A rigid tube endoscope

Abstract

The application relates to a light guide of a hard tube endoscope. The hard tube endoscope comprises a tube unit, a front end mirror seat arranged at the front end of the tube unit, a fiber end accommodating space arranged on the radial outer side of the front end mirror seat, and a fiber with a front end located in the fiber end accommodating space, a front end surface of the fiber forming a light emitting surface at the front end of the hard tube endoscope. The light emitting surface comprises at least two light emitting areas, the fiber density of at least two adjacent light emitting areas is different and / or the light emitting angle is different, the difference in fiber density and / or the difference in light emitting angle forms a boundary between the two adjacent light emitting areas. Alternatively, the light emitting surface comprises at least two light emitting areas, the light flux of at least two adjacent light emitting areas is different, and a boundary is formed between the two adjacent light emitting areas with different light fluxes. The application mainly solves the technical problem that the optical performance of the hard tube endoscope needs to be improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the light guide of a rigid endoscope. Background Technology

[0002] Rigid endoscopes require optical fiber illumination. The fiber enters from the rear end and exits from the front end, forming the light-emitting surface at the front. The edge uniformity (characterizing the difference between the maximum and minimum illuminance at the edge of the illuminated area) and the luminous efficacy (characterizing the difference between the average illuminance at the edge and center of the illuminated area) directly affect the imaging quality of the rigid endoscope and are key factors to consider during its design. Part 1 of the People's Republic of China pharmaceutical industry standard YY 0068.1-2008, "Medical Endoscopes - Rigid Endoscopes," specifies optical performance and testing methods, providing a reference for evaluating edge uniformity and luminous efficacy. For example, to measure edge uniformity, the light-emitting surface of the endoscope can be aligned with a circular test target. Detection holes are set at the center and four quadrants of the test target. By measuring the illuminance at each test hole, the edge uniformity and luminous efficacy can be calculated using the corresponding formulas.

[0003] However, due to the limitations of the numerical aperture of optical fibers, rigid endoscopes generally suffer from a problem where the center of the field of view is brighter and the surrounding area is darker. Improving the optical performance of rigid endoscopes is crucial for their market competitiveness. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention primarily addresses the technical problem of the need to improve the optical performance of rigid endoscopes.

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

[0006] A rigid endoscope, comprising:

[0007] A tube unit, which is used to be inserted into the part to be observed;

[0008] A front-end lens mount is disposed at the front end of the tube body unit, and an optical fiber end receiving space is provided within the tube body unit on the radially outer side of the front-end lens mount.

[0009] And an optical fiber, the front end of which is located within the optical fiber end-accommodating space, and the front end face of which forms a light-emitting surface at the front end of the rigid endoscope.

[0010] The light-emitting surface includes at least two light-emitting regions, and at least two adjacent light-emitting regions have different fiber densities and / or different light-emitting angles, and the difference in fiber density and / or light-emitting angle causes a boundary zone to be formed between two adjacent light-emitting regions.

[0011] Secondly, the present invention provides another rigid endoscope.

[0012] A rigid endoscope, comprising:

[0013] A tube unit, which is used to be inserted into the part to be observed;

[0014] A front-end lens mount is disposed at the front end of the tube body unit, and an optical fiber end receiving space is provided within the tube body unit on the radially outer side of the front-end lens mount.

[0015] And an optical fiber, the front end of which is located within the optical fiber end-accommodating space, and the front end face of which forms a light-emitting surface at the front end of the rigid endoscope.

[0016] The light-emitting surface includes at least two light-emitting regions, and at least two adjacent light-emitting regions have different light fluxes, forming a boundary zone between two adjacent light-emitting regions with different light fluxes.

[0017] In one technical solution, two adjacent light-emitting regions with different light fluxes have different fiber densities and / or different light-emitting angles.

[0018] In one technical solution, the dividing zone is an appearance dividing region formed between two adjacent light-emitting regions with different appearances.

[0019] In one technical solution, the dividing zone is a transition zone that presents a transitional change in appearance from 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 one technical solution, the dividing strip is an isolation strip, and the isolation strip is filled with resin.

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

[0022] In one 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 dividing zone divides the light-emitting surface into a first region, a second region, and a third region. The first region is located between the foremost part of the wedge-shaped surface and the front end mirror mount. The second and third regions are located on both sides of the first region along the circumference of the tube unit.

[0024] In one technical solution, the dividing zone is located on the side of the tube unit's axis closest to the foremost part of the wedge-shaped surface.

[0025] In one technical solution, the light-emitting surface is perpendicular to the axis of the tube unit, and the front end mirror mount is offset to the radial side of the tube unit.

[0026] The front end mirror mount has a first partition and a second partition on its two opposite sides. The first partition and the second partition are arranged along the line connecting the center of the front end mirror mount and the axis of the tube unit. The first partition is larger in the radial direction of the tube unit than the second partition is in the radial direction of the tube unit.

[0027] The first separator and the second separator have a first circumferential interval and a second circumferential interval along the circumference of the tube unit, and two light-emitting regions are respectively provided in the first circumferential interval and the second circumferential interval.

[0028] In one technical solution, the dividing zone between the two light-emitting regions in the first circumferential interval and the dividing zone between the two light-emitting regions in the second circumferential interval are both located on the side closer to the first separator.

[0029] In one technical solution, the fiber density in the light-emitting region near the first separator is less than the fiber density in the light-emitting region near the second separator.

[0030] In one technical solution, the tube unit includes an outer tube and an inner tube, the front end mirror mount 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 portion of the outer tube and the outer wall of the front end portion of the inner tube are both straight walls extending along the axis of the tube unit.

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

[0032] The front end mirror mount is symmetrically provided with a first separator and a second separator on two opposite sides. The first separator and the second separator are provided with a first circumferential interval and a second circumferential interval along the circumference of the tube unit. The first circumferential interval and the second circumferential interval are respectively provided with two light-emitting areas.

[0033] In either the first circumferential interval or the second circumferential interval: the two light-emitting regions are arranged symmetrically with respect to the dividing zone between them in the arrangement direction of the first separator and the second separator, or the dividing zone is an arc-shaped dividing zone passing through the axis of the tube unit.

[0034] The beneficial effects of this invention are:

[0035] According to the aforementioned rigid endoscope, by dividing the light-emitting surface at its front end into light-emitting areas, and relying on the different fiber densities and / or light-emitting angles of the light-emitting areas, or relying on the different light flux of the light-emitting areas, the optical performance can be adjusted in different areas, thereby changing the illumination of the field of view. This is beneficial to improving edge uniformity and the light efficiency index of the illumination endoscope, enhancing the optical performance of the rigid endoscope, better meeting the user needs of customers and improving the accuracy of inspection. At the same time, there is no need to set up additional metal structural components between two adjacent light-emitting areas to adjust the fiber, resulting in a simple structure. Attached Figure Description

[0036] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the light-emitting surface at the front end of an embodiment of the rigid endoscope of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A cross-sectional view (AA), with optical fibers omitted in the figure;

[0038] Figure 3 for Figure 1 Exploded view of a portion of a rigid endoscope; optical fiber is omitted in the image.

[0039] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the light-emitting surface of another embodiment of the rigid endoscope in this invention;

[0040] Figure 5 for Figure 4 The BB cross-sectional view, with the optical fiber omitted in the figure;

[0041] Figure 6 for Figure 4 A 3D view of the tip of a rigid endoscope, with the optical fiber omitted in the image;

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

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

[0044] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the light flux detection method for rigid endoscopes.

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

[0046] 100. Tube body unit; 110. Fiber optic end cap accommodating space; 120. Outer tube;

[0047] 200. Front lens mount; 210. Separator; 211. First separator; 212. Second separator; 221. First circumferential spacing; 222. Second circumferential spacing;

[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 guide element. Detailed Implementation

[0053] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to specific embodiments and accompanying drawings. Similar elements in different embodiments are referred to by associated similar element reference numerals. In the following embodiments, many details are described to facilitate a better understanding of this application. However, those skilled in the art will readily recognize that some features may be omitted in different situations, or may be replaced by other elements, materials, or methods. In some cases, certain operations related to this application are not shown or described in the specification. This is to avoid obscuring the core parts of this application with excessive description. For those skilled in the art, detailed description of these related operations is not necessary; they can fully understand the related operations based on the description in the specification and general technical knowledge in the art.

[0054] Furthermore, the features, operations, or characteristics described in the specification can be combined in any suitable manner to form various embodiments. At the same time, the steps or actions in the method description can be rearranged or adjusted in a manner obvious to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the various orders in the specification and drawings are only for the clear description of a particular embodiment and do not imply a necessary order, unless otherwise stated that a particular order must be followed.

[0055] The serial numbers assigned to components in this document, such as "first" and "second," are used only to distinguish the described objects and have no sequential or technical meaning. The terms "connection" and "linkage" used in this application, unless otherwise specified, include both direct and indirect connections (linkages).

[0056] Due to limitations in the numerical aperture and the number of optical fibers used in rigid endoscopes, uneven illumination in the observation field can occur. Currently, one way to address this issue is to insert a wedge-shaped tube into the center of the fiber's tip, creating a light cone structure that causes the fiber near the outer edge of the wedge to tilt outwards. However, in cases where a light cone is unavailable or where further improvements in illumination performance are needed, it is still necessary to consider how to enhance illumination performance further.

[0057] The rigid endoscope provided by this invention divides its light-emitting surface at the front end into light-emitting regions, enabling adjustment of optical performance in each region. The illumination of the field of view is altered by varying fiber density and / or light-emitting angle in each region, or by varying luminous flux in the light-emitting region. This provides a means to improve edge uniformity and the endoscope's optical efficiency. Furthermore, because the optical fibers in the rigid endoscope are filled and fixed with resin, the differences in fiber density and / or light-emitting angle, or luminous flux in the light-emitting regions, directly create a boundary zone between adjacent light-emitting regions. This boundary zone directly represents the technical means employed in this invention, highlighting the significant difference between this invention and existing light-emitting surfaces.

[0058] An embodiment of a rigid endoscope in this invention:

[0059] Please refer to Figures 1 to 8 The rigid endoscope includes a tube body unit 100, a front end mount 200, and an optical fiber 400. The tube body unit 100 is inserted into the area to be observed. The front end mount 200 is located at the front end of the tube body unit 100 and is used to assemble the objective lens unit 500. An optical fiber end-receiving space 110 is provided within the tube body unit 100, radially outward of the front end mount 200, providing space for the front end of the optical fiber 400. The front end portion of the optical fiber 400 in the rigid endoscope is located within the optical 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 rigid endoscope. The number of optical fibers 400 within the optical fiber end-receiving space 110 can range from several hundred to several thousand, with no specific limit. The front ends of each optical fiber 400 are filled with resin. After being filled in liquid form, the resin can be cured by heating or UV irradiation, depending on the type of resin, thereby positioning and fixing the optical fibers 400. This allows the optical fibers 400 to be fixed within the tube unit 100 by the cured resin in the optical fiber end-receiving space 110. The resin used to fix the optical fibers 400 in the rigid endoscope can be epoxy resin or polyimide resin, etc.

[0060] It should be noted that the structure shown in the figure is only one part of a rigid endoscope. Generally, a rigid endoscope also includes an optical body and a handle. The optical body typically includes an objective lens unit, an image-rotating lens unit, and an eyepiece unit. The objective lens unit is not shown in the figure and is generally an assembly of multiple lenses. In one embodiment, at least a portion of it is located within the front mount 200, and a protective lens 500 is provided in front of it. The protective lens 500 can be made of a high-hardness material, such as sapphire, to protect the rear lenses and form a front window at the end of the endoscope. The objective lens unit can form an inverted image of the observed object, while the image-rotating lens unit, through an image-rotating lens group, forms a 1:1 upright image of the inverted image formed by the objective lens at the object-side focal plane of the eyepiece unit, allowing the user to observe an upright real image through the rigid endoscope eyepiece unit. Furthermore, the image-rotating lens unit also ensures that the optical length of the rigid endoscope meets the working length requirements of the rigid endoscope. In some other embodiments, the objective lens unit can also form an upright image of the observed object. The handle is attached to the rear end of the tube unit 100, enabling the user to operate the rigid endoscope. The rotating mirror unit typically contains an odd number of identical rotating rod mirror groups to increase the overall length of the optical system and correct chromatic aberration.

[0061] Rigid endoscopes can have different viewing angles and field of view angles. 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 orientation of the light-emitting surface 300 and the axis of the tube unit 100. For example, the viewing angle of a rigid endoscope can be 0°, 30°, and 45°. Different angles have different uses; for example, a 0° endoscope is suitable for direct observation, while 30° and 45° endoscopes are suitable for oblique observation. The field of view angle refers to the observation range of a rigid endoscope. A larger field of view angle is more advantageous for observation, but at the same time, an increased field of view angle will lead to increased distortion at the edge of the field of view.

[0062] Based on the edge uniformity and illumination efficiency requirements of rigid endoscopes, the light-emitting surface 300 of a rigid endoscope includes at least two light-emitting regions 310. The fiber density and / or light-emitting angle of adjacent light-emitting regions 310 differ, creating a boundary zone 320 between them. This boundary zone 320 is an appearance boundary region formed between two adjacent light-emitting regions 310 with different appearances. The boundary zone 320 is formed by the appearance difference between the two light-emitting regions 310 located on either side of it, defining the visual boundary between the two light-emitting regions 310 on either side. This will be further explained below with reference to specific embodiments.

[0063] Depending on the differences in fiber density, emission angle, and luminous flux between two adjacent light-emitting regions 310, the dividing band 320 can exhibit different appearance characteristics. Furthermore, based on factors such as the viewing angle of the rigid endoscope, the shape of the light-emitting surface 300, and its position on the front end face of the rigid endoscope, the dividing band 320 can have different distribution locations and shapes. The dividing band 320 can have width or serve as a dividing line.

[0064] Specifically, in one embodiment, please refer to Figures 1 to 3 The rigid endoscope has a 30° viewing angle. The dividing zone 320 can be a transition zone that visually changes from the light-emitting areas on both sides, and the fiber density and / or light-emitting angle of the transition zone differ from those of the light-emitting areas on both sides. In another embodiment, please refer to... Figures 4 to 6 The rigid endoscope has a viewing angle of 0°. The dividing strip 320 can be an isolation strip filled with resin used to position and fix the front end of the optical fiber 400 to the optical fiber end-accommodating space 110. It should be noted that the viewing angle does not determine the specific form of the dividing strip 320. For example, when the viewing angle of the rigid endoscope is 0°, a transition strip-type dividing strip can also be used; similarly, when the viewing angle of the rigid endoscope is 30°, an isolation strip-type dividing strip can also be used.

[0065] Please refer to Figure 3 The rigid endoscope also includes 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. The endpiece mount 200, on the side away from the wedge block 600, includes a protruding partition 210, which abuts against the inner wall of the tube unit 100. For rigid endoscopes 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-shaped surface at the front end of the tube unit 100. In some other embodiments, the endpiece mount 200 is radially offset along the tube unit 100 to the rear end of the tube unit 100 near the wedge-shaped surface, i.e., offset. Figure 1 The lower side. It should be noted that the separator 210 in this invention can be a separate part and assembled into a rigid endoscope, or it can be a structure integrally formed with an adjacent object.

[0066] To match the field of view of a rigid endoscope, please refer to... Figure 1The dividing strip 320 divides the light-emitting surface 300 into a first region 311, a second region 312, and a third region 313. The first region 311 is located between the foremost part of the wedge-shaped surface and the front end mirror mount 200. The second region 312 and the third region 313 are located on both sides of the first region 311 along the circumference of the tube unit 100. Furthermore, the fiber optic emission angles of the second region 312 and the third region 313 are different from those in the first region 311. The specific values ​​of the fiber optic emission angles can be determined experimentally, theoretically, and / or through simulation. In one specific embodiment, the second region 312 and the third region 313 can be symmetrically arranged on both sides of the first region 311 for ease of design and fabrication. Because there are a large number of optical fibers 400, it is difficult to arrange each optical fiber 400 at a set angle and position. Furthermore, the light emission angles of the optical fibers 400 in adjacent regions are different, meaning the angles between the optical fibers 400 in adjacent regions and the axis of the tube unit 100 are different. Therefore, a transition region of a certain width, namely the dividing zone 320, is formed at the boundary between adjacent regions. The optical fibers 400 in the transition region are sparser than those in the light emission regions 310 on both sides, and the light emission angles of each optical fiber 400 in the transition region are not exactly the same, nor are they the same as the light emission angles in the light emission regions 310 on both sides. Therefore, the appearance of the dividing zone 320 itself differs from that of the light emission regions 310 on both sides.

[0067] In one embodiment, to match the field of view of a rigid endoscope, the dividing band 320 is located on the side of the axis of the tube unit 100 closest to the foremost part of the wedge-shaped surface, i.e., the dividing band 320 is offset to one side of the first region 311. In other embodiments, the position of the dividing band 320 may vary depending on factors such as the size of the viewing angle and the position of the anterior mount 200. Additionally, in Figure 1 In the illustrated embodiment, the two dividing strips 320 extend straight and are perpendicular to the line connecting the center of the front mirror mount 200 and the center of the tube unit 100; in some other embodiments, the two dividing strips 320 may also be arranged obliquely relative to the line connecting the center of the front mirror mount 200 and the center of the tube unit 100, and the two dividing strips 320 may also be curved.

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

[0069] Depending on the usage requirements, in one embodiment, please refer to Figures 4 to 6The rigid endoscope has a viewing angle of 0°, and its light-emitting surface 300 is perpendicular to the axis of the tube unit 100. The endpiece mount 200 is offset to one radial side of the tube unit 100. A first separator 211 and a second separator 212 are respectively provided on opposite sides of the endpiece mount 200. The first separator 211 and the second separator 212 are arranged along the line connecting the center of the endpiece mount 200 and the axis of the tube unit 100. The radial dimension of the first separator 211 in the tube unit 100 is larger than that of the second separator 212 in the tube unit 100. It should be noted that the radial direction of the tube unit 100 refers to the radial direction corresponding to the position of the separator 210 in the circumferential direction of the tube unit 100. For example, for... Figure 4 For the first partition 211 located at the top, its corresponding tube unit 100 is radially positioned in the up-down direction as shown in the figure. Regarding the arrangement of the light-emitting regions 310, the first partition 211 and the second partition 212 are separated by a first circumferential interval 221 and a second circumferential interval 222 along the circumferential direction of the tube unit 100, and two light-emitting regions 310 are respectively provided in the first circumferential interval 221 and the second circumferential interval 222.

[0070] In one embodiment, the fiber density in the light-emitting region 310 near the first separator 211 is less than the fiber density in the light-emitting region 310 near the second separator 212. During fabrication, reference can be made to... Figure 1 The fiber optic fixing method of the rigid endoscope shown is different in that, in this embodiment, the fiber optic 400 needs to be arranged in the corresponding light-emitting area 310 according to different set densities, and then the resin is allowed to cure.

[0071] To match the field of view of the rigid endoscope shown in the figure, the dividing band 320 between the two light-emitting regions 310 in the first circumferential interval 221 and the dividing band 320 between the two light-emitting regions 310 in the second circumferential interval 222 are both located on the side closer to the first partition 211. Of course, in other embodiments, the position of the dividing band 320 can be adjusted according to the actual situation.

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

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

[0074] Depending on the usage requirements, in another embodiment, please refer to... Figure 7 The rigid endoscope has a viewing angle of 0°, and the light-emitting surface 300 is perpendicular to the axis of the tube unit 100. The front end mount 200 is offset on the radial side of the tube unit 100. The light-emitting surface 300 is perpendicular to the axis of the tube unit 100, and the front end mount 200 is coaxially arranged with the tube unit 100. The front end mount 200 is symmetrically provided with a first partition 211 and a second partition 212 on two opposite sides. The first partition 211 and the second partition 212 have a first circumferential interval and a second circumferential interval along the circumference of the tube unit 100. The first circumferential interval and the second circumferential interval are respectively provided with two light-emitting areas 310. In either the first circumferential interval or the second circumferential interval, the two light-emitting areas 310 are symmetrically arranged with respect to the dividing zone 320 between them in the arrangement direction of the first partition 211 and the second partition 212. With the above structure, the dividing zone 320 passes through the axis of the tube unit 100 and is divided into four light-emitting regions 310, each of which is of equal 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 coincide, thus improving edge uniformity.

[0075] In another embodiment, please refer to Figure 8 ,and Figure 7 The difference in the illustrated embodiment is that, in either the first circumferential interval or the second circumferential interval, the dividing zone 320 is an arc-shaped dividing zone passing through the axis of the tube unit 100. Similarly, the light-emitting surface 300 can be divided into four light-emitting regions 310. By adopting the above structure, reducing the luminous flux of the light-emitting region 310 near the axis of the tube can reduce the central illuminance of the illumination field, which is beneficial to improving the luminous efficacy of the illumination mirror.

[0076] For rigid endoscopes, the optical fiber 400 serves as a structure for providing illumination to the area to be observed. The luminous flux of its emitting surface 300 determines the amount of light the rigid endoscope can provide to the area to be observed. Therefore, the luminous flux of different emitting regions 310 on the emitting surface 300 can affect the edge uniformity and the luminous efficiency of the illumination endoscope. Correspondingly, in some embodiments of the present invention, the luminous flux of at least two emitting regions 310 of the emitting surface 300 can be made different, forming a boundary zone 320 between two adjacent emitting regions 310 with different luminous flux. The luminous flux of the optical fiber 400 can be controlled in different ways, including but not limited to the following:

[0077] Method 1: Grinding

[0078] Different grinding processes can alter the luminous flux of a corresponding light-emitting region 310. Polishing a specific light-emitting region 310 can increase its luminous flux, while coarse grinding can decrease it. Different particle sizes of abrasive materials produce different polishing or coarse grinding effects, thus affecting the luminous flux of the corresponding light-emitting region 310.

[0079] Method 2, Etching

[0080] Etching a light-emitting region 310 with hydrofluoric acid (while masking other regions) can alter (reduce) the luminous flux of that region 310.

[0081] Method 3, Femtosecond laser

[0082] By using a femtosecond laser to etch a light-emitting area 310, the light flux in that area can be changed.

[0083] To detect the luminous flux of different light-emitting regions 310, the luminous flux of the rigid endoscope can be detected using an integrating sphere 710. For the luminous flux of each light-emitting region 310, please refer to... Figure 9 When it is necessary to measure the luminous flux of a specific light-emitting area 310, other light-emitting areas 310 can be blocked using black light-blocking adhesive / ink / mask. Then, a rigid endoscope is inserted into the integrating sphere 710. The rigid endoscope is connected to the light source 720 through the light guide element 730, allowing the luminous flux of the corresponding light-emitting area 310 to be tested. Based on the test results, the luminous flux of the corresponding area can be adjusted in different ways to ultimately achieve the edge uniformity and illumination efficiency indicators set by the rigid endoscope.

[0084] The rigid endoscope of this invention, by configuring different parameters such as fiber density, light emission angle, and light transmission in different light-emitting regions 310, can adjust the optical performance in different regions, thereby changing the illumination of the field of view. This not only improves edge uniformity and the luminous efficiency of the illumination endoscope, but also creates a boundary zone 320 between adjacent light-emitting regions 310 through the optical fiber 400 and / or the resin used to position and fix the optical fiber 400 and form the light-emitting surface 300. No additional metal structural components are needed between adjacent light-emitting regions 310 for adjusting the optical fiber 400, resulting in a simple structure, ease of manufacturing, and reduced costs and weight. Finally, it should be noted that, theoretically, the light-emitting region 310 can be divided into more parts for more flexible and precise adjustment of optical performance, achieving better illumination. However, considering design and manufacturing costs, the embodiments of this invention can also be considered preferred methods.

[0085] The above examples illustrate the present invention only to aid in understanding it and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Those skilled in the art can make various simple deductions, modifications, or substitutions based on the principles of this invention.

Claims

1. A rigid endoscope, characterized in that, include: A tube unit, which is used to be inserted into the part to be observed; A front-end lens mount is disposed at the front end of the tube body unit, and an optical fiber end receiving space is provided within the tube body unit on the radially outer side of the front-end lens mount. And an optical fiber, the front end of which is located within the optical fiber end-accommodating space, and the front end face of which forms a light-emitting surface at the front end of the rigid endoscope. The light-emitting surface includes at least two light-emitting regions, and at least two adjacent light-emitting regions have different fiber densities and / or different light-emitting angles, and the difference in fiber density and / or light-emitting angle causes a boundary zone to be formed between two adjacent light-emitting regions.

2. A rigid endoscope, characterized in that, include: A tube unit, which is used to be inserted into the part to be observed; A front-end lens mount is disposed at the front end of the tube body unit, and an optical fiber end receiving space is provided within the tube body unit on the radially outer side of the front-end lens mount. And an optical fiber, the front end of which is located within the optical fiber end-accommodating space, and the front end face of which forms a light-emitting surface at the front end of the rigid endoscope. The light-emitting surface includes at least two light-emitting regions, and at least two adjacent light-emitting regions have different light fluxes, forming a boundary zone between two adjacent light-emitting regions with different light fluxes.

3. The rigid endoscope as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The optical fiber densities and / or emission angles of two adjacent light-emitting regions with different light fluxes are different.

4. The rigid endoscope as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The dividing zone is an appearance boundary region formed between two adjacent light-emitting regions with different appearances.

5. The rigid endoscope as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The dividing zone is a transition zone that presents a transitional change in appearance from 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.

6. The rigid endoscope as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The dividing zone is an isolation zone, and the isolation zone is filled with resin.

7. The rigid endoscope as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, At least two light-emitting areas are arranged in a roughly symmetrical manner, with the plane of symmetry being a plane passing through the axis of the tube unit and perpendicular to the light-emitting surface.

8. The rigid endoscope as described in 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 dividing zone divides the light-emitting surface into a first region, a second region, and a third region. The first region is located between the foremost part of the wedge-shaped surface and the front end mirror mount. The second and third regions are located on both sides of the first region along the circumference of the tube unit.

9. The rigid endoscope as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The dividing zone is located on the side of the tube unit's axis closest to the foremost part of the wedge-shaped surface.

10. The rigid endoscope as described in 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 end mirror mount is offset to the radial side of the tube unit; The front end mirror mount has a first partition and a second partition on its two opposite sides. The first partition and the second partition are arranged along the line connecting the center of the front end mirror mount and the axis of the tube unit. The first partition is larger in the radial direction of the tube unit than the second partition is in the radial direction of the tube unit. The first separator and the second separator have a first circumferential interval and a second circumferential interval along the circumference of the tube unit, and two light-emitting regions are respectively provided in the first circumferential interval and the second circumferential interval.

11. The rigid endoscope as described in claim 10, characterized in that, The dividing zone between the two light-emitting regions in the first circumferential interval and the dividing zone between the two light-emitting regions in the second circumferential interval are both located on the side closer to the first separator.

12. The rigid endoscope as described in claim 10, characterized in that, The fiber density in the light-emitting region near the first separator is less than the fiber density in the light-emitting region near the second separator.

13. The rigid endoscope as described in claim 10, characterized in that, The tube unit includes an outer tube and an inner tube. The front end lens mount is located on the inner tube. The optical fiber is located between the outer tube and the inner tube. The inner wall of the front end portion of the outer tube and the outer wall of the front end portion of the inner tube are both straight walls extending along the axis of the tube unit.

14. The rigid endoscope as described in 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 end mirror mount is coaxially arranged with the tube unit. The front end mirror mount is symmetrically provided with a first separator and a second separator on two opposite sides. The first separator and the second separator are provided with a first circumferential interval and a second circumferential interval along the circumference of the tube unit. The first circumferential interval and the second circumferential interval are respectively provided with two light-emitting areas. In either the first circumferential spacing or the second circumferential spacing: the two light-emitting regions are symmetrically arranged with respect to the boundary zone between them in the arrangement direction of the first and second separators, or The dividing zone is an arc-shaped dividing zone passing through the axis of the tube unit.

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