Superfine electronic endoscope

Abstract

The utility model discloses a superfine electronic endoscope, and belongs to the technical field of nondestructive testing. The superfine electronic endoscope comprises a main body and a handle, the main body comprises a flexible part and a detection part, the superfine electronic endoscope further comprises a light guide assembly, a light source, a stepless dimming assembly and a cable assembly electrically connected to the handle in a pluggable mode, and the light source and the detection part are both electrically connected with the stepless dimming assembly. The stepless dimming assembly comprises a dimming operation part, a dimming circuit and a dimming operation related part arranged in the dimming circuit, and the dimming operation related part is related to the dimming operation part and operates according to operation of the dimming operation part. The dimming circuit is configured to output a current corresponding to an operation of the dimming operation-related component to the light source. According to the electronic endoscope, the brightness of the light source can be steplessly adjusted to obtain the optimal image quality, and the pluggable cable assembly is provided, so that only one of the handle and the cable assembly needs to be replaced when the handle or the cable assembly is damaged, and waste is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of non-destructive testing technology, and more specifically, to an ultra-thin electronic endoscope. Background Art

[0002] Industrial electronic endoscopes are precision inspection tools widely used in the industrial field for non-destructive testing (NDT) and maintenance inspections. They are designed to visually inspect hard-to-reach spaces without disassembling or moving the object being inspected. Industrial electronic endoscopes can be used to inspect the internal conditions of various industrial equipment such as the inside of pipes, engines, pressure vessels, castings, welded joints, and mechanical components.

[0003] Industrial electronic endoscopes generally include an insertion section and a video sensor. The insertion section is the slender part that can extend into the object being inspected. The video sensor is located at the head end of the insertion section and is used to capture images. Industrial electronic endoscopes also include a light source and a light guiding device for providing light for image capture.

[0004] The brightness of the light source of existing electronic endoscopes is not adjustable, or at least not continuously adjustable. Thus, if the light source is too bright, it may cause overexposure of the inspection area, resulting in the loss of details in the image, especially for surfaces that are prone to reflecting light. If the light source is too dim, it may lead to a blurry image with unclear details, especially in deeper or darker areas. Moreover, endoscope inspections may involve various different types and depths, and each area may require a different light intensity to obtain the best image quality.

[0005] In addition, the power supply and data cables of existing electronic endoscopes are generally integrated with the handle, which results in the need to replace the entire endoscope when the handle or cable is damaged, causing a great waste. Summary of the Utility Model

[0006] The purpose of this application is to overcome the deficiencies in the prior art and provide an ultra-thin electronic endoscope that can continuously adjust the brightness of the light source and whose power supply and data cables are pluggable.

[0007] To achieve the above objective, the technical solution provided by this application is as follows:

[0008] An ultra-thin electronic endoscope includes a main body and a handle. The main body includes a flexible portion and a detection portion connected to the flexible portion. One end of the flexible portion is connected to the detection portion, and the other end is connected to the handle. The ultra-thin electronic endoscope further includes a light guide assembly, a light source, and a stepless dimming assembly. The light guide assembly is configured to guide light from the light source to the detection portion. The light source is located inside the handle behind the proximal end of the light guide assembly. Both the light source and the detection portion are electrically connected to the stepless dimming assembly. The stepless dimming assembly includes a dimming operation member, a dimming circuit, and a dimming operation associated member provided in the dimming circuit. The dimming operation associated member is associated with the dimming operation member and operates according to the operation of the dimming operation member. The dimming circuit is configured to output a current corresponding to the operation of the dimming operation associated member to the light source.

[0009] Further, the ultra-thin electronic endoscope further includes a cable assembly for transmitting power and data, and the handle has a port electrically connected to the stepless dimming assembly and adapted to the cable assembly, such that the cable assembly can be detachably and electrically connected to the handle via the port.

[0010] Further, the light guide assembly includes a light guide seat and an optical fiber bundle formed by a plurality of optical fibers. The optical fiber bundle extends distally from inside the handle into the main body to the distal end face of the detection portion. The proximal end of the optical fiber bundle is received in the light guide seat.

[0011] Further, the light guide assembly includes a heat dissipation plate. The heat dissipation plate is located inside the handle between the light guide seat and the light source. The heat dissipation plate has small holes for light to pass through.

[0012] Further, the detection portion includes an image capture device. The plurality of optical fibers are bonded together by a bonding member to form the optical fiber bundle. The distal end of the optical fiber bundle surrounds the image capture device and is bonded to the image capture device by the bonding member.

[0013] Further, the image capture device includes a CMOS camera.

[0014] Further, the flexible portion includes a plurality of portions having different bending stiffnesses formed by cutting a steel pipe. The bending stiffness depends on the density of the cut steel pipe.

[0015] Further, a first sheath is provided on the connection portion between the main body and the handle.

[0016] Further, a second sheath is provided on the flexible portion.

[0017] Adopting the technical solution provided by the present application has the following beneficial effects:

[0018] Stepless dimming of the light source can be achieved through the stepless dimming component, enabling the acquisition of the best image quality. Moreover, the cable assembly is designed to be pluggable, so that when the handle or the cable assembly is damaged, it is not necessary to discard both, thus reducing waste. In addition, a sheath is added between the main body and the handle of the endoscope, which can protect the main body and the handle from wear or scratches. Furthermore, an ultra-thin and flexible sheath is provided on the main body of the electronic endoscope to make the main body more wear-resistant. In addition, multiple parts of the main body of the electronic endoscope have different stiffnesses, enabling the main body of the electronic endoscope to have a certain rigidity and also be able to easily extend into the curved channel when encountering it. Finally, the rear placement of the light source of the electronic endoscope according to the present application and the arrangement of the optical fiber in the main body of the electronic endoscope enable the realization of an ultra-thin main body of the electronic endoscope, making the electronic endoscope of the present application have a wider range of applications. Description of the Drawings

[0019] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the main body, handle, and cable assembly adapted to the port of the handle of the ultra-thin electronic endoscope according to the present application;

[0020] Figure 2 is an exploded view of the handle of the ultra-thin electronic endoscope according to the present application;

[0021] Figure 3 is a side view of a part of the light guide assembly of the ultra-thin electronic endoscope according to the present application;

[0022] Figure 4 is Figure 3 an exploded view of a part of the light guide assembly of the ultra-thin electronic endoscope according to the present application;

[0023] Figure 5 is a view of the ultra-thin electronic endoscope according to the present application, showing details of the detection part.

[0024] Reference numerals in the drawings: 1, main body; 11, first sheath; 2, handle; 21, port; 3, detection part; 31, image capture device; 4, flexible part; 5, light source; 51, heat dissipation plate; 6, light guide assembly; 61, light guide base; 62, optical fiber bundle; 71, dimming operation component; 72, dimming operation related component; 73, dimming circuit; 8, cable assembly. Detailed Embodiments

[0025] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application or the prior art, the specific embodiments of the present application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. To make the drawings concise, only the parts related to the invention are schematically shown in each figure, and they do not represent the actual structure of the product.

[0026] In addition, in the description of the present application, terms such as "first", "second", etc. are only used for distinguishing descriptions and cannot be construed as indicating or implying relative importance. Moreover, in the description of the present application, "distal" only indicates the side of the component that is away from the operator during use, and "proximal" only indicates the side of the component that is close to the operator during use.

[0027] As Figure 1 shown, according to an embodiment of the present application, an ultra-thin electronic endoscope includes a main body 1 and a handle 2. The main body 1 includes a flexible portion 4 and a detection portion 3 connected to the flexible portion 4. The detection portion 3 is generally also referred to as a front end head and is located at the distal end of the main body 1. The handle 2 is designed in accordance with ergonomics and can be made of aluminum alloy or other metals or composite materials. A first sheath 11 is provided on the connecting portion between the main body 1 and the handle 2. The first sheath 11 can be made of rubber and is mainly used to protect the ends of the main body 1 and the handle 2 from being worn or scratched due to collision when moving on a hard surface or in a rough environment.

[0028] As Figure 5 shown, the detection portion 3 includes an imaging module. The imaging module includes an image capture device 31 and a module cable. The module cable is used to supply power to the imaging module and can be used as a data transmission line for transmitting data of the image captured by the image capture device 31. In one embodiment, the image capture device 31 may include a camera. Specifically, the camera may include a CCD camera or a CMOS camera. Since the CMOS camera has a lower cost, lower power consumption, is easy to integrate with other circuits, and supports a faster data transmission rate, the CMOS camera is a preferred example of the image capture device 31 of the imaging module of the present application.

[0029] One end of the flexible portion 4 is connected to the detection portion 3, and the other end is connected to the handle 2. The flexible portion 4 may include a plurality of portions with different bending stiffnesses formed by cutting a steel pipe. The bending stiffness depends on the density of the cut steel pipe. Specifically, this is achieved by physically modifying the steel pipe to reduce its stiffness in certain areas, thereby allowing greater bending or deformation. This flexible portion 4 with a plurality of portions having different bending stiffnesses allows it to have a certain rigidity while being able to easily extend into a curved channel when encountering one.

[0030] A second sheath is provided on the flexible portion 4 to provide anti-abrasion protection for the flexible portion 4. The second sheath is generally very thin and has a certain flexibility so as not to interfere with the bending of the main body 1 while minimizing the impact on the thickness of the entire main body 1. In a preferred embodiment, thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) is used as the second sheath.

[0031] As Figure 2As shown, the ultra-thin electronic endoscope of the present application further includes a light guiding component 6, a light source 5, and a stepless dimming component. The light guiding component 6 is used to guide the light from the light source 5 to the detection part. In an embodiment of the present application, the light guiding component 6 may include a light guiding seat 61 and an optical fiber bundle 62 formed by multiple optical fibers. The optical fiber bundle 62 extends distally from inside the handle 2 into the main body 1 to the distal end face of the detection part 3. In a preferred embodiment of the present application, the multiple optical fibers are preferably bonded together by an adhesive member such as glue to form the optical fiber bundle 62. These optical fibers are arranged closely against the inner wall of the main body 1 inside the main body 1. The distal end of the optical fiber bundle 62 surrounds the image capturing device 31 and is bonded to the image capturing device 31 by an adhesive member such as glue. This arrangement can minimize the diameter of the main body as much as possible. In addition, the proximal end of the optical fiber bundle 62 is received in the light guiding seat 61, thereby minimizing the divergence of light as much as possible.

[0032] As Figure 3 and Figure 4 shown, in an embodiment, the light guiding component 6 further includes a heat dissipation plate 51. The heat dissipation plate 51 is located between the light guiding seat 61 and the light source 5 inside the handle 2 and is used to dissipate the heat generated by the light source 5. The heat dissipation plate 51 has small holes for light to pass through, and these small holes may be located at approximately the center position of the heat dissipation plate 51. Examples of the heat dissipation plate 51 include an aluminum heat dissipation plate 51.

[0033] Similarly as Figure 3 and Figure 4 shown, the light source 5 is located behind the proximal end of the light guiding component 6 inside the handle 2. The light source 5 and the module cable are both electrically connected to the stepless dimming component. That is, the stepless dimming component can not only be used to provide adjustable power to the light source 5, but also transmit the image data received from the imaging module through the module cable. In an embodiment of the present application, the light source 5 may include an LED light source because the LED light source has the advantages of small power, long life, less heat generated, small volume, strong earthquake resistance, dimmable, and integratable.

[0034] It should be noted that the ultra-thin electronic endoscope according to the present application realizes the ultra-thin main body 1 of the endoscope due to the following features: the light source 5 is placed at the rear, the optical fiber is used for light guiding, the optical fiber is arranged closely against the inner wall of the main body 1 of the endoscope, and the image capturing device 31 is tightly surrounded and fixed at the distal end of the optical fiber. In an embodiment, the diameter of the main body 1 can be as small as 0.96 mm, reaching the sub-millimeter level, so it can have a wider application range.

[0035] As Figure 1As shown, the ultra-thin electronic endoscope according to the present application further includes a cable assembly 8 for transmitting power and data. The cable assembly 8 is adapted to the port 21 of the handle 2, so that the cable assembly 8 can be detachably electrically connected to the handle 2 via the port 21. Thus, when one of the handle 2 or the cable assembly 8 is damaged, only one of the handle 2 or the cable assembly 8 needs to be replaced, rather than replacing the handle 2 together with the cable assembly 8.

[0036] In a preferred embodiment of the present application, the port 21 of the handle 2 is electrically connected to the stepless dimming component for transmitting power to the stepless dimming component and receiving the image data transmitted from the imaging module through the module cable from the stepless dimming component. The stepless dimming component can be electrically connected to an external device (not shown) through the port 21 of the handle 2 and the cable assembly 8. The external device generally includes a display unit and a power supply. The display unit can be used to display the image received from the imaging module through the module cable, and the power supply is used to supply power to the light source 5 and the imaging module.

[0037] As Figure 2 shown, the stepless dimming component includes a dimming operation part 71, a dimming circuit 73, and a dimming operation related part 72 provided in the dimming circuit 73. As described above, the imaging module is electrically connected to the stepless dimming component through the module cable. Specifically, the imaging module can be electrically connected to the dimming circuit 73. Moreover, the light source 5 can also be electrically connected to the stepless dimming component. Specifically, the light source 5 can also be electrically connected to the dimming circuit 73. However, the difference is that the dimming circuit 73 can provide a constant current to the imaging module, while providing a current determined by the dimming operation part 71 and the dimming operation related part 72 or other components to the light source 5.

[0038] In an embodiment of the present application, the dimming operation component 71 may include a roller, the dimming operation associated component 72 may include a rotary potentiometer disposed in the dimming circuit 73, the input end of the dimming circuit 73 is electrically connected to a power source through a cable assembly 8, the first output end of the dimming circuit 73 is electrically connected to the light source 5, and the second output end of the dimming circuit 73 is electrically connected to the imaging module. In this embodiment, the power output from the first output end of the dimming circuit 73 varies with the operation of the dimming operation component 71, while the power output from the second output end of the dimming circuit 73 is constant and is used to provide constant power to the imaging module. The roller may be disposed on the surface of the handle 2 and is associated with the rotary potentiometer such that when an operator rolls the roller, the rotary potentiometer can continuously change its resistance value according to the rolling of the roller, and the second output end of the dimming circuit 73 can output a current corresponding to the changed resistance value to the light source 5 based on the change in the resistance value of the rotary potentiometer, thereby achieving continuous adjustment of the brightness of the light source 5. It should be noted that the resistance change of the rotary potentiometer may be linear, exponential or logarithmic, and is preferably linear in the present application.

[0039] It should also be noted that the above description only illustrates by way of example the continuous dimming scheme that can be adopted in the present application. Without departing from the continuous dimming scheme covered by the appended claims, other continuous dimming schemes that can be adopted in the present application can be conceived, and these continuous dimming schemes should fall within the scope protected by the appended claims.

[0040] According to the ultra-thin electronic endoscope of the present application, continuous dimming of the light source 5 can be achieved through a continuous dimming component, so that the best image quality can be obtained, and the cable assembly 8 is designed to be pluggable, so that when the handle 2 or the cable assembly 8 is damaged, it is not necessary to discard both, thereby reducing waste. In addition, a sheath is added between the main body 1 and the handle 2 of the endoscope, which can protect the main body 1 and the handle 2 from wear or scratching. Moreover, an ultra-thin and flexible sheath is provided on the main body 1 of the electronic endoscope to make the main body 1 more wear-resistant. In addition, multiple parts of the main body 1 of the electronic endoscope have different stiffnesses, so that the main body 1 of the electronic endoscope can easily extend into a curved channel while having a certain rigidity. Finally, the rear placement of the light source 5 of the electronic endoscope according to the present application and the arrangement of the optical fiber in the main body 1 of the electronic endoscope enable the realization of an ultra-thin main body 1 of the electronic endoscope, making the electronic endoscope of the present application have a wider range of applications.

[0041] The above has schematically described the present application and its embodiments. This description is not restrictive, and only one of the embodiments of the present application is shown in the drawings. The actual structure is not limited thereto. Therefore, if those of ordinary skill in the art are inspired by it and, without departing from the gist of the present application's creation, design similar structural modes and embodiments to this technical solution without creative efforts, they shall fall within the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. An ultra-thin electronic endoscope, comprising a main body (1) and a handle (2), wherein the main body (1) comprises a flexible portion (4) and a detection portion (3) connected to the flexible portion (4), one end of the flexible portion (4) is connected to the detection portion (3), and the other end is connected to the handle (2), characterized in that: The invention also comprises a light guide component (6), a light source (5) and a stepless dimming component, wherein the light guide component (6) is used to guide the light from the light source (5) to the detection part (3), the light source (5) is located inside the handle (2) behind the proximal end of the light guide component (6), the light source (5) and the detection part (3) are both electrically connected to the stepless dimming component, wherein the stepless dimming component comprises: a dimming operation component (71), a dimming circuit (73) and a dimming operation associated component (72) arranged in the dimming circuit (73), the dimming operation associated component (72) is associated with the dimming operation component (71) and operates according to the operation of the dimming operation component (71), and the dimming circuit (73) is configured to output a current corresponding to the operation of the dimming operation associated component (72) to the light source (5).

2. The ultra-thin electronic endoscope according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a cable assembly (8) for transmitting power and data, and the handle (2) has a port (21) electrically connected to the stepless dimming assembly and compatible with the cable assembly (8), so that the cable assembly (8) can be pluggably electrically connected to the handle (2) via the port (21).

3. The ultra-thin electronic endoscope according to claim 2, characterized in that: The light guide assembly (6) comprises a light guide seat (61) and an optical fiber bundle (62) formed by a plurality of optical fibers, wherein the optical fiber bundle (62) extends from the inside of the handle (2) to the distal side in the main body (1) to the distal end surface of the detection portion (3), and the proximal end of the optical fiber bundle (62) is received in the light guide seat (61).

4. The ultra-thin electronic endoscope according to claim 3, characterized in that: The light guide assembly (6) comprises a heat sink (51), wherein the heat sink (51) is located inside the handle (2) between the light guide seat (61) and the light source (5), and the heat sink (51) has a small hole for light to pass through.

5. The ultra-thin electronic endoscope according to claim 4, characterized in that: The detection part (3) includes an image capturing device (31), the plurality of optical fibers are bonded together by a bonding member to form the optical fiber bundle (62), and the distal end of the optical fiber bundle (62) surrounds the image capturing device (31) and is bonded to the image capturing device (31) by the bonding member.

6. The ultra-thin electronic endoscope according to claim 5, characterized in that: The image capturing device (31) comprises a CMOS camera.

7. The ultra-thin electronic endoscope according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The flexible portion (4) comprises a plurality of parts having different bending stiffnesses formed by cutting a steel pipe, wherein the bending stiffnesses depend on the density of the cut steel pipe.

8. The ultra-thin electronic endoscope according to claim 7, characterized in that: A first protective sleeve (11) is provided on the connection portion between the main body (1) and the handle (2).

9. The ultra-thin electronic endoscope according to claim 8, characterized in that: A second protective sheath is provided on the flexible portion (4).

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