ENDOSCOPE WITH VARIABLE OPTICAL POWER BASED ON LIQUID LENS TECHNOLOGY Russian patent published in 2017 - IPC A61B1/05 

FIELD: medicine.

SUBSTANCE: endoscope includes a housing, a fiber light guide, a peripheral lens system, a proximity sensor, an actuator, a controller. The fiber light guide is arranged inside the endoscope housing and configured to form a light flow propagation path. The peripheral lens system is located within the endoscope housing along the light flow propagation path and comprises a rigid optical lens and a sealed fluid-filled lens that includes a rigid optical lens surface and a membrane made of flexible, transparent, waterproof material. At that, the flexible membrane is stretched directly over the rigid optical lens surface. The rigid optical lens may be made of glass, plastic or any other suitable material. The proximity sensor is attached to the distal end of the endoscope housing and configured to determine the distance between the distal end of the endoscope body and the object located in front of the peripheral end. The actuator is electromechanical, connected to the sealed lens, and configured to receive the signal. At that, the signal comprises a command for the actuator to change the sealed lens optical power. The controller is connected to the actuator and configured to command the actuator to change the sealed lens optical power. Method for endoscope lens system control comprises signal reception from the proximity sensor; signal comparison with the optical power determined by the sealed lenses and desired magnification; and sealed lenses optical power and distance adjustment based on this comparison.

EFFECT: use of these inventions will maintain the focus when moving the endoscope closer to or farther from the subject.

21 cl, 8 dwg