Endoscopy device

Abstract

An endoscopy device (1) with an endoscope (2) and a camera control unit (12) is provided. The endoscope (2) has an endoscope shaft (3) and an endoscope head (4), and the endoscope shaft (3) is made of a metallic material. Electronics (8) are arranged in the endoscope head (4) and are connected to an attachment cable (10), and the electronics (8) and the attachment cable (10) are shielded by an electronics shield (14). A galvanic barrier (15) is set up between the electronics shield (14) and the endoscope shaft (3) and couples the endoscope shaft (3) capacitively to the electronics shield (14).

Claims

1. An endoscope (2) comprising: an endoscope shaft (3), an endoscope head (4) arranged at a proximal end of the endoscope shaft (3), an attachment cable (10) arranged proximally on the endoscope head (4), electronics (8) arranged in the endoscope head (4), an attachment plug (11) at a proximal end of the attachment cable (10), an electronics shield (14) that shields the electronics (8), wherein the electronics shield (14) also extends in the attachment cable (10) and shields at least one line (27) extending through the attachment cable (10) between the attachment plug (11) and the electronics (8), the endoscope shaft (3) is made of a metallic material, a galvanic barrier (15) is disposed between the electronics shield (14) and the endoscope shaft (3) and couples the endoscope shaft (3) capacitively to the electronics shield (14), and the endoscope shaft (3) is mechanically separable from the endoscope head at the galvanic barrier (15).

2. The endoscope (2) as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one electronics component is electrically connected to the electronics (8) and is arranged in a distal end of the endoscope shaft (3), and the endoscope shaft (3) acts as a shield for the at least one electronics component (8).

3. The endoscope (2) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the at least one electronics component includes at least one of an image sensor (7), a temperature sensor or a heating element.

4. The endoscope (2) as claimed in claim 2, further comprising an isolation layer (21) provided between a wall (19) of the endoscope shaft (3) and the at least one electronics component.

5. The endoscope (2) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the endoscope head (4) is designed as a handle, and the galvanic barrier (15) is formed between a grip area (17) and the endoscope shaft (3).

6. The endoscope (2) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the galvanic barrier (15) forms a high pass filter that limits a frequency of below 1 MHz to be transmitted therethrough.

7. The endoscope (2) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the galvanic barrier (15) is formed by a film (16).

8. The endoscope (2) as claimed in claim 7, wherein the film (16) is between the endoscope shaft (3) and a metal part electrically connected to the electronics shield (14).

9. The endoscope (2) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the attachment cable (10) has a video line.

10. The endoscope (2) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electronics shield (14) has, toward the endoscope shaft (3), an at least one of electrical or optical passage (29) which leads from the electronics to an interior of the endoscope shaft (3).

11. An endoscopy device (1) comprising an endoscope (2) as claimed in claim 1, and a camera control unit (12) to which the attachment cable (10) is attached, wherein the at least one line (27) is galvanically isolated from the camera control unit (12).

12. The endoscopy device (1) as claimed in claim 11, wherein the electronics shield (14) is coupled capacitively to a housing (25) of the camera control unit (12).

13. The endoscopy device (1) as claimed in claim 12, wherein the electronics shield (14) is coupled capacitively to the housing (25) of the camera control unit (12) with a capacitance (C2) greater than a capacitance (C1) of the galvanic barrier (15).

14. The endoscopy device (1) as claimed in claim 11, wherein the galvanic barrier (15) and a coupling of the electronics shield (14) to a housing (25) form a series connection of capacitors between the housing (25) and the endoscope shaft (3).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention is now described in more detail on the basis of illustrative embodiments, but it is not limited to these illustrative embodiments. Further illustrative embodiments are obtained through combination of the features of one or several claims with each other and/or with one or several features of the illustrative embodiments.

(2) FIG. 1 shows an endoscopy device according to the invention with an endoscope according to the invention,

(3) FIG. 2 shows a further endoscopy device according to the invention with a further endoscope according to the invention, in which an image sensor is arranged in the endoscope shaft, and

(4) FIG. 3 shows a schematic circuit diagram of the endoscopy device according to FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

(5) FIG. 1 shows an endoscopy device according to the invention designated overall by 1. The endoscopy device 1 has an endoscope 2 according to the invention. The endoscope 2 has an endoscope shaft 3 and an endoscope head 4, which are connected exchangeably to each other via an endoscope coupling 5. The endoscope shaft 3 here is a standard endoscope shaft which can be used with different endoscope heads 4, for example purely optical endoscope heads or endoscope heads equipped with a camera. The endoscope shaft 3 has an attachment piece 6 for an optical waveguide, for attachment to a light source (not shown here).

(6) In the example, the endoscope head 4 is designed as a camera head. An image sensor 7 for capturing images is arranged in the endoscope head 4, in the optical beam path of the endoscope shaft 3. The image sensor 7 is connected to electronics 8, which are connected to an attachment cable 10 guided outward at the proximal end 9 of the endoscope head 4. The attachment cable 10 is attached to a camera control unit 12 (CCU) by a plug-in connector 11.

(7) The endoscope head 4 has a housing 13, which is equipped on the inside with an electronics shield 14, which prevents disturbances caused by incoming or outgoing electromagnetic radiation. The endoscope shaft 3 is made of a metallic material, as a result of which the interior 20 of the endoscope shaft 3 is likewise screened off in respect of electromagnetic radiation. According to the invention, a galvanic barrier 15 is set up between the electronics shield 14 and the endoscope shaft 3 and capacitively couples the endoscope shaft 3 to the electronics shield 14. This on the one hand ensures the shielding and on the other hand provides an additional barrier against undesired leakage currents between the endoscope shaft and the endoscope head, so as to comply with standard specifications.

(8) The galvanic barrier 15 functions more effectively as a shield the greater the capacitance of the capacitive coupling. The galvanic barrier 15 is therefore formed by the film 16 which is arranged between the endoscope shaft 3 and the endoscope head 4, for example at the endoscope coupling 5. The capacitance of the capacitive coupling is then easily adjustable via the material and/or the thickness of the film 16.

(9) FIG. 2 shows a further endoscopy device 1 according to the invention. Here, the endoscope 2 is designed as a video endoscope. In the example, an image sensor 7 and, if appropriate, further electronics 8 are arranged in the distal end 18 of the endoscope shaft 3. The endoscope shaft 3 here is also made of a metallic material and therefore already provides an electronics shield by itself.

(10) Here, the endoscope head 4 likewise has further electronics 8, which are connected to a CCU 12 via an attachment cable 10 in a manner analogous to the endoscope 2 of FIG. 1. The endoscope shaft 3 and the endoscope head 4 are also connected to each other via an endoscope coupling 5 in this embodiment.

(11) The endoscope head 4 has an electronics shield 14, which is connected to the endoscope shaft 3 via a galvanic barrier 15. For this purpose, a film 16 for the capacitive coupling is arranged at the endoscope coupling 5.

(12) FIG. 3 shows a schematic circuit diagram of an endoscopy device 1 according to FIG. 2 with an endoscope 2 and a camera control unit 12.

(13) The schematic circuit diagram shows the endoscope shaft 3 with a wall 19, which delimits an interior 20 in which electronics components 8 are arranged, for example an image sensor, a temperature sensor and/or further components, for example a light source. An isolation layer 21 is arranged between the wall 19 and the electronics components 8 in order to avoid short-circuits. The wall 19 of the endoscope shaft 3 is made of a metallic material, such that it acts as an electromagnetic shield.

(14) The endoscope head 4 likewise has a wall 22, which delimits an interior 23 in which electronics components 8 are arranged. In the interior 23 of the endoscope head 4, an electronics shield 14 is arranged around the electronics components 8. There is no conductive electrical connection between the electronics shield 14 and the wall 19 of the endoscope shaft 3. Instead, a film 16 forms a galvanic barrier 15 by capacitive coupling, which is represented in the circuit diagram by the capacitor C1.

(15) The electronics shield 14 has, toward the endoscope shaft 3, a preferably electrical and/or optical passage 29, which leads from the electronics to an interior 20 of the endoscope shaft 3.

(16) The endoscope head 4 is connected to a camera control unit 12 via an attachment cable 10. The electronics shield 14 also extends onto the attachment cable 10, such that an attachment line 27 extending in the attachment cable 10 is also shielded by the electronics shield 14.

(17) The camera control unit 12 has a housing 25 made of a metallic material and delimiting an interior 26 in which electronics components 8 are arranged. The wall 25 also acts here as an electronics shield for the interior 26.

(18) The shield 14 of the attachment cable 10 is capacitively coupled to the housing 25, as is indicated by the capacitor C2. The capacitor C2 preferably has a greater capacitance than the capacitor C1, particularly preferably more than 100 times the capacitance or even more than 1000 times or 10000 times the capacitance, for example 10 nF, while C1 can lie below 1 pF. However, the attachment line 27 of the attachment cable 10 is connected to the electronics 8 via a galvanic isolation 28, for example by an optocoupler or transformer.

(19) FIG. 3 shows an endoscopy device 1 with an endoscope 2 and a camera control unit 12, wherein the endoscope 2 has an endoscope shaft 3 and an endoscope head 4, wherein the endoscope shaft 3 is made of a metallic material, wherein electronics 8 are arranged in the endoscope head 4 and are connected to an attachment cable 10, wherein the electronics 8 and the attachment cable 10 are shielded by an electronics shield 14, and wherein a galvanic barrier 15 is set up between the electronics shield 14 and the endoscope shaft 3 and couples the endoscope shaft 3 capacitively to the electronics shield 14.

(20) In an endoscope 2, it is thus provided to configure a galvanic barrier 15 between an endoscope shaft 3 and an endoscope head 4, which galvanic barrier 15 couples the endoscope shaft 3 capacitively to an electronics shield 14 of the endoscope head 4 in order to shield electronics 8 from interference signals caused in particular by HF surgical instruments in an environment of the endoscope 2.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

(21) 1 endoscopy device

(22) 2 endoscope

(23) 3 endoscope shaft

(24) 4 endoscope head

(25) 5 endoscope coupling

(26) 6 attachment piece for optical waveguide

(27) 7 image sensor

(28) 8 electronics

(29) 9 proximal end of the endoscope head

(30) 10 attachment cable

(31) 11 plug

(32) 12 camera control unit (CCU)

(33) 13 housing of the endoscope head

(34) 14 electronics shield

(35) 15 galvanic barrier

(36) 16 film

(37) 17 grip area

(38) 18 distal end of the endoscope shaft

(39) 19 wall of the endoscope shaft

(40) 20 interior of the endoscope shaft

(41) 21 isolation layer

(42) 22 wall of the endoscope head

(43) 23 interior of the endoscope head

(44) 25 housing of the CCU

(45) 26 interior of the CCU

(46) 27 attachment line

(47) 28 galvanic isolation

(48) 29 passage

(49) C1 capacitance between endoscope shaft and endoscope head

(50) C2 capacitance between attachment cable and CCU