ENDOSCOPE, METHOD FOR OPERATING AN ENDOSCOPE AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING AN ENDOSCOPE

Abstract

An endoscope according to the technology, especially a mediastinoscope, comprises an elongated shaft and a head piece situated at a proximal end section of the shaft, wherein a heat source is arranged in the head piece, wherein at least one heat pipe extends inside the shaft, wherein a proximal end section of the at least one heat pipe is thermally coupled to the heat source and wherein the endoscope comprises an optical system which is closed by a cover glass arranged in a distal end section of the shaft. The heat source is a light source for generating an illumination radiation. The at least one heat pipe extends in the distal direction as far as the distal end section of the shaft, and at least one distal end section of the heat pipe is thermally coupled to the distal end section of the shaft. The technology also relates to a method for operating an endoscope and a method for producing an endoscope.

Claims

1. An endoscope, especially a mediastinoscope, having an elongated shaft and a head piece situated at a proximal end section of the shaft, wherein a heat source is arranged in the head piece, wherein at least one heat pipe extends inside the shaft, wherein a proximal end section of the at least one heat pipe is thermally coupled to the heat source and wherein the endoscope comprises an optical system which is closed by a cover glass arranged in a distal end section of the shaft, wherein the heat source is a light source for generating an illumination radiation, the at least one heat pipe extends in the distal direction as far as the distal end section of the shaft, and at least one distal end section of the heat pipe is thermally coupled to the distal end section of the shaft.

2. The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the optical system is received in an optical shaft, which extends in the shaft of the endoscope and whose distal end section is thermally coupled to the distal end section of the shaft.

3. The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the at least one heat pipe is thermally coupled in a middle section to the shaft.

4. The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the shaft comprises an outer shaft, having a section extending in the distal direction beyond the cover glass, wherein the at least one heat pipe extends in the distal direction only as far as the cover glass or approximately as far as the cover glass.

5. The according to claim 1, wherein the at least one heat pipe is inserted into a blind bore of the shaft extending in the longitudinal direction of the shaft, the blind bore is connected near its distal end by a transverse bore to an additional lengthwise bore of the shaft 14, and the at least one heat pipe is embedded in thermal adhesive in the blind bore.

6. The endoscope according to claim 5, wherein the additional lengthwise bore is a through bore, wherein the optical system is received in the through bore.

7. The endoscope according to claim 5, wherein the shaft comprises an outer shaft comprising the blind bore, the transverse bore and the additional lengthwise bore, wherein the outer shaft is formed as a single piece.

8. The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the endoscope comprises two heat pipes arranged on either side of the optical system.

9. The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the light source comprises at least one LED and a LED support, wherein the at least one heat pipe is thermally coupled to the LED support.

10. The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the endoscope comprises a handle with a housing, wherein an electronics unit is received in the housing, having a shell which lies flush with or interlocking against an inside of the housing.

11. The endoscope according to claim 10, wherein the electronics unit comprises a board with a metallic support of the board, which is thermally coupled to the shell by means of thermal paste and/or thermal adhesive.

12. A method for operating an endoscope, especially a mediastinoscope, which endoscope comprises an elongated shaft and a head piece situated at a proximal end section of the shaft, and wherein the endoscope comprises an optical system which is closed by a cover glass arranged in a distal end section of the shaft, wherein a light source arranged in the head piece is placed in operation to generate an illumination radiation and at least a portion of the heat loss generated by the light source is conducted by at least one heat pipe, whose proximal end section is thermally coupled to the light source and extends inside the shaft into the distal end section of the shaft.

13. A method for producing an endoscope, especially a mediastinoscope, wherein an outer shaft of the endoscope is prepared comprising at least one blind bore reaching from the proximal direction into the outer shaft, an additional lengthwise bore, and a transverse bore which joins the blind bore near its distal end to the lengthwise bore, the blind bore is filled at least partly with thermal adhesive, a heat pipe is inserted into the blind bore, wherein the thermal adhesive escapes through the transverse bore into the lengthwise bore, and an optical shaft of the endoscope is inserted into the lengthwise bore.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0037] Further aspects of the technology will emerge from the following description of a preferred exemplary embodiment and the accompanying drawing.

[0038] FIG. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of an endoscope according to the technology in a longitudinal section;

[0039] FIG. 2 shows a magnified longitudinal section of the shaft and the head piece of the endoscope of FIG. 1;

[0040] FIG. 3 shows a transverse section through the shaft and the head piece of the endoscope of FIG. 1;

[0041] FIG. 4 shows a longitudinal section through the distal end section of the shaft of the endoscope of FIG. 1 with a horizontal sectioning plane;

[0042] FIG. 5 shows a transverse section through the lower region of the handle of the endoscope of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043] FIG. 1 shows an endoscope according to one exemplary embodiment of the present technology in a longitudinal cross section view, and FIG. 2 shows it in a magnified longitudinal section view of the shaft and the head piece, wherein the sectioning plane of the endoscope is vertical and corresponding approximately to a midplane of the shaft and the handle. Here and in the following, the position and direction statements pertain to the position of the endoscope as shown in FIG. 1. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the endoscope is a mediastinoscope, especially a video mediastinoscope. However, the technology is not limited to this, but instead an endoscope according to the technology may be designed accordingly as a laryngoscope or for other endoscopic applications.

[0044] As is shown in FIG. 1, the mediastinoscope 1 comprises an elongated shaft 10, which is designed to be introduced through an incision into the mediastinum, as well as a handle 50. The shaft may in particular have a length of around 10-40 cm, for example around 20 cm. The handle 50 is arranged on a proximal end section 11 of the shaft 10 and protrudes downward from the shaft 10 approximately at a right angle in relation to the position of the mediastinoscope 1 shown in FIG. 1. The shaft 10 comprises an outer shaft, which in the exemplary embodiment shown is formed by an approximately cylindrical tube 12 which has a slot passing through it in the longitudinal direction. The tube 12 constitutes the spatula of the mediastinoscope 1 and consists for example of stainless steel. The tube 12 encloses a continuous cavity 13 in the longitudinal direction through which instruments can be moved, for example to take biopsies. In the distal end section 14 of the shaft 10, which is opposite the proximal end section 11, the cavity 13 leads to a working space 15.

[0045] In the lower region of the tube 12, a thickening is located on the inside, having a lengthwise bore in which an optical shaft 20 is installed which is firmly joined to the tube 12, for example by soldering or gluing with thermal adhesive. Inside the optical shaft 20 there is received an imaging unit 21 comprising a lens 22 and an electronic image sensor 23. The electronic image sensor 23 may be a CCD or MOSFET sensor, for example. The image signals generated by the electronic image sensor 23 are taken via a flex board 24 to an electrical connector 25 at the proximal end of the optical shaft 20. Further details on the arrangement and the electrical connections of the electronic image sensor 23 are described in the German patent application of the same applicant, filed on the same date as the present application, entitled Endoscope and method for manufacturing an endoscope (our reference: KST082), which is incorporated here in the present application by reference.

[0046] Together with a proximal connector housing 26, the optical shaft 20 forms a hermetically sealed space. For this, the connector 25 is installed in a hermetically tight manner in the connector housing 26 and the distal end of the optical shaft is closed off by the likewise hermetically sealed cover glass 27. Further details on the hermetically sealed configuration of the optical shaft 20 together with the connector housing 26 are described in the German patent application of the same applicant, filed on the same date as the present application, entitled Video endoscope (our reference: KST083), which is incorporated here in the present application by reference.

[0047] The tube 12 of the shaft 10 is distally beveled and forms an overhanging section 16 extending beyond the optical shaft and beyond the position of the cover glass 27 in the distal direction. The overhanging section 16 of the tube 12 encloses the working space 15, which can be used for surgical manipulations under endoscopic viewing. For this, the lens 22 is configured for a viewing direction slanted to the longitudinal direction of the shaft 10 and the cover glass 27 is slanted accordingly.

[0048] Further, it is shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 that a head piece 30 is mounted at the proximal end section 11 of the shaft 10, comprising a head piece housing 31 in which the connector housing 26 and a light source 32 are contained. Moreover, electrical connection cables are contained in the head piece housing 31 (see below). The light source 32 comprises a LED 33, which is mounted on a carrier plate 34 and makes contact there with electrical cables 35. The LED 33 is optically coupled to a light guide 36, which is formed by a strand of optical fiber, and which relays the illumination light generated by the LED 33 to the distal end section 14 of the shaft 10, where it emerges from the optical fibers to illuminate an object field or the working space 15. The optical fiber strand is held in a light guide socket 37. The carrier plate 34 is secured to a metallic support 38, which is mounted on the inside of the head piece housing 31.

[0049] FIG. 3 shows a transverse section through the shaft 10 and through the head piece 30 in the region of the LED 33, looking from the proximal direction. As is shown in FIG. 3, the LED 33 is optically coupled to the light guide 36, with the proximal end of the optical fiber strand forming the light guide 36 being held in the light guide socket 37. The light guide 36 runs beneath and to the side of the optical shaft 20 further in the distal direction through the tube 12 of the shaft 10. Furthermore, it is shown in FIG. 3 that the LED 33 is mounted on the LED carrier plate 34, which is secured to the support 38 and joined to it in a thermally conductive manner, for example by lying against it with its entire surface. Two heat pipes (40, 40) are installed in bores of the support 38 and are coupled thermally by means of thermal adhesive to the support 38. As indicated in FIG. 3 by the arrows 41, 42, the heat loss arising during the operation of the LED 33 and taken via the LED plate 34 to the support 38 is injected in a small portion directly into the head piece housing 31 (arrow 41) and in a larger portion dissipated by means of the heat pipe 40, 40 (arrow 42). The heat flux from the LED 33 through the LED plate 34 and inside the metallic support 38 is indicated by the arrows 43, 44.

[0050] As is likewise indicated in FIG. 3, the tube 12 of the shaft 10 is approximately cylindrical in shape, but it is flattened at the top in its proximal end section 11. In the lower region of the tube 12, the tube has a thickening, which extends as an interior bulge 17 in the longitudinal direction of the tube 12. There are formed in the bulge 17 a continuous central lengthwise bore 18 and two blind bores 45, 45 running laterally and parallel to this in which the heat pipes 40, 40 are situated, each of which is embedded in thermal adhesive 47, 47 and coupled thermally to the tube 12. The optical shaft 20 and the light guide 36 run in the lengthwise bore 18. Furthermore, it is shown in FIG. 3 that a housing 51 of the handle 50 is mounted by means of a seal 52 on the head piece housing 31. An electronics unit 60 is contained inside the housing 51 (see below).

[0051] As shown in the horizontal longitudinal section through the distal end section 14 of the shaft 10 represented in FIG. 4, the blind bores 45, 45 end in the distal direction shortly before the distal end of the optical tube 20. The optical tube 20, in whose distal end section the lens 22 and the electronic image sensor 23 are situated, is hermetically sealed by the cover glass 27. The distal end section of the light guide 36 is indicated at the side of the optical tube 20. Near the distal end of the blind bores 45, 45, transverse bores 46, 46 are introduced into the tube 12, through which the thermal adhesive 47, 47 in which the heat pipes 40, 40 are embedded (see FIG. 3) can escape during the mounting in the lengthwise bore 18. The distal end section of each heat pipe 40, 40 shown in FIG. 4 is thermally coupled to the tube 12 by the thermal adhesive 47, 47. As is likewise shown in FIG. 4, the overhanging section 16 of the tube 12 forms the working space 15. Further, the lengthwise continuous slot 19 of the tube 12 can be seen at the distal end of the tube 12 (also see FIG. 3).

[0052] FIG. 5 shows the handle 50 cut open in the region of the housing 51, approximately as a continuation of the cross section shown in FIG. 3 at bottom. The housing 51 of the handle 50 holds the electronics unit 60, which has a metallic shell 61 in which is mounted an aluminum support 62 which carries the power supply board 63. The power supply board 63 has electronic circuits for the control of the LED 33, for the powering of the electronic image sensor 23, and for the image preprocessing of the signals provided by the electronic image sensor 23. For this, the power supply board 63 is connected by a connector 64 and the corresponding cables 28, 35 to the image sensor 23 and to the LED 33 (see FIG. 2). The cables 28, 35 may be formed for example as a flex board or as ribbon cables. Moreover, the power supply board 63 is connected via the connector 64 and the cables 57 to an array of buttons 53 which are installed in the housing 51 of the handle 50 and by means of which various functions of the mediastinoscope 1 can be controlled, such as the brightness of the illumination and an electronic zoom function. Furthermore, the power supply board 63 is connected via a connector 65 to connecting cables 66 serving for connection to an external power supply and evaluation device, which may also comprise in particular a monitor as well as further operator elements.

[0053] The aluminum support 62 is adapted to the outfitting of the power supply board 63 and has for example an adequate thickness to fill up most of the space between the shell 61 and the power supply board 63 in the areas in which most of the heat loss is produced during the operation of the power supply board 63. The power supply board 63, moreover, is thermally coupled by means of thermal paste or adhesive to the aluminum support 62, and the latter is in turn thermally coupled by means of thermal paste or adhesive to the shell 61. A space between the power supply board 63 and the shell 61 can also be filled up with thermal paste or adhesive. The shell 61 lies flush against the inside of the housing 51. In order to improve the thermal coupling of the electronics unit 60 to the housing 51, additional thermal paste can be used. The heat transport through the aluminum support 62 and thermal paste or adhesive into the housing is indicated by the arrows 67 in FIG. 5.

[0054] The electronics unit 60 is hermetically sealed, so that the connectors 64, 65 are installed hermetically tight in the metallic shell 61. As mentioned above, the optical shaft 20 together with the connector housing 26 is also hermetically tight. The mediastinoscope 1 is sealed off as a whole, for which the seal 52 is provided, for example. The mediastinoscope 1 can thus be easily cleaned and sterilized, without having to be disassembled, and it can be autoclaved as a whole, if designed accordingly. But since a penetration of moisture into the interior of the head piece housing 31 cannot be entirely prevented on account of the seals 52 and the properties of optical fibers, the LED 33 including the proximal end of the light guide 36 or the light guide socket 37 which is optically coupled to the LED 33 is encased in casting compound (not shown in the figures), in order to further seal off the LED 33 and protect it as much as possible against the penetration of moisture.

[0055] As indicated in FIG. 5, the electronics unit 60 is fastened by means of screws 54 to the head piece housing 31. However, the screws 54 are not accessible in the assembled state of the mediastinoscope 1. The housing 51 of the handle 50 is held by a cap nut 55 on the electronics unit 60. In order to replace the electronics unit 60, for example if it becomes damaged, the cap nut 55 will be loosened, for which a special tool is needed. The housing 51 of the handle 50 can then be pulled off from the shell 61 of the electronics unit 60, so that the screws 54 become accessible and can be loosened, while the cables 57 are long enough so that the connector 64 only has to be loosened after the shell has been pulled off. After loosening the connector 64, 65, the electronics unit 60 can then be removed and replaced. In this way, a replacement of the electronics unit 60 is made possible without having to replace the shaft 10 with the optical shaft 20 at the same time.

[0056] Further details of the hermetically tight design of the electronics unit 60 and the sealing and disassembly of the mediastinoscope 1 are described in the German patent application of the same applicant, filed on the same date as the present application, entitled Video endoscope (our reference: KST083), which is incorporated here in the present application by reference.

[0057] When the mediastinoscope 1 is placed in operation, heat loss is produced in the power supply board 63 and in the LED 33. The heat loss of the power supply board 63 is taken, as described above, through the aluminum support 62 and the shell 61 to the housing 51 of the handle 50, and the heat transport can be improved by thermal paste or thermal adhesive. The heat loss of the LED 33 is taken in a small portion via the carrier plate 34 and the support 38 to the head piece housing 31 and it is taken up in a larger portion by the heat pipes 40, 40 (see FIG. 3). The heat pipes 40, 40 transport the respective portion of the heat loss of the LED 33 in the distal direction to the shaft 10 of the mediastinoscope 1 and at least partly to the distal end section 14 of the shaft 10 (see FIG. 4). The portion of the heat loss transported there heats the tube 12 in the area of the distal end section 14 of the shaft 10 by the thermal adhesive 47, 47 in which the heat pipes 40, 40 are embedded in the blind bores 45, 45. Since the optical shaft 20 is enclosed on all sides by the tube 12, the optical shaft 20 as well as the lens 22 and the cover glass 27 installed in the distal end of the optical shaft 22 are also heated. Even a slight heating of the cover glass 27 is enough to prevent a fogging of the cover glass 27 when the shaft 10 is introduced into an internal bodily cavity.

[0058] The heat loss of the power supply board 63 that is introduced into the housing 51 as well as the portion of the heat loss of the LED 33 that is introduced into the head piece housing 31 is given off substantially to the surroundings. The rest of the heat loss of the LED 33 is introduced via the heat pipes 40, 40 into the shaft 10 and likewise dissipated via the tube 12 to the surroundings or utilized to heat the cover glass 27. The electronic image sensor 23 likewise produces heat loss during its operation, but this is generally less than the heat loss given off by the LED 33. The arrow 48 in FIG. 4 symbolically shows a corresponding heat flux inside the heat pipe 40, which is generally oriented in the distal direction, depending on the temperature gradient and depending on the heat output of the electronic image sensor, but it may also be oriented in theory in the proximal direction. The flow of heat from the heat pipe 40 to the surface of the tube 12 of the shaft 10 is indicated by the arrow 49. As can be seen in FIG. 4, the heat transport within the tube 12 occurs substantially or at least partially transversely to the longitudinal direction of the tube 12.

[0059] Thanks to the heat management method according to the technology, it is possible to dissipate the heat loss, which is produced for the most part in the proximal region of the mediastinoscope, optimally over distal and proximal regions of the surface of the mediastinoscope, while avoiding in any case any injury to bodily tissue caused by heat during the procedure. At the same time, a portion of the heat loss can be utilized to heat the distal end section of the mediastinoscope, so that the cover glass can also be heated; in this way, it is possible to prevent a fogging of the cover glass, especially at the start of an OP. At the same time, the mediastinoscope is designed to make possible an easy handling, cleaning, and sterilization, for example by autoclaving.

[0060] For sake of clarity, not all reference symbols are presented in all the figures. Reference symbols not explained in one figure have the same meaning as in the other figures.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

[0061] 1 Mediastinoscope [0062] 10 Shaft [0063] 11 Proximal end section [0064] 12 Pipe [0065] 13 Cavity [0066] 14 Distal end section [0067] 15 Working space [0068] 16 Overhanging section [0069] 17 Bulge [0070] 18 Lengthwise bore [0071] 19 Slot [0072] 20 Optical shaft [0073] 21 Imaging unit [0074] 22 Lens [0075] 23 Image sensor [0076] 24 Flex board [0077] 25 Connector [0078] 26 Connector housing [0079] 27 Cover glass [0080] 28 Cables [0081] 30 Head piece [0082] 31 Head piece housing [0083] 32 Light source [0084] 33 LED [0085] 34 Carrier plate [0086] 35 Cables [0087] 36 Light guide [0088] 37 Light guide socket [0089] 38 Support [0090] 40, 40 Heat pipe [0091] 41 Arrow [0092] 42 Arrow [0093] 43 Arrow [0094] 44 Arrow [0095] 45, 45 Blind bore [0096] 46, 46 Transverse bore [0097] 47, 47 Thermal adhesive [0098] 48 Arrow [0099] 49 Arrow [0100] 50 Handle [0101] 51 Housing [0102] 52 Seal [0103] 53 Button [0104] 54 Screw [0105] 55 Cap nut [0106] 57 Cables [0107] 60 Electronics unit [0108] 61 Shell [0109] 62 Aluminum support [0110] 63 Power supply board [0111] 64 Connector [0112] 65 Connector [0113] 66 Connecting cables [0114] 67 Arrow