Scopes such as medical imaging camera head devices and methods are provided using light captured by an endoscope system or other medical scope or borescope. At least one polarizing optical element manipulates the polarization properties of image light. The manipulated image light is focused on an image sensor including polarizers for each pixel. Multiple images are produced based sets of pixels having the same orientation of polarizer. The resulting images are combined with high dynamic range techniques.

An endoscope may have a shaft having a distal end portion and a proximal end portion. The endoscope may also have a first objective arranged at the distal end portion and a first optical axis. The endoscope may also have a second objective arranged at the distal end portion and a second optical axis. The endoscope may also have a lens system disposed within the shaft between the distal end portion and the proximal end portion, the lens system having an optical axis. The first objective and the second objective may be both optically coupled to the same lens system such that first parallel rays from the first objective and second parallel rays from the second objective are input into the lens system. The lens system may be an optical relay system may have at least one relay group or a tube lens group.

An endoscope may have a shaft having a distal end portion and a proximal end portion. The endoscope may also have a first objective arranged at the distal end portion and a first optical axis. The endoscope may also have a second objective arranged at the distal end portion and a second optical axis. The endoscope may also have a lens system disposed within the shaft between the distal end portion and the proximal end portion, the lens system having an optical axis. The first objective and the second objective may be both optically coupled to the same lens system such that first parallel rays from the first objective and second parallel rays from the second objective are input into the lens system. The lens system may be an optical relay system may have at least one relay group or a tube lens group.

A system for polarimetric characterization of a target that includes a liquid light guide (LLG) for propagating light from a light source to the target (S) at least one of a Polarization State Analyzer (PSA) serving to analyze polarization of light having propagated into the LLG and that has been reflected by the target, and a Polarized State Generator (PSG) for modulating the polarization of light injected into the LLG, an optical detector for detecting light backscattered by the target (S) that has been illuminated by the LLG.

A relay optical system 20 for a rigid endoscope includes a lens fixing frame 21 and a plurality of lenses 22. The lens fixing frame 21 has a plurality of tubular bodies 26. The plurality of tubular bodies 26 are joined coaxially to each other. The plurality of lenses 22 are located at positions other than a joint position jp of the tubular bodies 26 in an axis direction of the lens fixing frame 21. The plurality of lenses 22 are located in the lens fixing frame 21 so as to have a coincident optical axis. The plurality of lenses 22 do not include a cemented lens.

An access device for accessing an intervertebral disc having an outer shield comprising an access shield with a larger diameter (˜16-30 mm) that reaches from the skin down to the facet line, with an inner shield having a second smaller diameter (˜5-12 mm) extending past the access shield and reaches down to the disc level. This combines the benefits of the direct visual microsurgical/mini open approaches and the percutaneous, “ultra-MIS” techniques.

An access device for accessing an intervertebral disc having an outer shield comprising an access shield with a larger diameter (˜16-30 mm) that reaches from the skin down to the facet line, with an inner shield having a second smaller diameter (˜5-12 mm) extending past the access shield and reaches down to the disc level. This combines the benefits of the direct visual microsurgical/mini open approaches and the percutaneous, “ultra-MIS” techniques.

There is provided a camera head for endoscope which enables to achieve a favorable fluorescent image in any wavelength band when the observation is switched over from a normal white-light image observation to an observation of fluorescent images of different wavelength bands.

The camera head for endoscope includes a camera-head optical system which includes a spectral prism having a dichroic film which splits light from the endoscope into white light and fluorescent light, and a first image pickup element and a second image pickup element which are disposed in respective optical paths split into two by the spectral prism, and the first image pickup element is for the white-light image observation in which a white-light image is captured, and the second image pickup element is for a fluorescent-image observation in which two fluorescent images of different wavelengths are captured, and the first image pickup element is disposed at a position at which an image is formed in an optical path for the white-light image observation, and the second image pickup element is disposed at a position between two positions at which the two fluorescent images are formed in an optical path for the fluorescent-mage observation, and the camera head for endoscope satisfies the following conditional expression (1).

d≦9×P×Fno  (1)

An access device for accessing an intervertebral disc having an outer shield comprising an access shield with a larger diameter (˜16-30 mm) that reaches from the skin down to the facet line, with an inner shield having a second smaller diameter (˜5-12 mm) extending past the access shield and reaches down to the disc level. This combines the benefits of the direct visual microsurgical/mini open approaches and the percutaneous, “ultra-MIS” techniques.

An access device for accessing an intervertebral disc having an outer shield comprising an access shield with a larger diameter (˜16-30 mm) that reaches from the skin down to the facet line, with an inner shield having a second smaller diameter (˜5-12 mm) extending past the access shield and reaches down to the disc level. This combines the benefits of the direct visual microsurgical/mini open approaches and the percutaneous, “ultra-MIS” techniques.