Patent classifications
G02B23/2407
Integrated variable view optical adapter for an optical scope
The present disclosure is directed to an optical adapter for an optical scope. The optical scope includes a tube defining a conduit. The optical adapter is coupled to an end of the tube. The optical adapter defines a proximate end and a distal end. The optical adapter includes a casing defining a longitudinal direction. The casing includes a first wall and a second wall, in which the first wall and the second wall define a first viewing port therebetween. The second wall defines a second viewing port. The optical adapter further includes a hinge coupled to the first wall, a reflecting lens defining a first end separated from a second end in the longitudinal direction, in which the first end is coupled to the hinge, and an actuator coupled to the first wall and to the second end of the reflecting lens. The actuator pivots the reflecting lens about the hinge from a retracted position adjacent to the first wall to an extended position toward the second wall.
OPTICAL SYSTEMS FOR MULTI-SENSOR ENDOSCOPES
There is provided herein an optical system for a tip section of a multi-sensor endoscope, the system comprising: a front-pointing camera sensor; a front objective lens system; a side-pointing camera sensor; and a side objective lens system, wherein at least one of said front and side objective lens systems comprises a front and a rear sub-systems separated by a stop diaphragm, said front sub-system comprises, in order from the object side, a first front negative lens and a second front positive lens, said rear sub-system comprises, in order from the object side, a first rear positive lens, an achromatic sub-assembly comprising a second rear positive lens and a third rear negative lens, wherein the following condition is satisfied: f.sub.(first rear positive lens)≤1.8f, where f is the composite focal length of the total lens system and f.sub.(first rear positive lens) is the focal length of said first rear positive lens.
ENDOSCOPIC FLEXIBLE TUBE, ENDOSCOPIC MEDICAL APPARATUS, AND ENDOSCOPIC-FLEXIBLE-TUBE-BASE-COVERING MATERIAL
An endoscopic flexible tube including a sleeve-shaped flexible-tube base having flexibility, and a cover layer for the flexible-tube base, wherein the cover layer contains (a) at least one of (a1) a polyester resin having a naphthalene structure or (a2) a polyester elastomer having a naphthalene structure, and (b) at least one of (b1) a thermoplastic resin not having a naphthalene structure or (b2) a thermoplastic elastomer not having a naphthalene structure, and, in the cover layer, a ratio of the component (a) to a total amount of the components (a) and (b) is more than 50 mass % and less than 90 mass %; an endoscopic medical apparatus including the endoscopic flexible tube; and a covering material for the endoscopic-flexible-tube base.
ENDOSCOPE APPARATUS
Provided is an endoscope apparatus provided with: an elongated insertion portion that is inserted into a body; an image-acquisition portion that has an imaging optical system disposed at a distal end of the insertion portion and that acquires two images having parallax for the same imaging subject; an identifying portion that identifies an image of an object, which is in close proximity to the imaging optical system, that is captured only in one of the two images acquired by the image-acquisition portion; and a close-proximity-image-removal processing portion that processes the image so that the image of the object identified by the identifying portion is removed from the image.
SUPER RESOLUTION BORE IMAGING SYSTEM
A super resolution bore imaging system is disclosed for imaging a cylindrical bore. The system includes a controller, a photodetector configuration having a known pixel geometry, and an imaging arrangement that images bore surface segments onto the photodetector. In one embodiment, the controller is configured to acquire respective combinable sets of raw bore segment image data using the pixels of the photodetector configuration positioned, relative to the bore segment, at respective imaging-Z coordinates which are separated along the bore axial direction by a subpixel shift. In some embodiments, the pixel geometry is configured to provide super resolution along the circumferential direction without a change in position along the circumferential direction between acquiring the respective sets of image data. The controller combines the sets of raw image data to form a super resolution image data for the bore segment.
Lens alignment system and method
A lens alignment system and method is disclosed. The disclosed system/method integrates one or more lens retaining members/tubes (LRM/LRT) and focal length spacers (FLS) each comprising a metallic material product (MMP) specifically manufactured to have a thermal expansion coefficient (TEC) in a predetermined range via selection of the individual MMP materials and an associated MMP manufacturing process providing for controlled TEC. This controlled LRM/LRT TEC enables a plurality of optical lenses (POL) fixed along a common optical axis (COA) by the LRM/LRT to maintain precise interspatial alignment characteristics that ensure consistent and/or controlled series focal length (SFL) within the POL to generate a thermally neutral optical system (TNOS). Integration of the POL using this LRM/LRT/FLS lens alignment system reduces the overall TNOS implementation cost, reduces the overall TNOS mass, reduces TNOS parts component count, and increases the reliability of the overall optical system.
IMAGE PICKUP UNIT
There is provided an image pickup unit which is capable of achieving a focused image of a favorable depth of field while changing a visual field direction of observation.
An image pickup unit, comprises a front group which includes a prism that can be rotated for changing a visual field direction, and a rear group which includes a lens group and an image pickup element, wherein the image pickup unit includes a prism rotating section which rotates the prism for changing the visual field direction, and a focusing section which does not change a focused range, as an angle of visual field direction with respect to a longitudinal direction of the image pickup unit becomes smaller than a specific angle, and which moves the focused range toward a near-point side, as an angle of visual field direction with respect to the longitudinal direction of the image pickup unit becomes larger than the specific angle, in accordance with a rotation of the prism, and the focusing section, in a case in which the specific angle is not smaller than 30°, moves the focused range toward the near-point side.
Endoscope light-source device
An endoscope light-source device includes a semiconductor laser light source, a first lens group that diverges a low-NA light component of light from the semiconductor laser light source and converges or collimates a high-NA light component of the light from the semiconductor laser light source, and a second lens group that focuses the light passing through the first lens group onto an end surface of a light guide. The first lens group includes at least one aspherical lens.
Electro-optic displays with touch sensors and/or tactile feedback
An electro-optic display comprises, in order, a light-transmissive electrically-conductive layer; a layer of a solid electro-optic material; and a backplane (162) bearing a plurality of pixel electrodes, a peripheral portion of the backplane extending outwardly beyond the layer of solid electro-optic material and bearing a plurality of radiation generating means (166) and a plurality of radiation detecting means (168), the radiation generating means and radiation detecting means together being arranged to act as a touch screen.
OPERATION SWITCHING MECHANISM AND ENDOSCOPE
An operation switching mechanism includes a wire, a reciprocating movement member, a first biasing member, a second biasing member, switching members configured to switch states in which the first biasing member and the second biasing member perform biasing, and an operation member configured to operate the switching members according to operation from an outside and move the reciprocating movement member to a first movement position or a second movement position.