Endoscope with disposable camera shaft and reuseable handle

1 . An endoscope, comprising:

a handle and a first insertion shaft;

the first insertion shaft having an illumination emitter and a solid state imaging sensor at or near a distal tip of the shaft, the illumination emitter and imaging sensor designed to provide illumination and imaging of an interior of a body cavity for a surgeon during surgery;

a proximal portion of the handle having electronics designed to drive the illumination emitter and to receive an imaging signal from the imaging sensor, the proximal handle portion being designed to permit sterilization of the proximal handle portion between uses;

a separation joint between the proximal handle portion and the first insertion shaft, the separation joint having handle portions attached to the proximal handle portion and insertion shaft portions attached to the first insertion shaft designed to separably connect the first insertion shaft to the proximal handle portion:

when the handle portions and the insertion shaft portions are separated, the separation joint permitting removal of the first insertion shaft for disposal and replacement of the first insertion shaft; and

when the handle portions and the insertion shaft portions are connected, the separation joint designed to provide mechanical force transfer applied by a surgeon's hand to the first insertion shaft,

the separation joint designed to transfer roll torques,

the separation joint having a lock designed to lock the first insertion shaft and proximal handle portion of the endoscope to each other,

the separation joint having facing flat force-transmittal surfaces at or near a periphery of the separation joint that, when the separation joint is connected and locked, abut flat force-transmittal surfaces of the first insertion shaft at or near a periphery of the first insertion shaft to transmit insertion and withdrawal forces across the separation joint, the separation joint's lock and peripheral flat force-transmittal surfaces designed to provide stiffness in bending across the separation joint to transfer pitch and yaw torques across the separation joint,

the separation joint having an electrical connector designed to provide separable electrical connectivity between the proximal handle electronics and the illumination emitter and imaging sensor;

the separation joint designed to bring the peripheral flat force-transmittal surfaces together via a motion compatible with connection of the electrical connector

the separation joint designed to permit removal of the first insertion shaft for disposal and replacement, the first insertion shaft having length and diameter dimensions; and

the handle portions designed to reconnect a second insertion shaft at the separation joint, the second insertion shaft having at least one dimension, optical property, or configuration of the imaging sensor substantially different than the corresponding dimension, optical property, or sensor configuration of the first insertion shaft, the difference in dimension, optical property, or sensor configuration between the first and second insertion shafts specializing the first insertion shaft for surgery of organs of the body different than organs to which to second insertion shaft is specialized

one or more ultraviolet LEDs internal to the endoscope and designed to sterilize a region of an interior of the endoscope.

2 . The endoscope of claim 1 , further comprising:

a rotation joint between the proximal handle portion and the first or second insertion shaft designed to permit rotation of the insertion shaft relative to the proximal handle portion in a roll dimension about a central axis of the insertion shaft.

3 . The endoscope of claim 1 , further comprising:

the difference in dimension, optical property, or sensor configuration between the insertion shafts specializing the first and second shafts, respectively, to different types of surgery.

4 . An endoscope, comprising:

a handle and an insertion shaft;

the insertion shaft having an illumination emitter and a solid state imaging sensor at or near a distal tip of the shaft, the illumination emitter and imaging sensor designed to provide illumination and imaging of an interior of a body cavity for a surgeon during surgery;

a proximal portion of the handle having electronics designed to drive the illumination emitter and to receive an imaging signal from the imaging sensor, the proximal handle portion being designed to permit sterilization of the proximal handle portion between uses;

a separation joint between the proximal handle portion and the insertion shaft, the separation joint having handle portions attached to the proximal handle portion and insertion shaft portions attached to the first insertion shaft designed to separably connect the insertion shaft to the proximal handle portion:

when the handle portions and the insertion shaft portions are separated, the separation joint permitting removal of the insertion shaft for disposal and replacement of the insertion shaft; and

when the handle portions and the insertion shaft portions are connected, the separation joint designed to provide mechanical force transfer applied by a surgeon's hand to the insertion shaft,

the separation joint designed to transfer roll torques,

the separation joint having a lock designed to lock the insertion shaft and proximal handle portion of the endoscope to each other,

the separation joint having facing flat force-transmittal surfaces at or near a periphery of the separation joint that, when the separation joint is connected and locked, abut to transmit insertion and withdrawal forces across the separation joint, the separation joint's lock and peripheral flat force-transmittal surfaces designed to provide stiffness in bending across the separation joint to transfer pitch and yaw torques across the separation joint,

the separation joint having an electrical connector designed to provide separable electrical connectivity between the proximal handle electronics and the illumination emitter and imaging sensor;

the separation joint designed to bring the peripheral flat force-transmittal surfaces together via a motion compatible with connection of the electrical connector;

one or more ultraviolet LEDs internal to the endoscope and designed to sterilize a region of an interior of the endoscope.

5 . The endoscope of claim 4 , wherein:

the insertion shaft comprises a first insertion shaft and a second insertion shaft; and

the separation joint is designed to permit removal of the first insertion shaft for disposal and replacement, and the handle portions designed to reconnect the second insertion shaft at the separation joint, the second insertion shaft having at least one dimension, optical property, or configuration of the optical sensor substantially different than the corresponding dimension, optical property, or sensor configuration of the first insertion shaft, the difference in dimension, optical property, or sensor configuration between the first and second insertion shafts specializing the first insertion shaft for surgery of organs of the body different than organs to which to second insertion shaft is specialized.

6 . The endoscope of claim 4 , wherein:

the insertion shaft comprises two or more insertion shafts; and

pairs of the two or more insertion shafts having at least one dimension, optical property, or configuration of the optical sensor different than the corresponding dimension, optical property, or sensor configuration of the other, the different dimension, optical property, or sensor configuration specializing the respective insertion shafts to different surgical procedures, the insertion shaft connectable to the proximal handle portion at the handle portions of the separation joint, to permit use of the proximal handle portion in surgery with different requirements for the insertion shaft.

7 . The endoscope of claim 4 , further comprising:

a plurality of endoscope insertion shafts, each endoscope insertion shaft having an illumination emitter and a solid state imaging sensor at or near its respective tip, the illumination emitter and imaging sensor designed to provide illumination and imaging of an interior of a surgical cavity for a surgeon during surgery, the endoscope insertion shafts of the plurality having, respectively, differing dimensions, differing optical properties, or differently-configured imaging sensors at their respective tips, respectively specialized to different types of surgery.

8 . An endoscope, comprising:

a handle and a plurality of insertion shafts;

the insertion shafts having respective illumination emitters and solid state imaging sensors at or near respective tips of respective shafts, the illumination emitters and imaging sensors designed to provide illumination and imaging of body cavities for a surgeon during surgery;

a proximal portion of the handle having electronics designed to drive the illumination emitter and to receive an imaging signal from the imaging sensor, the proximal handle portion being designed to permit sterilization of the proximal handle portion between uses, and having one or more ultraviolet LEDs internal to the endoscope and designed to sterilize a region of an interior of the endoscope;

the endoscope insertion shafts of the plurality having, respectively, differing dimensions, differing optical properties, or differently-configured imaging sensors at their respective tips, respectively specialized to surgery of different organs of the body;

a separation joint having handle portions at the distal end of the proximal handle portion, the handle portions designed to permit removal of a first one of the plurality of insertion shafts for disposal and replacement and, to reconnect a second one of the plurality of insertion shafts, and to separably connect a respective one of the insertion shafts to the proximal handle portion at the separation joint;

the separation joint permitting removal of the first one of the plurality of insertion shafts for disposal and replacement

the separation joint designed to provide mechanical force transfer applied by a surgeon's hand to the connected insertion shaft, the separation joint having roll torque transfer means for transferring roll torques, the separation joint having locking means for locking the connected insertion shaft and proximal handle portions of the endoscope to each other, the separation joint having flat force-transmittal means, surfaces at or near a periphery of the separation joint that, when the separation joint is connected and locked, abut flat force-transmittal means, surfaces at or near a periphery of the one of the plurality of the insertion shafts, of one of the plurality of insertion shafts to transmit insertion and withdrawal forces across the separation joint, the separation joint's locking means and peripheral flat force-transmittal surfaces designed to provide stiffness in bending across the separation joint to transfer pitch and yaw torques across the separation joint,

the separation joint having an electrical connector designed to provide separable electrical connectivity between the proximal handle electronics and the illumination emitter and imaging sensor;

mechanical means of the separation joint designed to bring the peripheral flat force-transmittal surfaces together via a motion compatible with connection of the electrical connector;

the handle having a rotation collar having surface means for assisting the surgeon in rotating the first one of the plurality of insertion shaft in a roll dimension about a central axis of the insertion shaft relative to the proximal handle portion.

9 . The endoscope of claim 8 , wherein:

the handle further has a distal portion lying between the respective one of the insertion shafts and proximal handle portion, the respective one of the insertion shafts being rigidly affixed to the distal handle portion, and

the separation joint being disposed to connect and disconnect the distal and proximal portions of the handle;

the distal handle portion designed to indirectly transfer mechanical force between a surgeon's hand to the respective one of the insertion shafts, and provide indirect electrical connectivity from the proximal handle electronics to the illumination emitter and imaging sensor.

10 . An endoscope, comprising:

a handle and a plurality of endoscope insertion shafts;

each endoscope insertion shaft having an illumination emitter and a solid state imaging sensor at or near its respective tip, the illumination emitter and imaging sensor designed to provide illumination and imaging of an interior of a surgical cavity for a surgeon during surgery, the endoscope insertion shafts of the plurality having, respectively, differing dimensions, differing optical properties, or differently-configured imaging sensors at their respective tips, the difference in dimension, optical property, or sensor configuration between the insertion shafts specializing the respective insertion shaft to, respectively, different types of surgery;

the handle having electronics designed to drive the illumination emitter and to receive an imaging signal from the imaging sensor, the handle being designed to permit sterilization of a proximal handle portion between uses;

a separation joint between the handle and an endoscope insertion shaft of the plurality of endoscope insertion shafts designed to separably connect the endoscope insertion shaft of the plurality of endoscope insertion shafts to the handle:

the separation joint having handle portions attached to the handle and insertion shaft portions respectively attached to each of the plurality of endoscope insertion shafts;

when the handle portions and the insertion shaft portions of the separation joint are separated, the separation joint permitting removal of the endoscope insertion shaft of the plurality of endoscope insertion shafts for disposal and replacement of the endoscope insertion shaft of the plurality of endoscope insertion shafts; and

when the handle portions and one of the insertion shaft portions of the separation joint are connected, the separation joint designed to provide mechanical force transfer applied by a surgeon's hand to the endoscope insertion shaft of the plurality of endoscope insertion shafts,

the separation joint having an electrical connector designed to provide separable electrical connectivity between the handle electronics and the imaging sensor; and

one or more ultraviolet LEDs internal to the endoscope and designed to sterilize a region of an interior of the endoscope.

11 . The endoscope of claim 10 , wherein:

when the handle portions and one of the insertion shaft portions of the separation joint are connected, the separation joint designed to provide mechanical force transfer applied by a surgeon's hand to the insertion shaft of the plurality of endoscope insertion shafts,

the separation joint designed to transfer roll torques,

the separation joint having a lock designed to lock the insertion shaft and proximal handle portion of the endoscope to each other,

the separation joint having facing flat force-transmittal surfaces at or near a periphery of the separation joint that, when the separation joint is connected and locked, abut to transmit insertion and withdrawal forces across the separation joint,

the separation joint's lock and peripheral flat force-transmittal surfaces designed to provide stiffness in bending across the separation joint to transfer pitch and yaw torques across the separation joint.

12 . The endoscope of claim 10 , wherein:

the plurality of endoscope insertion shafts includes at least a first insertion shaft and second insertion shaft, separation joint designed to permit removal of the first insertion shaft for disposal and replacement,

the first insertion shaft having length and diameter dimensions; and

the handle portions of the separation joint designed to reconnect the second insertion shaft at the separation joint, the second insertion shaft having at least one dimension substantially different than the corresponding dimension of the first insertion shaft,

the difference in dimension, optical property, or sensor configuration between the first and second insertion shafts specializing the first insertion shaft for surgery of organs of the body different than organs to which to second insertion shaft is specialized.

13 . The endoscope of claim 10 , further comprising:

a rotation joint between the handle and the endoscope insertion shaft of the plurality of endoscope insertion shafts designed to permit rotation of the endoscope insertion shaft of the plurality of endoscope insertion shafts relative to the handle in a roll dimension about a central axis of the endoscope insertion shaft of the plurality of endoscope insertion shafts.

14 . The endoscope of claim 13 , wherein:

the handle has a rotation collar with a surface designed to assist the surgeon in rotating the endoscope insertion shaft of the plurality of endoscope insertion shafts relative to the handle in a roll dimension about a central axis of the endoscope insertion shaft of the plurality of endoscope insertion shafts.

15 . The endoscope of claim 13 , wherein:

the electronics inside the handle are designed to sense roll of the endoscope insertion shaft of the plurality of endoscope insertion shafts, and to provide an angular rotation signal designed to permit righting of a displayed image received from the imaging sensor.

16 . The endoscope of claim 10 , wherein:

the endoscope shafts of the plurality are respectively specialized to surgery on different parts of the body.

17 . The endoscope of claim 10 , wherein:

the endoscope shafts of the plurality have, respectively, differently-configured imaging sensors at their respective tips.

18 . The endoscope of claim 10 , wherein:

the endoscope shafts of the plurality have, respectively, imaging sensors at their respective tips mounted at differing field of view angles.

19 . The endoscope of claim 10 , further comprising:

two or more endoscope insertion shafts of the plurality of endoscope insertion shafts having, respectively, dimensions different than the others, each connectable to the handle at the separation joint, to permit use of the handle in surgery with different requirements for the endoscope insertion shaft.