Various embodiments comprise endoscopes (e.g., arthroscopes) for viewing inside a cavity of a body. The endoscopes may include a tip, at least one solid-state emitter such as light emitting diode (LED), located at the distal end of the endoscope, an elongated member. The elongated member may include a plurality of lenses for transmitting light received from the tip member and an elongated conducting member for providing electric power to the solid-state emitter. The elongated conducting member may include conducting lines embedded in a flexible elongated insulating membrane. The tip member and the elongated member may be configured to dissipate heat generated by the solid-state emitter.

An image of a field of view is captured by the endoscope and a portion of the image is displayed on a display. A popup image is generated and displayed upon image analysis identification of an occurrence of bleeding or motion of edges of an incision that is within the field of view, but outside the portion of the field of view displayed on the display.

A modular viewing device for observation through a wall of a protected space is provided. The device includes a distal module with an objective lens, a proximal module having a movable light guide, a connection unit having with a first coupling device, and a rotatable bearing. The first coupling device releasably couples, optically and mechanically, the proximal module to the connection unit so that an image captured by the objective lens is directed to and transmitted by the image guide. The rotatable bearing rotatably mounts the distal module on a side of the connection unit opposite to the proximal module so that the distal module is rotatable relative to the proximal module and the connection unit is mountable on the wall. The rotatable bearing has an articulation device configured to allow articulation of the rotatable bearing by an observer looking at the exit end.

A tethered imaging camera encapsulated in a shell lens element of such camera enables viewing from inside and imaging of a biological organ in/from a variety of directions. A portion of camera's optical system together with light source(s) and optical detector mutually cooperated by housing structure inside the shell are moveable/re-orientable within the shell to vary a desired view of the object space without interruption of imaging process. A tether carries electrical but not optical signals to and from the camera and controllable traction cords to move the camera, and a hand-control unit and/or electronic circuitry configured to operate the camera and power its movements. Method(s) of using optical, optoelectronic, and optoelectromechanical sub-systems of the camera.

A deflection prism assembly for an endoscope having a lateral viewing direction. The deflection prism assembly including: a prism holder; and a deflection prism which is received in the prism holder. The deflection prism is formed of a glass. The prism holder includes a reception component and an adjustment component, where the reception component is formed of a ceramic and the adjustment component is formed of a metal. The deflection prism is attached to the reception component and the adjustment component provides a stop for the deflection prism in an axial direction.

The present invention provides a lens unit having a cover member which does not cause deviation in precision and capable of being manufactured efficiently at low cost. In a lens unit 10A, side surfaces of a cover member 14a continuing from a front end surface 29 to a rear end surface located at a lens side are formed in a regular quadrangular prism, at least two of corners of the regular quadrangular prism are in contact with an inner peripheral surface 27 of a housing space 17 of a holder 11a for housing the cover member 14a, a gap 34 is formed between each of the side surfaces of the cover member 14a and the inner peripheral surface 27 of the holder 11a, and an effective area of a light beam is located inside a light receiving area having a regular quadrangular shape surrounded by an outer peripheral edge of the front end surface 29 of the cover member 14a.

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.

An objective optical system for endoscope includes a first lens having a negative refractive power, a second lens having a positive refractive power, an aperture stop, a third lens having a positive refractive power, a fourth lens having a positive refractive power, a fifth lens having a negative refractive power, and a sixth lens having a positive refractive power. The second lens is a meniscus lens having a convex surface directed toward an image side and the third lens is a meniscus lens having a convex surface directed toward the image side. A cemented lens having a positive refractive power is formed by the fourth lens and the fifth lens. The sixth lens is cemented to an image sensor, and the following conditional expression (1′″) is satisfied:
1≤(r3f+r3r)/(r3f−r3r)≤5  (1′″).

An endoscope includes an optical laminate and an image sensor. The optical laminate includes a first optical member that is a glass lens where an optical window is formed in a planar substrate, including a recessed portion or a protruding portion around the optical window, and a second optical member having a flat surface facing the substrate of the first optical member, and including a protrusion made of resin for being fitted with the recessed portion or the protruding portion. The flat surface of the second optical member is a surface of a glass substrate on the first optical member side. A resin lens of the second optical member is arranged on a surface on an opposite side of the flat surface. A flat portion excluding the optical window and the recessed portion or the protruding portion is in contact with the flat surface of the second optical member.

An endoscope comprising: an objective optical system; an imager having a light receiving plane that faces an emitting plane of the objective optical system; a semiconductor device provided so as to face a plane, of the imager, opposite to the light receiving plane; and a conductive member that covers the objective optical system, the imager, and the semiconductor device, the conductive member having an external dimension that is identical between a side of the objective optical system and a side of the imager. A distance from an end portion of the semiconductor device in a direction orthogonal to an optical axis of the objective optical system to an inner wall of the conductive member is shorter than a distance from an end portion of the imager in the direction orthogonal to the optical axis of the objective optical system to the inner wall of the conductive member.