IP Library Granted Patent US 10,368,727
Granted Patent B2
US 10,368,727 · App. 15/677,853 · Granted Aug 6, 2019

Endoscope and manufacturing method of endoscope

Inventors: Akinori Osada (Fukuoka, JP); Takafumi Sanada (Fukuoka, JP); Yasuyuki Hanada (Fukuoka, JP); Naoyuki Haraguchi (Saga, JP); Takahisa Suzuki (Fukuoka, JP); Tooru Tanaka (Fukuoka, JP); Hiroshi Nagayasu (Fukuoka, JP)
Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
A61B1/05A61B1/0011A61B1/00096G02B7/025G02B23/2423G02B23/2476
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,368,727
App. No.
15/677,853
Granted
Aug 6, 2019
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 (37)

1. An endoscope, comprising:

a lens unit including a lens tube, the lens tube 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 tube being coincident with a center of the image capturing surface;

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

a mold resin covering the adhesive resin and the element cover glass, the mold resin being a light blocking material.

2. The endoscope of claim 1 , further comprising:

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

3. The endoscope of claim 2 , wherein the separation portion is filled with the adhesive resin.

4. The endoscope of claim 2 , wherein an air layer is disposed in the separation portion.

5. The endoscope of claim 2 , 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.

6. The endoscope of claim 1 , wherein the image capturing element side of the lens includes a concave surface or a convex surface.

7. The endoscope of claim 6 , wherein 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.

8. The endoscope of claim 1 , wherein an outermost surface of the lens on the image capturing element side of the lens is magnesium fluoride.

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. The endoscope of claim 1 further comprising wherein the adhesive resin is on an outer circumferential portion of the lens unit.

12. The endoscope of claim 11 , wherein the outer circumferential portion of the lens unit is adjacent the image capturing element side of the lens tube.

13. An endoscope, comprising:

a lens unit including a lens tube, the lens tube 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 tube being coincident with a center of the image capturing surface;

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

a mold resin covering the adhesive resin and the image capturing element, the mold resin being a light blocking material.

14. The endoscope of claim 13 , further comprising:

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

15. The endoscope of claim 14 , wherein the separation portion is filled with the adhesive resin.

16. The endoscope of claim 14 , wherein an air layer is disposed in the separation portion.

17. The endoscope of claim 13 , wherein the image capturing element side of the lens includes a concave surface or a convex surface.

18. An endoscope, comprising:

a lens unit including a lens tube, the lens tube 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 tube being coincident with a center of the image capturing surface;

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

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.

19. The endoscope of claim 18 , further comprising:

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

20. The endoscope of claim 19 , wherein the separation portion is filled with the adhesive resin.

21. The endoscope of claim 19 , wherein an air layer is disposed in the separation portion.

22. The endoscope of claim 18 , wherein the image capturing element side of the lens includes a concave surface or a convex surface.

Assignments (6)
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 →
MERGER Recorded Dec 31, 2020
From: PANASONIC I-PRO SENSING SOLUTIONS CO., LTD.
To: PSP HOLDINGS CO., LTD
Reel/Frame 054883/0201 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Dec 31, 2020
From: PSP HOLDINGS CO., LTD
To: PANASONIC I-PRO SENSING SOLUTIONS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 054883/0234 →
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 →
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 →
Priority Claims (2)
JP 2014-037385 · Feb 27, 2014 · national
JP 2014-113260 · May 30, 2014 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation 14625394 · Feb 18, 2015
Related Publication 20170367565A1 · Dec 28, 2017