DE29923951U1 - Stereo operating microscope with an information mirroring device - Google Patents

Description

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Stereo surgical microscope with an information mirror device

The innovation concerns a stereo surgical microscope with an information mirror device.

Such surgical microscopes are being used more and more because they give the surgeon the opportunity to record additional visual information without interrupting his eye contact with the surgical field.

The known mirror devices usually comprise a display and optics as well as a beam splitter that superimposes the reflected image on the main beam path of the surgical microscope.

The aim of all known mirror devices is to show the surgeon the reflected image at the same time as the non-reflected image from the main beam path. This is particularly important where images from other imaging techniques (e.g. computer tomography (CT) or

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The aim was always for this overlay to be correlated as precisely as possible, or to be superimposed correctly in terms of location, and to always be simultaneous so that the surgeon can benefit optimally from the reflected image information. If the reflection was not required, no image was reflected and superimposed. The only exception were those image overlays that related to patient data other than the optical or spatial data of the surgical area (e.g. reflected blood pressure or pulse values).

The innovation is based on a different consideration than the concept of overlaying as precisely as possible: in certain situations, a surgeon will prefer to be able to concentrate completely on the overlay image - at least for a short time - instead of simultaneously seeing the image from the main beam path. In practice, such familiar situations are solved by the surgeon looking up from the microscope and looking at a monitor set up next to the microscope on which the overlay image is displayed. Alternatively, he or she looks at a light wall on which CT or X-ray images are mounted.

The inventor recognized that this process can be disadvantageous depending on the situation:

· First, it takes time;

• secondly, it forces the surgeon's eyes to make an additional adaptation effort (change from the well-adapted view through the microscope to a distant view with generally different adaptation requirements) and

· thirdly, the view of the monitor or the light wall in the

be obscured by people in the operating room at the crucial moment.

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The innovation is therefore based on the task of finding an improvement that avoids the disadvantages mentioned and allows a quick and uncomplicated view of only the reflected image.

This task is solved by adding a new type of aperture to interrupt the main beam path while simultaneously keeping the light path of the reflection beam path clear.

This gives the surgeon the opportunity to switch to the reflected image and concentrate on it at his own request and without any significant effort. He can maintain his chosen posture and eye position and cannot be hindered by people standing around. Claim 1 describes the innovation.

Further improvements or variants and details in accordance with the innovations emerge from the subclaims and from the drawing description or from the drawing, which represents a symbolic embodiment in accordance with the innovation.

Depending on requirements, an innovative aperture can be provided for each partial stereo beam path so that both partial beam paths are interrupted by the surgical field; however, only one aperture can be arranged in one of the two partial beam paths so that the surgeon can choose, if necessary, by closing one eye at a time, whether he wants to see only the surgical field or only the reflected image. Although this means that he loses the stereoscopic view, it is particularly quick because switching from one view to the other is made possible by concentrating on his left or right eye (if necessary combined with closing the other eyelid).

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Arranging one aperture in each partial beam path allows, on the one hand, the complete darkening of the main beam path without having to close the eyelids asymmetrically, and, on the other hand, this design also allows two different image information to be reflected - one for the right and one for the left observation beam path - so that the surgeon has the following selectable viewing options:

• Stereo view of the surgical site without superimposition;

• monocular observation of the surgical site with the right eye (will be used less frequently);

• monocular observation of the surgical site with the left eye (will be used less frequently);

• Stereo viewing of the surgical site with stereo overlay of a 3D image (requires a reflection beam path and a separate overlay for each main beam path)

image signal);

• Stereo viewing of the surgical site with monocular superimposition of a 2D image (requires an input beam path and a common superimposition image signal for each main beam path);

• Stereo view of the surgical site with monocular superimposition of an image reflected on the right beam path;

• Stereo view of the surgical site with monocular superimposition of an image reflected on the left beam path;

· monocular observation of the surgical site by closing one of the two eyes and simultaneously superimposing the beam path being observed with a reflected image (allows the surgeon to capture different image information by alternately closing his two eyes, provided that the right and left

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Partial stereo beam path different superposition images are reflected);

• stereoscopic viewing of a reflected 3D image without superposition (requires a reflection beam path on both the right and left beam paths);

• monocular viewing of a reflected image without superposition in the right or left eyepiece beam path, depending on the reflection;

• alternating monocular viewing by reflecting different images on the right and left beam path without superimposition (allows the surgeon to choose one or the other

see another picture).

By appropriately controlling the displays for mirroring (switching between different images on each display), the possibilities mentioned above can be increased even further.

A special further development of the present innovation is its coupling with an intelligent, computer-aided automatic aperture control. Such a control can be programmed in such a way that the required aperture or both apertures in the main beam path are automatically closed when certain input signals are received. This control can also close or open the first aperture in the illumination beam path.

Preferably, the surgeon can program in advance which aperture positions should be used for which input mirror signals. In addition, however, according to another variant, he still has the option of immediate intervention at any time to create the aperture state he wants.

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The above text continually refers to a surgeon and an operating microscope or an operating field; however, the innovation is not limited to this, but is also open to other users of stereoscopic microscopes. In exceptional cases, the innovation even refers to a monocular microscope. The key to this new idea is the optional closure of at least one main beam path in favor of the reflected image information.

The list of reference symbols is an integral part of the disclosure of this application.

The drawing shows the symbolic representation of a stereo surgical microscope with a display 1, which is imaged into the left main beam path 4 by means of a mirror optics 2 and beam splitter 3. A first aperture 5 that can be operated by the user allows the display 1 to be dimmed by interrupting an illumination beam path 6 of a light source 7 behind the display 1. In this case, the light source 7 is coupled via an optical light guide.

However, within the scope of the present innovation, a self-luminous display can also be used, in which case the first aperture 5 is arranged in front of the display if necessary. This aperture is in itself an independent invention that brings with it the following advantages:

The reflection of image information, for example using an LCD, generally requires a high luminance. If, for example, no reflected image is desired, the LCD can generally be darkened. However, a darkened LCD still allows small amounts of scattered light to pass through. This - after being superimposed on the image information in the main beam path - may cause a deterioration in the contrast of the image of the surgical field. The additional darkening of the light source using the new aperture 5 means that the contrast is not impaired, as is new.

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A curved double arrow indicates the possibility of pivoting the first aperture 5 around an axis 8. The axis 8 can be operated by motor and/or manually - in particular remotely controlled.

The left main beam path 4 runs from the object 9 through the left part of the microscope optics 10 through a bridge 11 for assistant connection, which is shown in this example but is not absolutely necessary for the innovation. However, the present setup would ensure that even if the surgeon interrupts his view of the object, an assistant would still have full microscopic view of the object.

After the bridge 11, a second diaphragm 12 is arranged in a pivotable manner, which can be used to interrupt the beam path to the object - manually or motor-controlled. A pivot axis 13 and an operating lever 14 are indicated.

Further along the beam path to the eyepiece 15 there is the beam splitter 4 and a swivel device 16 for adapting the angle of inclination of the eyepiece 15. Although this swivel device increases the ease of use, it is not essential for the present innovation.

Also not essential to the innovation is a symbolically shown video camera 17 for taking pictures of the object 9 through the right main beam path 18. The additional assistant tube 19 shown is also not essential to this innovation. In contrast to the bridge 11 for an assistant tube, this tube 19 is arranged after a third aperture 20 in the right main beam path 18, which is constructed in a similar way to the second aperture.

The second and third apertures 12 and 20 can be connected to each other to be operated synchronously; however, for the sake of flexibility, they can

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The innovation can also be equipped with a separately operable device in accordance with the above options.

In the drawing, a pivoting aperture is shown and described. However, the innovation is not limited to such apertures. The expert is familiar with a variety of different apertures with which he could also achieve the desired effect. These include, for example, sliding apertures, LCD optical shutters, iris apertures or the like.

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List of reference symbols

1 display

2 Single mirror optics

3 beam splitters

4 left main beam path

5 first aperture

6 Illumination optics with fiber optic cable

7 Light source for display (1)

8 computers for image reflection and/or correlation or control for converted video image on the display (5)

9 Object

10 Microscope optics

11 Bridge for assistant connection

12 second aperture

13 Axis for second aperture (12)

14 Lever for operating the aperture (12)

15 Eyepiece optics

16 Ergotube, swivel device for adjusting the inclination of the eyepiece optics (15)

17 Video camera (module with optics)

18 right main beam path

19 second assistant tube

20 third aperture

21 Single mirror beam path

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22 Main lens

23 Video recording device

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Claims (10)

1. Stereo surgical microscope with a main objective, a left ( 4 ) and a right main beam path ( 18 ) and with at least one mirror beam path ( 21 ) with at least one beam splitter ( 3 ) in the main beam path ( 4 ) for mirroring images that can be superimposed on the image of the object, characterized in that an optionally operable aperture ( 12 ) for interrupting the main beam path ( 4 ) is arranged between the beam splitter ( 3 ) and the main objective ( 22 ). 2. Microscope according to claim 1, characterized in that in each main beam path ( 4 , 18 ) an aperture ( 12 , 20 ) is arranged to interrupt the respective main beam path ( 4 , 18 ). 3. Microscope according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the aperture ( 4 and/or 5 ) can be remotely controlled manually or by motor. 4. Microscope according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the diaphragms ( 12 , 20 ) in the left and right main beam paths ( 4 , 18 ) are motion-coupled. 5. Microscope according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the mirror beam path ( 21 ) is assigned a display ( 1 ) which can be darkened or brightened by means of an optionally activatable aperture ( 5 ). 6. Microscope according to claim 5, characterized in that the aperture ( 5 ) is arranged behind the display ( 1 ) and interrupts an illumination beam path ( 6 ) there if necessary. 7. Microscope according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one diaphragm ( 5 , 12 , 20 ) is assigned a control which changes the diaphragm position by means of remote control - depending on the type of the respectively selected input signals. 8. Microscope according to claim 8, characterized in that the control grants the user a right to arbitrarily change the automatically determined aperture position. 9. Microscope according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a connection ( 11 ) for an assistant is arranged between the diaphragm ( 12 and/or 20 ) and the main objective ( 22 ). 10. Microscope according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a video recording module and/or a further assistant connection ( 19 ) and/or a swivel tube ( 16 ) is/are arranged between the diaphragm(s) ( 12 , 20 ) and the eyepiece ( 15 ) of the microscope.