Endoscope image-capturing device and endoscope device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11611725-B2
Application number	US-202117337418-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 3, 2021
Priority date	Jul 2, 2015
Publication date	Mar 21, 2023
Grant date	Mar 21, 2023

Abstract

An endoscope image-capturing device includes: a first case inside of which is sealed; an image sensor arranged inside the first case; an electro-optic conversion element arranged outside the first case and configured to convert an image signal output from the image sensor into an optical signal; and a sealing member sealing the electro-optic conversion element.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An endoscope image-capturing device comprising:
a first case having an outer surface to be held by a user when the user operates the endoscope image-capturing device, an inside of the first case being sealed;
an image sensor arranged inside the first case;
a first terminal arranged outside the first case and electrically connected to the image sensor;
a second case;
an electro-optic conversion element arranged inside the second case and configured to convert an electric image signal output from the image sensor into an optical signal;
a second terminal arranged outside the second case and electrically connected to the electro-optic conversion element, the image sensor inside the first case and the electro-optic conversion element inside the second case being electrically connected with each other via the first terminal and the second terminal when in operation; and
a sealing member sealing the electro-optic conversion element arranged inside the second case, wherein
the image sensor is not arranged inside the second case, and
the second case is not arranged entirely inside the first case.

2. The endoscope image-capturing device according to claim 1 , wherein the sealing member includes resin that covers the electro-optic conversion element and seals the electro-optic conversion element.

3. The endoscope image-capturing device according to claim 2 , wherein
the resin fills at least an opening of the second case.

4. The endoscope image-capturing device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a blocking part blocking an opening of the first case to seal the inside of the first case; and
a printed-circuit board that is arranged outside the first case and on which the electro-optic conversion element is mounted, wherein
the blocking part is provided with the first terminal configured to electrically couple the image sensor arranged inside the first case and the printed-circuit board arranged outside the first case.

5. The endoscope image-capturing device according to claim 4 , wherein the blocking part is a sealing connector.

6. The endoscope image-capturing device according to claim 1 , wherein the inside of the first case is held airtightly.

7. An endoscope device comprising the endoscope image-capturing device according to claim 1 .

8. The endoscope device according to claim 7 , wherein the image sensor has number of effective pixels of eight megapixels or larger.

9. The endoscope device according to claim 8 , further comprising a display configured to display an image captured by the endoscope image-capturing device, wherein the display has a monitor size of 55 inches or larger.

10. The endoscope image-capturing device according to claim 1 , wherein the sealing member entirely seals the electro-optic conversion element.

11. The endoscope image-capturing device according to claim 1 , wherein the sealing member seals the electro-optic conversion element to enable autoclave processing.

12. The endoscope image-capturing device according to claim 1 , wherein the sealing member fills a space inside the second case.

13. The endoscope image-capturing device according to claim 1 , wherein the first case and the second case are connected via a connector.

14. The endoscope image-capturing device according to claim 1 , further comprising a switch exposed on the outer surface of the first case, the switch being to be operated by the user.

15. The endoscope image-capturing device according to claim 1 , wherein the second case is detachable from the first case.

16. The endoscope image-capturing device according to claim 1 , wherein
the first terminal includes a plurality of conductive pins,
the second terminal includes a plurality of insertion holes, and
the first terminal and the second terminal engage with each other by each of the plurality of the conductive pins inserting each of the plurality of the insertion holes.

17. The endoscope image-capturing device according to claim 1 , wherein
the first terminal has a first round shape, and the second terminal has a second round shape.

Assignees

• Sony Olympus Medical Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Tomatsu Kei

Classifications

• A61B1/00013

  using optical means · CPC title

• H04N7/22 Primary

  Adaptations for optical transmission · CPC title

• A61B1/045

  Control thereof · 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

• H04N23/51

  Housings · CPC title