IP Library Granted Patent US 9,826,890
Granted Patent B2
US 9,826,890 · App. 14/625,394 · Granted Nov 28, 2017

Endoscope and manufacturing method of endoscope

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,826,890
App. No.
14/625,394
Granted
Nov 28, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

An endoscope which promotes downsizing and cost reduction, and a manufacturing method of an endoscope are provided. For this reason, in an endoscope, a lens unit containing a lens in a lens tube, an image capturing element of which an image capturing surface is covered with element cover glass, and an adhesive resin fixing the lens unit of which an optical axis of the lens is coincident with the center of the image capturing surface to the element cover glass with a separation portion are disposed.

Claims (40)

1. An endoscope, comprising:

a lens unit containing a lens in a lens tube, the lens including an optical axis;

an image capturing element including an image capturing surface which is covered with an element cover glass, the optical axis of the lens being coincident with a center of the image capturing surface;

an adhesive resin fixing an image capturing element side of the lens in the lens unit to the element cover glass and fixing an image capturing element side of the lens tube to the element cover glass, the adhesive resin being a light transmitting material;

a separation portion between the lens unit and the element cover glass; and

a mold resin covering the image capturing element and at least a part of the lens unit, the mold resin being a light blocking material.

2. The endoscope of claim 1 ,

wherein the separation portion is filled with an adhesive resin.

3. The endoscope of claim 1 ,

wherein an air layer transmitting light from the lens is disposed in the separation portion.

4. The endoscope of claim 1 ,

wherein the image capturing element side of the lens includes a concave surface or a convex surface.

5. The endoscope of claim 4 ,

wherein the separation portion is filled with the adhesive resin, and

a refractive index of the lens and a refractive index of the adhesive resin have a refractive index difference greater than or equal to a predetermined value.

6. The endoscope of claim 4 ,

wherein the lens unit is adhered and fixed to the image capturing element with a distance of a predetermined range in an optical axis direction in the separation portion.

7. The endoscope of claim 1 ,

wherein an outermost surface of the lens on the image capturing element side of the lens is magnesium fluoride.

8. The endoscope of claim 1 ,

wherein an outermost surface of the lens on the image capturing element side of the lens is any one of a metal oxide, metal, silicon oxide, silicon carbide, and silicon.

9. The endoscope of claim 1 ,

wherein an outermost surface of the lens on the image capturing element side of the lens is a silane coupling agent.

10. A manufacturing method of an endoscope, comprising:

applying a UV thermosetting resin to at least one of a lens unit containing a lens in a lens tube, the lens including an optical axis, and an image capturing element which includes an image capturing surface covered with an element cover glass;

supporting the lens unit;

positioning the optical axis of the lens unit and a center of the image capturing surface of the image capturing element by referring to an image captured by the image capturing element while moving the image capturing element supported on an XYZ stage;

adjusting a position of the lens unit relative to the image capturing element along the optical axis of the lens unit;

temporarily fixing the lens unit to the image capturing element with the UV thermosetting resin by ultraviolet irradiation;

permanently fixing an image capturing element side of the lens in the lens unit to the element cover glass of the image capturing element and permanently fixing an image capturing side of the lens tube to the element cover glass of the image capturing element with the UV thermosetting resin by heat treatment, the heat treated UV thermosetting resin being a light transmitting material; and

covering the image capturing element and at least a part of the lens unit with a mold resin, the mold resin being a light blocking material.

11. A manufacturing method of an endoscope, comprising:

applying a UV thermosetting resin to at least one of a lens unit containing a lens in a lens tube, the lens including an optical axis, and an image capturing element which includes an image capturing surface covered with an element cover glass;

arranging a right and left camera including a first camera and a second camera of which optical axes are coincident with each other between the image capturing element and the lens unit;

moving the center of an image capturing surface of the image capturing element onto the center of a screen by referring to a projected image captured by the first camera;

moving the center of the lens unit onto the center of the screen by referring to a projected image captured by the second camera;

adjusting a distance in a direction along the optical axis of the lens unit and the image capturing element by referring to a projected image captured by the image capturing element after retracting the right and left camera;

temporarily fixing the lens unit to the image capturing element with the UV thermosetting resin by ultraviolet irradiation;

permanently fixing an image capturing element side of the lens in the lens unit to the element cover glass of the image capturing element and permanently fixing an image capturing side of the lens tube to the element cover glass of the image capturing element with the UV thermosetting resin by heat treatment, the heat treated UV thermosetting resin being a light transmitting material; and

covering the image capturing element and at least a part of the lens unit with a mold resin, the mold resin being a light blocking material.

Assignments (7)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Mar 16, 2023
From: PANASONIC I-PRO SENSING SOLUTIONS CO., LTD.
To: I-PRO CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 063101/0966 →
CHANGE OF ADDRESS Recorded Mar 16, 2023
From: I-PRO CO., LTD.
To: I-PRO CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 063102/0075 →
CHANGE OF ADDRESS Recorded Dec 31, 2020
From: PANASONIC I-PRO SENSING SOLUTIONS CO., LTD.
To: PANASONIC I-PRO SENSING SOLUTIONS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 054883/0248 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Dec 31, 2020
From: PSP HOLDINGS CO., LTD
To: PANASONIC I-PRO SENSING SOLUTIONS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 054883/0234 →
MERGER Recorded Dec 31, 2020
From: PANASONIC I-PRO SENSING SOLUTIONS CO., LTD.
To: PSP HOLDINGS CO., LTD
Reel/Frame 054883/0201 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 19, 2019
From: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
To: PANASONIC I-PRO SENSING SOLUTIONS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 051369/0172 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 28, 2015
From: OSADA, AKINORI; SANADA, TAKAFUMI; HANADA, YASUYUKI; HARAGUCHI, NAOYUKI; SUZUKI, TAKAHISA; TANAKA, TOORU; NAGAYASU, HIROSHI
To: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 035991/0758 →