Lighting Module of Medical Endoscope and the Method of Making the Same

A medical endoscope includes a circuit board, on which an image capture device and a LED bare die are mounted. The LED die is attached to the circuit board and electrically connected to a conductor pattern of the circuit board by conductive members. Next, a sealing member is coated onto the circuit board to embed the LED bare and the conducting members therein. The medical endoscope will have smaller size than the prior arts.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Technical Field

The present invention relates to medical equipment, and more particularly to a lighting module of a medical endoscope and the method of making the same.

2. Description of Related Art

Endoscopy is a common medical procedure in the hospitals to examine the interior of a hollow organ or cavity of the body. Endoscopy may be used for many medical purposes, such as investigation of symptoms, confirmation of a diagnosis, and giving treatment. The common endoscopes include cystoscopy, esophagogastroduodenoscopy, colonoscopy, bronchoscope, and celioscope.

Typically, the endoscopy procedure inserts a thin and long endoscope into human body. However, it will make the patient uncomfortable. The thinner endoscope may reduce the uncomfortable feeling, and in some circumstances, the patient will be anesthetized before endoscopy procedure.

A conventional endoscope includes an image capturing device and a lighting device. The common image capturing device is micro CMOS, and the common lighting device is LED. The LED is attached on a circuit by surface-mount technology (SMT).

However, the conventional endoscope has a limitation in size. It can't reduce the size for the modern design.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the above, the primary objective of the present invention is to provide a medical endoscope and the method of making the same, which may sufficiently reduce its size.

In order to achieve the objective of the present invention, a medical endoscope includes a substrate provided with a conductor pattern; an image capturing device provided on the substrate and electrically connected to the conductor pattern; at least a LED bare die directly attached to the substrate and electrically connected to the conductor pattern by conductive members; and at least a sealing member provided to the substrate to embed the LED bare die and the conductive members.

In an embodiment, a glue is provided between the LED bare die and the substrate to attach the LED bare die to the substrate.

In an embodiment, the conductor pattern of the substrate has a plurality of bonding pads, to which ends of the conductive member are connected.

In an embodiment, the sealing member is transparent and has a predetermined color.

The present invention further provides a method of mounting a LED bare die onto a substrate of a medical endoscope, including the following steps:

A. Attach a LED bare die on a predetermined position of a substrate;

B. Electrically connect the LED bare die to a conductor pattern of the substrate by a plurality of conductive members;

C. Coat a sealing member onto the substrate and embedding the LED bare die and the conductive members therein; and

D. Cure the sealing member.

In an embodiment, the method further includes the step of cleaning the substrate and eliminating static electricity of the substrate before the step A.

In an embodiment, the step A includes the following steps:

Provide a glue on the predetermined position of the substrate;

Press the LED bare die onto the glue; and

Curing the glue.

In an embodiment, the method further includes testing an electrical connection between the LED bare die and the conductor pattern of the substrate after the step B and after the step D.

In an embodiment, the conductor pattern of the substrate has a plurality of bonding pads, the conductive members have ends connected to the bonding pads in the step B, and the sealing member embeds at least a portion of each of the bonding pads in the step C.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1shows a medical endoscope1of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention, including a housing10, in which a substrate12, an image capturing device14, a LED bare die16, and a sealing member18, and the image capturing device14, the LED bare die16, and the sealing member18are provided on the substrate12(referring toFIG. 2). The substrate12has a conductor pattern20, and the conductor pattern20as several bonding pads22to be electrically connected to the image capturing device14and the LED bare die16.

As shown inFIG. 3, a method of mounting the LED bare die16onto the substrate12includes the following steps:

A. Attach the LED bare die16on a predetermined position of the substrate12.

In the first preferred embodiment, the substrate12is cleaned and processed for eliminating static electricity of the substrate12. Next, provide a glue on the predetermined position of the substrate12, and then press the LED bare die16onto the adhesive. After that, the substrate12is sent to an oven for curing the adhesive and for firmly attaching the LED bare die16on the substrate12. The temperature and curing time are depended on the quantity and the content of the glue.

B. Electrically connect the LED bare die16to the conductor pattern20of the substrate12by conductive elements24.

A process of electrically connecting the LED bare die16to the substrate12includes wire bonding, flip chip, and tape automatic bonding (TAB). In the first preferred embodiment, wire bonding process is used to electrically connect the LED bare die16to the substrate12. The conductive elements24are conductive wires, each of which has opposite ends connected to a pad of the LED bare die16and one of the bonding pads22of the conductor pattern20of the substrate12, respectively.

After the LED bare die16is electrically connected to the conductor pattern20of the substrate12, a testing procedure is performed to check whether the LED bare die16is correctly connected to the conductor pattern20of the substrate12. If it passes the testing procedure, it can continue the following steps, and if it does not, the LED bare die16and the substrate12may be repaired or abandoned.

C. Coat the sealing member18onto the substrate12to embed the LED bare die16and the conductive elements24therein.

In the first preferred embodiment, except the LED bare die16and the conductive elements24, at least a portion of each of the bonding pads22of the conductor pattern20are embedded in the sealing member18.

D. Cure the sealing member18.

The substrate12is sent to an oven to heat the sealing member18under a predetermined temperature for a predetermined time. The temperature and curing time are depended on the quantity and the content of the sealing member18. In the first preferred embodiment, the cured sealing member18is round in a top view. In addition, the cured sealing member18is transparent or has a predetermined color, such as blue and yellow, to pass a light provided by the LED bare die16and let the light have a predetermined color.

After curing, a testing procedure is performed is performed again to check whether the LED bare die16is correctly connected to the conductor pattern20of the substrate12. If it passes the testing procedure, it can continue the following steps, and if it does not, the LED bare die16and the substrate12may be repaired or abandoned.

With the steps as described above, the LED bare die16is directly bonded onto the substrate12to reduce a sufficient size of the substrate12. According to a test of the inventor, the substrate made by the conventional process has a diameter over 3 mm. On the contrary, a diameter of the substrate12, which is made by the method of the present invention, is 2.6 mm. In conclusion, with the method of the present invention, it may reduce about 10% in diameter.

FIG. 4shows a medical endoscope2of the second preferred embodiment of the present invention, which is similar to the first preferred embodiment, including a substrate30having a conductor pattern32, an image capturing device34attached to the substrate20and electrically connected to the conductor pattern32, four LED bare dies36attached to the substrate20and electrically connected to the conductor pattern32by a plurality of conductive members38, and four sealing members40provided on the substrate20to embed the LED bare dies36and the conductive members38respectively. a method of making the medical endoscope2of the second preferred embodiment is the same as above. The cured sealing members40are elliptical in top views. According to the test by the inventor, a diameter of the substrate30of the second preferred embodiment is about 2.6 mm.

FIG. 5shows a medical endoscope3of the third preferred embodiment of the present invention, which is similar to the first and the second preferred embodiments, including a substrate50, an image capturing device52, eight LED bare dies54, and eight sealing members56. The different parts are that a number of the LED bare dies54is eight, and the cured sealing members56are random in top views. According to the test by the inventor, a diameter of the substrate30of the second preferred embodiment is about 2.6 mm.