Illumination apparatus for an image sensing means at the distal end of an endoscope

• US 9,192,290 B2
• Filed: 01/29/2008
• Issued: 11/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fraunhofer Gesellschaft Zur Foerderung Der Angewandten Forsching E.V.
• Original Assignee: Fraunhofer Gesellschaft Zur Foerderung Der Angewandten Forsching E.V.
• Inventors: Spinnler, Klaus, Arnold, Cornelia, Kuleschow, Andreas, Wittenberg, Thomas, Rupp, Stephan, Couronn, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Anhtuan T
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHOU, WILLIAM B
• Application Number:
  US12/021,481
• Publication Number:
  US 20080183043A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,856 Days
• Field of Search: 600/160, 600/175, 600178-180, 600/170, 600/171, 600/176
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0605 for spatially modulated 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: H04N 23/555 for picking-up images in sites, inaccessible due to their dimensions or hazardous conditions, e.g. endoscopes or borescopes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/56 provided with illuminating means

Abstract

An illumination apparatus for an image sensor at the distal end of an endoscope includes an illumination carrier and a plurality of micro LEDs each including a main surface from which the emission is made, with a maximum lateral dilatation of less than 500 μm. The illumination carrier is associated with the distal end of the endoscope, and the plurality of micro LEDs are arranged on the illumination carrier such that with electrical excitation, the environment of the distal end of the endoscope is at least in some portions illuminated.

Claims

1. An illumination apparatus for an image sensor at a distal end of an endoscope, comprising:

an illumination carrier which extends along a geometrical axis at the distal end of the endoscope, and

an array of micro LEDs each comprising a main surface comprising a maximum width of less than 500 μ

m from which emission is made, and which are arranged on the illumination carrier such as to illuminate, with electrical excitation, at least some portions of an environment of the distal end of the endoscope;

wherein

the illumination carrier includes a support region, an opening region, and an illumination region, the opening region extending along the geometrical axis between the illumination region and the support region to form a window region extending along the geometrical axis in a lateral direction, wherein the micro LEDs are arranged at the illumination region and the support region is arranged at the distal end of the endoscope, so that an optical image of the environment at the distal end of the endoscope may be sensed through the window region in the lateral direction; and

the illumination carrier comprises a transparent tube or a plurality of ribs arranged between the illumination region and the support region to mechanically connect the illumination region to the support region.

2. The illumination apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the array of micro LEDs is arranged on an outer area of the illumination carrier.

3. The illumination apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the illumination carrier comprises at least 10 micro LEDs.

4. The illumination apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the micro LEDs each comprise a main surface comprising a maximum width of less than 300 μ

m, 100 μ

m, 10 μ

m from which the emission is made.

5. The illumination apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the main surface of at least one of the micro LEDs comprises an area of 0.01 mm 2 at the most.

6. The illumination apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the illumination carrier is mechanically connectable to the distal end of the endoscope.

7. The illumination apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the illumination carrier is shiftably arranged at the distal end of the endoscope and is shiftable along the geometrical axis.

8. The illumination apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the illumination carrier is formed by a portion of the endoscope at the distal end thereof.

9. The illumination apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a first group of micro LEDs and a second group of micro LEDs are arranged on a surface of the illumination carrier, wherein the first group of micro LEDs comprises a first main emission direction and the second group of micro LEDs comprises a second main emission direction, wherein the first and the second main emission direction differ with respect to the surface region of the illumination carrier by an angle α

≠

0°

.

10. The illumination apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the first main emission direction or the second main emission direction differs from an optical axis of the image sensor at the distal end of the endoscope by an angle γ

with 0°

≦

γ

≦

160°

or −

160°

≦

γ

≦

0°

.

11. The illumination apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the micro LEDs comprise a micro lens.

12. The illumination apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the micro LEDs comprise a diffuser.

13. The illumination apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the illumination carrier comprises a compound arranged to protect the micro LEDs.

14. The illumination apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the compound forms a diffuser.

15. The illumination apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the illumination carrier comprises transparent glass or translucent plastic.

16. The illumination apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the micro LEDs are arranged on the illumination carrier by a carrier foil.

17. The illumination apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the carrier foil comprises conductor traces for contacting the micro LEDs.

18. The illumination apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the conductor traces are formed transparently.

19. The illumination apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the micro LEDs is controllable in a pulsed manner.

20. The illumination apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the micro LEDs are controllable separately from each other.

21. The illumination apparatus according to claim 1, wherein different micro LEDs emit light at different wavelengths.

22. The illumination apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image sensor comprises optics with an objective at the distal end.

23. The illumination apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the image sensor comprises optics with an all-round backward look at the distal end for an all-round sensing.

24. The illumination apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image sensor comprises a CCD camera.

25. The illumination apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the illumination carrier is implemented as a socket pipe which is at its support region shiftably arranged at the distal end of the endoscope, such that the illumination carrier is shiftable to a plurality of different illumination positions.

26. The illumination apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the illumination carrier comprises a ring-shaped illumination region.

27. The illumination apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the micro LEDs are arranged at the ring-shaped illumination region.

28. The illumination apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the illumination carrier comprises a plurality of ribs arranged to hold the ring-shaped illumination region, wherein the plurality of ribs are arranged between the ring-shaped illumination region and the support region.

29. The illumination apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the illumination region comprises a front-ring, wherein the micro LEDs are arranged at the front-ring.

30. Illumination apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the illumination carrier is rotatably arranged at the distal end of the endoscope.

31. An illumination apparatus for an image sensor at a distal end of an endoscope, comprising:

an illumination carrier having an illumination region associated with the distal end of the endoscope; and

an array of micro LEDs, each including a main surface comprising a maximum width of less than 500 μ

m from which emission is made, which are arranged on the illumination region to illuminate, with electrical excitation, at least some portions of an environment of the distal end of the endoscope;

wherein

the array of micro LEDs includes a first and a second neighboring group of micro LEDs on a surface region of the illumination region with a first and a second main emission direction which differ with respect to a direction perpendicular to the surface region of the illumination region;

the illumination carrier includes a support region;

the illumination carrier comprises a transparent tube or a plurality of ribs arranged between the illumination region and the support region to mechanically connect the illumination region to the support region;

the illumination region includes a ring-shaped illumination region; and

the transparent tube or the plurality of ribs of the illumination carrier are arranged between the ring-shaped illumination region and the support region to hold the ring-shaped illumination region.

32. An illumination apparatus for an image sensor at a distal end of an endoscope, comprising:

an illumination carrier which extends along a geometrical axis at the distal end of the endoscope, and

an array of micro LEDs each comprising a main surface comprising a maximum width of less than 500 μ

m from which emission is made, and which are arranged on the illumination carrier such as to illuminate, with electrical excitation, at least some portions of an environment of the distal end of the endoscope;

wherein

the illumination carrier includes a support region, an opening region, and an illumination region, the opening region extending along the geometrical axis between the illumination region and the support region, wherein the micro LEDs are arranged at the illumination region and the support region is arranged at the distal end of the endoscope, so that an optical image of the environment at the distal end of the endoscope may be sensed through the opening region;

the illumination carrier comprises a ring-shaped illumination region; and

the illumination carrier comprises a plurality of ribs arranged to hold the ring-shaped illumination region, wherein the plurality of ribs are arranged between the ring-shaped illumination region and the support region.

33. An illumination apparatus for an image sensor at a distal end of an endoscope, comprising:

an illumination carrier which extends along a geometrical axis at the distal end of the endoscope, and

an array of micro LEDs each comprising a main surface comprising a maximum width of less than 500 λ

m from which emission is made, and which are arranged on the illumination carrier such as to illuminate, with electrical excitation, at least some portions of an environment of the distal end of the endoscope;

wherein

the illumination carrier includes a support region and an illumination region;

the micro LEDs are arranged at the illumination region and the support region is arranged at the distal end of the endoscope;

the illumination carrier is shiftably arranged at the distal end of the endoscope; and

the illumination region is shiftable parallel to or along the geometrical axis to a plurality of different illumination positions with respect to the distal end of the endoscope;

the illumination region includes a ring-shaped illumination region; and

the illumination carrier includes a transparent tube or a plurality of ribs arranged between the ring-shaped illumination region and the support region to hold the ring-shaped illumination region.