An optical connector and endoscope camera system

Abstract

An optical connector and an endoscope camera system, the optical connector comprising a first terminal and a second terminal, the second terminal comprising a second outer wall and a second protective window, the first outer wall being in abutment with the second outer wall; the first protective window and / or the second protective window being an anti-light reflection protective window. Since the first protective window and / or the second protective window in the optical connector is an anti-light reflection protective window, the reflected light generated by the first protective window and the second protective window in the process of propagating the light signal will not continue to propagate along the optical axis, so that there is no echo reflection signal mixed in the light signal output by the optical connector, the echo reflection signal interference is reduced, and the reliability of the light signal transmission is ensured.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of medical device technology, specifically to an optical connector and an endoscope imaging system. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of science and technology and medical technology, laparoscopic minimally invasive surgery has become widespread. In endoscopic surgery, detailed imaging of key tissues can improve the success rate of the operation and facilitate morphological identification in routine resections or tumor surgeries, playing a crucial role in precise localization. With the recent widespread adoption of 4K imaging systems in civilian video technology, endoscopic camera systems are gradually transitioning from HD high-definition endoscopes to 4K ultra-high-definition endoscopes. 4K ultra-high definition significantly improves the surgeon's ability to identify and precisely locate lesion morphology. Simultaneously, endoscopic images require high real-time performance, with frame rates generally above 60Hz, ensuring zero image latency and effectively reducing surgical risks. The high pixel count and high real-time performance of 4K endoscopic imaging systems lead to a significant increase in data transmission rates, thus posing certain challenges to the performance and stability of the transmission port.

[0003] Optical signal transmission boasts a high transmission rate unmatched by electrical signal transmission and is already widely used in fiber optic communication. Applying optical signal transmission to 4K image transmission in medical endoscopes represents a major future trend; however, the specific sterilization requirements of endoscopic camera systems introduce certain risks. To prevent leakage of foreign matter from optical connectors under high-temperature, high-pressure sterilization conditions, the front end of the optical connector is equipped with a glass window. This window serves both protective and sealing functions, but during optical signal transmission, the window can experience echo reflections and signal interference, severely impacting the reliability of optical signal transmission. Summary of the Invention

[0004] One embodiment provides an optical connector, including a first terminal and a second terminal.

[0005] The first terminal includes a first outer wall and a first protective window. The first outer wall is a tubular structure, and the first protective window is disposed inside the first outer wall. The first outer wall is used to plug into and connect the transmitter of the optical signal output line.

[0006] The second terminal includes a second outer wall and a second protective window. The second outer wall is a tubular structure, and the second protective window is disposed inside the second outer wall. The second outer wall is used to plug into and connect the receiving end of the optical signal input line.

[0007] The first outer wall is connected to the second outer wall, and the light signal emitted by the transmitting end of the optical signal output line passes through the first protective window and the second protective window to the receiving end of the optical signal input line; the first protective window and / or the second protective window are anti-reflection protective windows.

[0008] In one embodiment, at least the incident surface of the first protective window is not perpendicular to the optical axis.

[0009] In one embodiment, at least the first protective window is a curved structure, either the first protective window or the second protective window.

[0010] In one embodiment, the first protective window has a curved structure, and the second protective window has a planar structure.

[0011] In one embodiment, the curved surface structure is a spherical structure or a cylindrical structure.

[0012] In one embodiment, the curved surface structure does not have optical power.

[0013] In one embodiment, the radius of curvature of the curved surface structure is 1 to 1000 mm.

[0014] In one embodiment, the inner surface of the first protective window, the outer surface of the second protective window, and / or the inner surface of the second protective window are provided with at least one coating layer, the coating layer being used to reduce the intensity of light reflection.

[0015] In one embodiment, the edge of the first protective window is sealed to the first outer wall, and the edge of the second protective window is sealed to the second outer wall.

[0016] In one embodiment, a collimating lens is provided inside the first outer wall, and the collimating lens is disposed between the transmitting end of the optical signal output line and the first protective window; a focusing lens is provided inside the second outer wall, and the focusing lens is disposed between the receiving end of the optical signal input line and the second protective window.

[0017] In one embodiment, the first outer wall is used to connect multiple optical signal output lines, and each optical signal output line is provided with a collimating lens; the second outer wall is used to connect multiple optical signal input lines, and each optical signal input line is provided with a focusing lens.

[0018] In one embodiment, the optical signal output line and the optical signal input line are optical fibers.

[0019] In one embodiment, the first outer wall is provided with a first positioning structure, and the second outer wall is provided with a second positioning structure. The first positioning structure and the second positioning structure are connected so that the first outer wall and the second outer wall are axially aligned and connected.

[0020] In one embodiment, the first positioning structure and the second positioning structure are a positioning groove and a positioning protrusion, respectively.

[0021] In one embodiment, an endoscopic imaging system is provided, comprising:

[0022] A camera, used to acquire image signals from an endoscope; and

[0023] A camera host is connected to the camera via the aforementioned optical connector; the camera is also used to generate an optical signal based on the image signal and transmit it to the camera host via the optical connector.

[0024] According to the optical connector and endoscope imaging system of the above embodiment, since the first protective window and / or the second protective window in the optical connector are anti-reflection protective windows, the reflected light generated by the first protective window and the second protective window during the propagation of the optical signal will not continue to propagate along the optical axis, so that the optical signal output by the optical connector is not mixed with the echo reflection signal, reducing the interference of the echo reflection signal and ensuring the reliability of the optical signal transmission. Attached Figure Description

[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an optical connector in one embodiment;

[0026] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an optical connector in one embodiment;

[0027] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an optical connector in one embodiment;

[0028] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first protective window and the second protective window in one embodiment;

[0029] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first protective window and the second protective window in one embodiment;

[0030] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first protective window and the second protective window in one embodiment;

[0031] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first terminal in one embodiment;

[0032] Figure 8This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the second terminal in one embodiment;

[0033] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an endoscope camera system in one embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0034] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to specific embodiments and accompanying drawings. Similar elements in different embodiments are referred to by associated similar element reference numerals. In the following embodiments, many details are described to facilitate a better understanding of this application. However, those skilled in the art will readily recognize that some features may be omitted in different situations, or may be replaced by other elements, materials, or methods. In some cases, certain operations related to this application are not shown or described in the specification. This is to avoid obscuring the core parts of this application with excessive description. For those skilled in the art, detailed description of these related operations is not necessary; they can fully understand the related operations based on the description in the specification and general technical knowledge in the art.

[0035] Furthermore, the features, operations, or characteristics described in the specification can be combined in any suitable manner to form various embodiments. At the same time, the steps or actions in the method description can be rearranged or adjusted in a manner obvious to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the various orders in the specification and drawings are only for the clear description of a particular embodiment and do not imply a necessary order, unless otherwise stated that a particular order must be followed.

[0036] The serial numbers assigned to components in this document, such as "first" and "second," are used only to distinguish the described objects and have no sequential or technical meaning. The terms "connection" and "linkage" used in this application, unless otherwise specified, include both direct and indirect connections (linkages).

[0037] One embodiment provides an optical connector, which is mainly used for transmitting optical signals, but can also be used for transmitting electrical signals. The optical connector includes a transmitting terminal and a receiving terminal, which are connected to two devices via cables to realize photoelectric transmission between the two devices. The transmitting terminal and the receiving terminal are detachable photoelectric connections to allow for the separation and docking of the two devices.

[0038] The optical connector in this embodiment is mainly used in endoscopic camera systems. It connects the camera and the main camera unit, transmitting the light signals acquired by the camera to the main camera unit for imaging. The optical connector also transmits power from the main camera unit to the camera, enabling the camera to start operating.

[0039] In this embodiment, the protective window in the optical connector is set as an anti-reflection protective window. The reflected light from the protective window deviates from the transmission direction or is reflected by the reflective film in the transmission direction, so that the reflected light generated by the protective window cannot propagate from the optical connector into the camera host along the transmission direction, thereby reducing echo reflection signal interference and ensuring the reliability of optical signal transmission.

[0040] Please refer to Figure 1 The optical connector in this embodiment mainly includes a first terminal 1 and a second terminal 2, wherein the first terminal 1 is a transmitting terminal and is used to connect to the camera, and the second terminal 2 is a receiving terminal and is used to connect to the camera host.

[0041] The first terminal 1 mainly includes a first outer wall 11 and a first protective window 12. The first outer wall 11 is a tubular structure, preferably a round tube, but it can also be a square tube or other polygonal tube. The first outer wall 11 has an inner cavity to accommodate the optical path. The first outer wall 11 has a first end and a second end. The first end of the first outer wall 11 is used to connect to the camera through a first cable 3, and a portion of the first cable 3 is inserted into the first outer wall 11. One or more optical signal output lines 31 can be provided in the first cable 3. In this embodiment, two optical signal output lines 31 are provided. The two optical signal output lines 31 are used to transmit the optical signals captured by the two cameras, and the two optical signals can realize three-dimensional imaging. The optical signal output lines 31 are optical fibers, and the optical signal output lines 31 are used to transmit the optical signals acquired by the camera to the second terminal 2.

[0042] The second end of the first outer wall 11 is connected to the second outer wall 21. The second end of the first outer wall 11 has a groove, and the first protective window 12 is installed within this groove. The first protective window 12 is sealed to the first outer wall 11 on all sides. The first protective window 12 is a transparent lens. The first protective window 12 is primarily used to seal the inner cavity of the first outer wall 11, allowing the first terminal 1 to undergo high-temperature, high-pressure steam sterilization, preventing moisture from entering the first terminal 1 and affecting optical signal transmission. Specifically, the first protective window 12 is a sapphire glass sheet without optical power, possessing high structural strength to prevent breakage during sterilization or disassembly / reassembly.

[0043] The first protective window 12 is sealed to the first outer wall 11 by adhesive bonding. When the first outer wall 11 is a metal component, the first protective window 12 can also be sealed to the first outer wall 11 by welding, brazing, or other methods.

[0044] The first terminal 1 is also equipped with a focusing lens 13, which is positioned between the end of the optical signal output line 31 inserted into the first terminal 1 and the first protective window 12. The focusing lens 13 is used to focus the optical signal transmitted by the optical signal output line 31 and transmit it to the second terminal 2, thereby improving the stability of the optical signal transmission. Specifically, the first terminal 1 is equipped with two focusing lenses 13, with one focusing lens 13 corresponding to each optical signal output line 31.

[0045] The focusing lens 13 is fixed inside the cavity of the first outer wall 11 by means of bonding or other methods. The focusing lens 13 can be an optical device with an optical angle, such as an ordinary optical lens, a spherical lens, a self-focusing lens, or a Fresnel lens.

[0046] The second terminal 2 mainly includes a second outer wall 21 and a second protective window 22. The second outer wall 21 is a tubular structure, preferably a round tube, but it can also be a square tube or other polygonal tube. The second outer wall 21 has an inner cavity to accommodate the optical path. The second outer wall 21 has a first end and a second end. The first end of the second outer wall 21 is connected to the second end of the first outer wall 11, and the second end of the second outer wall 21 is used to connect to the camera host through the second cable 4. A portion of the second cable 4 is inserted into the second outer wall 21. The second cable 4 can be provided with one or more optical signal input lines 41 corresponding to the number of optical signal output lines 31. For example, in this embodiment, two optical signal input lines 41 are provided. The two optical signal input lines 41 are used to transmit the optical signals captured by the two cameras respectively, and the two optical signals can realize three-dimensional imaging. The optical signal input lines 41 are also optical fibers, and the optical signal input lines 41 are used to transmit the optical signals emitted by the optical signal output lines 31 to the camera host.

[0047] The second end of the second outer wall 21 is connected to the first outer wall 11. The first end of the second outer wall 21 has a groove, and the second protective window 22 is installed in the groove of the second outer wall 21. The second protective window 22 is a transparent lens. The second protective window 22 is mainly used to seal the inner cavity of the second outer wall 21 so that the second terminal 2 can be sterilized by high temperature and high pressure steam, preventing water vapor from entering the second terminal 2 and affecting the transmission of optical signals. Specifically, the second protective window 22 is a sapphire glass sheet without optical power, which has high structural strength and can prevent breakage during sterilization or disassembly.

[0048] The second protective window 22 is sealed to the second outer wall 21 by adhesive bonding. When the second outer wall 21 is a metal component, the second protective window 22 can also be sealed to the second outer wall 21 by welding, brazing, or other methods.

[0049] The second terminal 2 is also equipped with a collimating lens 23. The collimating lens 23 is located between the end of the optical signal input line 41 that is inserted into the second terminal 2 and the second protective window 22. The collimating lens 23 is used to convert the optical signal focused by the focusing lens 13 into parallel light for transmission to the optical signal input line 41. Specifically, the second terminal 2 is equipped with two collimating lenses 23, with one collimating lens 23 corresponding to each optical signal input line 41.

[0050] The collimating lens 23 is fixed inside the cavity of the second outer wall 21 by means of bonding or other methods. The collimating lens 23 can be an optical device with an optical angle, such as an ordinary optical lens, a spherical lens, or a Fresnel lens.

[0051] In this embodiment, both the first protective window 12 and the second protective window 22 are curved structures, specifically spherical structures. The reflected light from the spherical protective window, except for the center position, is not perpendicular to the optical axis. The reflected light (echoes) continuously generated by the first protective window 12 and the second protective window 22 will deviate from the optical signal transmission optical path, and thus the reflected light will not travel along the transmission optical path to the camera host, thereby eliminating echo interference.

[0052] The curvature radius of the curved surface structure of the first protective window 12 and the second protective window 22 is preferably 1 to 1000 mm. For example, if the curvature radius of the curved surface structure is 500 mm, the curvature radius can quickly deflect the echo reflection interference away from the normal optical signal transmission optical path.

[0053] Please refer to Figure 2 In other embodiments, the first protective window 12 is a spherical structure and the second protective window 22 is a planar structure. The echo formed after the reflected light generated by the second protective window 22 shines on the first protective window 12 of the spherical structure will deviate from the transmission path of the optical signal. The setting of this structure can also eliminate echo interference.

[0054] In other embodiments, the curved surface structure of the first protective window 12 and the second protective window 22 can also be a cylindrical surface. The echo formed by the cylindrical surface also deviates from the transmission path of the optical signal, thereby eliminating echo interference.

[0055] In other embodiments, at least the incident surface of the first protective window 12 is configured as a surface not perpendicular to the optical axis. The reflected light generated when the optical signal passes through the first protective window 12 will deviate from the optical axis, thereby reducing echo interference. Please refer to... Figure 3For example, the first protective window 12 and the second protective window 22 are made of tilted flat glass. The angle between the reflected light from the tilted glass and the transmission path of the optical signal is equal to the tilt angle of the tilted flat glass. The resulting echo also deviates from the transmission path of the optical signal, thereby eliminating echo interference. Another example is that the incident surface of the first protective window 12 is a tilted surface, a spherical surface, or a cylindrical surface, while the exit surface of the first protective window 12 and both the exit and incident surfaces of the second protective window 22 are planar structures.

[0056] Please refer to Figure 4 In this embodiment, a coating layer, namely an antireflective film 5, is provided on the inner surface of the first protective window 12 and the inner and outer surfaces of the second protective window 22. This coating increases the light transmittance of the first protective window 12 and the second protective window 22, reduces the intensity of light reflection, further weakens echo interference, and improves the stability of optical signal transmission. The antireflective film can be attached to the inner surface of the first protective window 12 and the inner and outer surfaces of the second protective window 22 by spraying or pasting. The number of coating layers can be set as needed, such as setting two layers of antireflective film 5 made of different materials to improve the antireflective effect. The outer surface of the first protective window 12 is not provided with an antireflective film 5 to meet the requirements of high-temperature and high-pressure sterilization of the first terminal 1.

[0057] In other embodiments, the antireflection film 5 can be applied to one or both of the inner surface of the first protective window 12, the inner surface of the second protective window 22, and the outer surface of the second protective window 22 to reduce echo interference and thus improve the stability of optical signal transmission. Please refer to... Figure 5 If an anti-reflective film 5 is provided only on the inner surface of the first protective window 12, and an anti-reflective film 5 is provided on both the inner and outer surfaces of the second protective window 22, most of the reflected light generated by the second protective window 22 will pass through the first protective window 12 after irradiating the first protective window 12, and very few echoes will be formed, thereby reducing echo interference.

[0058] In other embodiments, the first protective window 12 has a curved structure, and the second protective window 22 has a planar structure. An anti-reflection film 5 is provided on at least one of the inner surface of the first protective window 12, the inner surface of the second protective window 22, and the outer surface of the second protective window 22. This can also reduce some echo interference, thereby improving the stability of optical signal transmission. Please refer to... Figure 6 For example, if the first protective window 12 is a curved structure and the second protective window 22 is a planar structure, an anti-reflective film 5 is provided on the inner surface of the first protective window 12 and on the inner and outer surfaces of the second protective window 22. After the reflected light generated by the second protective window 22 shines on the first protective window 12, most of it will pass through the first protective window 12 and very little echo will be formed, thereby reducing echo interference.

[0059] In this embodiment, an axial positioning structure is provided between the first terminal 1 and the second terminal 2 so that the optical signal output line 31 in the first terminal 1 and the optical signal input line 41 in the second terminal 2 are aligned, thereby reducing the loss of optical signal transmission and improving the transmission quality.

[0060] Please refer to Figure 7 and Figure 8 Specifically, the second end of the first outer wall 11 is provided with a first positioning structure 111, which is a positioning protrusion formed by reducing the outer diameter of the second end of the first outer wall 11. The first end of the second outer wall 21 is provided with a second positioning structure 211, which is a positioning groove. The inner diameter of the positioning groove is adapted to the outer diameter of the positioning protrusion, and the positioning protrusion of the first outer wall 11 can be inserted into the positioning groove to form an axially aligned connection.

[0061] The radially deformable elastic part is provided on the outer wall of the positioning protrusion or in the inner diameter of the positioning groove, which can improve the stability of the connection between the first outer wall 11 and the second outer wall 21.

[0062] In other embodiments, the second end of the first outer wall 11 is provided with a positioning groove, and the first end of the second outer wall 21 is provided with a positioning protrusion, which can also realize the alignment of the optical signal output line 31 in the first terminal 1 and the optical signal input line 41 in the second terminal 2.

[0063] In other embodiments, a plurality of evenly distributed positioning protrusions are provided on the annular end face of the second end of the first outer wall 11, and a plurality of evenly distributed positioning grooves are provided on the annular end face of the first end of the second outer wall 21. Axial alignment connection can also be achieved by connecting the plurality of positioning protrusions with the plurality of positioning grooves.

[0064] In this embodiment, the first terminal 1 and the second terminal 2 can achieve electrical connection in addition to optical connection. Wire passageways are provided within the first outer wall 11 and the second outer wall 21, allowing the wires in the first cable 3 and the second cable 4 to pass through the first outer wall 11 and the second outer wall 21, respectively. Corresponding electrical contacts are provided at the second end of the first outer wall 11 and the first end of the second outer wall 21, achieving electrical connection through these two contacts. Alternatively, a plug and a socket can be provided at the second end of the first outer wall 11 and the first end of the second outer wall 21, also enabling electrical connection.

[0065] In this embodiment, the optical connector has a spherical anti-reflection protective window, which makes the first protective window 12 and the second protective window 22 anti-reflection protective window. This prevents the reflected light generated by the first protective window 12 and the second protective window 22 during the propagation of the optical signal from continuing to propagate along the optical axis. As a result, the optical signal output by the optical connector is not mixed with echo reflection signals, reducing wave reflection signal interference and ensuring the reliability of optical signal transmission.

[0066] Please refer to Figure 9 In one embodiment, an endoscope camera system is provided, which includes a camera 100, a camera host 200, and an optical connector 300 as described in any of the above embodiments.

[0067] The camera 100 is connected to the first terminal 1 of the optical connector 300 via the first cable 3, and the camera host 200 is connected to the second terminal 2 of the optical connector 300 via the second cable 4. The first cable 3, the optical connector 300, and the second cable 4 enable optical signal connection and electrical signal connection between the camera 100 and the camera host 200.

[0068] The camera 100 is used to acquire image signals collected by the endoscope and generate light signals from these image signals. The light signals are then transmitted to the camera host 200 via the first cable 3, the optical connector 300, and the second cable 4. The camera host 200 acquires the light signals and converts them into image signals.

[0069] In this embodiment, since the protective window of the optical connector 300 is set as a curved structure and / or is provided with an anti-reflection film, the optical connector 300 can reduce echo interference during the transmission of optical signals, and ultimately improve the imaging quality.

[0070] The above examples illustrate the present invention only to aid in understanding it and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Those skilled in the art can make various simple deductions, modifications, or substitutions based on the principles of this invention.

Claims

1. An optical connector, characterized in that, Including the first terminal and the second terminal, The first terminal includes a first outer wall and a first protective window. The first outer wall is a tubular structure, and the first protective window is disposed inside the first outer wall. The first outer wall is used to plug into and connect the transmitter of the optical signal output line. The second terminal includes a second outer wall and a second protective window. The second outer wall is a tubular structure, and the second protective window is disposed inside the second outer wall. The second outer wall is used to plug into and connect the receiving end of the optical signal input line. The first outer wall and the second outer wall are connected. The light signal emitted by the transmitting end of the optical signal output line passes through the first protective window and the second protective window and then shines on the receiving end of the optical signal input line. The first protective window and / or the second protective window are anti-reflection protective windows. Wherein, at least the first protective window and the second protective window are curved surfaces, the incident surface and the exit surface of the curved surface are curved surfaces with the same radius of curvature, the curved surface does not have optical power, and the radius of curvature of the incident surface and the exit surface of the curved surface is 1~1000mm.

2. The optical connector as described in claim 1, characterized in that, At least the incident surface of the first protective window is not perpendicular to the optical axis.

3. The optical connector as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The second protective window has a planar structure.

4. The optical connector as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The curved surface structure is either a spherical structure or a cylindrical structure.

5. The optical connector as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The inner surface of the first protective window, the outer surface of the second protective window, and / or the inner surface of the second protective window are provided with at least one coating layer, which is used to reduce the intensity of light reflection.

6. The optical connector as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The edge of the first protective window is sealed to the first outer wall, and the edge of the second protective window is sealed to the second outer wall.

7. The optical connector as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, A collimating lens is provided inside the first outer wall, and the collimating lens is disposed between the transmitting end of the optical signal output line and the first protective window; a focusing lens is provided inside the second outer wall, and the focusing lens is disposed between the receiving end of the optical signal input line and the second protective window.

8. The optical connector as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that, The first outer wall is used to connect multiple optical signal output lines, and each optical signal output line is provided with a collimating lens; the second outer wall is used to connect multiple optical signal input lines, and each optical signal input line is provided with a focusing lens.

9. The optical connector as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The optical signal output line and the optical signal input line are optical fibers.

10. The optical connector as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The first outer wall is provided with a first positioning structure, and the second outer wall is provided with a second positioning structure. The first positioning structure and the second positioning structure are connected so that the first outer wall and the second outer wall are axially aligned and connected.

11. The optical connector as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that, The first positioning structure and the second positioning structure are a positioning groove and a positioning protrusion, respectively.

12. An endoscopic imaging system, characterized in that, include: The camera is used to acquire image signals collected by the endoscope; as well as A camera host, wherein the camera host is connected to the camera via an optical connector as described in any one of claims 1-11; the camera is further configured to generate an optical signal based on the image signal and transmit it to the camera host via the optical connector.

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