Endoscope connector method and apparatus

• US 9,549,662 B2
• Filed: 01/08/2015
• Issued: 01/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: San Marino Capital, Inc.
• Original Assignee: San Marino Capital, Inc.
• Inventors: Demers, Joseph R., Sekowski, Marek
• Primary Examiner(s): LEPISTO, RYAN A
• Application Number:
  US14/592,853
• Publication Number:
  US 20150119644A1
• Time in Patent Office: 747 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00009 of image signals during a use of endoscope
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00057 provided with means for testing or calibration
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00103 designed for single use
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00105 characterised by modular construction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0011 Manufacturing of endoscope parts
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00117 Optical cables in or with an endoscope
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00124 electrical, e.g. electrical plug-and-socket connection
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00126 optical, e.g. for light supply cables
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00144 Hygienic packaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00167 Details of optical fibre bundles, e.g. shape or fibre distribution
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00186 with imaging filters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00193 adapted for stereoscopic vision
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/018 for receiving instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0669 at proximal end of an endoscope
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0684 using light emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/07 using light-conductive means, e.g. optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4295 coupling with semiconductor devices activated by light through the light guide, e.g. thyristors, phototransistors
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49007 Indicating transducer

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.

Claims

1. An endoscope working assembly, comprising:

an imaging fiber bundle having a plurality of fiber cores, the fiber cores arranged to receive light at a distal end from a field of view and to transmit the light to a proximal end of the fiber cores and emit the light from the proximal end;

an electronic imaging sensor, including multiple individual light sensing pixels, configured to produce electrical video signals in response to receiving the light, the imaging sensor optically coupled to the imaging fiber bundle to receive the light from the proximal end of the fiber cores with the fiber cores butt-coupled to the imaging sensor such that the image from each fiber core is received by at least one of the light sensing pixels;

a working assembly connector fitting connected to the imaging fiber bundle and the electronic imaging sensor and configured to engage an imaging assembly connector fitting of an imaging assembly to removably attach the working assembly to the imaging assembly and arranged to electrically communicate the electrical video signals from the electronic imaging sensor to the imaging assembly; and

an illumination arrangement including at least one illumination fiber extending from a proximal end at the working assembly connector fitting to a distal end substantially adjacent to the distal end of the imaging fiber bundle fiber cores, and at least one illumination source arranged to emit light that is optically coupled to the proximal end of the illumination fiber to transfer the emitted light through the illumination fiber to the distal end of the illumination fiber to illuminate the field of view, and the working assembly connector fitting is arranged to receive electrical energy from the imaging assembly connector fitting for powering the illumination source.

2. The endoscope working assembly of claim 1 wherein the imaging fiber bundle includes a diameter that is less than one millimeter.

3. The endoscope working assembly of claim 1 wherein each fiber core transfers light to a plurality of the light sensing pixels.

4. An endoscope, comprising:

the working assembly of claim 1; and

said imaging assembly including an imaging processor for use in producing imaging information including an image characteristic based on said light.

5. The endoscope of claim 4 wherein the imaging processor is configured to use the image characteristic for image correction.

6. The endoscope of claim 4 wherein the imaging processor is configured to use the image characteristic for spatial image correction.

7. The endoscope of claim 4 wherein the imaging processor is configured to use the image characteristic for stereoscopic imaging.

8. The endoscope of claim 4 wherein the imaging processor is configured to use the image characteristic for synthetic depth perception.

9. The endoscope of claim 4 wherein the imaging processor is configured to use the image characteristic for spectral analysis.

10. A method for producing an endoscope working assembly, said method comprising:

providing an imaging fiber bundle having a plurality of fiber cores, the fiber cores arranged to receive light at a distal end from a field of view and to transmit the light to a proximal end of the fiber cores and emit the light from the proximal end;

butt-coupling an electronic imaging sensor to the proximal end of the fiber cores to receive the light therefrom, the electronic imaging sensor including multiple individual light sensing pixels and configured to produce electrical video signals in response to receiving the light, such that the image from each fiber core is received by at least one of the light sensing pixels;

connecting a working assembly connector fitting to the imaging fiber bundle and the electronic imaging sensor with the working assembly connector fitting configured to engage an imaging assembly connector fitting of an imaging assembly to removably attach the working assembly to the imaging assembly and arranged to electrically communicate the electrical video signals from the electronic imaging sensor to the imaging assembly; and

configuring an illumination arrangement to include at least one illumination fiber extending from a proximal end at the working assembly connector fitting to a distal end substantially adjacent to the distal end of the imaging fiber bundle fiber cores, and at least one illumination source is arranged to emit light that is optically coupled to the proximal end of the illumination fiber to transfer the emitted light through the illumination fiber to the distal end of the illumination fiber to illuminate the field of view, and the working assembly connector fitting is arranged to receive electrical energy from the imaging assembly connector fitting for powering the illumination source.