Endoscope connector method and apparatus
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An imaging fiber connector arrangement for optically coupling a working assembly including an imaging fiber bundle having a plurality of imaging fiber cores to an imaging assembly, comprising:
- an imaging assembly connector fitting, forming part of the imaging assembly and having an optical assembly that includes an active optical element, the optical assembly configured to receive and modify images before passing the images to an image processor of the imaging assembly, the optical assembly having a focal plane that is essentially at a distal surface of the active optical element; and
a working assembly connector fitting, forming part of the working assembly and configured to engage the imaging assembly connector fitting to removably optically couple the imaging fiber bundle of the working assembly to the imaging assembly, the imaging assembly connector fitting and working assembly connector fitting configured to position a proximal end of the imaging fiber cores of the imaging fiber bundle in a predetermined location in three dimensions relative to the active optical element, and which location is within the focal plane of the active optical element, to within a given tolerance such that images are coupled from the imaging fiber bundle directly to the active optical element without passing through any intervening inactive optical element when the working assembly connector fitting is engaged with the imaging assembly connector fitting.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An exemplary embodiment providing one or more improvements includes an endoscope connector for connecting any given one of a plurality of working assemblies to an imaging assembly.
119 Citations
50 Claims
-
1. An imaging fiber connector arrangement for optically coupling a working assembly including an imaging fiber bundle having a plurality of imaging fiber cores to an imaging assembly, comprising:
-
an imaging assembly connector fitting, forming part of the imaging assembly and having an optical assembly that includes an active optical element, the optical assembly configured to receive and modify images before passing the images to an image processor of the imaging assembly, the optical assembly having a focal plane that is essentially at a distal surface of the active optical element; and a working assembly connector fitting, forming part of the working assembly and configured to engage the imaging assembly connector fitting to removably optically couple the imaging fiber bundle of the working assembly to the imaging assembly, the imaging assembly connector fitting and working assembly connector fitting configured to position a proximal end of the imaging fiber cores of the imaging fiber bundle in a predetermined location in three dimensions relative to the active optical element, and which location is within the focal plane of the active optical element, to within a given tolerance such that images are coupled from the imaging fiber bundle directly to the active optical element without passing through any intervening inactive optical element when the working assembly connector fitting is engaged with the imaging assembly connector fitting. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
-
-
33. An imaging fiber connector arrangement forming part of a working assembly and part of an imaging assembly for optically coupling a working assembly, including a working assembly imaging fiber bundle having a plurality of imaging fiber cores to the imaging assembly, the working assembly fiber cores arranged to receive images at a distal end from a field of view and to transmit the images to proximal ends of the working assembly fiber cores, said image fiber connector arrangement comprising:
-
an imaging assembly connector fitting, forming part of the imaging assembly, including an optical assembly having an active optical element, the active optical element supported in the imaging assembly connector fitting at least in part to receive images from the proximal end of the working assembly fiber cores and to perform a predetermined optical function on the images, the optical assembly defines a focal plane that is at least essentially at a distal surface of the active optical element as supported in the imaging assembly connector fitting; and a working assembly connector fitting forming part of the working assembly and configured to engage the imaging assembly connector fitting to removably optically couple the imaging fiber bundle of the working assembly to the imaging assembly by indexing the proximal ends of said imaging fiber cores of the imaging fiber bundle to a predetermined position in three dimensions to establish a specific tolerance with respect to the active optical element such that images emitted from the imaging fiber bundle couple directly to the active optical element without passing through any intervening inactive optical element when the working assembly connector fitting is engaged with the imaging assembly connector fitting, the predetermined position characterized by an axial distance between the proximal ends of the imaging fiber cores within a limited range from the distal surface of the active optical element as part of said specific tolerance.
-
-
34. An imaging fiber connector arrangement forming part of a working assembly and part of an imaging assembly for optically coupling the working assembly, including a working assembly imaging fiber bundle having a plurality of imaging fiber cores, to the imaging assembly, the working assembly fiber cores arranged to receive images at a distal end from a field of view and to transmit the images to proximal ends of the working assembly fiber cores, said imaging fiber connector arrangement comprising:
-
an imaging assembly connector fitting forming part of the imaging assembly and having a plurality of light receiving elements, the light receiving elements configured to receive images, and wherein the imaging assembly connector fitting has an optical assembly that includes an active optical element, the optical assembly configured to receive and modify the images at least by passing through the active optical element before guiding the images to the light receiving elements, the optical assembly having a focal plane that is essentially at a distal surface of the active optical element; and a working assembly connector fitting, forming part of the working assembly and configured to engage the imaging assembly connector fitting to removably optically couple the working assembly imaging fiber bundle to the light receiving elements of the imaging assembly connector fitting by positioning the proximal end of the working assembly fiber cores in a predetermined location in three dimensions relative to the light receiving elements to within a specific tolerance such that images from the working assembly fiber cores optically couple to the light receiving elements when the working assembly connector fitting is engaged with the imaging assembly connector fitting, and wherein the imaging assembly connector fitting and working assembly connector fitting are configured such that the proximal ends of the working assembly fiber cores are positioned at the focal plane of the active optical element when the proximal end of the working assembly fiber cores are positioned at the predetermined location. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
-
-
45. An imaging fiber connector arrangement forming part of a working assembly and part of an imaging assembly for optically coupling the working assembly to the imaging assembly, comprising:
-
an imaging assembly connector fitting, forming part of the imaging arrangement, having an optical assembly configured to receive images for the imaging assembly, the optical assembly including an imaging assembly optical element having a distal surface through which the images are initially received, the imaging assembly connector fitting defining an alignment bore; and a working assembly connector fitting, forming part of the working assembly and configured to engage the imaging assembly connector fitting to removably optically couple a working assembly imaging fiber bundle to the imaging assembly, the working assembly connector fitting including a ferrule which supports a proximal end of working assembly fiber cores of the working assembly imaging fiber bundle, the ferrule and the working assembly fiber core ends having a polished end configuration that operates as an active optical element, the ferrule configured to engage the alignment bore when the working assembly connector fitting engages the imaging assembly connector fitting to index the polished end relative to the distal surface of the imaging assembly optical element such that the polished end cooperates with the optical assembly to perform a predetermined optical function in addition to guiding the images from the working assembly imaging fiber bundle to the imaging assembly without substantial optical loss. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
-
Specification