Assembly for a video endoscope

• US 10,025,088 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2014
• Issued: 07/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Richard Wolf GmbH (Richard & Annemarie Wolf- Stiftung)
• Original Assignee: Richard Wolf GmbH (Richard & Annemarie Wolf- Stiftung)
• Inventors: Handte, Rene, Heimberger, Rudolf
• Primary Examiner(s): CHAVEZ, RENEE D
• Application Number:
  US14/768,059
• Publication Number:
  US 20150378144A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,614 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00018 using electrical cables
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00131 Accessories for endoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/005 Flexible endoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/05 characterised by the image sensor, e.g. camera, being in the distal end portion
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/2407 Optical details
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14601 Structural or functional details thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/50 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/54 Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils
• 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

A subassembly for a video endoscope with a picture-recording sensor (9) which is electrically conductively arranged on a flexible circuit board (8) which next to the sensor (9) is bent at least at one side and is conductively connected to at least one electrical cable proximally of the sensor (9).

Claims

1. A subassembly for a video endoscope, the subassembly comprising:

at least one electrical cable;

a flexible circuit board comprising a sensor portion adjacent to a subassembly distal end, a first cable portion extending towards a subassembly proximal end, a second cable portion extending towards the subassembly proximal end, a first bent portion connecting a first edge of the sensor portion to the first side cable portion, a second bent portion connecting the a second edge of the sensor portion to the second side cable portion, the sensor portion being perpendicular or nearly perpendicular to the first cable portion and to the second cable portion, at least one of the first cable portion and the second cable portion comprising an electrical contact electrically connected to the at least one electrical cable;

a picture-recording sensor electrically conductively arranged on the flexible circuit board sensor portion; and

a reinforcement body positioned in contact with the sensor portion and supporting the sensor portion, supporting the first bent portion and supporting the second bent portion of the flexible circuit board, whereby the first side cable portion and the second side cable portion are unsupported in a region between the first side cable portion and the second side cable portion allowing flexing of the first side cable portion and the second side cable portion.

2. A subassembly according to claim 1, further comprising at least one further electronic component, wherein the first bent portion or the second bent portion or both the first bent portion and the second bent portion carries the at least one further electronic component.

3. A subassembly according to claim 2, wherein the at least one further electronic component is a capacitor and is arranged on the circuit board in an electrically conductive manner in an end section or in a region of a free space of the first bent portion or the second bent portion or both the first bent portion and the second bent portion.

4. A subassembly according to claim 1, wherein the circuit board is bent several times at two sides which are opposite and away from one another.

5. A subassembly according to claim 1, wherein the circuit board carries the sensor and all further electronic components only on one circuit board side.

6. A subassembly according to claim 1, wherein the circuit board is a single-layer flex circuit board with a thickness between 40 μ

m and 100 μ

m.

7. A subassembly according to claim 1, wherein the circuit board is bent with a bending radius which corresponds to 0.5 to 2-fold the circuit board thickness.

8. A subassembly according to claim 1, wherein the at least one cable is electrically conductively connected to the circuit board at an end section or at end sections of the first bent portion or the second bent portion or both the first bent portion and the second bent portion of the circuit board.

9. A subassembly according to claim 8, further comprising a shielding sleeve, wherein circuit-board-side cable ends and the end section or end sections of the circuit board are surrounded by the shielding sleeve.

10. A subassembly according to claim 9, wherein a periphery of the sensor, the circuit board and the cable ends are molded in a plastic material that forms a surrounding housing.

11. A subassembly according to claim 1, wherein the circuit board is connected via single-conductor cables.

12. A subassembly according to claim 1, wherein:

the picture-recording sensor is attached to the sensor portion at a distal end side of the sensor portion;

the reinforcement body forms a core with a core side facing the sensor portion and contacting the sensor portion at an opposite side of the sensor portion, wherein the opposite side of the sensor portion is opposite to the distal end side of the sensor portion;

the circuit board is bent around the core with the first bent portion extending from the first edge of the sensor portion along a first side of the core and along a proximal end side of the core to the first side cable portion; and

the circuit board is bent around the core with the second bent portion extending from the second edge of the sensor portion along a second side of the core and along the proximal end side of the core to the first side cable portion.

13. A subassembly according to claim 12, wherein the core has a core contour that is slightly smaller than a contour of the picture-recording sensor.

14. An endoscope comprising a rigid or flexible shank with a subassembly comprising:

at least one electrical cable;

a flexible circuit board comprising a sensor portion adjacent to a subassembly distal end, a first cable portion extending towards a subassembly proximal end, a second cable portion extending towards the subassembly proximal end, a first bent portion connecting a first edge of the sensor portion to the first side cable portion, a second bent portion connecting a second edge of the sensor portion to the second side cable portion, the sensor portion being perpendicular or nearly perpendicular to the first cable portion and to the second cable portion, at least one of the first cable portion and the second cable portion comprising an electrical contact electrically connected to the at least one electrical cable;

a picture-recording sensor electrically conductively arranged on the flexible circuit board; and

a reinforcement body positioned in contact with the sensor portion and supporting the sensor portion, supporting the first bent portion and supporting the second bent portion of the flexible circuit board, whereby the first cable portion and the second cable portion are not supported by the reinforcement body to provide the first side cable portion and the second side cable portion with an unsupported region between the first side cable portion and the second side cable portion allowing flexing of the first side cable portion and the second side cable portion.

15. An endoscope according to claim 14, wherein:

the picture-recording sensor is attached to the sensor portion at a distal end side of the sensor portion;

the reinforcement body forms a core with a core side facing the sensor portion and contacting the sensor portion at an opposite side of the sensor portion, wherein the opposite side of the sensor portion is opposite to the distal end side of the sensor portion;

the circuit board is bent around the core with the first bent portion extending from the first edge of the sensor portion along a first side of the core and along a proximal end side of the core to the first side cable portion; and

the circuit board is bent around the core with the second bent portion extending from the second edge of the sensor portion along a second side of the core and along the proximal end side of the core to the first side cable portion.

16. An endoscope according to claim 15, wherein the core has a core contour that is slightly smaller than a contour of the picture-recording sensor.

17. An endoscope subassembly comprising:

an electrical cable;

a flexible circuit board comprising a sensor portion towards or adjacent to a subassembly distal end, cable portions extending towards or adjacent to a subassembly proximal end and bent portions connecting the sensor portion to the cable portions, the sensor portion being perpendicular or nearly perpendicular to the cable portions, one or both of the cable portions comprising an electrical contact electrically connected to the electrical cable;

an image capturing sensor electrically connected to and arranged on the sensor portion of the flexible circuit board; and

a reinforcement body positioned in contact with the sensor portion and supporting the sensor portion and supporting the bent portions, whereby the cable portions are not supported by the reinforcement body to provide each of the cable portions with an unsupported flexing region allowing flexing of the cable portion.

18. A subassembly according to claim 17, further comprising a further electronic component, wherein:

the cable portions have a further component portion between the sensor portion and the electrical contact,

and the further electronic component is electrically connected to and arranged on the further component portion of the flexible circuit board.

19. A subassembly according to claim 18, wherein the sensor and the further electronic component are only connected to one circuit board side.

20. A subassembly according to claim 19, wherein the bent portions of the circuit board have at least one recess for reducing bending stress.