Title: Miniature endoscope with imaging fiber system
Abstract: An endoscope has a fiber optic waveguide that transmits an image from a distal end to a proximal end, the waveguide having an outer diameter of less than 3 mm. A lens system is positioned at the distal end of the fiber optic waveguide. An imaging device is optically coupled to the proximal end of fiber optic waveguide. A disposable sheath extends about the fiber optic waveguide to provide a sterile barrier, and in a preferred embodiment the sheath includes an illumination channel. In a preferred embodiment, the lens system has a first lens element, a second lens element and an aperture stop.
Patent Number: 6,863,651 Issued on 03/08/2005 to Remijan, et al.
| Inventors:
|
Remijan; Paul (Holland, MA);
McDonald; James E. (Monson, MA)
|
| Assignee:
|
VisionScope, LLC (Portsmouth, NH)
|
| Appl. No.:
|
042126 |
| Filed:
|
October 19, 2001 |
| Current U.S. Class: |
600/130; 600/160 |
| Intern'l Class: |
A61B 001//04 |
| Field of Search: |
600/109,130,153,160,176-182
|
References Cited [Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
| 4790295 | Dec., 1988 | Tashiro | 600/176.
|
| 4802461 | Feb., 1989 | Cho | 600/108.
|
| 4854302 | Aug., 1989 | Allred, III.
| |
| 4921326 | May., 1990 | Wild et al.
| |
| 5121740 | Jun., 1992 | Uram | 600/108.
|
| 5172685 | Dec., 1992 | Nudelman | 600/108.
|
| 5599278 | Feb., 1997 | Hibbard | 600/133.
|
| 5630788 | May., 1997 | Forkner et al. | 600/182.
|
| 5751341 | May., 1998 | Chaleki et al. | 348/65.
|
| 6393431 | May., 2002 | Salvati et al.
| |
| 6478730 | Nov., 2002 | Bala et al.
| |
| 6527704 | Mar., 2003 | Chang et al.
| |
| 6561973 | May., 2003 | Bala.
| |
| 6659940 | Dec., 2003 | Adler.
| |
| 2002/0013513 | Jan., 2002 | Bala.
| |
| Foreign Patent Documents |
| 0 316 244 | May., 1989 | EP.
| |
| WO 94/14367 | Jul., 1994 | WO.
| |
| WO 99/35960 | Jul., 1999 | WO.
| |
| WO 01/19235 | Mar., 2001 | WO.
| |
| WO 01/22866 | Apr., 2001 | WO.
| |
Other References
Rol, P. et al., "Optical Properties of Miniaturized Endoscopes for
Ophthalmic Use", Optical Engineering, vol. 34, No. 7, pp. 2070-2077, Jul.
1995.
|
Primary Examiner: Peffley; Michael
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Weingarten, Schurgin, Gagnebin & Lebovici LLP
Claims
What is claimed:
1. An endoscope comprising:
a fiber optic waveguide that transmits an image from a distal end to a
proximal end, the fiber optic waveguide extending through a rigid
endoscope body having an outer diameter of less than 3 mm;
a lens positioned at the distal end of the fiber optic waveguide;
a handle attached to the endoscope body;
an imaging device within the handle and optically coupled to the proximal
end of the fiber optic waveguide; and
a removable sheath extending about the endoscope body and including an
illumination channel, the sheath being removably attached to the handle
such that removal of the sheath from the handle leaves the endoscope body
remaining attached to the handle.
2. The endoscope of claim 1 wherein the lens comprises a first lens
element, a second lens element and an aperture stop.
3. The endoscope of claim 1 wherein the lens couples light at any position
on a distal surface of the lens to a plurality of optical fibers of the
fiber optic waveguide such that the numerical aperture of light entering
each fiber from a position varies as a function of angle.
4. An endoscope comprising:
a fiber optic waveguide that is attached to a handle and that transmits an
image, the waveguide having a diameter of less than 2 millimeters for
insertion into a body;
an optical system coupled to a distal end of the waveguide;
a lens system in the handle that is optically coupled to a proximal end of
the waveguide;
an imaging device in the handle that receives an image from the fiber optic
waveguide; and
a disposable sheath extending about the endoscope body, the sheath being
removably attached to the handle such that removal of the sheath from the
handle leaves the fiber optic waveguide attached to the handle.
5. The endoscope of claim 4 wherein the fiber optic waveguide comprises a
plurality of optical fibers.
6. The endoscope of claim 5 wherein the waveguide has at least 3000 imaging
fibers.
7. The endoscope of claim 6 wherein the optical lens at the distal end of
the waveguide is an achromatic lens system including an aperture stop.
8. The endoscope of claim 7 wherein the numerical aperture of the lens
system is balanced to the imaging fibers.
9. The endoscope of claim 4 wherein the disposable sheath has a window over
the distal end.
10. The endoscope of claim 4 wherein the disposable sheath has a lens at
the distal end.
11. The endoscope of claim 4 wherein the optical system is non-telecentric
and includes a first lens element, a second lens element and an aperture
stop.
12. The endoscope of claim 4 wherein the disposable sheath includes an
optical waveguide that transmits light to the distal end of the endoscope.
13. The endoscope of claim 4 further comprising an annular illumination
channel encircling the optical waveguide fiber for transmitting the light
and the sheath having a single sealed outer tube.
14. The endoscope of claim 6 wherein the disposable sheath has a tube for
passing a tool to the distal end of the endoscope.
15. The endoscope of claim 4 further comprising a working channel.
16. The endoscope of claim 4 wherein the sheath comprises an illumination
fiber optic system coupled to a light source through a handle.
17. The endoscope of claim 12 wherein the optical waveguide comprises an
illumination fiber extending through the sheath is coupled to a light
source with a connector.
18. The endoscope of claim 4 wherein the imaging device is connected to an
image processor.
19. An endoscope comprising:
a fiber optic waveguide having at least 3000 imaging optical fibers that
transmit an image, the waveguide extending through a rigid endoscope body
having a diameter of less than 3 millimeters;
an optical system coupled to a distal end of the waveguide;
a handle attached to the endoscope body;
a lens system within the handle and optically coupled to a proximal end of
the waveguide;
an imaging device within the handle that receives an image through the lens
system from the fiber optic waveguide; and
a removable sheath extending about the endoscope body, the sheath being
removably attached to the handle with a connector such that removal of the
sheath from the handle leaves the endoscope body remaining attached to the
handle.
20. The endoscope of claim 19 wherein the optical system comprises an
achromatic lens.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Endoscopes enable visual examination of structure inside cavities. In the
field of medicine, the use of endoscopes permits inspection of organs for
the purposes of diagnosis, viewing of a surgical site, sampling tissue, or
facilitating the safe manipulation of other surgical instruments.
Laparoscopes, for example, are used particularly for examining organs in
the abdominal area. Laparoscopes typically include a light pipe for
illuminating the region to be viewed, at least one lens assembly for
focusing and relaying the image of the illuminated object, and a housing
for the entire assembly which is structured to minimize tissue damage
during the surgical procedure. The light pipe can include a fiber optic
element for illuminating the site. The laparoscope housing includes a
distal section that can be inserted within a body cavity and a proximal
section which can include a handle that a user grips to position the
distal end near the surgical site.
Existing endoscopes can include an imaging device such as a charged coupled
device (CCD). This device can capture an image of an object being viewed
and convey it to a display device, such as a monitor. There is a
continuing need to improve on the operational features and
manufacturability of endoscope systems that improve imaging capability and
reduce the risk to the patient.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a small diameter imaging probe or
endoscope having improved durability, resolution, and field of view. In a
preferred embodiment of the invention, the distal end of the probe
including a disposable sheath, can be inserted into the tissue under
examination. The probe is less than 3 millimeters in diameter, and
preferably less than 2 millimeters in diameter, to reduce trauma at the
point of insertion and thereby provide access to sites that are otherwise
unavailable for endoscopic procedures.
In a preferred embodiment, the endoscope has a fiber optic waveguide that
transmits an image from a distal end to a proximal end. A lens system is
positioned at the distal end of the fiber optic waveguide. An imaging
device is optically coupled to the proximal end of fiber optic waveguide.
A sheath extends about the fiber optic waveguide, the sheath including
illumination fibers. Although a preferred embodiment utilizes a probe and
sheath assembly having an outer diameter of 2 mm or less, certain
applications will accommodate a larger diameter instrument having a larger
number of imaging fibers to provide a higher resolution image. These
applications can utilize outer diameters in a range of 2-4 mm.
In one embodiment, the lens system having a first lens element, a second
lens element and an aperture stop. The lens system couples light from any
given position on the object to a plurality of optical fibers such that
the numerical aperture of light varies as a function of the angle relative
to the longitudinal axis of the lens system. This provides more efficient
coupling to the fiber apertures. This is accomplished using a
non-telecentric lens system.
A preferred embodiment of the lens system includes a pair of lenses and an
aperture stop. The lenses are shaped to improve light collection around
the periphery of the distal lens. This provides a clearer image across the
entire field of view of the device. The aperture stop is positioned to
provide efficient coupling to the array of fibers.
The imaging device can be a charged coupled device (CCD), a CMOS imaging
device or other solid state imaging sensor having a two dimensional array
of pixel elements. The imaging sensor is mounted on a circuit board in a
handle assembly. The sensor can capture an image as an object being viewed
and an image processing circuit mounted onto the circuit board transfers
the image data over a video cable to a computer for storage, processing
and/or display.
The miniature endoscope system can be used for orthopedic, rhematologic,
general laparoscopic, gynecological or ear, nose and throat procedures,
for example. Although many applications require a small diameter to reduce
trauma, certain applications can accommodate larger diameters. The probe
can include an open channel in either the sheath or the imaging probe to
provide for the insertion of other operative elements to flush the site
with fluid, direct light or other energy source onto a treatment site, or
to remove a tissue sample.
The sheath assembly can include a concentric array of illumination fibers
extending to a connector on a sheath hub assembly. Alternatively, the
illumination fibers can couple to a fiber connector in the probe assembly
that is coupled directly via fiber optic cable extending from the handle
to a light source housing. The housing can include a video disk recorder
that writes the video onto disk. For certain applications, an illumination
bundle can be positioned within the probe such that the sheath is thinner
or can accommodate a larger working channel.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention
will be apparent from the following more particular description of
preferred embodiments of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying
drawings in which like reference characters refer to the same parts
throughout the different views. The drawings are not necessarily to scale,
emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the
invention.
FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic illustration of a miniature endoscope system
according to the invention;
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of cannula;
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a trocar within a cannula;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the miniature endoscope;
FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the miniature endoscope with a cannula
overlying the disposable sheath;
FIG. 6A is a sectional view of the disposable sheath/illuminator unit;
FIG. 6B is an enlarged sectional view of the distal end to the disposable
sheath;
FIG. 7A is a sectional view of the proximal end of the disposable
sheath/illumination unit taken along line 7A--7A of FIG. 6A;
FIG. 7B is a front view of the distal end of the disposable sheath taken
along the line 7B--7B of FIG. 6A and FIG. 6B;
FIG. 8 is a side view of the disposable sheath/illumination unit showing
the illumination pigtail;
FIG. 9 is a sectional view of an imaging unit of the miniature endoscope;
FIG. 10A is an enlarged view of the distal end of the imaging unit as
indicated by the portion defined 10A in FIG. 9;
FIG. 10B is a front view of the distal end of the imaging unit taken along
the line 10B--10B of FIG. 10A;
FIG. 11 is a schematic of an enlarged partial sectional view of the imaging
unit taken along the line 11--11 of FIG. 10A;
FIG. 12 is an enlarged view of the distal lens system;
FIG. 13 is a graph of the sine of the maximum ray angle versus normalized
image height for different lens systems for the distal end of the
endoscope;
FIG. 14 is an enlarged view of another embodiment of a distal lens system;
FIG. 15 is a sectional view of another embodiment of an endoscope;
FIG. 16A is a sectional view of the endoscope taken along line 16A--16A of
FIG. 15;
FIG. 16B is a sectional view of the endoscope taken along line 16B--16B of
FIG. 15;
FIG. 16C is an enlarged sectional view of the imaging unit as indicated by
the portion defined by 10C in FIG. 16B;
FIG. 17A is a sectional view of another embodiment of an endoscope;
FIG. 17B is a sectional view of the endoscope taken along the line 17B--17B
of FIG. 17A;
FIG. 18 is a side view of a two-part disposable sheath/illuminator unit;
FIG. 19 is a schematic of a control unit for a preferred embodiment of the
invention; and
FIG. 20 illustrates a preferred method of using the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIG. 1 that shows a
miniature endoscope 20. The endoscope 20 has an imaging unit 22 and a
sheath/illuminator unit 24. The endoscope 20 has an image transmission
path such as a plurality of optical fibers 26, as best seen at fibers 146
in FIGS. 11 and 12, in an elongated tube 28 of a rod tip 29 used to view
objects to be examined. The optical fibers 26 are optically coupled to an
imaging device 30, such as a charged coupled device as seen in FIG. 9, or
other pixilated flat panel sensor, in a handle 32. A disposable sheath 34
of the sheath/illuminator unit 24 overlies the elongated tube 28 of the
rod tip 29, which contains the optical fibers 26. The disposable sheath 34
has at the proximal end a base 35 with a mounting mechanism 36 for
securing to the handle 32. In one embodiment, the disposable sheath 34 of
the sheath/illuminator unit 24 has a plurality of optical fibers for
transmitting light to the distal end of the disposable sheath 34 and the
distal probe 29. The distal end of the disposable sheath/illuminator unit
24 has a connection 38 to connect to a light source 40.
The handle 32 can house a power input 41, used to provide power to the
endoscope 20. It is recognized that the light source 40 and/or power
source can be mounted within the handle 32.
The handle 32 can also house an image output 42. The image output 42
provides a connection between an imaging device in the imaging unit 22 of
the endoscope 20 and an electronic storage and/or display device. In one
embodiment, the storage device is a computer 44, which is connected to a
monitor 46. A control unit 250 is described in greater detail with respect
to FIG. 19.
As explained below in greater detail the imaging unit 22 does not need to
be sterilized in that the imaging unit 22 does not contact or is in direct
exposure to the body. The sheath/illuminator unit 24 has the disposable
sheath 34 that is a sleeve assembly 52 that is carried by the base 35
secured to the imaging unit 22 that overlies the elongated tube 28 to
create a sterilized barrier. In addition, the sheath/illumination unit 24
has a sterilized drape 52 which is mounted to the base 35 of the
sheath/illuminator unit 24 and is positioned to overlie the remaining
portion of the imaging unit 22 to provide a sterile environment.
Endoscopes and endoscopes with disposable sheaths are described in PCT
Application PCT/US00/25107 filed on Sep. 13, 2000 and U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 09/518,954 filed on Mar. 6, 2000. The entire contents
of the above applications are incorporated herein by reference in their
entirety.
Prior to discussing the endoscope 20 in further detail, in order to use the
endoscope 20, the endoscope 20 needs to be positioned in the body to view
the desired location. One such method is to insert a cannula 60 into the
body and thread the endoscope 20 through the cannula 60. One method of
inserting the cannula 60 into the body and then inserting the endoscope 20
into a body using the cannula 60 is described below.
During an insertion procedure, a cannula 60 such as seen in FIG. 2, is
first inserted into a site within a body. The cannula 60 has a base 62 and
a tube 64. The tube 64 has a shaft 66 which extends from the distal end 68
to a void 70 in the base 62. In one embodiment, the tube 64 is made of a
flexible material such as plastic or thin wall stainless steel. The
cannula 60 has a luer 72 for insertion of medications or fluids or for
attachment to a suction device.
For insertion of the cannula 60 into the body, a trocar 76, as seen in FIG.
3, is inserted into cannula 60 with a rigid shaft 78 of the trocar 76
received within the shaft 66 of the cannula 60. The rigid shaft 78 of the
trocar 76 extends slightly beyond the distal end of the tube 64 of the
cannula 60 and has a stylet 80 to cut into the tissue at the surgical site
if necessary. Once the cannula 60 is positioned at the surgical site, the
trocar 76 is removed from the cannula 60 and the endoscope 20 is
installed. The cannula 60 is positioned by the user's hands feeling the
location.
While the cannula 60 and trocar 76 are of a relative minimal cost and can
be reused after sterilization or disposed of after use, because of several
components in the endoscope 20 such as components in the imaging unit 22,
it is not desirous to dispose of the entire endoscope 20. The endoscope 20
uses a disposable sleeve or sheath 34 to aid in maintaining a sterile
environment and reduce or eliminate the sterilization requirements prior
to reuse.
With the method of inserting the endoscope 20 into the cannula 60 to have
the distal end of the endoscope 20 at the proper location, previously
described, the endoscope 20 is described in further detail. Referring to
FIG. 4, a perspective view of the endoscope 20 is shown. The endoscope 20
has the reusable imaging unit 22 and the disposable sheath/illuminator
unit 24. The disposable sheath/illuminator unit 24 has a elongated tube
for overlying and encircling the elongated tube 28 of the imaging unit 22.
The elongated tube of the sheath/illuminator unit 24 has a sealed distal
end 84 and several embodiments includes fiber optics for transmitting the
illumination from a external light source 40, such as seen in FIG. 1, to
the distal end 84. At the proximal end of the sheath/illuminator unit 24
is a base 35 with a mounting mechanism 36 for securing to the imaging unit
22 of the endoscope 20. An optical pigtail 88 projects from the base 35
for connecting to the light source 40. In addition, the sheath/illuminator
unit 24 has a the drape 52 which is mounted to the base 35 and is extended
over the handle 32 of the imaging unit 22. The handle 32 of the imaging
unit 22 contains optics and the imaging device 32 to receive the image
transmitted through the optical fibers 26 located in the elongated tube 28
of the imaging unit 22 as described in further detail below with respect
to FIGS. 9-11.
FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the miniature endoscope 20 including the
reusable imaging unit 22 with imaging an optical fiber 26 and the
disposable sheath/illuminator unit 24. The cannula 60 is shown overlying
the disposable sheath 34 of the sheath/illuminator unit 24, which overlies
the probe 29 of the imaging unit 22.
As seen in FIG. 5, the reusable imaging unit 22 of the endoscope 20 is
encircled by the disposable sterile sheath/illuminator unit 24. The
disposable/sheath illuminator unit 24 has the disposable sheath 34 that is
sealed at the distal end 84 and encircles and surrounds the elongated tube
28 carrying the optical fibers 26 of the imaging unit 22. The mounting
mechanism 36 on the base 35 of the sheath/illuminator unit 24 is secured
to a mounting mechanism 92 on the imaging unit 22.
The disposable sheath/illuminator unit 24 has the drape 52 which surrounds
the handle of the imaging unit 22. In addition, the sheath/illuminator
unit 24 has the illumination pigtail connecting to a light source 40 as
seen in FIG. 1. The illumination pigtail 88 is optically coupled to the
optical fibers in the sheath as explained in further detail below.
Referring to FIG. 6A, a side view of the sheath/illuminator unit 24 is
shown. The sheath unit 24 has the disposable sheath 34 with an elongated
outer sheath 98 which extends from the base 35 to the distal end 84. The
illuminator pigtail 88 extends from the base and is optically coupled to
illumination fibers within the sheath 34 as seen in FIG. 7A. The drape 52
is carried by the base 35 of the sheath/illuminator unit 24 for overlying
the handle 35 of the imaging unit 22 when the two units 22 and 24 are
combined.
FIG. 6B is an enlarged view of the distal end 84 of the disposable sheath
34 of the sheath/illuminator unit 24. The disposable sheath 34 has the
outer sheath 98 which extends from within the base 35, as seen in FIG. 6A,
and serves as protective covering and a sterile barrier for the sheath
unit 24. Spaced and collinear with the outer sheath 98 is an inner tube
100 of the disposable sheath 34. The inner tube 100 defines a cylindrical
void on space 102 for receiving the elongated tube 28 of the probe 29 of
the imaging unit 22. The inner tube 100 likewise from the distal end 84 of
the disposable sheath 34 to the base 35 of the sheath/illuminator unit 22.
The inner tube 100 extends further than the outer sheath 98 to create a
channel 106 to receive a plurality of illumination fibers 108 as best seen
in FIGS. 6A and 7A. At the distal end, of the inner tube 100 is located a
window 110 which is secured to the inner tube 100 to make a sterile 84
barrier between the airspace 102 for receiving the elongated tube 28 of
the image unit 22 and the outer portion of the sheath/illuminator unit 24
which is in contact with the body.
In a preferred embodiment, the outer sheath 98 of the disposable sheath 34
of the sheath/illuminator unit 24 is made of a stainless steel material
and has an outer diameter of about 0.038 inches. The inner tube 100 is
likewise made of a stainless steel material. The illumination fibers 108
are made of a glass or plastic fiber. Depending on the size of the device,
the maximum number of illumination fibers 108 used to fill channel 106. In
one example, the disposable sheath 34 extends 2.246 inches from the base
35 of the sheath/illuminator unit 24.
Interposed between the outer sheath 98 and the inner tube is the plurality
of illumination fibers 108 which encircle the inner tube 100 as best seen
in FIG. 7A and 7B. FIG. 7A is a sectional view through the base 35 of the
disposable sheath 24. The outer sheath 98 is shown in the lower half of
FIG. 7A and terminates prior to the portion sectioned in the upper half of
FIG. 7A. The inner tube 100, however, which defines the airspace 102 to
receive the elongated tube 28 of the imaging unit 22 extends to a
receiving chamber 114 as seen in FIG. 6A and therefore is shown in both
the upper and lower portions of FIG. 7A. The light is transmitted from the
illumination pigtail 88 through fibers 108, as seen in FIG. 6A, to a
transmission unit 118 as seen in the upper half of FIG. 7A which abuts the
illumination fibers 108 located between the outer sheath 98 and the inner
tube 100 of the disposable sheath 34 of the sheath/illuminator unit 24.
FIG. 7B shows the distal end 84 of the disposable sheath/illumination unit
24. The window 110 overlies and seals the airspace 102 that receives the
imaging unit 22 and is encircled by the inner tube 100. Interposed between
the outer sheath 98 and the inner tube 100 is the plurality of
illumination fibers 108. In the embodiment shown, the distal end of the
illumination fibers 108 are not protected and exposed to the body.
FIG. 8 is similar to FIG. 6A in that it shows the disposable
sheath/illumination unit 24. In addition, FIG. 8 shows the entire
illumination pigtail which is broken away in FIG. 6A.
The illumination pigtail 88 has a connection 38 for connecting to a
connector on the light source 40. The illumination pigtail 88 has a
plurality of optical fibers which run from the connection 38 to the fibers
108 which transmit the light received from the light source 40 to the
transmission unit 118 shown in FIG. 7A and exit at 84.
Referring to FIG. 9, a sectional view of the imaging unit of the endoscope
20 is shown. The imaging unit 22 has the probe 29 with the elongated tube
28 that extends from the handle 32. At the proximal end of the handle 32,
is the imaging device. In this embodiment, a charged coupled device (CCD)
30B which converts the optical image into an electrical image is carried
in the detachable housing 120A of the handle 32. Interposed between the
optical fiber or fibers 26 which extend in the elongated tube 28 and the
CCD 30B is a plurality of lenses 122A for projecting the image of the
proximal end 124 of the optical fiber or fibers 26 to the CCD 30B. The
glass window 122B is attached to housing 120B and provides a seal to the
scope. It also protects the lenses from contamination.
The imaging unit 22 enlarges the image from the end of the fiber optic 26
and couples it to the charged coupled device 30B. As indicated above, the
charged coupled device is connected to a electronic storage and/or display
device such as a computer 44 which is connected to a monitor 46 as seen in
FIG. 1.
The handle 32 of the imaging unit 22 has a mounting mechanism 128 for
coupling with the mounting mechanisms 36 of the sheath illuminator unit
24. The mounting mechanism 128 has slots 130 for receiving pins located on
the mounting mechanisms 36. In addition, the mounting mechanism 128 has a
projection 134, from which the probe 29 projects, that is received by the
receiving chamber 114 of the sheath/illuminator unit 24 as seen in FIG.
6A.
An enlarged view of the distal end of the imaging unit 22 is shown in FIG.
10A. The rod tip 29 of the imaging unit 22 has the elongated tube 28 that
extends from the distal end 126 to the housing 120 of the handle 32. At
the distal end 126 of the rod tip 29 there is in addition a tube 138 which
extends a slight distance from the distal end 126 and just a slight
distance beyond the ends of the optical or image fibers 26. The tube 138
is commonly referred to as the long tube in that a shorter and smaller
diameter tube 140 which is collinear with the long tube 138 is received
within the long tube 138 and extends a lens system 142 at the distal end
126. The elongated or outer tube 128, long tube 138 and small tube 140 are
mounted so that their distal ends are flush and are secured by an adhesive
such as a modicalgrade epoxy. At the end of the elongated tube 28 of the
imaging unit 22 is the lens system 142 that is described in further detail
below. The elongated tube 28 of the imaging unit 22 is received within the
disposable sheath/illumination unit 24 and therefore does not need to be
sterilized prior to the first use.
FIG. 10B is an end-view of the distal end 126 of the imaging unit 22. The
lens system 142, the small tube 140, the long tube 138 and the outer or
elongated tube 28 are shown and are all collinear.
Referring to FIG. 11, a sectional view of the imaging unit 22 of the
endoscope 20 is shown. The probe 29 of the imaging unit 22 has a plurality
of fibers 146 for transmitting the image from the distal end 126 of the
rod tip 29 to the handle 32. Encircling the fiber 146 at the distal end of
the rod tip 29 is the long tube 138 for holding the fibers 146 of the
image fibers 26 in position. The outer or elongated tube 28 encircles the
long tube 138 and protects the fibers 146 of the image fibers 26 from
their beginning near the distal end 126 of the rod tip 29 to the other end
within the handle 32. There are typically thousands of fibers 146 as shown
in FIG. 11 that are fused together. The loading of the image into them is
done by the distal end lens system 142 which as described below arranges
the light levels of the image in a relationship to the location of the
image fiber bundle 26.
In addition, the fibers are in a disorder pack method. This disorder pack
method limits transmission of images/light from one lens 142 to another as
the image fiber bundle 26 extends from near the distal end 126 of the
imaging unit 22 towards the proximal end of the fibers located within the
handle 32. The disorder packing of fibers is achieved by varying the
doping of the fibers, which is the area to be examined.
Referring to FIG. 12, a sectional view of the distal end of the rod tip 29
of the imaging unit 22 within the disposable sheath 34 of the
sheath/illuminating unit 24 is shown. The disposable sheath 34 has the
outer sheath 98 collinear with the inner tube 100. Interposed between the
outer sheath 98 and the inner tube 100 is the plurality of illumination
fibers 108 as best seen in FIG. 7B for illumination. At the distal end of
the disposable sheath is the window that is secured, such as by cementing,
to create a boundary to the air space or inner channel 102 that receives
the rod tip 29 of the imaging unit 22. The imaging unit 22 has the
elongated or outer tube 28 that extends from the distal end 126 to within
the handle 32 as shown in FIG. 9. Located in the distal end 126 of the rod
tip 29 are two additional tubes or sleeves, the shorter inner sleeve,
referred to as the small tube 140, that retains and holds the lens
elements of the distal lens system 142. A larger longer sleeve, referred
to as the long tube 138, encircles the tube 140 and the beginning of the
fibers 146 of the image fibers 26.
The distal lens system 142 as shown in FIG. 12 is an achromatic lens system
having a pair of lenses 150 and 152 and an aperture stop 154. The lenses
150 and 152 each have a convex surface 156 that faces each other. The
second lens 152, closer to the distal end 126, has a planar surface 158
which abuts the optical aperture stop 154. The aperture stop 154 and the
lenses 150 and 152 are designed so that the sine of the maximum ray angle
approaches the fibers at N.A. (numerical aperture).
The ray tracings 160 in FIG. 12 illustrate the projection of an image off
the page to the right at the proper focal length and how this image is
translated through the aperture stop 154 and through the lenses 152 and
150 to the plurality of fibers 146 in the image fibers 26. The lens system
is non-telecentric.
Referring to FIG. 13 a graph of the sign of the maximum ray angle versus
the normalized image height for three different lens systems including a
prior art lens system is shown. As discussed below, the field of view is
dependent upon the lens configuration. The graph in FIG. 13 shows a line
for the maximum sign of a ray angle for a 50 degree lens system and a
second line for a maximum sign of ray angle of a 70 degree lens system. In
the 70 degree system, the maximum sign is approximately 0.32. Therefore,
the N.A. (numerical aperture) of the fiber is approximately the same. In
contrast, the 50 degree field of view system has an sign of a maximum ray
angle of approximately 0.25. Therefore, the fibers have this numerical
aperture. The system can provide a field of view at any selected level
from 30-80 degrees, for example.
In one embodiment, the endoscope 20 has 10,000 fiber elements. In this
embodiment, each fiber element 146 has a diameter of 4.4 microns. The
overall diameter of the fiber 26 is 0.46 mounting mechanism. The elongated
or outer tube 28 of the imaging unit is made from stainless steel. It is
recognized, that the scope can be formed in many sizes, the following
table is merely an illustration of various intervening size scopes.
3k 10k 30k 50k 100k
Sheath/ 1-4 mm .fwdarw. .fwdarw. .fwdarw.
.fwdarw.
Illumination unit
outer diameter
Imaging Unit rod 0.5-3.5 mm .fwdarw. .fwdarw. .fwdarw.
.fwdarw.
tip outer
diameter
No. of fiber 3,000 10,000 30,000 50,000
100,000
elements
Fiber image 0.46 mm 0.75 mm
diameter
Fiber pixel size 4.4 microns 4.4 microns 4.4 microns
(individual fiber)
Lens Type Achromatic or Achromatic or Achromatic Achromatic
Achro-
Selfoc Grin Selfoc Grin matic
Depth of Field 3 mm-20 mm .fwdarw. .fwdarw.
.fwdarw.
(DOF)
Field of View Dependent on .fwdarw. .fwdarw. .fwdarw.
.fwdarw.
(FOV) Lens 50.degree.-70.degree.
As can be seen from table above, an alternative to an acromat lens
described above with respect to FIGS. 12 and 13 is a selfoc grin lens.
FIG. 14 shown an alternative embodiment of the rod tip 29 of the imaging
unit 22 of the endoscope 20 with a grin lens 168. The grin lens 168 as
shown in FIG. 14 is a single element gradient index lens.
The rod tip 29 of the image unit 22 as shown in FIG. 14 has an elongated or
outer tube 28 that extends from the distal end 126 to the handle 32, not
shown in FIG. 14. In addition, similar to that of FIG. 10A, a tube 138
extends a slight distance from the distal end 126. This tube 138 is
commonly referred to as the long tube, it extends just slightly beyond the
ends of the optical image fibers 26. In contrast to the embodiment shown
in FIG. 10A in that the lens 170 is a single lens there is no need for a
small tube 140 for retaining the elements of a lens system.
The grin lens 168 in general does not provide as good of image quality as
that of the acromat lens system 142 described above in that the image
becomes less clear (i.e., blurry and distorted) towards the edge of the
image. In addition, the color correction, changes in intensity as a
function of wavelength, is not as good as in the acromat lens system.
However, the GRIN lens system 168 maybe desirable in situations where cost
is a higher factor than the overall image quality. In addition, because of
the grin lens 170 being a single element lens the depth of fields may be
limited. While only 2 different degrees of freedom are shown, it is
recognized that lens systems with other fields of view can be made.
FIG. 15 is a sectional view of alternative endoscope 170. In this
embodiment of the endoscope 170, the illuminator pigtail 172 is a part of
the handle 174 of the imaging unit 176 and is therefore not part of a
disposable sheath/illuminator unit 178. An optical fiber bundle 180 is
used for transmitting the illumination light from the pigtail 172 to a
handle interface 182 in the handle 184 where the light is transferred to a
light interface 184 on the sheath/illuminator unit 178 to transmit light
from the handle 184 to the disposable sheath 186.
FIG. 16A is a sectional view showing the interface. FIG. 16A is a sectional
view of the base 188 of the disposable/sheath illuminator unit 178. The
upper portion of FIG. 16A shows the drape 52 spaced from the base 188. The
base 188 has a light interface 184 that receives light from the handle
interface 182 carried on the handle 174.
In addition in the embodiment of the endoscope 170 shown in FIGS. 16A-16C,
the sheath/illuminator unit 178 has one of the illumination fibers 190
replaced by a tube or channel 192. The tube 192 which is seen in FIGS. 15
and 16A-16C is capable of receiving a laser fiber. The user passes a laser
fiber though the tube 190 from the proximal end of the illumination unit
178 in the base 188 as seen in FIG. 15, to the distal end of the
illumination unit so that the user while viewing the image through the
imaging fibers and CCD can complete a process using the laser fiber.
The lower half of FIG. 16A shows a cross-sectional view through the base
188 of the sheath/illuminator unit 178 shows the tube 192 extending
through the base into the annular ring containing the illumination fibers
190. Similar to that shown in FIG. 7A, FIG. 16A shows an inner tube 194
around which the illumination fibers 190 are located. The inner tube 194
defines an airspace through which the probe 29 of the imaging unit 176 of
the endoscope 170 passes.
FIG. 16B is a sectional view of the disposable sheath 186 showing an outer
tube 196 of the disposable sheath 186 and circling the illumination fibers
190 and a signal hypotube 192. The inner tube 194 surrounds the airspace
102 which receives the probe 29 of the imaging unit 176. FIG. 16C is an
enlarged view showing the hypertube 192 with its opening to receive the
laser fiber in the annular ray containing the illumination fibers 190
between the inner tube 194 and outer sheath 196.
While FIGS. 15-16C do not show a cannula 60, it is recognized in most uses
of the endoscope 20 or 170, a cannula 60 can be used for extra protection
of the endoscope 20 or 170.
Referring to FIG. 17A, a sectional view of an alternative endoscope 200 is
shown. The endoscope 200 has an imaging unit 202 and a sheath unit 204. In
contrast to the previous embodiments, the sheath 204 that is disposable
does not include any part of the illumination unit. Referring to FIG. 17A,
the illumination source 40 is connected to the handle 206 of the imaging
unit 202 by an illumination pigtail 208 similar to that shown in FIG. 15.
But in contrast, there is no coupling such that that the light is
transmitted to the disposable sheath 204. Rather, as seen in FIG. 17A, the
illuminator pigtail 208 is a part of the handle 206 of the imaging unit
202. An optical fiber 210 is used for transmitting the illumination light
from the pigtail 208 to an interface 212 in the handle 206. The interface
212 is located within the handle 206 and transfer the light to an annular
ring 214 of a plurality of illumination fiber 216.
Referring to FIG. 17B, the probe 218 has an outer tube 220 and an inner
tube 222. Interposed between the tubes 220 and 222 is the annular space
for receiving the plurality of illumination fiber 216. Located in the
inner tube 222, which is similar to the elongated tube 28 in the first
embodiment, is the image fiber bundle 26. The fiber bundle 26 is spaced
from the inner tube 222. A long tube 224, which extends for a slight
distance from the distal end 126 to just beyond the ends of the image
fiber bundle 26, is interposed between the fibers 26 and the inner tube
222.
In that the sheath is not required to carry illumination to the distal end
of the rod tip 218 in the embodiment shown in FIG. 17B, the sheath 204 has
a single outer layer 226. A window curved to avoid retroreflection is
secured to the distal end of the single outer layer 226.
Referring to FIG. 18, a two piece disposable sheath/illuminator unit 230 is
shown. The endoscope has a first unit 232 of the two piece disposable
sheath/illumination unit 230, a mounting and cover unit 232, that is
mounted to the handle 32 of the imaging unit 22. The mounting and cover
unit 232 has a drape 52 that extends over the handle 32 of the imaging
unit 22 and the illumination pigtail 88 when used. The drape 52 is
retained on a disposable sleeve 234 to hold the drape 52 until positioned
over the handle 32. The second unit 236 of the disposable
sheath/illumination unit 230, a disposable sheath 236, contains the
elongated tube that covers the probe 29. This second unit 236 has a
mounting mechanism 238 to secure to the first unit 232. It is therefore
possible to remove the disposable sheath, the second unit, 236 and replace
it with a new one while keeping the drape 52 that is mounted to the
mounting and cover unit 232 over the handle.
FIG. 19 is a schematic of a control unit 250 for the endoscope. This
control unit 250 has a power source output 252, an input 254 for the image
from the CCD and a light source 256. In addition to a processing unit 260
for processing the image data, the unit has a recording device 258 such as
a CD writer to create a storable medium to retain data such as a baseline
for the patient.
The endoscope is used as shown generally in the process sequence 270 of
FIG. 20. The patient comes to the user/physician's office. The physician
or technician uses a double gloved technique where two sterilized gloves
are placed on each of the physician's hands. The physician takes the
handle/illuminator unit which is not sterilized in one hand and secure the
sterilized sheath/illuminator unit with the other hand. The physician then
takes the lighting cord and secure the light cord to the pigtail on the
disposable sheath/illuminator unit. The power and image output are
likewise connected to the control unit. With the endoscope connected to
the control unit, the drape portion of the sheath assembly is extended 272
over the handle and down the cords to such a length to provide a sterile
field. With this completed, the physician takes off the first pair of
gloves and is ready to begin the procedure.
After medicating the site, the cannula with the trocar is inserted into the
body by a standard technique of probing with the physician's hand. Once
the cannula is in position, the trocar is removed 274 and the tip of the
endoscope is placed into the cannula. The endoscope is secured to the
cannula using a screw or other attachment mechanism. The system is
actuated 276 and video recording is initiated so that the physician is
able to move the cannula in and out and around to position the probe for
viewing of the desired site or a monitor. The physician can perform a
procedure 278 at the site using other instruments such as a laser scalpel
or cautery tool, or electrosurgical tool and/or the operative channel in
the probe or sheath assembly. The entire examination or operative
procedure can be recorded 280 on a video disk or other memory device. The
procedure is concluded and the sheath assembly can be disposed 282 of and
another sterile sheath assembly can be attached 284 to the probe for
another procedure.
The claims should not be read as limited to the described order or elements
unless stated to that effect. Therefore, all embodiments that come within
the scope and spirit of the following claims and equivalents thereto are
claimed as the invention.
*
