Investigation instrument
For the miniaturization of an investigation instrument ( 1 ), which includes a sensor ( 3 ), which is arranged in the interior of a long shaft ( 2 ) and is electrically contact-connected by a connection ( 8 ), it is provided that a flexible bending section ( 10 ) is configured on the connection ( 8 ), and is thus connected with a contact-connection section ( 9 ), which is contact-connected with contacts ( 4 ) of the sensor ( 3 ) on the reverse side such that, firstly, the entire connection ( 8 ) is arranged in the shadow of the image sensor ( 3 ) and, secondly, the bending section ( 10 ) originates from the contact-connection section ( 9 ) within a field ( 5 ) which is subtended by the reverse-side contacts ( 4 ) of the sensor ( 3 ).
1. An investigation instrument ( 1 ) comprising:
a shaft ( 2 ),
a sensor ( 3 ) arranged in the shaft, the sensor including reverse-side electrical contacts ( 4 ) which subtend a field ( 5 ) on a reverse side ( 7 ) of the sensor ( 3 ), by which the sensor is electrically contact-connected by a connection ( 8 ),
the connection ( 8 ) comprises a flat contact-connection section ( 9 ) in direct planar contact with each of the electrical contacts ( 4 ) of the sensor, at least one flexible bending section ( 10 ) having a radius of curvature ( 23 ) that is greater than one third of an edge length ( 24 ) of the field ( 5 ) and the edge length ( 24 ) lies in a plane of the radius of curvature ( 23 ), the at least one flexible bending section ( 10 ) including a respective electrical connection line ( 11 ) brought out from the flat contact-connection section ( 9 ) at the reverse side ( 7 ) of the sensor ( 3 ) to a respective terminal section ( 18 ) of the connection ( 8 ), each of the at least one flexible bending section ( 10 ) is arranged within a shadow ( 12 ) which is cast by the field ( 5 ) subtended by the contacts ( 4 ) along at least one of a longitudinal axis ( 13 ) of the shaft ( 2 ) or along a rearward extension ( 31 ) of a viewing direction ( 30 ), and the respective terminal section ( 18 ) is connected to the flat contact-connection section ( 9 ) by only a single one of the at least one flexible bending section ( 10 ), and
each of the at least one flexible bending section ( 10 ) located within said shadow ( 12 ) starts out from the flat contact-connection section ( 9 ) and terminates in the respective terminal section ( 18 ).
2. The investigation instrument ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one flexible bending section ( 10 ) lies within a rearward shadow ( 14 ), which is cast by the sensor ( 3 ) along the longitudinal axis ( 13 ).
3. The investigation instrument ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a surface normal ( 15 ) of the field ( 5 ) is oriented at least approximately parallel, or at an acute or obtuse angle to the longitudinal axis ( 13 ), and the contact-connection section ( 9 ) is oriented at least approximately parallel to the reverse side ( 7 ) of the sensor ( 3 ).
4. The investigation instrument ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the sensor ( 3 ) is arranged at a distal end ( 16 ) of the shaft ( 2 ), transversely to the longitudinal axis ( 13 ).
5. The investigation instrument ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a viewing direction ( 30 ) of the sensor ( 3 ) is arranged at an angle (a), which differs from zero, to the longitudinal axis ( 13 ) of the shaft ( 2 ), and the at least one flexible bending section ( 10 ) is arranged within the shadow ( 12 ) which the field ( 5 ) casts along the longitudinal axis ( 13 ) of the shaft ( 2 ), and is arranged within a shadow which the field ( 5 ) casts along a rearward extension ( 31 ) of a viewing direction ( 30 ) of the sensor ( 3 ).
6. The investigation instrument ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the investigation instrument ( 1 ) comprises an endoscope and the sensor ( 3 ) is an image sensor.
7. The investigation instrument ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the contacts ( 4 ) are configured as a ball grid array ( 17 ), and the ball grid array ( 17 ) subtends the field ( 5 ).
8. The investigation instrument ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 7 , wherein a projection of the at least one flexible bending section ( 10 ) along the longitudinal axis ( 13 ) on the reverse side of the sensor ( 3 ) lies within the field ( 5 ).
9. The investigation instrument ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the contact-connection section ( 9 ) only partially occupies the field ( 5 ), and a projection of the first flexible bending section ( 10 ) along the longitudinal axis ( 13 ) either falls between individual ones of the contacts ( 4 ) or coincides with individual contacts ( 4 ), such that the at least one flexible bending section ( 10 ) leads away the connection lines ( 11 ) either between the contacts ( 4 ) or above the contacts ( 4 ).
10. The investigation instrument ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a proximal dividing line ( 19 ) marks a transition from the bending section ( 10 ) to the terminal section ( 18 ), and the terminal section ( 18 ) carries and contact-connects at least one electrical component ( 20 ).
11. The investigation instrument ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the terminal section ( 18 ) is oriented along the longitudinal axis ( 13 ) and an extension of the terminal section ( 18 ) engages with the contact-connection section ( 9 ).
12. The investigation instrument ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the connection ( 8 ) comprises a plurality of the contact-connection sections ( 9 ), a plurality of the flexible bending sections ( 10 ), the flexible bending sections ( 10 ) each lead out ones of the electrical connection lines ( 11 ) from respective ones of the contact-connection sections ( 9 ) of the connection ( 8 ), and each of the flexible bending sections ( 10 ) is arranged within a respective shadow ( 21 ) which is cast by the respective contact-connection section ( 9 ) along the longitudinal axis ( 13 ), and the connection lines ( 11 ) are continued in the form as respective ones of the terminal sections ( 18 ), which are connected to the respective bending sections ( 10 ).
13. The investigation instrument ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the connection ( 8 ) is configured as a multilayer printed circuit board having a plurality of conductor planes, the contact-connection section ( 9 ) is at least one of rigidly configured, populated on a reverse side with electrical components ( 20 ), or configured with a smaller footprint than the sensor ( 3 ), or wherein the terminal section ( 18 ) is at least one of flexibly configured or integrally configured with the respective first flexible bending section ( 10 ).
14. The investigation instrument ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the respective flexible bending section ( 10 ), and the respective terminal section ( 18 ), is formed of a polyimide film ( 22 ).
15. The investigation instrument ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a distal dividing line ( 25 ), which marks a transition from the contact-connection section ( 9 ) to the bending section ( 10 ), in at least one extension ( 26 ), is routed within the contact-connection section ( 9 ).
16. The investigation instrument ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the proximal dividing line ( 19 ) lies directly outside a shadow ( 21 ) which is cast by the contact-connection section ( 9 ) along the longitudinal axis ( 13 ), or wherein a projection of at least one of the proximal dividing line ( 19 ) or of the at least one flexible bending section ( 10 ) along the longitudinal axis ( 13 ) at least partially coincides with the contact connection section ( 9 ).
17. The investigation instrument ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the terminal section ( 18 ) is configured with a length-variable design having at least one of a meander shape or a spiral shape.
18. The investigation instrument ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein all of the flexible bending sections ( 10 ) of the connection ( 8 ) in vicinity to the sensor ( 3 ) are arranged within the shadow ( 12 ).
19. An investigation instrument ( 1 ) comprising:
a shaft ( 2 ),
a sensor ( 3 ) arranged in the shaft, the sensor including reverse-side electrical contacts ( 4 ) which subtend a field ( 5 ) on a reverse side ( 7 ) of the sensor ( 3 ), by which the sensor is electrically contact-connected by a connection ( 8 ),
the connection ( 8 ) comprises a flat contact-connection section ( 9 ) in direct contact with the electrical contacts ( 4 ) of the sensor, at least one flexible bending section ( 10 ) having a radius of curvature ( 23 ) that is greater than one third of an edge length ( 24 ) of the field ( 5 ) and the edge length ( 24 ) lies in a plane of the radius of curvature ( 23 ), the at least one flexible bending section ( 10 ) including a respective electrical connection line ( 11 ) brought out from the flat contact-connection section ( 9 ) at the reverse side ( 7 ) of the sensor ( 3 ) to a respective terminal section ( 18 ) of the connection ( 8 ), each of the at least one flexible bending section ( 10 ) is arranged within a shadow ( 12 ) which is cast by the field ( 5 ) subtended by the contacts ( 4 ) along at least one of a longitudinal axis ( 13 ) of the shaft ( 2 ) or along a rearward extension ( 31 ) of a viewing direction ( 30 ), and the respective terminal section ( 18 ) is connected to the flat contact-connection section ( 9 ) by only a single one of the at least one flexible bending section ( 10 ), and
each of the at least one flexible bending section ( 10 ) located within said shadow ( 12 ) starts out from the flat contact-connection section ( 9 ) and terminates in the respective terminal section ( 18 ).