Endoscope having stereo-lateral-view optics
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An endoscope for examining a corporeal cavity, comprising:
- a trocar sleeve;
an endoscope shaft having a proximal end portion with a longitudinal axis and a distal end portion with a longitudinal axis, said endoscope shaft being capable of being passed through said trocar sleeve to insert said distal end portion into said corporeal cavity; and
two solid state image recorders disposed on said distal end portion in a row parallel to said longitudinal axis of said distal end portion and spaced from each other to provide a lateral view stereo-optical system having a viewing direction at generally right angles away from said longitudinal axis of said distal end portion;
wherein said endoscope shaft has a flexibly bendable portion disposed between said proximal end portion and said distal end portion, so that when said distal end portion and said bendable portion have been passed through said trocar sleeve, said distal end portion may be moved from a first viewing position in which the longitudinal axis of said distal end portion is aligned with the longitudinal axis of said proximal end portion to a second viewing position in which the longitudinal axis of said distal end portion is oriented at generally 90°
to an extension of the longitudinal axis of said proximal end portion, with the viewing direction of said stereo-optical system being parallel to the extension of the longitudinal axis of said proximal end portion.
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Abstract
An endoscope having an endoscope shaft at the distal end of which a solid state image-recording system is disposed which is designed in the manner of lateral-view optics.
The image-recording system has at least two image recorders, built in a distal region of the endoscope shaft in such a manner that the viewing directon of the solid state image-recording system being approximately parallel to the axis of a proximal part of the endoscope shaft in one position and being perpendicular to it in another position automatically assumed by the distal region.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. An endoscope for examining a corporeal cavity, comprising:
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a trocar sleeve;
an endoscope shaft having a proximal end portion with a longitudinal axis and a distal end portion with a longitudinal axis, said endoscope shaft being capable of being passed through said trocar sleeve to insert said distal end portion into said corporeal cavity; and
two solid state image recorders disposed on said distal end portion in a row parallel to said longitudinal axis of said distal end portion and spaced from each other to provide a lateral view stereo-optical system having a viewing direction at generally right angles away from said longitudinal axis of said distal end portion;
wherein said endoscope shaft has a flexibly bendable portion disposed between said proximal end portion and said distal end portion, so that when said distal end portion and said bendable portion have been passed through said trocar sleeve, said distal end portion may be moved from a first viewing position in which the longitudinal axis of said distal end portion is aligned with the longitudinal axis of said proximal end portion to a second viewing position in which the longitudinal axis of said distal end portion is oriented at generally 90°
to an extension of the longitudinal axis of said proximal end portion, with the viewing direction of said stereo-optical system being parallel to the extension of the longitudinal axis of said proximal end portion.- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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11. An endoscope for examining a corporeal cavity, comprising:
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an endoscope shaft having a proximal end portion with a longitudinal axis and distal end portion with a longitudinal axis, said endoscope shaft being capable of being passed through a trocar sleeve to insert said distal end portion into said corporeal cavity; and
two solid state image recorders disposed on said distal end portion in a row parallel to said longitudinal axis of said distal end portion and spaced from each other to provide a lateral view stereo-optical system having a viewing direction at right angles away from said longitudinal axis of said distal end portion;
wherein said endoscope shaft has two flexibly bendable portions disposed in succession between said proximal end portion and said distal end portion, said two bendable portions being bendable in opposite directions, respectively, so that when said distal end portion and said bendable portion have been passed through said trocar sleeve, said distal end portion may be moved from a first viewing position in which the longitudinal axis of said distal end portion is aligned with the longitudinal axis of said proximal end portion to a second viewing position In which the longitudinal axis of said distal end portion is oriented at generally 90°
to and passes through an extension of the longitudinal axis of said proximal end portion, with the viewing direction of said stereo-optical system being directed along said extension of the longitudinal axis of said proximal end portion.- View Dependent Claims (12)
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Specification