EP0845694A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Magnetic coupling assembly for endoscope
Assignee: Linvatec Corp
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Filing: 1997-11-27
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2017-11-27
Abstract
Abstract An endoscope coupler apparatus and method includes a sealed chamber and a lens assembly movable within the chamber for optically adjusting an image to be received by a video camera. The optical adjustment may be, for example, a focus adjustment or a zoom or orientation adjustment, etc. In a preferred embodiment, spaced permanent drive magnets located in an outer rotatable frame situated outside of the chamber are magnetically coupled with respective permanent driven magnets secured to an inner rotatable frame within the sealed chamber. The outer frame is rotatable but not longitudinally movable about the chamber and rotates the drive magnets and, therefore, the driven magnets. The inner frame is secured to a rotatable cylindrical housing which engages a lens assembly. Rotation of the driven magnets and the cylindrical housing moves the lens assembly longitudinally in response to rotation of an adjustment ring attached to the outer frame.
Inventors
- 👤 Craig J. Speier
- 👤 Arthur James Devine
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 23:15
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B1/00; A61B1/00163; A61B1/00188; A61B1/00112; A61B1/00121; A61B1/00126; G; G02; G02B; G02B23/00; G02B23/24; G02B23/2476; G02B23/2484; H; H01; H01R; H01R35/00; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S403/00; Y10S403/01
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 24
Claim 1
Independent Claim
171 words
An adjustable endoscope coupler for optically
coupling an endoscope to a viewing device, said coupler comprising: a lens; an elongated sealed chamber surrounding said lens
and having a longitudinal axis, said chamber comprising a first
peripheral wall and having an axially aligned opening at each end
for permitting light to pass through said chamber and said lens; a lens holder supporting said lens and movable along
said longitudinal axis within said chamber, said lens holder
comprising a second peripheral wall parallel to said first
peripheral wall; a hollow housing comprising a third peripheral wall
interposed between said first and second peripheral walls, said
housing having an open proximal end, an open distal end and adapted
to slidably receive said lens holder therein; driven means for moving said housing in response to
motion of said drive means; motion transmitting means interconnecting said lens
holder and said housing for transferring motion therebetween; and drive means movably supported outside said sealed
chamber for acting through said first peripheral wall to move said
driven means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
48 words
An adjustable endoscope coupler according to claim
1 wherein said driven means comprises a driven magnet means having
at least one first magnet and wherein said drive means comprises a
drive magnet means having at least one second magnet magnetically
coupled to said at least one first magnet.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
58 words
An adjustable endoscope coupler according to claim
2 wherein said drive magnet means further comprises: a movable adjustment control member attached to said
drive magnet means for selectively moving said drive magnet means
to thereby move said driven magnet means in said sealed chamber in
response to movement of said adjustment control member relative to
said sealed chamber.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
34 words
An adjustable endoscope coupler according to claim
2 wherein said drive magnet means further comprises: means for enabling rotation of said drive magnet
means relative to said sealed chamber while limiting translation
relative thereto.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
32 words
An adjustable endoscope coupler according to claim
2 wherein said drive magnet means and said driven magnet means each
comprise an annular array of a plurality of first and second
magnets, respectively.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
36 words
An endoscope coupler according to claim 5 wherein
said drive magnet means and said driven magnet means each comprise
a cylindrical annular housing formed of ferromagnetic material and
retaining said first and second magnets thereto, respectively.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
76 words
An endoscope coupler according to claim 6 wherein
said drive magnet means further comprises an annular ring having a
plurality of radially inwardly facing recesses for receiving a like
plurality of magnets, said recesses separated by radially inwardly
extending, flux concentrating projections and said driven magnet
means further comprises an annular ring having a plurality of
outwardly facing recesses for receiving a like plurality of
magnets, said recesses separated by radially outwardly extending,
flux concentrating projections.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
23 words
An adjustable endoscope coupler according to claim
7 wherein said projections are in sliding contact with the
respective surfaces of said sealed chamber.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
17 words
An adjustable endoscope coupler according to claim
7 wherein said projections also extend longitudinally a predeterined
distance.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
22 words
An adjustable endoscope coupler according to claim
1 wherein said driven means is supported adjacent said proximal end
of said hollow housing.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
43 words
An adjustable endoscope coupler according to claim
1 wherein said drive and driven means each comprise a plurality of
annularly arranged magnets, each of which is a rectilinear solid
and is situated in radial alignment with the axis of said elongated
sealed chamber.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
47 words
An adjustable endoscope coupler according to claim
1 wherein said motion transmitting means interconnecting said lens
holder and said driven means comprises a slidable mechanical
connection means comprising a pin on one of said lens holder and
said driven means and a cooperating slot on the other.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
56 words
An adjustable endoscope coupler according to claim
1 wherein said motion transmitting means interconnecting said lens
holder and said driven means comprises a slidable mechanical
connection means comprising a pin on said housing engaging a
helical slot on said lens holder and a pin on said sealed chamber
engaging a linear slot on said lens holder.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
109 words
An adjustable endoscope coupler comprising: a sealed chamber having a cylindrical peripheral
wall, an axis and light transparent ends; a lens assembly comprising a lens and a cylindrical
lens holder axially aligned within said sealed chamber; a rotatable cylinder interposed between said lens
assembly and said cylindrical peripheral wall; mechanical motion translating means interposed
between said lens assembly and said rotatable cylinder for
converting rotational motion of one component to linear motion of
the other component; driven means attached to said rotatable cylinder for
rotating same in response to a stimulus from outside said sealed
chamber; and drive means situated outside said sealed chamber for
rotating said driven means.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
49 words
An endoscope coupler according to claim 14 wherein
said motion translating means further comprises: first motion limiting means for preventing linear
motion of said lens assembly without rotation of said rotatable
cylinder; and second motion limiting means for preventing
rotational motion of said lens assembly relative to said axis.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
214 words
The method of optically adjusting a coupler adapted
for optically coupling an endoscope to a video camera, said method
comprising the steps of: (a) providing a lens supported by a cylindrical
lens holder in a sealed elongated chamber having an axis, a
cylindrical peripheral wall and an axially aligned opening at each
end to permit light to pass through said chamber and said lens; (b) interposing a hollow cylindrical housing
between said lens holder and said peripheral wall of said sealed
chamber; (c) providing in said sealed chamber, between said
cylindrical housing and said lens holder, a motion translating
means for translating rotational motion of said cylindrical housing
into longitudinal motion of said lens holder; (d) securing a plurality of annularly arranged
driven magnets to said cylindrical housing at respective angularly
spaced locations about the axis of said chamber; (e) supporting a plurality of annularly arranged
drive magnets outside said chamber, each drive magnet being
magnetically coupled to a respective driven magnet through the
peripheral wall of said chamber; and (f) rotating said drive magnets about said axis
while preventing axial movement thereof along said axis, thereby
rotating said driven magnets and said cylindrical housing as a
result of said magnetic coupling and thereby causing said motion
translating means to move said lens holder.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
47 words
A method according to claim 16 wherein said step of
rotating said drive magnets further comprises the steps of: providing a cylindrical control member axially
aligned about said sealed chamber and joined to all of said drive
magnets; and rotating said cylindrical control member about its
axis.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
34 words
A method according to claim 16 further comprising
the step of preventing longitudinal motion of said plurality of
drive magnets, said plurality of driven magnets and said
cylindrical housing relative to said sealed chamber.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
69 words
A method according to claim 17 further comprising
the step of providing an outer magnetically conductive housing to
retain said drive magnets, said outer housing having a radially
inwardly extending projection between adjacent drive magnets, and
providing an inner magnetically conductive housing to retain said
driven magnets, said inner housing having a radially outwardly
extending projection between adjacent driven magnets, each of said
projections lying in a radial plane.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method according to claim 19 further comprising
the step of extending each of said projections longitudinally a
predetermined distance.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
27 words
A method according to claim 16 further comprising
the step of retaining said drive magnets and driven magnets within
respective cylindrical housings solely by magnetic attraction
therebetween.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
109 words
The method of optically adjusting a coupler adapted
for optically coupling an endoscope to a video camera, said method
comprising the steps of: providing a sealed cylindrical chamber; providing within said sealed chamber a slidable lens
assembly; providing within said sealed chamber a mechanical
motion translating means for moving said lens assembly; providing a drive means adjacent the exterior of
said sealed chamber for non-contiguously causing motion of said
driven means within said sealed chamber; providing a driven means attached to said motion
translating means for being non-contiguously moved by said drive
means; and moving said drive means relative to said sealed
chamber to thereby move said lens assembly.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
17 words
A method according to claim 22 wherein said drive
means and said driven means are magnetically coupled.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
28 words
A method according to claim 22 further comprising
the step of rotating and not translating said drive means in order
to rotate and not translate said driven means.
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