Optical viewing device

Details Optical viewing device Optical viewing device

1992-09-11

1995-05-16

Ben, Loha

Optical: systems and elements

Compound lens system

With relay

359362, 359434, 385119, G02B 2324, G02B 606, A61B 104

Patent

active

054166349

ABSTRACT:
A low cost optical viewing device for viewing a remote location comprises three sections of an objective lens, relay lens and eye piece wherein all three sections of the present invention are free of conventional and relatively expensive glass rods. The preclusion of the glass rods leads to an overall lower cost (e.g., disposable) optical viewing device (e.g, borescope and endoscope). In addition, the optical viewing device of the present invention achieves lower cost by the use of a combination of molded plastic lenses and glass lenses. In accordance with still another important feature of this invention, the method of illuminating the remote location to be viewed is accomplished by using low cost plastic optical fibers which are twisted so that the field of illumination is increased and may be tailored to match (or be no less than) the size of the field of view of the optical viewing device. Still another significant feature of the present invention is its low weight. This low weight is obtained both through the use of the combination of lightweight plastic lenses and glass lenses as well as by the fact that the lenses are separated by an air space (as opposed to heavy glass rods). This light weight feature of the present invention leads to ease of manipulation by the end user.

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