Surgery – Endoscope – Having imaging and illumination means
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-16
2002-06-04
Leubecker, John P. (Department: 3739)
Surgery
Endoscope
Having imaging and illumination means
C600S112000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06398724
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the field of optics, in particular to focusable optical instruments for observation within confined spaces such as internal cavities of a human body. In particular, the invention relates to a medical endoscope. An endoscope is an instrument for the visual examination of the interior of a body cavity or viscus. Endoscopes have become widely utilized in surgery to permit performance of diagnostic and surgical procedures internally without the need for invasive surgical procedures. An endoscope is typically inserted through a small incision portal providing access to the body cavity. A lens at a distal end of the endoscope is positioned to receive light reflected from a site to be observed, and images of the site can be viewed remotely to conduct histological examinations and to perform closed, or endoscopic, surgery. As used herein, the term endoscope refers generically to viewing devices for remotely observing otherwise inaccessible body cavities with minimal trauma and intrusion, including but not limited to arthroscopes, colonoscopes, bronchoscopes, hysteroscopes, cystoscopes, sigmoidoscopes, laparoscopes, sinoscopes, small-joint dental scopes, ureterscopes, etc.
A typical endoscope includes an elongated flexible or rigid outer tube within which a lens system is disposed at a distal end. The image of the object being viewed by the optical system is transmitted through an optical system from the distal end to a proximal end of the tube for viewing by the user or for reception by a camera. Some endoscopes also carry fiber optic cables for illuminating the area of observation with light supplied by an external source.
One endoscope with a typical focusing mechanism is disclosed, e.g., in U.S. Pat. No. 5,575,757 issued in 1996 to Kennedy, et al. As shown in
FIGS. 1 and 2
, where
FIG. 1
is a sectional view of a distal end and
FIG. 2
is a sectional view of a proximal end of the endoscope of U.S. Pat. No. 5,575,757, the endoscope, which is designated as a whole by reference numeral
10
, includes an elongated insertion section
12
for insertion into a body cavity or narrow body passage to observe an object therein (not shown). Elongated insertion section
12
extends along a longitudinal axis
13
of endoscope
10
from a distal end
14
to a handle
16
at the proximal end
19
of endoscope
10
. Handle
16
permits the user to position elongated insertion section
12
of endoscope
10
appropriately and also houses a focus control mechanism
17
for endoscope
10
, which is described in detail below. A cable
18
extends from proximal end
19
for connection to a power source and camera control unit (not shown). Images observed at distal end
14
of endoscope
10
are processed by the video processor for viewing on a display unit.
Elongated insertion section
12
includes an outer tube
20
for housing an objective lens assembly
22
, an image transmitting device, e.g., an electro-optic module
23
, having an electro-optical sensor
24
(e.g. a charge-coupled device (CCD)) for converting optical images of the received light into electrical image signals), and light guiding fiber optic elements
26
for illuminating the area being observed. Outer tube
20
extends from distal end
14
of endoscope
10
to a first end of a main housing
30
at handle
16
where tube
20
is soldered within a counterbore of main housing
30
.
Elongated insertion section
12
further includes an inner cylindrical tube
31
and a CCD tube
32
, each coaxially disposed within outer tube
20
. Inner cylindrical tube
31
extends from the distal end
14
of the outer tube
20
to an enlarged proximal end
31
a
that receives the distal end of CCD tube
32
. Tube
31
is radially spaced from outer tube
20
to provide a cylindrical passage within which fiber optic elements
26
pass to distal end
14
. CCD tube
32
is shown having a first cylindrical member
33
extending from a region directly behind lens assembly
22
to a region partially within main housing
30
and a second extension member
34
soldered to first cylindrical member
33
which extends to focus control mechanism
17
. The distal end
33
a of CCD tube
32
has a pair of enlarged diameter regions
29
a,
29
b
as shown to receive electro-optic module
23
and a crimped end of cable
18
, respectively. Electro-optic module
23
is secured into region
29
a
of CCD tube
32
with epoxy. Cable
18
has a woven ground conductor surrounded by a band
21
, which is crimped to prove a snug fit within region
29
b.
Referring to
FIG. 2
, focus control mechanism
17
allows a user to focus endoscope
10
by adjusting the distance between objective lens assembly
22
and CCD
24
, e.g., by ±0.1 mm. As mentioned above, objective lens assembly
22
and CCD
24
are rigidly secured to inner tube
31
and CCD tube
32
, respectively. The spacing between CCD
24
and lens assembly
22
is varied by moving CCD tube
32
axially along longitudinal axis
13
of endoscope
10
. The front face
25
of CCD
24
is moved by focus control mechanism
17
in response to rotation of focus ring
80
by the user.
Main housing
30
has a through hole
46
extending its length to receive CCD tube
32
and to allow cable
18
to pass through endoscope
10
. A pair of oblong slots
48
,
50
are disposed through opposite sidewalls of an end portion
65
of main housing
30
for respectively receiving a pair of cam screws
76
,
78
.
A cylindrical actuator
62
is interposed between main housing
30
and CCD tube
32
and is threaded to receive the proximal end of CCD tube
32
. A pair of threaded holes
66
,
67
orthogonal to axis
13
are disposed through the walls of actuator
62
and are aligned with oblong slots
48
,
50
of main housing
30
. A lock nut
63
secures actuator
62
to the proximal end of CCD tube
32
.
Along an outer surface of main housing
30
is a cylindrical focus sleeve
68
having a pair of diametrically opposed helical grooves
70
,
71
each of which is aligned with a corresponding one of threaded holes
66
,
67
of actuator
62
and a corresponding one of oblong slots
48
,
50
. Each one of a pair of cam bearings
74
having through holes
77
engages a corresponding one of helical grooves
70
,
71
and contacts actuator
62
along diametrically opposite helical surfaces of slots
70
,
71
.
To disassemble focus control mechanism
17
, rear housing
102
is unscrewed from the rear portion of main housing
30
and with retainer
104
is drawn along cable
18
. Focus ring
80
axially separated from focus sleeve
68
by applying a sufficient force proximally along the length of handle
16
sufficient to separate pin
82
from hole
85
focus sleeve
68
. With focus ring
80
removed, cam screws
76
,
78
are exposed and can be unscrewed from actuator
62
allowing cam bearings
74
to be removed from through holes
77
of focus sleeve
68
. With cam bearings
74
removed, focus sleeve
68
can be slid off of the end of main housing
30
.
Thus, by rotating focus control mechanism
17
, the user shifts the front face
25
of CCD
24
relative to the objective lens assembly
22
due to interaction of the actuator
62
with helical slots
70
and
71
.
The endoscope of U.S. Pat. No. 5,575,757 described above is characterized by the following disadvantages. First of all, the distal end
12
of the endoscope, which is insertable into the human body has a complicated construction as it contains the entire objective optical assembly
22
and moving parts of the focusing mechanism, i.e., the image-sensing device
24
. In other words, the image-sensing device
24
is an integral part of the endoscope itself This means, that the endoscope of U.S. Pat. No. 5,575,757 is inapplicable as an attachment to an external image sensing device such as a CCD camera connected to a monitor. At the same time, modern clinics are normally equipped with external image sensing devices, which are widely used in practice. Furthermore, the endoscope of U.S. Pat. No. 5,575,757 has a plurality of thre
May Kevin Brent
Pandya Ketan K.
Vayser Alex
Crockett & Crockett
Crockett, Esq. K. David
Leubecker John P.
Medivision, Inc.
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