Endoscope Illumination Unit with Oval Light Guides
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing endoscope illumination systems struggle to provide uniform illumination in the surrounding direction without increasing the diameter of the distal end portion, while maintaining efficient light guidance and positioning of light guiding members.
Innovation Solution
The illumination unit features a light emitting member with a diffusing first layer and a positioning member that includes a barrel body and cylindrical member to position light guiding members with oval-shaped distal end faces, ensuring all light guiding members face the diffusing layer, thereby preventing irregular light distribution and diameter increase.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If light guiding members are arranged to provide uniform illumination in the surrounding direction, then illumination uniformity is improved, but the diameter of the distal end portion increases
Solution Approach 1:
The light guiding members are configured with oval-shaped distal end faces instead of circular cross-sections. This asymmetric geometry allows the light guides to be arranged in an optimized pattern that achieves uniform surrounding illumination while maintaining a compact distal end diameter within the cylindrical insertion portion.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from traditional circular light guide cross-sections to oval cross-sections, utilizing the additional dimensional freedom to optimize light distribution. The oval shape enables better spatial arrangement of multiple light guides to achieve uniform 360-degree illumination without increasing the overall cylindrical diameter.
2Use of energy by moving object
If light guiding members are positioned to face the diffusing layer, then light guidance efficiency is improved, but positioning precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The positioning member incorporates pre-formed positioning grooves that guide the light guiding members into their correct positions during assembly. This preliminary positioning structure ensures that all light guiding members automatically face the diffusing layer without requiring high-precision manual adjustment, thereby maintaining manufacturing feasibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The positioning member acts as an intermediary component between the light guiding members and the diffusing layer. It provides mechanical guidance through positioning grooves that ensure proper orientation of the oval distal end faces toward the diffusing layer, simplifying the positioning task and reducing precision requirements.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration allows for efficient and uniform illumination in the surrounding direction without increasing the endoscope's distal end diameter, ensuring effective light guidance and wide-range observation capabilities.
Implementation Method 1
a light emitting member configured to diffuse illumination light in an intersection direction intersecting the longitudinal axis direction
Implementation Method 2
light guiding members configured to guide the illumination light to the light emitting member
Data Source
AI summary
An illumination unit for endoscope is provided with: a light guiding layer, an illumination lens, light guides and a positioning member; and the positioning member is provided with: a barrel body on which arrangement grooves are formed, the barrel body being configured to perform inward positioning of the light guides in the radial direction by distal end sides of the light guides being arranged in the arrangement grooves; and a cylindrical member configured to perform outward positioning of the light guides in the radial direction by covering an outer circumference of the barrel body in an intersection direction to block the distal end sides of the light guides arranged in the arrangement grooves, between the cylindrical member and the barrel body in the intersection direction.