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US 9,867,526 B2Granted
Endoscope with adjustable viewing angle
AssigneeKarl Storz GmbH & Co. KG
InventorFang Lei
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An endoscope includes a light outlet surface at the distal end of the endoscope and a controllable light-refracting device for controllable refraction of illuminating light by a shapeable phase interface between two fluids, such that the controllable light-refracting device is disposed at the distal end of the endoscope.
Claims11
An endoscope, comprising:
- a proximal end, a distal end, and a shaft that extends from the proximal end to the distal end;
- an optical device providing an adjustable viewing angle, the adjustable viewing angle being adjustable about a pivot axis between a first viewing angle and a second viewing angle;
- a light outlet surface at the distal end of the endoscope through which illuminating light is projected out of the endoscope;
- a controllable light refracting device adjusting refraction of the illuminating light by means of a shapeable phase interface between two fluids, the controllable light-refracting device being positioned at the distal end of the endoscope such that a light outlet surface of the controllable light-refracting device forms at least a part of the light outlet surface at the distal end of the endoscope;
- the controllable light-refracting device being configured to adjust at least one of a direction of the illuminating light or an opening angle of an area that is to be illuminated by the illuminating light dependent on the adjustable viewing angle of the endoscope;
- and
- a control device generating a control signal to control the controllable light-refracting device at least depending on one of the adjustable viewing angle or a focal length adjusted on the endoscope.
4 more elements
An endoscope, comprising:
- a proximal end, a distal end, and a shaft that extends from the proximal end to the distal end;
- a light outlet surface at the distal end of the endoscope;
- a controllable light-refracting device adjusting refraction of illuminating light by means of a shapeable phase interface between two fluids, the controllable light-refracting device being positioned at the distal end of the endoscope such that a light outlet surface of the controllable light-refracting device forms at least a part of the light outlet surface at the distal end of the endoscope;
- the controllable light-refracting device having an enclosure formed by a light outlet window, light inlet window, and a wall connecting both windows, the wall and the light inlet window each having at least one electrode or coil to adjust the shapeable phase interface and change at least one of a direction of illuminating light projecting out of the endoscope or an opening angle of an area that is to be illuminated by illuminating light projecting out of the endoscope;
- and
- a control device generating a control signal to control the controllable light-refracting device at least depending on an adjustment of at least either a viewing angle or an image field angle of the endoscope.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.