Hard tube endoscope

Abstract

The invention relates to a light guide for a hard tube endoscope. A hard tube endoscope comprises: a tube body unit; the front-end lens base is arranged at the front end of the tube body unit, and an optical fiber end head accommodating space is arranged on the radial outer side of the front-end lens base in the tube body unit; the front end of the optical fiber is located in the optical fiber end containing space, and the front end face of the optical fiber forms a light emitting face at the front end of the hard tube endoscope. The light-emitting surface comprises at least two light-emitting areas, at least two adjacent light-emitting areas have different optical fiber densities and / or different light-emitting angles, and a boundary zone is formed between the two adjacent light-emitting areas due to different optical fiber densities and / or different light-emitting angles; or the light-emitting surface comprises at least two light-emitting areas, the luminous fluxes of at least two adjacent light-emitting areas are different, and a boundary zone is formed between the two adjacent light-emitting areas with different luminous fluxes. The technical problem that the optical performance of a hard tube endoscope needs to be improved is mainly solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a light guide for a rigid tube endoscope. Background Art

[0002] The rigid tube endoscope needs to be illuminated by optical fiber. The optical fiber is introduced from the rear end of the rigid tube endoscope and led out from the front end, forming a light-emitting surface at the front end of the rigid tube endoscope. The edge uniformity of the rigid tube endoscope (characterized by the difference between the maximum and minimum illumination at the edge of the illumination area) and the light efficiency index of the illumination mirror body (characterized by the difference between the average illumination at the edge of the illumination area and the illumination at the center) will directly affect the imaging quality of the rigid tube endoscope and are the key factors to be considered when designing the rigid tube endoscope. Part 1 of the Medical Industry Standard of the People's Republic of China "YY 0068.1-2008 Medical Endoscope Rigid Endoscope" stipulates optical performance and test methods, which can provide a reference for evaluating edge uniformity and light efficiency of the illumination mirror body. For example, for the measurement of edge uniformity, the light-emitting surface of the endoscope can be facing the circular test target, and detection holes are set at the center and four quadrants of the test target. By detecting the illumination of each test hole, the edge uniformity and light efficiency index of the illumination mirror body can be calculated according to the corresponding formula.

[0003] However, due to the limitation of the numerical aperture of optical fiber, rigid tube endoscopes generally have the problem that the center of the field of view is brighter and the periphery is darker. How to improve the optical performance of rigid tube endoscopes is of great significance to the market competitiveness of products. Summary of the invention

[0004] The present invention mainly solves the technical problem that the optical performance of a rigid tube endoscope needs to be improved.

[0005] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a rigid tube endoscope.

[0006] A rigid tube endoscope, comprising:

[0007] A tubular body unit, wherein the tubular body unit is used to be inserted into a part to be observed;

[0008] A front mirror seat, the front mirror seat is arranged at the front end of the tube unit, and an optical fiber end accommodating space is arranged in the tube unit on the radial outer side of the front mirror seat;

[0009] and an optical fiber, wherein the front end of the optical fiber is located in the optical fiber end accommodating space, and the front end surface of the optical fiber forms a light emitting surface at the front end of the rigid tube endoscope;

[0010] The light emitting surface comprises at least two light emitting areas, and at least two adjacent light emitting areas have different optical fiber densities and / or different light emitting angles. The different optical fiber densities and / or different light emitting angles form a boundary zone between the two adjacent light emitting areas.

[0011] In a second aspect, the present invention provides another rigid tube endoscope.

[0012] A rigid tube endoscope, comprising:

[0013] A tubular body unit, wherein the tubular body unit is used to be inserted into a part to be observed;

[0014] A front mirror seat, the front mirror seat is arranged at the front end of the tube unit, and an optical fiber end accommodating space is arranged in the tube unit on the radial outer side of the front mirror seat;

[0015] and an optical fiber, wherein the front end of the optical fiber is located in the optical fiber end accommodating space, and the front end surface of the optical fiber forms a light emitting surface at the front end of the rigid tube endoscope;

[0016] The light emitting surface includes at least two light emitting areas, the luminous fluxes of at least two adjacent light emitting areas are different, and a boundary zone is formed between the two adjacent light emitting areas with different luminous fluxes.

[0017] In a technical solution, two adjacent light emitting areas with different light fluxes have different optical fiber densities and / or different light emitting angles.

[0018] In a technical solution, the boundary zone is an appearance boundary area formed between two adjacent light exit areas with different appearances.

[0019] In a technical solution, the boundary zone is a transition zone that presents a transitional change in appearance with the light emitting areas on both sides, and the fiber density and / or light emitting angle of the transition zone are different from those of the light emitting areas on both sides.

[0020] In a technical solution, the boundary zone is an isolation zone, and the isolation zone is filled with resin.

[0021] In a technical solution, at least two light-emitting areas are arranged in a substantially plane-symmetrical form, and the plane of symmetry is a plane passing through the axis of the tube unit and perpendicular to the light-emitting surface.

[0022] In a technical solution, the light emitting surface has a non-zero angle with the axis of the tube unit, and the light emitting surface forms a wedge-shaped surface at the front end of the tube unit;

[0023] The boundary zone divides the light-emitting surface into a first area, a second area, and a third area. The first area is located between the frontmost part of the wedge-shaped surface and the front end mirror seat, and the second area and the third area are respectively located on both sides of the first area along the circumference of the tube unit.

[0024] In a technical solution, the boundary zone is located on the side of the axis of the tubular unit close to the frontmost part of the wedge surface.

[0025] In a technical solution, the light emitting surface is perpendicular to the axis of the tube unit, and the front mirror seat is offset to one side of the radial direction of the tube unit;

[0026] A first separator and a second separator are respectively provided on two opposite sides of the front mirror base, the first separator and the second separator are arranged along a line connecting the center of the front mirror base and the axis of the tube unit, and the size of the first separator in the radial direction of the tube unit is larger than the size of the second separator in the radial direction of the tube unit;

[0027] A first circumferential interval and a second circumferential interval are provided between the first separator and the second separator along the circumference of the tube unit, and two light exit areas are respectively provided in the first circumferential interval and the second circumferential interval.

[0028] In a technical solution, the boundary zone between the two light exit areas in the first circumferential interval and the boundary zone between the two light exit areas in the second circumferential interval are both located on a side close to the first separator.

[0029] In a technical solution, the density of optical fibers in the light exit region close to the first separator is smaller than the density of optical fibers in the light exit region close to the second separator.

[0030] In one technical solution, the tube body unit includes an outer tube and an inner tube, the front end mirror seat is located on the inner tube, the optical fiber is located between the outer tube and the inner tube, and the inner wall of the front end part of the outer tube and the outer wall of the front end part of the inner tube are both straight walls extending along the axis of the tube body unit.

[0031] In a technical solution, the light emitting surface is perpendicular to the axis of the tube unit, and the front mirror seat is coaxially arranged with the tube unit;

[0032] A first separator and a second separator are symmetrically provided on two opposite sides of the front mirror seat, a first circumferential interval and a second circumferential interval are provided between the first separator and the second separator along the circumference of the tube unit, and two light emitting areas are respectively provided in the first circumferential interval and the second circumferential interval;

[0033] In any one of the first circumferential interval and the second circumferential interval: the two light-exiting areas are symmetrically arranged relative to the boundary zone therebetween in the arrangement direction of the first separator and the second separator, or the boundary zone is an arc-shaped boundary zone passing through the axis of the tube unit.

[0034] Beneficial effects of the present invention:

[0035] According to the above-mentioned rigid tube endoscope, by dividing the light emitting surface at its front end into light emitting areas, the optical performance can be adjusted in different areas depending on the different fiber densities and / or different light emitting angles in the light emitting areas, or depending on the different luminous fluxes in the light emitting areas, thereby changing the lighting conditions of the field of view, which is beneficial to improving edge uniformity and lighting efficiency indicators of the lighting mirror body, improving the optical performance of the rigid tube endoscope, better meeting customer usage needs and improving inspection accuracy. At the same time, there is no need to set up additional metal structural parts between two adjacent light emitting areas to adjust the optical fiber, and the structure is simple. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0036] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a light emitting surface of a front end portion of an embodiment of a rigid tube endoscope in the present invention;

[0037] Figure 2 for Figure 1 AA cross-sectional view of FIG. 1 , in which the optical fiber is omitted;

[0038] Figure 3 for Figure 1 An exploded view of a part of a medium-hard tube endoscope, with the optical fiber omitted;

[0039] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the light emitting surface of another embodiment of the rigid tube endoscope of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 5 for Figure 4 BB cross-sectional view of FIG. 1 , in which the optical fiber is omitted;

[0041] Figure 6 for Figure 4 A three-dimensional view of a portion of the front end of a medium-hard tube endoscope, with the optical fiber omitted;

[0042] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of a light emitting surface of another embodiment of a rigid tube endoscope in the present invention;

[0043] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of a light emitting surface of another embodiment of a rigid tube endoscope in the present invention;

[0044] Fig. 9 Schematic diagram of the light flux detection method of the rigid tube endoscope.

[0045] List of feature names corresponding to the reference numerals in the figure:

[0046] 100, tube unit; 110, optical fiber end accommodating space; 120, outer tube;

[0047] 200, front mirror seat; 210, separator; 211, first separator; 212, second separator; 221, first circumferential interval; 222, second circumferential interval;

[0048] 300, light emitting surface; 310, light emitting area; 311, first area; 312, second area; 313, third area; 320, boundary zone;

[0049] 400, optical fiber;

[0050] 500, protective lenses;

[0051] 600, wedge block;

[0052] 710, integrating sphere; 720, light source; 730, light guiding element. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0053] The present invention is further described in detail below by specific embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Wherein similar elements in different embodiments adopt associated similar element numbers. In the following embodiments, many detailed descriptions are for making the present application better understood. However, those skilled in the art can easily recognize that some features can be omitted in different situations, or can be replaced by other elements, materials, methods. In some cases, some operations related to the present application are not shown or described in the specification, this is to avoid the core part of the present application being overwhelmed by too much description, and for those skilled in the art, it is not necessary to describe these related operations in detail, and they can fully understand the related operations according to the description in the specification and the general technical knowledge in the art.

[0054] In addition, the features, operations or characteristics described in the specification can be combined in any appropriate manner to form various implementations. At the same time, the steps or actions in the method description can also be interchanged or adjusted in a manner that is obvious to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the various sequences in the specification and the drawings are only for the purpose of clearly describing a certain embodiment and are not meant to be a required sequence, unless otherwise specified that a certain sequence must be followed.

[0055] The serial numbers of the components in this document, such as "first", "second", etc., are only used to distinguish the objects described and do not have any order or technical meaning. The "connection" and "coupling" mentioned in this application, unless otherwise specified, include direct and indirect connections (couplings).

[0056] Due to the limited numerical aperture of the illumination fiber used in the rigid tube endoscope and the limited number of installed fibers, uneven illumination in the observation field will occur. At present, one way to solve the problem of uneven illumination in the observation field is to insert a wedge-shaped tube in the center of the front end of the optical fiber, that is, to set a light cone structure so that the optical fiber close to the outer side of the end face of the wedge-shaped tube is tilted outward. However, in some cases where there is no light cone or the illumination performance needs to be further improved, it is still necessary to further consider how to improve the illumination performance.

[0057] The rigid tube endoscope provided by the present invention divides the light-emitting surface of its front end into light-emitting areas, and can adjust the optical performance by area, and change the illumination of the field of view by relying on the difference in fiber density and / or light-emitting angle in the light-emitting area, or by relying on the difference in luminous flux in the light-emitting area, so as to provide a means for improving the edge uniformity and the optical efficiency index of the mirror body. At the same time, since the optical fibers of the rigid tube endoscope are filled and fixed by resin, the difference in fiber density and / or light-emitting angle or luminous flux in the light-emitting area makes the optical fibers between two adjacent light-emitting areas directly form a dividing zone, and the dividing zone, as a direct representation of the technical means adopted by the present invention, reflects the prominent difference between the present invention and the existing light-emitting surface.

[0058] An embodiment of a rigid tube endoscope in the present invention:

[0059] Please refer to Figures 1 to 8 The hard tube endoscope comprises a tube body unit 100, a front end lens holder 200 and an optical fiber 400. The tube body unit 100 is used to be inserted into a part to be observed. The front end lens holder 200 is arranged at the front end of the tube body unit 100 and is used to assemble an objective lens unit 500. A fiber end receiving space 110 is arranged radially outside the front end lens holder 200 in the tube body unit 100. The fiber end receiving space 110 can provide a layout space for the front end of the optical fiber 400. The front end portion of the optical fiber 400 in the hard tube endoscope is located in the fiber end receiving space 110, and the front end surface of the optical fiber 400 forms a light emitting surface 300 at the front end of the hard tube endoscope. The number of optical fibers 400 in the optical fiber end accommodating space 110 can be from several hundred to several thousand, and the specific number is not limited. The front ends of each optical fiber 400 are filled with resin. After the resin is filled in liquid form, it can be cured by heating or UV irradiation, etc. according to different resin types, so as to achieve positioning and fixing of the optical fiber 400, so that the optical fiber 400 is fixed in the tube unit 100 through the cured resin in the optical fiber end accommodating space 110. The resin used to fix the optical fiber 400 in the rigid tube endoscope can be epoxy resin or polyimide resin, etc.

[0060] It should be noted that the structure shown in the figure is a part of the hard tube endoscope. Generally, the hard tube endoscope also includes an optical lens body and a handle. The typical composition of the optical lens body may include an objective lens unit, a rotating lens unit and an eyepiece unit. The objective lens unit is not shown in the figure, and generally can be a component composed of multiple lenses. In one embodiment, at least a part of it is arranged in the front end lens seat 200, and a protective lens 500 is arranged in front of it. The protective lens 500 can be made of a material with a higher hardness, such as sapphire, which can protect the rear lens and form a front window at the end of the endoscope. The objective lens unit can form an inverted image of the observed object, and the rotating lens unit uses the rotating lens group to form a 1:1 erect image at the object focal plane of the eyepiece unit, so that the user can observe the erect real image through the hard tube endoscope eyepiece unit. In addition, the rotating lens unit can also make the optical length of the hard tube endoscope meet the working length requirements of the hard tube endoscope. In some other embodiments, the objective lens unit can also form an erect image of the observed object. The handle is connected to the rear end of the tube unit 100, and can enable the user to operate the hard tube endoscope. The image-transmitting mirror unit usually contains an odd number of image-transmitting rod lens groups with the same structure to increase the total length of the optical system and correct chromatic aberration.

[0061] A rigid tube endoscope can have different viewing angles and field of view angles. Among them, the viewing angle refers to the angle between the axis of the objective lens unit and the axis of the tube unit 100, that is, the angle between the direction of the light-emitting surface 300 and the axis of the tube unit 100. For example, the viewing angle of a rigid tube endoscope can be 0°, 30°, and 45°. Different angles have different uses. For example, a 0° endoscope is suitable for direct observation, while a 30° and 45° endoscope is suitable for oblique observation. The field of view angle refers to the observation range of a rigid tube endoscope. The larger the field of view angle, the more conducive it is to observation, but at the same time, an increase in the field of view angle will lead to increased distortion at the edge of the field of view.

[0062] According to the edge uniformity and lighting efficiency index of the rigid tube endoscope that need to be met, the light emitting surface 300 of the rigid tube endoscope includes at least two light emitting areas 310. The fiber density and / or light emitting angle of the two adjacent light emitting areas 310 are different. The difference in fiber density and / or light emitting angle forms a dividing zone 320 between the two adjacent light emitting areas 310. The above-mentioned dividing zone 320 is an appearance dividing area formed between two adjacent light emitting areas 310 with different appearances. The dividing zone 320 is formed by the difference in appearance of the two light emitting areas 310 on both sides thereof, and defines the boundary of the two light emitting areas 310 on both sides thereof in appearance. It will be further described below in conjunction with specific embodiments.

[0063] The boundary band 320 can present different appearance characteristics according to the different parameters such as the fiber density, light output angle, and light flux of two adjacent light output areas 310. At the same time, according to the viewing angle of the rigid tube endoscope, the shape of the light output surface 300, and the position on the front end surface of the rigid tube endoscope, the boundary band 320 can have different distribution positions and shapes. The boundary band 320 can have a width or can be a dividing line.

[0064] Specifically, in one embodiment, please refer to Figures 1 to 3 The rigid tube endoscope has a viewing angle of 30°. The boundary zone 320 may be a transition zone that presents a transitional change with the light emitting areas on both sides in appearance. The fiber density and / or light emitting angle of the transition zone are different from those of the light emitting areas on both sides. In another embodiment, please refer to Figures 4 to 6 , the viewing angle of the rigid tube endoscope is 0°, and the demarcation zone 320 may be an isolation zone, which is filled with resin, and the resin is a resin used to position and fix the front end of the optical fiber 400 in the optical fiber end accommodating space 110. It should be noted that the viewing angle is not used to determine the specific form of the demarcation zone 320. For example, when the viewing angle of the rigid tube endoscope is 0°, a demarcation zone in the form of a transition zone may also be used; for another example, when the viewing angle of the rigid tube endoscope is 30°, a demarcation zone in the form of an isolation zone may also be used.

[0065] Please refer to Figure 3 The rigid tube endoscope further comprises a wedge block 600, which is disposed on one side of the tube unit 100 and abuts against the inner wall of the tube unit 100, and the front end lens holder 200 comprises a protruding separator 210 on the side away from the wedge block 600, and the separator 210 abuts against the inner wall of the tube unit 100. For a rigid tube endoscope with a viewing angle greater than 0°, the light emitting surface 300 has a non-zero angle with the axis of the tube unit 100, and the light emitting surface 300 forms a wedge surface at the front end of the tube unit 100. In some other embodiments, the front end lens holder 200 is offset along the radial direction of the tube unit 100 to the side of the rear end of the tube unit 100 close to the wedge surface, that is, offset to Figure 1 It should be noted that the separator 210 in the present invention can be a separate part assembled into the hard tube endoscope, or can be a structure integrally formed with an adjacent object.

[0066] To match the field of view of a rigid endoscope, refer to Figure 1The boundary zone 320 divides the light-emitting surface 300 into a first area 311, a second area 312, and a third area 313. The first area 311 is located between the frontmost part of the wedge-shaped surface and the front mirror seat 200. The second area 312 and the third area 313 are respectively located on both sides of the first area 311 along the circumference of the tube unit 100. At the same time, the optical fiber light-emitting angles of the second area 312 and the third area 313 are different from the optical fiber light-emitting angles in the first area 311. The specific value of the optical fiber light-emitting angle can be determined based on experiments, theoretical calculations, and / or simulations. In a specific embodiment, the second area 312 and the third area 313 can be symmetrically arranged on both sides of the first area 311 to facilitate design and processing. Since the number of optical fibers 400 is very large, it is difficult to arrange each optical fiber 400 at a set angle and a set position, and the optical fibers 400 in two adjacent areas have different light-emitting angles, that is, the angles between the optical fibers 400 in the two adjacent areas and the axis of the tube unit 100 are different, so a transition area with a certain width is formed at the junction of the two adjacent areas, that is, the boundary zone 320. The optical fibers 400 in the transition area are sparse relative to the light-emitting areas 310 on both sides, and the light-emitting angles of the optical fibers 400 in the transition area are not completely the same, and are also different from the light-emitting angles in the light-emitting areas 310 on both sides, so the appearance of the boundary zone 320 itself is different from the light-emitting areas 310 on both sides.

[0067] In one embodiment, in order to match the field of view of the rigid tube endoscope, the dividing zone 320 is located on the side of the axis of the tube unit 100 close to the frontmost part of the wedge-shaped surface, that is, the dividing zone 320 is offset to one side of the first area 311. In other embodiments, the position of the dividing zone 320 may also vary according to factors such as the size of the viewing angle and the position of the front end lens holder 200. Figure 1 In the embodiment shown, the two dividing strips 320 extend straight and are perpendicular to the line between the axis of the front end mirror base 200 and the axis of the tube body unit 100; in some other embodiments, the two dividing strips 320 may also be arranged obliquely relative to the line between the axis of the front end mirror base 200 and the axis of the tube body unit 100; in addition, the two dividing strips 320 may also be curves.

[0068] During production, before the resin used to position and fix the optical fiber 400 is solidified, external force is used to divide the optical fiber 400 into multiple parts and ensure that the number and emission direction of the optical fiber 400 in each part meet the set requirements. The resin is then solidified, and the light-emitting surface 300 is then ground to form the final light-emitting surface 300 of the rigid tube endoscope.

[0069] According to the use requirements, in one embodiment, please refer to Figures 4 to 6, the viewing angle of the rigid tube endoscope is 0°, the light emitting surface 300 is perpendicular to the axis of the tube body unit 100, and the front end lens seat 200 is offset to one side of the radial direction of the tube body unit 100; the first separator 211 and the second separator 212 are respectively provided on the two opposite sides of the front end lens seat 200, and the first separator 211 and the second separator 212 are arranged along the line connecting the center of the front end lens seat 200 and the axis of the tube body unit 100, and the size of the first separator 211 in the radial direction of the tube body unit 100 is larger than the size of the second separator 212 in the radial direction of the tube body unit 100. It should be noted that the above-mentioned radial direction of the tube body unit 100 refers to the radial direction corresponding to the position of the separator 210 in the circumferential direction of the tube body unit 100. For example, for Figure 4 For the first separator 211 located at the top, the corresponding radial direction of the tube unit 100 is the up-down direction in the figure. As for the arrangement of the light emitting areas 310, there is a first circumferential interval 221 and a second circumferential interval 222 between the first separator 211 and the second separator 212 along the circumference of the tube unit 100, and two light emitting areas 310 are respectively arranged in the first circumferential interval 221 and the second circumferential interval 222.

[0070] In one embodiment, the density of optical fibers in the light exit region 310 near the first separator 211 is less than the density of optical fibers in the light exit region 310 near the second separator 212. Figure 1 The optical fiber fixing method of the rigid tube endoscope shown is different in that in this embodiment, the optical fiber 400 needs to be arranged in the corresponding light output area 310 according to different set densities, and then the resin is cured.

[0071] In order to match the field of view of the hard tube endoscope shown in the figure, the boundary zone 320 between the two light emitting areas 310 in the first circumferential interval 221 and the boundary zone 320 between the two light emitting areas 310 in the second circumferential interval 222 are both located on the side close to the first separator 211. Of course, in other embodiments, the position of the boundary zone 320 can be adjusted according to actual conditions.

[0072] Please refer to Figure 5 The tube body unit 100 includes an outer tube 120 and an inner tube (not shown) located inside the outer tube 120. The front mirror seat 200 is a part independent of the inner tube and connected to the front of the inner tube. The inner wall of the front end of the outer tube 120 and the outer wall of the front end of the inner tube are both straight walls extending along the axis of the tube body unit 100. With the above structure, the structure of the tube body unit 100 is simple and easy to manufacture. In other embodiments, the front mirror seat 200 can also be formed by the front end of the inner tube.

[0073] In the above-mentioned embodiments, at least two light-emitting areas 310 are arranged in a roughly plane-symmetrical form, and the plane of symmetry is a plane passing through the axis of the tube unit 100 and perpendicular to the light-emitting surface 300. This arrangement can facilitate optical design. Of course, in other embodiments, the light-emitting areas 310 arranged in a plane-symmetrical form may not be provided. In addition, those skilled in the art should understand that since the number of optical fibers 400 is very large, it is difficult to achieve strict positioning of each optical fiber 400. Therefore, the above-mentioned "roughly plane-symmetrical form" refers to the overall layout relationship of the corresponding light-emitting areas 310.

[0074] According to the use requirements, in another embodiment, please refer to Figure 7 The viewing angle of the rigid tube endoscope is 0°, the light emitting surface 300 is perpendicular to the axis of the tube body unit 100, and the front end mirror seat 200 is offset to one radial side of the tube body unit 100; the light emitting surface 300 is perpendicular to the axis of the tube body unit 100, and the front end mirror seat 200 is coaxially arranged with the tube body unit 100; the first separator 211 and the second separator 212 are symmetrically provided on two opposite sides of the front end mirror seat 200, and a first circumferential interval and a second circumferential interval are provided between the first separator 211 and the second separator 212 along the circumference of the tube body unit 100, and two light emitting areas 310 are respectively provided in the first circumferential interval and the second circumferential interval, and in any one of the first circumferential interval and the second circumferential interval: the two light emitting areas 310 are symmetrically arranged in the arrangement direction of the first separator 211 and the second separator 212 relative to the dividing zone 320 therebetween. With the above structure, the dividing zone 320 passes through the axis of the tube unit 100 and is divided into four light emitting areas 310, each of which is equal in size. This layout allows the optical fiber 400 to be symmetrically distributed along the optical axis, which theoretically makes it easier for the illumination field and the field of view to overlap, which is beneficial to improving edge uniformity.

[0075] In another embodiment, please refer to Figure 8 ,and Figure 7 The difference between the illustrated embodiments is that in any one of the first circumferential interval and the second circumferential interval: the boundary zone 320 is an arc-shaped boundary zone passing through the axis of the tube unit 100. Similarly, the light-emitting surface 300 can be divided into four light-emitting areas 310. With the above structure, reducing the luminous flux of the light-emitting area 310 close to the axis of the tube can reduce the central illumination of the illumination field, which is conducive to improving the light effect of the illumination mirror body.

[0076] For a rigid tube endoscope, the optical fiber 400 is a structure for providing an illumination light source to the part to be observed. The luminous flux of its light-emitting surface 300 determines the amount of light that the rigid tube endoscope can provide to the part to be observed of the endoscope. Therefore, the luminous flux of different light-emitting areas 310 on the light-emitting surface 300 can affect the edge uniformity and the light efficiency index of the illumination mirror body. Correspondingly, in some embodiments of the present invention, the luminous flux of at least two light-emitting areas 310 of the light-emitting surface 300 can also be different, and a dividing zone 320 is formed between two adjacent light-emitting areas 310 with different luminous fluxes. The luminous flux of the optical fiber 400 can be controlled in different ways, including but not limited to the following ways:

[0077] Method 1: Grinding

[0078] Different grinding processes can change the luminous flux of the corresponding light-emitting area 310. By "polishing" a certain light-emitting area 310 alone, the luminous flux of the light-emitting area 310 can be changed (increased), or by "rough grinding" a certain light-emitting area 310, the luminous flux of the light-emitting area 310 can be changed (reduced). Grinding materials of different particle sizes have different polishing or rough grinding effects, thereby affecting the luminous flux of the corresponding light-emitting area 310.

[0079] Method 2: Etching

[0080] By etching a certain light emitting area 310 with hydrofluoric acid (other areas are shielded with a mask), the luminous flux of the certain light emitting area 310 can be changed (reduced).

[0081] Method 3: Femtosecond laser

[0082] By engraving a light emitting area 310 using a femtosecond laser, the light flux of the area can be changed.

[0083] In order to detect the luminous flux of different light-emitting areas 310, the luminous flux of the rigid tube endoscope can be detected by an integrating sphere 710. For the luminous flux of each light-emitting area 310, please refer to Fig. 9 When it is necessary to measure the luminous flux of a certain light-emitting area 310, black light-shielding glue / ink / mask can be used to cover other light-emitting areas 310, and then the hard tube endoscope is inserted into the integrating sphere 710, and the hard tube endoscope is connected to the light source 720 through the light guide element 730, and the luminous flux of the corresponding light-emitting area 310 can be tested. According to the test results, the luminous flux of the corresponding area can be adjusted in different ways, and finally the edge uniformity and lighting mirror body light efficiency indicators set by the hard tube endoscope are achieved.

[0084] The rigid tube endoscope in the present invention can adjust the optical performance in different regions by configuring the optical fiber density, light output angle, light flux and other parameters of different light output areas 310, thereby changing the illumination of the field of view, which is not only conducive to improving the edge uniformity and the light efficiency index of the illumination mirror body, but also forms a dividing zone 320 between two adjacent light output areas 310 by relying on the optical fiber 400 and / or the resin used to position and fix the optical fiber 400 and form the light output surface 300. There is no need to set up additional metal structural parts between the two adjacent light output areas 310 to adjust the optical fiber 400. The structure is simple and easy to manufacture, which is conducive to reducing costs and reducing the weight of the rigid tube endoscope. Finally, it should be noted that, in theory, the light output area 310 can be divided into more parts to achieve more flexible and fine adjustment of optical performance and achieve better lighting effects. However, considering the design and manufacturing costs, the embodiments of the present invention can also be used as a preferred method.

[0085] The above specific examples are used to illustrate the present invention, which is only used to help understand the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. For those skilled in the art, according to the concept of the present invention, some simple deductions, modifications or substitutions can be made.

Claims

1. A rigid tube endoscope, characterized in that: include: A tubular body unit, wherein the tubular body unit is used to be inserted into a part to be observed; A front mirror seat, the front mirror seat is arranged at the front end of the tube unit, and an optical fiber end accommodating space is arranged in the tube unit on the radial outer side of the front mirror seat; and an optical fiber, wherein the front end of the optical fiber is located in the optical fiber end accommodating space, and the front end surface of the optical fiber forms a light emitting surface at the front end of the rigid tube endoscope; The light emitting surface comprises at least two light emitting areas, and at least two adjacent light emitting areas have different optical fiber densities and / or different light emitting angles. The different optical fiber densities and / or different light emitting angles form a boundary zone between the two adjacent light emitting areas.

2. A rigid tube endoscope, characterized in that: include: A tubular body unit, wherein the tubular body unit is used to be inserted into a part to be observed; A front mirror seat, the front mirror seat is arranged at the front end of the tube unit, and an optical fiber end accommodating space is arranged in the tube unit on the radial outer side of the front mirror seat; and an optical fiber, wherein the front end of the optical fiber is located in the optical fiber end accommodating space, and the front end surface of the optical fiber forms a light emitting surface at the front end of the rigid tube endoscope; The light emitting surface includes at least two light emitting areas, the luminous fluxes of at least two adjacent light emitting areas are different, and a boundary zone is formed between the two adjacent light emitting areas with different luminous fluxes.

3. The rigid tube endoscope according to claim 2, characterized in that: The two adjacent light emitting areas with different light fluxes have different optical fiber densities and / or different light emitting angles.

4. The rigid tube endoscope according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The boundary zone is an appearance boundary area formed between two adjacent light exit areas with different appearances.

5. The rigid tube endoscope according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The boundary zone is a transition zone that presents a transitional change in appearance with the light emitting areas on both sides, and the optical fiber density and / or light emitting angle of the transition zone are different from those of the light emitting areas on both sides.

6. The rigid tube endoscope according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The boundary zone is an isolation zone, and the isolation zone is filled with resin.

7. The rigid tube endoscope according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: At least two light emitting areas are arranged in a substantially plane-symmetrical form, and the plane of symmetry is a plane passing through the axis of the tube unit and perpendicular to the light emitting surface.

8. The rigid tube endoscope according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The light emitting surface has a non-zero angle with the axis of the tube unit, and the light emitting surface forms a wedge-shaped surface at the front end of the tube unit; The boundary zone divides the light-emitting surface into a first area, a second area, and a third area. The first area is located between the frontmost part of the wedge-shaped surface and the front end mirror seat, and the second area and the third area are respectively located on both sides of the first area along the circumference of the tube unit.

9. The rigid tube endoscope according to claim 8, characterized in that: The boundary zone is located on a side of the axis of the tubular unit close to the frontmost part of the wedge-shaped surface.

10. The rigid tube endoscope according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The light emitting surface is perpendicular to the axis of the tube unit, and the front mirror seat is offset to one side of the radial direction of the tube unit; A first separator and a second separator are respectively provided on two opposite sides of the front mirror base, the first separator and the second separator are arranged along a line connecting the center of the front mirror base and the axis of the tube unit, and the size of the first separator in the radial direction of the tube unit is larger than the size of the second separator in the radial direction of the tube unit; A first circumferential interval and a second circumferential interval are provided between the first separator and the second separator along the circumference of the tube unit, and two light exit areas are respectively provided in the first circumferential interval and the second circumferential interval.

11. The rigid tube endoscope according to claim 10, characterized in that: The boundary zone between the two light exiting areas in the first circumferential interval and the boundary zone between the two light exiting areas in the second circumferential interval are both located on a side close to the first separator.

12. The rigid tube endoscope according to claim 10, characterized in that: The density of optical fibers in the light exit region close to the first partition is smaller than the density of optical fibers in the light exit region close to the second partition.

13. The rigid tube endoscope according to claim 10, characterized in that: The tube body unit includes an outer tube and an inner tube, the front end mirror seat is located on the inner tube, the optical fiber is located between the outer tube and the inner tube, and the inner wall of the front end part of the outer tube and the outer wall of the front end part of the inner tube are both straight walls extending along the axis of the tube body unit.

14. The rigid tube endoscope according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The light emitting surface is perpendicular to the axis of the tube unit, and the front mirror seat is coaxially arranged with the tube unit; A first separator and a second separator are symmetrically provided on two opposite sides of the front mirror seat, a first circumferential interval and a second circumferential interval are provided between the first separator and the second separator along the circumference of the tube unit, and two light emitting areas are respectively provided in the first circumferential interval and the second circumferential interval; In any one of the first circumferential interval and the second circumferential interval: the two light exit areas are symmetrically arranged in the arrangement direction of the first separator and the second separator relative to the boundary zone therebetween, or Alternatively, the boundary zone is an arc-shaped boundary zone passing through the axis of the tube unit.

Images