Hermetically sealed endoscope with optical component attached to inner protective window

• US 9,565,997 B2
• Filed: 02/09/2016
• Issued: 02/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Inventors: Scott, David D., Shafer, David C., Brichard, Dominique, Herzlinger, Peter M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Laballe, Clayton E
• Assistant Examiner(s): BUTLER, KEVIN C
• Application Number:
  US15/018,867
• Publication Number:
  US 20160220107A1
• Time in Patent Office: 371 Days
• Field of Search: 600/102
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00 Instruments for performing medical examinations of the interior of cavities or tubes of the body by visual or photographical inspection, e.g. endoscopes examination of body cavities or body tracts using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves A61B8/12; endoscopic instruments for taking cell samples or for biopsy A61B10/04; for surgical purposes A61B17/00; endoscopic surgical cutting instruments A61B17/32; surgical instruments using a laser beam being directed along or through a flexible conduit A61B18/22; Illuminating arrangements therefor for the eyes A61B3/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00009 of image signals during a use of endoscope
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00096 Optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00105 characterised by modular construction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0011 Manufacturing of endoscope parts
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00114 Electrical cables in or with an endoscope
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00124 electrical, e.g. electrical plug-and-socket connection
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00149 using articulated arms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00165 with light-conductive means, e.g. fibre optics A61B1/07 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00167 Details of optical fibre bundles, e.g. shape or fibre distribution
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00193 adapted for stereoscopic vision
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/045 Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/051 Details of CCD assembly
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/06 with illuminating arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0607 for annular illumination
• 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: A61B 1/313 for introducing through surgical openings, e.g. laparoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/3132 for laparoscopy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/302 specifically adapted for manipulations within body cavities, e.g. within abdominal or thoracic cavities
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/30 : Surgical robots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/37 : Master-slave robots A61B34/35 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/361 : Image-producing devices, e.g. surgical cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/50 : Supports for surgical instruments, e.g. articulated arms
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/00 : Optical objectives specially designed for the purposes specified below with variable magnification in general G02B15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/0015 : characterised by the lens design
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/24 : Instruments or systems for viewing the inside of hollow bodies, e.g. fibrescopes
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/2415 : Stereoscopic endoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/2476 : Non-optical details, e.g. housings, mountings, supports
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/20 : Image signal generators
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/204 : using stereoscopic image cameras stereoscopic photography G03B35/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/00 : Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/55 : Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof
• 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

Abstract

In one embodiment, an endoscopic camera for a robotic surgical system includes a stereo camera module mounted to a robotic arm of a patient side cart. The optical and electro-optic components of the camera module are hermetically sealed within a first housing. Signals from an electro-optic component travel through traces in a ceramic substrate forming one side of the hermetically sealed first housing. A second housing surrounds the first housing and optical fibers are dispersed between the housings to provide lighting in a body cavity. The camera module may be sterilized by an autoclave.

Claims

1. An endoscope comprising:

a housing;

an image sensor sensitive to a set of wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation;

an inner protective window over the image sensor, and

a first optical component including a first lens;

wherein the first optical component is positioned at least partially within the housing,

wherein the inner protective window is positioned between the image sensor and the first optical component, and

wherein the first optical component is attached to the inner protective window.

2. The endoscope of claim 1, wherein

the first optical component is attached to the inner protective window by at least one of glue, epoxy, and cement.

3. The endoscope of claim 1, wherein

the first optical component is attached to the inner protective window by a heat-resistant glue.

4. The endoscope of claim 1, wherein

the first optical component is hermetically sealed within the housing.

5. The endoscope of claim 1, wherein

the image sensor comprises a first pixel array having a first axis perpendicular to the first pixel array, and wherein the first optical component is off-axis from the first axis.

6. A stereo endoscope camera module comprising:

an inner subassembly including

an inner rectangular stainless steel housing having an open bottom and a front side opening;

a window hermetically sealed into the front side opening;

a substrate hermetically sealed to the inner rectangular stainless steel housing to close the open bottom, the substrate including metal traces;

a stereo image sensor mounted to the substrate behind the window within the inner rectangular stainless steel housing, the stereo image sensor having a pair of image sensors with optical axes to generate left and right images;

a pair of lens barrels mounted to the substrate, the pair of lens barrels each having an objective lens with an optical axis through the window;

a mirrored prism mounted to the substrate, the prism having a first face and a second face perpendicular to the first face, the optical axes of the pair of lens barrels aligned into the first face, wherein the mirrored prism redirects light at a right angle from the optical axes of the pair of lens barrels and onto the pair of sensors of the stereo image sensor parallel to the optical axis of the pair of image sensors;

an array of optical fibers around the inner subassembly;

and

an outer rectangular housing around the array of optical fibers and the inner subassembly, the outer rectangular housing having a front side opening to receive the front side opening of the inner rectangular stainless steel housing.

7. The stereo endoscope camera of claim 6, wherein

the stereo image sensor is a pair of charged-couple device (CCD) sensors for left and right images.

8. The stereo endoscope camera of claim 6, wherein

the stereo image sensor is a pair of complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) sensors for left and right images.

9. The stereo endoscope camera of claim 6, wherein

the stereo image sensor is a pair of intensified charge-coupled device (ICCD) sensors for left and right images.

10. The stereo endoscope camera of claim 6, further comprising

a processor mounted to the substrate, the processor coupled to one or more of the metal traces of the substrate in communication with the pair of image sensors of the stereo image sensor;

and

wherein the stereo image sensor is a high definition stereo image sensor with increased pixel density.

11. The stereo endoscope camera of claim 10, wherein

the processor includes

a digital signal processor to process digital images, and

a pair of analog to digital converters respectively coupled between the digital signal processor and the pair of image sensors, the pair of analog to digital converters to receive a pair of analog image signals from the pair of image sensors and convert the pair of analog image signals into a pair of digital image signals for processing by the digital signal processor.

12. The stereo endoscope camera of claim 10, further comprising

passive circuits mounted to the substrate and coupled to one or more of the metal traces of the substrate.

13. The stereo endoscope camera of claim 12, wherein

the substrate is a ceramic substrate.

14. The stereo endoscope camera of claim 6, wherein light launched out of the array of optical fibers around the inner subassembly form a halo of light around the front side of the inner rectangular stainless steel housing.

15. The stereo endoscope camera of claim 6, wherein

the window is formed of a scratch, heat, moisture, and solvent resistant material that is transparent to a range of wavelengths detected by the stereo image sensor.

16. The stereo endoscope camera of claim 6, wherein

the window is a sapphire window brazed to the rectangular stainless steel housing in the front side opening.

17. The stereo endoscope camera of claim 6, wherein

the window is a sapphire window soldered to the rectangular stainless steel housing in the front side opening with gold solder.

18. The stereo endoscope camera of claim 6, wherein

the substrate further includes one or more cable bond pads;

and

one or more traces in the substrate pass under the seal to the inner rectangular stainless steel housing to couple to the cable bond pads.

19. The stereo endoscope camera of claim 18, further comprising

at least one sheathed cable coupled to the one or more cable bond pads to transmit data from the processor and receive control signals into the processor.

20. The stereo endoscope camera of claim 6, wherein

the substrate further includes one or more cable bond pads;

one or more traces in the substrate pass under the seal to the inner rectangular stainless steel housing to couple to the cable bond pads; and

the camera further comprises at least one sheathed cable coupled to the one or more cable bond pads to supply power to the stereo image sensor.