US 4,651,201 A · Stereoscopic endoscope arrangement

Abstract

A stereoscopic endoscope includes a sheath for insertion into the body of a patient and a pair of image guides and an illumination or light guide extending through the sheath. The image guides and light guide are preferably formed of optical fibers to facilitate flexibility of the endoscope. The image guides optically connect with a stereoscopc viewer for three dimensional viewing of a site within the body. The viewer includes couplings for attaching miniaturized video cameras, the cameras in turn being connected to a head worn stereoscopic video display. In addition, the video signals representing the images gathered by the endoscope may be displayed on remote monitors or recorded by a video recorder. The endoscope may include other channels extending through the sheath such as water, air, gas, other fluid channels with associated valves and/or a channel for receiving an endoscopic surgical tool.

Claims24

Dependent claims

An apparatus for viewing an interior body cavity;

said apparatus comprising:
(a) an endoscope having a first end adapted to be inserted into the body cavity and a second end external of the cavity when said first end is therein;
(b) optic means passing through said endoscope;
said optic means gathering an image at said first end and communicating said image to said second end;
(c) video camera means operably receiving said image from said optic means and converting said image to a signal;
(d) viewing means operably coupled with said camera means for receiving said signal and having a miniature video monitor for displaying an image represented by said signal;
and
(e) a head worn harness having said monotor mounted thereon to operatively transfer images displayed thereon to the eyes of a viewer wearing said harness, said harness being adapted such that said viewing means is supported entirely by the head of said viewer.

5 more elements

A stereoscopic endoscope device comprising:

(a) an elongated sheath having a distal end for insertion into a body cavity and a proximal end for positioning external of said cavity to allow viewing within said body cavity therethrough;
(b) light channel means extending through said sheath and communicating light to said distal end for illumination of said body cavity;
(c) a light source optically connected to said light channel means and supplying light therethrough for illumination within said bocy cavity;
(d) right and left optic means positioned in spaced apart relation at said distal end and extending through said sheath for gathering right and left images at said distal end and communicating said images to said proximal end;
(e) a right video camera and a left video camera optically coupled respectively to said right and left optic means and converting images sensed therethrough to respective electronic video signals;
(f) stereoscopic viewing means optically coupled to said right and left optic means for stereoscopic viewing of said images and including a miniature right video monitor and a miniature left video monitor connected respectively to said right and left cameras for displaying images represented respectively by said video signals, said monitors being positioned for stereoscopic viewing of the images gathered by said optic means;
and
(g) video signal switching means interconnected between said cameras and said monitors, said switching means providing access to said video signals and providing for the display on said monitors of images represented by video signals other than said video signals representing images gathered by said optic means.

5 more elements

A stereoscopic endoscope device comprising:

(a) an elongated sheath having a distal end for insertion into a body cavity and a proximal end for positioning external of said cavity to allow viewing within said body cavity therethrough;
(b) light channel means extending through said sheath and communicating light to said distal end for illumination of said body cavity;
(c) a light source optically connected to said light channel means and supplying light therethrough for illumination within said body cavity;
(d) right and left optic means positioned in spaced apart relation at said distal end and extending through said sheath for gathering right and left images at said distal end and communicating said images to said proximal end;
(e) a right video camera and a left video camera optically coupled respectively to said right and left optic means and converting images sensed therethrough to respective electronic video signals;
(f) stereoscopic viewing means including a miniature right video monitor and a miniature left video monitor connected respectively to said right and left cameras for displaying images represented respectively by said video signals, said monitors being positioned for stereoscopic viewing of the images gathered by said optic means;
and
(g) a head worn harness having said video monitors mounted thereon to operatively transfer the images displayed respectively thereon to the right and left eyes of a viewer wearing said harness, said harness being adapted such that said viewing means is supported entirely by the head of the viewer.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Stereoscopic endoscope arrangement

Life of this patent

Stereoscopic endoscope arrangement

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims24