Angled endoscope tip image capture unit
AssigneeIntuitive Surgical Operations, Inc.
InventorIan E. McDowall
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A family of endoscopes includes a non-zero degree endoscope and a zero degree endoscope. The zero degree endoscope includes a first image capture unit mounted in a distal portion of the zero degree endoscope with a lengthwise axis of the first image capture unit substantially parallel to a lengthwise axis of that distal portion. The non-zero degree endoscope includes a second image capture unit mounted in a distal portion of the non-zero degree endoscope with a lengthwise axis of the second image capture unit intersecting a lengthwise axis of that distal portion at a non-zero angle. The first and second image capture units have substantially identical non-folded optical paths.
Claims17
An image capture unit, comprising:
- an objective lens assembly positioned between a stop and an image sensor in the image capture unit, the objective lens assembly comprising a distal end;
- a filter positioned within the objective lens assembly at the distal end.
An endoscope comprising:
- a body;
- a distal portion connected to the body, the distal portion comprising a distal end and a distal face of the distal end;
- and
- an image capture unit mounted in the distal end of the distal portion, the image capture unit comprising an image forming lens assembly positioned between a stop and an image sensor, the image capture unit further comprising a filter positioned within the objective lens assembly at a distal end of the image forming lens assembly.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.