IP Library Granted Patent US 11,589,734
Granted Patent B2
US 11,589,734 · App. 17/172,653 · Granted Feb 28, 2023

Endoscope

Inventors: Shigeki Ogata (Fukuoka, JP); Naomi Shirai (Fukuoka, JP)
Assignee: I-PRO CO., LTD.
A61B1/00114A61B1/00133A61B1/045A61B1/0676H04N5/2252H04N5/2253H04N5/2258
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,589,734
App. No.
17/172,653
Granted
Feb 28, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

An endoscope includes a scope provided with a hard portion at a distal end of a long flexible portion having flexibility; an image capturing portion housed in the hard portion and having an image sensor; a transmission cable inserted into the scope and conductively connected to the image sensor at a distal end via a substrate, and a voltage conversion device mounted on the substrate and outputting a constant voltage to the image sensor with respect to a input voltage input to the transmission cable.

Claims (25)

1. An endoscope provided with a hard portion at a distal end of a scope, the endoscope comprising:

an image capturing portion housed in the hard portion and having an image sensor;

a substrate conductively connected to a transmission cable inserted into the scope and the image sensor; and

a voltage conversion device mounted on the substrate and outputting a constant voltage to the image sensor with respect to an input voltage input to the transmission cable,

wherein the substrate includes a first rigid substrate and a second rigid substrate connected by a hinge portion having flexibility, and

the image sensor is mounted on the first rigid substrate, and the voltage conversion device is mounted on the second rigid substrate.

2. The endoscope according to claim 1 , wherein

the voltage conversion device is a linear regulator.

3. The endoscope according to claim 2 , wherein

the voltage conversion device is an LDO regulator.

4. The endoscope according to claim 1 , wherein

the voltage conversion device and the image sensor are mounted on the same flexible substrate.

5. The endoscope according to claim 1 , wherein

a wireless device is mounted on the substrate.

6. The endoscope according to claim 1 , wherein

a motor driving device is mounted on the substrate.

7. The endoscope according to claim 1 , wherein

the hard portion includes a pair of image capturing portions with an axis sandwiched therebetween,

each of the substrates connected to each of the image sensors disposed in each of the pair of image capturing portions is formed by bending into an L-shape with a sensor connection portion parallel to a back surface of the corresponding image sensor and a cable connection portion perpendicular to the back surface, and

each of the image sensors is disposed in a direction in which each of the cable connection portions faces each other with the axis of the hard portion sandwiched therebetween.

8. The endoscope according to claim 1 , wherein

the hard portion includes a pair of image capturing portions with an axis sandwiched therebetween,

each of the substrates connected to each of the image sensors disposed in each of the pair of image capturing portions is formed by bending into an L-shape with a sensor connection portion parallel to a back surface of the corresponding image sensor and a cable connection portion perpendicular to the back surface,

each of the image sensors is disposed with each of the cable connection portions facing outward with the axis of the hard portion sandwiched therebetween, and

a surface on an opposite side of the image sensor of each of the sensor connection portion connected to the back surface of each of the pair of image sensors is covered with one shading member.

Assignments (5)
ADDRESS CHANGE Recorded Nov 1, 2022
From: I-PRO CO., LTD.
To: I-PRO CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 061828/0350 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Oct 31, 2022
From: PANASONIC I-PRO SENSING SOLUTIONS CO., LTD.
To: I-PRO CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 061824/0261 →
ADDRESS CHANGE Recorded Feb 19, 2021
From: PANASONIC I-PRO SENSING SOLUTIONS CO., LTD.
To: PANASONIC I-PRO SENSING SOLUTIONS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 055343/0428 →
MERGER Recorded Feb 18, 2021
From: PANASONIC I-PRO SENSING SOLUTIONS CO., LTD.
To: PANASONIC I-PRO SENSING SOLUTIONS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 055316/0733 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 16, 2021
From: OGATA, SHIGEKI; SHIRAI, NAOMI
To: PANASONIC I-PRO SENSING SOLUTIONS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 055275/0001 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP JP2019-047222 · Mar 14, 2019 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation 16785095 · Feb 7, 2020
Related Publication 20210161369A1 · Jun 3, 2021