TWI548902B - Light guide fixation unit - Google Patents

Description

Light guiding fixing element

The invention relates to a light guiding fixing element; in particular to an auxiliary optical sensor for reading a light guiding fixing element of a wavelength range of light information from a microphotographic device.

In vivo digestive tract photography techniques commonly used in the market, including invasive gastrointestinal tract endoscopes (commonly known as gastroscopes) and lower gastrointestinal endoscopes (commonly known as colonoscopy), the structure of which is mainly about the diameter A 1.2 cm soft fiber tube covers the light guide and the visual fiber. When using, the physician enters the esophagus through the patient's mouth and examines the esophagus, stomach, duodenal bulb and the second part of the duodenum along the digestive tract. The colonoscopy enters the intestine through the anus of the patient to examine the rectum and sigmoid colon. colon.

When the patient underwent gastroscopic examination, the fibrovascular tube enters the stomach from the oral cavity. In the process, the patient often causes vomiting and nausea due to the hose stimulating the throat. When the colonoscopy is performed, the hose is passed. Abdominal pain in the intestines causes abdominal pain in the patient, and it can be observed by inflating the large intestine, which may cause abdominal distension.

In addition to the above, the tubular endoscope is limited by its structure, and the gastroscope can only penetrate deep into the front of the small intestine. At most, the colonoscopy can only penetrate deep into the small intestine. Even if the length of the endoscope is lengthened, it can only be wound in the small intestine. The circle can't move forward, not only increases the difficulty of control, but even has a small puncture The risk of bowel, so there is still a large segment of the small intestine that cannot be detected.

To this end, in recent years, a capsule-type endoscope (hereinafter referred to as a capsule) containing a micro-photographic device has been developed. After the patient swallows the capsule through the oral cavity, the capsule advances along with the gastrointestinal tract and simultaneously records the digestive tract. In the end, the feces are discharged from the anus. The capsule can be used to completely record the esophagus, stomach, duodenum, small intestine, and the large intestine, and a whole digestive tract examination is performed.

The image information reading step is performed after obtaining the capsule with the intestinal imaging information. First, the capsule has an infrared light source (for example, an LED infrared light source) with one end facing down on a conventional fixing component, and then placed in a rubber hole pad of the reading frame, and a fiber is aligned to align one end with the infrared light signal source. The other end is aligned with the optical sensor read head. At this time, the image data captured by the capsule in the intestine will be transmitted to the optical sensor via optical fiber by optical signal, and finally interpreted by the optical sensor and converted into an electronic signal.

Referring to Figure 1, in order to facilitate the travel of the capsule in the digestive tract, the outer contours of the capsule are substantially three-dimensionally elliptical in shape, and the internal components of the capsule are often skewed during the manufacturing process, and the relative positions of the capsule and the optical fiber placed on the conventional fixing member are often The situation of angular skew or positional shift occurs, so that the infrared light source misses the fiber entrance surface and does not enter the fiber. In order to overcome the skew and offset of the capsule and the fiber, it is often necessary to use additional time for correction, or use a thicker fiber to cover the range of deviation caused by the skew offset. In addition, in order to make the optical fiber and the optical signal source fit, it is necessary to grind and remove the fiber at both ends of the optical fiber before use to ensure that the optical signal can enter the optical fiber; and the cost of polishing the optical fiber is even higher than the optical fiber itself.

The main reasons for the angle skew and azimuth deviation that occur in the capsule when transmitting the optical signal to the optical sensor are often caused by optical sensor interpretation errors or even reading failures. Additional time is required for calibration and increased production costs.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a light guiding fixing member which can be used for assisting an optical sensor to read light information of a wavelength range from a microphotographic device. The light guiding fixing member has a fixing portion for accommodating and fixing a miniature photographic device. And a light guiding portion integrally formed with the fixing portion, the light guiding portion has a light incident surface having a light emitting surface at the other end, wherein the light guiding portion is connected to the fixing portion on one side; wherein the light emitting port of the microphotographic device The optical axis meets the light incident surface of the light guiding portion; the optical axis of the reading head of the optical sensor intersects with the light emitting surface of the light guiding portion.

The capsule structure as a medical test device comprises a micro-photographing device, a light source sensing chip, a battery and a light-emitting diode, and an infrared light source (for example, an LED infrared light source) for transmitting optical information at the bottom of one end of the capsule. In order to facilitate the travel of the capsule in the digestive tract, the outer contours of the capsule are substantially three-dimensionally elliptical in shape, and the integrally formed light guiding fixing member of the present invention is used in place of the conventional fixing member and the optical fiber. The fixing portion of the fixing member can accommodate the capsule and be fixed. The inner contour of the portion is substantially matched with the three-dimensional elliptical shape of the outer contour of the capsule, so as to ensure that the optical signal source of the infrared light source is substantially directed toward the light incident surface of the light guiding portion of the light guiding fixing member, and the angle is fixed by the three-dimensional structure of the fixing portion. In a range, at the same time, by increasing the diameter of the light guiding portion near the light incident end surface, the area of the light incident surface of the light guiding portion covering the optical signal source can be increased, so that the light incident surface is larger than the light emitting surface of the light guiding portion, and the light guiding portion Presenting a tapered structure, so that even if the capsule is placed at the fixed portion, the skew or the internal component of the capsule is skewed, the optical signal can enter the light incident surface of the light guide portion and reach the light exit surface, and the optical axis of the light signal will be emitted. It intersects with the light incident surface of the light guide portion and penetrates into the light surface to enter the light guide portion.

After the optical signal enters the light incident surface of the light guide, it will be connected to the light incident surface and the light exit surface. The face forms an angle and advances in the light guiding portion, which may be a single slope, a multi-segment slope, or at least one of a curved surface. Because the diameter of the light-injecting portion near the light-incident end is larger than the diameter of the light-emitting surface, the coverage area of the light-incident surface is larger than the coverage area of the light-emitting surface, and the light-conducting portion exhibits a narrow and narrow tapered structure to make the optical signal and the connecting surface. The angle is within an appropriate range, so that the optical signal can be concentrated on the smaller light-emitting surface, and the light-emitting area of the optical signal is smaller than the area of the rear receiving end, which ensures the intensity and integrity of the optical signal transmitted to the rear receiving end. In addition, the coating layer may be added to the outer layer of the light guiding portion to achieve partial reflection or even total reflection. When the reflected light signal reaches the light-emitting surface of the light guiding portion, it penetrates the light-emitting surface that is attached to the optical sensor read/write head, and the optical signal enters the optical sensor read/write head, and finally is interpreted by the optical sensor and converted into an electronic signal. .

Therefore, the fixing portion of the light guiding fixing member of the present invention fixes the position and the angle of the capsule, ensures that the optical signal enters the light guiding portion, and at least partially reflects in the light guiding portion, and transmits the optical signal to the head of the optical sensor. In this way, it is ensured that the light information of the source of the infrared light signal of the capsule is effectively transmitted to the optical sensor read/write head, and the optical sensor is correctly corrected for the probability that the capsule endoscope can capture the image data in the intestinal tract.

At the same time, the invention replaces the combination of the conventional reading frame and the optical fiber with the integrally formed light guiding fixing element, on the one hand, the post-grinding step of the optical fiber can be omitted, and the assembly step can be omitted on the one hand, in addition to saving production cost and assembling workman. In addition, it is also possible to avoid errors caused by assembly work and to allow assembly errors inside the capsule. Further, the light guiding fixing member of the present invention is produced by injection molding, and the fixing portion and the light guiding portion are made of a polymer transparent material, and include polycarbonate (PC), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) or other hard or soft materials. The material can mass produce stable light guiding fixing elements at extremely low production cost.

10‧‧‧Light guide fixing components

11‧‧‧ Fixed Department

12‧‧‧Light Guide

121‧‧‧Into the glossy surface

122‧‧‧Glossy surface

123‧‧‧ Connection surface

124‧‧‧coating

20‧‧‧Capsule endoscope

L‧‧‧ optical axis

L1‧‧‧ incident optical signal

L2‧‧‧ penetrating optical signal

30‧‧‧Study fixed components

40‧‧‧Optical sensor head

50‧‧‧ fiber

The above and other objects, features, advantages and embodiments of the present invention will become more <RTIgt; </ RTI> <RTIgt; </ RTI> <RTIgt; </ RTI> <RTIgt; FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing the use of a light guiding fixing member and a capsule according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of an optical signal path according to an embodiment of the present invention; A schematic diagram of an optical signal path of another embodiment of the invention.

In order to fully understand the objects, features and advantages of the present invention, the invention will be described by the accompanying drawings.

Referring to FIG. 1, in order to facilitate the movement of the capsule endoscope 20 (hereinafter referred to as a capsule) in the digestive tract, both ends of the outer contour of the capsule 20 are substantially three-dimensionally elliptical, and the capsule 20 placed on the conventional fixing member 30 is opposed to the optical fiber 50. The situation where the position is skewed or the position is offset. The internal components of the capsule 20 of Figures a to f are not skewed, and the optical axis L is perpendicular to the body of the capsule 20, further showing the possibility of angular skew or relative positional deviation when the capsule 20 is placed on the conventional component 30 by b to e. In addition, g to 1 indicates that the internal components of the capsule 20 are skewed, and FIGS. h to 1 simultaneously occur when the capsule 20 is placed at the conventional component 30 at an angular skew or relative positional offset. In the above case, the relative position of the optical axis L and the optical fiber 50 is angularly skewed or displaced such that the optical axis L penetrates the conventional fixed component 30 but fails to enter the optical fiber 50 and the optical sensor below.

Referring to FIG. 2, the light guiding fixing component 10 disclosed in the present invention has a capacity for receiving The fixing portion 11 of the capsule 20 and the light guiding portion 12 integrally formed with the fixing portion 11 are provided, and the light guiding portion 12 has a light incident surface 121 and a light emitting surface 122.

Referring to Fig. 3, the integrally formed light guiding fixing member 10 of the present invention is used in place of the conventional fixing member in combination with an optical fiber. The fixing portion 11 of the fixing member 10 can accommodate the capsule 20 and the internal contour of the fixing portion 11 and the solid ellipse of the outer contour of the capsule 20. The shape is substantially matched to ensure that the optical signal source optical axis L of the infrared light is substantially directed toward the light incident surface 121 of the light guiding portion 12 of the light guiding fixing member 10 when the capsule 20 is placed, and the angle is fixed within a range by the three-dimensional structure of the fixing portion 11. At the same time, by increasing the diameter of the light guiding portion 12 near the end of the light incident surface 121, the area of the light incident surface of the light guiding portion 12 covering the optical signal source can be increased, so that the light incident surface 121 is larger than the light emitting surface 122 of the light guiding portion 12. The light portion 12 exhibits a tapered structure, so that even if the capsule 20 is placed on the fixing portion 11 to be skewed or the capsule itself is assembled with skew, it is ensured that the optical signal can enter the light incident surface 121 of the light guiding portion 12 and reach the light emitting surface 122. At this time, the optical axis L emitted by the optical signal intersects with the light incident surface 121 of the light guiding portion 12, and penetrates into the light surface 121 to enter the light guiding portion 12.

Referring to FIG. 4, after the incident light signal L1 enters the light incident surface 121 of the light guiding portion 12, it forms an angle with the connecting surface 123 of the light incident surface 121 and the light emitting surface 122, and advances in the light guiding portion 12. The connecting surface 123 can be Is a single slope, multiple slopes, or at least one of the surfaces. Because the diameter of the light-emitting portion 12 near the light-incident surface 121 is larger than the diameter of the light-emitting surface 122, the coverage area of the light-incident surface 121 is larger than the coverage area of the light-emitting surface 122, and the light-guiding portion 12 exhibits a narrow and narrow tapered structure. The angle between the optical signal L1 and the connecting surface 123 is within an appropriate range, so that even if some of the optical signal L2 passes through the light guiding portion 12 during the reflection process, some of the reflected light signals can reach the light output. Face 123.

Referring to FIG. 5, a coating layer 124 may be added to the outer layer of the light guiding portion 12, so that the light signal L entering from the light incident surface 121 is blocked by the coating layer 124 during reflection to at least partially reflect, even The effect of total reflection, the optical signal L reaching the light-emitting surface 122 of the light guiding portion 12 penetrates the light-emitting surface 122 that is attached to the optical sensor read/write head 40, the optical signal L enters the optical sensor read/write head 40, and finally is optically sensed. The device interprets and converts it into an electronic signal.

10‧‧‧Light guide fixing components

11‧‧‧ Fixed Department

12‧‧‧Light Guide

121‧‧‧Into the glossy surface

122‧‧‧Glossy surface

123‧‧‧ Connection surface

Claims (10)

A light guiding fixing component for assisting an optical sensor to read light information of a wavelength range from a miniature photographic device, comprising: a fixing portion for accommodating and fixing the micro photographic device; and a light guiding portion, Forming integrally with the fixing portion, having a light incident surface and a light exiting surface, wherein the light guiding portion is connected to the fixing portion on one side; wherein an optical axis of the light exiting opening of the microphotographic device intersects the light incident surface; The optical axis of the read head of the optical sensor intersects the light exit surface. The light guiding fixing component according to claim 1, wherein the light incident surface is larger than the light emitting surface, and the light guiding portion has a tapered structure. The light guiding fixing member according to claim 1, wherein an inner contour of the fixing portion matches an outer contour of the microphotographic device. The light guiding fixing member according to claim 2, wherein an inner contour of the fixing portion matches an outer contour of the microphotographic device. The light guiding fixing element according to any one of claims 1-4, wherein a connecting surface of the light incident surface and the light emitting surface is at least one of a single slope, a plurality of slopes or a curved surface, and the light exiting opening The angle between the optical axes causes at least partial reflection of the exiting light of the microphotographic device. The light guiding fixing member according to any one of claims 1-4, wherein the connecting surface of the light incident surface and the light emitting surface has a coating layer, which can cause at least part of the light emitted by the microphotographic device. Reflexes. The light guiding fixing member according to claim 1, wherein the microphotographic device is a medical inspection imaging device. The light guiding fixing member according to claim 1, wherein the light guiding fixing member is an injection molding. The light guiding fixing component according to claim 1, wherein the fixing portion and the light guiding portion are a polymer transparent material, and the polymer transparent material comprises polycarbonate (PC) or polymethacrylic acid. Methyl ester (PMMA). The light guiding fixing element according to claim 1, wherein the wavelength range of the optical information falls within a wavelength range of the infrared light.