Endoscope Camera Sidewall Coating for Light Saturation Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cameras used in minimally invasive surgery face issues with light blocking paints that do not adhere well to sidewalls, require multiple layers, and are difficult to apply consistently, affecting performance and increasing camera dimensions.
Innovation Solution
A visualization device with a coating comprising an electrically-insulating layer of titanium dioxide and a light-blocking layer of pure titanium, applied using physical vapor deposition (PVD), ensuring consistent and efficient application without covering critical surfaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If conventional light blocking paint is applied to sidewalls, then light saturation is reduced, but adhesion is poor and multiple layers are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies a two-layer composite coating system: a light-blocking layer (aluminum or titanium) for optical performance and an adhesive promoter layer (chromium oxide or chromium hydroxide) for adhesion. This composite structure resolves the contradiction by combining materials with different functions - one layer blocks light while the other ensures reliable bonding to the sidewall surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The adhesive promoter layer acts as an intermediary between the sidewall substrate and the light-blocking layer. This intermediate layer provides chemical bonding to the substrate while also providing a surface that bonds well to the light-blocking material, thereby ensuring reliable adhesion without compromising optical performance.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If multiple layers of light blocking paint are applied, then light saturation is sufficiently blocked, but camera dimensions increase
Solution Approach 1:
The composite coating system achieves effective light blocking with a single application cycle rather than multiple paint layers. The light-blocking layer contains highly reflective materials (aluminum or titanium) that provide sufficient optical attenuation in a thin configuration, preventing the dimension increase that would result from stacking multiple conventional paint layers.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material parameters from conventional paint to metallic coatings with superior optical properties. Aluminum and titanium layers provide high light-blocking capability per unit thickness, allowing the coating to achieve the required optical performance with minimal thickness, thereby avoiding dimension increases.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional light blocking paint is used, then application is simple, but consistency is difficult to achieve
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical brush-application process with a vapor deposition process. This substitution eliminates the variability inherent in manual painting while maintaining ease of manufacture through a standardized, controllable deposition process that ensures uniform coating thickness and composition across all components.
Solution Approach 2:
The manufacturing process changes from liquid paint application to vapor-phase deposition. This parameter change enables precise control over coating thickness, composition, and uniformity through controlled deposition parameters, thereby achieving consistent results that are difficult to obtain with conventional painting methods.
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 enhances camera performance by reducing unwanted light saturation and maintaining compact dimensions, while ensuring reliable adhesion and consistent application of the coating layers.
Implementation Method 1
The coating may include both the electrically-insulating layer and the light-blocking layer. The electrically-insulating layer may be deposited on the lateral wall surface and the light-blocking layer may be deposited on the electrically-insulating layer... The coating may be deposited on the lateral wall surface using any method of deposition, including, but not limited to, physical vapor deposition (PVD)
Data Source
AI summary
According to one aspect, a visualization device may include an image sensor, a lens for focusing light onto the image sensor, a first end, a second end opposite the first end, a lateral wall surface extending between the first end and the second end, and a coating on the lateral wall surface. The coating may include at least one of an electrically-insulating layer and a light-blocking layer, and may be deposited on the lateral wall surface using, for example, physical vapor deposition (PVD).