Illumination Optical System for Endoscope Uniform Lighting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Endoscopes with wide-angle views face challenges in uniformly illuminating both lateral and forward areas, leading to inefficiencies in image capture and illumination, particularly in complex environments like the large intestine with many folds.
Innovation Solution
The image capturing device employs an illumination optical system with a reflective surface inclined away from the optical axis and a refractive surface inclined towards it, splitting illumination light to cover a wide range, ensuring uniform illumination by eliminating the boundary between lateral and forward areas through refraction, thereby improving illumination efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If a diffusion layer is used to uniformly illuminate a wide range, then illumination uniformity is improved, but illumination efficiency deteriorates due to light scattering
Solution Approach 1:
The illumination optical system is divided into multiple independent light guides, each responsible for illuminating specific areas (lateral, forward, and rear fields of view). This segmentation allows direct light transmission without diffusion, maintaining illumination efficiency while achieving uniform coverage through coordinated emission from multiple sources
Solution Approach 2:
Reflective surfaces are introduced as intermediaries to redirect illumination light from the light guides to target areas. These reflective surfaces enable light to reach lateral and rear areas without passing through diffusion layers, preserving light intensity and efficiency while achieving wide-area illumination
2Adaptability or versatility
If a wide angle of view of 180° or more is implemented, then the ability to observe lateral and rear areas is improved, but the complexity of the optical system increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple light guides serve multiple functions simultaneously: they provide illumination for different fields of view (lateral, forward, rear) and work in coordination with reflective surfaces to achieve comprehensive coverage. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate illumination systems for each area, simplifying the overall optical system while maintaining wide-angle capability
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using a single complex illumination source to cover all areas, the system inverts the approach by using multiple directed light guides combined with reflective surfaces to redirect light. This inverted strategy achieves wide-angle illumination through simpler, more modular components
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 of a wide range, reducing unwanted light and enhancing the ability to capture images in complex environments by optimizing the distribution of illumination light.
Implementation Method 1
a reflective surface that deflects, through reflection, part of illumination light emitted from an emission end
Implementation Method 2
a refractive surface that deflects, through refraction, the other part of the illumination light and the illumination light that has been reflected by the reflective surface
Data Source
AI summary
An image capturing device includes: an image capturing system having an optical axis; and at least one illumination system disposed at a position so as to surround the optical axis. The illumination system includes: a reflective surface deflecting part of illumination light; a refractive surface deflecting the other part of the illumination light and the illumination light reflected by the reflective surface; and an emission surface from which the illumination light refracted by the refractive surface is emitted. In a cross section including the optical axis, the reflective surface has an area inclined in such a direction as to become farther away from the optical axis, the refractive surface has an area inclined in such a direction as to approach the optical axis and is disposed between the reflective and emission surfaces. The emission end is disposed at a radial position between rear ends of the refractive and reflective surfaces.