Sony Endoscope Optical System Patent Application

ChangeBridge: Patent Apps - Diagnosis & Surgery (A61B)

Detected March 30th, 2026

Summary

The USPTO has published a new patent application from Sony Group Corporation for an optical system for endoscopes. The application details an optical system designed to form images on both visible light and infrared light imaging elements, with specific conditional formulas related to lens expansion coefficients.

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What changed

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has published patent application US20260083307A1, filed by Sony Group Corporation. The application describes an optical system for endoscopes that includes an image forming optical system with specific lens groups and a separation optical system. A key technical detail involves a conditional formula relating the average linear expansion coefficients of positive and negative refractive power lenses within the first lens group, aiming to improve performance under varying temperatures.

This publication represents a new patent filing and does not impose immediate compliance obligations. However, it is relevant for medical device manufacturers and technology companies involved in diagnostic imaging and endoscope development. Companies operating in this space should be aware of this filing as it pertains to potential intellectual property in the field of medical imaging technology.

Source document (simplified)

← USPTO Patent Applications

OPTICAL SYSTEM, IMAGING DEVICE, AND ENDOSCOPE SYSTEM

Application US20260083307A1 Kind: A1 Mar 26, 2026

Assignee

Sony Group Corporation

Inventors

Naomichi KIKUCHI

Abstract

An optical system includes an image forming optical system with a first and a second lens group, and forms an image of light from a subject on each of a visible light imaging element and an infrared light imaging element. The system also includes a separation optical system that separates an optical path of light passing through the image forming optical system into at least two optical paths. The first lens group includes a plurality of cemented lenses formed by bonding a lens having positive refractive power and a lens having negative refractive power, in which when αp is an average linear expansion coefficient of the lens having positive refractive power at 100° C. to 300° C. and αn is an average linear expansion coefficient of the lens having negative refractive power at 100° C. to 300° C., the following conditional formula |1−αp/αn|<0.2 is satisfied.