Stereo camera for hermetically sealed endoscope

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9271633-B2
Application number	US-201514662083-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 18, 2015
Priority date	Dec 21, 2006
Publication date	Mar 1, 2016
Grant date	Mar 1, 2016

Abstract

In one embodiment, an endoscopic camera for a robotic surgical system includes a stereo camera module mounted to a robotic arm of a patient side cart. The optical and electro-optic components of the camera module are hermetically sealed within a first housing. Signals from an electro-optic component travel through traces in a ceramic substrate forming one side of the hermetically sealed first housing. A second housing surrounds the first housing and optical fibers are dispersed between the housings to provide lighting in a body cavity. The camera module may be sterilized by an autoclave.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A stereo endoscope comprising:
a stereo image sensor including a left pixel array and a right pixel array, each of the left pixel array and the right pixel array are sensitive to a set of wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation;
a left optical component to focus the electromagnetic radiation onto the left pixel array; and
a right optical component to focus the electromagnetic radiation onto the right pixel array;
wherein the left pixel array and the right pixel array are offset from a center optical axis of the stereo endoscope to provide stereo image convergence by having
an optical axis of the left optical component not being coaxial with a center axis of the left pixel array, and
an optical axis of the right optical component not being coaxial with a center axis of the right pixel array.

2. The stereo endoscope of claim 1 , wherein
the left optical component includes a first lens; and
the right optical component includes a second lens.

3. The stereo endoscope of claim 1 , further comprising:
an inner protective window positioned between the stereo image sensor and the left and right optical components, wherein the inner protective window is transparent to the set of wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation.

4. The stereo endoscope of claim 3 , further comprising
a housing receiving the stereo image sensor, the inner protective window, and at least a portion of the left and right optical components.

5. The stereo endoscope of claim 3 , wherein
the left optical component further comprises a first lens barrel and a third lens, wherein the first and third lenses are positioned within the first lens barrel; and
the right optical component further comprises a second lens barrel and a fourth lens, wherein the second and fourth lenses are positioned within the second lens barrel.

6. The stereo endoscope of claim 4 , further comprising
an outer window transparent to the set of electromagnetic wavelengths and sealing a first end of the housing,
wherein the left and right optical components are positioned between the inner protective window and the outer window.

7. The stereo endoscope of claim 6 , wherein
the outer window comprises a sapphire window.

8. A stereo endoscope comprising:
a stereo image sensor including a left pixel array and a right pixel array, each of the left pixel array and the right pixel array are sensitive to a set of wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation;
a left optical component to focus the electromagnetic radiation onto the left pixel array; and
a right optical component to focus the electromagnetic radiation onto the right pixel array;
wherein the left pixel array and the right pixel array are offset from a center optical axis of the stereo endoscope to provide stereo image convergence by having
an optical axis of the left optical component angled with respect to a center axis of the left pixel array, and
an optical axis of the right optical component angled with respect to a center axis of the right pixel array.

9. A stereo endoscope comprising:
a stereo image sensor including a left pixel array and a right pixel array, each of the left pixel array and the right pixel array are sensitive to a set of wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation;
a left optical component to focus the electromagnetic radiation onto the left pixel array; and
a right optical component to focus the electromagnetic radiation onto the right pixel array;
the stereo image sensor further includes an analog processing circuit coupled to and between the left pixel array and the right pixel array, the analog processing circuit to read out pixels from horizontal rows in each of the left pixel array and the right pixel array; and
wherein the stereo endoscope further comprises
a signal conditioning processor coupled to the analog processing circuit, the signal conditioning processor including
at least one analog to digital converter to convert analog image signals from the stereo image sensors into digital image signals, and
a signal processor coupled to the at least one analog to digital converter to perform digital signal processing on the digital image signals and output digital image data for display on a display device.

10. A stereo endoscope comprising:
a stereo image sensor sensitive to a set of wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation;
an inner protective window over the stereo image sensor to protect the stereo image sensor;
a first optical component attached to a top surface of the inner protective window, the first optical component including a first lens; and
a second optical component attached to the top surface of the inner protective window adjacent the first optical component, the second optical component including a second lens;
wherein the inner protective window is transparent to the set of wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation,
wherein the inner protective window is positioned between the stereo image sensor and the first and second optical components; and
wherein the first and second optical components are attached to the inner protective window by at least one of glue, epoxy, and cement.

11. The stereo endoscope of claim 10 , wherein
the first and second optical components are attached to the inner protective window by a heat-resistant glue.

12. The stereo endoscope of claim 10 , further comprising
a housing,
wherein the first and second optical components are positioned at least partially within the housing.

13. The stereo endoscope of claim 12 , wherein
the first and second optical components are sealed off from the image sensor by the housing and the inner protective window.

14. The stereo endoscope of claim 12 , further comprising
an outer window transparent to the set of electromagnetic wavelengths,
wherein the first and second optical components are positioned between the inner protective window and the outer window.

15. The stereo endoscope of claim 14 , wherein
a first end of the housing is sealed by the outer window.

16. The stereo endoscope of claim 15 , wherein
the outer window comprises a sapphire window.

17. The stereo endoscope of claim 12 , wherein
the first optical component further comprises a first tube, and the first lens is positioned within the first tube, and
the second optical component further comprises a second tube, and the second lens is positioned within the second tube.

18. The stereo endoscope of claim 17 , wherein
the first optical component further comprises
a third lens positioned within the first tube, and
a fourth lens positioned within the second tube.

19. The stereo endoscope of claim 17 , wherein
a coefficient of thermal expansion of the first and second tubes are substantially similar to a coefficient of thermal expansion of the housing.

20. The stereo endoscope of claim 10 , wherein
the stereo image sensor comprises a first pixel array and a second pixel array,
the first optical component focuses the electromagnetic radiation with the set of wavelengths onto the first pixel array, and
the second optical component focuses the electromagnetic radiation with the set of wavelengths onto the second pixel array.

21. The stereo endoscope of claim 20 , wherein
an optical axis of the first optical component is not coaxial with a center axis of the first pixel array, and
an optical axis of the second optical component is not coaxial with a center axis of the second pixel array.

22. The stereo endoscope of claim 2

Assignees

• Intuitive Surgical Operations

Inventors

• Scott David D
• Shafer David C
• Brichard Dominique
• Herzlinger Peter M

Classifications

• H04N23/55

  Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting 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

• A61B1/06

  with illuminating arrangements · CPC title

• A61B1/00009

  of image signals during a use of endoscope · CPC title

• H04N13/20 Primary

  Image signal generators · CPC title