Surgery – Endoscope – Having imaging and illumination means
Patent
1998-02-17
2000-05-09
Leubecker, John P.
Surgery
Endoscope
Having imaging and illumination means
600168, 359705, A61B 100
Patent
active
060597216
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to an endoscope having variable magnification according to the generic part of claim 1.
Endoscopes of this type are employed for medical and technical applications.
STATE OF THE ART
A generic endoscope is known from FR A 2 648 920. This printed publication describes the optical construction of an endoscope having variable magnification. In order to change the magnification of the generated eyepiece image, the two groups of lenses comprising the eyepiece are moved differently. Focusing occurs by moving the eyepiece as one unit.
A mechanical construction with which the relatively complicated movements of the individual groups can be realized is not described in this printed publication although it would be necessary, particularly, in an endoscope to realize the individual possible adjustments by means of a compact construction in order to prevent the eyepiece region, which is essential for handling, of the endoscope from becoming too large and too heavy.
Another endoscope having variable magnification is known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,666,262. This endoscope is also provided with an endoscope objective lens attached to its distal end, with an image relay which transmits the image of the endoscope objective lens to the proximal end, and with an eyepiece through which the image transmitted by the image relay is observed. The eyepiece is composed of several groups of lenses, some of which are adjustable, therefore the magnification of the eyepiece image is adjustable. Although the mechanical construction of this known endoscope is relatively simple, the pupil changes due to the selected optical construction of the eyepiece, which is disturbing in a number of applications.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to provide an endoscope having variable magnification of the eyepiece image with no change in the state of the pupil and in which the required movements can be carried out with a light and compact mechanical construction.
In the invented solution, at least one of the lens groups continues to be moveable for adjusting the magnification of the eyepiece image, whereas for focusing the eyepiece respectively the lens groups are moved as a unit. These movements are realized in that the lenses of the eyepiece not moved for adjusting the magnification are contained in a first tube in which at least one other tube containing a lens group moved for adjusting the magnification is conveyed in a moveable manner. The result is a very simple construction of the eyepiece tube without needing to substantially enlarge the external diameter of the eyepiece in relation to the endoscope while maintaining constant magnification of the eyepiece. The increase in weight is minimal so that the invented endoscope is well balanced and therefore feels good "in the hand".
The invented endoscope can, of course, possess variable magnification, thus be provided with a zoom eyepiece. Especially suited is the invented design, however, for two-position eyepieces.
In this case, the other tube can be retained in any of the magnification positions by a lock-in means in the first tube, in particular, by means of a spring-biased ball which engages in one of the two grooves in the first tube.
This embodiment has the particular advantage that it suffices to provide a single adjusting wheel with which magnification can be adjusted and the eyepiece image can be focused. For this purpose the adjusting wheel acts on the other tube in such a manner that when the adjusting wheel is rotated, first the first and the other tube are moved jointly. As the path of the movement of the first tube is limited on both sides by a stop respectively, when the adjusting wheel is rotated again, the other tube is conveyed from one magnification position to another magnification position. The adjusting wheel can act on the other tube via a worm wheel/gear engagement or a toothed rack/gear connection.
In the simplest embodiment of the present invention, only one lens group is moved to adjust the
REFERENCES:
patent: 3257902 (1966-06-01), Hopkins
patent: 4076018 (1978-02-01), Heckele
patent: 4425025 (1984-01-01), Sunaga
patent: 4666262 (1987-05-01), Zobel
patent: 5313329 (1994-05-01), Ueda
patent: 5496261 (1996-03-01), Sander
Dahmen Jan
Lederer Frank
Rudischhauser Jurgen
Karl Storz GmbH & Co. KG
Leubecker John P.
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