Patent Application
20250009211
Exemplary features relate to optical instruments such as endoscopes and borescopes having an image sensor assembly at the distal end of the instrument shaft. More particularly, some exemplary features of the disclosure relate to optical instruments that can produce an image from a wide range of orientations within the distal end of the instrument shaft and that also provide a working channel through the instrument.
Instruments such as endoscopes and borescopes are used to allow a visual inspection of locations that are not readily accessible. For example, endoscopes are used in medical applications to provide a view of an area within a patient's body. Whether employed for medical or other applications, the instrument typically includes an elongated shaft of relatively small diameter extending from a handle to a distal end. An imaging or viewing arrangement is included with the instrument to allow a user to obtain a view from the shaft distal end. This arrangement may include a system of lenses and a light conduit through the shaft to direct an image from the distal end to an eyepiece associated with the instrument handle. Alternatively, the imaging or viewing arrangement may include an electronic imaging device at the distal end of the instrument shaft. Such an electronic imaging device collects image data and communicates that data through the shaft and handle ultimately to a processing system that assembles the data to produce an image displayed on a suitable display device.
Depending upon the procedure for which the instrument is used, it may be necessary for the operator to view a relatively large area or view a relatively small area from different angles. In a medical procedure for example, the operator may desire to view a location that is larger than the field of view of the imaging collecting arrangement of the endoscope or view a location from different angles. In these situations it has been necessary for the endoscope operator to move the distal end of the endoscope in an effort to provide the desired views, and sometimes move the distal end repeatedly in given area.
Endoscopes have been developed to give the operator the ability to adjust viewing angle. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0238068 discloses an endoscope having an objective lens and prism that is mounted on a pivotable structure at the distal end of the endoscope. This endoscope, however, allows rotation to only one side of the device. Thus the endoscope had to be repositioned in the area of the procedure in order to view a location on the opposite side of the endoscope shaft. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0012080 shows another endoscope with an image collecting part that may be tilted to one side of the endoscope at the distal end. This arrangement also requires the endoscope distal end to be repositioned to obtain views of areas on the opposite side of the endoscope shaft (that is, opposite the side to which the image collecting device is tilted at a given point in time).
U.S. Pat. No. 6,371,909 discloses an endoscope having an imaging assembly mounted in the distal end of the endoscope so as to allow articulation about two axes. This two-axis articulation facilitates different viewing angles through a transparent cover at the distal end of the endoscope. The articulating arrangement disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,371,909, however, greatly constrained the nature and size of the imaging device which could be employed for a given diameter endoscope distal end. Also, the distal end of the endoscope in U.S. Pat. No. 6,371,909 had to be repositioned to provide a view of any area other than the area at the far distal tip of the endoscope shaft.
U.S. Pat. No. 10,517,470 discloses an optical instrument having a transparent end section at the distal end of the endoscope. An imaging assembly is mounted within the transparent end section and is capable of articulation about two axes. While the optical instrument disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 10,517,470 allows substantially the entire area around the transparent distal end section to be imaged without having to change the position of the distal end section, the optical instrument did not allow any procedure to be performed through the endoscope. Thus in order to perform any procedure in the area being imaged it was necessary to either insert another endoscope into the area or otherwise provide access to the site.
There remains a need in the art to provide an optical instrument such as an endoscope or borescope that allows the imaging device to be adjusted so that different views can be obtained without having to move the instrument distal end and while providing access to the area of the imaged site to perform various procedures.
According to one exemplary configuration, an optical instrument is disclosed, such as an endoscope or borescope, having an image sensor that can be articulated within the instrument shaft about both a longitudinal axis and a lateral articulation axis while also providing a working channel to the distal end of the instrument.
An imaging apparatus according to one aspect of the disclosed technology is adapted for use in an optical instrument such as an endoscope or borescope having an elongated shaft with a transparent distal end portion. Such an optical instrument will be referred to in this disclosure and the accompanying claims simply as an “instrument,” and this term is intended to encompass endoscopes, borescopes, and similar optical instruments.
An imaging apparatus according to this first aspect of the disclosed technology is configured for use with an instrument having an elongated instrument shaft having a distal end portion that is transparent and includes a working channel opening to a working channel tube included within the instrument shaft. Such an imaging apparatus includes an image sensor assembly, a first articulating structure, and a second articulating structure mounted on the first articulating structure. The first articulating structure is adapted to be positioned within the instrument shaft in an operating position for rotation about a longitudinal axis of the distal end portion of the instrument shaft. The image sensor assembly has an imaging axis and is mounted on the second articulating structure to facilitate rotation of the imaging axis about a lateral articulation axis extending transverse to the longitudinal axis of the distal end portion of the instrument shaft. Throughout this rotation of the imaging axis about the lateral articulation axis while the first articulating structure is in the operating position within the instrument shaft, the image sensor assembly remains within a sensor area defined between an external surface of the working channel tube and in internal surface of the distal end portion.
The combination of the image sensor assembly mounted on the second articulating structure, which is in turn mounted on the first articulating structure, facilitates the articulation of the image sensor assembly within the instrument shaft about two axes. The articulation about these two axes allows the image sensor assembly to be positioned within the instrument so that its imaging axis is directed in any direction a full 360° about the shaft distal end portion longitudinal axis and also laterally about the lateral articulation axis preferably at least 90°, and even further in some embodiments as will be described below. Thus when the imaging apparatus is mounted in an instrument, the instrument is capable of providing an overall field of view over a relatively large area without having to move the distal end portion of the instrument and without interfering with a working channel of the instrument through which various procedures may be performed in the area of the site being imaged.
When the imaging apparatus is mounted in the operating position within an instrument shaft, an articulation control assembly may be used to control the articulation of the image sensor assembly. In particular, the articulation control assembly may be used to control the rotation of the first articulating structure, and thus the image sensor assembly, about the distal end portion longitudinal axis. The articulation control assembly may also be used to control the articulation of the image sensor assembly, and thus the imaging axis, about the lateral articulation axis. As will be described below in connection with the representative embodiments, any suitable arrangement may be employed in the articulation control assembly to effect the desired movement of the image sensor assembly, including various types of motors and mechanical linkages to the image sensor assembly.
The first articulating structure in some implementations of an imaging apparatus may comprise an axial articulation tube adapted to be positioned within the instrument shaft with the longitudinal axis of the tube aligning with the longitudinal axis of the distal end portion of the instrument shaft. In these implementations, the axial articulation tube mounted within the instrument shaft may terminate short of the distal end of the instrument shaft provided the image sensor assembly is positioned appropriately within the transparent end portion of the shaft. Otherwise, the axial articulation tube may include a distal end section that is adapted to extend distally past the image sensor assembly in the instrument shaft when the axial articulation tube is mounted in the operating position. In these embodiments the distal end section of the elongated tube includes a transparent part over at least a field of view range for the image sensor assembly about the lateral articulation axis. In either case, an axial articulation tube comprising the first articulating structure may include a proximal end adapted to extend to a handle of the instrument when the imaging apparatus is mounted in the operating position. The proximal end of the tube may be connected to a suitable rotation control device associated with the instrument handle to facilitate control of the articulation about the distal end portion longitudinal axis.
In some implementations of the articulating imaging apparatus, one or more sensor assembly light sources are mounted on the image sensor assembly. This placement of light sources for the image sensor assembly ensures proper illumination is available for imaging regardless of the orientation of the image sensor assembly within the instrument shaft. Additionally or alternatively to one or more sensor assembly light sources, an imaging apparatus according to the first aspect may include one or both of a distal tip light source and a base light source. The distal tip light source may be mounted on the first articulating structure at a distal end of the first articulating structure and a base light source may be mounted within the first articulating structure between a proximal end of the first articulating structure and lateral articulation axis.
In addition to facilitating articulation about the distal end portion longitudinal axis and the lateral articulation axis, some implementations of the imaging apparatus allow the image sensor assembly to be moved longitudinally within the shaft distal end portion. This longitudinal movement increases overall field of view for the image sensor assembly about the instrument distal end portion.
In implementations of the second articulating structure (that facilitates articulation about the lateral articulation axis) comprising the axial articulation tube, the axial articulation tube may be adapted to be mounted on the working channel tube or mounted on the instrument shaft. Where the axial articulation tube is adapted to be mounted on the working channel tube an axial articulation tube bearing structure may be supported on the working channel tube to facilitate the desired axial articulation. Where the axial articulation tube is adapted to be mounted on the instrument shaft an axial articulation tube bearing structure may be supported on the instrument shaft.
Whether the axial articulation tube is adapted to be supported on the working channel or the instrument shaft the second articulation structure may comprise a pivot base mounted on the axial articulation tube, the pivot base including a first base pivot structure and a second base pivot structure. In these implementations the first base pivot structure may cooperate with a first sensor pivot structure of the sensor assembly and the second base pivot structure may cooperate with a second sensor pivot structure of the sensor assembly to facilitate the rotation of the imaging axis about the lateral articulation axis.
Particularly in implementations where the axial articulation tube is adapted to be supported on the instrument shaft, the pivot base may be mounted on the axial articulation tube on two circumferentially spaced apart extensions that extend from a proximal portion of the axial articulation tube.
Whether the axial articulation tube is adapted to be supported on the working channel or the instrument shaft the second articulation structure comprising a pivot base may be implemented as a track-based structure. In these track-based embodiments, the first and second sensor pivot structure each includes fore and aft projections positioned at a respective lateral side of the image sensor assembly. The fore and aft projections are aligned, respectively, along fore and aft axes in these embodiments and project past a plane aligned with and extending perpendicular to the respective lateral side to be received in a respective track of the pivot base. The tracks represent the first and second base pivot structures and each includes a transverse section and a longitudinal section connected together by a curved section. The transverse sections each extend transverse to the longitudinal axis of the distal end portion of the instrument shaft when the imaging structure is in the operating position while the longitudinal sections each extend parallel to the longitudinal axis of the instrument distal end portion. This track-based arrangement allows the image sensor assembly to move to different positions along the track, which, due to the transverse and longitudinal sections, places the image sensor assembly at different angular orientations about the lateral articulation axis and effectively allowing the rotation of the imaging axis about the lateral articulation axis.
In embodiments including a track-based structure for facilitating articulation of the image sensor assembly and imaging axis about the lateral articulation axis, each track may include an inclined section at a bottom end of the respective longitudinal section. The inclined sections are each inclined so that they define a deviation greater than 90° with respect to the transverse sections. Thus the inclined sections of the tracks allow the image sensor assembly to be positioned with the imaging axis extending somewhat backwards along the instrument shaft, away from the shaft distal end.
A second aspect includes instruments including an instrument shaft, working channel tube, first articulating structure, second articulating structure, image sensor assembly, and articulation control assembly as described above in connection with the first aspect. Instruments according to this second aspect may include any of the implementation variations described above in connection with imaging apparatuses according to the first aspect.
These and other advantages and features will be apparent from the following description of representative embodiments considered along with the accompanying drawings.
Referring to
Instrument 100 receives electrical operating power through a cable 108 that extends from a proximal end of handle 102 in this example instrument. This electrical operating power may be used to operate one or more light sources and other electronic elements mounted within distal end portion 106, such as an imaging device included in the imaging apparatus. Also, data signals from such an imaging device may be communicated through appropriate conduits within shaft 101 and handle 102 to cable 108. These data signals may be communicated through cable 108 to processing equipment (not shown) that processes the image data and drives one or more video monitors to display the images collected at distal end 105 of instrument 100. Port 109 is provided in handle 102 to provide access to a working channel (201 in
Referring to
The imaging apparatus shown in
The second articulating structure is mounted on axial articulation tube 204 and, in the example apparatus shown in
Image sensor assembly 202 in this embodiment includes a first sensor pivot structure adapted to cooperate with the first base pivot structure and a second sensor pivot structure adapted to cooperate with the second base pivot structure to allow the image sensor assembly to rotate about a lateral articulation axis T1. This rotation allows an imaging axis I of the image sensor assembly 202 to rotate about lateral articulation axis T1 as will be described further below particularly in connection with
Image sensor assembly 202 shown in
It will be appreciated by those familiar with imaging devices (such as device 225 in
An additional illumination element may be included with an imaging apparatus in accordance with the disclosed technology. The embodiment shown in
The instrument shown in
Base light source 251 and/or distal tip light source 255 may be used in addition to LEDs 232 included on image sensor assembly 202 in this embodiment. Alternative embodiments may omit LEDs 232 and rely on base light source 251 and/or distal tip light source 255 for illumination needed for imaging or for procedures conducted through working channel 201. The light emitted by the various LEDs 232, 252, and 256 may be in any desired spectrum. Also, some of these LEDs may emit in a first spectrum while others may emit in a second, different spectrum. It should also be appreciated that while the light emitting elements are described here as LEDs, the disclosed technology is not limited to any particular light emitting technology for the light emitting elements. Regardless of the light emitting technology employed by the light emitting elements (corresponding to LEDs 232, 252, and 256) electrical operating power that may be required by the light emitting elements may be provided from a power source through any suitable arrangement of conduction paths (not shown) through shaft 101. For example, a suitable electrical conductor arrangement for distal tip light source 255 may be supported on working channel tube 201, particularly on the exterior surface of that tube. Because the illustrated base light source 251 rotates with respect to shaft 101, a suitable slip ring arrangement (not shown) may be used to provide operating power to the LEDs 252 of base light source 251.
Since axial articulation tube 204 is mounted for rotation about longitudinal axis L, image sensor assembly 202 (and its imaging axis I) may be rotated to any position 360° around longitudinal axis L without changing the position of the instrument shaft 101 or distal end portion 106. Thus the instrument operator is able to view a large area all without changing the position of the instrument relative to that area. For example, from the position shown in
As shown in
The orientation of image sensor assembly 302 in the example of
Although the entire axial articulation tube 304 is illustrated as being transparent, it need not be transparent around its entire circumference as shown in the present figures. Rather, axial articulation tube 304 may be transparent only at the end and along the side to which image sensor assembly 302 may be turned about lateral articulating axis T2, so as not to block the field of view about imaging axis I regardless of the orientation of the image sensor assembly 302 about the lateral articulation axis T2.
In implementations employing an elongated tube (such as axial articulation tubes 204 and 304) for the first articulating structure, the tube may include a proximal end adapted to extend to a handle of the instrument when the imaging apparatus is mounted in the operating position in the instrument shaft. Thus the motor 244 may be mounted in handle 102 in
The articulation of image sensor assembly 302 and imaging axis I about lateral articulation axis T2 in the embodiment of
In view of the position of axial articulation tube 404 on working channel 201, the embodiment of
In the embodiment of
The various components of an articulating image sensing arrangement may be formed from any suitable material or combination of materials. The materials should be selected for compatibility with the instrument with which the apparatus is to be used, and the environments to which the instrument may be subjected. For example, for use in endoscopes, the components of the articulating image sensing arrangement should be compatible with materials and conditions used in sterilizing procedures for such endoscopes. Where different components are connected such as the connection between pivot base 208 and extensions 209 or between pivot base 308 and axial articulation tube 304, the connection may be made in any suitable manner such as with a suitable adhesive. The pivot base 408 may also be attached to axial articulation tube 404 with a suitable adhesive or the two components may be made in one piece using a suitable additive manufacturing process. Other parts of the disclosed technology may be produced by additive manufacturing as well. Also, although a CCD-type imaging device is referenced in the representative examples described above, any suitable imaging device may be employed within the scope of the disclosed technology. For example, imaging device 225 may comprise a CMOS imaging device or any other type of imaging device.
Numerous variations are possible in an imaging apparatus and instrument in accordance with the disclosed technology. For example, although the illustrations show a certain position of the respective image sensor assembly long longitudinal axis L, the image sensor assembly could be at any suitable axial position within distal end portion 106. The various exemplary features as set out in the following claims also encompass numerous variations in the sensor assemblies 202 and 302. Image sensor assembly 202 is similar to that shown at 202 in
As used herein, whether in the above description or the following claims, the terms “comprising,” “including,” “carrying,” “having,” “containing,” “involving,” and the like are to be understood to be open-ended, that is, to mean including but not limited to. Also, it should be understood that the terms “about,” “substantially,” and like terms used herein when referring to a dimension or characteristic of a component indicate that the described dimension/characteristic is not a strict boundary or parameter and does not exclude variations therefrom that are functionally similar. At a minimum, such references that include a numerical parameter would include variations that, using mathematical and industrial principles accepted in the art (e.g., rounding, measurement or other systematic errors, manufacturing tolerances, etc.), would not vary the least significant digit.
Any use of ordinal terms such as “first,” “second,” “third,” etc., in the following claims to modify a claim element does not by itself connote any priority, precedence, or order of one claim element over another, or the temporal order in which acts of a method are performed. Rather, unless specifically stated otherwise, such ordinal terms are used merely as labels to distinguish one claim element having a certain name from another element having a same name (but for use of the ordinal term).
The term “each” may be used in the following claims for convenience in describing characteristics or features of multiple elements, and any such use of the term “each” is in the inclusive sense unless specifically stated otherwise. For example, if a claim defines two or more elements as “each” having a characteristic or feature, the use of the term “each” is not intended to exclude from the claim scope a situation having a third one of the elements which does not have the defined characteristic or feature.
The above-described exemplary embodiments are intended to illustrate the principles of the disclosed technology, but not to limit the scope of the disclosed technology. Various other embodiments and modifications to these exemplary, non-exhaustive embodiments may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the disclosed technology. For example, in some instances, one or more features disclosed in connection with one embodiment can be used alone or in combination with one or more features of one or more other embodiments. More generally, the various features described herein may be used in any working combination.
This application is a continuation of PCT Application No. PCT/US2022/021108 filed Mar. 21, 2022, and entitled “Optical Instrument with Articulating Image Sensing Apparatus and Working Channel,” which is incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | PCT/US2022/021108 | Mar 2022 | WO |
| Child | 18892074 | US |
