Endoscope with a distal video camera and a camera rotating device

• US 6,464,631 B1
• Filed: 11/16/2000
• Issued: 10/15/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Olympus Winter & Ibe GmbH (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Winter & Ibe GmbH (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Girke, Olaf, Mückner, Andreas
• Primary Examiner(s): MULCAHY, JOHN M
• Application Number:
  US09/715,682
• Time in Patent Office: 698 Days
• Field of Search: 600/109, 600/137, 600/173, 600/160, 348/65, 348/85
• US Class Current: 600/109
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/05 characterised by the image sensor, e.g. camera, being in the distal end portion

Abstract

An endoscope having a distal tubular shaft section of smaller diameter in which at least on longitudinally-extending device, such as a light guiding fiber bundle, is arranged. An objective and a video camera are disposed in a free cross-sectional area of the tubular shaft section. The video camera is arranged for rotation about its viewing direction by a rotation device. An electric motor is arranged proximally of the video camera in the free cross-sectional area. The electric motor is connected to the video camera with the motor drive shaft being disposed parallel to the axis of the tubular shaft section.

Claims

1. An endoscope with a distal tubular shaft (2) of small diameter, in which at least one longitudinally extending device (3, 5) in the form of a light guiding fiber bundle (3) is arranged, an objective (8) and a video camera (9) being arranged in a cross-sectional area (6) of the tubular shaft section (2) that is free of said at least one longitudinally extending device (3, 5), the video camera being arranged to be rotatable about its viewing direction by means of a rotation device (11, 12), wherein an electric motor (12) serves as the rotation device and is disposed proximally of the video camera (9) in the free cross-sectional area (6), said motor being secured to the video camera (9) with a drive shaft (11) of the motor being arranged parallel to an axis of the tubular shaft section (2), the objective (8) and the video camera being arranged in an inner tube (15) having a distal window (7), the inner tube being arranged in the free cross sectional area (6), and wherein the inner tube (15) comprises magnetically permeable material and has a smaller diameter in the region of the motor (12a, 12b) than at the video camera (9) and extends through a motor gap extending concentrically with the drive shaft (11) between an inner rotor (12a) and an outer stator (12b) of the motor.

2. The endoscope as claimed in claim 1, wherein the motor (12) is arranged in the inner tube (15).

3. The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein said drive shaft has a first end connected to said motor and a second, opposite end connected to said video camera.