Video endoscope

Abstract

An endoscope (1) with an endoscope shaft (3) in which an illumination device (11) and a rotatably mounted image sensor (12) are arranged in a distal region (8) is provided, and includes a handle (2) in which a rotatably mounted heat sink (16) is arranged, wherein the image sensor (12) is thermally connected to the heat sink (16), for conjoint rotation therewith, via a heat transmission element (15).

Claims

1. An endoscope comprising: an endoscope shaft having a proximal end and a distal region; an illumination device and an image sensor located in the distal region and mounted rotatably with respect to the endoscope shaft; an endoscope handle connected to the proximal end; a heat sink arranged in the endoscope handle, the heat sink being rotatably mounted in the endoscope handle at least at one bearing point by at least one rotary bearing; a heat transmission element is arranged in the endoscope shaft, with a distal end of the heat transmission element thermally coupled to the image sensor, and a proximal end of the heat transmission element thermally coupled to the heat sink and connected to the heat sink for conjoint rotation therewith.

2. The endoscope as claimed in claim 1, wherein the heat transmission element is at least one of a heat tube or rod-shaped.

3. The endoscope as claimed in claim 1, wherein the image sensor is connected to the heat transmission element for conjoint rotation therewith.

4. The endoscope as claimed in claim 1, wherein a heat-conducting element is arranged between the image sensor and the heat transmission element.

5. The endoscope as claimed in claim 1, wherein the image sensor is a CMOS image sensor.

6. The endoscope as claimed in claim 1, wherein the illumination device has at least one light-emitting diode.

7. The endoscope as claimed in claim 1, wherein the illumination device is thermally coupled to the heat transmission element.

8. The endoscope as claimed in claim 1, wherein a thermally coupled rotary bearing is formed between the distal end of the heat transmission element or of the heat-conducting element and the illumination device or the heat-conducting element.

9. The endoscope as claimed in claim 1, wherein a heat transfer region is defined between the endoscope handle and the heat sink and permits heat transmission by an air gap being formed between a housing wall and the heat sink.

10. The endoscope as claimed in claim 9, wherein the air gap is filled with a heat-conducting liquid.

11. The endoscope as claimed in claim 1, wherein the heat sink is mounted in the endoscope handle at least two bearing points by slide or roller bearings on both sides of the heat transfer region.

12. The endoscope as claimed in claim 11, wherein the heat transfer region is formed by a thickening of the heat sink at least one of between or beyond the slide or roller bearings or by a constriction of the housing, and a distance between at least one of the heat sink or the heat transmission element and the housing of the endoscope handle in the heat transfer region is smaller than a distance between the housing and the heat sink in a region of one of the bearing points.

13. The endoscope as claimed in claim 1, wherein the heat transfer region is formed radially with respect to the heat sink or formed axially in the proximal end region of the handle.

14. The endoscope as claimed in claim 1, wherein the endoscope includes an actuating device for the image sensor, said actuating device is connected to the image sensor via a torque coupling having the heat transmission element.

15. The endoscope as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an actuating device arranged outside a wall of the handle or on the endoscope shaft, said actuating device transmits a torque from outside to the torque coupling.

16. The endoscope as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a heat-conducting element arranged between the image sensor and the heat transmission element, said heat-conducting element is spaced apart or separated from the endoscope shaft by an insulating layer.

17. The endoscope as claimed in claim 1, wherein the illumination device is connected to the endoscope shaft for conjoint rotation therewith.

18. The endoscope as claimed in claim 1, wherein the illumination device is thermally coupled to the heat transmission element by a heat-conducting element.

19. A method of removing heat from an endoscope, comprising: thermally coupling a distal end of a heat transmission element to an image sensor and connecting the image sensor to for conjoint rotation therewith; thermally coupling a proximal end of the heat transmission element to a heat sink that is rotatably mounted in the endoscope handle at least at one bearing point by at least one rotary bearing and connecting the heat transmission element for conjoint rotation therewith; and rotatably mounting the image sensor and the heat sink in a shaft of the endoscope.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention is explained in more detail below on the basis of an illustrative embodiment and with reference to the attached drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a side view of an endoscope according to the invention,

(3) FIG. 2 shows a detailed view of the endoscope tip,

(4) FIG. 3 shows a sectional view of an endoscope handle according to a first embodiment of the invention,

(5) FIG. 4 shows a sectional view of an endoscope handle according to a second embodiment of the invention, and

(6) FIG. 5 shows a sectional view of an endoscope handle according to a third embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(7) FIG. 1 shows an endoscope 1 according to the invention. The endoscope 1 principally has an endoscope handle 2 and an endoscope shaft 3.

(8) The endoscope handle 2 has a handgrip 4 at which the endoscope can be held. In the example, control elements 5 are arranged at the handgrip 4, for example for the illumination or the camera. At the proximal end 6 of the endoscope handle 2, a cable 7 is arranged via which video signals and the current supply are fed.

(9) The endoscope shaft 3 is connected to the endoscope handle 2 for conjoint rotation therewith. Located at the distal end 8 of the endoscope shaft 3 is the endoscope tip 9, which has an oblique viewing window 10. An illumination device 11 is arranged in the interior of the endoscope tip 9, and the light of the illumination device 11 can exit through the viewing window 10. For better heat dissipation, the illumination device 11 is secured on a heat-conducting element 36, which is rigidly connected to the endoscope shaft 3. An image sensor 12 is arranged next to the illumination device 11. Arranged between the viewing window 10 and the image sensor 12 is a prism unit 13, by which light entering through the viewing window 10 is conveyed onto the image sensor 12.

(10) For better heat dissipation, the image sensor 12 is likewise mounted on a heat-conducting element 14. In the proximal direction, the heat-conducting element 14 is thermally coupled to a heat pipe 15 (heat tube) as heat transmission element and is mechanically connected to the latter for conjoint rotation therewith. A heat pipe 15 is known in principle in the prior art, for which reason its function is not explained in any further detail here. The heat pipe 15 used in the example is designed as a straight tube or straight rod and is commercially available, for example as a ready-made accessory. A heat-transmitting slide bearing 37 is arranged between the heat-conducting element 36 of the illumination device 11 and the heat-conducting element 14 of the image sensor 12. This slide bearing 37 permits, on the one hand, the rotatability of the image sensor 12 with respect to the endoscope shaft 3 and, on the other hand, an additional heat dissipation from the illumination device 11 into the heat pipe 15.

(11) The heat pipe 15 connects the image sensor 12 thermally to a heat sink 16 arranged in the endoscope handle 2.

(12) FIG. 3 now shows a first embodiment of an endoscope handle 2. The endoscope handle 2 has an approximately cylindrical housing 17, which forms an interior 18 in which a substantially cylindrical heat sink 16 is arranged.

(13) An air gap 19 is formed between the housing 17 and the heat sink 16 and defines a heat transfer region 20 which allows heat to be transmitted from the heat sink 16 to the housing 17. In this embodiment, the heat transfer region 20 is formed by a constriction 21 of the housing 17. Arranged on the outer circumference 22 of the constriction 21 is a heat-insulating handle onlay 23 which forms the handgrip 4 and which prevents overheating of the handgrip 4.

(14) At two bearing points 24 spaced axially apart from each other, the heat sink 16 is mounted rotatably with respect to the wall 26 of the housing 17 by ball bearings 25. In this example, the heat transfer region 20 is arranged between the two bearing points 24, and the bearing points 24 thus lie outside the heat transfer region 20. This in particular improves the heat transmission in the heat transfer region 20 and prevents unnecessary heating of the bearings 25.

(15) To improve the heat transmission from the heat sink 16 to the housing 17, in this example the air gap 19 in the heat transfer region 20 is additionally filled with a heat-conducting liquid 27. This liquid 27 can be, for example, a substantially liquid heat-conducting paste or boron nitride. To ensure that the liquid 27 remains inside the air gap 19, the air gap 19 is sealed off on both sides by a respective seal 28. This seal 28 can also increase the resistance to the rotation of the heat sink 16, such that the heat sink 16 does not rotate automatically.

(16) The heat pipe 15 is arranged coaxially in the center of the heat sink 16. The heat sink 16 thus serves as heat sink for the heat transported by the heat pipe 15. This heat is taken up by the heat sink 16 and transmitted to the surrounding housing 17 via the heat transfer region 20. The heat pipe 15 is rigidly connected to the heat sink 16 for conjoint rotation therewith.

(17) The heat pipe 15 inside the endoscope shaft 3 is surrounded by a sleeve 29, which is likewise connected to the heat sink 16 and the heat pipe 15 for conjoint rotation with these and prevents excessive torque being placed on the heat pipe 15.

(18) The heat sink 16, the heat pipe 15, the sleeve 29 and the image sensor 12 thus form a rigid unit as a torque coupling 30, which is rotatable as a whole.

(19) For manual rotation of the torque coupling 30, the endoscope 1 has a magnetic actuating device 31, which is connected to the image sensor 12 via the torque coupling 30.

(20) The actuating device 31 is arranged at the proximal end 32 of the endoscope shaft 3, directly in front of the endoscope handle 2. This device is configured in the example as an actuating ring 33, which coaxially encloses the cylindrical endoscope shaft 3. Arranged on the inner circumference of the actuating ring 33 is a multipolar ring magnet 34, which is alternately magnetized in the circumferential direction. This means that the north and south poles of the ring magnet 34 lie next to one another in alternation in the circumferential direction.

(21) Arranged opposite this ring magnet 34, on the outer circumference of the sleeve 29, there is likewise a ring magnet 34 which, in terms of the number of poles and magnetization, is of identical configuration to the ring magnet 34 of the actuating device 30. The north and south poles of each of the two ring magnets 34 are oriented radially. In this way, the actuating ring 33 is connected magnetically to the sleeve 29. If the actuating ring 33 is now rotated manually, the magnetic coupling causes a rotation of the sleeve and therefore of the entire torque coupling 30. In this way, the image sensor 12, being part of the torque coupling, can be rotated with respect to the endoscope shaft 3 and the endoscope handle 2. This magnetic actuating device 30 has the advantage that it lies in particular outside the heat transfer region 20 and thus does not adversely affect the heat dissipation. In addition, the endoscope 1 can be of a completely closed design.

(22) FIG. 4 shows an alternative embodiment of the endoscope handle 2, which corresponds substantially to FIG. 3. However, in this embodiment, the heat transfer region 20 is not formed by a constriction of the housing 17, but by a thickening 35 of the heat sink 16 between the bearing points 24.

(23) In the alternative shown in FIG. 5, the heat transfer region 20 is formed axially at the proximal end 6 of the endoscope handle 2. In this embodiment too, the heat sink 16 is mounted rotatably at two bearing points 24. However, these two bearing points 24 are in this case arranged distally in front of the heat transfer region 20.

(24) The invention thus describes an endoscope 1 with an endoscope shaft 3 in which an illumination device 11 and a rotatably mounted image sensor 12 are arranged in a distal region, and with an endoscope handle 2 in which a rotatably mounted heat sink 16 is arranged, wherein the image sensor 12 is thermally connected to the heat sink 16, for conjoint rotation therewith, via a heat transmission element 15.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

(25) 1 endoscope

(26) 2 endoscope handle

(27) 3 endoscope shaft

(28) 4 handgrip

(29) 5 control elements

(30) 6 proximal end of the endoscope handle

(31) 7 cable

(32) 8 distal end of the endoscope shaft

(33) 9 endoscope tip

(34) 10 viewing window

(35) 11 illumination device

(36) 12 image sensor

(37) 13 prism unit

(38) 14 heat-conducting element of the image sensor

(39) 15 heat pipe

(40) 16 heat sink

(41) 17 housing

(42) 18 interior

(43) 19 air gap

(44) 20 heat transmission region

(45) 21 constriction

(46) 22 outer circumference of the constriction

(47) 23 handgrip onlay

(48) 24 bearing point

(49) 25 ball bearing

(50) 26 housing wall

(51) 27 liquid

(52) 28 seal

(53) 29 sleeve

(54) 30 torque coupling

(55) 31 actuating device

(56) 32 proximal end of the endoscope shaft

(57) 33 actuating ring

(58) 34 ring magnet

(59) 35 thickening

(60) 36 heat-conducting element of the illumination device

(61) 37 slide bearing