Steroscopic imaging optical system, steroscopic imaging aparatus, and endoscope

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016282602-A1
Application number	US-201615173665-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 5, 2016
Priority date	Dec 5, 2013
Publication date	Sep 29, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The stereoscopic imaging optical system 1 includes, in order from an object side thereof to an image plane side thereof, a front group Gf including a first front group Gf 1 with a center axis C 1 thereof as center and a second front group Gf 2 with a center axis C 2 thereof arranged parallel with the center axis of the first front group as center, a front deflection group Gfd located on an image plane side of at least one of the first front group Gf 1 and the second front group, and a rear group Gb that is located on the image plane side of the front group Gf and the front deflection group Gfd and has a single center axis.

First claim

1 . A stereoscopic imaging apparatus comprising, in order from an object side thereof to an image plane side thereof,
a front group including a first front group with a center axis thereof as center and a second front group with a center axis thereof arranged parallel with the center axis of the first front group as center, a front deflection group located on an image plane side of at least one of the first and second front groups, and a rear group that is located on the image plane side of the front group and the front deflection group and has a single center axis, wherein: a first light beam exiting out of an object passes through at least the first front group and the rear group for incidence on an image plane, a second light beam exiting out of an object passes through at least the second front group and the rear group for incidence on an image plane, at least one of the first light beam and the second light beam passes through the front deflection group, and upon projection of the first light beam and the second light beam onto a section that is orthogonal to a plane including the center axis of the first front group and the center axis of the second front group and includes the center axis of the rear group, the front deflection group deflects the light beams in mutually different directions.

2 . A stereoscopic imaging apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein: the front deflection group includes a first front deflection group that is located on an image plane side of the first front group and a second front deflection group that is located on an image plane side of the second front group, the first light beam exiting out of an object passes through at least the first front group, the first front deflection group, and the rear group, the second light beam exiting out of an object passes through at least the second front group, the second front deflection group, and the rear group, and upon projection of the first light beam and the second light beam onto the section, the front deflection group deflects the light beams in directions spacing mutually away from the center axis of the rear group.

3 . A stereoscopic imaging optical system according to claim 2 ,
wherein upon projection of the first light beam and the second light beam onto the section, the front deflection group deflects the light beams in directions symmetrical with respect to the center axis of the rear group.

4 . A stereoscopic imaging optical system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first front group and the second front group include a first stop and a second stop, respectively, through which the first light beam and the second light beam pass, and the front deflection group is located adjacent to at least one of the first stop and the second stop.

5 . A stereoscopic imaging optical system according to claim 4 ,
which satisfies the following condition (1):
0≦ d/f< 5   (1)

where d is a distance from the front deflection group to the stop, and
f is a focal length of the whole optical system.

6 . A stereoscopic imaging optical system according to claim 1 ,
wherein a separation between the center axis of the first front group and the center axis of the second front group is wider than a separation between a center of the first light beam on the image plane and a center of the second light beam on the image plane.

7 . A stereoscopic imaging optical system according to claim 1 ,
which further includes a rear deflection group that is interposed between the rear group and the image plane to deflect the first light beam and the second light beam, wherein the rear deflection group deflects the first light beam and the second light beam after passing through the rear group symmetrically with respect to the center axis of the rear group, and deflects the first light beam and the second light beam such that angles of incidence of the light beams on the image plane come close to the perpendicular.

8 . A stereoscopic imaging optical system according to claim 7 ,
wherein the rear deflection group includes a first rear deflection group for deflection of the first light beam, and a second rear deflection group for deflection of the second light beam.

9 . A stereoscopic imaging optical system according to claim 7 ,
wherein the rear deflection group includes an optical element in a wedge prism form.

10 . A stereoscopic imaging optical system according to claim 7 ,
wherein the rear deflection group includes a diffractive optical element.

11 . A stereoscopic imaging optical system according to claim 7 ,
wherein the rear deflection group includes an optical element having a curved surface.

12 . A stereoscopic imaging optical system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the front deflection group includes a front deflection member capable of achromatization.

13 . A stereoscopic imaging optical system according to claim 12 ,
wherein the front deflection member includes two optical elements that are each in a wedge prism form and have different Abbe constants.

14 . A stereoscopic imaging optical system according to claim 12 ,
wherein the front deflection member includes a single optical element in a wedge prism form, and a diffractive optical element.

15 . A stereoscopic imaging apparatus, comprising, a stereoscopic imaging optical system according to claim 1 , and
an imaging device that is located on the image plane and includes a plurality of pixels.

16 . A stereoscopic imaging apparatus according to claim 15 ,
wherein the imaging device comprises a single device.

17 . A stereoscopic imaging apparatus according to claim 15 ,
which further includes an image processor for electronic correction of chromatic aberrations produced at the deflection group.

18 . An endoscope, comprising a stereoscopic imaging apparatus according to claim 15 .

Assignees

• Olympus Corp

Inventors

• Togino Takayoshi

Classifications

• G02B23/06

  having a focussing action, e.g. parabolic mirror · CPC title

• G02B13/22

  Telecentric objectives or lens systems · CPC title

• A61B1/00188

  with focusing or zooming features · CPC title

• G02B23/2415 Primary

  Stereoscopic endoscopes · CPC title

• A61B1/00101

  the distal tip features being detachable · CPC title