Endoscope optical connector and endoscope

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12372729-B2
Application number	US-202318198948-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 18, 2023
Priority date	Oct 20, 2021
Publication date	Jul 29, 2025
Grant date	Jul 29, 2025

Abstract

An endoscope optical connector includes: a sleeve which houses an end portion of an optical fiber inside the sleeve; an inward flange provided on an inner circumference of the sleeve; a glass member arranged inside the sleeve so as to face an end surface of the optical fiber; a cap member which is attached to the sleeve and which fixes the glass member between the cap member and the inward flange; a first O-ring interposed between the cap member and the glass member; a second O-ring interposed between the glass member and the inward flange and having a glass transition point lower than a glass transition point of the first O-ring; and an inert gas filling the inside of the sleeve.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An endoscope optical connector comprising:
a cylindrical member configured to house an end portion of an optical transmission member inside the cylindrical member;
a positioning member provided on an inner circumference of the cylindrical member;
a light-passing member arranged inside the cylindrical member so as to face an end surface of the optical transmission member;
a fixing member attached to the cylindrical member, and configured to fix the light-passing member between the fixing member and the positioning member;
a first elastic sealing member interposed between the fixing member and the light-passing member;
a second elastic sealing member interposed between the light-passing member and the positioning member, the second elastic sealing member having a glass transition point lower than a glass transition point of the first elastic sealing member; and
gas filling the inside of the cylindrical member.

2. The endoscope optical connector according to claim 1 , wherein
the first elastic sealing member has a heat resistance limit temperature of 150° C., the glass transition point of −50° C., and a higher resistance to degradation due to chemicals than the second elastic sealing member, and
the second elastic sealing member has the glass transition point of −60° C.

3. The endoscope optical connector according to claim 2 , wherein the first elastic sealing member includes a butyl rubber, and the second elastic sealing member includes an ethylene propylene rubber.

4. The endoscope optical connector according to claim 1 , wherein the fixing member compresses the first elastic sealing member and the second elastic sealing member between the fixing member and the positioning member until the first elastic sealing member and the second elastic sealing member are flattened by 30% to 40% relative to natural states of the first elastic sealing member and the second elastic sealing member.

5. The endoscope optical connector according to claim 1 , wherein an adhesive is applied between the cylindrical member and the light-passing member.

6. The endoscope optical connector according to claim 1 , wherein the optical transmission member transmits an optical signal.

7. The endoscope optical connector according to claim 1 , wherein the gas filling the inside of the cylindrical member is an inert gas.

8. The endoscope optical connector according to claim 7 , wherein the inert gas accounts for 80% or more of a volume of a gaseous body in the cylindrical member.

9. An endoscope comprising an optical connector as an endoscope connector,
the optical connector comprising:
a cylindrical member configured to house an end portion of an optical transmission member inside the cylindrical member;
a positioning member provided on an inner circumference of the cylindrical member;
a light-passing member arranged inside the cylindrical member so as to face an end surface of the optical transmission member;
a fixing member attached to the cylindrical member, and configured to fix the light-passing member between the fixing member and the positioning member;
a first elastic sealing member interposed between the fixing member and the light-passing member;
a second elastic sealing member interposed between the light-passing member and the positioning member, the second elastic sealing member having a glass transition point lower than a glass transition point of the first elastic sealing member; and
gas filling the inside of the cylindrical member.

10. An endoscope optical connector comprising:
a cylindrical member configured to house an end portion of an optical transmission member inside the cylindrical member;
a positioning member provided on an inner circumference of the cylindrical member;
a light-passing member arranged inside the cylindrical member so as to face an end surface of the optical transmission member;
a fixing member attached to the cylindrical member, and configured to fix the light-passing member between the fixing member and the positioning member;
a first elastic sealing member interposed between the fixing member and the light-passing member;
a second elastic sealing member interposed between the light-passing member and the positioning member; and
gas filling the inside of the cylindrical member, wherein
the first elastic sealing member has a higher resistance to degradation due to chemicals than the second elastic sealing member, and
the second elastic sealing member ensures a higher sealability between the cylindrical member and the light-passing member under an environment of a temperature of −50° C. than the first elastic sealing member.

Assignees

• Olympus Medical Systems Corp

Inventors

• NAKAHARA Kaito
• Takechi Takuya
• Urakawa Tsutomu
• Takagi Hiroki
• Akahori Koichi

Classifications

• G02B6/3897

  Connectors fixed to housings, casing, frames or circuit boards (G02B6/44528 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61B1/00126 Primary

  optical, e.g. for light supply cables · CPC title

• G02B6/3817

  containing optical and electrical conductors (cables including electrical and optical conductors H01B11/22; G02B6/3816 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61B1/00114

  Electrical cables in or with an endoscope · CPC title

• A61B1/00124

  electrical, e.g. electrical plug-and-socket connection · CPC title