Endoscope with intelligent autofocus and multimodal image processing and adjustable focal length

Abstract

This invention discloses an adjustable focal length endoscope with intelligent autofocus and multimodal image processing, comprising a lens module, an image sensing module, and an intelligent control module located at the front end of a conduit. The lens module includes a lens unit movable along the optical axis and a voice coil motor unit that drives the lens unit to adjust its focal length. The image sensing module is used to acquire image data. The intelligent control module contains a processor capable of executing an image sharpness evaluation algorithm and generating control commands based on the evaluation results to automatically adjust the position of the lens unit, achieving intelligent autofocus. Furthermore, it can be combined with a multimodal image switching module, an image synchronization management module, and wireless communication functions to support white light, infrared, fluorescent, and polarized light image modes, and can connect to a remote platform for image transmission and focus control.

Claims

1. An adjustable focal length endoscope with intelligent autofocus and multimodal image processing, comprising: a lens module disposed at the front end of a guide tube, including a lens unit and a voice coil motor unit, the lens unit being movable along an axial direction, the voice coil motor unit driving the lens unit to move in a front-rear direction to change the focal length; an image sensing module disposed in the lens module for capturing image data; and an intelligent control module connected to the image sensing module and the voice coil motor unit, the intelligent control module including a processor executing an image sharpness evaluation algorithm and generating control commands based on the evaluation results to automatically adjust the position of the lens unit; an image synchronization management module connected to the intelligent control module for coordinating the execution timing of multimodal image switching and focus adjustment; and a multimodal image switching module connected to the intelligent control module, the multimodal image switching module having one or more light source units and filter elements, the intelligent control module automatically controlling the corresponding light source and exposure settings according to the selected image mode. The intelligent control module further executes image subject recognition and focus tracking algorithms to identify key areas in the image and maintain these key areas at the optimal focal length. The image synchronization management module controls the execution order of multimodal image switching and the image sharpness evaluation algorithm during image mode switching to avoid image delay, image jitter, or defocusing. Through image sharpness evaluation, image subject recognition and focus tracking, lens position control, multimodal image switching, and image synchronization management, the endoscope acquires intelligent autofocus functionality. By using the image clarity assessment and lens position control, the endoscope is equipped with intelligent autofocus function.

2. The adjustable focal length endoscope with intelligent autofocus and multimodal image processing as described in claim 1, wherein, The processor is embedded and contains an STM32 or ARM Cortex-M processing core.

3. The adjustable focal length endoscope with intelligent autofocus and multimodal image processing as described in claim 1, wherein, The processor executes an image sharpness evaluation algorithm, including the Tenengrad algorithm, the Laplacian algorithm, or a combination thereof, to evaluate the sharpness of the image captured by the image sensing module and generate instructions to control the voice coil motor unit to automatically adjust the position of the lens unit.

4. The adjustable focal length endoscope with intelligent autofocus and multimodal image processing as described in claim 1, wherein, The imaging mode includes any one or more of white light imaging, infrared imaging, fluorescent imaging, or polarized light imaging.

5. The adjustable focal length endoscope with intelligent autofocus and multimodal image processing as described in claim 1 further includes a communication module with Wi-Fi, 5G or any other wireless communication function. The intelligent control module can upload image data and lens control information to a remote platform in real time and receive remote operation commands.

6. The adjustable focal length endoscope with intelligent autofocus and multimodal image processing as described in claim 5, wherein, The remote platform includes a cloud image storage server and a remote operation interface, allowing operators to monitor and control the focusing behavior of the lens unit in real time.

7. The adjustable focal length endoscope with intelligent autofocus and multimodal image processing as described in claim 1, wherein, The lens unit is a detachable module, which allows the lens unit to be replaced with lens modules of different focal lengths or image sensing characteristics as needed.

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