JP2007029713A - Rigid endoscope optics with compound housing - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an endoscope optics with enlarged structure possibility at a low cost, for which PPS or PPSU plastic being extremely stable relative to temperature is used for a hermetic housing. <P>SOLUTION: The rigid endoscope optics (1) including the housing consisting of several housing parts (5, 8, 9, 6, 16) which hermetically encloses optic elements (3, 2, 4) and which is fitted with a hermetic connection (13, 14;7, 15) between two housing parts (9, 8; 9, 16) is characterized in that one (9) of the connected housing parts is made of PPS (polyphenylenesulfide) plastic or of PPSU (polyphenylsulfone) plastic, and the other (8, 16) connected housing part is made of PPS, PPSU or glass, the housing parts (8, 9, 16) being fitted with a metal coating (7, 13, 14, 15) at the connection site (13, 14; 7, 15) and are soldered to one another. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an endoscope optical system of the type described in the preamble of claim 1.

  Endoscopic optics of the type described above are protected against the ingress of water and in particular water vapor by means of an airtight housing, i.e. can be sterilized by hot steam before surgical use, in which case The invading vapor does not induce optical surface haze.

  The housing consists in part of a longitudinal tube that receives the image transmitter and is closed at its distal end with a hermetically inserted window. Connected to the proximal end of the tube is a housing portion that receives other devices, such as an eyepiece lens, an associated window for hermetic sealing, in the interior space.

  The connection between the housing parts must be airtight. Therefore, in this type of known endoscope optical system, the housing parts are made of metal and are welded or brazed together. Windows that also form part of the surrounding housing are brazed. Thus, only an actual airtight bond can be achieved only by welding or brazing, and such a bond is extremely difficult to achieve anyway, depending on the application (adhesion).

  In this case, there is a drawback that the material selection of the housing part is limited to metal.

  DE 10103433 A1 describes a flexible endoscope of the type in which the ceramic part and the glass part are hermetically brazed after surface metallization.

  DE 2904893 A1 teaches the bonding of glass fibers and sleeves. The sleeve is made of plastic or metal, and if made of metal, the sleeve can be brazed to metalized glass fiber.

  DE 3719382 A1 describes the cold welding of optical components with a brazing coating layer in order to avoid brazing operations.

JP 04-073691A mentions the use of plastic PEEK.
DE10103433A1 DE2904893A1 DE3719382A1 JP04-073691A

  An object of the present invention is to realize an endoscope optical system of the type described above by using a plastic part in a housing.

  The object is solved by the features of claim 1.

  According to the invention, the housing part can be made of plastic PPS (polyphenylene sulfide) or PPSU (polyphenylene sulfone) and can be hermetically bonded to other housing parts made of PPS, PPSU or glass. For this reason, it is possible to coat the metal on the bonding part of plastic and glass and braze on the metal for reliable airtight bonding. Thus, if an airtight housing is required, the plastic part can be used, thus reducing costs and extending the structural possibilities. PPS and PPSU have proven useful in endoscopic technology, are extremely stable to temperature, and can be well metallized for presentation purposes.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, an endoscope optical system is realized that has a low cost and has an increased structure possibility using plastic PPS or PPSU that is extremely stable with respect to temperature and capable of being well metallized in an airtight housing. can do.

  Next, the best mode for carrying out the invention will be described.

  FIG. 1 shows an endoscope optical system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention having a vertically long image transmission body 2 provided with an objective lens 3 at a distal end. The image transmission body 2 can be configured as a relay lens device or as an image transmission fiber bundle, and in some cases, an image for video endoscope having a video camera provided close to the objective lens 3 and a data cable extending in the proximal direction. It can also be configured as a transmission body.

  In the illustrated embodiment, the image transmitter 2 is configured as an optical image transmitter and is observed by the eyepiece lens 4 on the side beyond the proximal end.

  The outlined optical system is installed in a hermetically closed housing. This optical system has in its distal end region a longitudinal tube 5 which receives the image transmitter 2 and is made of metal for strength reasons and whose distal end is closed by a window 6. The window 6 is provided with a metal coating layer 7 shown on the edge of the window 6 in a greatly enlarged manner, and is hermetically brazed to the tube 5 through the metal coating layer.

  The tube 5 is likewise gripped at the proximal end by a central housing part 8 gripped by the end housing part 9.

  Both housing parts 8 and 9 are made of plastic PPS (polyphenylene sulfide) or PPSU (polyphenylene sulfone), i.e. made of plastic which has been demonstrated in endoscope optics. The housing part 8 is provided with a metal covering layer 11 which is air-tightly brazed to the metal tube 5 on its cylindrical abutting surface 10.

  In the case of the illustrated embodiment, the housing part 8 extends into the bore 12 of the housing part 9 at the connection point between the housing parts 8 and 9. In this location, the outer surface of the housing part 8 with the bore 12 with the metal coating layer 13 and the metal coating layer 14 is provided. Both metallization layers are likewise airtightly brazed together. All the metal coating layers shown in FIG. 1 are shown greatly enlarged in the drawing.

  An end bore is formed at the proximal end of the end housing portion 9 and a metal coating layer 15 is provided on the inner surface thereof. A proximal end window 16 having a metal coating layer 7 as well as the distal window 6 is inserted here. The metal coating layers 7 and 15 are brazed to each other in an airtight manner.

  Thus, a housing is formed which encloses the optical elements 3, 2, 4, consists of the tubular portions 5, 8, 9 and both end windows 6, 16 and is airtightly brazed at all joints.

  In the case of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, a diagram that is strongly modeled and virtually shown is targeted. For example, a normal illumination light transmitter that can be supplemented in a known manner in the structure shown is not shown.

  In the case of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the housing parts 8 and 9 made of plastic are brazed via a metallization layer at all joint points 11, 13 and 15. Alternatively, plastic housing parts can be joined in different technologies. For example, in the embodiment of FIG. 1, the bonding can be performed at the bonding points 11 and 15 by brazing via the metallization layer described with reference to FIG. 1. However, at the connection points where the housing parts 8 and 9 are connected to each other, other connection modes that do not rely on metallization layers and brazing can be selected. In this case, the housing parts can be joined, for example, via direct plastic joining, for example, by plastic welding or a suitable high degree of sealing.

1 is a schematic sectional view in an axial direction of an embodiment of an endoscope optical system according to the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Endoscope optical system 2 Image transmission body 3 Objective lens 4 Eyepiece lens 5 Tube 6 Window 7 Metal coating layer 8 Central housing part 9 End housing part 10 Cylindrical contact surface 11 Metal coating layer 12 Bore 13 Metal coating layer 14 Metal coating layer 15 Metal coating layer 16 Proximal end window

Claims (1)

  A housing composed of a plurality of housing parts (5, 8, 9, 6, 16) and hermetically enclosing the optical element (3, 2, 4), between the two housing parts (9, 8; 9, 16) In the rigid endoscope optical system (1) provided with one hermetic coupling portion (13, 14; 7, 15), one portion (9) of the coupled housing portions is made of plastic PPS (polyphenylene sulfide). ) Or PPSU (polyphenylene sulfone) and the other bonded housing part (8, 16) is made of plastic PPS, PPSU or glass, in which case the housing part (8, 9, 16) is connected to the connecting part ( An endoscope optical system comprising a metal coating layer (7, 13, 14, 15) on 13 and 14; 7, 15) and brazed to each other.

Images