Endoscope tip part with improved optical properties
AssigneeAmbu A/S
InventorsMorten Sørensen, Hans Jochumsen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An endoscope tip part including a tip housing at least partially enclosing an interior cavity and including a window, and a vision assembly accommodated in the interior cavity and including an imaging subassembly including an image sensor viewing in an optical direction through the window of the tip housing, a light source comprising an illumination surface for emitting light, a separate frame component including a light shielding wall made of an opaque material and extending between the image sensor and the light source so as to at least partially shield the image sensor from light emitted from the light source.
Claims19
An endoscope tip part for an endoscope, the endoscope tip part comprising:
- a tip housing defining an interior cavity, the tip housing including a window having an exterior window surface facing an exterior of the endoscope tip part and an interior window surface facing the interior cavity;
- and
- a vision assembly accommodated in the interior cavity and including:
- an imaging subassembly comprising an image sensor viewing in an optical direction through the window;
- a light source comprising an illumination surface to emit light in an illumination direction;
- and
- a frame component supporting, and fixing positions of, the imaging subassembly and the light source relative to each other,
- wherein the frame component comprises a light shielding wall made of an opaque material and including an end wall extending transversely to the optical direction and a side wall connected to and extending distally from the end wall, the imaging subassembly positioned distally of the end wall, and the light shielding wall extending between the image sensor and the light source so as to at least partially shield the image sensor from light emitted from the light source.
A method for assembling a vision assembly for an endoscope tip part, the method comprising:
- providing an image sensor viewing in an optical direction, a light source comprising an illumination surface to emit light in an illumination direction, a light guide part comprising a light guide having a light entry surface and a light exit surface and being configured to receive light from the illumination surface through the light entry surface and to emit said light through the light exit surface, and a frame component including a light shielding wall made of an opaque material and including an end wall extending transversely to the optical direction and a side wall connected to and extending distally from the end wall;
- performing a first alignment sequence to align the image sensor with the frame component, the first alignment sequence comprising:
- axially translating the image sensor against the frame component;
- and
- transversely translating the frame component and the image sensor;
- after the first alignment sequence, affixing the image sensor to the frame component to obtain a first subassembly;
- performing a second alignment sequence comprising:
- aligning the light source with a light guide of the light guide part by translating the light exit surface of the light guide;
- and
- affixing the light source to the light entry surface of the light guide to obtain a second subassembly;
- and
- performing a third alignment sequence:
- aligning the first subassembly and the second subassembly;
- and
- affixing the second subassembly to the frame component.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.