Imaging assembly with transparent distal cap

• US 20070249907A1
• Filed: 04/20/2006
• Published: 10/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Maseda, Luis, Banik, Michael, Fantone, Stephen, Boulais, Dennis, Churchill, William, Barbato, Louis, Orband, Daniel, Grigoryants, Sergey
• Granted Patent: US 7,955,255 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/179
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0008 characterised by distal tip features
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00096 Optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00101 the distal tip features being detachable
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00105 characterised by modular construction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0051 with controlled bending of insertion part
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/05 characterised by the image sensor, e.g. camera, being in the distal end portion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/051 Details of CCD assembly
• 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: A61B 1/12 with cooling or rinsing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/128 provided with means for regulating temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/064 using markers A61B5/062 takes precedence

Abstract

An imaging assembly for use in a medical imaging device such as an endoscope or the like. In one embodiment, the imaging assembly includes a transparent distal cap that is shaped to receive an image sensor insert. The image sensor insert has a cooling channel that supplies a cooling liquid or gas to one or more illumination sources.

Claims

1. An assembly for an imaging medical device, comprising:

a transparent distal cap;

an image sensor insert that is fitted within the transparent distal cap, the image sensor insert including;

one or more illumination sources;

a cooling channel for removing heat from the illumination sources;

one or more imaging lenses; and

an image sensor.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the image sensor insert also includes a thermistor thermally coupled to the illumination sources.

3. The assembly of claim 2, wherein the thermistor is positioned between the illumination sources.

4. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the illumination sources are LEDs.

5. The assembly of claim 4, wherein the image sensor insert includes a flex circuit that delivers current to the LEDs.

6. The assembly of claim 5, wherein the image sensor insert includes a channel positioned over the image sensor insert in which the flex circuit is positioned.

7. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the transparent distal cap is molded of a clear plastic material.

8. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the transparent distal cap includes integral windows positioned in front of the illumination sources, wherein the windows have an edge that extends to a rounded edge of the distal cap.

9. The assembly of claim 1, further including a transillumination light source positioned behind the transparent distal cap that produces light to locate the distal tip of the medical device.

10. The assembly of claim 9, wherein the transillumination light source is an LED.

11. The assembly of claim 10, wherein the transillumination LED produces red light.

12. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the image sensor insert is generally semicircular in shape and includes a central cylindrical bore for holding the one or more imaging lenses.

13. The assembly of claim 7, wherein the cylindrical bore includes a stop that limits the depth of insertion of the imaging lenses in the bore.

14. An imaging assembly, comprising:

a distal cap having a distal face, one or more ports that deliver air/gas and a liquid out of the distal face, the tip further comprising a flat receiving surface that bisects the distal cap into an upper and lower semicircular section, and one or more lumens in the lower semicircular section that are fluidly coupled to the one or more ports in the distal face; and

an image sensor insert that is shaped to fit within the upper semicircular section of the distal cap, wherein the image sensor insert supports one or more illumination sources and an image sensor.

15. The imaging assembly of claim 14, wherein the illumination sources are LEDs and the image sensor insert includes a cooling channel that passes a cooling liquid or gas that is thermally coupled to the one or more illumination LEDs.

16. The imaging assembly of claim 15, wherein the image sensor insert includes a pair of proximally extending legs having lumens therein that are in fluid communication with the cooling channel.

17. The imaging assembly of claim 16, wherein the pair of proximally extending legs supports a circuit board positioned between the legs.

18. The imaging assembly of claim 15, wherein the image sensor insert includes a thermistor thermally coupled to the one or more illumination LEDs.

19. The imaging assembly of claim 18, wherein the one or more illumination LEDs and thermistor are mounted on a circuit board that is in contact with the cooling channel within the image sensor insert.

20. The imaging assembly of claim 14, wherein the one or more illumination sources are LEDs that are mounted on a circuit board that includes a coating to reflect light produced by the illumination LEDs.

21. A imaging assembly for use in a medical device, including:

a distal cap that includes;

one or more illumination LEDs;

an imager for producing electronic signals representative of tissue illuminated with light from the illumination LEDs; and

a thermistor thermally coupled to the one or more illumination LEDs, wherein the one or more illumination LEDs and the thermistor share a common lead for carrying current from the LEDs and thermistor to a remote control console;

the remote control console including circuitry for reading a voltage across the thermistor in order to measure the temperature of the distal cap, and wherein the circuitry compensates for a voltage from the voltage read across the thermistor due to current in the common lead from the illumination LEDs.

22. An imaging assembly for use in a medical device, including:

a transparent distal cap;

one or more illumination sources and an image sensor positioned behind a front face of the distal cap; and

one or more opaque shields within the transparent distal cap that shield the image sensor from light produced by the illumination sources.

23. An assembly for an imaging medical device, comprising:

a distal cap having a distal face and a proximal end;

an image sensor insert that is fitted within the distal cap, the image sensor insert including;

one or more illumination sources;

a cooling channel for removing heat from one or more illumination sources;

a bore in which one or more imaging lenses are positioned;

an image sensor and a circuit board including circuitry for transmitting signals produced by the image sensor to remotely located electronics;

an articulation joint comprising a number of individual rings including a distal most ring, wherein the proximal end of the distal cap is sized to fit at least partially within the distal most ring.

24. The assembly of claim 23, wherein the distal most ring of the articulation joint is electrically grounded and shields the image sensor circuitry of the image sensor insert.