Orthogonal Image Relaying Device for Endoscope Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional stereoscopic endoscopes and exoscopes face challenges in integrating image sensors due to manufacturing tolerances, leading to misalignment and reduced image quality, particularly in terms of cost, adaptability, and sterilization requirements.
Innovation Solution
An interface between the image relaying device and image detecting device is rotated by a given angle, with an optical system that relays images through orthogonal optical axes, allowing for adjustment of the reflecting interface using a mechanism that compensates for manufacturing variations, ensuring precise alignment and improved image capture.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If image sensors are integrated into the endoscope or exoscope, then image quality and alignment are improved, but manufacturing costs and repair complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into two separate devices: an image relaying device (endoscope/exoscope) and an image detecting device. This segmentation allows each device to be optimized independently, reducing manufacturing complexity and costs while maintaining precise alignment through the defined interface relationship.
Solution Approach 2:
A parallel interface with mechanical and optical coupling elements acts as an intermediary between the image relaying device and the image detecting device. This intermediary structure enables precise alignment compensation for manufacturing tolerances without requiring direct integration, thus reducing overall manufacturing complexity.
2Manufacturing precision
If image sensors are integrated into the endoscope or exoscope, then image capture quality is improved, but adaptability to different applications decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The image detecting device is designed as a separate universal unit that can be coupled to different image relaying devices through the standardized parallel interface. This allows the same image detecting device to work with various endoscopes or exoscopes, enhancing adaptability across different medical applications while maintaining high image capture quality.
3Reliability
If image sensors are integrated into the endoscope or exoscope, then image detection performance is improved, but sterilization difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
By separating the image sensors into a standalone image detecting device, the image relaying device (endoscope/exoscope) can be fully sterilized and reused, while the expensive image detecting device remains outside the sterile field. This segmentation resolves the sterilization challenge while preserving reliable image detection performance.
4Adaptability or versatility
If a parallel interface with mechanical and optical coupling is used, then adaptability is improved, but alignment precision deteriorates due to manufacturing tolerances
Solution Approach 1:
The parallel interface includes mechanical coupling elements and optical coupling elements that act as intermediaries to compensate for manufacturing tolerances. These intermediaries enable precise alignment between the image relaying device and the image detecting device while maintaining adaptability to different device configurations.
Solution Approach 2:
The interface incorporates adjustable mechanical and optical coupling elements that can be dynamically positioned to compensate for manufacturing variations. This dynamic adjustment capability ensures precise alignment while maintaining the adaptability benefits of the separable parallel interface design.
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 enhances the interface quality between the image relaying and detecting devices, providing high-quality stereo imaging by compensating for manufacturing tolerances and maintaining image alignment, thus improving the overall performance and adaptability of the endoscope or exoscope systems.
Implementation Method 1
an optical system in the shaft. The optical system relays an image produced by the objective lens to the proximal end region such that the relayed image can be captured through the window region
Implementation Method 2
the optical system's optical axis at the window region is orthogonal or substantially orthogonal to the optical system's optical axis in the shaft
Implementation Method 3
Light from an object to be observed or imaged travels parallel to a shaft of the image relaying device, is reflected in a proximal end region of the device
Data Source
AI summary
An image relaying device comprises a shaft, an objective lens at a distal end of the shaft, an optically transparent window region in a proximal end region of the image relaying device, an optical system in the shaft, the optical system relaying an image produced by the objective lens to the proximal end region in a way that the relayed image can be captured through the window region. The optical system's optical axis at the window region is orthogonal or substantially orthogonal to the optical system's optical axis in the shaft. An optical instrument makes use of a plurality of these image relaying devices and a corresponding plurality of image sensors where the optical path length of each image relaying device may be independently adjusted to correct for optical inconsistencies in the elements of each relaying device.