Imaging apparatus of electronic endoscope and electronic endoscope

• US 8,462,202 B2
• Filed: 03/05/2008
• Issued: 06/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Takahashi, Kazuaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Winder, Patrice
• Assistant Examiner(s): Golabbakhsh, Ebrahim
• Application Number:
  US12/042,838
• Publication Number:
  US 20080239071A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,924 Days
• Field of Search: 348/76, 348/45, 600/149
• US Class Current: 348/76
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/042 characterised by a proximal camera, e.g. a CCD camera
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/05 characterised by the image sensor, e.g. camera, being in the distal end portion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/051 Details of CCD assembly
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/128 provided with means for regulating temperature

Abstract

An imaging apparatus is provided and includes: a solid-state imaging device that receives image light of an observed portion inside of a coelom to output an imaging signal of the image light; a cover glass disposed above an light receiving surface of the solid-state imaging device so that the cover glass and the solid-state imaging device are separated with a space; and a first circuit board disposed at a vicinity of an upper surface of the cover glass and including a peripheral circuit of the solid-state imaging device, the first circuit board having a thermal conductivity lower than that of a reference circuit board whose major component is alumina, the imaging apparatus being included in a front end of an electronic endoscope.

Claims

1. An imaging apparatus comprising:

a solid-state imaging device that receives image light of an observed portion inside of a coelom to output an imaging signal of the image light;

a cover glass disposed above a light receiving surface of the solid-state imaging device so that the cover glass and the solid-state imaging device are separated with a space;

a first circuit board disposed at a distance from the cover glass and including a peripheral circuit of the solid-state imaging device, the first circuit board having a thermal conductivity lower than 10 W/mK, wherein a major component of the first circuit board is a mixture material of alumina and glass; and

a second circuit board disposed at a lower surface or a side surface of the solid-state imaging device and including a second peripheral circuit of the solid-state imaging device, the second circuit board having a thermal conductivity higher than that of the reference circuit board,

the imaging apparatus being included in a front end of an electronic endoscope and the imaging apparatus further comprising a sealing agent sealing the peripheral circuit and the sealing agent contacting the cover glass and the first circuit board, wherein

an amount of the alumina in the mixture material is 40 to 60% and an amount of the glass in the mixture material is 40 to 60%.

2. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the thermal conductivity of the first circuit board is at least equal to or lower than ⅕

of that of the reference circuit board.

3. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the thermal conductivity of the second circuit board is at least 5 times as much as that of the reference circuit board.

4. An electronic endoscope comprising an imaging apparatus according to claim 1 at a front end thereof.