Video Mediastinoscope and a Method For Its Configuration

Abstract

A video endoscope, more specifically a video mediastinoscope, and an associated method for its configuration, comprises an elongate rigid shaft and a handle detachably attached to a proximal end section of the shaft, wherein the shaft comprises an optics shaft comprising an imaging optics and an electronic image sensor, wherein the optics shaft and a plug connector housing arranged at a proximal end of the optics shaft form a hermetically sealed unit enclosing the imaging optics and the image sensor, and wherein the handle comprises a handle housing in which an electronics unit is accommodated, wherein the electronics unit is hermetically sealed.

Claims

1. A video mediastinoscope, comprising an elongate rigid shaft and a handle detachably attached to a proximal end section of the shaft, wherein the shaft comprises an optics shaft comprising an imaging optics and an electronic image sensor, wherein the optics shaft and a plug connector housing arranged at a proximal end of the optics shaft form a hermetically sealed unit enclosing the imaging optics and the image sensor, and wherein the handle comprises a handle housing in which an electronics unit is accommodated, wherein the electronics unit is hermetically sealed independently of the hermetically sealed optics shaft, and wherein that the shaft of the video mediastinoscope comprises a shaft tube to which the optics shaft is rigidly connected, and wherein the shaft tube comprises a slit extending from a distal end to a proximal end of the shaft tube, and further comprises a hollow space configured for inserting instruments therethrough.

2. The video mediastinoscope of claim 1, wherein the proximal end section of the shaft tube further comprises a head peace rigidly connected thereto, and wherein both the electronics unit and the handle housing are independently detachably attached to the head piece of the shaft of the video mediastinoscope.

3. The video mediastinoscope of claim 1, wherein at least one plug connector is hermetically integrated into the plug connector housing.

4. The video mediastinoscope of claim 1, wherein at least one plug connector is hermetically integrated into a casing of the electronics unit.

5. The video mediastinoscope of claim 1, wherein the shaft of the video endoscope comprises at least one light source arranged outside the optics shaft and the plug connector housing, and that the shaft of the video endoscope comprises at least one light guide for transmitting illumination radiation generated by the light source to a distal end section of the shaft, a proximal end section of the at least one light guide being optically coupled to the light source, and wherein the proximal end section of the at least one light guide and the light source are both embedded in a sealing compound.

6. The video mediastinoscope of claim 1, wherein the shaft of the video endoscope and the handle attached to the shaft forms a sealed unit.

7. The video mediastinoscope of claim 2, wherein at least one plug connector is hermetically integrated into the plug connector housing.

8. The video mediastinoscope of claim 2, wherein the handle housing is detachably fixed to the electronics unit and the electronics unit is detachably fixed to the head piece with at least one first fixation element, the at least one first fixation element being accessible only when the handle housing has been detached from the electronics unit.

9. The video mediastinoscope of claim 7, wherein at least one plug connector is hermetically integrated into a casing of the electronics unit.

10. The video mediastinoscope of claim 8, wherein the shaft of the video endoscope comprises at least one light source arranged outside the optics shaft and the plug connector housing, and that the shaft of the video endoscope comprises at least one light guide for transmitting illumination radiation generated by the light source to a distal end section of the shaft, a proximal end section of the at least one light guide being optically coupled to the light source, and wherein the proximal end section of the at least one light guide and the light source are both embedded in a sealing compound.

11. The video mediastinoscope of claim 5, wherein the handle housing comprises at least one control manually activated control element electrically connected to the electronics unit and/or to the electronic image sensor and/or to the light source, the at least one manually activated control element located outside of the electronic unit.

12. The video mediastinoscope of claim 10, wherein the handle housing comprises at least one control manually activated control element electrically connected to the electronics unit and/or to the electronic image sensor and/or to the light source, the at least one manually activated control element located outside of the electronic unit.

13. The video mediastinoscope of claim 11, wherein the shaft of the video endoscope and the handle attached to the shaft forms a sealed unit.

14. The video mediastinoscope of claim 6, wherein the video endoscope is configured to be autoclavable.

15. The video mediastinoscope of claim 13, wherein the video endoscope is configured to be autoclavable.

16. A method for configuring a video endoscope, wherein an elongate rigid endoscope shaft comprising an optics shaft with an imaging optics and an electronic image sensor is provided, a head piece having a head piece housing being arranged at a proximal end section of the shaft, an electronics unit and a handle housing are provided, the handle housing being configured for accommodating the electronics unit, electric connections between the electronics unit and the shaft are formed, the electronics unit is attached to the head piece housing with at least one first fixation element, and the handle housing is mounted to the electronics unit, thereby covering the at least one first fixation element.

17. The method for configuring a video endoscope of claim 16, wherein said optics shaft is configured to be hermetically sealed.

18. The method for configuring a video endoscope of claim 16, wherein said electronics unit is configured to be hermetically sealed.

19. The method for configuring a video endoscope of claim 17, wherein the shaft of the video endoscope comprises at least one light source arranged outside the optics shaft, and that the shaft of the video endoscope comprises at least one light guide for transmitting illumination radiation generated by the light source to a distal end section of the shaft, a proximal end section of the at least one light guide being optically coupled to the light source and embedded in a sealing compound.

20. The method for configuring a video endoscope of claim 16, wherein said video endoscope is further configured to be autoclavable.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0035] Further aspects of the present invention will be apparent from the figures and from the description of a particular embodiment that follows.

[0036] FIG. 1 shows a video endoscope according to an embodiment of the present invention in an axial sectional view.

[0037] FIG. 2 shows an enlarged axial sectional view of the shaft and the head piece of the video endoscope of FIG. 1.

[0038] FIG. 3 shows a cross section through the shaft and the head piece of the video endoscope of FIG. 1.

[0039] FIG. 4 shows a cross section through the lower part of the handle of the video endoscope of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0040] The exemplary embodiment of the video endoscope shown in the figures is a video mediastinoscope 1. As is shown in FIG. 1 in a partially cut-open longitudinal sectional view, the video mediastinoscope 1 comprises an elongate shaft 10 and a handle 50 attached to a proximal end section 11 of the shaft 10, the shaft 10 being configured for being introduced through an incision into the mediastinum of a patient. The shaft 20 may have a length of about 10-40 cm, for example approximately 20 cm. The shaft 10 is formed by an approximately cylindrical shaft tube 12 comprising a longitudinal end-to-end slot. The shaft tube 12 encloses a longitudinal hollow space 13 configured for inserting instruments such as for taking biopsies, for example. At its lower inner side the shaft tube 12 has a longitudinal thickening that comprises a longitudinal bore into which a tube-like optics shaft 20 is inserted. The optics shaft 20 is fixedly connected to the shaft tube 12, for example by soldering or with an adhesive. Within the optics shaft 20 an imaging unit 21 is arranged in a distal end section of the optics shaft 20, the imaging unit comprising an objective lens 22 and an electronic image sensor 23. The image signal generated by the image sensor 23 is transmitted by a flexible printed circuit board (flexible PCB 24) to a plug connector 25 arranged at a proximal end of the optics shaft 20.

[0041] The optics shaft 20 preferably is an approximately cylindrical metallic tube. At its proximal end the optics shaft 20 is connected to a plug connector housing 26 in which the plug connector 25 is inserted in a hermetically sealed manner, for example by welding (see FIG. 2). The plug connector 25 is a glass-mold plug connector, for example, having a multiplicity of connecting pins 29 being sealingly soldered with glass solder into and penetrating a glass base 25a of the plug connector 25. A proximal end section of the optics shaft 20 is inserted into a tube-like distal section 26a of the plug connector housing 26, being fixed to and hermetically sealed in the distal section 26a by soldering or welding, for example. At its distal end the optics shaft 20 is closed by a cover glass 27 that is inserted into the distal end section of the tube-like optics shaft 20 in a hermetically sealed manner, for example by soldering or by a suitable adhesive. The optics shaft 20 and the plug connector housing 26 form a hermetically sealed unit, enclosing a hermetically sealed chamber in which the objective lens 22, the electronic image sensor 23 and the flexible PCB 24 are housed. The plug connector housing 26 has a bore 26b for leak checking, the bore 26b being hermetically closed by a lid welded into a widening on an exterior side of the bore 26b. Further details of the optics shaft 20, the plug connector housing 26 and the electric and electronic components enclosed therein are disclosed in the co-pending German patent application number 102019003842.8, filed Jun. 3, 2019, and entitled “Endoscope and method for manufacturing an endoscope” which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0042] Further it is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 that a head piece 30 is fixed to the shaft tube 12 in the proximal end section 11 of the shaft 10. The head piece 30 has a head piece housing 31 in which the plug connector housing 26 and a light source 32 are enclosed. Further the head piece housing 31 accommodates electric leads (see below). The head piece housing 31 is fixed to the shaft tube 12 in a not detachable manner by soldering or welding, for example, and can thus be considered a part of the shaft 10 of the video mediastinoscope 1. The light source 32 comprises an LED 33 mounted on an LED board 34 and contacted to electric leads 35. A light guide 36 formed by a glass fiber bundle is optically coupled to the LED 33. Illumination radiation generated by the LED 33 is transmitted by the light guide 36 until the distal end section 14 of the shaft 10, where the illumination radiation exits from the glass fibers for illuminating an object field to be observed and/or the working space 15. A proximal end section of the bundle of glass fibers is held in a fiber mount 37. The LED board 34 is mounted on a metallic carrier element 38 mounted to an inner side of the head piece housing 31. The LED 33, the LED board 34 and the proximal end of the bundle of glass fibers are embedded in a sealing compound (not shown).

[0043] FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view, as seen from a proximal direction, through the shaft 10, the head piece 30 and the LED 33. As depicted in FIG. 3, the LED 33 is optically coupled to the light guide 36, a proximal end of the glass fiber bundle forming the light guide 36 being held in the fiber mount 37. The light guide 36 extends through the shaft tube 12 of the shaft 10 in a distal direction, the glass fibers being arranged below and laterally of the optics shaft 20. The LED 33 is mounted on the LED board 34, the LED board 34 being mounted in a heat-conducting manner to the carrier element 38. Heat pipes 40, 40′ are inserted into bores of the carrier element 38 and thermally coupled to the carrier element 38 by heat-conducting adhesive. Excess heat generated by the LED 33 during operation is conducted via LED board 34 to the carrier element 38 and, to a major fraction, transported into the shaft 10 by the heat pipes 40, 40′. A minor fraction of the excess heat is conducted by the carrier element 38 directly into the head piece housing 31. Details of the heat management of the video mediastinoscope 1 are described in the above mentioned co-pending German Patent Application No. 102019003839.8, “Endoskop, Verfahren zum Betreiben eines Endoskops sowie Verfahren zum Herstellen eines Endoskops”.

[0044] As is also depicted in FIG. 3, the shaft tube 12 of the shaft 10 is approximately cylindrical, having a flattened upper side in its proximal end section and a longitudinal slit 19. In its lower part the shaft tube 12 comprises a thickening formed by a longitudinally extending bead 17 formed on an inner side of the shaft tube 12. The shaft tube 12 comprises a longitudinal bore 18 and two lateral dead-end bores 45, 45′ in which the heat pipes 40, 40′ are embedded in heat-conducting adhesive 47, 47′. The longitudinal bore 18 accommodates the optics shaft 20 and the light guide 36, the optics shaft 20 accommodating the imaging unit 21 and the flexible PCB 24 (not shown in FIG. 3). Further it can be seen in FIG. 3 that a handle housing 51 of the handle 50 is attached to the head piece housing 31, a sealing element 52 being compressed in between. The handle housing 51 and the head piece housing 31 are shaped in conjunction to be gripped by a user with one hand (see FIG. 1).

[0045] FIG. 4 shows a cross section of the handle 50, the cross sectional view approximately forming a continuation of the cross sectional view shown in FIG. 3. The handle housing 51 of the handle 50 accommodates an electronics unit 60. The electronics unit 60 has a metallic casing 61 enclosing a carrier 62 preferably formed of aluminum and an electronics board. The electronics board, which is briefly denoted supply board 63, comprises electronic circuitry for supplying the LED 33 and the electronic image sensor 23 with electric energy, for controlling the LED 33 and the electronic image sensor 23, as well as for image pre-processing of the image signals received from the electronic image sensor 23. To this end the supply board 63 is electrically connected via electric leads 64a, plug connectors 64 and electric leads 28, 35 with the image sensor 23 and the LED 33, respectively (see FIG. 2). Further the supply board 63 is electrically connected via plug connector 64 and electric leads 57 with a multiplicity of control buttons 53 arranged on a proximal side of the handle housing 51 (see FIGS. 1 and 2). The control buttons 53 permit control of various functions of the mediastinoscope 1, such as illumination and electronic zoom. Furthermore the supply and control board 63 is connected via electric leads 63b and plug connector 65 with electric lines 66 for connecting the mediastinoscope 1 to an external supply and processing system that may comprise a monitor for displaying the endoscopic image as well as further control elements. The electric leads 28, 35, 63a, 63b may be formed by flexible circuit boards or ribbon cables, for example.

[0046] The shape of the carrier 62 is adapted to the circuitry of the supply board 63 and, for example, has a sufficient thickness to substantially fill the space formed between the casing 61 and the supply board 63 at least in such sections of the supply board 63 in which most excess heat is generated. The supply board 63 is coupled thermally to the carrier 62 by heat conducting paste or adhesive, and the carrier 62 is coupled thermally by heat conduction paste or adhesive to the casing 61. The casing 61 is thermally coupled to the handle housing 61 by plane contact and, possibly, by heat conducting paste.

[0047] The electronics unit 60 is hermetically sealed. To this end the plug connectors 64, 65 are inserted into the metallic casing 61 in a hermetically sealed manner. As is indicated in FIG. 4, the plug connectors 64, 65 each comprise a plug connector insert 68, 69 penetrated by a multiplicity of pins in a sealed manner Thus, for example, the plug connector inserts 68, 69 may be formed as glass-mold inserts. The casing 61 may be formed as one piece of a metallic material, into which the plug connector inserts 68, 69 are inserted in a hermetically sealed manner, for example by welding. In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 4 the casing 61 is formed by a metallic main part 70, an upper lid element 71 and a lower lid element 72, which are connected to the main part 70 in a hermetically sealed manner, for example by welding, soldering or gluing with a suitable adhesive. The plug connector insert 68 of the plug connector 64 is inserted in a hermetically sealed manner into the upper lid element 71 of the casing 61, and the plug connector insert 69 of the plug connector 65 is hermetically sealed inserted into the lower lid element 72 of the casing 61. In this way the supply board 63 is enclosed in a hermetically sealed chamber, such that the electronics unit 60 forms a hermetically sealed unit. The supply board 63 is thus perfectly protected against intrusion of moisture.

[0048] As is further shown in FIG. 4, the electronics unit 60 is fixed by screws 54 to the head piece housing 61. The screws 54, however, are covered by the handle housing 51 and are not accessible from the outside as long as the handle housing 51 is attached to the head piece housing 31. The handle housing 51 of the handle 50 is held to the electronics unit 60 by a coupling nut 55. The coupling nut 55 is configured to be operable only with a special tool, for example the coupling nut 55 may have three grooves separated by 120° into which a correspondingly shaped tool may be inserted for turning the coupling nut 55.

[0049] In order to detach the handle 50 from the shaft 10 and to replace the electronics unit 60, the supply cable comprising the electric lines 66 is pulled off from plug connector 65, the coupling nut 55 is released, and thereafter the handle housing 51 of the handle 50 is pulled off from the casing 61 of the electronics unit 60. Now the screws 54 have become accessible and are loosened. After unplugging the plug connectors 64, 65 the electronics unit 60 is detached from the shaft 10. The electronics unit 60 can now be replaced by another electronics unit, which can be connected electrically and mechanically to the respective components of the shaft 10 by corresponding steps in inverted order.

[0050] For clarity not all reference numerals are displayed in all figures. If a reference numeral is not explicitly mentioned in the description of a figure, it has the same meaning as in the other figures.

REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0051] 1 Mediastinoscope [0052] 10 Shaft [0053] 11 Proximal end section [0054] 12 Shaft tube [0055] 13 Hollow space [0056] 14 Distal end section [0057] 15 Working space [0058] 17 Bead [0059] 18 Longitudinal bore [0060] 19 Slit [0061] 20 Optics shaft [0062] 21 Imaging unit [0063] 22 Objective lens [0064] 23 Image sensor [0065] 24 Flexible PCB [0066] 25 Plug connector [0067] 25a Base [0068] 26 Plug connector housing [0069] 26a Distal section [0070] 26b Bore [0071] 27 Cover glass [0072] 28 Electric leads [0073] 29 Pin [0074] 30 Head piece [0075] 31 Head piece housing [0076] 32 Light source [0077] 33 LED [0078] 34 LED board [0079] 35 Electric leads [0080] 36 Light guide [0081] 37 Fiber mount [0082] 38 Carrier element [0083] 40, 40′ Heatpipe [0084] 45, 45′ Dead-end bore [0085] 47, 47′ Heat-conductive adhesive [0086] 50 Handle [0087] 50 Handle housing [0088] 51 Sealing element [0089] 52 Control button [0090] 53 Screw [0091] 55 Coupling nut [0092] 57 Electric leads [0093] 60 Electronics unit [0094] 61 Casing [0095] 62 Carrier [0096] 63 Supply board [0097] 63a Electric leads [0098] 63b Electric leads [0099] 64 Plug connector [0100] 65 Plug connector [0101] 66 Supply lines [0102] 68 Plug connector insert [0103] 69 Plug connector insert [0104] 70 Main part [0105] 71 Upper lid element [0106] 72 Lower lid element