A lens base and capsule endoscope thereof

Abstract

The present invention provides a lens base, wherein a downwardly protruding protrusion is provided at the center of the lower surface of the lens base, and a first groove for engaging with a photosensitive chip is provided at the center of the protrusion; at least two positioning posts are further provided on the bottom surface of the lens base, and the positioning posts are adapted to engage with a first PCB board provided on the lower surface of the lens base; and an upwardly protruding protrusion is provided at the center of the upper surface of the lens base, and an internal thread for engaging with a lens is provided at the center of the protrusion. A capsule endoscope using the above-mentioned lens base is further provided, and the capsule endoscope further includes a second PCB board and a third PCB board located at both ends of a battery, and conductive elastic components are provided on the surfaces of the second and third PCB boards near the battery to connect the positive and negative poles of the battery, and an insulating sleeve is covered on the outer surfaces of the second and third PCB boards and the battery. The lens base and capsule endoscope of the present invention are easy to assemble, have a stable structure, and effectively solve problems such as stray light, black edges, and reflections in images.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of medical devices, in particular to a capsule base and a capsule endoscope using the same. Background Art

[0002] Capsule endoscopy, a novel gastrointestinal examination method, has experienced rapid growth in recent years. It offers unparalleled advantages over traditional intubation endoscopy, including ease of examination, non-invasiveness, and minimal disruption to patients' daily lives. Consequently, capsule endoscopy is poised to gradually replace traditional intubation endoscopy.

[0003] A capsule endoscope usually includes an outer shell and a capsule core embedded in the outer shell. The capsule core is the core structure of the capsule endoscope, including but not limited to functional elements such as a camera unit, a lighting unit, an image processing unit, a permanent magnet, a battery, a signal transmission unit, and a control unit. Electronic components such as the camera unit, the lighting unit, the image processing unit, the signal transmission unit, and the control unit are arranged on at least two PCB boards, and the PCB boards are connected by flexible components such as FPC.

[0004] During the assembly process of the capsule core, the PCB tends to bounce under the influence of the FPC, making assembly difficult. The FPC is also easily squeezed and twisted, causing poor contact, short circuits, and broken wires. Existing capsules prevent this by using a shell and a transparent front cover to press against the PCB. However, due to large dimensional variations in the PCB, which leads to large assembly errors, the pressure on the PCB is often difficult to achieve in actual production, resulting in lens skew and reduced production yield.

[0005] In order to make the images taken by the capsule endoscope inside the subject more stable and without stray light, the camera unit and lighting unit in the capsule endoscope are required to be stably fixed in the capsule core, and the capsule core cannot be deflected, displaced or rotated in the capsule shell. At the same time, the capsule endoscope is also required to be easy to assemble.

[0006] During the image capture process of a capsule endoscope, image quality problems such as reflections and black edges are prone to occur, requiring precise control of the light source's shading and the offset distance between the photosensitive chip and the lens center. Summary of the Invention

[0007] In order to solve the above-mentioned deficiencies in the prior art, the present invention provides a lens base and a capsule endoscope using the same.

[0008] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a lens base, comprising a capsule shell, a capsule core, and a transparent front cover. The front portion of the capsule shell is provided with a first stepped surface and a first connecting portion formed by a boss protruding inward or outward, and the transparent front cover is provided with a second stepped surface and a second connecting portion formed by a boss protruding outward or inward, wherein the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion are mutually sleeved to form a fixing groove for fixing the base.

[0009] The bottom surface of the lens base is further provided with at least two positioning posts, and the positioning posts are used to adapt to the first PCB board provided on the lower surface of the lens base;

[0010] A protrusion protruding upward is provided at the center of the upper surface of the lens base, an internal thread is provided at the center of the protrusion, and the protrusion is used to adapt to the lens provided on the upper surface of the lens base.

[0011] Furthermore, a protrusion protruding downward is further provided at the center of the lower surface of the lens base, and a first groove is provided at the center of the protrusion, and the first groove is used to cooperate with the photosensitive chip provided at the center of the first PCB board.

[0012] Furthermore, the first PCB board is provided with a positioning hole matched with the positioning column.

[0013] Furthermore, a plurality of LED lights are further arranged on the first PCB board, a plurality of through holes adapted to the LED lights are arranged on the lens base, and ribs are arranged on the periphery of the through holes.

[0014] In a second aspect, the present invention provides a capsule endoscope comprising the lens base described in any one of the first aspects, comprising a battery, an antenna, and a capsule core. The capsule endoscope further comprises a second PCB board and a third PCB board located at both ends of the battery. Conductive elastic components are provided on the surfaces of the second PCB board and the third PCB board close to the battery, and the second PCB board and the third PCB board are connected to the positive and negative poles of the battery through the conductive elastic components.

[0015] Furthermore, outer surfaces of the second PCB board, the third PCB board and the battery are covered with an insulating sleeve or a heat shrink tubing.

[0016] Furthermore, foam is further provided on the lower surface of the third PCB board.

[0017] Furthermore, a plurality of steps and a third step surface are provided at the bottom of the capsule shell, the third step surface is in contact with the lower surface of the third PCB board, the third step surface is further provided with a positioning boss, and the third PCB board is further provided with a second groove matching the boss.

[0018] The lens base of the present invention and the capsule endoscope using the same are easy to assemble, have a stable structure, and can effectively solve the problems of stray light, black edges, reflections, etc. in images. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Figure 1 : The overall structure diagram of the capsule endoscope of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 2 : Another structural schematic diagram of capsule endoscope of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 3 : Schematic diagram of the base of capsule endoscope of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 4 : Another base schematic diagram of the capsule endoscope of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 5 : Schematic diagram of the assembly of the third PCB board and capsule shell of the capsule endoscope of the present invention.

[0024] Explanation of the numbers in the figure: capsule shell 11, transparent front cover 12, PCB board assembly 21, FPC flexible cable assembly 22, camera module 23, LED lighting unit 24, battery 25, antenna 26, insulating sleeve 27, foam 28, lens base 231, lens 232, photosensitive chip 233, first step surface 111, first connecting part 112, step 113, second step surface 121, second connecting part 122, first PCB board 211, second PCB board 212, third PCB board 213, third step surface 1131, positioning boss 1132, positioning hole 2111, spring 2121, second groove 2131, first groove 2311, positioning column 2312, internal thread 2313, through hole 2314, rib position 2315, protrusion 2316. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] Please refer to Figure 1 The overall structure diagram of the capsule endoscope of the present invention and Figure 2 Another schematic diagram of the structure of the capsule endoscope of the present invention includes a capsule shell and a capsule core located within the capsule shell. The capsule shell includes a capsule outer shell 11 and a transparent front cover 12. The capsule core includes a PCB assembly 21, an FPC flexible cable assembly 22, a camera module 23, an LED lighting unit 24, a battery 25, and an antenna 26. The camera module consists of a lens base 231 and a lens 232.

[0026] Please refer to Figure 3Schematic diagram of the base of the capsule endoscope of the present invention, the front portion of the capsule shell 11 is provided with a first step surface 111 and a first connecting portion 112 formed by a boss protruding inward, and the transparent front cover 12 is provided with a second step surface 121 and a second connecting portion 122 formed by a boss protruding outward, and the first connecting portion 112 and the second connecting portion 122 are mutually engaged to form a fixing groove for fixing the base.

[0027] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the capsule shell 11 in the above scheme may further be provided with a first step surface 111 and a first connecting portion 112 formed by an outwardly protruding boss, and the transparent front cover may be provided with a second step surface 121 and a second connecting portion 122 formed by an inwardly protruding boss, and the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion may be mutually socketed to form a fixing groove for fixing the base.

[0028] The outer diameter of the lens base 231 is larger than the inner diameter of the capsule shell 11, so that the lens base 231 can be fixed in the fixing groove. The lower surface of the lens base 231 abuts against the step surface at the end of the capsule shell 11, and the upper surface of the lens base 231 abuts against the step surface of the transparent front cover 12, so that the capsule shell 11 and the transparent front cover 12 press the base tightly. The accuracy of the pressing position can reach ±0.01mm, which far exceeds the accuracy of the PCB; the capsule shell 11 and the transparent front cover 12 are sealed together by adhesive or laser welding.

[0029] At least two positioning posts 2312 are provided on the bottom surface of the lens base 231, and the first PCB board 211 is provided with positioning holes 2111 that cooperate with the positioning posts 2312. The positioning posts 2312 are fixed to the first PCB board 211 by gluing or hot melting, thereby realizing Z-axis axial positioning and rotational positioning of the capsule core, so that the PCB board of the capsule core no longer bounces upward, and the capsule core cannot rotate in the capsule shell 11, thereby improving production efficiency and reducing the defective rate in the production process.

[0030] Further references Figure 4 Another base schematic diagram of the capsule endoscope of the present invention, the photosensitive chip 233 is fixed at the center of the first PCB board 211, and the photosensitive chip 233 is square and is convex on the first PCB board 211, a downwardly protruding protrusion is provided at the center of the bottom surface of the lens base 231, and a first groove 2311 is provided at the center of the protrusion to cooperate with the four outer surfaces of the photosensitive chip 233, and there is a certain gap.

[0031] An upwardly protruding protrusion 2316 is provided at the center of the upper surface of the lens base 231, and an internal thread 2313 is provided at the center of the protrusion 2316. The lower half of the lens is provided with an external thread which is threadedly connected to the lens base 231 to ensure that the central axis of the lens is aligned with the central axis of the photosensitive chip 233, making the imaging quality more stable. The lens rotates in the base through the thread, so that the focal length can be adjusted.

[0032] Several LED lights are further provided on the first PCB board 211, and the lens base 231 is provided with several through holes 2314 of a size adapted to the LED lights so that the LED lights can pass through these holes. Ribs 2315 are provided on the periphery of the through holes 2314 to block a portion of the light source. At the same time, the periphery of the protrusion 2316 can also block a portion of the light source, thereby preventing the light source from directly hitting the lens and overexposure of the center of the image, effectively solving optical problems such as blurred lens imaging, reflection, and overexposure of the center, and improving image quality.

[0033] In actual processing and assembly, except for the lens and LED light, the capsule core must be exposed to the outside, and the rest of the electronic components are covered by the lens base 231, thereby improving the integrity of the capsule endoscope and making the appearance more beautiful.

[0034] The second and third PCB boards 212, 213 are located at opposite ends of the battery 25. Springs 2121 or springs, or other conductive elastic components, are positioned on the surfaces of the second and third PCB boards 212, 213 near the battery 25. The springs 2121 connect the positive and negative terminals of the battery 25 to the second and third PCB boards 212, 213, thereby powering the capsule endoscope. An insulating sleeve 29 encases the battery 25, the second and third PCB boards 212, 213. The insulating sleeve 29 is an annular band, and after heating and shrinking, the springs 2121 form a tight contact with the two terminals of the battery 25, ensuring electrical continuity. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the insulating sleeve 29 can alternatively be made of a thermoplastic film material, such as a heat shrink tubing.

[0035] The first PCB board 211 and the second PCB board 212 are connected in a planar manner and fixed with glue to ensure that the two boards are not skewed.

[0036] A certain height of foam 28 or other non-conductive material is provided on the lower surface of the third PCB board 213. Foam is a medium with a certain dielectric constant. Placing it between the antenna radiator and the ground can reduce the antenna's space requirements and reduce the size of the antenna, allowing a better-performing antenna to be designed in a smaller space.

[0037] The antenna 26 is a FPC flexible board that can be bent to a certain arc and is not easily damaged. The antenna 26 is arranged at the bottom of the foam 28. The foam 28 can isolate the radiator of the antenna 226 from the RF PCB board and maintain a certain spatial distance, which is conducive to the radiation of the antenna signal.

[0038] The height of the foam 28 can be flexibly designed according to the antenna performance to ensure that the antenna 26 is as far away from the RF transmitter, battery 25 and other electronic components as possible, thereby improving the performance of the antenna and achieving stable transmission of the RF signal.

[0039] Further references Figure 5 The third PCB board of the capsule endoscope of the present invention is assembled with the capsule shell. The bottom of the capsule shell 11 is provided with several steps 113 and a third step surface 1131. The third step surface 1131 abuts the lower surface of the third PCB board 213, thereby ensuring that the capsule core remains stable and does not tilt within the capsule shell. The third step surface 1131 is further provided with a positioning boss 1132, and the third PCB board 213 is further provided with a second groove 2131 that cooperates with the boss 1132. When the capsule core is installed in the capsule shell 11, the second groove 2131 of the third PCB board 213 is aligned with the boss 1132, ensuring that the capsule core is accurately positioned within the capsule shell 11 and cannot rotate or move.

[0040] When the above-mentioned capsule endoscope solution is applied to a dual-lens capsule endoscope, the antenna can be arranged in the gap between the capsule core and the shell, which is obvious to those skilled in the art.

[0041] The lens base and its assembly process of the present invention stably fix the camera module and the LED lighting unit in the capsule shell 11 without displacement or deflection. It is easy to assemble, has a stable structure, and a high overall appearance, thereby ensuring that the capsule endoscope captures high-quality image information.

Claims

1. A lens base for a capsule endoscope, comprising a capsule shell, a capsule core, and a transparent front cover, characterized in that: The front portion of the capsule shell is provided with a first step surface and a first connecting portion formed by a boss protruding inward or outward, and the transparent front cover is provided with a second step surface and a second connecting portion formed by a boss protruding outward or inward, and the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion are sleeved with each other to form a fixing groove for fixing the lens base; The bottom surface of the lens base is further provided with at least two positioning posts, and the positioning posts are used to adapt to the first PCB board provided on the lower surface of the lens base; A protrusion protruding upward is provided at the center of the upper surface of the lens base, an internal thread is provided at the center of the protrusion, and the protrusion is used to adapt to the lens provided on the upper surface of the lens base; The first PCB is provided with a plurality of LED lights, the lens base is provided with a plurality of through holes adapted to the LED lights, and ribs are provided on the periphery of the through holes; One end of the rib is connected to the protrusion, the end of the rib connected to the protrusion is the connection end, and the end of the rib away from the protrusion is the departure end; The height of the rib is the dimension of the rib extending from the upper surface of the lens base in a direction away from the upper surface; The height of the rib gradually decreases from the connecting end to the diverging end; The outer periphery of the protrusion blocks a portion of the light source.

2. The lens mount according to claim 1, wherein: A protrusion protruding downward is further provided at the center of the lower surface of the lens base, and a first groove is provided at the center of the protrusion. The first groove is used to cooperate with the photosensitive chip provided at the center of the first PCB board.

3. The lens mount according to claim 1, wherein: The first PCB board is provided with a positioning hole matched with the positioning column.

4. A capsule endoscope comprising the lens base according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising a battery, an antenna and a capsule core, characterized in that: The capsule endoscope further includes a second PCB board and a third PCB board located at both ends of the battery. The surfaces of the second PCB board and the third PCB board close to the battery are both provided with conductive elastic components, and the second PCB board and the third PCB board are connected to the positive and negative poles of the battery through the conductive elastic components.

5. The capsule endoscope according to claim 4, characterized in that The outer surfaces of the second PCB board, the third PCB board and the battery are covered with an insulating sleeve or a heat shrink tubing.

6. The capsule endoscope according to claim 4, characterized in that Foam is further provided on the lower surface of the third PCB board.

7. The capsule endoscope according to claim 4, characterized in that The bottom of the capsule shell is provided with a plurality of steps and a third step surface, the third step surface is in contact with the lower surface of the third PCB board, the third step surface is further provided with a positioning boss, and the third PCB board is further provided with a second groove matching the boss.

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