Endoscope system with fluorescent module

Abstract

The present application relates to an endoscope system with a fluorescent module, comprising: an incident light module fixed to the fluorescent module and providing vertical incident light for the fluorescent module. A rear magnifying lens module, the fluorescent module, and an endoscope sheath coaxial module are sequentially arranged in a direction perpendicular to the incident light from rear to front, and a relay lens module and an objective lens module are sequentially arranged in the endoscope sheath coaxial module in the direction from rear to front. The fluorescent module comprises a cavity body fixed to the rear magnifying lens module, the incident light module and the endoscope sheath coaxial module, and a dichroic mirror arranged in the cavity body at an angle of 45 degrees relative to the direction of the incident light.

Description

Endoscope system with fluorescence module

[0001] Related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to Chinese patent application No. 2024100770058, filed on January 18, 2024, entitled “Endoscopic system with fluorescence module,” the entire text of which is hereby incorporated by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates to the field of medical devices, and in particular to an endoscope system with a fluorescence module. Background Art

[0004] An endoscope is a device that uses a probe and optical lens to examine and treat internal human tissue. Its optical imaging principle is that light enters the body from a light source behind it, is reflected by the inner wall of the endoscope head, and is ultimately guided by optical fibers to the observation device. The endoscope's optical lens focuses the light, forming a magnified image for the doctor to observe.

[0005] In clinical medicine, in order to achieve fluorescence imaging of the surface of living tissue, fluorescent staining is first performed on the surface of the living tissue. However, in addition to the light in the excited fluorescence band, some of the original incident light is still reflected from the surface of the living tissue, which will interfere with the back-end photoelectric conversion.

[0006] Summary of the Invention

[0007] Based on this, it is necessary to provide an endoscope system with a fluorescence module that can enable the incident and outgoing light to propagate in the same lumen and achieve specific fluorescence band filtering in order to address the above technical problems.

[0008] An endoscope system with a fluorescence module, the endoscope system includes an incident light module, an objective lens module, a relay lens module, a fluorescence module, a rear end magnifying lens module and a sheath coaxial module; the incident light module is fixedly connected to the fluorescence module and provides vertical incident light to the fluorescence module, the rear end magnifying lens module, the fluorescence module and the sheath coaxial module are sequentially arranged from back to front in a direction perpendicular to the incident light, the relay lens module and the objective lens module are sequentially arranged in the sheath coaxial module from back to front, and the fluorescence module The group includes a cavity body fixedly connected to a rear-end magnifying glass module, an incident light module, and a mirror sheath coaxial module, and a dichroic mirror arranged inside the cavity body at an angle of 45° to the direction of the incident light. The incident light is totally reflected by the dichroic mirror and then passes through the relay lens module to the objective lens module and irradiates the surface of the observed object. After being excited by the dye on the surface of the observed object, reflected excited fluorescence is formed. The excited fluorescence passes through the objective lens module and the relay lens module to the surface of the dichroic mirror and is totally transmitted into the rear-end magnifying glass module.

[0009] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the fluorescence module also includes an excitation filter arranged above the dichroic mirror and a fluorescence filter arranged at the rear end of the dichroic mirror. The incident light is vertically incident on the excitation filter to form an incident light of 470nm to 480nm. The fluorescence filter performs secondary filtering on the excitation fluorescence after passing through the dichroic mirror and forms an excitation fluorescence of 525nm±20nm.

[0010] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the cavity body includes a first connecting cavity that opens upward for fixedly connecting the incident light module, a second connecting cavity that opens toward the rear end for connecting the rear end magnifying glass module, and a third connecting cavity that opens toward the front end for connecting the mirror sheath coaxial assembly. The first connecting cavity, the second connecting cavity, and the third connecting cavity converge inside the cavity body to form a receiving cavity.

[0011] In the disclosed embodiment, the fluorescent module further includes a first fixing member disposed at the front end of the dichroic mirror and a second fixing member disposed at the rear end of the dichroic mirror. The first fixing member and the second fixing member are pressed against the dichroic mirror facing each other and are housed together in the housing cavity.

[0012] In the disclosed embodiment, the fluorescent module further includes a fixing washer disposed on the periphery of the dichroic mirror. The dichroic mirror is accommodated in the fixing washer and integrally clamped between the first fixing member and the second fixing member to form a fixing module.

[0013] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the fixed module includes a positioning surface that matches the inner wall of the receiving body, the positioning surface includes a horizontally arranged upper positioning surface in a rectangular shape and a lower positioning surface with a semicircular or semi-elliptical cross-section, and the fixed washer includes a horizontally arranged upper support portion that constitutes the upper positioning surface portion and a lower support portion that constitutes the lower positioning surface portion.

[0014] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the bottom end of the lower support portion is provided with a first limiting surface that is in contact with the lower inner surface of the cavity body and partially forms a lower positioning surface, and a second limiting surface that intersects the first limiting surface perpendicularly and is in contact with the front inner surface of the cavity body.

[0015] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, a first mounting hole is formed from top to bottom above the first fixing member, and a first cutoff surface is formed above the dichroic mirror. The excitation filter is installed in the first mounting hole and cuts off at the first cutoff surface.

[0016] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, a second mounting hole is formed at the rear end of the second fixing member from back to front, and a second cutoff surface is formed behind the dichroic mirror. The fluorescent filter is installed in the second mounting hole and cutoff at the second cutoff surface.

[0017] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the first connecting cavity, the second connecting cavity, the third connecting cavity and the cavity body each form a respective blocking surface at the connection point, the incident light module is fixedly connected to the cavity body through the first connecting cavity and is terminated at the corresponding blocking surface, the rear end magnifying glass module is fixedly connected to the cavity body through the second connecting cavity and is terminated at the corresponding blocking surface, and the mirror sheath coaxial module is fixedly connected to the cavity body through the third connecting cavity and is terminated at the corresponding blocking surface.

[0018] The endoscope system with a fluorescence module includes an incident light module, an objective lens module, a relay lens module, a fluorescence module, a rear end magnifying lens module and a sheath coaxial module; wherein the incident light module is fixedly connected to the fluorescence module and provides vertical incident light to the fluorescence module, and the rear end magnifying lens module, the fluorescence module and the sheath coaxial module are sequentially arranged from back to front in a direction perpendicular to the incident light, the relay lens module and the objective lens module are sequentially arranged in the sheath coaxial module from back to front, the fluorescence module includes a cavity body fixedly connected to the rear end magnifying lens module, the incident light module and the sheath coaxial module, and a cavity body arranged in the cavity body. The dichroic mirror inside the body is at a 45° angle to the direction of the incident light. The incident light is totally reflected by the dichroic mirror, then passes through the relay lens module to the objective lens module and irradiates the surface of the observed object. After being excited by the dye on the surface of the observed object, reflected excitation fluorescence is formed. The excited fluorescence passes through the objective lens module and the relay lens module to the surface of the dichroic mirror and undergoes total transmission into the rear-end magnifying lens module. The fluorescence of a specific band is filtered by the fluorescence module, thereby reducing the interference caused by the photoelectric conversion of the rear-end magnifying lens and generating clearer images, making it easier for medical personnel to observe living organisms and improving the accuracy and efficiency of medical examinations. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present application or the technical solutions in the conventional technology, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the conventional technology descriptions. Obviously, the drawings described below are merely embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on the disclosed drawings without any creative work.

[0020] FIG1 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of an incident light module in an endoscope system equipped with a fluorescence module according to one embodiment;

[0021] FIG2 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of an objective lens module in an endoscope system equipped with a fluorescence module according to one embodiment;

[0022] FIG3 a is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the front end of a relay lens module in an endoscope system equipped with a fluorescence module according to one embodiment;

[0023] FIG3 b is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the rear end of the relay lens module in an endoscope system equipped with a fluorescence module according to one embodiment;

[0024] FIG4 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a rear-end magnifying glass module in an endoscope system equipped with a fluorescence module according to one embodiment;

[0025] FIG5 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a sheath coaxial module in an endoscope system equipped with a fluorescence module according to one embodiment;

[0026] FIG6 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a protective lens in an endoscope system equipped with a fluorescence module according to one embodiment;

[0027] FIG7 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a fluorescence module in an endoscope system equipped with a fluorescence module according to one embodiment;

[0028] FIG8 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a receiving cavity in an endoscope system equipped with a fluorescence module according to one embodiment;

[0029] FIG9 is a schematic diagram of a self-compression structure used by a dichroic mirror in an endoscope system equipped with a fluorescence module according to one embodiment;

[0030] FIG10 is a cross-sectional view of a limiting surface of a fixed gasket in an endoscope system equipped with a fluorescence module according to one embodiment;

[0031] FIG11 is a cross-sectional view of a mounting hole in an endoscope system having a fluorescence module according to one embodiment;

[0032] FIG12 a is a front view of an endoscope system equipped with a fluorescence module according to one embodiment;

[0033] FIG12 b is a right side view of an endoscope system equipped with a fluorescence module according to one embodiment;

[0034] FIG12c is a top view of an endoscope system equipped with a fluorescence module according to one embodiment;

[0035] FIG13 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of an endoscope system equipped with a fluorescence module according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] An endoscope is a device that uses a probe and optical lens to examine and treat internal human tissue. Its operating principle is based on optical imaging and probe technology. By introducing a light source and lens into a body cavity or tissue, the microscopic structure or pathological tissue within the body can be observed. The optical imaging principle of an endoscope is that light enters the body from a light source behind the body, is reflected by the inner wall of the endoscope head, and is ultimately guided to the observation device via optical fiber. The endoscope's optical lens focuses the light, forming a magnified image for the doctor to observe.

[0037] The realization of optical imaging in an endoscope mainly relies on the optical system set up inside it. With one end of the biological tissue as the front end, the optical system consists of an objective lens, a relay lens group, and an eyepiece arranged in sequence from the front end to the back end. The objective lens is used to collect information about the biological tissue and form an image based on this information. The relay lens group is used to transmit the image, and the eyepiece is used to magnify the image for observation by the clinician. The basis of optical imaging is the biological tissue information collected by the objective lens, so the collection of biological tissue information is an indispensable and important part.

[0038] In clinical medicine, in order to achieve fluorescence imaging of the surface of living tissue, fluorescent staining is first performed on the surface of the living tissue. However, in addition to the light in the excited fluorescence band, some reflected light from the surface of the living tissue still reflects the original incident light, which will interfere with the back-end photoelectric conversion. Therefore, it is necessary to design an integrated imaging system in which the incident and outgoing light propagate in the same tube cavity while filtering specific fluorescence bands.

[0039] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of this application to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application. Obviously, the embodiments described are only part of the embodiments of this application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0040] In the description of the present disclosure, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" and the like indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present disclosure and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as a limitation to the present disclosure.

[0041] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying an order or relative importance, or implicitly indicating the number of the technical features being referred to. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one such feature. Throughout the present disclosure, "plurality" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0042] In this disclosure, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, terms such as "installed," "connected," "connect," and "fixed" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, they may refer to fixed connections, detachable connections, or integration; mechanical connections, electrical connections, or communication connections; direct connections or indirect connections through an intermediate medium; and internal connections between two components or interactions between two components, unless otherwise expressly limited. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in this disclosure based on specific circumstances.

[0043] In the present disclosure, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, when a first feature is "above" or "below" a second feature, it may mean that the first and second features are in direct contact, or the first and second features are in indirect contact through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, when a first feature is "above," "above," or "above" a second feature, it may mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is at a higher level than the second feature. When a first feature is "below," "below," or "below" a second feature, it may mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is at a lower level than the second feature.

[0044] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "disposed on" another element, it may be directly on the other element or there may be an intermediate element. When an element is referred to as being "connected to" another element, it may be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intermediate element. The terms "vertical," "horizontal," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and similar expressions used herein are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only implementation methods.

[0045] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, an endoscope system with a fluorescence module is provided, wherein the endoscope system includes an incident light module, an objective lens module, a relay lens module, a fluorescence module, a rear end magnifying lens module and a sheath coaxial module; the incident light module is fixedly connected to the fluorescence module and provides vertical incident light to the fluorescence module, and the rear end magnifying lens module, the fluorescence module and the sheath coaxial module are sequentially arranged from back to front in a direction perpendicular to the incident light, and the relay lens module and the objective lens module are sequentially arranged from back to front on the sheath coaxial module. In the group, the fluorescence module includes a cavity body fixedly connected to the rear-end magnifying glass module, the incident light module, and the mirror sheath coaxial module, and a dichroic mirror arranged inside the cavity body at an angle of 45° to the direction of the incident light. The incident light is totally reflected by the dichroic mirror and then passes through the relay lens module to the objective lens module and irradiates the surface of the observed object. After being excited by the dye on the surface of the observed object, reflected excited fluorescence is formed. The excited fluorescence passes through the objective lens module and the relay lens module to the surface of the dichroic mirror and the light is totally transmitted into the rear-end magnifying glass module.

[0046] Specifically, as shown in FIG1 , the incident light module includes an incident optical fiber 102 and an illumination lens 104. Light emitted through the incident optical fiber 102 enters the excitation filter in the fluorescence module through the illumination lens 104. The incident light module is composed of an incident optical fiber and an illumination lens. The incident light is emitted through the incident optical fiber, collected by the illumination lens, and then enters the fluorescence module. The incident light is imaged from the exit end face of the incident optical fiber through the combined optical system of the illumination lens and part of the relay lens module to the system aperture of the entire microendoscope. That is, there is an object-image relationship between the exit end face of the incident optical fiber and the system aperture of the entire microendoscope, thereby facilitating the implementation of Köhler illumination. Köhler illumination can provide uniform and sufficiently bright illumination of the living tissue to be tested without generating dazzling glare.

[0047] Specifically, to ensure that the image of the objective lens module can be transmitted over a long distance, the objective lens module adopts an image-space telecentric microscope objective lens system with a certain magnification. The higher the telecentricity of the image-space telecentric microscope objective lens system, the more conducive it is to imaging.

[0048] Specifically, as shown in FIG2 , the objective lens module includes a small objective lens. After the object surface is excited by the excitation light, fluorescence is generated. The fluorescence information emitted by the living tissue is imaged once by the small objective lens, and then imaged multiple times by the relay lens module and enters the rear-end magnifying lens module. Among them, the excitation light emitted by the relay lens module passes through the objective lens module to evenly illuminate the object surface. At this time, the light is not necessarily parallel light; the fluorescence of the living tissue is stimulated, and the fluorescence information of the living tissue is collected by the objective lens module and imaged onto its image surface, and then transmitted to the rear-end magnifying lens module over a long distance by the relay lens module. In order to ensure that the image of the objective lens can be transmitted over a long distance, the objective lens module needs to select an image-side telecentric system, and the higher the telecentricity, the more conducive it is to imaging.

[0049] Specifically, the relay lens module includes a relay lens, which includes a rod lens assembly. Each rod lens assembly includes two rod lens groups, and the two rod lens groups form a bi-telecentric imaging system with a target magnification. Furthermore, as shown in Figures 3a and 3b, Figure 3a shows the front end of the relay lens module, and Figure 3b shows the back end of the relay lens module. Rod lens 302, i.e., a triplet lens, and two rod lens groups form a bi-telecentric -1x imaging system with a magnification of 1. Multiple bi-telecentric imaging systems constitute a relay lens. A relay lens is composed of an even number of rod lens groups. The optical paths between the rod lenses forming the bi-telecentric imaging system are quasi-parallel, i.e., not necessarily absolutely parallel. The overall magnification of the relay lens is 1x or -1x. Because rod lenses are relatively small and lightweight, they are easy to hold and manipulate, allowing for greater flexibility. Rod lenses also provide a wider field of view and are suitable for observation in confined or hard-to-reach spaces. By combining multiple groups of rod-shaped mirrors to form a relay mirror, it is possible to achieve long-distance transmission of images, so that objects can be observed from a distance, reducing the risk of close observation and avoiding interference from living organisms to be measured.

[0050] Specifically, a set of bi-telecentric imaging systems is selected within the relay mirrors, and a fluorescence module is placed within the parallel optical path of this selected set of bi-telecentric imaging systems. Because the placement of the fluorescence module has a negligible effect on the original relay mirror imaging optical path, placing the fluorescence module between the rod-shaped mirrors that make up the target bi-telecentric imaging system allows it to generate excitation light and filter fluorescence without affecting the original optical path, minimizing the impact on image quality.

[0051] Specifically, the rear end magnifying glass module includes a magnifying glass. As shown in FIG4 , the rear end magnifying glass module includes a combination 402 of a magnifying glass and a rod lens. The object plane of the magnifying glass coincides with the image plane of the relay lens.

[0052] Specifically, the rear-end magnifying glass module also includes a camera device, and the fluorescence imaging is on the camera device. Furthermore, the camera device includes a complementary metal oxide semiconductor camera. Specifically, the camera device includes a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) camera. Using a CMOS camera for imaging has many advantages. Not only does it have advantages in production costs, CMOS also has a shorter manufacturing cycle and better scalability. At the same time, CMOS can achieve better low-light and high-light control, has higher superiority and higher stability on small high-resolution devices, and is suitable for endoscope systems.

[0053] Specifically, the object-space dimensions of the magnifier correspond to the image-space dimensions of the imaging device. Furthermore, the magnifier also modulates the chief ray angle emitted from the relay lens to match that of the CMOS, thereby increasing the amount of fluorescence collected. The magnifier has a specific magnification ratio, aligning the object-space dimensions with the image-space dimensions of the CMOS, maximizing pixel utilization.

[0054] Specifically, the endoscope system also includes an image processing module for processing the image captured by the camera and outputting the processed image data. Fluorescence entering the magnifier is directly imaged on the CMOS camera, which then passes through the image processing module to output a magnified and clear image, improving the image quality.

[0055] Specifically, the sheath coaxial module includes a sheath and a coaxial retaining slot module. As shown in Figure 5, the sheath coaxial module includes a sheath 502 and a coaxial retaining slot module (not shown). The coaxial retaining slot system at the front end of the sheath effectively secures each lens in place, while also maintaining a stable distance between the rod-shaped mirror assembly and the objective lens assembly, preventing displacement and ensuring the entire assembly is aligned on the same circular axis. The sheath coaxial module is used to effectively secure each lens in place within the endoscope system, more securely maintaining the various components of the endoscope system and preventing failures such as lens slippage that could affect the performance of the endoscope.

[0056] Furthermore, the sheath coaxial module also includes a removable protective sheath, which is used to ensure the stability of the sheath as a whole. Specifically, a removable protective sheath is provided on the periphery of the inner sheath. The provision of the protective sheath ensures the stability of the sheath as a whole, and because the protective sheath is removable, the protective sheath can be installed or removed according to the needs of different scenarios when using the endoscope system, thereby improving the flexibility of the endoscope system.

[0057] In this embodiment, the endoscope system realizes medical examination of the living organism to be tested through the incident light module, the objective lens module, the relay lens module, the fluorescence module, and the rear-end magnifying lens module, and obtains clear and accurate inspection images more efficiently; wherein the fluorescence module includes a cavity body fixedly connected to the rear-end magnifying lens module, the incident light module, and the mirror sheath coaxial module, and a dichroic mirror arranged inside the cavity body at an angle of 45° to the direction of the incident light. The light path is that the incident light enters the fluorescence module through the incident light module, the incident light is totally reflected by the dichroic mirror, and then passes through the relay lens module to the objective lens module and irradiates the surface of the observed object. The object surface of the objective lens module is excited by the excitation light to generate fluorescence, and the fluorescence passes through the objective lens module and the relay lens module to the surface of the dichroic mirror and the light is totally transmitted into the rear-end magnifying lens module. The fluorescence module allows the incident and outgoing light to propagate in the same tube cavity, while filtering specific fluorescence bands. The sheath coaxial module is used to fix the modules in the endoscope system to ensure the stability of the endoscope system, avoid problems such as falling off and disintegration during use, reduce interference with the photoelectric conversion of the rear-end magnifying glass and unstable lens installation, and generate clearer images.

[0058] In the disclosed embodiment, as shown in FIG6 , a protective lens 602 can be provided between the front end of the objective lens module and the object being observed as an anti-shake structure to prevent the endoscope system from shaking during use. The thickness of the protective lens depends on the working distance of the small objective lens in the objective lens module. The thickest thickness cannot exceed the working distance of the small objective lens, and the thinnest thickness cannot be less than 1.5 mm to avoid the risk of the protective lens breaking. In other words, 1.5 mm ≤ thickness of the anti-shake structure ≤ working distance of the small objective lens in the objective lens module.

[0059] Specifically, glass is selected as the material for protecting the lens, and other light-transmitting uniform medium materials may also be used as a substitute.

[0060] In this embodiment, a protective lens is designed at the front end of the objective lens module. The key design factor for the width of the protective lens is to ensure that incident light, after exiting the objective lens module, converges on the surface of the observed object. Protruding the protective lens against the surface of the observed living organism effectively prevents the negative effects of vibration. To enable the installation of an anti-vibration sheath structure on the objective lens module, the objective lens module is initially configured as an objective lens system with negative spherical aberration. This spherical aberration is compensated for by the dielectric lens at the front end of the anti-vibration structure. Furthermore, the end of the sheath extends beyond the protective lens. When in contact with the surface of the living organism, the periphery of the sheath abuts against the observation area, further preventing the negative effects of vibration.

[0061] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the fluorescence module also includes an excitation filter arranged above the dichroic mirror and a fluorescence filter arranged at the rear end of the dichroic mirror. The incident light is vertically incident on the excitation filter to form an incident light of 470nm to 480nm. The fluorescence filter performs secondary filtering on the excitation fluorescence after passing through the dichroic mirror and forms an excitation fluorescence of 525nm±20nm.

[0062] Specifically, as shown in Figure 7, the fluorescence module consists of an excitation filter 702, a dichroic mirror 704, and a fluorescence filter 706. The fluorescence filter can be replaced by an emission filter. Incident light enters the fluorescence module in the endoscope system through the incident light module. Excitation light is obtained by the excitation filter 702 in the fluorescence module. The excitation light is reflected by the dichroic mirror 704 and enters the relay lens module. From the relay lens module, it enters the objective lens module, uniformly illuminating the object plane. The excitation light stimulates the fluorescence of living tissue. The fluorescence information of the living tissue is collected by the objective lens and imaged on its image plane. It is then transmitted over a long distance by the relay lens module, passes through the dichroic mirror 704, and is filtered by the fluorescence filter 706 before being transmitted to the rear-end magnifying lens module.

[0063] In this embodiment, the excitation filter is used to generate excitation light to maximize the excitation efficiency of the excited substance. Since the fluorescence band after excitation by the surface dye of the biological body is around 525nm, but the dichroic mirror cannot achieve 100% filtering, in order to improve the imaging effect, a fluorescence filter is added after the dichroic mirror for further filtering.

[0064] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the cavity body includes a first connecting cavity that opens upward for fixedly connecting the incident light module, a second connecting cavity that opens toward the rear end for connecting the rear end magnifying glass module, and a third connecting cavity that opens toward the front end for connecting the mirror sheath coaxial assembly. The first connecting cavity, the second connecting cavity, and the third connecting cavity converge inside the cavity body to form a receiving cavity.

[0065] Specifically, as shown in FIG8 , the receiving cavity 802 is a cavity for receiving the dichroic mirror and its fixing structural components.

[0066] In this embodiment, the middle cavity is open in three directions, namely the first connecting cavity, the second connecting cavity, and the third connecting cavity, which are respectively used to fix and connect the relevant modules of the endoscope. The receiving cavity facilitates the installation of the dichroic mirror and its fixed structural components.

[0067] In the disclosed embodiment, the fluorescent module further includes a first fixing member disposed at the front end of the dichroic mirror and a second fixing member disposed at the rear end of the dichroic mirror. The first fixing member and the second fixing member are pressed against the dichroic mirror facing each other and are housed together in the housing cavity.

[0068] For example, as shown in FIG9 , the dichroic mirror adopts a self-compacting structure, wherein the self-compacting structure includes a dichroic mirror 704, a fixed connector 902, a left upper half triangular fixing member 904, and a right lower half triangular fixing member 906. The left upper half triangular fixing member 904 is a first fixing member arranged at the front end of the dichroic mirror, and the right lower half triangular fixing member 906 is a second fixing member placed at the rear end of the dichroic mirror. The two semi-triangular pyramid-shaped fixing members sandwich the dichroic mirror 704 and form a fixed structural assembly of the middle dichroic mirror 704, which is accommodated in the middle receiving cavity. The left side of the upper left half triangular fixing member 904 abuts against the left side of the inner wall of the receiving cavity, and the right side is pressed and accommodated in the receiving cavity by the fixed connector 906. The fixed connector 902 can be fixedly connected to the receiving cavity by fixing methods such as threads or rivets.

[0069] In this embodiment, the first fixing member and the second fixing member are pressed against the dichroic mirror to form a self-pressing structure, thereby ensuring that the dichroic mirror is fixed and reducing the deviation of the fluorescence light path caused by the displacement of the dichroic mirror, thereby affecting the imaging quality of the endoscope.

[0070] In the disclosed embodiment, the fluorescent module further includes a fixing washer disposed on the periphery of the dichroic mirror. The dichroic mirror is accommodated in the fixing washer and integrally clamped between the first fixing member and the second fixing member to form a fixing module.

[0071] Specifically, as shown in Figure 9 , the self-compacting structure also includes a metal fixing washer 908. The upper left triangular fixing member 904, the lower right triangular fixing member 906, and the dichroic mirror 704 are sandwiched between the metal fixing washer 908, forming a fixed structural assembly for the middle dichroic mirror, which is housed within the central receiving cavity. The fixing washer includes a vertical limiting surface and a circular arc-shaped fitting surface, and together with the first fixing member, the second fixing member, and the dichroic mirror, forms a three-in-one structure.

[0072] In this embodiment, the dichroic mirror is housed in the fixing washer and is integrally clamped between the first fixing member and the second fixing member to form a fixing module, which protects the dichroic mirror and further fixes the dichroic mirror.

[0073] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the fixed module includes a positioning surface that matches the inner wall of the receiving body, the positioning surface includes a horizontally arranged upper positioning surface in a rectangular shape and a lower positioning surface with a semicircular or semi-elliptical cross-section, and the fixed washer includes a horizontally arranged upper support portion that constitutes the upper positioning surface portion and a lower support portion that constitutes the lower positioning surface portion.

[0074] In this embodiment, the position of the fixed washer is determined by a positioning surface that matches the inner wall of the receiving body, thereby ensuring the position accuracy of the fixed washer.

[0075] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the bottom end of the lower support portion is provided with a first limiting surface that is in contact with the lower inner surface of the cavity body and partially forms a lower positioning surface, and a second limiting surface that intersects the first limiting surface perpendicularly and is in contact with the front inner surface of the cavity body.

[0076] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 10 , the lower support portion of the fixed washer includes a first limiting surface 1002 and a second limiting surface 1004 .

[0077] In this embodiment, the first limiting surface and the second limiting surface further ensure that the self-pressing structure of the dichroic mirror has the effect of fixing and clamping, so that the dichroic mirror does not shift; the limiting surface is also called the limiting cutoff surface, which is fixedly connected to each module and limits it.

[0078] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, a first mounting hole is formed from top to bottom above the first fixing member, and a first cutoff surface is formed above the dichroic mirror. The excitation filter is installed in the first mounting hole and cuts off at the first cutoff surface.

[0079] Specifically, as shown in FIG11 , a first mounting hole 1102 is formed from top to bottom above the first fixing member, wherein the size, radius, depth and other values ​​of the first mounting hole 1102 correspond to those of the laser filter.

[0080] In this embodiment, the laser filter is installed by forming mounting holes with corresponding numerical values, which can ensure that the laser filter does not move and thus does not affect the image quality.

[0081] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, a second mounting hole is formed at the rear end of the second fixing member from back to front, and a second cutoff surface is formed behind the dichroic mirror. The fluorescent filter is installed in the second mounting hole and cutoff at the second cutoff surface.

[0082] Specifically, still as shown in FIG11 , a second mounting hole 1104 is formed at the rear end of the second fixing member from back to front, wherein the size, radius, depth and other values ​​of the second mounting hole 1104 correspond to those of the fluorescent filter.

[0083] In this embodiment, the fluorescent filter is installed by forming mounting holes with corresponding numerical values, thereby ensuring that the fluorescent filter does not move and affect the image quality.

[0084] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the first connecting cavity, the second connecting cavity, the third connecting cavity and the cavity body each form a respective blocking surface at the connection point, the incident light module is fixedly connected to the cavity body through the first connecting cavity and is terminated at the corresponding blocking surface, the rear end magnifying glass module is fixedly connected to the cavity body through the second connecting cavity and is terminated at the corresponding blocking surface, and the mirror sheath coaxial module is fixedly connected to the cavity body through the third connecting cavity and is terminated at the corresponding blocking surface.

[0085] In this embodiment, the fixing effect of the endoscope system components is further enhanced according to the spatial relationship between the incident light module, the rear magnifying glass module, the sheath coaxial module, and the blocking surfaces corresponding to the first connecting cavity, the second connecting cavity, and the third connecting cavity.

[0086] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, an endoscope system with a fluorescence module is provided, wherein the endoscope system includes an incident light module, an objective lens module, a relay lens module, a fluorescence module, a rear end magnifying lens module and a sheath coaxial module; the incident light module is fixedly connected to the fluorescence module and provides vertical incident light to the fluorescence module, and the rear end magnifying lens module, the fluorescence module and the sheath coaxial module are sequentially arranged from back to front in a direction perpendicular to the incident light, and the relay lens module and the objective lens module are sequentially arranged from back to front on the sheath coaxial module. Within the assembly, the fluorescence module includes a cavity body fixedly connected to the rear-end magnifying lens module, the incident light module, and the mirror sheath coaxial module, as well as a dichroic mirror disposed within the cavity body at a 45-degree angle to the incident light direction. The incident light is totally reflected by the dichroic mirror, then passes through the relay lens module to the objective lens module and irradiates the surface of the observed object. After being excited by the dye on the observed object's surface, it forms reflected fluorescence. The excited fluorescence passes through the objective lens module and the relay lens module to the surface of the dichroic mirror, where it is fully transmitted and enters the rear-end magnifying lens module. Specifically, the incident light module includes an incident optical fiber and an illumination lens, through which the incident light enters the fluorescence module. The fluorescence module also includes an excitation filter arranged above the dichroic mirror and a fluorescence filter arranged at the rear end of the dichroic mirror. After the incident light is vertically incident on the excitation filter, it forms an incident light of 470nm to 480nm. The fluorescence filter performs secondary filtering on the excitation fluorescence after passing through the dichroic mirror and forms an excitation fluorescence of 525nm±20nm. The cavity body includes a first connecting cavity that opens upward for fixedly connecting the incident light module, a second connecting cavity that opens toward the rear end for connecting the rear end magnifying glass module, and a third connecting cavity that opens toward the front end for connecting the mirror sheath coaxial assembly. The first connecting cavity, the second connecting cavity, and the third connecting cavity converge inside the cavity body to form a receiving cavity. The fluorescent module also includes a first fixing member disposed at the front end of the dichroic mirror and a second fixing member disposed at the rear end of the dichroic mirror. The first and second fixing members are positioned facing each other and closely attached to the dichroic mirror, and are housed together within the housing cavity. The fluorescent module also includes a fixing washer disposed around the periphery of the dichroic mirror. The dichroic mirror is housed within the fixing washer and integrally clamped between the first and second fixing members to form a fixing module. The fixing module includes positioning surfaces that mate with the inner wall of the housing body. The positioning surfaces include a horizontally disposed upper positioning surface in a rectangular shape and a lower positioning surface with a semicircular or semi-elliptical cross-section. The fixing washer includes a horizontally disposed upper support portion that forms part of the upper positioning surface and a lower support portion that forms part of the lower positioning surface. The bottom end of the lower support portion is provided with a first limiting surface that mates with the lower inner surface of the cavity body and partially forms the lower positioning surface, and a second limiting surface that perpendicularly intersects the first limiting surface and mates with the front inner surface of the cavity body. A first mounting hole is formed from top to bottom above the first fixing member, and a first cut-off surface is formed above the dichroic mirror. The excitation filter is mounted in the first mounting hole and cuts off at the first cut-off surface.A second mounting hole is formed at the rear end of the second fixing member, extending from back to front, and a second cutoff surface is formed behind the dichroic mirror. The fluorescent filter is installed in the second mounting hole and cuts off at the second cutoff surface. The first, second, and third connecting cavities, along with the cavity body, each form a respective blocking surface at their connection points. The incident light module is fixedly connected to the cavity body through the first connecting cavity and cuts off at the corresponding blocking surface. The rear magnifying lens module is fixedly connected to the cavity body through the second connecting cavity and cuts off at the corresponding blocking surface. The mirror sheath coaxial module is fixedly connected to the cavity body through the third connecting cavity and cuts off at the corresponding blocking surface.

[0087] Furthermore, the incident light passes through the excitation filter to obtain excitation light, which is then reflected by a dichroic mirror to the relay lens module and the objective lens module and irradiated onto the object surface of the objective lens module, wherein the objective lens module adopts an image-space telecentric microscope objective lens system, and the objective lens module includes a small objective lens; after the object surface of the objective lens module is excited by the excitation light, fluorescence is generated, and the fluorescence is imaged once by the small objective lens, and then imaged according to the target number of times by the relay lens module, passes through the dichroic mirror and is filtered by the fluorescence filter, and enters the rear-end magnifying lens module. Specifically, the relay lens module includes a relay lens, and the relay lens includes a rod lens combination, wherein each rod lens combination includes two rod lenses, and the two rod lenses form a dual-telecentric imaging system of the target magnification; the target dual-telecentric imaging system is selected, and the fluorescence module is located between the rod lenses that form the target dual-telecentric imaging system. Specifically, the rear-end magnifying glass module includes a magnifying glass, the object plane of which coincides with the image plane of the relay lens; the rear-end magnifying glass module also includes a camera, on which the fluorescence image is formed; the camera includes a complementary metal oxide semiconductor camera, and the object-side dimensions of the magnifying glass correspond to the image-side dimensions of the camera. Specifically, the sheath coaxial module includes a sheath and a coaxial retaining slot module, which are used to secure the various modules in the endoscope system; the sheath coaxial module also includes a detachable protective sheath, which is used to ensure the overall stability of the sheath. Furthermore, the endoscope system also includes an image processing module, which is used to process the image formed by the camera and output the processed image data.

[0088] In some embodiments, incident light enters the endoscope system through an input optical fiber and enters the fluorescence module through an illumination lens. The incident light exits the illumination lens, is filtered by an excitation filter, and then reflected by a dichroic mirror into a relay lens. The light then enters a small objective lens, uniformly illuminating the object surface. Excitation by the excitation light causes the object surface to produce fluorescence. Fluorescence from living tissue is imaged once by the small objective lens, then multiple times by the relay lens and into the magnifying lens. A dichroic mirror and fluorescence filter are located between the relay lens. Fluorescence passes through the dichroic mirror and is filtered by the fluorescence filter. The fluorescence entering the magnifying lens is directly imaged by a CMOS camera, which then processes the image processing system to produce a clear, magnified image.

[0089] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 12a, 12b and 12c, three views of an endoscope system with a fluorescence module are provided, wherein Figure 12a is a front view of the endoscope system with the fluorescence module, Figure 12b is a right view of the endoscope system with the fluorescence module, and Figure 12c is a top view of the endoscope system with the fluorescence module.

[0090] Furthermore, as shown in FIG13 , a cross-sectional structure of an endoscope system with a fluorescence module includes a camera seat component 1302, a 4x magnifying glass and rod-shaped mirror combination 1304, a connecting tube 1306, a pin 1308, a pressure ring 1310, a mirror body 1312, a fluorescence module 1314, a cold light source coaxial illuminator 1316, a connecting ring 1318, a rod-shaped mirror component and a 3X0.45 small objective lens 1320, a mirror sheath 1322, a camera pressure cap 1324 and an illumination optical fiber 1326, wherein the illumination optical fiber is the incident optical fiber.

[0091] The above-mentioned embodiments and the technical features in the above-mentioned embodiments can be combined arbitrarily. In order to make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above-mentioned embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0092] The above-described embodiments merely represent several implementation methods of the present application. While the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the patent application. It should be noted that a person of ordinary skill in the art may make various modifications and improvements without departing from the spirit of the present application, and these modifications and improvements fall within the scope of protection of the present application. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present patent application shall be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An endoscope system with a fluorescence module, comprising: An incident light module, an objective lens module, a relay lens module, a fluorescence module, a rear end magnifying lens module and a sheath coaxial module; the incident light module is fixedly connected to the fluorescence module and provides vertical incident light to the fluorescence module, the rear end magnifying lens module, the fluorescence module and the sheath coaxial module are sequentially arranged from back to front along a direction perpendicular to the incident light, the relay lens module and the objective lens module are sequentially arranged in the sheath coaxial module along a direction from back to front, the fluorescence module includes a cavity body fixedly connected to the rear end magnifying lens module, the incident light module and the sheath coaxial module and a dichroic mirror arranged inside the cavity body at an angle of 45° to the incident light direction, the incident light is totally reflected by the dichroic mirror, then passes through the relay lens module to the objective lens module and irradiates the surface of the observed object, and is excited by the dye on the surface of the observed object to form reflected excitation fluorescence, the excited fluorescence passes through the objective lens module and the relay lens module to the surface of the dichroic mirror and undergoes total transmission of light into the rear end magnifying lens module.

2. The endoscope system according to claim 1, wherein: The fluorescence module also includes an excitation filter arranged above the dichroic mirror and a fluorescence filter arranged at the rear end of the dichroic mirror. The incident light is vertically incident on the excitation filter to form an incident light of 470nm to 480nm. The fluorescence filter performs secondary filtering on the excitation fluorescence after passing through the dichroic mirror and forms an excitation fluorescence of 525nm±20nm.

3. The endoscope system according to claim 2, wherein: The cavity body includes a first connecting cavity that opens upward for fixedly connecting the incident light module, a second connecting cavity that opens toward the rear end for connecting the rear end magnifying glass module, and a third connecting cavity that opens toward the front end for connecting the mirror sheath coaxial assembly. The first connecting cavity, the second connecting cavity, and the third connecting cavity converge inside the cavity body to form a receiving cavity.

4. The endoscope system according to claim 3, wherein: The fluorescent module further includes a first fixing member arranged at the front end of the dichroic mirror and a second fixing member arranged at the rear end of the dichroic mirror. The first fixing member and the second fixing member are closely attached to the dichroic mirror facing each other and are integrally received in the receiving cavity.

5. The endoscope system according to claim 4, wherein: The fluorescent module further comprises a fixing washer arranged on the periphery of the dichroic mirror. The dichroic mirror is accommodated in the fixing washer and integrally clamped between the first fixing member and the second fixing member to form a fixing module.

6. The endoscope system according to claim 5, wherein: The fixed module includes a positioning surface that matches the inner wall of the receiving body, the positioning surface includes a horizontally arranged upper positioning surface in a rectangular shape and a lower positioning surface with a semicircular or semi-elliptical cross-section, and the fixed washer includes a horizontally arranged upper support portion that constitutes the upper positioning surface portion and a lower support portion that constitutes the lower positioning surface portion.

7. The endoscope system according to claim 6, wherein: The bottom end of the lower support portion is provided with a first limiting surface that is in contact with the lower inner surface of the cavity body and partially forms a lower positioning surface, and a second limiting surface that intersects the first limiting surface perpendicularly and is in contact with the front inner surface of the cavity body.

8. The endoscope system according to claim 4, wherein: A first mounting hole is formed from top to bottom above the first fixing member, and a first cut-off surface is formed above the dichroic mirror. The excitation filter is installed in the first mounting hole and cuts off at the first cut-off surface.

9. The endoscope system according to claim 4, wherein: A second mounting hole is formed at the rear end of the second fixing member from back to front, and a second cut-off surface is formed behind the dichroic mirror. The fluorescent filter is installed in the second mounting hole and cut off at the second cut-off surface.

10. The endoscope system according to any one of claims 8 or 9, wherein: The first connecting cavity, the second connecting cavity, the third connecting cavity and the cavity body each form a respective blocking surface at the connection point; the incident light module is fixedly connected to the cavity body through the first connecting cavity and terminated at the corresponding blocking surface; the rear end magnifying glass module is fixedly connected to the cavity body through the second connecting cavity and terminated at the corresponding blocking surface; the mirror sheath coaxial module is fixedly connected to the cavity body through the third connecting cavity and terminated at the corresponding blocking surface.

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