An electronic endoscope system

Abstract

This application discloses an electronic endoscope system, including: an image processing host unit, an image acquisition unit, and a signal processing unit. The image acquisition unit and the signal processing unit are electrically connected via a first transmission cable, and the signal processing unit and the image processing host unit are electrically connected via a second transmission cable. The image processing host unit includes: an application circuit, a secondary circuit, and an electrostatic discharge circuit. The application circuit is electrically connected to a core wire in the second transmission cable. One core wire in the image acquisition unit, the first transmission cable, the signal processing unit, the application circuit, and the second transmission cable has a first common ground terminal. The conductive shell of the insertion part, the conductive shell of the operation part, and the shielding layer of the second transmission cable have a second common ground terminal. The secondary circuit is electrically connected to a third ground terminal. The generated electrostatic interference signal is discharged to the power supply protective ground terminal through the conductive shell and the shielding layer via the electrostatic discharge circuit to solve the electrostatic isolation problem.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of endoscopy, and more particularly to an electronic endoscopy system. Background Technology

[0002] An electronic endoscope is an electronic optical instrument that integrates high-precision technologies such as optics, mechanics, and electronics. For example, a medical electronic endoscope can be inserted into the cavities of biological bodies and organs for direct observation, diagnosis, and treatment. It collects image information through a miniature image sensor installed at the front end of the endoscope. The collected image information is transmitted, converted, and processed before being displayed on the screen of a monitor.

[0003] During the use of electronic endoscopes, the application part of the electronic endoscope may come into contact with the area being photographed. Since the application part and the contact part have different electrostatic potentials, when the application part and the contact part are close to each other or in direct contact, charge transfer will occur, resulting in electrostatic discharge (ESD). At the same time, there are other electronic devices in the application scenario of electronic endoscopes, which may also be subject to interference from other devices, which will cause image interference. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention provides an electronic endoscope system to solve the problem of image interference caused by electrostatic discharge.

[0005] The first aspect of this application provides an electronic endoscope system, which includes: an electronic endoscope handle unit and an image processing host unit. The electronic endoscope handle unit includes: an image acquisition unit for image acquisition and a signal processing unit for signal processing.

[0006] The image acquisition unit and the signal processing unit are electrically connected via a first transmission cable.

[0007] The signal processing unit and the image processing host unit are electrically connected via a second transmission cable.

[0008] The image processing host unit includes: application circuitry for processing signals from the signal processing unit; secondary circuitry for providing operating power isolated from the power supply; an electrical isolation circuit located between the application circuitry and the secondary circuitry for isolating the application circuitry and the secondary circuitry; and an electrostatic discharge circuitry electrically connected between the shielding layer of the second transmission cable and the protective ground terminal of the power supply, wherein the application circuitry is electrically connected to the core wires in the second transmission cable.

[0009] The image acquisition unit, the first transmission cable, the signal processing unit, the application circuit, and one core wire of the second transmission cable have a first common ground terminal, which is electrically connected to a first ground terminal.

[0010] The conductive housing of the electronic endoscope handle insertion part, the conductive housing of the electronic endoscope handle operation part, and the shielding layer of the second transmission cable have a second common ground terminal, which is electrically connected to a second ground terminal.

[0011] The secondary circuit is electrically connected to the third ground terminal.

[0012] in,

[0013] The first grounding terminal, the second grounding terminal, and the third grounding terminal are non-common grounding terminals, which means that the electrostatic interference signal generated by the electronic endoscope handle is discharged to the power supply protective ground terminal through the conductive shell and the shielding layer of the second transmission cable via the electrostatic discharge circuit.

[0014] Preferably, the electronic endoscope handle unit is electrically connected to the image processing host unit via an endoscope connector.

[0015] The signal processing unit and the image processing host unit are electrically connected via a second transmission cable, including:

[0016] One end of the second transmission cable located in the electronic endoscope handle unit is electrically connected to the image processing host unit via the endoscope connector, and the other end is electrically connected to the signal processing unit.

[0017] The electrostatic discharge circuit is electrically connected to the pins of the shielding layer of the second transmission cable in the endoscope connector.

[0018] The application circuit is electrically connected to the pin of the second transmission cable core in the endoscope connector.

[0019] Preferably, the electronic endoscope handle insertion portion has a conductive housing, the electronic endoscope handle operation portion has a conductive housing, and the shielding layer of the second transmission cable located in the electronic endoscope handle unit forms a first metal cavity wall.

[0020] Preferably, the electronic endoscope handle insertion portion has a conductive inner shell, the electronic endoscope handle operating portion has a conductive inner shell, and the conductive inner shell forms a second metal cavity wall.

[0021] Preferably, the second metal cavity wall and the core wire in the second transmission cable located in the electronic endoscope handle unit are located within the first metal cavity formed by the first metal cavity wall.

[0022] Preferably, the image acquisition unit, the signal processing unit, and the first transmission cable are located within a second metal cavity formed by the wall of the second metal cavity.

[0023] Preferably, the first metal cavity wall, the pins of the second transmission cable shielding layer in the endoscope connector, the electrostatic discharge circuit, and the power supply grounding terminal form an electrostatic discharge path.

[0024] Preferably, the first metal cavity wall is electrically connected to the second grounding terminal.

[0025] Preferably, the second metal cavity wall is electrically connected to the first grounding terminal.

[0026] Preferably, the first common ground terminal of the core wire in the image acquisition unit, the first transmission cable, the signal processing unit, and the second transmission cable located in the first metal cavity is electrically connected to the wall of the second metal cavity.

[0027] Preferably, the image acquisition unit is located in the insertion cavity portion within the second metal cavity, and the signal processing unit is located in the operation cavity portion within the second metal cavity.

[0028] Preferably, the first transmission cable is a coaxial cable, wherein each coaxial core wire in the coaxial cable has at least one first braided metal shielding layer around it, and the bundle formed by all the coaxial core wires has a second braided metal shielding layer on its outside.

[0029] Preferably, the second transmission cable is a twisted-pair cable with a shielding layer.

[0030] Preferably, the electrostatic discharge circuit includes a resistor-capacitor circuit with a resistor and a capacitor connected in parallel. One end of the circuit is electrically connected to the pin of the shielding layer of the second transmission cable in the endoscope connector, and the other end is electrically connected to the power supply grounding terminal.

[0031] This application also provides an electronic endoscope system, which includes: an electronic endoscope handle unit and an image processing host unit. The electronic endoscope handle unit includes: an image acquisition unit for image acquisition and a signal processing unit for signal processing.

[0032] The image acquisition unit and the signal processing unit are electrically connected via a first transmission cable.

[0033] The signal processing unit and the image processing host unit are electrically connected via a second transmission cable.

[0034] The image processing host unit includes secondary circuitry.

[0035] The image acquisition unit, the first transmission cable, the signal processing unit, the secondary circuit for providing a working power supply isolated from the power supply, and the shielding layer of the second transmission cable all have a first common ground terminal, which is electrically connected to a first ground terminal, and the first ground terminal is electrically connected to the power supply protective ground terminal.

[0036] The insertion portion of the electronic endoscope handle unit has a conductive housing that is electrically connected to a second ground terminal.

[0037] The first grounding terminal and the second grounding terminal are isolated and not grounded together, so that the electrostatic interference signal generated by the electronic endoscope handle is isolated and radiated into space by electromagnetic waves.

[0038] Preferably, the electronic endoscope handle unit is electrically connected to the image processing host unit via an endoscope connector.

[0039] Preferably, the signal processing unit and the image processing host unit are electrically connected via a second transmission cable, including:

[0040] One end of the second transmission cable located in the electronic endoscope handle unit is electrically connected to the image processing host unit via the endoscope connector, and the other end is electrically connected to the signal processing unit.

[0041] Preferably, the secondary circuit is electrically connected to the second transmission cable pin in the endoscope connector, wherein the second transmission cable pin includes a second transmission cable shielding layer pin and a second transmission cable core wire pin.

[0042] Preferably, the insertion portion has a conductive inner shell, which is electrically connected to the first grounding terminal.

[0043] Preferably, the operating part has a conductive housing that is electrically connected to a first ground terminal.

[0044] Preferably, the connection between the insertion part and the operation part has an insulating part for isolating the conductive housing of the insertion part from the conductive housing of the operation part.

[0045] Preferably, the conductive outer shell of the insertion portion forms the wall of the first metal cavity.

[0046] Preferably, the conductive inner shell of the insertion portion forms a second metal cavity wall, and an insulating material is filled between the second metal cavity wall and the first metal cavity wall, so that the electrostatic interference signal coupled through the first grounding terminal and the second grounding terminal is isolated.

[0047] Preferably, the second metal cavity wall is located within the first metal cavity formed by the first metal cavity wall.

[0048] Preferably, the image acquisition unit and the first transmission cable are located in the second metal cavity formed by the wall of the second metal cavity.

[0049] Preferably, the conductive housing of the electronic endoscope handle operating part and the shielding layer of the second transmission cable located in the electronic endoscope handle unit form a third metal cavity wall.

[0050] Preferably, the core wire of the signal processing unit and the second transmission cable located in the electronic endoscope handle unit is located in the third metal cavity formed by the wall of the third metal cavity.

[0051] Preferably, the insulating portion has a through-hole through which the conductive inner shell of the electronic endoscope handle insertion portion passes to the third metal cavity for electrical connection with the signal processing unit.

[0052] Preferably, the second metal cavity wall and the third metal cavity wall are electrically connected to the first grounding terminal.

[0053] Preferably, the first metal cavity wall is electrically connected to the second grounding terminal.

[0054] Preferably, the power supply protective ground terminal is electrically connected to the first ground terminal of the secondary circuit.

[0055] Preferably, the first transmission cable is a coaxial cable, wherein each coaxial core wire in the coaxial cable has at least one first braided metal shielding layer around it, and the bundle formed by all the coaxial core wires has a second braided metal shielding layer on its outside.

[0056] Preferably, the second transmission cable is a twisted-pair cable with a shielding layer.

[0057] The electronic endoscope system provided in this application embodiment, through the first common ground terminal of the image acquisition unit, the first transmission cable, the signal processing unit, the application circuit, and one core wire of the second transmission cable, and through the conductive shell of the electronic endoscope handle insertion part, the conductive shell of the electronic endoscope handle operation part, and the second common ground terminal of the shielding layer of the second transmission cable, not only isolates the reference plane of the effective signal from the reference plane of the electrostatic interference signal, but also separates the effective signal transmission path from the electrostatic interference discharge path. The electrostatic discharge circuit quickly discharges the electrostatic interference signal to the protective ground wire of the power grid, thus avoiding the impact of electrostatic interference on image quality. Attached Figure Description

[0058] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an electronic endoscope system according to an embodiment of this application.

[0059] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of electrical isolation for an electronic endoscope.

[0060] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a medical electronic endoscope system circuit according to Embodiment 1 of this application.

[0061] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of an electrostatic discharge circuit in Example 1.

[0062] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the electrostatic discharge path when the electronic endoscope system is subjected to electrostatic interference, as shown in Embodiment 1.

[0063] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of a radial cross-sectional view of a coaxial cable.

[0064] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of an electronic endoscope system circuit according to Embodiment 2 of this application.

[0065] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of electrostatic discharge according to Embodiment 2 of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0066] To make the objectives, technical means, and advantages of this application clearer, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0067] This application provides an electronic endoscope system that isolates the electrostatic discharge path from the circuits in the system through different grounding terminals, thereby solving the image interference problem caused by electrostatic discharge.

[0068] See Figure 1 As shown, Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an electronic endoscope system according to an embodiment of this application. The electronic endoscope system includes: an electronic endoscope handle unit and an image processing host unit. The electronic endoscope handle unit includes: an image acquisition unit for image acquisition and a signal processing unit for signal processing.

[0069] The image acquisition unit and the signal processing unit are electrically connected via a first transmission cable.

[0070] The signal processing unit and the image processing host unit are electrically connected via a second transmission cable.

[0071] The image processing host unit includes: an application circuit, a secondary circuit, an electrical isolation circuit located between the application circuit and the secondary circuit for isolating the application circuit and the secondary circuit, and an electrostatic discharge circuit electrically connected between the shielding layer of the second transmission cable and the power supply protective ground terminal. The application circuit is electrically connected to the core wires in the second transmission cable.

[0072] The secondary circuit refers to the circuit located after the application circuit, which can be used to process the signals output by the application circuit. For example, in an electronic endoscope system, the application circuit is used to process signals from the application unit. In a medical electronic endoscope, the application circuit is the patient circuit. The secondary circuit refers to the circuit that is isolated from the power supply, such as a 220V power supply from the power grid, and is used to provide the working power.

[0073] The image acquisition unit, the first transmission cable, the signal processing unit, the application circuit, and one core wire of the second transmission cable have a first common ground terminal, which is electrically connected to a first ground terminal.

[0074] The electronic endoscope handle insertion part has a conductive outer shell, the electronic endoscope handle operation part has a conductive outer shell, and the shielding layer of the second transmission cable has a second common ground terminal, which is electrically connected to a second ground terminal.

[0075] The secondary circuit is electrically connected to the third ground terminal.

[0076] in,

[0077] The first grounding terminal, the second grounding terminal, and the third grounding terminal are non-common grounding terminals, which means that the electrostatic interference signal generated by the electronic endoscope handle is discharged to the power supply protective ground terminal through the conductive shell and the shielding layer of the second transmission cable via the electrostatic discharge circuit, so as to isolate it from the circuits in the system. The conductive shell, the shielding layer of the second transmission cable, the electrostatic discharge circuit, and the power supply protective ground terminal form an electrostatic discharge path.

[0078] It should be understood that the image acquisition unit includes, but is not limited to, imaging modules, acquisition circuits, and other circuits; the signal processing unit includes, but is not limited to, noise reduction circuits, operation control circuits, and other circuits; and the image processing host unit includes, but is not limited to, image conversion circuits, display circuits, and other circuits.

[0079] To facilitate understanding of this application, the following description uses a medical electronic endoscope system as an example. It should be understood that this application is not limited to medical electronic endoscope systems, and electronic endoscope systems for other industrial applications can also be used.

[0080] The applicant's research found that electrical isolation is typically used to meet existing safety regulations for medical electronic endoscope systems. See also... Figure 2 As shown, Figure 2This is a schematic diagram illustrating the electrical isolation of an electronic endoscope. The electronic endoscope system circuit includes an image acquisition unit, a signal processing unit, and an image processing host unit located at the front end. The image acquisition unit is electrically connected to the signal processing unit via a first transmission cable, and the signal processing unit and the image processing host unit are electrically connected via a second transmission cable. The image processing host unit has an endoscope connector for inserting one end of the second transmission cable into the endoscope connector. The image acquisition unit, the first transmission cable, the signal processing unit, and the second transmission cable form an electronic endoscope handle unit. The location of the signal processing unit is the operating section, and the portion between the image acquisition unit and the operating section is the insertion section. The image data acquired by the image acquisition unit is processed by the signal processing unit and then transmitted to the image processing host for further processing. The final image is then displayed on the monitor. In practical use, the electronic endoscope utilizes a relatively long insertion section and a relatively long second transmission cable to accommodate the extensive movement of the device during surgery.

[0081] In current related designs, to meet electrical isolation requirements, the application circuits and secondary circuits in the image processing host unit are isolated. For example, the two circuits are isolated through an isolation circuit, such as an isolation device. In this isolation method, the system ground plane is divided into at least two planes. Because the ground terminals of the application circuit and the secondary circuit are isolated, electrostatic interference from the application circuit cannot be directly discharged to the ground plane of the secondary circuit. This causes energy to accumulate in the application circuit, resulting in image interference.

[0082] In medical electronic endoscope systems, the application circuit, also known as the patient circuit, is typically used for signal processing in the application section. The application section refers to the part that needs to contact the subject, such as the patient's body, and may include the endoscope handle unit insertion section and operating section. The secondary circuit is usually the non-application functional circuit of the medical electrical equipment. Since electrical isolation is essential for ensuring the safety of the subject, current medical electronic endoscope systems employ measures to improve the immunity of the endoscope's front end. For example, a flexible conductive element is placed between the endoscope insertion section's tail and the camera connection terminal to ensure a stable electrical connection between the two independent parts, forming an electrostatic shielding loop. Another example is the placement of a conductive plate within the endoscope to redirect static electricity applied to the endoscope insertion section's front end back to the application circuit's grounding terminal, preventing electrostatic current from flowing through the endoscope's modules and causing malfunctions. These electrical isolation schemes reduce the impedance of the electrostatic loop by adding conductive components, preventing electrostatic interference signals from affecting the useful signal. However, since the electrostatic low-impedance path and the return path of the useful signal are the same, the small fluctuations caused by electrostatics can still affect useful signals such as images.

[0083] See Figure 3As shown, Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a medical electronic endoscope system circuit according to Embodiment 1 of this application. The system circuit includes: an image acquisition unit, a signal processing unit, and an image processing host unit. The signal processing unit is electrically connected to the image processing host unit via a second transmission cable. To facilitate the connection of the signal line, the image processing host unit has an endoscope connector. One end of the second transmission cable is electrically connected to the endoscope connector, and the other end is electrically connected to the signal processing unit.

[0084] The insertion part has a conductive outer shell, and the operation part has a conductive outer shell. For example, the outer shell is made of metal. These outer shells and the metal shielding layer of the second transmission cable constitute the first metal cavity wall. The first metal cavity is formed inside the first metal cavity wall, and the first metal cavity wall is electrically connected to the second grounding terminal GND2. As an example, the conductive outer shell in the insertion part, the conductive outer shell in the operation part, and the metal shielding layer of the second transmission cable can be integrally formed, or they can be connected together by a conductor component.

[0085] The insertion part also has a conductive inner shell, and the operating part also has a conductive inner shell. For example, the inner shell is made of metal. These inner shells constitute a second metal cavity wall, which is located within the first metal cavity. A second metal cavity is formed within the second metal cavity wall. Figure 3 In the blue grid section, the second metal cavity wall is electrically connected to the first grounding terminal GND1. The image acquisition unit, the first transmission cable for electrically connecting the image acquisition unit and the signal processing unit, and the signal processing circuits and PCB circuits in the signal processing unit are located within the second metal cavity. This allows each circuit in the image acquisition unit, the first transmission cable, and the signal processing unit to have a first common ground terminal, which can be electrically connected to the second metal cavity wall, thereby forming an equipotential point with the first grounding terminal to serve as a reference plane for effective signals such as images. As an example, the conductive inner shell in the insertion part and the conductive inner shell in the operation part can be integrally formed, or they can be connected together by a conductive component.

[0086] As an example, the image acquisition unit is located in the insertion cavity section of the second metal cavity, and the signal processing unit is located in the operation cavity section of the second metal cavity.

[0087] It should be understood that the thickness of the metal cavity wall has no impact on the understanding of this embodiment, therefore... Figure 3 Not shown in the image.

[0088] The core wires in the second transmission cable are located in the first metal cavity. One end of the core wires in the second transmission cable is electrically connected to the wall of the second metal cavity. The other end of the core wires in the second transmission cable and the shielding layer at that end are electrically connected to the endoscope connector, so that the endoscope connector has each core wire pin of the second transmission cable and the shielding layer pin of the second transmission cable. The shielding layer pin of the second transmission cable and the second grounding terminal are the second common grounding terminal.

[0089] The image processing host unit includes an application circuit, an isolation circuit for isolating the application circuit and the secondary circuit, and an electrostatic discharge circuit connected between the shielding layer of the second transmission cable and the power supply protective ground terminal (PE). The application circuit is electrically connected to a first ground terminal, and the secondary circuit is electrically connected to a third ground terminal. As an example, the electrostatic discharge circuit is connected in series between the shielding pins of the second transmission cable and the PE terminal in the endoscope connector. The first ground terminal of the application circuit is electrically connected to the pins of each core wire of the second transmission cable that have the same potential as the first ground terminal, so that the application circuit, the image acquisition unit, and the signal processing unit have the same first common ground terminal. The signal terminals of the application circuit are electrically connected to the corresponding signal pins of each core wire of the second transmission cable.

[0090] The first grounding terminal, the second grounding terminal, and the third grounding terminal are non-common grounding terminals, so that the circuits electrically connected to the first grounding terminal, the circuits electrically connected to the second grounding terminal, and the circuits electrically connected to the third grounding terminal are isolated from each other.

[0091] As an example, see Figure 4 As shown, Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of an electrostatic discharge circuit according to Embodiment 1, including a resistor-capacitor circuit connected in parallel. One end of this circuit is electrically connected to the pin of the shielding layer of the second transmission cable in the endoscope connector, and the other end is electrically connected to the protective ground terminal of the power supply. The values ​​and types of the resistor and capacitor can be determined according to the protection requirements of the application circuit. The electrostatic discharge circuit can be used to discharge electrostatic interference signals and also to isolate the second ground terminal from the PE terminal.

[0092] See Figure 5 As shown, Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the electrostatic discharge path when the electronic endoscope system is subjected to electrostatic interference, as described in Embodiment 1. The electrostatic interference signal at the insertion section travels along the first metal cavity wall, through the endoscope connector, and is input to the electrostatic discharge circuit. The electrostatic discharge circuit outputs the input electrostatic interference signal to the PE terminal. In this way, the electrostatic interference signal is isolated from the various circuits in the system. The first cavity wall and the endoscope connector provide a low-impedance electrostatic discharge path, preventing interference signals such as static electricity from affecting image quality. Even if there are two points of contact between the metal cavity walls at the insertion section, the electrostatic protection effect is not affected.

[0093] Given that the image acquisition unit is located at the very front of the insertion section, and that the length of the insertion section can be greater than 500mm depending on the length specifications of the insertion section, the first transmission cable adopts a combination of coaxial cable and metal braided shielding layer for signal transmission.

[0094] See Figure 6 As shown, Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of a radial cross-sectional view of a coaxial cable. Each coaxial core wire in the coaxial cable has at least one first braided metal shielding layer on its exterior, and the bundle formed by all the coaxial core wires has a second braided metal shielding layer on its exterior, further improving the overall interference immunity of the first transmission cable. For example, in the figure, coaxial core wires c1 to c9 all have a first braided metal shielding layer on their exterior, the coaxial cable itself has a second braided metal shielding layer on its exterior, and an insulating layer (not shown in the figure) is placed outside the second braided metal shielding layer. In this way, the first transmission cable has a better characteristic impedance, ensuring impedance integrity of signal transmission, reducing signal quality attenuation caused by signal reflection, and thus improving signal immunity.

[0095] See Figure 7 As shown, Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of an electronic endoscope system circuit according to Embodiment 2 of this application. The system circuit includes: an image acquisition unit, a signal processing unit, and an image processing host unit. The signal processing unit is electrically connected to the image processing host unit via a second transmission cable, and the image acquisition unit and the signal processing unit are electrically connected via a first transmission cable. As an example, the image processing host unit has an endoscope connector. One end of the second transmission cable is electrically connected to the endoscope connector, and the other end is electrically connected to the signal processing unit. The image processing host unit includes a secondary circuit for providing power to the system. The shielding layers of the image acquisition unit, the first transmission cable, the signal processing unit, the secondary circuit, and the second transmission cable have a first common ground terminal, which is electrically connected to a first ground terminal. The first ground terminal is electrically connected to the power supply protective ground terminal. The insertion part in the electronic endoscope handle unit has a conductive outer shell, which is electrically connected to a second ground terminal. The first ground terminal and the second ground terminal are not grounded, thus isolating the circuits electrically connected to the first ground terminal and the circuits electrically connected to the second ground terminal.

[0096] As an example, the insertion part also has a conductive inner shell electrically connected to a first ground terminal, and the operating part in the electronic endoscope handle unit has a conductive outer shell also electrically connected to the first ground terminal. The connection between the insertion part and the operating part has an insulating portion for isolating the conductive outer shell of the insertion part from the conductive outer shell of the electronic endoscope handle operating part. Figure 7As shown, there is an insulating part between the tail end of the insertion part and the front end of the operation part for isolating the housing of the insertion part from the housing of the operation part. The insulating part has a through hole for the inner housing of the insertion part to pass through the insulating part and be electrically connected to the common ground terminal of the signal processing unit located in the operation part.

[0097] The outer shell of the insertion part constitutes the first metal cavity wall, and a first metal cavity is formed within the first metal cavity wall. The inner shell of the insertion part constitutes the second metal cavity wall, which is located within the first metal cavity. A second metal cavity is formed within the second metal cavity wall. The image acquisition unit and the first transmission cable are located within the second metal cavity. The second metal cavity wall is electrically connected to the first grounding terminal GND1. The image acquisition unit, the first transmission cable, and the second metal cavity wall have a first common ground terminal, which is electrically connected to the first grounding terminal. The second metal cavity wall is also electrically connected to the second grounding terminal.

[0098] As an example, the insertion section, as the application part, has an outer shell and an inner shell made of metal steel tubing. The outer shell is isolated from the entire device by a plastic spacer ring. For the internal isolation between the outer and inner shells, given that the dielectric strength of air is 1KV / mm, the system needs to meet the requirement of 6KV contact. Therefore, a gap of at least 6mm is required between the outer and inner shells. In other words, the minimum distance between the circuit board located in the second metal cavity and the outer shell needs to be greater than 6mm. However, due to space constraints, isolating the image acquisition unit at the front end from the outer shell solely through air is insufficient. Therefore, an insulating material with higher dielectric strength is used to fill the space between the first and second metal cavity walls to meet ESD electrostatic requirements. Methods to increase dielectric strength include, but are not limited to, potting or adding plastic spacer rings.

[0099] The outer casing of the operating unit and the shielding layer of the second transmission cable constitute the wall of the third metal cavity. The third metal cavity is formed inside the wall of the third metal cavity. The signal processing unit and the core wire of the second transmission cable are located inside the third metal cavity. The wall of the third metal cavity is electrically connected to the first grounding terminal. The signal processing unit is electrically connected to the second metal cavity wall and the first transmission cable that extend into the third cavity, respectively, so that the signal processing unit is also electrically connected to the first common grounding terminal.

[0100] One end of the second transmission cable core is electrically connected to the signal processing unit, and the other end is electrically connected to the endoscope connector. The shielding layer at this end is also electrically connected to the endoscope connector, forming corresponding pins on the connector. The secondary circuitry in the image processing host is electrically connected to the corresponding pins of the second transmission cable core and the shielding layer in the endoscope connector, thus also electrically connecting the secondary circuitry to the first common ground terminal. On the image processing host side, the first common ground terminal of the image acquisition unit is electrically connected to the PE terminal.

[0101] As an example, the first transmission cable is a coaxial cable, which also has Figure 6 The structure shown indicates that the second transmission cable is a twisted pair.

[0102] See Figure 8 As shown, Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of electrostatic discharge according to Embodiment 2 of this application. Since the outer shell of the insertion part, the outer shell of the operating part, the image acquisition unit, the signal processing unit, etc., are not at the same ground potential, the electrostatic interference signal generated by the electronic endoscope handle unit will not be discharged. Most of the electrostatic energy is radiated into space in the form of electromagnetic waves, and a small part of the electrostatic energy will be coupled into the circuit through the capacitance formed by the first grounding terminal and the second grounding terminal in the insertion part. However, since there is an insulating material between the outer shell and the inner shell of the insertion part, the electrostatic energy coupled into the circuit located in the second metal cavity is greatly reduced, thereby effectively protecting the entire system from the influence of electrostatic energy.

[0103] This embodiment achieves isolation of the application part by adding an insulating part between the insertion part and the operation part, reducing the design of electrical isolation circuits inside the image processing host unit. Inside the insertion part, the outer shell of the insertion part is isolated from the circuit located in the inner shell by using an insulating material with a high dielectric constant. This helps to reduce the capacitive coupling energy generated when the two are not at the same potential and avoids interference signals such as static electricity from affecting image quality.

[0104] In this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used merely to distinguish one entity or operation from another, without necessarily requiring or implying any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitation, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.

[0105] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An electronic endoscope system, characterized in that, The electronic endoscope system includes an electronic endoscope handle unit and an image processing host unit. The electronic endoscope handle unit includes an image acquisition unit for image acquisition and a signal processing unit for signal processing. The image acquisition unit and the signal processing unit are electrically connected via a first transmission cable. The signal processing unit and the image processing host unit are electrically connected via a second transmission cable. The image processing host unit includes: application circuitry for processing signals from the signal processing unit; secondary circuitry for providing operating power isolated from the power supply; an electrical isolation circuit located between the application circuitry and the secondary circuitry for isolating the application circuitry and the secondary circuitry; and an electrostatic discharge circuitry electrically connected between the shielding layer of the second transmission cable and the protective ground terminal of the power supply, wherein the application circuitry is electrically connected to the core wires in the second transmission cable. The image acquisition unit, the first transmission cable, the signal processing unit, the application circuit, and one core wire of the second transmission cable have a first common ground terminal, which is electrically connected to a first ground terminal. The conductive housing of the electronic endoscope handle insertion part, the conductive housing of the electronic endoscope handle operation part, and the shielding layer of the second transmission cable have a second common ground terminal, which is electrically connected to a second ground terminal. The secondary circuit is electrically connected to the third ground terminal. in, The first grounding terminal, the second grounding terminal, and the third grounding terminal are non-common grounding terminals, which ensures that the electrostatic interference signal generated by the electronic endoscope handle is discharged to the power supply protective ground terminal through the conductive outer shell, the shielding layer of the second transmission cable, and the electrostatic discharge circuit. The electronic endoscope handle insertion part has a conductive outer shell, the electronic endoscope handle operation part has a conductive outer shell, and the shielding layer of the second transmission cable located in the electronic endoscope handle unit forms a first metal cavity wall. The first metal cavity wall, the pins of the second transmission cable shielding layer located in the endoscope connector, the electrostatic discharge circuit, and the power supply protective ground wire form an electrostatic discharge path.

2. The electronic endoscope system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The electronic endoscope handle unit is electrically connected to the image processing host unit via an endoscope connector. The signal processing unit and the image processing host unit are electrically connected via a second transmission cable, including: One end of the second transmission cable located in the electronic endoscope handle unit is electrically connected to the image processing host unit via the endoscope connector, and the other end is electrically connected to the signal processing unit. The electrostatic discharge circuit is electrically connected to the pins of the shielding layer of the second transmission cable in the endoscope connector. The application circuit is electrically connected to the pin of the second transmission cable core in the endoscope connector.

3. The electronic endoscope system as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The electronic endoscope handle insertion portion has a conductive inner shell, and the electronic endoscope handle operating portion has a conductive inner shell, the conductive inner shell forming a second metal cavity wall. The second metal cavity wall and the core wire in the second transmission cable located in the electronic endoscope handle unit are located within the first metal cavity formed by the first metal cavity wall. The image acquisition unit, signal processing unit, and first transmission cable are located within the second metal cavity formed by the wall of the second metal cavity.

4. The electronic endoscope system as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The first metal cavity wall is electrically connected to the second grounding terminal. The second metal cavity wall is electrically connected to the first grounding terminal. The image acquisition unit, the first transmission cable, the signal processing unit, and the first common ground terminal of the core wire in the second transmission cable located in the first metal cavity are electrically connected to the wall of the second metal cavity.

5. The electronic endoscope system as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The image acquisition unit is located in the insertion cavity section within the second metal cavity, and the signal processing unit is located in the operation cavity section within the second metal cavity. The first transmission cable is a coaxial cable, and each coaxial core wire in the coaxial cable has at least one first braided metal shielding layer around it, and the bundle formed by all the coaxial core wires has a second braided metal shielding layer on the outside. The second transmission cable is a twisted-pair cable with a shielding layer.

6. The electronic endoscope system as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The electrostatic discharge circuit includes a resistor-capacitor circuit with a resistor and a capacitor connected in parallel. One end of the circuit is electrically connected to the pin of the shielding layer of the second transmission cable in the endoscope connector, and the other end is electrically connected to the power supply protective ground wire.

7. An electronic endoscope system, characterized in that, The electronic endoscope system includes an electronic endoscope handle unit and an image processing host unit. The electronic endoscope handle unit includes an image acquisition unit for image acquisition and a signal processing unit for signal processing. The image acquisition unit and the signal processing unit are electrically connected via a first transmission cable. The signal processing unit and the image processing host unit are electrically connected via a second transmission cable. The image processing host unit includes secondary circuitry. The image acquisition unit, the first transmission cable, the signal processing unit, the secondary circuit for providing a working power supply isolated from the power supply, and the shielding layer of the second transmission cable all have a first common ground terminal, which is electrically connected to a first ground terminal, and the first ground terminal is electrically connected to the power supply protective ground terminal. The insertion portion of the electronic endoscope handle unit has a conductive housing that is electrically connected to a second ground terminal. The first grounding terminal and the second grounding terminal are isolated and do not share a common ground, so that electrostatic interference signals generated by the electronic endoscope handle are isolated and radiated into space via electromagnetic waves. in, The conductive outer shell of the insertion part forms a first metal cavity wall, and the first metal cavity wall is electrically connected to the second grounding terminal. The conductive inner shell of the insertion part forms a second metal cavity wall, and an insulating material is filled between the second metal cavity wall and the first metal cavity wall, so that the electrostatic interference signal is isolated through the coupling signal formed between the first grounding terminal and the second grounding terminal. The conductive housing of the operating part in the electronic endoscope handle unit and the shielding layer of the second transmission cable located in the electronic endoscope handle unit form a third metal cavity wall. The second metal cavity wall and the third metal cavity wall are electrically connected to the first grounding terminal.

8. The electronic endoscope system as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The electronic endoscope handle unit is electrically connected to the image processing host unit via an endoscope connector. The signal processing unit and the image processing host unit are electrically connected via a second transmission cable, including: One end of the second transmission cable located in the electronic endoscope handle unit is electrically connected to the image processing host unit via the endoscope connector, and the other end is electrically connected to the signal processing unit. The secondary circuit is electrically connected to the second transmission cable pin in the endoscope connector, wherein the second transmission cable pin includes the second transmission cable shielding layer pin and the second transmission cable core wire pin.

9. The electronic endoscope system as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The insertion part has a conductive inner shell, which is electrically connected to the first grounding terminal. The operating part has a conductive housing that is electrically connected to a first grounding terminal. The connection between the insertion part and the operating part has an insulating part for isolating the conductive housing of the insertion part from the conductive housing of the operating part.

10. The electronic endoscope system as described in claim 9, characterized in that, The second metal cavity wall is located within the first metal cavity formed by the first metal cavity wall. The image acquisition unit and the first transmission cable are located in the second metal cavity formed by the second metal cavity wall, and the core wire of the signal processing unit and the second transmission cable located in the electronic endoscope handle unit are located in the third metal cavity formed by the third metal cavity wall. The insulating portion has a through-hole through which a conductive inner shell of the electronic endoscope handle insertion portion passes to a third metal cavity for electrical connection with the signal processing unit.

11. The electronic endoscope system as described in claim 10, characterized in that, The power supply protective grounding terminal is electrically connected to the first grounding terminal of the secondary circuit. The first transmission cable is a coaxial cable, and each coaxial core wire in the coaxial cable has at least one first braided metal shielding layer around it, and the bundle formed by all the coaxial core wires has a second braided metal shielding layer on the outside. The second transmission cable is a twisted-pair cable with a shielding layer.

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