ENDOSCOPE AND METHOD FOR ASSEMBLING AN ENDOSCOPE

Abstract

An endoscope optic including: an outer tube having an opening at an end face in an end region of the outer tube, a fiber tube disposed in the opening, the fiber tube containing an objective lens, and a fiber bundle for illuminating a region in front of the objective lens, the fiber bundle being provided at an outer periphery of the objective lens, wherein a distal end region of the fiber bundle being arranged in a distal aperture in the fiber tube, the aperture being surrounded by material of the fiber tube.

Claims

1. An endoscope optic comprising: an outer tube having an opening at an end face in an end region of the outer tube, a fiber tube disposed in the opening, the fiber tube containing an objective lens, and a fiber bundle for illuminating a region in front of the objective lens, the fiber bundle being provided at an outer periphery of the objective lens wherein a distal end region of the fiber bundle being arranged in a distal aperture in the fiber tube, the aperture being surrounded by material of the fiber tube.

2. The endoscope optic according to claim 1, wherein the fiber bundle is attached to the aperture.

3. The endoscope optic according to claim 1, wherein a longitudinal axis of the aperture and one or more of a longitudinal axis of the distal end of the fiber bundle and a viewing direction of the objective lens are oriented at least substantially parallel to each other.

4. The endoscope optic according to claim 1, wherein the objective lens is oriented obliquely through the opening at an angle offset from a longitudinal axis of the fiber tube.

5. The endoscope optic according to claim 1, wherein one or more of a longitudinal direction of the aperture and a beam direction of the fiber bundle differs from a viewing direction of the objective lens.

6. The endoscope optic according to claim 1, wherein a longitudinal direction of one or more of the aperture and a beam direction of the fiber bundle are set at an acute angle relative to a viewing direction of the objective lens such that they intersect in the region in front of the objective lens.

7. The endoscope optic according to claim 6, wherein the acute angle is between 1° and 20°.

8. The endoscope optic according to claim 1, wherein the aperture has one of a substantially semi-circular or crescent-shaped cross-section.

9. The endoscope optic according to claim 1, wherein the fiber bundle ends with one or more of the distal end region in the aperture and distal end region being flush with one of the end face of the outer tube or an end face of the fiber tube.

10. A method for assembling the endoscope optic according to claim 1, the method comprising: disposing the distal end region of the fiber bundle into the aperture in the fiber tube, while the distal end region of the fiber bundle is disposed in the aperture, inserting the fiber tube into the outer tube to position the fiber bundle relative to the fiber tube and outer tube, and fixing the fiber bundle in the aperture.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising, subsequent to the fixing, one of smoothing and polishing a distal end of the distal end region of the fiber bundle.

12. The endoscope optic according to claim 7, wherein the acute angle is between 2° and 6°.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] An embodiment will be described in more detail below with reference to the figures of the drawings.

[0024] FIG. 1 illustrates a lateral sectional view of an endoscope optic for an endoscope in the assembled state,

[0025] FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective rear view of a fiber tube of the endoscope optic,

[0026] FIG. 3 illustrates a front view of the lens of the endoscope optic,

[0027] FIG. 4 illustrates a lateral sectional view of the endoscope optic during the insertion of the fiber bundle, and

[0028] FIG. 5 illustrates a lateral sectional view with the inserted fiber bundle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] FIGS. 1-3 show an endoscope optic 10 for an endoscope in the assembled state in a lateral sectional view. Such an endoscope optic 10 is inserted into an endoscope not illustrated here and thus used in combination. For this purpose, the endoscope has a corresponding receptacle for the endoscope optic 10.

[0030] The endoscope optic 10 has a fiber tube 11, which is surrounded by an outer tube 12. The end face 14 of the endoscope optic 10 is arranged obliquely to the longitudinal axis of the endoscope optic 10. This end face 14 has an opening, such as a window opening 15, which is configured, for example, to receive a circular window 16. An optic system is provided inside the fiber tube (not illustrated). The viewing direction of the optic system is obliquely orientated in a direction 21 relative to a longitudinal axis 13 of the fiber tube 11.

[0031] The casing tube or outer tube 12 surrounds the entire endoscope optic 10 at least in the distal region, with the exception of the end face 14. A fiber bundle 17 is arranged in the upper region of the endoscope optic 10. The fiber bundle 17 ends at a distal end region with fiber ends 18 at the end face 14 of the endoscope optic 10. The fiber ends 18 meet substantially at least in an almost right angle to the end face 14. At the proximal end region of the fiber bundle 17, coupled light passes through the fiber bundle 17 and exits from its end face 19 to illuminate the field of view of the endoscope optic 10.

[0032] The endoscope optic has an objective lens 22 in the region of the window opening 15. The angle at which the objective lens 22 is oriented with its viewing direction 21 can, for example, be approximately 30°. This angle can be chosen depending on the scope of application of the endoscope optic 10. The end face 14 with the window 16 built into the window opening 15 is generally arranged at the same angle. Optionally, a straight-viewing optic can also be used instead.

[0033] The light output from the fiber end 18 thus extends mainly in a beam direction 20. The optic or the objective lens 22 looks accordingly in a viewing direction 21. In order to achieve sufficient illumination of the field of view of the optic, the beam direction 20 and the viewing direction 21 are arranged at least substantially parallel to each other. In order to achieve a better illumination directly in front of the objective lens 22 of the optic, the beam direction 20 can be arranged slightly inclined with respect to the viewing direction 21. In this case, the beam direction 20 and the viewing direction 21 intersect in the region in front of the end face 14 of the endoscope optic 10 at an acute angle. The angle is typically less than 20°, such as less than 10°, or between 2° and 6°.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 1, the fiber bundle 17 extends for the most part in a straight line and parallel to the longitudinal axis 13 of the endoscope optic 10. Only in the distal end portion thereof does the fiber bundle 17 extend in the beam direction 20 to illuminate the field of view.

[0035] In order to achieve an orientation of the fiber ends 18 to illuminate the field of view of the objective lens 22, the fiber bundle 17 undergoes a bending in a bending region 23. The fiber bundle 17 consists of a plurality of individual optical fibers 24, which can be bent in a simple manner accordingly. The fibers 24 extend parallel to each other.

[0036] The optical fibers 24 of the fiber bundle 17 are held for bending between a lower contact surface 25 and an upper contact surface 26 of an aperture 27 in the fiber tube 11. The lower contact surface 25 is, as in the prior art, a component of the fiber tube 11.

[0037] In the prior art, however, the upper contact surface 26 is attached to the outer tube 12. Accordingly, the distance between the lower contact surface 25 and the upper contact surface 26 can be increased for the assembly by sliding the outer tube 12 with respect to the fiber tube 11 in the prior art. The assembly is then performed by sliding the fiber tube 11 and outer tube 12 together in the correct position.

[0038] However, according to the embodiment of FIGS. 1-3, both the lower contact surface 25 and the upper contact surface 26 are part of the fiber tube 11. For this purpose, the aperture 27 is provided in the fiber tube 11. The aperture 27 can be configured as an arcuate slot or opening. It thus forms the lower contact surface 25 and the upper contact surface 26 for the optical fibers 24.

[0039] Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 5, a method for assembling the endoscope optic is as follows:

[0040] The optical fibers 24 of the fiber bundle 17 are inserted into the aperture 27 of the fiber tube 11, as is illustrated in FIG. 4. The introduction of the fiber bundle 17 can take place along more or less a straight route.

[0041] For further assembly, as illustrated in FIG. 5, the optical fibers 24 of the fiber bundle 17 are then bent downward somewhat and deposited on the top of the fiber tube 11. This results in a bending of the fibers 24 in the region of the bending point 23 due to a curved transition region provided in this region. This region is located between the lower contact surface 25 and a recess on the fiber tube side as part of a fiber channel 28 to receive the optical fibers 24. This fiber channel 28 is formed after the complete assembly of the endoscope optic 10 on the one hand by the top of the fiber tube 11 and on the other hand by the inside of the outer tube 12. While the optical fibers 24 of the fiber bundle 17 are guided into the interior of the fiber channel 28, the bending is maintained at the bending point 23.

[0042] In addition, a fixed mounting of the optical fibers 24 is thus provided in the aperture 27. This takes place since the fibers 24 are curved and abut the fiber tube 11 or outer tube 12. To fix the optical fibers 24 in the aperture 27, the optical fibers 24 are usually also molded in position by an adhesive. In addition, fiber ends 18 protruding beyond the end face 14 are cut and provided with a polishing in the plane of the end face 14. An end face 19 (see FIG. 1) of the fibers 24 is thus formed. This can be in a plane with the end face 14.

[0043] The fiber channel 28 can provide sufficient space for a more or less loose guidance of the optical fibers 24 of the fiber bundle 17. Meanwhile, the optical fibers 24 in the aperture 27 can be composed narrow, so that a stable orientation of the fiber ends 18 is thereby achieved.

[0044] The embodiments described above, as well as other embodiments, can be realized both with straight and obliquely-viewing endoscopes.

[0045] While there has been shown and described what is considered to be preferred embodiments of the invention, it will, of course, be understood that various modifications and changes in form or detail could readily be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is therefore intended that the invention be not limited to the exact forms described and illustrated, but should be constructed to cover all modifications that may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0046] 10 endoscope optic [0047] 11 fiber tube [0048] 12 outer tube/casing tube [0049] 13 longitudinal axis [0050] 14 end face [0051] 15 window opening [0052] 16 window [0053] 17 fiber bundle [0054] 18 fiber ends [0055] 19 end face [0056] 20 beam direction [0057] 21 viewing direction [0058] 22 objective lens [0059] 23 bending region [0060] 24 optical fibers [0061] 25 lower contact surface [0062] 26 upper contact surface [0063] 27 aperture [0064] 28 fiber channel