Endoscopic camera component manufacturing method
AssigneeKARL STORZ Imaging, Inc.
InventorKin Ming Kwan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention provides an endoscope having a lens holder, wherein the lens holder includes a body containing a sintered feedstock and machined surfaces. The invention also provides a method of manufacturing the endoscope which includes the steps of molding a metal blank by a MIM process, wherein the metal blank is “near net shape” and has a sprue, a post, and optionally an outer shell, machining the inner surfaces and then the outer surfaces of the metal blank to form a lens holder, installing a lens in the lens holder, and assembling the lens holder having the lens into the endoscope.
Claims17
An endoscope comprising at least one lens holder, said at least one lens holder comprising:
- a body comprising a sintered feedstock;
- a machined inside surface;
- and
- a machined outside surface;
- wherein said body has a raceway and a set of extrusions extending from a periphery of said raceway in one direction.
An endoscope comprising at least one lens holder, said at least one lens holder comprising:
- a body comprising a sintered feedstock;
- a machined inside surface;
- and
- a machined outside surface;
- wherein said body has a raceway, a first set of extrusions extending from a periphery of said raceway in one direction, and a second set of extrusions extending from the periphery of said raceway in an opposite direction.
A method of manufacturing an endoscope having at least one lens holder having a body with a sintered feedstock, a machined inside surface, and a machined outside surface, wherein said body has a raceway and a set of extrusions extending from a periphery of said raceway in one direction, the method comprising the steps of:
- molding at least one brown metal blank using a metal injection molding process, said at least one brown metal blank comprising a sprue and a post, said at least one brown metal blank having inside dimensions and outer dimensions, and said at least one brown metal blank substantially similar in size and shape to said at least one lens holder;
- machining said at least one brown metal blank to form said at least one lens holder;
- installing a lens in each of said at least one lens holder;
- and
- assembling said at least one lens holder installed with said lens into said endoscope.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.