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EP0920276B1 Expired / Lapsed EP ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Rigid endoscope with lighting

Assignee: MGB Endoskopische Geraete GmbH Berlin
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Filing: 1997-08-12
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Granted: 2003-08-20
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Expires: 2017-08-12
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Abstract

No abstract record available.

Inventors

  • 👤 Gerhard Fritz Buess
  • 👤 Ernst Flemming
  • 👤 Wolfgang Jürgen KUNERT
  • 👤 Marc Oliver Schurr
  • 👤 Edward Naujoks
  • 👤 Johannes Tschepe

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction EP
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-23 01:24
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B1/00; A61B1/12; A61B1/127; A61B1/00064; A61B1/00071; A61B1/0008; A61B1/00091; A61B1/00163; A61B1/00165; A61B1/00174; A61B1/00179; A61B1/06; A61B1/0605; A61B1/0625; A61B1/07

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim 180 words
Rigid endoscope consisting of a jacket tube (19) having an optical system (1) and a first glass fibre bundle (2, 2'), radiating parallel to the image axis (4) of the optical system (1), and a second optical illumination system, the first glass fibre bundle (2, 2") and the second optical illumination system being arranged in such a way that they illuminate a field of vision captured by the optical system (1) and the light exit direction (3.1) at the light exit (3.2, 3.2', 3.2") of the second optical illumination system being offset laterally relative to the viewing direction in accordance with the image axis (4) on the distal end (1.2) of the optical system (1) by an amount such that because of the resultant parallax and the shadow formation and unequal light distribution thus attained, the plasticity of the image reproduction for three-dimensional objects (8) is increased, characterised in that the second optical illumination system is set back by a distance (d) in the range of 5 to 50 mm from the distal end (1.2) of the optical system (1).
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 21 words
Endoscope according to claim 1, characterised in that the second optical illumination system is a glass fibre bundle (3, 3', 3").
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 36 words
Endoscope according to claim 2, characterised in that the glass fibres of the first and/or second glass fibre bundle (2, 2', 3, 3', 3") are distributed over an angular region coaxially about the optical system (1).
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 24 words
Endoscope according to claim 3, characterised in that the first and/or second glass fibre bundle (2, 2', 3, 3', 3") has/have a crescent-shaped cross-section.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 46 words
Endoscope according to claim 2, characterised in that the light exit direction (3.1) of the second glass fibre bundle (3, 3', 3") and the viewing direction of the optical system (1) is oriented at an inclination to the longitudinal axis (1.5) of the jacket tube (19).
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 39 words
Endoscope according to claim 5, characterised in that the inclination of the light exit direction (3.1) of the second glass fibre bundle (3, 3', 3") and the viewing direction of the optical system (1) are in the same direction.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 43 words
Endoscope according to claim 5 or 6, characterised in that the light exit direction (3.1) of the second glass fibre bundle (3, 3', 3") forms an angle α (5) of greater than zero with the viewing direction (4) of the optical system (1).
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 23 words
Endoscope according to claim 2, characterised in that the second glass fibre bundle (3, 3', 3") is integrated with the jacket tube (19).
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 54 words
Endoscope according to claim 2, characterised in that both the light exits (2.2, 3.2, 3.2', 3.2,") of the first and second glass fibre bundles (2, 2', 3, 3', 3") and the portion (1.1) of the optical system (1) toward the object are arranged in the region of the distal end (1.2) of the endoscope.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 63 words
Endoscope according to claim 2, characterised in that the glass fibres at the light exit (3.2, 3.2', 3.2") of the second glass fibre bundle (3, 3', 3") have an end face that is ground plane and is oriented perpendicular to their longitudinal direction, or that they are ground so as to be inclined by an angle β (12) to such an end face.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 44 words
Endoscope according to claim 2, characterised in that the light exit (3.2, 3.2', 3.2") of the second, in particular plane-ground, glass fibre bundle (3, 3', 3") is arranged longitudinally displaceably with respect to the jacket tube (19), in order to influence the shadow effect.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 35 words
Endoscope according to claim 2, characterised in that the proximal ends of the first and second glass fibre bundle (2, 2', 3, 3', 3") are joined together in a common optical fibre cable connection (13).
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 70 words
Endoscope according to claim 12, characterised in that the common optical fibre cable connection (13) includes a device (13.1), in particular an aperture, for adjusting the quantity of light input into the proximal ends of the first and second glass fibre bundles (2, 2', 3, 3', 3") and/or adjusting the distribution of the quantity of light input to the first and second glass fibre bundles (2, 2', 3, 3', 3").
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 45 words
Endoscope according to claim 2, in particular according to claim 12, characterised in that the number of individual glass fibres in the first and second glass fibre bundles (2, 2', 3, 3', 3") are adapted per bundle to the quantity of light to be transmitted.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 28 words
Endoscope according to claim 1, characterised in that at least one insufflation channel (14) and/or at least one flushing channel (15) is/are provided in the jacket tube (19).
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 30 words
Endoscope according to claims 2 and 15, characterised in that the insufflation channel (14) is arranged between the second glass fibre bundle (3, 3', 3") and the optical system (1).
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 46 words
Endoscope according to claim 15, characterised in that a means (16, 17) for beam shaping is mounted on the distal end of the insufflation channel (14), the means being used to clean the distal end (1.2) of the endoscope and, in particular, the image entrance face.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 32 words
Endoscope according to claim 1, characterised in that a heater (18) is provided in the jacket tube (19) to control the temperature of an insufflation gas conveyed in the insufflation channel (14).
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 32 words
Endoscope according to claim 1, characterised in that a heater (18) is provided in the jacket tube (19) to control the temperature of a flushing liquid conveyed in the flushing channel (15).
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 41 words
Endoscope according to claim 2, characterised in that a heater (18) is provided in the jacket tube (19) to control the temperature of the jacket tube (19), including at least one of the glass fibre bundles (2, 2', 3, 3', 3").
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 46 words
Endoscope according to claim 15, characterised in that a means (16, 17) for beam shaping is mounted on the distal end of the flushing channel (15), the means being used to clean the distal end (1.2) of the endoscope and, in particular, the image entrance face.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim 30 words
Endoscope according to claims 2 and 15, characterised in that the flushing channel (15) is arranged between the second glass fibre bundle (3, 3', 3") and the optical system (1).

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