Image relaying device and image detecting device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11102454-B2
Application number	US-201815918709-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 12, 2018
Priority date	Mar 14, 2017
Publication date	Aug 24, 2021
Grant date	Aug 24, 2021

Abstract

An image relaying device comprises a shaft, an objective lens at a distal end of the shaft, an optically transparent window region in a proximal end region of the image relaying device, an optical system in the shaft, the optical system relaying an image produced by the objective lens to the proximal end region in a way that the relayed image can be captured through the window region. The optical system's optical axis at the window region is orthogonal or substantially orthogonal to the optical system's optical axis in the shaft. An optical instrument makes use of a plurality of these image relaying devices and a corresponding plurality of image sensors where the optical path length of each image relaying device may be independently adjusted to correct for optical inconsistencies in the elements of each relaying device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An optical instrument comprising:
A. an image relaying device, the image relaying device comprising
1. a casing, the casing comprising
a. a shaft region with a longitudinal axis; and
b. a proximal end region comprising one or more optically transparent windows;

2. two or more optical assemblies contained within the casing, each optical assembly comprising
a. an objective lens at a distal end of the optical assembly;
b. an optical system to relay an image produced by the objective lens to a proximal region of the optical assembly, the optical system arranged substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the shaft region;
c. a reflecting means, the reflecting means directing the image relayed by the optical system to be detected through one of the optically transparent windows; and
d. an adjustment means, the adjustment means adjusting the position of the reflecting means along an axis essentially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the shaft, and thereby adjusting the optical path length between the objective lens and the reflecting means; and

B. an image detecting device removeably coupled to the proximal end region of the image relaying device, the image detecting device comprising:
1. one or more window elements; and
2. one or more image sensors, each image sensor having one or more image sensor active areas lying in a direction essentially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the shaft, positioned to capture one or more images relayed by the two or more optical assemblies through the image relaying device windows and corresponding image detecting device windows,

wherein each adjustment means adjusts the position of the corresponding reflecting means laterally along the longitudinal axis of the shaft and relative to the position of its corresponding image sensor.

2. The optical instrument of claim 1 wherein each of the reflecting means of the image relaying device further comprises a position indication means, and the image detecting device further comprises one or more receivers for receiving, from corresponding position indication means, information representing the position of the corresponding reflecting means of the corresponding image relaying device.

3. The optical instrument of claim 1 wherein the adjustment means comprises a sliding carriage slidably fixed to a rail rigidly connected to the casing.

4. The optical instrument of claim 1 wherein the position of the reflecting means is adjusted by the adjustment means so as to produce an in-focus image on the image sensor.

5. The optical instrument of claim 1 wherein each of the associated adjustment means for each of the optical assemblies is so adjusted such that each optical assembly produces an in-focus image at its respective image sensor.

6. The optical instrument of claim 1 wherein the two or more optical assemblies produce two or more distinct images on a single image sensor.

7. The optical instrument of claim 1 wherein the casing is hermetically sealed.

8. The optical instrument of claim 3 further comprising a support rigidly connected to or integral with the casing, and wherein the adjustment means further comprises an adjusting screw, the adjusting screw in threaded contact with the carriage and having an end in contact with the support.

9. The optical instrument of claim 8 wherein the adjustment means further comprises a spring under compression having a first end in contact with the support and a second end in contact with the carriage.

10. The optical instrument of claim 9 wherein the first end of the spring under compression is in contact with the support on a side opposite the side of the support in contact with the screw.

11. The optical instrument of claim 2 wherein the image detecting device further comprises data processing circuits receiving position indication data from the position indication means representing the position of the corresponding reflecting means of the corresponding image relaying device.

12. The optical instrument of claim 11 further comprising an image evaluating circuit, the image evaluating circuit calculating from an image data received from the one or more image sensors a difference in the positions of the reflecting means, and providing corresponding position information to the data processing circuits or to the image sensors.

13. The optical instrument of claim 11 wherein the data processing circuits comprise a frame positioning circuit, the frame positioning circuit determining, using the position indication data of the position of the reflecting means, regions of the respective image sensor wherein image data is collected.

14. The optical instrument of claim 13 wherein the image processing circuits discard data not referring regions of the respective image sensor wherein image data is not collected.

Assignees

• Storz Karl Se & Co Kg

Inventors

• Kupferschmid Markus
• Ulmschneider Daniel
• Heni Andreas
• Natusch Lawrence

Classifications

• A61B1/00009 Primary

  of image signals during a use of endoscope · CPC title

• H04N7/181 Primary

  for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources · CPC title

• G02B23/2453

  of the proximal end · CPC title

• A61B1/002

  having rod-lens arrangements (A61B1/055 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G02B23/2415

  Stereoscopic endoscopes · CPC title