Medical cold light source output coupling system with variable compression output collimated beam

By adopting variable-stroke compression output collimated beam technology in the medical cold light source output coupling system, the combination of mobile group, fixed group and compensation group is used to solve the problems of low utilization rate of traditional light sources and thermal accumulation of fiber end surfaces, and the application is achieved High-efficiency fiber coupling in various endoscopic scenarios.

CN113820845BActive Publication Date: 2024-12-31ZHEJIANG UNIV
View PDF 0 Cites 0 Cited by

Patent Information

Application Number
CN202110736651.7
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Patents(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2021-06-30
Publication Date
2024-12-31
Estimated Expiration
2041-06-30

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

The light source utilization rate of medical cold light sources is not high, mainly due to the low light energy coupling efficiency and end-face heat accumulation caused by the difference in the size of the traditional fixed output spot and the diameter of the endoscope fiber bundle.

Method used

A medical cold light source output coupling system with variable-speed compression output collimated beams was designed. Through the collimation system and the beam compression output system, the combination of mobile group, fixed group and compensation group is used to realize the conversion of beam diameter. It is suitable for coupling optical fiber bundles of different diameters to the light source to avoid insufficient utilization of light source in shading methods.

Benefits of technology

It improves the utilization efficiency of light sources, realizes efficient fiber coupling suitable for different endoscope scenarios, avoids light energy waste and fiber end surface heat accumulation, and is suitable for lighting fiber bundles of various specifications.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

Smart Images

  • Figure CN113820845B_ABST
    Figure CN113820845B_ABST
Patent Text Reader

Abstract

The invention discloses a medical cold light source output coupling system for outputting collimated light beams with variable magnification compression, comprising a collimation system and a beam variable magnification compression output system; the variable magnification compression output system comprises a moving group, a fixed group and a compensation group; when parallel light is emitted from the moving group and reaches the fixed group, the reverse extension line of the light intersects the optical axis at point P, which is a virtual image point of the moving group and also a virtual object point of the fixed group; the extension line of the emitted light from the fixed group intersects the optical axis at point Q, which is a virtual image point of the fixed group and also a virtual object point of the compensation group; when the virtual focus of the compensation group coincides with point Q, the light is emitted parallel to the optical axis; when the moving group is moved, in order to make point Q coincide with point F, the compensation group needs to be moved, and as long as it is ensured that the virtual image point of the fixed group always coincides with the required focus of the compensation group, variable magnification collimated output can be achieved.
Need to check novelty before this filing date? Find Prior Art

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a light source output coupling system, and more particularly to a medical cold light source output coupling system capable of outputting a collimated light beam with variable compression. Background Art

[0002] Medical cold light sources are an important component of high-end endoscope system medical equipment. They have the advantages of long life, low cost, and flexible spectrum customization, and have become the mainstream of the industry. The light output of the medical cold light source is directly coupled to the lighting input end of the endoscope.

[0003] However, in clinical applications, there is a problem of low light source utilization. This is because the light source needs to be used with multiple endoscopes in multiple departments, including electronic endoscopes, optical endoscopes, etc. Due to different application scenarios such as ENT, arthroscopy, and laparoscopes, the diameters of the illumination input ends of the endoscopes coupled with the light source vary greatly. For example, in the range of 1-4mm in diameter, the coupling area differs by 16 times. The traditional coupling method with a fixed output spot size results in a waste of light source efficiency, especially the blocking and dimming method further reduces the utilization of the light source. Specifically, because of the fixed diameter of the light beam, the light energy coupling efficiency will be low (the light spot is larger than the fiber bundle diameter) or the utilization of the fiber bundle is not high and the end face heat accumulation is serious (the light spot is smaller than the fiber bundle diameter). Summary of the Invention

[0004] In response to the shortcomings of the existing traditional medical endoscope cold source light fixed spot diameter output optical path, the present invention proposes a medical cold light source output coupling system with variable compression output collimated light beam. The innovation of the present invention is that it can realize variable diameter compressed light beam output. Its implementation advantage is that it is suitable for different endoscope usage scenarios and is suitable for coupling optical fiber bundles of different diameters with light sources; it avoids the disadvantage of insufficient light source utilization in the shielding mode and can more efficiently utilize the light emitted by the light source; and it has high-efficiency optical fiber coupling with parallel light incidence mode.

[0005] The object of the present invention is achieved through the following technical solutions:

[0006] A medical cold light source output coupling system for outputting a collimated light beam with variable compression, comprising:

[0007] A collimating system, which receives a light source and emits a parallel light beam; the collimating system is a lens or lens group with a converging function;

[0008] Beam zoom compression output system;

[0009] The beam zoom compression output system includes a moving group, a fixed group, and a compensation group. The fixed group is separated from the collimation system by a preset distance and is a lens or lens group with a convergence function. The diameter of the fixed group is larger than the diameter of the parallel beam.

[0010] After being emitted from the movable group, the parallel light beam reaches the fixed group. The reverse extension line of the light beam intersects the optical axis at point P, which is the virtual image point of the movable group and also the virtual object point of the fixed group. The extension line of the light beam emitted from the fixed group intersects the optical axis at point Q, which is the virtual image point of the fixed group and also the virtual object point of the compensation group. When the virtual focus point F of the compensation group coincides with point Q, the light beam is emitted parallel to the optical axis. When the movable group is moved, the compensation group needs to be moved to make points Q coincide with points F. As long as the virtual image point of the fixed group is always kept coincident with the virtual focus point of the compensation group, variable magnification collimated output can be achieved.

[0011] The collimation system and the light beam zoom compression output system are arranged on the same optical axis.

[0012] The movable group and the compensation group are both lenses or lens groups with divergence function, and the movable group and the compensation group move in the same direction during adjustment; the movable group has a movement range of 0 to 29 mm, and the compensation group has a movement range of 0 to 57 mm. The distance between the light source and the fixed group is kept unchanged, and the distance between the movable group and the compensation group is adjusted at the same time so that the compressed light beam emitted by the compensation group is coupled with the optical fiber.

[0013] When the mobile group moves by Δd1 relative to its initial position, its magnification with that of the fixed group satisfies the following relationship:

[0014]

[0015] Among them, f2', f3', e1, respectively represent the focal length of the mobile group, the fixed group and the interval between the mobile group and the fixed group at the initial position;

[0016] Since the movement of the mobile group changes the magnification of the fixed group, the position of the virtual image point of the fixed group also moves. In order to keep the virtual focus of the compensation group coincident with the virtual image point of the fixed group, the required movement of the compensation group satisfies the following relationship:

[0017]

[0018] Where, f4', e2, respectively represent the focal length of the compensation group and the interval between the fixed group and the compensation group;

[0019] When the image-side effective F-number of the fixed group changes continuously due to the movement of the mobile group, the F-number of the compensation group also changes continuously, so the diameter of the output beam also changes accordingly. The radius of the incident beam through the mobile group is h1, and the radius of the output beam through the compensation group is h2. Then the compression ratio M satisfies the following relationship:

[0020]

[0021] Among them, the collimation system and the fixed group are double convex lenses, and the movable group and the compensation group are both single concave lenses; the concave surface of the movable group is placed on the opposite side of the direction of travel of the parallel light beam, and the concave surface of the compensation group is placed on the side of the direction of travel of the parallel light beam.

[0022] The moving group and the compensation group move continuously or at a fixed point within the moving range.

[0023] The working process of the present invention is as follows:

[0024] Furthermore, in order to achieve the aforementioned objectives of the present invention, a medical cold light source output coupling system is provided that outputs a collimated beam with variable magnification and compression. The system comprises a collimation system and a beam compression and output system. The collimation system, a movable group, a fixed group, and a compensation group are assembled into a lens barrel. The collimation system and the fixed group are fixed and stationary, while the relative positions of the movable and compensation groups are adjusted by a zoom mechanism. When the output beam diameter needs to be increased, the zoom mechanism is adjusted to move the movable group away from the fixed group, thereby changing the magnification of the collimation system. To ensure that the virtual focus of the compensation group coincides with the virtual image of the fixed group, the focusing mechanism simultaneously moves the movable group and drives the compensation group in the same direction. Conversely, when the output beam diameter needs to be decreased, the zoom mechanism is adjusted to move the movable group toward the fixed group, simultaneously driving the compensation group in the same direction. Based on this embodiment, 2X to 6X magnification and output beams of varying diameters can be achieved, meeting the needs of a single light source and various illumination fiber bundle specifications. This invention patent can also be applied to scenarios requiring variable diameter beam output, such as laser scanning systems, and provides electronic dimming capabilities.

[0025] Technical Effects

[0026] By applying the technical solution of the present invention, variable diameter compressed light beam output can be achieved. The implementation advantage is that it is suitable for different endoscope usage scenarios and is suitable for coupling optical fiber bundles of different diameters with light sources; it avoids the disadvantage of insufficient light source utilization in the shielding mode and can utilize the light emitted by the light source more efficiently; and it has high-efficiency optical fiber coupling with parallel light incidence. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the principle of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 2 is a diagram showing a compressed beam system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 3 is a diagram showing an expanded beam system according to another embodiment of the present invention; DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] The present invention is susceptible to various modifications and embodiments. Specific embodiments are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described in detail in the specification. However, the present invention is not intended to be limited to any particular embodiment and should be understood to encompass all variations, equivalents, and alternatives within the spirit and technical scope of the present invention. Similar reference numerals are used to denote similar components in the accompanying drawings. The thickness and shape of the components in the drawings do not reflect the actual scale of the display device; they are intended only to illustrate the present invention.

[0031] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0032] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram showing the principle of the present invention.

[0033] L2, L3, and L4 form the beam zoom and compression output system, employing a negative-positive-negative configuration. L2 is the mobile group, L3 is the fixed group, and L4 is the compensation group. The divergent light beam emitted by the light source is first collimated by the collimation system L1. The parallel light exits the mobile group and reaches the fixed group. The reverse extension of the light intersects the optical axis at point P, which is the virtual image point of L2 and the virtual object point of L3. L3 has a converging effect on the light. The extension of the exiting light intersects the optical axis at point Q, which is the virtual image point of L3 and the virtual object point of L4. When the virtual focus F of L4 coincides with point Q, the light exits parallel to the optical axis. When L2 is moved, the compensation group L4 must be moved to align points Q and F. As long as the virtual image point of L3 always coincides with the desired focus of L4, zoom collimated output can be achieved.

[0034] Figure 2 and Figure 3 The following are simulation 3D schematic diagrams of two embodiments of the present invention: Figure 2 is the diagram of the compressed beam system, Figure 3 To expand the beam system diagram.

[0035] A medical cold light source output coupling system with variable magnification and collimated beam compression primarily consists of a collimation system and a beam compression system. The collimation system, a movable group, a fixed group, and a compensating group are assembled into a lens barrel. The collimation system and the fixed group remain stationary, while the relative positions of the movable and compensating groups are adjusted via a zoom mechanism. To increase the output beam diameter, the zoom mechanism is adjusted to move the movable group away from the fixed group, causing the collimation system's magnification to change. To ensure that the virtual focus of the compensating group coincides with the virtual image of the fixed group, the focusing mechanism simultaneously moves the movable group and the compensating group in the same direction. Conversely, to decrease the output beam diameter, the zoom mechanism is adjusted to move the movable group toward the fixed group, simultaneously moving the compensating group in the same direction. This example achieves 2X to 6X magnification and outputs of beams of varying diameters, accommodating the same light source for various illumination fiber bundle specifications.

[0036] Furthermore, the collimation system and the fixed group are double convex lenses, and the movable group and the compensation group are both single concave lenses; the concave surface of the movable group is placed on the opposite side of the direction of travel of the parallel light beam, and the concave surface of the compensation group is placed on the side of the direction of travel of the parallel light beam.

[0037] Furthermore, the moving group and the compensation group move continuously or at a fixed point within the moving range.

[0038] <First embodiment>

[0039] Figure 2 One embodiment of the present invention provides a medical cold light source output coupling system that compresses and outputs a collimated beam, suitable for use with micro-flexible endoscopes. The optical system includes a collimation system and a beam zoom compression output system; the beam zoom compression output system comprises a moving group, a fixed group, and a compensation group.

[0040] The collimation system receives the light with divergent angle emitted from the light source and collimates it into parallel input to the zoom compression system. The parallel light is emitted through the mobile group and then reaches the fixed group. In this embodiment, in order to achieve the compressed beam output, the mobile group is moved towards the fixed group. Refer to the principle Figure 1 , the reverse extension line of its output light intersects the optical axis at point P, which is the virtual image point of the mobile group and also the virtual object point of the fixed group; the fixed group has a converging effect on the light, and the extension line of the output light of the fixed group intersects the optical axis at point Q, which is the virtual image point of the fixed group and also the virtual object point of the compensation group; when the virtual focus of the compensation group coincides with point Q, the light is emitted parallel to the optical axis; when the mobile group is moved, in order to make point Q coincide with point F, the compensation group needs to be moved in the same direction (away from the fixed group). During the movement process, as long as the virtual image point of the fixed group is kept coincident with the virtual focus of the compensation group at all times, variable magnification collimated output can be achieved.

[0041] Light source correspondence Figure 2 201 in the collimation system corresponds to Figure 2 202 in the figure, the zoom system consists of 203, 204 and 205. The mobile group corresponds to Figure 2 Negative lens 203, fixed group corresponding Figure 2 Positive lens 204, compensation group corresponding to Figure 2 Negative lens 205.

[0042] The compression ratio of the collimated light beam can be determined based on the focal length of the mobile group L2 and the fixed group L3 and the interval between L2 and L3 at the initial position. Figure 1 Provide theoretical explanation:

[0043] When the mobile group L2 moves Δd1 relative to its initial position, the magnification of the fixed group L3 can be expressed as follows:

[0044]

[0045] Among them, f2', f3', and e1 represent the focal lengths of the mobile group L2 and the fixed group L3, and the interval between L2 and L3 at the initial position, respectively.

[0046] Since the movement of L2 changes the magnification of L3, the position of the virtual image point of L3 also moves. In order to keep the virtual focus of L4 coincident with the virtual image point of L3, the movement amount of L4 can be expressed by the following formula:

[0047]

[0048] Wherein, f4', e2, respectively represent the focal length of compensation group L4 and the interval between L3 and L4.

[0049] When the effective F-number of the image side of L3 changes continuously due to the movement of L2, the F-number of L4 also changes continuously, so the diameter of the outgoing beam also changes accordingly. Assuming that the radius of the incident beam through L2 is h1 and the radius of the outgoing beam through L4 is h2, the compression ratio M can be expressed as:

[0050]

[0051] This makes it possible to achieve continuous zoom compression and output of a collimated light beam.

[0052] When the light source needs to be applied to a colonoscope, the colonoscope imaging system has high requirements for lighting brightness and requires a large illuminance, usually reaching 80Klx or more. In actual applications, although the illumination requirements can be met by using a fiber optic bundle with a smaller diameter, the heat accumulation at the fiber end face increases significantly. Long-term use will damage the fiber end face and even burn the fiber bundle and its protective layer. Therefore, considering the thermal effect of the light beam, a fiber optic bundle with a diameter greater than 3mm is usually used. This requires that the divergent light emitted by the light source be collimated and compressed to the corresponding size through the designed optical path. At this time, the spot diameter is required to be as close to 3mm as possible to avoid wasting light energy and damaging the fiber bundle. To achieve a beam output of this size, the movable group lens needs to be moved to 29mm from the fixed group, and the compensation group needs to be virtually moved to 18mm from the fixed group. This can achieve a beam compression of 2 times to meet the requirements.

[0053] When the light source needs to be applied to a bronchoscope, the bronchoscope imaging system has relatively low requirements for illumination, usually needing to reach 40Klx. Since the lumen of the bronchoscope's entry site in the human body is narrow, the scope body is relatively thin, usually only 6mm, which requires the illumination fiber bundle to be relatively thin, usually around 1mm. After determining the fiber bundle diameter and illumination requirements, heat accumulation and illumination redundancy still need to be considered. The emission power of the light source needs to be lowered through the circuit first, and the divergent light is then coupled into the optical fiber through the collimation and compression optical path system. According to the optical system, the mobile group is moved to a distance of 3mm from the fixed group, and the compensation group is moved to 75mm from the fixed group, so that a 6-fold compression can be achieved, compressing the beam diameter to about 1mm, improving the coupling efficiency, meeting the illumination requirements, and preventing thermal damage to the end face of the fiber bundle.

[0054] <Second embodiment>

[0055] Figure 3 The second embodiment of the present invention is to expand the output of the collimated light beam of the medical cold light source output coupling system to meet the lighting requirements of the colonoscope. Figure 3 As shown, it includes a collimation system and a beam zoom compression output system; the beam zoom compression output system includes a moving group, a fixed group, and a compensation group.

[0056] The collimation system receives the light with divergent angle emitted from the light source and collimates it into parallel input to the zoom compression system. The parallel light is emitted through the mobile group and then reaches the fixed group. In this embodiment, in order to expand the light beam output, the mobile group is moved away from the fixed group. Figure 1 The principle diagram shows that the reverse extension line of the output light intersects the optical axis at point P, which is the virtual image point of the mobile group and also the virtual object point of the fixed group. The fixed group has a converging effect on the light, and the extension line of the output light of the fixed group intersects the optical axis at point Q, which is the virtual image point of the fixed group and also the virtual object point of the compensation group. When the virtual focus of the compensation group coincides with point Q, the light is emitted parallel to the optical axis. When the mobile group is moved, in order to make point Q coincide with point F, the compensation group needs to be moved in the same direction (towards the direction of the fixed group). During the movement, as long as the virtual image point of the fixed group is kept coincident with the virtual focus of the compensation group at all times, variable magnification collimated output can be achieved.

[0057] Light source correspondence Figure 3 301 in the collimation system corresponds to Figure 3 302 in the figure, the zoom system consists of 303, 304 and 305. The mobile group corresponds to Figure 3 Negative lens 303, fixed group corresponding Figure 3 Positive lens 304, compensation group corresponding to Figure 3 Negative lens 305.

[0058] In addition, this invention patent can also be applied to scenarios such as laser scanning systems that require variable diameter beam output. It has the function of electronic dimming.

[0059] As described above, the present invention has been described through specific matters such as specific components and limited embodiments and drawings. However, this is only for the purpose of helping to more fully understand the present invention. The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. A person skilled in the art may make various modifications and variations based on the above description. Therefore, the concept of the present invention should not be limited to the described embodiments. The scope of the technical solution and all equivalent or equivalent transformations thereof fall within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A medical cold light source output coupling system with variable compression output collimated light beam, characterized in that: include: A collimation system, which receives a light source and emits a parallel light beam; the collimation system is a lens with a converging function; Beam zoom compression output system; The beam variable magnification compression output system comprises a moving group, a fixed group and a compensation group, the fixed group is separated from the collimation system by a preset distance and is a lens with a convergence function, and the diameter of the fixed group is larger than the diameter of the parallel beam; The parallel light beam is emitted from the moving group and reaches the fixed group. The reverse extension line of the light beam intersects the optical axis at point P, which is the virtual image point of the moving group and also the virtual object point of the fixed group. The extension line of the emitted light from the fixed group intersects the optical axis at point Q, which is the virtual image point of the fixed group and also the virtual object point of the compensation group. When the virtual focus point F of the compensation group coincides with point Q, the light beam is emitted parallel to the optical axis. When the moving group is moved, in order to make the Q point coincide with the F point, the compensation group needs to be moved. As long as the virtual image point of the fixed group is kept coincident with the virtual focus of the compensation group at all times, the variable magnification collimation output can be achieved; The collimation system and the light beam variable magnification compression output system are arranged on the same optical axis; The moving group and the compensating group are both lenses with divergence function, and the moving group and the compensating group move in the same direction during adjustment; the moving range of the moving group is 0-29 mm, and the moving range of the compensating group is 0-57 mm. The distance between the light source and the fixed group is kept unchanged, and the distance between the moving group and the compensating group is adjusted at the same time, so that the compressed light beam emitted by the compensating group is coupled with the optical fiber; The collimation system and the fixed group are double convex lenses, and the movable group and the compensation group are single concave lenses; the concave surface of the movable group is placed on the opposite side of the direction of travel of the parallel light beam, and the concave surface of the compensation group is placed on the side of the direction of travel of the parallel light beam.

2. The medical cold light source output coupling system with variable compression output collimated light beam according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the mobile group moves Δd1 relative to its initial position, its magnification with the fixed group satisfies the following relationship: Among them, f2', f3', e1, respectively represent the focal length of the mobile group and the fixed group and the interval between the mobile group and the fixed group at the initial position; Since the movement of the mobile group changes the magnification of the fixed group, the position of the virtual image point of the fixed group also moves. In order to keep the virtual focus of the compensation group coincident with the virtual image point of the fixed group, the required movement amount of the compensation group satisfies the following relationship: Wherein, f4', e2, respectively represent the focal length of the compensation group and the interval between the fixed group and the compensation group; When the image-side effective F number of the fixed group changes continuously due to the movement of the mobile group, the F number of the compensation group also changes continuously, so the diameter of the outgoing beam also changes accordingly. The radius of the incident beam through the mobile group is h1, and the radius of the outgoing beam of the compensation group is h2. Then the compression ratio M satisfies the following relationship: 。 3. The medical cold light source output coupling system for outputting a collimated light beam with variable compression according to any one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that: The moving group and the compensation group move continuously or at a fixed point within the moving range.