Endoscope Illumination with Selective LED Array Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing medical imaging instruments, such as endoscopes and microscopes, face challenges with heat load from detached light sources, leading to potential tissue injury and complex handling issues, especially when providing variable and efficient illumination.
Innovation Solution
An imaging medical instrument with a shaft containing an optical fiber bundle and a lens system, featuring selectively actuatable individual light sources and a control unit that analyzes the illumination situation to adapt illumination based on the field of view, ensuring efficient illumination with reduced heat influx by selectively illuminating only the necessary regions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If a detached light source is used to illuminate the body cavity, then the illumination intensity is improved, but the heat load on the patient increases leading to potential tissue injury
Solution Approach 1:
The light source is divided into multiple individually controllable light-emitting elements (LEDs) arranged in an array. The control unit can selectively activate only those light elements that illuminate the field of view, while keeping others inactive. This segmentation allows the illumination function to be maintained while reducing the total heat load on the patient's body cavity.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the light source array are selectively activated based on their specific function: light elements directed toward the field of view are activated for illumination, while light elements directed away from the field of view remain inactive. This local quality approach ensures that illumination is provided only where needed, minimizing unnecessary heat exposure to the patient.
2Area of stationary object
If the entire possible viewing region is illuminated over a large area, then the illumination coverage is improved, but the heat introduction into the body cavity increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit selectively activates light-emitting elements based on whether they contribute to illuminating the field of view. Only light elements whose light paths intersect with the field of view are activated, while others remain inactive. This creates a localized illumination pattern that covers the necessary area without unnecessarily illuminating regions outside the field of view, thereby reducing heat introduction.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of activating all light-emitting elements to provide comprehensive illumination, the system uses partial action by activating only the subset of light elements that are necessary for illuminating the field of view. This partial activation achieves sufficient illumination coverage while avoiding excessive heat generation from unused light sources.
3Temperature
If multiple cooling apparatus using heat pipes are added to the light source, then the heat management is improved, but the device complexity increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the cooling function from the illumination system by using a detached light source with its own cooling mechanism, separate from the endoscope body. The cooling apparatus is integrated with the light source housing rather than the endoscope shaft, simplifying the overall system architecture. Heat is dissipated through the housing of the detached light source, preventing heat transmission to the patient while avoiding complex integrated cooling systems.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the viewing direction is varied by modifying the position of optical elements, then the viewing direction flexibility is improved, but the illumination adaptability becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The endoscope incorporates a movable section that can be deflected to change the viewing direction dynamically during the procedure. The detached light source is positioned and oriented to illuminate the field of view corresponding to the current viewing direction. When the viewing direction changes, the illumination automatically adapts because the light source illuminates the region where the scope is pointing, eliminating the need for complex mechanical illumination adjustment mechanisms.
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 solution allows for efficient and safe illumination with reduced heat introduction into the body cavity, maintaining image quality while minimizing the risk of tissue injury and simplifying handling.
Implementation Method 1
an optical fiber bundle extends from the proximal end of the shaft to the distal end of the shaft for illuminating the illumination field in the region of the distal end of the shaft
Implementation Method 2
a lens system is arranged for transmitting an image of the field of view from the distal end of the shaft to the proximal end of the shaft
Data Source
AI summary
An imaging medical instrument such as an endoscope, an exoscope or microscope having a shaft, in which an optical fiber bundle extends from the proximal to the distal end for illuminating field and in which a lens system is arranged for transmitting an image of the field. A light source inputs coupling light into the one proximal end of the optical fiber bundle with a multiplicity of selectively actuatable individual light sources arranged in an array-like manner, with a camera for capturing the transmitted image of the field of view and with a control unit for selectively actuating the individual light sources of the light source for adapting the illumination field. Here, the illumination field has a different form to the field of view. The control unit has an apparatus for analyzing the illumination situation, the apparatus being suitable and provided for analyzing the image captured by the camera in respect of changes depending on the selectively actuated individual light sources and for analyzing the field of view relative to the illumination field.