Endoscope with distal hermetically sealed sensor

• US 9,962,069 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2016
• Issued: 05/08/2018
• 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:
  US15/394,703
• Publication Number:
  US 20170172394A1
• Time in Patent Office: 495 Days
• Field of Search: 600109
• 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 endoscopic camera instrument comprising:

a hollow shaft;

a hermetically sealed camera module coupled to a distal end of the hollow shaft, the hermetically sealed camera module including

an image sensor having a first active pixel array to capture electromagnetic radiation as one or more images;

an electro-optical transducer electrically coupled to the image sensor, the electro-optical transducer to convert an electrical form of the one or more images into an optical form of the one or more images for transmission along the hollow shaft to a proximal end of the hollow shaft; and

a first optical fiber coupled to the electro-optical transducer to transmit the optical form of the one or more images along the hollow shaft to the proximal end of the hollow shaft.

2. The endoscopic camera instrument of claim 1, wherein the electro-optical transducer is a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL).

3. The endoscopic camera instrument of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more illumination optical fibers terminating at a distal end region of the endoscopic camera instrument to direct electromagnetic radiation out a distal end region of the endoscopic camera instrument.

4. The endoscopic camera instrument of claim 1, wherein the hermetically sealed camera module is coupled to the hollow shaft by an articulable joint.

5. The endoscopic camera instrument of claim 4, wherein the first optical fiber runs through the articulable joint.

6. The endoscopic camera instrument of claim 5, further comprising:

one or more illumination fibers terminating at a distal end region of the endoscopic camera instrument to direct electromagnetic radiation out a distal end region of the endoscopic camera instrument,

wherein the one or more illumination fibers run through the articulable joint.

7. The endoscopic camera instrument of claim 1, further comprising:

an interface base coupled to a proximal end of the hollow shaft, the interface base configured to mount and dismount the endoscopic camera instrument with a robotic arm, the interface base including a first electrical connector to couple to a second electrical connector of the robotic arm.

8. The endoscopic camera instrument of claim 1, wherein

the hermetically sealed camera module further comprises one or more light emitting diodes to direct electromagnetic radiation out a distal end region of the endoscopic camera instrument.

9. An endoscopic camera instrument, comprising:

a hollow shaft;

a hermetically sealed camera module coupled to a distal end of the hollow shaft, the hermetically sealed camera module including

an image sensor having a first active pixel array to capture electromagnetic radiation as one or more images, wherein the image sensor is sensitive to a set of wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation;

an electro-optical transducer electrically coupled to the image sensor, the electro-optical transducer to convert an electrical form of the one or more images into an optical form of the one or more images for transmission along the hollow shaft to a proximal end of the hollow shaft;

a housing;

an inner protective window over the image sensor to protect the image sensor, wherein the inner protective window is transparent to the set of wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation; and

a first optical component positioned at least partially within the housing attached to and resting on the inner protective window, the first optical component including a first lens and a first tube with the first lens positioned within the first tube,

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 by at least one of glue, epoxy, and cement.

10. An endoscopic camera instrument, comprising:

a hollow shaft having a proximal end and a distal end;

a hermetically sealed camera module coupled to the distal end of the hollow shaft, wherein the hermetically sealed camera module includes

an image sensor having a first active pixel array to capture electromagnetic radiation as one or more images, wherein the image sensor is sensitive to a set of wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation;

an electro-optical transducer electrically coupled to the image sensor, the electro-optical transducer to convert an electrical form of the one or more images into an optical form of the one or more images for transmission along the hollow shaft to the proximal end of the hollow shaft;

a housing;

an inner protective window over the image sensor to protect the image sensor, wherein the inner protective window is transparent to the set of wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation; and

a first optical component positioned at least partially within the housing attached to and resting on the inner protective window, the first optical component including a first lens and a first tube with the first lens positioned within the first tube;

a second optical component positioned at least partially within the housing attached to and resting on the inner protective window, the second optical component including a second lens and a second tube with the second lens positioned within the second tube,

wherein the inner protective window is positioned between the image sensor and the second optical component.

11. The endoscopic camera instrument of claim 10,

wherein the image sensor comprises a stereo image sensor including a left pixel array and a right pixel array,

wherein the first optical component directs a first portion of the electromagnetic radiation onto the left pixel array and the second optical component directs a second portion of the electromagnetic radiation onto the right pixel array, and

wherein the left pixel array and the right pixel array are offset from a center optical axis of the endoscopic camera instrument to provide stereo image convergence.

12. The endoscopic camera instrument of claim 11,

wherein an optical axis of the first optical component is not coaxial with a center axis of the left pixel array, and

wherein an optical axis of the second optical component is not coaxial with a center axis of the right pixel array.

13. The endoscopic camera instrument of claim 11,

wherein an optical axis of the first optical component is angled with respect to a center axis of the left pixel array, and

wherein an optical axis of the second optical component is angled with respect to a center axis of the right pixel array.