Patent · US Expired

Stereoscopic endoscope objective lens system having a plurality of front lens groups and one common rear lens group

US5743846A · kind A · utility

116Cited by
6References
13Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 16, 1995
Grant dateApr 28, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 16, 2015

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
  • CPC primaryA61B1/00193
  • WIPO fieldMedical technology
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A stereoscopic endoscope comprises an elongate inserted section, an illuminating light system, an objective optical system at the distal end of the inserted section for forming a plurality of images having parallax between them through a plurality of incident pupils, and a common relay lens system for transmitting the plurality of images to the proximal end of the inserted section. The objective optical system includes a plurality of front lens groups and a rear lens group, wherein the plurality of front lens groups comprise two negative lens units arranged in parallel with each other and the rear lens group comprises a single positive lens group. The two negative lens units are arranged to be substantially symmetrically concentric about an optical axis of the single positive lens group and spaced to be afocal. This arrangement allows the plurality of images having parallax between them to be substantially superimposed on one another for transmission by the common relay lens system or for reception by electronic image pickup devices.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.