Electrically-isolated, sterilizable, endoscopic video camera head
First Claim
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1. A video camera head adapted for coupling to a remote camera control unit through a cable having a shield, and also adapted for coupling to an endoscope, comprising:
- at least on imager;
imager electronics coupled to said at least one imager;
a rigid plastic non-conductive outer housing;
an inner chamber within said outer housing having a conductive portion which substantially encloses said at least one imager and imager electronics;
a first element for electrically coupling one end of a signal line in the cable to said imager electronics;
an optical element carried by said housing, and situated along an optical path extending through said housing and said inner chamber to said at least one imager;
a second element for electrically coupling the cable shield to said conductive portion of said inner chamber; and
a first seal located near the optical element and the housing and a second seal located near the cable and the housing to seal any gaps in these respective areas such that said conductive portion of said inner chamber is substantially isolated from electrical contact with a human or a conductive fluid.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A video camera head configured for use with an endoscope and having a conductive inner chamber for shielding the imager and imager electronics from electro-magnetic interference is described in which the inner chamber is substantially isolated from contact by a human or conductive fluid through a sealed outer non-conductive housing. Another aspect of the invention involves hermetically sealing the inner chamber, thus facilitating the use of steam autoclave sterilization, including flash sterilization, to sterilize the camera head.
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Citations
39 Claims
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1. A video camera head adapted for coupling to a remote camera control unit through a cable having a shield, and also adapted for coupling to an endoscope, comprising:
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at least on imager;
imager electronics coupled to said at least one imager;
a rigid plastic non-conductive outer housing;
an inner chamber within said outer housing having a conductive portion which substantially encloses said at least one imager and imager electronics;
a first element for electrically coupling one end of a signal line in the cable to said imager electronics;
an optical element carried by said housing, and situated along an optical path extending through said housing and said inner chamber to said at least one imager;
a second element for electrically coupling the cable shield to said conductive portion of said inner chamber; and
a first seal located near the optical element and the housing and a second seal located near the cable and the housing to seal any gaps in these respective areas such that said conductive portion of said inner chamber is substantially isolated from electrical contact with a human or a conductive fluid. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A video camera head adapted for coupling to a remote camera control unit through a cable having a shield, and also adapted for coupling to an endoscope, comprising:
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at least one imager;
imager electronics coupled to said at least one imager;
a non-conductive outer housing;
an inner chamber within said outer housing having a conductive portion which substantially encloses said at least one imager and imager electronics;
a desiccant material carried within said inner chamber;
a first element for electrically coupling one end of a signal line in the cable to said imager electronics;
an optical element carried by said housing, and situated along an optical path extending through said housing and said inner chamber to said at least one imager;
a second element for electrically coupling the cable shield to said conductive portion of said inner chamber; and
a first seal located near the optical element and the housing and a second seal located near the cable and the housing to seal any gaps in these respective areas such that said conductive portion of said inner chamber is substantially isolated from electrical contact with a human or a conductive fluid.
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11. A video camera head adapted for coupling to a remote camera control unit through a cable having a shield, and also adapted for coupling to an endoscope, comprising:
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at least one imager;
imager electronics coupled to said at least one imager;
a non-conductive outer housing;
a hermetically-sealed conductive enclosure which substantially encloses said at least one imager and imager electronics and which comprises a conductive portion made of titanium, a window made of sapphire is brazed to a distal end of the conductive portion of the conductive enclosure through at least one joint, wherein the window is situated along an optical path extending through said conductive enclosure to said at least one imager;
a first element for electrically coupling one end of a signal line in the cable to said imager electronics; and
a second element for electrically coupling said cable shield to said conductive portion of said conductive enclosure. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 38)
a cable having a shield, and having a signal line with a first end and a second end;
a camera control unit coupled to the first end of said signal line;
the camera head of claim 11, wherein the second end of the signal line is coupled to the imager electronics through the first element, and the cable shield is coupled to the conductive enclosure of claim 11 through the second element; and
an endoscope coupled to the at least one imager along said optical path through an optical coupler.
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19. A video camera head adapted for coupling to a remote camera control unit through a cable, and also adapted for coupling to an endoscope, comprising:
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at least one imager;
imager electronics coupled to said at least one imager;
a non-conductive outer housing having an aligned first part and second part and releasably engageable through a snap joint for inserting and accessing said at least one imager and imager electronics;
an inner chamber within said outer housing which substantially encloses said at least one imager and imager electronics and which comprises an optical element affixed to a conductive portion, wherein the optical element is situated along an optical path extending through said housing and said inner chamber to said at least one imager;
a first element for electrically coupling one end of a signal line in said cable to said imager electronics; and
at least one seal carried by the housing such that said conductive portion of said inner chamber is substantially isolated from electrical contact with a human or conductive fluid. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 36)
the camera head of claim 19;
a cable having a shield, and having a signal line with a first end and a second end;
a second element electrically coupled to the conductive portion of the inner chamber;
a camera control unit coupled to the first end of said signal line; and
wherein the second end of the signal line is coupled to the imager electronics through the first element, and the cable shield is coupled to the conductive portion of the inner chamber through the second element; and
an endoscope coupled to the at least one imager along said optical path through an optical coupler.
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28. A video camera head adapted for coupling to a remote camera control unit through a cable, and also adapted for coupling to an endoscope, comprising:
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at least one imager;
imager electronics coupled to said at least one imager;
a non-conductive outer housing;
an inner chamber within said outer housing which substantially encloses said at least one imager and imager electronics and which comprises an optical element and a conductive portion, wherein said optical element is affixed to said conductive portion, and said optical element is situated along an optical path extending through said housing and inner chamber to said at least one imager;
a desiccant material carried within said inner chamber for adsorbing moisture; and
a first element for electrically coupling one end of a signal line in said cable to said imager electronics. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. An endoscopic video camera system comprising:
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a cable having a shield, and having a signal line with a first end and a second end;
a camera control unit coupled to the first end of said signal line;
a camera head comprising;
at least one imager;
imager electronics coupled to said at least one imager;
a non-conductive outer housing;
an inner chamber within said outer housing having a conductive portion which substantially encloses said at least one imager and imager electronics;
a first element for electrically coupling one end of a signal line in the cable to said imager electronics;
an optical element carried by said housing, and situated along an optical path extending through said housing and said inner chamber to said at least one imager;
a second element for electrically coupling the cable shield to said conductive portion of said inner chamber; and
a first seal located near the optical element and the housing and a second seal located near the cable and the housing to seal any gaps in these respective areas such that said conductive portion of said inner chamber is substantially isolated from electrical contact with a human or a conductive fluid;
wherein the second end of the signal line is coupled to the imager electronics through the first element, and the cable shield is coupled to the conductive portion of the inner chamber through the second element; and
an endoscope coupled to the at least one imager along said optical path through an optical coupler.
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37. A video camera head adapted for coupling to a remote camera control unit through a cable having a shield, and also adapted for coupling to an endoscope, comprising:
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at least one imager;
imager electronics coupled to said at least one imager;
a non-conductive outer housing;
an inner chamber within said outer housing having a conductive portion which substantially encloses said at least one imager and imager electronics;
a first element for electrically coupling one end of a signal line in the cable to said imager electronics;
an optical element carried by said housing, and situated along an optical path extending through said housing and said inner chamber to said at least one imager;
a second element for electrically coupling the cable shield to said conductive portion of said inner chamber; and
a first seal located near the optical element and the housing and a second seal located near the cable and the housing to seal any gaps in these respective areas such that said conductive portion of said inner chamber is substantially isolated from electrical contact with a human or a conductive fluid, wherein the outer housing includes an inside surface and the conductive portion is a conductive material on the inside surface of the outer housing.
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39. A video camera head adapted for coupling to a remote camera control unit through a cable having a shield, and also adapted for coupling to an endoscope, comprising:
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at least one imager;
imager electronics coupled to said at least one imager;
a non-conductive outer housing;
an inner chamber within said outer housing having a conductive portion which substantially encloses said at least one imager and imager electronics but which inner chamber does not embed said imager electronics;
a first element for electrically coupling one end of a signal line in the cable to said imager electronics;
an optical element carried by said housing, and situated along an optical path extending through said housing and said inner chamber to said at least one imager;
a second element for electrically coupling the cable shield to said conductive portion of said inner chamber; and
a first seat located near the optical element and the housing and a second seal located near the cable and the housing to seal any gaps in these respective areas such that said conductive portion of said inner chamber is substantially isolated from electrical contact with a human or a conductive fluid.
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Specification