Endoscope Light Guide Unit Stiffness for Optical Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Endoscopes with light guides and lenses disposed in bendable parts face optical axis misalignment, leading to reduced illumination and deteriorated light distribution when the bendable part is bent, resulting in performance degradation.
Innovation Solution
An endoscope system with a light guide unit comprising a light guide and an optical member, where the optical member is positioned closer to the proximal end and has stiffness, guiding illumination light from a light source device with multiple color LEDs, and a lens member is disposed between light guides to maintain consistent light distribution regardless of the endoscope's operation state.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the end portions of light guides and lens are disposed in a bendable part to allow observation at various angles, then ease of operation is improved, but optical axis alignment deteriorates causing light distribution degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The endoscope is divided into a rigid insertion part containing the light guide unit and a separate bendable part for positioning. This segmentation allows the optical components to remain in a stable, non-bendable section while the bendable section provides operational flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
A rigid insertion part acts as an intermediary between the light source and the bendable part. This intermediary structure maintains optical axis alignment while allowing the distal end to be positioned flexibly for observation at various angles.
2Ease of operation
If light guides are made flexible to allow bending, then ease of operation is improved, but light transmission efficiency deteriorates due to attenuation
Solution Approach 1:
The light transmission path is segmented into a rigid insertion part with low-loss light guides and a separate bendable part. This allows the light guides to maintain optimal transmission characteristics in the rigid section while the bendable section handles positioning without compromising light transmission.
Solution Approach 2:
The material properties of the light guides are optimized by using quartz fibers or multi-component fibers with low attenuation characteristics in the rigid insertion part, while the bendable part uses different materials suited for flexibility. This parameter change in material selection resolves the contradiction between flexibility and light transmission efficiency.
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
The solution effectively prevents reduction in illumination and deterioration of light distribution, ensuring consistent performance across various operation states of the endoscope by maintaining optical axis alignment and using a lens member to regulate relative intensity variations of color lights.
Implementation Method 1
The light guide unit guides illumination light, and the object to be observed is illuminated with the illumination light
Implementation Method 2
a lens member is disposed between light guides to maintain consistent light distribution regardless of the endoscope's operation state
Data Source
AI summary
An endoscope includes an insertion part, a connector, and a light guide unit. A light source device includes a light source unit. The light guide unit includes light guides that guide illumination light emitted from the light source unit to a distal end portion of the insertion part in a case where the endoscope is connected to the light source device, and a lens member that suppresses a variation in a relative intensity of each color light of the illumination light, which is emitted from the distal end portion, with respect to a light distribution angle. The lens member is disposed in the connector having stiffness.