optical member having a power, said optical member being disposed closer to an image side than said prism member.

13. An endoscope optical system according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein said image transfer system has a relay optical system and an image pickup device, said image pickup device being arranged to receive a relay image transferred through said relay optical system.

19. An endoscope optical system according to claim 1, 2 or 3, further comprising an illumination optical system which illuminates a subject of said objective optical system.

2. An endoscope optical system comprising:

an objective optical system for forming an object image, said objective optical system including a prism member having at least a reflecting surface for bending an optical path; and

an image transfer system for leading the object image formed by said objective optical system to an observation apparatus along a direction of a major axis;

wherein said reflecting surface of said prism member has a surface configuration that produces decentration aberration; and

wherein at least one of said reflecting surface and another reflecting surface of said prism member is a has no axis of rotational symmetry intersecting a surface of an area thereof where light is transmitted or reflected, said curved surface correcting said decentration aberration.

14. An image pickup apparatus, comprising:

an image-forming optical system which forms an object image;

an image pickup device which receives the object image formed by said image-forming optical system; and

a monitor which converts the image received by said image pickup device into an electric signal and displays an image from the electric signal;

wherein said image-forming optical system has a prism optical system in which at least one surface which transmits and/or reflects light from an object is formed from a curved surface,

wherein said curved surface of said prism optical system is a non-rotationally symmetric surface,

wherein said prism optical system has a prism formed from at least two curved surfaces,

wherein said at least two curved surfaces include a first reflecting surface disposed at a tilt to face an object point, and a second reflecting surface tilted with respect to both said first reflecting surface and an image plane, at least one of said first and second reflecting surfaces being a non-rotationally symmetric surface having no axis of rotational symmetry, and

wherein said prism optical system is arranged such that light rays from the object point travel along an optical axis and are reflected by said reflecting surface of said prism optical system toward a side opposite to the image plane with respect to the optical axis and then reflected by said second reflecting surface to reach the image plane by substantially intersecting said optical axis.

16. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 14 or 15, wherein said image pickup apparatus satisfies the following condition:

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

20 millimeters

where f is a focal length defined by a value obtained by dividing a ray height of a bundle of parallel rays incident on said image-forming optical system from an object side thereof by a numerical aperture on an image side thereof.

17. An image pickup apparatus according claim 14 or 15, wherein said image forming optical system has an optical system between the object point and said prism optical system.

18. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 14 or 15, wherein said image forming optical system has an optical system between said prism optical system and the image-formation position.

20. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 14 or 15, wherein said image forming optical system includes a relay optical system between said prism optical system and said image pickup device, so that a relay image transferred through said relay optical system is received by said image pickup device and displayed on said monitor.

21. An image pickup apparatus having an illumination optical system for illuminating a subject of the image-forming optical system of claim 14 or 15.

22. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 21, wherein illuminating light from said illumination optical system passes through said prism in said prism optical system to illuminate the subject of said image-forming optical system.

23. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 22, wherein at least one surface of said prism optical system is a transmitting and reflecting surface that reflects a bundle of light rays from said subject and transmits said illuminating light.

24. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 22, wherein an entrance surface for an optical path of said illumination optical system is formed outside an image-forming optical path in said prism.

15. An image pickup apparatus, comprising:

an image-forming optical system which forms an object image;

an image pickup device which receives the object image formed by said image-forming optical system; and

a monitor which converts the image received by said image pickup device into an electric signal and displays an image from the electric signal;

wherein said image-forming optical system has a prism optical system in which at least one surface which transmits and/or reflects light from an object is formed from a curved surface,

wherein said curved surface of said prism optical system is a non-rotationally symmetric surface,

wherein said prism optical system has a prism formed from at least two curved surfaces,

wherein said at least two curved surfaces include a first reflecting surface disposed at a tilt to face an object point, and a second reflecting surface tilted with respect to both said first reflecting surface and an image plane, at least one of said first and second reflecting surfaces being a non-rotationally symmetric surface having no axis of rotational symmetry; and

wherein said prism optical system is arranged such that light rays from the object point travel along an optical axis and are reflected by said first reflecting surface of said prism optical system toward the image plane with respect to the optical axis and then reflected by said second reflecting surface to reach the image plane without intersecting said optical axis.