Light Guide Unit with Metal Knitted Protection for Endoscope Laser Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
Endoscope systems with small diameters, such as oral and nasal endoscopes, face challenges in preventing optical fiber breakage and subsequent laser light leakage due to the limited diameter of the insertion portion, making it difficult to completely suppress light leakage even with protective structures.
Innovation Solution
A light guide unit comprising a protection member made of heat-resistant, flexible metal with high absorptivity for laser light, surrounded by a light diffusing member that diffuses the laser light to prevent leakage, and optionally includes a friction reducing member or light shielding member to further mitigate damage and leakage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If the diameter of the insertion portion is reduced to enable use in small diameter endoscopes, then the endoscope can be used in narrower body cavities, but the optical fiber becomes more susceptible to breakage and light leakage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies beforehand cushioning by providing a protective tube made of laser-resistant material that surrounds and protects the optical fiber from breakage before it can occur. This protective structure prevents optical fiber damage due to external forces or handling, thereby maintaining light tightness even in small diameter endoscopes where the insertion portion has limited space.
2Reliability
If a protective tube is added to prevent optical fiber breakage, then light leakage is suppressed, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies flexible shells and thin films by constructing the protective tube from a flexible laser-resistant material that can bend and deform elastically. This flexible structure protects the optical fiber while maintaining flexibility for insertion into body cavities, and the elastic deformation allows the tube to withstand external forces without breaking the optical fiber inside.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies composite materials by using a protective tube made of a material that combines flexibility and laser resistance. This composite structure provides both mechanical protection against breakage and thermal resistance to laser light, achieving light tightness without excessive structural complexity.
3Reliability
If the protective tube is made thicker to prevent optical fiber breakage, then light leakage is better suppressed, but the diameter of the endoscope increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies flexible shells and thin films by using a thin-walled protective tube made of flexible laser-resistant material. This thin film structure provides sufficient protection against optical fiber breakage while maintaining a small diameter, allowing the endoscope to fit into narrow body cavities without requiring a thick protective structure.
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 strong laser light from leaking outside even if the optical fiber is broken, allowing for the use of laser light sources in endoscope systems with restricted diameters by confining and diffusing the light, thereby maintaining system performance and safety.
Implementation Method 1
a protection member made of heat-resistant, flexible metal with high absorptivity for laser light
Implementation Method 2
a light diffusing member that diffuses the laser light to prevent leakage
Data Source
AI summary
A light guide unit includes a light guide member and a protection member surrounding the light guide member. The light guide member includes an optical fiber having an outer diameter. The protection member is formed in a network structure by knitting a metal member having a flat cross-sectional shape by bending the metal member in a direction in which the thickness of the metal material is thin, and a gap smaller than the outer diameter is formed along the axial direction.