# US 5,702,350 A · Adapter for connecting a stereoscopic endoscope to electronic documentation devices

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- Number: US 5,702,350 A
- Document ID: US5702350A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 08/531,333
- Filed: 1995-09-20
- Granted: 1997-12-30
- Earliest claimed: 1992-08-01
- Assignees: Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung
- Inventors: Uwe Vry; Ottmar Sager; Fritz Strahle; Martin Poxleitner
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5702350A

## CPC

- G02B 23/2476: {Non-optical details, e.g. housings, mountings, supports}
- A61B 1/00193: {adapted for stereoscopic vision}
- A61B 1/00195: {with eyepieces}
- G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)

## Abstract

An adapter is provided for connecting a stereoscopic endoscope having intertwined stereo beam paths to electronic documentation devices. The adapter has a releasable connection to the endoscope at a location at which the stereoscopic component images are not yet completely separated. A second releasable connection between the first releasable connection and the end of the adapter can be provided which faces toward the electronic documentation devices in order to provide a variable adaptation to different optics diameters of the stereoscopic endoscope.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A stereoscopic endoscope for transmitting an intermediate image of an object, the stereoscopic endoscope comprising:
two electronic documentation devices for receiving said intermediate image;
a stereoscopic endoscope optical system defining an optical axis;
said stereoscopic endoscope optical system including common optical stereoscopic means mounted along and on said axis for transmitting unseparated intertwined stereo beam paths from the object in the direction of said axis and for providing said intermediate image;
said stereoscopic endoscope optical system further including an objective downstream of said common optical stereoscopic means for imaging said intermediate image at infinity along said unseparated intertwined stereo beam paths;
said objective having a clear diameter;
an adapter for connecting said stereoscopic endoscopic optical system to said electronic documentation devices;
said adapter having a first end facing toward said objective and a second end facing toward said electronic documentation devices;
said adapter including optical separating means between said first and second ends for completely separating said intertwined stereo beam paths from each other within said adapter and for transmitting the separated stereo beam paths to respective ones of said electronic documentation devices;
a releasable connector for connecting said first end of said adapter to said stereoscopic endoscope optical system at a location along said optical axis in front of said optical separating means where said stereo beam paths entering said adapter are and remain intertwined and unseparated;
said optical separating means being mounted in a fixed geometrical relationship with respect to said electronic documentation devices within said adapter;
two component objectives arranged in corresponding ones of said two beam paths downstream of said optical separating means when viewed in the direction of said beam paths from the object;
said two component objectives defining respective optical axes separated from each other by a spacing greater than said clear diameter; and,
at least one deflecting element disposed in one of said beam paths downstream of the corresponding component objective so as to permit the light transmitted along said beam paths to impinge upon said documentation devices.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The stereoscopic endoscope of claim 1, said optical separating means comprising a diaphragm having two diaphragm apertures for completely separating the two beam paths from each other to provide two mutually separated beam paths.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The stereoscopic endoscope of claim 1, said adapter further comprising first and second holders releasably holding said documentation devices, respectively; and, adjusting means for adjusting said documentation devices in the direction of said beam paths.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The stereoscopic endoscope of claim 3, said two documentation devices being two CCD-cameras and said adjusting means being defined by thread means formed in said holders for threadably engaging the CCD-camera corresponding thereto for adjusting said documentation devices in the direction of said beam paths and for facilitating the insertion and removal thereof from the holder, respectively.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The stereoscopic endoscope of claim 1, comprising two of said deflecting elements disposed in corresponding ones of said beam paths so as to permit the light transmitted along said beam paths to impinge upon said documentation devices, respectively; and, said deflecting elements being respective deflecting prisms.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The stereoscopic endoscope of claim 1, said releasable connector being an insert engaging connection.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The stereoscopic endoscope of claim 6, said insert engaging connection being a bayonet connection.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The stereoscopic endoscope of claim 1, said releasable connector including fixing means for precisely fixing said releasable connector with respect to position.

### Claim 9

A stereoscopic endoscope for transmitting an intermediate image of an object, the stereoscopic endoscope comprising:
two electronic documentation devices for receiving said intermediate image;
a stereoscopic endoscope optical system defining an optical axis;
said stereoscopic endoscope optical system including common optical stereoscopic means mounted along and on said axis for transmitting unseparated intertwined stereo beam paths from the object in the direction of said axis and for providing said intermediate image;
said stereoscopic endoscope optical system further including an objective downstream of said common optical stereoscopic means for imaging said intermediate image at infinity along said unseparated intertwined stereo beam paths;
said objective having a clear diameter;
an adapter for connecting said stereoscopic endoscopic optical system to said electronic documentation devices;
said adapter having a first end facing toward said objective and a second end facing toward said electronic documentation devices;
said adapter including twin aperture diaphragm means disposed between said first and second ends for completely separating said intertwined stereo beam paths from each other within said adapter and for transmitting the separated stereo beam paths to respective ones of said electronic documentation devices;
releasable connecting means for connecting said first end of said adapter to said stereoscopic endoscope optical system at a location along said optical axis upstream of said twin aperture diaphragm means where said stereo beam paths remain intertwined and unseparated;
said adapter further including two component objectives mounted downstream of said diaphragm means for focusing said beam paths onto said electronic documentation devices, respectively;
said two component objectives being arranged in corresponding ones of said two beam paths downstream of said diaphragm apertures, respectively, when viewed in the direction of said beam paths away from the object;
said two component objectives defining respective optical axes separated from each other by a spacing greater than said clear diameter; and,
at least one deflecting element disposed in one of said beam paths downstream of the corresponding component objective so as to permit the light transmitted along said beam paths to impinge upon said documentation devices.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The stereoscopic endoscope of claim 9, said connecting means having a first connecting part mounted on said stereoscopic endoscope optical system and a second connecting part mounted on said first end of said adapter; and, said adapter further comprising a transparent plate mounted between said diaphragm means and said second connecting part.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The stereoscopic endoscope of claim 9, comprising two of said deflecting elements disposed in corresponding ones of said beam paths so as to permit the light transmitted along said beam paths to impinge upon said documentation devices, respectively; and, said deflecting elements being respective deflecting prisms.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The stereoscopic endoscope of claim 11, said releasable connecting means comprising a first connecting part mounted on said stereoscopic endoscope optical system and a second connecting part mounted on said first end of said adapter; and, said adapter further comprising a transparent plate mounted between said twin aperture diaphragm means and said second connecting part.

### Claim 13

A stereoscopic endoscope for transmitting an intermediate image of an object to two electronic documentation devices, the stereoscopic endoscope comprising:
a stereoscopic endoscope optical system having a diameter and defining an optical axis;
said stereoscopic endoscope optical system including common optical stereoscopic means mounted along and on said axis for transmitting unseparated intertwined stereo beam paths from the object in the direction of said axis and for providing said intermediate image of the object;
an adapter for connecting said stereoscopic endoscopic optical system to the electronic documentation devices;
said adapter including a first part defining a first end of said adapter facing toward said stereoscopic endoscope optical system and a second part for holding said electronic documentation devices;
said second part defining a second end of said adapter facing away from said first end;
said adapter including twin aperture diaphragm means mounted in said second part between said first and second ends for completely separating said intertwined stereo beam paths from each other within said adapter and for transmitting the separated stereo beam paths to respective ones of said electronic documentation devices;
a first releasable connector for connecting said first part of said adapter to said stereoscopic endoscope optical system at a location along said optical axis upstream of said twin aperture diaphragm means where said stereo beam paths are and remain intertwined and unseparated;
said adapter further including component objectives mounted in said second part downstream of said diaphragm means for focusing said beam paths onto said electronic documentation devices, respectively;
said component objectives having a stereo basis defined by the spacing therebetween;
said first part having an objective mounted therein for imaging said intermediate image at infinity along said unseparated stereo beam paths and for optically adapting said stereo basis of said component objectives to said diameter of said stereoscopic endoscope optical system; and,
a second releasable connector for connecting said first and second parts to each other.