Circuit board assembly of a multiple viewing elements endoscope
There is provided herein, an electronic circuit board assembly for a tip section of a multiple viewing elements endoscope, the assembly including a base board configured to carry a first metal frame to support a front looking viewing element and a second metal frame to support a side looking viewing element; and a flexible illumination circuit board comprising a front foldable panel configured to carry three sets of front illuminators for essentially illuminating the field of view (FOV) of the front looking viewing element, and a side foldable panel configured to carry a set of side illuminators for essentially illuminating the field of view (FOV) of the side looking viewing element.
1. An assembly for a tip section of an endoscope, the assembly comprising:
a printed circuit board configured to move from a unfolded configuration to a folded configuration, the printed circuit board comprising:
a U-shaped carrier including a first arm, a second arm, and a base connecting the first arm to the second arm,
a first strip connected to the first arm, wherein the first strip is coplanar with the first arm in the unfolded configuration of the printed circuit board, and wherein the first strip extends transverse to the first arm in the folded configuration of the printed circuit board,
at least one panel protruding from an edge portion of the first strip, wherein the at least one panel is coplanar with the first strip in the unfolded configuration of the printed circuit board, and wherein the at least one panel extends transverse to the first strip in the folded configuration of the printed circuit board, and
a second strip connected to the second arm, wherein the second strip is coplanar with the second arm in the unfolded configuration of the printed circuit board, wherein the second strip extends transverse to the second arm in the folded configuration of the printed circuit board, and wherein the second strip extends parallel to the first strip;
at least one illuminator coupled to at least one of the U-shaped carrier and the at least one panel;
at least one image sensor received between opposing edges of the printed circuit board with the printed circuit board in the folded configuration; and
a heat sink configured to receive the printed circuit board.
2. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least one illuminator is coupled to the at least one panel.
3. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least one illuminator includes a plurality of illuminators, wherein one of the plurality of illuminators is coupled to the U-shaped carrier and another one of the plurality of illuminators is coupled to the at least one panel.
4. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least one panel includes a plurality of panels protruding from the edge portion of the first strip.
5. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least one panel is at least one first panel, and wherein the printed circuit board includes at least one second panel protruding from an edge portion of the second strip.
6. The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of illuminators coupled to the U-shaped carrier.
7. The assembly of claim 6 , wherein the at least one panel is a plurality of first panels protruding from the edge portion of the first strip, and the printed circuit board includes a plurality of second panels protruding from an edge portion of the second strip, and wherein the at least one illuminator is at least one front illuminator, and the printed circuit board includes a plurality of side illuminators coupled to the plurality of first and second panels.
8. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the heat sink includes at least one recess configured to receive the at least one panel.
9. An assembly for a tip section of an endoscope, the assembly comprising:
a printed circuit board configured to move from an unfolded configuration to a folded configuration, the printed circuit board comprising:
a carrier including a first arm, a second arm, and a base connecting the first arm and the second arm,
a first strip connected to the first arm,
a first panel connected to the first strip,
a second strip connected to the second arm, and
a second panel connected to the second strip, wherein in the folded configuration of the printed circuit board, the first and second strips extend transverse to the carrier, the first panel extends transverse to the first strip, and the second panel extends transverse to the second strip;
a plurality of illuminators, wherein each of the front carrier, the first panel, and the second panel has at least one illuminator mounted thereon;
at least one image sensor, wherein the at least one image sensor is received between opposing edges of the printed circuit board; and
a heat sink configured to receive the printed circuit board.
10. The assembly of claim 9 , further comprising front illuminators mounted to the carrier, wherein at least one of the front illuminators is mounted to the first arm, at least another of the front illuminators is mounted to the second arm, and at least another of the front illuminators is mounted to the base.
11. The assembly of claim 9 , wherein the printed circuit board further comprises a third panel connected to the first strip, wherein the third panel has an illuminator of the plurality of illuminators mounted thereon.
12. The assembly of claim 11 , wherein the printed circuit board further comprises a fourth panel connected to the second strip, wherein the fourth panel has an illuminator of the plurality of illuminators mounted thereon.
13. The assembly of claim 9 , wherein the illuminators mounted to the first and second panels face opposing directions.
14. The assembly of claim 11 , wherein the illuminators mounted to the first and second panels face a direction perpendicular to the direction the illuminator mounted to the carrier.
15. An assembly for a tip section of an endoscope, the assembly comprising:
a printed circuit board configured to move from an unfolded configuration to a folded configuration, the printed circuit board comprising, when in the folded configuration:
a distal planar portion, and
at least one proximal planar portion, the at least one proximal planar portion extending perpendicular to the distal planar portion;
a heat sink configured to receive the printed circuit board, the heat sink comprising:
a distal-facing end surface,
a first side extending proximally from the distal-facing end surface,
a second side extending proximally from the distal-facing end surface, wherein the first and second sides extend proximally from opposite sides of the distal-facing end surface, and
at least one recess formed in at least one of the first and second sides;
wherein the heat sink receives the printed circuit board such that the distal planar portion of the printed circuit board covers at least a portion of the distal-facing end surface of the heat sink, and the at least one proximal planar portion is received within the at least one recess of the heat sink.
16. The assembly of claim 15 , further comprising a plurality of illuminators, wherein at least one illuminator is mounted to the distal planar portion of the printed circuit board and at least one other illuminator is mounted to the proximal planar portion of the printed circuit board.
17. The assembly of claim 15 , wherein the at least on recess includes a three-sided slot.
18. The assembly of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of proximal planar portions includes a plurality of pairs of proximal planar portions, and the plurality of recesses includes a plurality of pairs of recesses.
19. The assembly of claim 15 , wherein the heat sink further comprises at least one aperture in at least one of the first and second sides, and the at least one aperture receives at least one viewing element.
20. The assembly of claim 18 , wherein the heat sink further comprises at least one aperture between at least one pair of recesses and the aperture receives at least one viewing element.