Multi-element cover for a multi-camera endoscope

• US 9,101,266 B2
• Filed: 02/06/2012
• Issued: 08/11/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EndoChoice Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: EndoChoice Innovation Center Ltd. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Levi, Moshe, Aizenfeld, Amram, Salman, Golan
• Primary Examiner(s): KASZTEJNA, MATTHEW JOHN
• Application Number:
  US13/984,028
• Publication Number:
  US 20140148644A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,282 Days
• Field of Search: 600/109, 600129-130, 600156-157, 600/165, 600170-172, 600175-176
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00089 Hoods
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00091 Nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00096 Optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0011 Manufacturing of endoscope parts
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00137 End pieces at either end of the endoscope, e.g. caps, seals or forceps plugs
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00142 with means for preventing contamination, e.g. by using a sanitary sheath
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00177 for 90 degrees side-viewing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00179 for off-axis viewing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00181 for multiple fixed viewing angles A61B1/00193 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/015 Control of fluid supply or evacuation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/018 for receiving instruments
• 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 1/0615 for radial illumination
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0625 for multiple fixed illumination angles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0676 at distal tip of an endoscope
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0684 using light emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/126 provided with means for cleaning in-use
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 13/003 Blowing gases other than for carrying powders, e.g. for inflating, dilating or rinsing
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 3/02 Enemata; Irrigators
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 3/0202 : with electronic control means or interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/2423 : of the distal end
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/2461 : Illumination
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/2476 : Non-optical details, e.g. housings, mountings, supports
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/2484 : Arrangements in relation to a camera or imaging device processing or control of video signals generated by an endoscope H04N23/60, H04N23/70

Abstract

There is provided herein a tip section of a multi-camera endoscope, the tip section comprising: a front looking camera and a front discrete illuminator to essentially illuminate the Field Of View (FOV) of said front looking camera; a right side looking camera and a right discrete illuminator to essentially illuminate the FOV of said right side looking camera; a left side looking camera and a left discrete illuminator to essentially illuminate the FOV of said left side looking camera; and a multi component cover configured to cover and seal said tip section such as to essentially prevent entry of fluids from the environment of said endoscope to inner parts of said tip section.

Claims

1. A tip section of a multi-camera endoscope, the tip section comprising:

an electronics and fluid channeling component, wherein said electronics and fluid channeling component comprises a front looking camera and a front discrete illuminator to essentially illuminate a field of view of said front looking camera;

a right side looking camera and a right discrete illuminator to essentially illuminate a field of view of said right side looking camera;

a left side looking camera and a left discrete illuminator to essentially illuminate a field of view of said left side looking camera; and

a multi component cover configured to cover and seal said electronics and fluid channeling component so as to essentially prevent physically exposing said electronics and fluid channeling component to fluids, wherein the multi component cover comprises;

a distal component configured to cover a distal part of said electronics and fluid channeling component, wherein the distal component comprises two curved side walls wherein each curved side wall comprises a recess configured to accommodate a portion of one of the left side looking camera or right side looking camera; and

a proximal component configured to cover a proximal part of said electronics and fluid channeling component, wherein said distal component and said proximal component are configured to abut to cover said electronics and fluid channeling component, wherein the proximal component comprises two curved side walls wherein each curved side wall comprises a recess configured to accommodate a portion of one of the left side looking camera or right side looking camera and wherein the recess of the proximal component abuts the recess of the distal component.

2. The tip section of claim 1, wherein said distal component has a shape of a cylinder having at least one side wall and a front face, wherein said front face is configured to cover a front part of said electronics and fluid channeling component and said proximal component has a shape of a cylinder having at least one side wall.

3. The tip section of claim 1, wherein said multi component cover further comprises optical windows for each of said front discrete illuminator, said right discrete illuminator, and said left discrete illuminator.

4. The tip section of claim 1, wherein said multi component cover further comprises openings for each of said front looking camera, said right side looking camera, and said left side looking camera.

5. The tip section of claim 1, wherein said fluid channeling component is adapted to channel fluid for insufflations and/or irrigation.

6. The tip section of claim 1, wherein said fluid channeling component is a unitary component comprising a front fluid channel leading to a front opening at a distal end of said unitary fluid channeling component, for cleaning one or more front optical elements of said electronics and fluid channeling component, and a side fluid channel leading to at least one left side opening or a right side opening in said unitary fluid channeling component, for cleaning side optical elements of said tip section.

7. The tip section of claim 1 wherein the electronics and fluid channeling component further comprises a working channel adapted for inserting a medical tool.

8. The tip section of claim 1, wherein said multi component cover further comprises openings for one or more of:

a front irrigation and insufflation injector;

a front nozzle;

a side irrigation and insufflation injector;

a side nozzle;

a jet fluid channel; and

a working channel.

9. The tip section of claim 1, wherein said front looking camera, said front discrete illuminator, said right side looking camera, said right discrete illuminator, said left side looking camera, and said left discrete illuminator are configured to be installed on a single electronic circuit board.

10. The tip section of claim 1 having a diameter of 17 mm or less.

11. The tip section of claim 1, wherein said distal component is in a shape of a cylinder having a curved side wall and a front face, wherein the front face is configured to cover a front part of the electronics and fluid component and said proximal component is in a shape of a cylinder having a curved side wall without a top or a bottom, wherein the proximal component is configured to cover a proximal part of the electronics and fluid component.

12. The tip section of claim 1 wherein the distal component comprises a front face and wherein the front face has a hole configured to align with a front optical assembly of the forward looking camera, a window configured to align with the front discrete illuminator, a distal opening configured to align with an opening of a working channel;

a distal opening configured to align with an opening of a jet fluid channel, and a distal opening configured to align with an opening of an injector.

13. The tip section of claim 1 wherein the distal component comprises two side walls comprising optical windows aligned with the left discrete illuminator and right discrete illuminator respectively.

14. The tip section of claim 1 wherein the proximal component comprises two curved side walls wherein each curved side wall comprises optical windows aligned with at least one of the right discrete illuminator and left discrete illuminator.