Interchangeable lens endoscope

Abstract

This utility model discloses a replaceable lens endoscope, including an endoscope main unit and a lens module detachably connected to the endoscope main unit. The lens module includes a first magnetic coupling unit disposed at the connection end of the lens module and a first electrical connection unit disposed at the connection end for transmitting electrical signals and / or electrical energy. The endoscope main unit includes a second magnetic coupling unit disposed at the interface end of the endoscope main unit for interacting with the first magnetic coupling unit to achieve positioning, attraction, and locking of the lens module; and a second electrical connection unit disposed at the interface end for electrically conducting with the first electrical connection unit when the lens module is connected. This utility model provides a replaceable lens endoscope that utilizes magnetic coupling to achieve a "blind insertion" quick connection, eliminating the need for precise alignment and cumbersome mechanical operations. Lens replacement can be completed in seconds with one hand. The combination of a Halbach magnetic array and an electromagnetic coil provides a powerful locking force.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of endoscopy, and in particular to an interchangeable lens endoscope. Background Technology

[0002] Industrial endoscopes are "visual inspection tools" in the industrial field. Their core purpose is to observe the internal condition of enclosed / concealed spaces without disassembling equipment, enabling non-destructive testing and troubleshooting.

[0003] Main application scenarios Internal equipment inspection: Inspect pipes, containers, engine blocks, gearboxes, etc. for wear, corrosion, cracks, carbon deposits, or foreign object blockages.

[0004] Weld quality inspection: Observe the formation and defects (porosity, incomplete penetration) of welds that are difficult to directly touch (such as welds on the inner wall of pipes and welds in equipment cavities).

[0005] Component assembly verification: Confirm that the parts of complex assemblies (such as precision instruments or automotive assemblies) are installed in place without omissions or assembly damage.

[0006] Troubleshooting: When equipment is shut down, quickly locate internal fault points (such as short circuits, broken parts, or sources of leakage) to reduce disassembly costs.

[0007] Common industry applications Aerospace: Inspecting the internal condition of engine blades, fuselage structural welds, and fuel lines.

[0008] Automotive manufacturing / repair: Inspecting the engine cylinder walls, transmission, and exhaust system for wear or blockages.

[0009] Petrochemical industry: Inspect pipeline inner wall corrosion and scaling, and check for internal defects in pressure vessels.

[0010] Power industry: Inspecting boilers, steam turbines, and pipelines for ash accumulation, corrosion, or cracks.

[0011] Existing mechanical interchangeable lens structures typically suffer from the following drawbacks: 1) The replacement process is cumbersome, requiring multiple steps of rotation or pressing, which is time-consuming; 2) The mechanical interface is subject to wear, which can lead to loosening of the connection after long-term use, affecting image quality and the reliability of electrical connections; 3) The contacts are exposed and are easily contaminated or corroded by bodily fluids during insertion and removal, leading to poor contact or short circuit risks; 4) Sealing is difficult to guarantee, and repeated insertion and removal may reduce the sealing effect. Therefore, there is an urgent need for an endoscope system that can achieve fast, reliable, and intelligent lens replacement to solve the above-mentioned problems in the existing technology. Utility Model Content

[0012] Therefore, it is necessary to provide an interchangeable lens endoscope to address the aforementioned technical problems, aiming to solve the problems of inconvenient lens replacement, low connection reliability, and poor sealing in the existing technology.

[0013] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: An interchangeable-lens endoscope, including an endoscope main unit, and further comprising: A lens module, detachably connected to the endoscope host, and comprising: The first magnetic coupling unit is disposed at the connection end of the lens module; A first electrical connection unit is disposed at the connection end for transmitting electrical signals and / or electrical energy; Endoscope main unit, including: The second magnetic coupling unit is disposed at the interface end of the endoscope host and is used to interact with the first magnetic coupling unit to realize the positioning, attraction and locking of the lens module; The second electrical connection unit is disposed at the interface end and is used to be electrically connected to the first electrical connection unit when the lens module is connected; A multi-stage sealing unit is provided at the interface end of the endoscope host and engages with the lens module to seal the gap between the lens module and the endoscope host; The control unit is electrically connected to the second magnetic coupling unit and the second electrical connection unit, and is used to control the working state of the second magnetic coupling unit and process the signals transmitted through the second electrical connection unit.

[0014] Furthermore, the first magnetic coupling unit is a Halbach permanent magnet array, and the second magnetic coupling unit is an electromagnetic coil array that can be powered on and off; the electromagnetic coil array generates a magnetic field when powered on, which is used to guide and attract the Halbach permanent magnet array, and locks it off by relying on the magnetic field of the Halbach permanent magnet array.

[0015] Furthermore, the electromagnetic coil array generates a repulsive force when a reverse current is applied to counteract the attractive force of the Halbach permanent magnet array.

[0016] Furthermore, the electromagnetic coil array is configured to dynamically adjust the magnetic field distribution to generate a magnetic levitation guiding effect during the approach of the lens module, thereby achieving automatic alignment between the lens module and the interface end. The inner wall of the interface end also has alignment protrusions that are adapted to the grooves on the lens module connection end.

[0017] Furthermore, the first electrical connection unit includes at least one liquid metal contact, which is encapsulated in a microcavity with an elastic thin film. The second electrical connection unit includes at least one MEMS cantilever beam contact. When the lens module is connected, the contact end of the MEMS cantilever beam contact makes contact with the elastic thin film of the first electrical connection unit and causes it to deform slightly to form an electrical connection.

[0018] Furthermore, the control unit also includes a multimodal sensing system, which includes at least the following sensors: Hall effect sensors are used to detect the proximity and position of the lens module; An inductive sensor is used to detect the precise orientation and distance of the lens module; A pressure sensor is used to detect the contact pressure between the first electrical connection unit and the second electrical connection unit; Temperature sensor used to monitor the temperature at connection points.

[0019] Furthermore, the interface of the endoscope host is equipped with a miniature silicone scraper, which automatically cleans the contacts during insertion and removal.

[0020] Furthermore, the multi-stage sealing unit includes a sealing ring, a sealing strip, and a sealing block that are sequentially snapped together from bottom to top along the inner wall of the interface end of the endoscope host. The sealing ring, sealing strip, and sealing block are all made of fluororubber.

[0021] Furthermore, the sealing ring has an O-shaped cross-section, the sealing strip has a U-shaped cross-section, and the sealing block has a wedge-shaped cross-section.

[0022] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects: The interchangeable lens endoscope provided by this utility model utilizes magnetic coupling to achieve a "blind insertion" quick connection, eliminating the need for precise alignment and cumbersome mechanical operations. Replacement can be completed in seconds with one hand, greatly improving surgical efficiency. The combination of Halbach magnetic array and electromagnetic coil provides powerful locking force. The electrical connection method between liquid metal and MEMS cantilever beam achieves zero-wear, highly reliable electrical conduction, completely solving the problems of wear and poor contact in traditional contacts. A multi-level sealing unit forms a triple barrier of O-ring radial sealing, U-ring blocking, and wedge-ring end-face sealing, effectively preventing the intrusion of bodily fluids and ensuring normal operation of the device within liquid pipelines. A miniature silicone scraper automatically cleans the contacts during insertion and removal, further ensuring the stability of the electrical connection. Attached Figure Description

[0023] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the overall structure of the interchangeable lens endoscope provided by this utility model; Figure 2 A side view of the interchangeable lens endoscope provided by this utility model. Figure 3 The interchangeable lens endoscope provided by this utility model Figure 2 Enlarged structural diagram at point A in the middle; Figure 4 A partial structural diagram of the endoscope main unit of the interchangeable lens endoscope provided by this utility model. Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the plug-in structure of the endoscope main unit and lens module of the interchangeable lens endoscope provided by this utility model. Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the endoscope main unit and lens module of the interchangeable lens endoscope provided by this utility model before calibration.

[0024] The markings in the diagram are explained as follows: 1. Endoscope main unit; 11. Second magnetic coupling unit; 12. Second electrical connection unit; 13. Interface terminal; 14. Miniature silicone scraper ring; 2. Lens module; 21. First magnetic coupling unit; 22. First electrical connection unit; 23. Connection end; 3. Multi-stage sealing unit; 31. Sealing ring; 32. Sealing strip; 33. Sealing block; 4. Control unit. Detailed Implementation

[0025] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present invention, the technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort should fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0026] Example 1

[0027] Please refer to Figure 1-6 An interchangeable-lens endoscope, including an endoscope main unit 1, and further comprising: Lens module 2, detachably connected to endoscope host 1, and includes: The first magnetic coupling unit 21 is disposed at the connection end 23 of the lens module 2; The first electrical connection unit 22 is disposed at the connection end 23 and is used to transmit electrical signals and / or electrical energy; Endoscope main unit 1 includes: The second magnetic coupling unit 11 is disposed at the interface end 13 of the endoscope host 1 and is used to interact with the first magnetic coupling unit 21 to realize the positioning, attraction and locking of the lens module 2. The second electrical connection unit 12 is disposed at the interface end 13 and is used to be electrically connected to the first electrical connection unit 22 when the lens module 2 is connected. A multi-stage sealing unit 3 is provided at the interface end 13 of the endoscope host 1 and engages with the lens module 2 to seal the gap between the lens module 2 and the endoscope host 1. The control unit 4 is electrically connected to the second magnetic coupling unit 11 and the second electrical connection unit 12, and is used to control the working state of the second magnetic coupling unit 11 and process the signals transmitted through the second electrical connection unit 12.

[0028] The interface end 13 of the endoscope host 1 is also equipped with a miniature silicone scraper 14, which can automatically clean the contacts when inserted and removed. The miniature silicone scraper 14 has a through hole that is compatible with the probe array. When the probe contacts are inserted into the miniature silicone scraper 14, the outer wall of the probe contacts can be cleaned, thereby ensuring the reliability of the contact connection.

[0029] Example 2

[0030] The interchangeable lens endoscope provided in Embodiment 1 is further optimized. Specifically, the first magnetic coupling unit 21 is a Halbach permanent magnet array, and the second magnetic coupling unit 11 is an electromagnetic coil array that can be powered on and off. When powered on, the electromagnetic coil array generates a magnetic field to guide and attract the Halbach permanent magnet array, and after power is cut off, it relies on the magnetic field of the Halbach permanent magnet array to lock in place. When a reverse current is applied, the electromagnetic coil array generates a repulsive force to counteract the attraction force of the Halbach permanent magnet array.

[0031] The electromagnetic coil array is configured to dynamically adjust the magnetic field distribution to generate a magnetic levitation guiding effect during the approach of the lens module 2, thereby achieving automatic alignment between the lens module 2 and the interface end 13. The inner wall of the interface end 13 also has alignment protrusions that are adapted to the grooves on the connection end 23 of the lens module 2.

[0032] Specifically, magnetic coupling enables "blind insertion" quick connection, eliminating the need for precise alignment and cumbersome mechanical operations. Replacement can be completed in seconds with one hand, greatly improving surgical efficiency. The combination of Halbach magnetic array and electromagnetic coil provides powerful locking force.

[0033] Example 3

[0034] The interchangeable lens endoscope provided in Embodiment 1 or 2 is further optimized. The first electrical connection unit 22 includes at least one liquid metal contact, which is encapsulated in a microcavity with an elastic thin film. The second electrical connection unit 12 includes at least one MEMS cantilever beam contact. When the lens module 2 is connected, the contact end of the MEMS cantilever beam contact is in contact with the elastic thin film of the first electrical connection unit 22 and causes it to deform slightly to form an electrical connection.

[0035] Specifically, the operator holds the new lens module 2 close to the interface 13 of the endoscope host 1, and then activates the electromagnetic coil array 11. The dynamic magnetic field generated by the electromagnetic coil guides the lens module 2 to automatically align and "suck" it into the interface.

[0036] During insertion, the micro silicone scraper 14 scrapes and cleans the surface of the first electrical connection unit 22. When the lens module 2 is fully inserted, the electromagnetic coil 11 is de-energized, and the Halbach permanent magnet array 21 and the magnetic material inside the host generate a strong attraction, which firmly locks the lens.

[0037] At this time, the elastic film of the first electrical connection unit 22 comes into contact with and conducts electricity to the cantilever beam of the second electrical connection unit 12.

[0038] When it is necessary to remove the lens module 2, the operator presses the release button on the main unit, and the control unit 4 sends a short reverse pulse current to the electromagnetic coil 11, generating a repulsive force to counteract the permanent magnet attraction force, so that the operator can easily remove the lens module 2.

[0039] Example 4

[0040] The interchangeable lens endoscope provided in Embodiment 3 is further optimized by the control unit 4, which also includes a multimodal sensing system. The multimodal sensing system includes at least the following sensors: Hall effect sensor, used to detect the proximity and position of lens module 2; An inductive sensor is used to detect the precise orientation and distance of lens module 2; A pressure sensor is used to detect the contact pressure between the first electrical connection unit 22 and the second electrical connection unit 12; Temperature sensor used to monitor the temperature at connection points.

[0041] Example 5

[0042] The interchangeable lens endoscope provided in Embodiment 4 has been further optimized, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the multi-stage sealing unit 3 includes a sealing ring 31, a sealing strip 32, and a sealing block 33 that are sequentially snapped together from bottom to top along the inner wall of the interface end 13 of the endoscope host 1. The sealing ring 31, the sealing strip 32, and the sealing block 33 are all made of fluororubber.

[0043] The sealing ring 31 has an O-shaped cross-section, the sealing strip 32 has a U-shaped cross-section, and the sealing block 33 has a wedge-shaped cross-section.

[0044] Specifically, the multi-stage sealing unit 3 consists of three fluororubber seals with different cross-sections. The outermost O-ring 31 forms radial compression with the lens outer wall when the lens is inserted, providing the first liquid-tight barrier; the middle U-shaped sealing strip 32 has its opening facing outward, effectively preventing external contaminants from penetrating inward and forming a secondary seal; the innermost wedge-shaped sealing block 33 is axially compressed by the end face of the lens connection end 23 when the lens is locked, deforming and tightly fitting the end face of the host interface end 13, forming the most reliable third end face seal. This three-stage redundancy design ensures a perfect biological barrier even under extreme conditions.

[0045] In this utility model, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "joining," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or a connection that allows communication between them; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise explicitly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model according to the specific circumstances.

[0046] Obviously, the embodiments described above are only some embodiments of this utility model, not all embodiments. The accompanying drawings show preferred embodiments of this utility model, but do not limit the patent scope of this utility model. This utility model can be implemented in many different forms; rather, the purpose of providing these embodiments is to provide a more thorough and comprehensive understanding of the disclosure of this utility model. Although this utility model has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing specific embodiments, or make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features. Any equivalent structures made using the content of this utility model specification and drawings, directly or indirectly applied to other related technical fields, are similarly within the patent protection scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. A interchangeable lens endoscope, comprising an endoscope main unit (1), characterized in that, Also includes: Lens module (2), which is detachably connected to the endoscope host (1), and includes: The first magnetic coupling unit (21) is disposed at the connection end (23) of the lens module (2); The first electrical connection unit (22) is disposed at the connection end (23) for transmitting electrical signals and / or electrical energy; Endoscope main unit (1), including: The second magnetic coupling unit (11) is disposed at the interface end (13) of the endoscope host (1) and is used to interact with the first magnetic coupling unit (21) to realize the positioning, attraction and locking of the lens module (2); The second electrical connection unit (12) is disposed at the interface end (13) and is used to be electrically connected to the first electrical connection unit (22) when the lens module (2) is connected; A multi-stage sealing unit (3) is provided at the interface end (13) of the endoscope host (1) and engages with the lens module (2) to seal the gap between the lens module (2) and the endoscope host (1); The control unit (4) is electrically connected to the second magnetic coupling unit (11) and the second electrical connection unit (12) for controlling the working state of the second magnetic coupling unit (11) and processing the signals transmitted through the second electrical connection unit (12).

2. The interchangeable lens endoscope according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first magnetic coupling unit (21) is a Halbach permanent magnet array, and the second magnetic coupling unit (11) is an electromagnetic coil array that can be powered on and off. When powered on, the electromagnetic coil array generates a magnetic field to guide and attract the Halbach permanent magnet array, and after power is cut off, it relies on the magnetic field of the Halbach permanent magnet array to lock it.

3. The interchangeable lens endoscope according to claim 2, characterized in that, The electromagnetic coil array generates a repulsive force when a reverse current is applied, which counteracts the attractive force of the Halbach permanent magnet array.

4. The interchangeable lens endoscope according to claim 2, characterized in that, The electromagnetic coil array is configured to dynamically adjust the magnetic field distribution to generate a magnetic levitation guiding effect during the approach of the lens module (2), thereby achieving automatic alignment between the lens module (2) and the interface end (13). The inner wall of the interface end (13) also has an alignment protrusion that is adapted to the groove on the connecting end (23) of the lens module (2).

5. The interchangeable lens endoscope according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first electrical connection unit (22) includes at least one liquid metal contact, which is encapsulated in a microcavity with an elastic film. The second electrical connection unit (12) includes at least one MEMS cantilever beam contact. When the lens module (2) is connected, the contact end of the MEMS cantilever beam contact contacts the elastic film of the first electrical connection unit (22) and causes it to deform slightly to form an electrical connection.

6. The interchangeable lens endoscope according to claim 1, characterized in that, The control unit (4) further includes a multimodal sensing system, which includes at least the following sensors: Hall effect sensor for detecting the proximity and position of the lens module (2); An inductive sensor is used to detect the precise orientation and distance of the lens module (2); A pressure sensor is used to detect the contact pressure between the first electrical connection unit (22) and the second electrical connection unit (12); Temperature sensor used to monitor the temperature at connection points.

7. The interchangeable lens endoscope according to claim 1, characterized in that, The endoscope host (1) also has a miniature silicone scraper (14) inside the interface end (13) which can automatically clean the contacts when inserted and removed.

8. The interchangeable lens endoscope according to claim 1, characterized in that, The multi-level sealing unit (3) includes a sealing ring (31), a sealing strip (32) and a sealing block (33) arranged sequentially from bottom to top along the inner wall of the interface end (13) of the endoscope host (1). The sealing ring (31), the sealing strip (32) and the sealing block (33) are all made of fluororubber.

9. The interchangeable lens endoscope according to claim 8, characterized in that, The sealing ring (31) has an O-shaped cross-section, the sealing strip (32) has a U-shaped cross-section, and the sealing block (33) has a wedge-shaped cross-section.

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