Endoscope video camera head which can be autoclaved

• US 6,080,101 A
• Filed: 08/26/1998
• Issued: 06/27/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Olympus Optical Company Ltd. (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Company Ltd. (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Tanahashi, Fuminori, Tatsuno, Yutaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Dvorak, Linda C. M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BLAISE, BRADFORD CHRISTOPHER
• Application Number:
  US09/140,808
• Time in Patent Office: 671 Days
• Field of Search: 600/109, 600/110, 600/112, 600/122, 600/133, 600/134, 348/65, 348/73, 348/75
• US Class Current: 600/112
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00124 electrical, e.g. electrical plug-and-socket connection
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00126 optical, e.g. for light supply cables
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00195 with eyepieces
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/042 characterised by a proximal camera, e.g. a CCD camera
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/182 Electrical shielding, e.g. using a Faraday cage

Abstract

A TV camera is attached to an eyepiece unit of an endoscope and includes a solid-state imaging device. A housing of the TV camera has an outer metallic sheathing. The outer metallic sheathing is hermetically coupled via an insulating material to a metallic housing frame of an electric connector which has contact pins connected to the solid-state imaging device and which is fixed hermetically using a hermetic seal. This structure defines a hermetically enclosed space which can withstand autoclaving. A shielding sheathing layer is formed inside an insulating layer within the hermetic space in order to shield an electric circuit including the solid-state imaging device and which is located inside the shielding sheathing layer. The shielding sheathing layer is designed to communicate with the housing metallic frame of the connector that is isolated and sheathed. This structure provides measures for solving problems concerning electromagnetic compatibility (EMC).

Claims

1. An endoscopic imaging apparatus, comprising:

an outer metallic sheathing including a mount which is attachable to an eyepiece unit of an endoscope, said outer metallic sheathing forming a first housing member having a first opening adapted to be positioned opposing the eyepiece unit, a second opening, and substantially defining a storage space which remains airtight during autoclaving;

an optical system aligned with said first opening of said first housing member so as to be opposed to said eyepiece unit, said optical system including at least an optical member located at said first opening to partially define said storage space;

a first seal for hermetically sealing said first opening in cooperation with said optical member included in said optical system so that said optical system can withstand autoclaving;

a solid-state imaging device disposed in said storage space and including a photoelectric converting mechanism located at a position at which an image produced by said optical system is formed;

a first electrical connector affixed in said second opening of said first housing member, said first electrical connector including a metallic connector frame and a plurality of first electrical contact pins which are electrically coupled to said solid-state imaging device via a corresponding first plurality of signal lines, said first electrical connector being hermetically sealed using an insulating hermetic member so that said first electrical contact pins can withstand autoclaving;

a second electrical connector having a plurality of second electrical contact pins which can be spliced to said plurality of first electrical contact pins;

an electrical cable formed from a second plurality of signal lines, wherein each of said second electrical contact pins are electrically coupled to one end of a corresponding second signal line, said electrical cable being surrounded with a shielding sheath which in turn is protected by an insulating sheath;

a second housing member made from an insulating material and adapted to be coupled to said first housing member in a water-tight manner so as to shield said first electrical connector and said second electrical connector including said plurality of second electrical contact pins and said ends of said second signal lines forming said electrical cable to which said second electrical contact pins are electrically coupled;

an internal shielding sheathing placed inside said outer metallic sheathing and forming a conductive shielding layer;

an inner insulating sheathing placed between said outer metallic sheathing and said internal shielding sheathing and forming an insulating layer for isolating said outer metallic sheathing from said internal shielding sheathing;

an insulating element for isolating said outer metallic sheathing from said metallic connector frame inside said insulating second house member;

a second seal for hermetically sealing said insulating element so that said insulating element can withstand autoclaving; and

a shielding member for enabling electrical communication to travel from said internal shielding sheathing through said metallic connector frame and to said shielding sheath, and vice versa, said shielding member shielding said second electrical connector.

2. An endoscopic imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said insulating element is a ceramic member and has a first engagement surface for engaging said second opening of said outer metallic sheathing, and a second engagement surface for engaging an opening of said metallic connector frame, said first and second surfaces being metallized along respective portions thereof which engage said outer metallic sheathing and said metallic connector frame, and wherein said second seal is a hermetic binder for hermetically sealing the metallized portions of said first and second engagement surfaces of said ceramic member to said outer metallic sheathing and said metallic connector frame, respectively.

3. An endoscopic imaging apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said metallized portions are metallized using a metal with a nickel base, a metal with a cobalt base, a metal with a gold base, or a metal with a molybdenum-manganese alloy base.

4. An endoscopic imaging apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said hermetic binder is a brazing filler with a gold base, a brazing filler with a silver base, a solder with a tin-palladium alloy base, a low-fusing point glass, or an inorganic binder.

5. An endoscopic imaging apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said hermetic binder has a different fusing point at the location at which it hermetically seals said metallized portion of said first engagement surface and said outer metallic sheathing than the fusing point at the location at which it hermetically seals said metallized portion of said second engagement surface and said metallic connector frame.

6. An endoscopic imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said metallic connector frame includes a disk portion having a plurality of bores therethrough, said plurality of first electrical contact pins each penetrating through a corresponding one of said bores, and wherein said insulating hermetic member is a hermetic sealing member formed from a glass-sintered body for sealing said plurality of first electrical contact pins penetrating through said bores.

7. An endoscopic imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said optical member has a metallized engagement surface for engaging said first opening, and wherein said first seal for hermetically sealing said first opening is a hermetic binder for sealing said metallized engagement surface of said optical member and said first opening of said outer metallic sheathing.

8. An endoscopic imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said endoscopic imaging apparatus is capable of remaining airtight and watertight during an autoclaving process in which said endoscopic imaging apparatus is exposed to steam of a temperature ranging from 121 to 135°

and a pressure ranging from 1.5 to 2.2 atm for about 5 to 20 min.

9. An endoscopic imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said shielding member is a frame for shielding at least the distal end of said electrical cable, said frame having an opening which is electrically coupled to an opening of said metallic connector frame.

10. An endoscopic imaging apparatus comprising:

a housing member including a mount to be attached to an eyepiece unit of an endoscope, and having a stowage space which remains airtight during autoclaving where sterilization is achieved under high-temperature and high-pressure steam defined therein;

an imaging optical system hermetically locked in a first opening of said housing member which is opposed to said eyepiece unit;

a solid-state imaging device stowed in said stowage space and provided with a photoelectric conversion mechanism located at a position at which an image produced by said imagine optical system is formed;

an electric connector hermetically locked in a second opening of said housing member, and including a metallic connector frame that has electric contact pins, which are electrically coupled to said solid-state imaging device over a plurality of signal lines, hermetically sealed with an insulating sealing member so that said electric contact pins can withstand autoclaving; and

a sheathing structure outlining said housing member, said sheathing structure including a plurality of sheathing members for shielding said imaging optical system from outside, said sheathing structure further having linkage fixtures, which link said plurality of sheathing members gathered in the distal part of said endoscopic imagine apparatus which is located on the side of said endoscope beyond the plane of said solid-state imaging device, wherein said sheathing structure includes a conductive internal shielding sheathing for sheathing an electrical circuit that includes at least said solid-state imaging device, an optical support member for supporting said imaging optical system, and an insulating sheathing made of an insulating material for shielding said internal shielding sheathing and said optical support member.

11. An endoscopic imaging apparatus comprising:

a housing member including a mount to be attached to an eyepiece unit of an endoscope, and having a stowage space, which remains airtight during autoclaving where sterilization is achieved under high-temperature and high-pressure steam defined therein;

an imaging optical system hermetically locked in a first opening of said housing member which is opposed to said eyepiece unit;

a solid-state imaging device stowed in said stowage space and provided with a photoelectric conversion mechanism located at a position at which an image produced by said imaging optical system is formed;

an electric connector hermetically locked in a second opening of said housing member, and including a metallic connector frame that has electric contact pins which are electrically coupled to said solid-state imagine device over a plurality of signal lines, hermetically sealed with an insulating sealing member so that said electric contact pins can withstand autoclaving; and

a sheathing structure outlining said housing member, said sheathing structure including a plurality of sheathing members for shielding said imaging optical system from outside, said sheathing structure further having linkage fixtures, which link said plurality of sheathing members gathered in the distal part of said endoscopic imaging apparatus which is located on the side of said endoscope beyond the plane of said solid-state imaging device, wherein said sheathing structure further includes an outer metallic sheathing for shielding said insulating sheathing.