Endoscope and imaging arrangement providing depth of field

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10324300-B2
Application number	US-201615175520-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 7, 2016
Priority date	Jun 7, 2016
Publication date	Jun 18, 2019
Grant date	Jun 18, 2019

Abstract

A dynamic imaging system of an endoscope that adjusts path length differences or focal points to expand a usable depth of field. The imaging system utilizes a variable lens to adjust the focal plane of the beam or an actuated sensor to adjust the detected focal plane. The imaging system is thus capable of capturing and adjusting the focal plane of separate images captured on separate sensors. The separate light beams may be differently polarized by a variable wave plate or a polarized beam splitter to allow separate manipulation of the beams for addition of more frames. These differently focused frames are then combined using image fusion techniques.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An imaging head for an endoscope, comprising:
a first beamsplitter receiving a light beam from the endoscope, the first beamsplitter separating the light beam into at least a first portion and a second portion;
a lens receiving at least the first portion of the light beam from the first beamsplitter, the lens comprising a variable liquid lens or a movable lens;
a first imaging sensor receiving the first portion of the light beam;
a second imaging sensor receiving the second portion of the light beam; and
an imaging processor connected to the first and second imaging sensors, the imaging processor segmenting captured images from the first and second imaging sensors,
wherein in-focus segments of the captured images are recombined for an enhanced depth-of-field image.

2. The imaging head of claim 1 , wherein the lens is a variable liquid lens.

3. The imaging head of claim 2 , wherein captured images from several acquisition periods are recombined for the enhanced depth-of-field image.

4. The imaging head of claim 2 , wherein the variable liquid lens has a variable curvature or a variable index of refraction.

5. The imaging head of claim 1 , wherein the lens is a movable lens.

6. The imaging head of claim 5 , wherein captured images from several acquisition periods are recombined for the enhanced depth-of-field image.

7. The imaging head of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second beamsplitter receiving the first portion and the second portion of the light beam, wherein the second beamsplitter receives the first portion of the light beam from the lens, and wherein the second beamsplitter recombines the first portion and second portion of the light beam into a combined beam; and
a third beamsplitter dividing the combined beam for imaging according to the first portion and the second portion of the light beam.

8. The imaging head of claim 7 , wherein the third beamsplitter divides the light beam based on polarization of the first portion and the second portion of the light beam.

9. The imaging head of claim 7 , wherein the first imaging sensor is spaced apart from a first side of the third beamsplitter at a first distance, wherein the second imaging sensor is spaced apart from a second side of the beamsplitter at a second distance, and wherein the first and second distances are different.

10. The imaging head of claim 7 , wherein the first beamsplitter is a polarizing beamsplitter that passes the second portion of the light beam with a first polarization and reflects the first portion of the light beam with a second polarization.

11. The imaging head of claim 7 , further comprising a temporally variable waveplate receiving the combined beam.

12. The imaging head of claim 1 , wherein the imaging head comprises only a single beam splitter.

13. An imaging head for an endoscope, comprising:
a beamsplitter for separating a light beam;
a lens receiving a first portion of the light beam from the beamsplitter, the lens comprising a variable liquid lens or a movable lens;
a first imaging sensor spaced apart from a first side of the beamsplitter at a first distance and receiving the first portion of the light beam;
a second imaging sensor spaced apart from a second side of the beamsplitter at a second distance and receiving a second portion of the light beam;
a variable waveplate disposed before the beamsplitter; and
an imaging processor connected to the first and second imaging sensors, the imaging processor segmenting captured images from the first and second imaging sensors,
wherein in-focus segments of the captured images are recombined for an enhanced depth-of-field image.

14. The imaging head of claim 13 , wherein the first portion of the light beam travels a different distance from the second portion of the light beam.

15. The imaging head of claim 14 , wherein the beamsplitter divides the light beam based on polarization of the light beam.

Assignees

• Storz Karl Se & Co Kg
• Storz Karl Imaging Inc

Inventors

• Duckett George
• Reese Martin
• Hale Eric
• SCHARA Nathan

Classifications

• H04N23/60 Primary

  Control of cameras or camera modules · CPC title

• H04N23/555

  for picking-up images in sites, inaccessible due to their dimensions or hazardous conditions, e.g. endoscopes or borescopes · CPC title

• A61B1/00163 Primary

  Optical arrangements (A61B1/002, A61B1/06 take precedence) · CPC title

• H04N23/45

  for generating image signals from two or more image sensors being of different type or operating in different modes, e.g. with a CMOS sensor for moving images in combination with a charge-coupled device [CCD] for still images · CPC title

• H04N23/951

  by using two or more images to influence resolution, frame rate or aspect ratio · CPC title