Light guide structure, endoscope, and illumination method

Abstract

This invention relates to a light guide structure, an endoscope, and an illumination method. The light guide structure includes at least two light-emitting surfaces, both of which are inclined to one side relative to the length direction of the light guide structure, and the at least two light-emitting surfaces form an angle, such that at least a portion of the illumination range of the at least two light-emitting surfaces is different. This light guide structure can increase the angle between the emitted light from a single light guide element and the length direction of the light guide element, thereby increasing the light-emitting range of the superimposed at least two light guide elements and improving the illumination range of the light guide structure to meet the illumination requirements of an endoscope.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of endoscopy technology, and in particular to a light guide structure, an endoscope, and an illumination method. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of endoscopic technology, the application of endoscopes in medical diagnosis and treatment is becoming increasingly widespread. Since the imaging environment for endoscopes is typically dark, to improve image quality, endoscopes are usually equipped with light sources and light guide structures to illuminate the subject, thereby enhancing image brightness and quality. However, current light guide structures have a limited illumination range, making it difficult to meet the illumination requirements of endoscopes. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To address the problem that current light guide structures have a small illumination range, making it difficult to meet the illumination requirements of endoscopes, a light guide structure, endoscope, and illumination method are provided.

[0004] A light guide structure, comprising:

[0005] At least two light-emitting surfaces, both of which are tilted to one side relative to the length direction of the light guide structure, and at least two of the light-emitting surfaces form an angle, such that at least a portion of the illumination range of the at least two light-emitting surfaces is different.

[0006] In one embodiment, at least two of the light-emitting surfaces are tilted in opposite directions.

[0007] In one embodiment, the light guide structure includes at least two light guide elements, and the end face of each light guide element forms a light emitting surface.

[0008] In one embodiment, the light guide structure further includes a distance adjustment element configured to adjust the shortest distance between the light-emitting surfaces of the two light guide elements.

[0009] In one embodiment, the light guide structure further includes an angle adjustment component configured to drive the light-emitting surface of the light guide element to rotate about the length of the light guide element.

[0010] In one embodiment, the angle adjustment assembly includes at least two hollow cup motors, each corresponding to a light guide element, with at least a portion of the end of the light guide element housed within the hollow cup motor.

[0011] In one embodiment, the light guide structure includes four light-emitting surfaces, which are opposite to each other in pairs, and the light-emitting surfaces of the corresponding two light guide elements are tilted in opposite directions.

[0012] In one embodiment, one of the two corresponding light-emitting surfaces is located on the same side as one of the other two corresponding light-emitting surfaces, and the other of the two corresponding light-emitting surfaces is also located on the same side as the other of the other two corresponding light-emitting surfaces, and the two light-emitting surfaces located on the same side are parallel to each other.

[0013] In one embodiment, the four light-emitting surfaces are tilted at equal angles relative to the length direction of the light guide structure.

[0014] In one embodiment, the angle at which the light-emitting surface is tilted relative to the length direction of the light guide structure is greater than or equal to 10° and less than or equal to 30°.

[0015] In one embodiment, the shortest distance between the two light-emitting surfaces is greater than or equal to 0 and less than or equal to 1 mm.

[0016] In one embodiment, at least two of the light-emitting surfaces are formed on the end face of the same body, and at least two of the light-emitting surfaces form an included angle.

[0017] An endoscope includes a lens assembly and a light guide structure as described in any of the above embodiments, the light guide structure being configured to illuminate a subject, and the lens assembly being used to acquire an image of the subject.

[0018] In one embodiment, the light guide structure includes four light guide elements, which are paired up and the light-emitting surfaces of the two sets of corresponding light guide elements are respectively disposed on both sides of the lens assembly.

[0019] An illumination method is provided for adjusting the illumination effect of a light guide structure, the light guide structure comprising at least two light guide elements, the light-emitting surfaces of the light guide elements being inclined along the length direction of the light guide elements, the illumination method comprising the following steps:

[0020] Rotate a single light guide element to obtain the illumination area of ​​the light guide element at different rotation angles;

[0021] Obtain the centroid position of the illumination area of ​​a single light guide element at different rotation angles;

[0022] Repeat the above two steps to obtain the centroid positions of the illumination areas of at least two of the light guide elements at different rotation angles;

[0023] Obtain data conversion matrices between the centroid position of the illumination area of ​​at least two of the light guide elements and the rotation angle of the light guide elements;

[0024] Define the target lighting area;

[0025] Adjust the rotation angle of at least two of the light guide elements according to the target illumination area and the data conversion matrix;

[0026] Verify whether the actual illumination area of ​​the light guide structure matches the target illumination area.

[0027] In the aforementioned light guide structure, the light-emitting surface of the light guide element is inclined to the length direction of the light guide element, which can increase the angle between the emitted light of the light guide element and the length direction of the light guide element. This can increase the light emission range of at least two superimposed light guide elements, thereby improving the illumination range of the light guide structure and enabling the light guide structure to meet the illumination requirements of the endoscope. Attached Figure Description

[0028] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a structure in some embodiments where the light-emitting surfaces of two light guide elements are arranged opposite each other;

[0029] Figure 2 These are schematic diagrams of the endoscope structure in some embodiments;

[0030] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the endoscope in some embodiments;

[0031] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure in which the other end of the light guide element is integrated in some embodiments;

[0032] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the light guide structure in its initial state in some embodiments;

[0033] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the light guide element after rotation relative to its initial state in some embodiments;

[0034] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the light guide element after rotation relative to its initial state in some other embodiments;

[0035] Figure 8 These are schematic diagrams illustrating the lighting effect of the light guide structure in some embodiments;

[0036] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the lighting effect of the light guide structure in some other embodiments;

[0037] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the lighting effect of the light guide structure in some other embodiments;

[0038] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the lighting effect of the light guide structure in some embodiments;

[0039] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the illumination range of the light guide structure in some embodiments;

[0040] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the illumination range of the light guide structure in some other embodiments;

[0041] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of the illumination range of the light guide structure in some other embodiments;

[0042] Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram of a structure in some embodiments where multiple light-emitting surfaces are disposed on the same main body;

[0043] Figure 16 for Figure 15 The illustrated embodiment shows a schematic diagram of the lighting effect of the light guide structure.

[0044] Icon labels:

[0045] 10. Endoscope; 11. Light guide structure; 111. Light guide element; 1111. Light emitting surface; 112. Angle adjustment assembly; 1121. Hollow cup motor; 12. Lens assembly; 121. Camera lens. Detailed Implementation

[0046] To make the above-mentioned objects, features, and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Many specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, the present invention can be practiced in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar modifications without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0047] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," "counterclockwise," "axial," "radial," and "circumferential" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention.

[0048] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this invention, "a plurality of" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0049] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise explicitly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0050] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can mean that the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature, or that the first feature is in indirect contact with the second feature through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0051] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or there may be an intervening element. When an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intervening element. The terms "vertical," "horizontal," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and similar expressions used herein are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only possible implementation.

[0052] Please see Figure 1 In some embodiments, the light guide structure 11 includes at least two light guide elements 111, the light-emitting surfaces 1111 of the at least two light guide elements 111 in the light guide structure 11 are inclined to their respective length directions, and the light-emitting surfaces 1111 of the at least two light guide elements 111 can emit light to the same side, for example, towards the subject side, so as to illuminate the subject located on one side of the light guide structure 11.

[0053] It should be noted that in this application, the light guide element 111 can be any light-guiding element such as an optical fiber, and the light can propagate inside the light guide element 111 by total internal reflection. The light guide element 111 has two ends, one end for emitting light and the other end for receiving light. In this application, the light-emitting surface 1111 of the light guide element 111 can be understood as the end face of the light guide element 111 for emitting light, and the other end of the light guide element 111 can be understood as the end face of the light guide element 111 for receiving light. The light guide structure 11 can be used with a light source (not shown in the figure), which includes, but is not limited to, light-emitting diodes (LEDs), laser light sources, and other light-emitting elements. The light emitted by the light source can enter the light guide element 111 from the other end of the light guide element 111, and propagate within the light guide element 111 by total internal reflection to the end of the light guide element 111 for emitting light, and the light emitted by the light source is at least partially emitted from the light-emitting surface 1111 of the light guide element 111. When the light guide structure 11 includes multiple light guide elements 111, the other end of the multiple light guide elements 111 can receive light emitted from the same light source, and the other end of the multiple light guide elements 111 can also receive light emitted from different light sources respectively.

[0054] In this application, the description of the length direction of the light guide element 111 can be understood as the axial direction of the light guide element 111 when it extends in a straight line. When the light guide element 111 does not extend in a straight line, for example, when the middle or other end of the light guide element 111 is bent, the light-emitting surface 1111 of the light guide element 111 is inclined to the length direction of the light guide element 111. This can be understood as the light-emitting surface 1111 being inclined to the axial direction of the portion of the light guide element 111 near the light-emitting surface 1111. If the length directions of multiple light guide elements 111 are parallel to each other, then the length direction of the light guide structure 11 can be parallel to the length direction of the light guide elements 111. Furthermore, the description of the light-emitting surface 1111 of the light guide element 111 being inclined to the length direction of the light guide element 111 can be understood as the light-emitting surface 1111 of the light guide element 111 being inclined to one side relative to the length direction of the light guide element 111.

[0055] It is understood that the light guide structure 11 illuminates an object located on one side of the light-emitting surface 1111 of the light guide element 111 through the light emitted from the multiple light guide elements 111. The multiple light guide elements 111 can emit light towards the same side of the light guide structure 11, i.e., towards the side of the illuminated object. Therefore, the light-emitting surfaces 1111 of at least two light guide elements 111 can be parallel or staggered in the longitudinal direction, as long as at least two light guide elements 111 emit light towards the same side of the illuminated object. Furthermore, the light-emitting surfaces 1111 of the two light guide elements 111 emitting light towards the same side form an angle, for example, the light-emitting surfaces 1111 of the two light guide elements 111 are inclined or perpendicular to each other, so that at least part of the illumination range of the two light guide elements 111 is different; in other words, the emitted beams of the two light guide elements 111 do not overlap at least partially.

[0056] Understandably, the light-emitting surface of a traditional light guide element is usually perpendicular to its length. Therefore, the main ray emitted from the light-emitting surface of a traditional light guide element is typically roughly parallel to its length, resulting in the illumination range of the traditional light guide element being limited to directly in front of its light-emitting surface. (Referencing...) Figure 1 As shown in this application, the design of the light-emitting surface 1111 of the light guide element 111 being inclined to the length direction of the light guide element 111 can change the incident angle of the light rays inside the light guide element 111 when refracted on the light-emitting surface 1111, thereby increasing the angle between the emitted light rays of the light guide element 111 and the length direction of the light guide element 111, for example, making Figure 1 The main ray a emitted from the light guide element 111 is inclined along the length direction of the light guide element 111, thereby making the illumination range of the light guide element 111 no longer limited to the front of the light-emitting surface 1111.

[0057] Therefore, the aforementioned light guide structure 11 can increase the angle between the emitted light from a single light guide element 111 and the length direction of the light guide element 111. Thus, when the light-emitting surfaces 1111 of at least two light guide elements 111 emit light towards the same side, the illumination ranges of the at least two light guide elements 111 can be superimposed, thereby increasing the illumination range of the light guide structure 11. It can be understood that the aforementioned light guide structure 11, by setting at least two light-emitting surfaces 1111 inclined to the length direction of the light guide element 111 to achieve the effect of increasing the illumination range, can overcome the limitations of the illumination range of a single light guide element 111. It effectively increases the superimposed illumination range of multiple light guide elements 111 without significantly altering the structure of the light guide element 111, and the setting process is simple and the manufacturing cost is low. Furthermore, the aforementioned light guide structure 11, while increasing the illumination range, does not require intermediate elements for light diffusion, which helps reduce light loss and thus improves the brightness and light utilization rate of the illumination.

[0058] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the light-emitting surfaces 1111 of at least two light guide elements 111 are arranged opposite to each other; in other words, the light-emitting surfaces 1111 of at least two light guide elements 111 are tilted in opposite directions. For example, the light-emitting surfaces 1111 of the two light guide elements 111 are mirror-symmetrically distributed. It is understood that when the light-emitting surfaces 1111 of two light guide elements 111 are arranged opposite to each other, due to the refraction effect of light on the light-emitting surfaces 1111 of the light guide elements 111, the main rays emitted by the two light guide elements 111 are tilted away from the other light guide element 111, which can maximize the illumination range of the two light guide elements 111 superimposed, thereby maximizing the illumination range of the light guide structure 11. In some embodiments, the number of light guide elements 111 in the light guide structure 11 is a multiple of two. For example, the light guide structure 11 may include two, four, six, or more light guide elements 111, and the light guide elements 111 in the light guide structure 11 are paired with each other. The light-emitting surfaces 1111 of the corresponding two light guide elements 111 are arranged opposite each other, which can maximize the illumination range of the light guide structure 11. Of course, when the number of light guide elements 111 in the light guide structure 11 is greater than 2, the light-emitting surfaces 1111 of two or four light guide elements 111 can be arranged opposite each other, while the light-emitting surfaces 1111 of the other light guide elements 111 may not be arranged symmetrically, so as to adjust the illumination range, illumination brightness, and illumination uniformity of the light guide structure 11, thereby meeting different illumination needs.

[0059] refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, in some embodiments, the light guide structure 11 can be applied to the endoscope 10. Specifically, the endoscope 10 may also include a lens assembly 12. The light guide structure 11 emits light towards the side of the lens assembly 12 where the object is located. The illuminated object of the light guide structure 11 is the object being photographed by the lens assembly 12. The light guide structure 11 can illuminate the object, and the lens assembly 12 can receive the light reflected from the object to acquire an image of the object. By using the aforementioned light guide structure 11 in the endoscope 10, the illumination range of the light guide structure 11 can be improved, thereby enabling the illumination of a larger area of ​​the object to meet the large-area imaging requirements of the endoscope 10.

[0060] The configuration of the lens assembly 12 is not limited; it can be configured according to the imaging requirements of the endoscope 10. (Refer to...) Figure 2 As shown, in some embodiments, the lens assembly 12 may include two side-by-side camera lenses 121, which cooperate with each other to achieve a good image capture effect.

[0061] The arrangement of the light guide structure 11 and the lens assembly 12 is not limited, as long as it can achieve a good lighting effect on the subject of the lens assembly 12, thereby improving the image capture effect of the lens assembly 12. In some embodiments, the light guide elements 111 in the light guide structure 11 are distributed at intervals along the circumference of the lens assembly 12 to illuminate the subject from different directions of the lens assembly 12. In some embodiments, the light emitting surfaces 1111 of each light guide element 111 in the light guide structure 11 can all face the lens assembly 12. In other words, the main light rays emitted by each light guide element 111 diverge away from the lens assembly 12, which can maximize the illumination range of the light guide structure 11 to meet the needs of the lens assembly 12 for large-area image capture.

[0062] Further, refer to Figure 2 As shown, in some embodiments, the light guide structure 11 includes four light guide elements 111, which are paired up and the light-emitting surfaces 1111 of the two sets of corresponding light guide elements 111 are respectively disposed on opposite sides of the lens assembly 12. In other words, the light-emitting surface 1111 of one set of corresponding light guide elements 111 is disposed on one side of the lens assembly 12, and the light-emitting surface 1111 of the other set of corresponding light guide elements 111 is disposed on the opposite side of the lens assembly 12.

[0063] It is understood that regardless of the relative positions of the light guide structure 11 and the lens assembly 12, the light-receiving surface of the lens assembly 12 is always aligned with the light-emitting surface 1111 of the light guide element 111 in the light guide structure 11, so that the light guide structure 11 can illuminate the subject of the lens assembly 12. (Reference) Figure 2 and Figure 4 As shown, light is emitted from the light-emitting surface 1111 of the light guide element 111 to illuminate the subject. The relative relationships between the other sides of each light guide element 111 and with respect to the lens assembly 12 are not limited. For example, the other ends of each light guide element 111 can be integrated into the same conduit and receive light emitted from the same light source, and the other ends of each light guide element 111 can be bent in different directions. Therefore, in this application, only the positional relationships between the light-emitting surfaces 1111 of each light guide element 111 and with respect to the lens assembly 12 are defined.

[0064] It is understandable that by placing the four light guide elements 111 on opposite sides of the lens assembly 12, the superposition of the illumination ranges of the four light guide elements 111 can achieve a wide range of illumination for the subject of the lens assembly 12, meeting the illumination requirements of the lens assembly 12. Simultaneously, the light guide elements 111 are paired, and by adjusting the positional relationship between corresponding pairs of light guide elements 111, the illumination range, brightness, and uniformity of the light after the two light guide elements 111 are superimposed can be adjusted to achieve different lighting effects, thereby meeting the needs of different lighting scenarios.

[0065] Combination Figure 2 and Figure 5 As shown, in some embodiments, corresponding light-emitting surfaces 1111 are arranged opposite each other, and one set of corresponding light-emitting surfaces 1111 is parallel to another set of corresponding light-emitting surfaces 1111. Therefore, the light emitted from each light guide element 111 diffuses outwards towards the light guide structure 11, achieving a larger illumination range. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the angles between the light-emitting surfaces 1111 and the length direction of the four light guide elements 111 can be equal, which is beneficial for the mass design and manufacturing of the light guide elements 111, and also ensures that the four light guide elements 111 have the same light diffusion effect, making it easier to adjust the combined illumination effect of the four light guide elements 111. Of course, depending on different lighting requirements, the angles between the light-emitting surfaces 1111 and the length direction of the four light guide elements 111 can also be different, or some of the light guide elements 111 may have the same angle between their light-emitting surfaces 1111 and the length direction, while others may have different angles.

[0066] Combination Figure 2 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, in some embodiments, with Figure 5 The relative positional relationship of the light guide element 111 shown is used as the initial position of the light guide structure 11. At the initial position of the light guide structure 11, two corresponding light-emitting surfaces 1111 are arranged opposite each other, and one set of corresponding light-emitting surfaces 1111 is parallel to the other set of corresponding light-emitting surfaces 1111.

[0067] In some embodiments, the light guide structure 11 further includes an angle adjustment component 112, which is configured to drive the light-emitting surface 1111 of the light guide element 111 to rotate about the length of the light guide element 111. The angle adjustment component 112 can drive all the light guide elements 111 to rotate synchronously, or it can drive only a portion of the light guide elements 111 to rotate. Figure 6In the light guide structure 11 shown, the corresponding light guide elements 111 are rotated by an angle β / 2 relative to their initial state. It should be noted that, in this application, describing the corresponding light guide elements 111 as rotating by a certain angle relative to their initial state can be understood as the two corresponding light guide elements 111 rotating about their respective length axes in directions away from each other, and the angle between the closest surfaces of the two corresponding light guide elements 111 after rotation is twice their respective rotation angle. For example, if each light guide element 111 rotates by an angle β / 2, then the angle between the closest surfaces of the two light guide elements 111 after rotation is angle β. The closest surfaces of the two corresponding light guide elements 111 after rotation can be the opposite sides of the two light guide elements 111. Furthermore, two light guide elements 111 in one set of corresponding light guide elements 111 are respectively opposite to two light guide elements 111 in another set of corresponding light guide elements 111. When all four light guide elements 111 rotate a certain angle relative to the initial state, the rotation direction of any light guide element 111 in one set of corresponding light guide elements 111 is opposite to that of the light guide element 111 in the other set of light guide elements 111. In other words, after the four light guide elements 111 rotate, the included angle between the two closest sides of one set of corresponding light guide elements 111 is opposite to the included angle between the two closest sides of the other set of corresponding light guide elements 111.

[0068] For example, in Figure 6 In the illustrated embodiment, the four light guide elements 111 are rotated by an angle of β / 2. After rotation, the included angle between the two closest sides of any two corresponding light guide elements 111 is angle β, and the angles formed by the two sets of light guide elements 111 are opposite to each other. Of course, Figure 6 This is just one example of the light guide structure 11 after rotation; in other embodiments, the rotation angle or direction of the two sets of light guide elements 111 can be set differently. For example, in Figure 7 In the embodiment shown, the included angle formed by the rotation of the two sets of light guide elements 111 is directed to the same side. This can be understood as one set of light guide elements 111 rotating by an angle of β / 2 relative to the initial position, and the other set of light guide elements 111 rotating by an angle of -β / 2 relative to the initial position.

[0069] The angle adjustment component 112 can drive the light-emitting surface 1111 of the light guide element 111 to rotate in any way, and can be achieved by providing a driving component such as a motor at the end of the light guide element 111. For example, see reference. Figure 2As shown, in some embodiments, the angle adjustment assembly 112 includes a plurality of hollow cup motors 1121. The number of hollow cup motors 1121 may be equal to the number of light guide elements 111. Each hollow cup motor 1121 corresponds one-to-one with a light guide element 111, and the end of each light guide element 111 is at least partially housed within the hollow cup motor 1121. The side of the end of the light guide element 111 may be fixed relative to the inner wall of the hollow cup motor 1121, thereby enabling the rotation of the hollow cup motor 1121 to drive the light guide element 111 to rotate about its length.

[0070] It is understandable that by adjusting the rotation angle of the light guide element 111 through the angle adjustment component 112, the divergence direction of the light emitted by each light guide element 111 can be changed, thereby adjusting the illumination range, brightness, and uniformity of the four light guide elements 111 stacked together. This adjusts the illumination effect of the light guide structure 11, thus meeting the needs of different lighting scenarios. It should be noted that configuring the angle adjustment component 112 allows for real-time adjustment of the illumination effect of the light guide structure 11 in response to changes in the lighting scenario during the use of the endoscope 10, improving the applicability of the endoscope 10. Of course, in other embodiments, the angles between the light guide elements 111 can also be determined during the assembly of the endoscope 10, enabling the light guide structure 11 to achieve specific illumination effects without the need for the angle adjustment component 112 during use.

[0071] Of course, the method of adjusting the illumination effect of the light guide structure 11 is not limited to changing the angle of the light guide element 111. In some embodiments, the light guide structure 11 also includes a distance adjustment element (not shown in the figure). The distance adjustment element is configured to adjust the distance between the light-emitting surfaces 1111 of the corresponding two light guide elements 111, thereby changing the distance between the centroids of the light rays emitted by the corresponding two light guide elements 111, and thus adjusting the illumination effect after the light guide elements 111 are superimposed. It should be noted that the distance adjustment element can adjust the distance between the light-emitting surfaces of the two light guide elements 111 by adjusting the overall relative position of the two corresponding light guide elements 111, or it can adjust the distance between the light-emitting surfaces of the two light guide elements 111 by adjusting only the relative position of the ends of the two light guide elements 111.

[0072] It should be noted that, in this application, the centroid position of the light emitted from the light guide element 111 can be understood as the center position of the light beam emitted from the light guide element 111, which can be the position of maximum light intensity or the geometric center position of the illumination area of ​​the light guide element 111. In this application, the distance between the light-emitting surfaces 1111 of the two light guide elements 111 can be understood as the shortest distance between the two closest sides (opposite sides) of the two light guide elements 111. For example, in... Figure 6In the illustrated embodiment, the two closest sides of corresponding two light guide elements 111 are spaced apart, thus the light emitting surfaces 1111 of the two light guide elements 111 are spaced apart. Figure 7 In the embodiment shown, the two closest sides of the corresponding two light guide elements 111 are partially in contact, so the shortest distance between the two sides is 0, which can be understood as the light emitting surfaces 1111 of the two light guide elements 111 having no gap.

[0073] The following example illustrates the process of adjusting the lighting effect using the light guide structure 11 through an example of the correspondence between the changes in the relative positional relationship of the four light guide elements 111 and the lighting effect. Of course, the number of light guide elements 111 is not limited to four; they can be set according to lighting requirements. Furthermore, the ways in which the relative positional relationship between the light guide elements 111 changes include, but are not limited to, changes in the distance and rotation angle of the light-emitting surface 1111.

[0074] See also Figure 2 , Figure 8 , Figure 9 , Figure 10 and Figure 11 As shown, Figures 8-11 These are illumination effect diagrams of the light guide structure 11 with four light guide elements 111 in different relative positions. The light intensity distribution diagram is taken from a plane located on one side of the light-emitting surface 1111 of the light guide element 11, perpendicular to the length direction of the light guide element 11, and with a minimum distance of 50mm between the plane and the light-emitting surface 1111 of the light guide element 111. Figure 8 In the illustrated embodiment, the angle between the light-emitting surface 1111 of each of the four light guide elements 111 and the length direction is 10°. The angles of the four light guide elements 111 are in their initial positions, and there is no gap between the light-emitting surfaces 1111 of corresponding pairs of light guide elements 111. Figure 9 In the illustrated embodiment, the angle between the light-emitting surface 1111 of each of the four light guide elements 111 and the length direction is 20°. The angles of the four light guide elements 111 are in their initial positions, and there is no gap between the light-emitting surfaces 1111 of corresponding pairs of light guide elements 111. Figure 10 In the described embodiment, the angle between the light-emitting surface 1111 of each of the four light guide elements 111 and the length direction is 25°. The angles of the four light guide elements 111 are in their initial positions, and there is no gap between the light-emitting surfaces 1111 of corresponding two light guide elements 111. Figure 11 In the embodiment shown, the angle between the light-emitting surface 1111 of the four light guide elements 111 and the length direction is 30°. The angles of the four light guide elements 111 are in the initial position, and there is no gap between the light-emitting surfaces 1111 of the corresponding two light guide elements 111.

[0075] exist Figure 8In the illustrated embodiment, the light is more diffused in the X direction than in the Y direction; that is, the illumination range of the light guide structure 11 in the X direction is greater than that in the Y direction, the edge illumination uniformity is 12.8%, and the illumination mirror luminous efficacy is 34.25%. Figure 9 In the embodiment shown, the light diffuses more than 1000 degrees in the X direction. Figure 8 The illustrated embodiment has an edge illumination uniformity of 18.8% and an illumination mirror luminous efficacy of 47.13%, which meets the illumination requirements of edge uniformity ≤25% and illumination mirror luminous efficacy ≥40%. Figure 10 In the embodiment shown, the diffusion of light along the X-axis is greater than Figure 9 The illustrated embodiment has an edge illumination uniformity of 18.2% and an illumination mirror luminous efficacy of 52.44%, which meets the illumination requirements of edge uniformity ≤25% and illumination mirror luminous efficacy ≥40%. Figure 11 In the embodiment shown, the light diffuses more than 1000 degrees in the X direction. Figure 10 In the illustrated embodiment, the light rays in the middle region between the two corresponding light guide elements 111 do not overlap, the edge illumination uniformity is 11.6%, and the illumination mirror luminous efficacy is 528.84%. The X-direction is parallel to the line connecting the two corresponding light guide elements 111, and the Y-direction is perpendicular to the X-direction. Figures 8-11 It can be seen that, with the spacing and angle of the light guide elements 111 remaining constant, the lighting effect of the light guide structure 11 will change with the angle between the light-emitting surface 1111 of the light guide element 111 and the length direction. When a larger lighting range is required, the angle between the light-emitting surface 1111 of the light guide element 111 and the length direction can be increased accordingly. However, the angle between the light-emitting surface 1111 of the light guide element 111 and the length direction should not be too large, so as to avoid excessive light diffusion and affecting the lighting effect of the central area of ​​the light guide element 111. When different edge lighting uniformity or lighting mirror effects are required in the lighting scene, the angle can be adjusted accordingly. Figures 8-11 Adjust the angle between the light-emitting surface 1111 of the light guide element 111 and the length direction accordingly.

[0076] Of course, in some embodiments, the lighting effect can also be adjusted by changing the rotation angle of the four light guide elements 111 to meet different lighting needs. See details... Figure 2 , Figure 12 , Figure 13 and Figure 14 As shown, in Figures 12-14 In the illustrated embodiment, the angles between the light-emitting surfaces 1111 of the four light guide elements 111 and the length direction remain unchanged, and the spacing between corresponding pairs of light guide elements 111 also remains unchanged. Figure 12In the illustrated embodiment, the light-emitting surfaces 1111 of one set of corresponding light guide elements 111 are rotated 90° relative to their initial state. In other words, after the two light guide elements 111 are rotated, the angle between their opposite sides is 180°, while the light-emitting surfaces 1111 of the other set of corresponding light guide elements 111 remain in their initial state. Figure 13 In the illustrated embodiment, the light-emitting surfaces 1111 of one set of corresponding light guide elements 111 are rotated 45° relative to the initial state, while the light-emitting surfaces 1111 of another set of corresponding light guide elements 111 are rotated 30° relative to the initial state. Figure 14 In the illustrated embodiment, the light-emitting surfaces 1111 of one set of corresponding light guide elements 111 are rotated 30° relative to their initial state, and the light-emitting surfaces 1111 of another set of corresponding light guide elements 111 are rotated 45° relative to their initial state. Figures 12-14 It is understood that adjusting the angles of the four light guide elements 111 alone can change the illumination range of the light guide structure 11 to adapt to different lighting needs. The light guide element 111 may have two opposing end faces, one of which is the light-emitting surface 1111. The side faces can be understood as the peripheral side faces of the light guide element 111. The light guide element 111 may have four side faces; in this embodiment, two side faces of one group of light guide elements 111 are described after rotation and are in opposite positions.

[0077] Table 1 below shows the lighting effects corresponding to different structures and positional relationships of the four light guide elements 111. The bevel angle represents the angle between the light-emitting surface 1111 of the light guide element 111 and the length direction; RZ is the angle between the two opposite sides of two corresponding light guide elements 111 after rotation relative to the initial state; and the interval represents the shortest distance between the light-emitting surfaces 1111 of two corresponding light guide elements 111. In the embodiments indicated by the numbers in Table 1, the angles between the light-emitting surfaces 1111 of the four light guide elements 111 and the length direction are equal, and the rotation angles of the two sets of corresponding light guide elements 111 are also equal. In the embodiments indicated by numbers 1-10, there is no interval between the light-emitting surfaces 1111 of two corresponding light guide elements 111.

[0078] Table 1

[0079]

[0080] As shown in Table 1, the angle between the light-emitting surface 1111 of the light guide element 111 and the length direction, the rotation angle of the light guide element 111, and the spacing between the light-emitting surfaces 1111 of the light guide element 111 all affect the illumination effect of the light guide structure 11. Table 1 also shows that when the angle between the light-emitting surface 1111 of the light guide element 111 and the length direction is greater than or equal to 20° and less than or equal to 25°, and the rotation angle of the light guide element 111 relative to its initial state is greater than or equal to 45° and less than or equal to 50° (i.e., the angle between the two opposite sides of the ends of two corresponding light guide elements 111 after rotation is greater than or equal to 90° and less than or equal to 100°), the light guide structure 11 exhibits good illumination uniformity and illumination mirror luminous efficacy to meet the illumination requirements of ≤25% edge uniformity and ≥40% luminous efficacy of the illumination mirror. Of course, the angle between the light-emitting surface 1111 of the light guide element 111 and the length direction can be any value greater than or equal to 10° and less than or equal to 30°, as long as the superposition of the illumination range can be achieved. The spacing between the light-emitting surfaces 1111 of two corresponding light guide elements 111 can be set according to the lighting effect requirements, for example, it can be greater than or equal to 0 and less than or equal to 0.5mm, so that the light guide structure 11 has a good lighting effect, while the light is not too dispersed and affects the lighting effect of the central area. Alternatively, the spacing between the light-emitting surfaces 1111 of two corresponding light guide elements 111 can be any value greater than or equal to 0mm and less than or equal to 1mm, as long as the superposition of the illumination range can be achieved.

[0081] The above are merely some examples illustrating the influence of changes in the structure and relative position of the light guide element 111 on the lighting effect. The arrangement of the light guide structure 11 is not limited to the above examples. The specific arrangement of the light guide structure 11 can be designed according to actual lighting needs, as long as the light guide element 111 of this application can be used to achieve the effect of expanding the lighting range. To adjust the arrangement of the light guide structure 11 according to different lighting needs, an lighting method is also provided below.

[0082] Specifically, in some embodiments, the illumination method includes the following steps:

[0083] Rotate a single light guide element 111 to obtain the illumination area of ​​the light guide element 111 at different rotation angles relative to the initial state.

[0084] Obtain the centroid position of the illumination area of ​​the single light guide element 111 at different rotation angles relative to the initial state.

[0085] Repeat the above two steps to obtain the centroid positions of the illumination areas of the four light guide elements 111 at different rotation angles. It should be noted that in the above three steps, when obtaining the illumination range of a single light guide element 111, the influence of light from other light guide elements 111 on the illumination range of that light guide element 111 should be excluded. For example, when obtaining the illumination range of a single light guide element 111, only that light guide element 111 should emit light, while the other light guide elements 111 should not emit light.

[0086] Data conversion matrices are obtained for the centroid positions of the illumination areas of the four light guide elements 111 and their rotation angles relative to the initial state. It can be understood that these data conversion matrices list the correspondence between the centroid position of a single light guide element 111 and its rotation angle relative to the initial state. Obtaining the data conversion matrices for the four light guide elements 111 separately simplifies the subsequent steps of simulating the illumination effect after the four light guide elements 111 are superimposed.

[0087] Define the target lighting area. Specifically, the lighting range can be set to meet the lighting requirements of the scene, such as the lighting range, lighting uniformity, and the light effect of the lighting mirror.

[0088] The rotation angles of the four light guide elements 111 are adjusted according to the target lighting area and the data conversion matrix. For example, based on the requirements of the target lighting area, the relative positional relationship between the centroids of the four light guide elements 111 that may satisfy the target lighting area can be simulated. Then, the rotation angles of the four light guide elements 111 are selected according to the data conversion matrix, and the rotation angles of the four light guide elements 111 are adjusted by the angle adjustment component 112. It is understood that in this embodiment, only an example of adjusting the rotation angles of the light guide elements 111 according to different lighting requirements is illustrated. In other embodiments, depending on different lighting requirements, one, two, or three of the following can be adjusted: the spacing between the light guide elements 111, the angle between the light-emitting surface 1111 of the light guide element 111 and the length direction, and the rotation angle of the light guide element 111. Before this step, it is necessary to obtain the correspondence between the changes in one, two, or three of the spacing between the light guide elements 111, the angle between the light-emitting surface 1111 of the light guide element 111 and the length direction, and the rotation angle of the light guide element 111 and the centroid position of the illumination area of ​​the light guide element 111. Then, the structure and / or relative position relationship of the light guide element 111 can be adjusted according to the target illumination area and the correspondence.

[0089] Verify whether the actual illumination area of ​​the light guide structure 11 matches the target illumination area. If they match, the corresponding light guide structure 11 can be used to illuminate the target illumination area to meet the lighting requirements of the lighting scene corresponding to the target illumination area. If they do not match, the spacing of the light guide elements 111 and / or the angle between the light-emitting surface 1111 of the light guide element 111 and the length direction can be adjusted synchronously according to the above steps until the actual illumination area matches the target illumination area.

[0090] In addition, it is understood that when the endoscope 10 is used in conjunction with medical instruments such as needles and forceps for diagnosis or surgery, the light guide structure 11 can be used to illuminate the working area of ​​the medical instrument so that the user can operate the medical instrument. Therefore, in some embodiments, the relative positional relationship of the four light guide elements 111 can be adjusted according to the location of the medical instrument to adjust the illumination range of the light guide structure 11 so that the light guide structure 11 can illuminate the working area of ​​the medical instrument.

[0091] Specifically, in some embodiments, the endoscope 10 can acquire an image of the object through the lens assembly 12, and determine the position of the medical device in the image through visual judgment or algorithm analysis. Then, a target illumination area is set according to the position of the medical device, which can be the working area of ​​the medical device. Furthermore, in the above illumination method, the data conversion matrix can be obtained during the assembly process of the endoscope 10 or before actual application. Therefore, in actual application, after the target illumination area is set according to the position of the medical device, the rotation angle of the four light guide elements 111 can be adjusted using the above illumination method to match the actual illumination range of the light guide structure 11 with the target illumination range, thereby better illuminating the working area of ​​the medical device. Of course, the process of determining whether the actual illumination range of the light guide structure 11 matches the target illumination range can be simulated by an algorithm, or the correspondence between the data conversion matrix and the actual illumination range of the light guide structure 11 can be obtained before the actual application of the endoscope 10. Thus, in actual application, the relative positional relationship of the light guide elements 111 can be adjusted accordingly based on the target illumination range and the correspondence between the data conversion matrix and the actual illumination range.

[0092] As can be seen from the above description, the light guide structure 11 of this application can adjust the illumination range of the light guide structure 11 in real time according to the position change of the medical device through the angle adjustment component 112 and the distance adjustment component during actual application, thereby meeting the needs of different lighting scenarios. The adjustment process does not require disassembling the endoscope 10, making the operation simpler.

[0093] Furthermore, since the medical device may be made of reflective material, if the illumination range of the light guide structure 11 is too concentrated on the medical device, the reflection from the medical device can easily affect the illumination effect. Therefore, in some embodiments, the presence of reflection on the medical device can be determined by the image captured by the lens assembly 12. For example, if the brightness of a certain area in the captured image is greater than the brightness of the light emitted from the light guide structure 11, it can be determined that the medical device is reflecting light at that location. In this case, the target illumination area can be adjusted according to the location of the reflection, for example, by reducing the brightness of the target illumination area at the reflection point. Then, the relative relationship of the four light guide elements 111 can be adjusted using the above-described illumination method to reduce the illumination brightness of the light guide structure 11 at the reflection point, thereby preventing the medical device from reflecting light and affecting the illumination effect.

[0094] In all the above embodiments, the light guide structure 11 includes at least two light guide elements 111, and the end face of each light guide element 111 forms a light emitting surface 1111. (See reference...) Figure 15 As shown, in some other embodiments, at least two light-emitting surfaces 1111 can also be formed on the end face of the same body, which can also be a light guide element such as an optical fiber. Figure 15 In the illustrated embodiment, one end face of the main body for emitting light is composed of four sequentially connected surfaces, each surface forming a light-emitting surface 1111. At least two light-emitting surfaces 1111 form an angle with each other, meaning they are perpendicular or inclined to each other, so that the illumination ranges of the at least two light-emitting surfaces 1111 are at least partially different, thereby creating a superposition effect between the illumination ranges of the at least two light-emitting surfaces 1111.

[0095] In some embodiments, the light guide structure 11 includes four light-emitting surfaces 1111, all of which are formed on a single body, such as the end face of an optical fiber for emitting light. In some embodiments, the four light-emitting surfaces 1111 are arranged in two pairs, with one of the light-emitting surfaces in one pair on the same side as one of the light-emitting surfaces in the other pair, and the other light-emitting surface in one pair on a different side. Furthermore, the angle between two light-emitting surfaces 1111 in one pair is 140 degrees, the angle between two light-emitting surfaces 1111 in the other pair is also 140 degrees, the angle between two light-emitting surfaces 1111 on the same side is 166 degrees, and the angle between two light-emitting surfaces 1111 on the opposite side is also 166 degrees. (Reference) Figure 16 As shown, with this design, when all four light-emitting surfaces 1111 are formed on one main body, the illumination range of the four light-emitting surfaces 1111 can be superimposed to expand the overall illumination range of the light guide structure 11, and at the same time, the light guide structure 11 can have a good illumination effect.

[0096] certainly, Figure 15 and Figure 16 This is merely an example of the number and specific angle settings of multiple light-emitting surfaces 1111 when they are formed on a single body. The design of the number of light-emitting surfaces 1111 and the angles between them can also be the same as the design when multiple light-emitting surfaces 1111 are formed on different light guide elements 111. This can be obtained from the above description and will not be repeated here.

[0097] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0098] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementations of the present invention, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention patent. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of the present invention, and these all fall within the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of this invention patent should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A light guiding structure, characterized in that, include: At least two light-emitting surfaces, both of which are tilted to one side relative to the length direction of the light guide structure, and at least two of the light-emitting surfaces form an angle, such that at least a portion of the illumination range of the at least two light-emitting surfaces is different; The light guide structure includes at least two light guide elements, and the end face of each light guide element forms a light emitting surface; the light guide structure also includes an angle adjustment component, which can drive the light emitting surface to rotate about the length direction of the light guide element.

2. The light guide structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, At least two of the light-emitting surfaces are tilted in opposite directions.

3. The light guide structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a distance adjustment element, which can adjust the shortest distance between the light-emitting surfaces of the two light guide elements.

4. The light guide structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The angle adjustment assembly includes at least two hollow cup motors, each corresponding to a light guide element, with at least a portion of the end of the light guide element housed within the hollow cup motor.

5. The light guide structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The light guide structure includes four light-emitting surfaces, which are opposite to each other in pairs, and the light-emitting surfaces of the corresponding two light guide elements are tilted in opposite directions.

6. The light guide structure according to claim 5, characterized in that, One of the two corresponding light-emitting surfaces is located on the same side as one of the other two corresponding light-emitting surfaces, and the other of the two corresponding light-emitting surfaces is also located on the same side as the other of the other two corresponding light-emitting surfaces. Furthermore, the two light-emitting surfaces located on the same side are parallel to each other.

7. The light guide structure according to claim 6, characterized in that, The four light-emitting surfaces are tilted at equal angles relative to the length direction of the light guide structure.

8. The light guide structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The angle at which the light-emitting surface is tilted relative to the length direction of the light guide structure is greater than or equal to 10° and less than or equal to 30°.

9. The light guide structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The shortest distance between the two light-emitting surfaces is greater than or equal to 0 and less than or equal to 1 mm.

10. The light guide structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, At least two of the light-emitting surfaces are formed on the end face of the same body, and at least two of the light-emitting surfaces form an included angle.

11. An endoscope, characterized in that, The invention includes a lens assembly and a light guide structure as described in any one of claims 1-10, the light guide structure being capable of illuminating a subject, and the lens assembly being used to acquire an image of the subject.

12. The endoscope according to claim 11, characterized in that, The light guide structure includes four light guide elements, which are paired up and the light-emitting surfaces of the two pairs of corresponding light guide elements are respectively located on both sides of the lens assembly.

13. A lighting method, characterized in that, The illumination method is used to adjust the illumination effect of a light guide structure, the light guide structure including at least two light guide elements, the light-emitting surface of the light guide element being inclined along the length direction of the light guide element, and the illumination method including the following steps: Rotate a single light guide element to obtain the illumination area of ​​the light guide element at different rotation angles; Obtain the centroid position of the illumination area of ​​a single light guide element at different rotation angles; Repeat the above two steps to obtain the centroid positions of the illumination areas of at least two of the light guide elements at different rotation angles; Obtain data conversion matrices between the centroid position of the illumination area of ​​at least two of the light guide elements and the rotation angle of the light guide elements; Define the target lighting area; Adjust the rotation angle of at least two of the light guide elements according to the target illumination area and the data conversion matrix; Verify whether the actual illumination area of ​​the light guide structure matches the target illumination area.

Images