Image pickup unit for endoscope

• US 7,180,686 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2006
• Issued: 02/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Kato, Takayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Lester; Evelyn A.
• Application Number:
  US11/372,041
• Publication Number:
  US 20060203361A1
• Time in Patent Office: 347 Days
• Field of Search: 359/740, 359749-753, 359/793, 359/771, 359/781, 359/782, 359/798, 359/800
• US Class Current: 359/753
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/06 Panoramic objectives; So-called "sky lenses" including panoramic objectives having reflecting surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/2407 Optical details
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/2446 of the image relay G02B23/26 takes precedence

Abstract

An image pickup unit which consists of an objective optical system and a solid-state image pickup device: the objective optical system being composed of a first negative lens unit comprising a first meniscus lens element having a convex surface on the object side and negative power, a second positive lens unit comprising a convex lens element and an aperture stop disposed between the first lens unit and the second lens unit and this image pickup unit having a small outside diameter, allowing a field angle to be changed little due to variations of parts and an assembling variation, and having a maximum field angle of 150° or larger.

Claims

1. An image pickup unit for endoscope consisting of an objective optical system and a solid-state image pickup device, and having a maximum field angle of 150°

or larger,

wherein said objective optical system is composed of spherical lens elements and plane parallel plates, and consists of a first lens unit which comprises a first meniscus lens element having a convex surface on the object side and having negative refractive power and has negative refractive power as a whole, a second lens unit which comprises at least a convex lens element and has positive refractive power as a whole and an aperture stop which is disposed between the first lens unit and the second lens unit, and satisfies the following conditions (1), (2) and (3);

0.7<

f/IH<

1 

 

(1)

−

1.2<

f1/f<

−

0.7 

 

(2)

0.9<

D/|f1|<

1.8 

 

(3)

wherein a reference symbol f represents a focal length of the objective optical system, a reference symbol IH designates a maximum image height in a display area of the solid-state image pickup device, a reference symbol f1 denotes a focal length of the first lens unit and a reference symbol D represents an equivalent air distance as measured along an optical axis from an image side surface of the first lens element in the first lens unit to the aperture stop.

2. The image pickup unit for endoscope according to claim 1,

wherein said solid state image pickup device is a color solid-state image pickup device on which a color filter is arranged for each picture element and which satisfies the following condition (7):

W/p>

500 

 

(7)

wherein a reference symbol W represents a horizontal length of an effective image pickup area of the solid-state image pickup device and a reference symbol p designates a horizontal pitch of picture elements in the effective image pickup area of the solid-state image pickup device.

3. The image pickup unit for endoscope according to claim 2, satisfying the following conditions (8) and (9):

240<

f/p<

480 

 

(8)

2400×

p<

Fno.<

4200×

p 

 

(9)

wherein a reference symbol Fno. denotes an F number of the objective optical system.

4. The image pickup unit for endoscope according to claim 1,

wherein said solid-state image pickup device is a solid-state image pickup device which generates a luminance signal for each picture element and satisfies the following condition (10):

W/p>

340 

 

(10)

wherein a reference symbol W represents a horizontal length of an effective image pickup area of the solid-state image pickup device and a reference symbol p designates a horizontal pitch of picture elements in the effective image pickup area of the solid-state image pickup device.

5. The image pickup unit for endoscope according to claim 4, satisfying the following conditions (11) and (12):

160<

f/p<

320 

 

(11)

1600×

p<

Fno.<

2800×

p 

 

(12)

wherein a reference symbol Fno. denotes an F number of the objective optical system.

6. The image pickup unit for endoscope according to claim 1,

wherein the first lens element which is disposed on the most object side in the optical system is made of a material which has a refractive index of 2.0 or higher for the e-line.

7. An image pickup unit for endoscope consisting of an objective optical system and a solid state image pickup device, and having a maximum field angle of 150°

or larger,

wherein said objective optical system is composed of spherical lens elements and plane parallel plates, and satisfies the following conditions (4) and (5);

4f<

r₁<

12f 

 

(4)

|LH|≦

IH 

 

(5)

wherein a reference symbol f represents a focal length of the objective optical system, a reference symbol r₁ designates a radius of curvature on a most object side surface of a first lens element, a reference symbol IH designates a maximum image height in a display area of the solid state image pickup device, and a reference symbol LH denotes a distance from a principal ray to be incident at said maximum image height to an optical axis on the most object side surface.

8. The image pickup unit for endoscope according to claim 7,

wherein said solid-state image pickup device is a color solid-state image pickup device on which a color filter is arranged for each picture element and which satisfies the following condition (7):

W/p>

500 

 

(7)

wherein a reference symbol W represents a horizontal length of an effective image pickup area of the solid-state image pickup device and a reference symbol p designates a horizontal pitch of picture elements in the effective image pickup area of the solid-state image pickup device.

9. The image pickup unit for endoscope according to claim 8, satisfying the following conditions (8) and (9):

240<

f/p<

480 

 

(8)

2400×

p<

Fno.<

4200×

p 

 

(9)

wherein a reference symbol Fno. denotes an F number of the objective optical system.

10. The image pickup unit for endoscope according to claim 7,

wherein said solid-state image pickup device is a solid-state image pickup device which generates a luminance signal for each picture element and satisfies the following condition (10):

W/p>

340 

 

(10)

wherein a reference symbol W represents a horizontal length of an effective image pickup area of the solid-state image pickup device and a reference symbol p designates a horizontal pitch of picture elements in the effective image pickup area of the solid-state image pickup device.

11. The image pickup unit for endoscope according to claim 10, satisfying the following conditions (11) and (12):

160<

f/p<

320 

 

(11)

1600×

p<

Fno.<

2800×

p 

 

(12)

wherein a reference symbols Fno. denotes an F number of the objective optical system.

12. The image pickup unit for endoscope according to claim 7,

wherein a first lens element which is disposed on the most object side in the optical system is made of a material which has a refractive index of 2.0 or higher for the e-line.

13. An image pickup unit for endoscope consisting of an objective optical system and a solid-state image pickup device, having a maximum field angle of 150°

or larger and satisfying the following condition (6);

0.68<

IH2/IH1<

0.76 

 

(6)

wherein a reference symbol IH1 represents an image height of a ray which is incident on the objective optical system in a direction of 75°

relative to an optical axis and a reference symbol IH2 designates an image height of a ray which is incident on the objective optical system in a direction of 50°

relative to the optical axis.

14. The image pickup unit for endoscope according to claim 13,

wherein said solid-state image pickup device is a color solid-state image pickup device on which a color filter is arranged for each picture element and which satisfies the following condition (7):

W/p>

500 

 

(7)

wherein a reference symbol W represents a horizontal length of an effective image pickup area of the solid-state image pickup device and a reference symbol p designates a horizontal pitch of picture elements in the effective image pickup area of the solid-state image pickup device.

15. The image pickup unit for endoscope according to claim 14, satisfying the following conditions (8) and (9):

240<

f/p<

480 

 

(8)

2400×

p<

Fno.<

4200×

p 

 

(9)

wherein a reference symbol f represents a focal length of the objective optical system, and a reference symbol Fno. denotes an F number of the objective optical system.

16. The image pickup unit for endoscope according to claim 13,

wherein said solid-state image pickup device is a solid-state image pickup device which generates a luminance signal for each picture element and satisfies the following condition (10):

W/p>

340 

 

(10)

wherein a reference symbol W represents a horizontal length of an effective image pickup area of the solid-state image pickup device and a reference symbol p denotes a horizontal pitch of picture elements in the effective image pickup area of the solid-state image pickup device.

17. The image pickup unit for endoscope according to claim 16, satisfying the following conditions (11) and (12):

160<

f/p<

320 

 

(11)

1600×

p<

Fno.<

2800×

p 

 

(12)

wherein a reference symbol f represents a focal length of the objective optical system, and a reference symbol Fno. denotes an F number of the objective optical system.

18. The image pickup unit for endoscope according to claim 13,

wherein a first lens element which is disposed on the most object side in the optical system is made of a material which has a refractive index of 2.0 or higher for the e-line.