Karl Storz-gmbh & Co. Kg

Deutsche Thomson-brandt Gmbh

Karl Storz Se Co. & Kg

Thomson Licensing

Fang Lei

Ulrich Weiger

Markus Kupferschmid

Jan Dahmen

Frank Lederer

Klaus M Irion

George Berci

Benedikt Koehler

J&uuml;rgen Rudischhauser

Klaus Renner

Christoph Leidolt

Andre Ehrhardt

Lieu Kim Dang

Jurgen Rudischhauser

Benedikt Köhler

Siegfried Hoefig

Ewald Stihl

Uwe Martin

Frank Fuerst

Frank Fürst

Manfred Spruck

Bernhard Seegert

Joerg Halbig

Volker Preuss

J&ouml;rg Weitzel

Dieter Probach

Sven Mersmann

Siegfried HÖFIG

Jörg Halbig

Lieu-Kim Dang

An endoscope pipe with a central, elongated observation window on the distal end, whereby several light outlet openings for fiberoptic end surfaces are positioned close to the observation window for illuminating the angle area observed through the observation window and the light outlet openings are positioned asymmetrically in relation to the longitudinal extension of the observation window and/or the fiberoptic end surfaces are held in the light outlet openings in such a way that light is beamed from the fiberoptic end surfaces into the angle area in various directions.

Endoscope-pipe

An endoscope includes a light outlet surface at the distal end of the endoscope and a controllable light-refracting device for controllable refraction of illuminating light by a shapeable phase interface between two fluids, such that the controllable light-refracting device is disposed at the distal end of the endoscope.

Endoscope with adjustable viewing angle

An endoscope with adjustable viewing angle includes one of a number of light outlet devices on the distal end of the endoscope, such that the light outlet devices are configured and positioned to conduct illuminating light emerging from different light outlet devices into at least partly different solid angles, several lightwave conductors to conduct illuminating light to the light outlet devices and a light splitting device for controllably switching illuminating light into one or more of the number of lightwave conductors.

An endoscope with adjustable viewing angle includes a light outlet device on the distal end of the endoscope to radiate illuminating light at an angle of illumination and a light conductor to transmit illuminating light to the light outlet device such that the light outlet device can be moved to adjust the angle of illumination in relation to the endoscope and such that a flexible portion of the light conductor is configured and positioned in order to be elastically reshaped when the light outlet surface is moved.

An exoscope serves for observing and illuminating an object field on a patient from a position set apart from the patient's body. A lens system serves to observe the object field and an illumination serves to illuminate the object field. A distance between the lens system and the object field can be modified by a bracket. A shaft comprises on its distal end a head member that is widened in comparison to it, so that the illumination reaches into the distal-side head member. Positioned in the head member is at least one radiating illumination unit whose radiant characteristic can be adjusted in such a way that the object field can be illuminated homogeneously at all possible distances from the lens system. Supply lines for the at least one illuminating unit are positioned in the shaft.

Exoscope

An illumination system for producing light and for launching the light into a proximal end of an optical cable of an observation apparatus for endoscopy or microscopy has a light source having at least one LED. In addition, the illumination system has an optical light guiding element between the light source and the proximal end of the optical cable for introducing the light emitted by the light source into the proximal end of the optical cable, wherein a first end region of the optical light guiding element on a side facing the light source has a smaller cross-sectional area than a second end region of the optical light guiding element on a side facing the proximal end of the optical cable. Furthermore, the illumination system has a cooling apparatus which has at least one cooling body and which is thermally conductively connected to the light source in order to remove heat produced by the light source from the illumination system. The cooling body is arranged completely on a side of the light source which is remote from the optical light guiding element.

Illumination system for endoscopy or microscopy

An endoscope comprises a shaft with an outer tube and with an inner tube extending inside the latter, the outer and inner tubes being radially spaced apart from one another such that they form between them an axially extending channel, which provides space for receiving a light guide. An intermediate tube having flexural strength is arranged between the outer tube and the inner tube, which intermediate tube at least partially surrounds the inner tube.

Endoscope

An endoscope tube having at least one image inversion system consisting of two rod lenses, in which the first rod ends, pointing to an intermediate image plane, have a marginal cylinder, which is mounted in the endoscope tube, in which the second rod ends, which lie symmetrical to an aperture plane, have a diameter that is smaller than the inner diameter of the endoscope tube, so that the end surfaces associated with the first rod lenses are convex in configuration, the end surfaces associated with the second rod ends can be cemented together with a lens element, and a distance holder that defines the aperture area is inserted between the two rod lenses, is characterized in that the rod diameter in each case continually decreases from the marginal cylinder toward the second rod end.

Endoscope tube with image inversion system

A rod lens comprises a tubular body having a first end, a second end, a length and a diameter, a first optically transparent closing element, tightly sealing the first end of the tubular body, a second optical transparent closing element, tightly sealing the second end of the body. The rod lens further comprises n further optical elements being positioned within the tubular body defining n+1 chambers in the tubular body, with n being an integer &#x3e;0, and n+1 optical fluids being positioned in the n+1 chambers, with each of the n+1 optical fluids being positioned in one of the n+1 chambers, whereby at least one of the n+1 optical fluids having a refractive index different from the other n+1 optical fluids.

Rod lens

The invention relates to an image transmission system for rigid endoscopes, having a central rod lens and two outer rod lenses, which are symmetrical in respect to one another in relation to a vertical central plane of the image transmission system relative to the optical axis, wherein all lens elements consist of optically homogenous material, all optically active surface are spherical and two lens elements are stuck to on another facing each other or facing away from one another on the opposite sided of the central and outer lenses in the main lens elements of the rod lenses so that the resulting composite lens is biconvex. According to the invention, the rod lenses are arranged apex to apex next to one another and the central rod lens is substantially as long as or longer than the outer rod lenses. The solution according to the invention provides an image that is as light as possible at a given transmission length, wherein the structure of the rod lens system is simple and imaging errors can be corrected as in prior art. The number of components and production complexity are low.

Image transmission system from three rod lenses for rigid endoscopes

An endoscope, comprising an elongated rigid shaft and an optical imaging system arranged at a distal end of the shaft for receiving light from an observation area, wherein the optical imaging system is pivotable with respect to the shaft about a first pivot axis which runs about transversely to a longitudinal axis of the shaft. The optical imaging system is pivotable with respect to the shaft about at least a second pivot axis, which is spaced from the first pivot axis and runs about transversely to the longitudinal axis of the shaft, and an overall pivot range of the optical imaging system about the first and at least second pivot axis is at least 150&#xb0; from the longitudinal axis of the shaft.

Endoscope with variable direction of view

The invention relates to an image transmission system for endoscopes and similar viewing tubes with at least one rod lens and at least one additional lens system. In order to produce an image transmission system of simple and economical construction, it is proposed in accordance with the invention that the minimum of one rod lens should be constructed as a plano-convex lens whose length corresponds to the curvature radius of its convex terminal surface. In addition, the invention relates to a process for producing a rod lens for an image transmission system as well as an endoscope equipped with such an image transmission system.

Image transmission system for endoscopes and method of producing a rod lens

A rod lens with one or more optically active surfaces and one or more inactive surfaces, in which one part of the optically inactive surface or surfaces, especially a lens facet and/or radial peripheral surface of a lens, is smooth, and a method for smoothing one part of one or more optically inactive surfaces of a lens, especially of a lens facet and/or radial peripheral surface of a lens. As a result, the occurrence of fissures in the lens is prevented or reduced.

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Durchhausen, Germany

Fang Lei