In one aspect, a handheld lighting system is disclosed, which comprises a handheld housing extending from a proximal end to a distal end, and a light module disposed at least partially in the housing. The handheld lighting system further includes a removable and replaceable power module that is coupled to the housing (e.g., it is at least partially disposed within the housing) and is electrically coupled to the light module, e.g., through a pair of electrical leads, for providing electrical power thereto. Light intensity from the light module may be controlled from a knob on the power module. Various adapters can allow the lighting system to attach to a multitude of medical, industrial, dental or veterinary endoscopes or other instruments.

An apparatus for obtaining information regarding a biological structure(s) can include, for example a light guiding arrangement which can include a fiber through which an electromagnetic radiation(s) can be propagated, where the electromagnetic radiation can be provided to or from the structure. An at least partially reflective arrangement can have multiple surfaces, where the reflecting arrangement can be situated with respect to the optical arrangement such that the surfaces thereof each can receive a(s) beam of the electromagnetic radiations instantaneously, and a receiving arrangement(s) which can be configured to receive the reflected radiation from the surfaces which include speckle patterns.

An endoscope includes a dichroic prism assembly configured to receive light from an object image through an entrance face. The assembly includes a first prism and a further dichroic prism assembly for splitting light in three light components, the first prism having a cross section with corners designed so that an incoming beam is partially reflected twice inside and exits the first prism through an exit face towards a first sensor. The dichroic prism assembly includes a compensator prism between the first prism and the further dichroic prism assembly. A first path length travelled by the part of the incoming beam reflected twice inside the first prism towards the first sensor is the same as path lengths travelled by a part of the incoming beam entering the further dichroic prism assembly towards each of three sensors, accounting for adjustment for focal plane focus position difference in wavelengths at the sensors.

An imaging device according to the present invention includes: first and second image sensors that respectively capture a first optical image and a second optical image having parallax with each other; a first imaging optical system that forms the first optical image on a light receiving surface of the first image sensor; and a second imaging optical system that forms the second optical image on a light receiving surface of the second image sensor. Each of focal positions of the first imaging optical system and the second imaging optical system is deviated along an optical axis direction and is positioned within mutual depth of field.

A video endoscope including: an elongated shaft having distal and proximal ends; an objective lens arranged in the shaft; and an image sensor arranged proximally to the objective lens; wherein the objective lens includes distal and proximal objective lens assemblies; the image sensor rotates about an axis of the shaft relative to the distal objective lens assembly which is arranged in an outer tube; a torque for rotating the image sensor is transmitted by an inner tube, which is arranged in the outer tube, the inner tube being rotatably fixed and axially slidably connected to a frame receiving the image sensor, the inner tube and the frame each including coupling portions that engage coaxially; one the coupling portions includes cut-outs extending parallel to the axis; and another includes elastic protrusions, the elastic protrusions extending toward and engage in a corresponding cut-out.

A dichroic prism assembly (P1-P7) configured to receive light from an object image through an entrance face of the dichroic prism assembly, includes a first prism (P3) and a further dichroic prism assembly (P5, P6, P7) for splitting light in three light components. The first prism has a cross section with at least five corners, and each corner has an inside angle of at least 90 degrees. The corners of the first prism are designed so that an incoming beam which enters the entrance face in a direction parallel to a normal of the entrance face is reflected twice inside the prism and exits the prism through an exit face parallel to a normal of the exit face.

An image relaying device comprises a shaft, an objective lens at a distal end of the shaft, an optically transparent window region in a proximal end region of the image relaying device, an optical system in the shaft, the optical system relaying an image produced by the objective lens to the proximal end region in a way that the relayed image can be captured through the window region. The optical system's optical axis at the window region is orthogonal or substantially orthogonal to the optical system's optical axis in the shaft. An optical instrument makes use of a plurality of these image relaying devices and a corresponding plurality of image sensors where the optical path length of each image relaying device may be independently adjusted to correct for optical inconsistencies in the elements of each relaying device.

A filter assembly is configured to optically couple a camera head to an endoscope. The filter assembly includes a first end adapted to be removably coupled to the camera head and a second end opposite and spaced apart from the first end, the second end adapted to be removably coupled to the endoscope. The filter assembly includes an optic housing disposed between the first end and the second end, the optic housing includes an optical path length maximizer and a first window. The first window has a first surface that is angled with respect to a plane that is perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the optic housing so as to minimize a narcissus reflection within the optic housing and an optical filter to reject laser irradiation.

An adaptor including: first and second optical systems; a prism comprising a mirror region, first light flux and second light flux from the respective optical systems, being incident on the prism, the light flux passing through the prism at a portion, the second light flux being reflected by a mirror region after passing through the portion, the light flux emitted from the prism to a region; and a light-shield at the region, the light-shield shields one of the first and second light flux and is disposed proximally to the prism relative to an imaging system of the endoscope when the adaptor is attached to an endoscope; the first optical system is disposed such that the first light flux is incident in a direction parallel to an optical axis, the second optical system is disposed so that the second light flux is incident in a direction orthogonal to the optical axis.

An optical scanning apparatus includes: a light source that emits light; a basic wavefront modulator that performs spatial light phase modulation on incident light on an optical path from the light source to an incident end surface of a fiber, to thereby generate light having a basic wavefront and emit the generated light, the light having the basic wavefront being to be incident on the incident end surface for obtaining, by light emitted from an emission end surface of the fiber, illumination light having a basic intensity distribution; and a two-dimensional intensity distribution control apparatus configured to change the basic intensity distribution by emitting light for causing light in which a phase distribution of the basic wavefront is controlled to be incident on the incident end surface of the fiber.