JP2007229261A - Endoscope - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce an influence exerted by the generation of heat from a light-emitting diode for illumination of an object to be observed. <P>SOLUTION: At an endoscope end 11 where LED part LA and LB for outputting illumination light and air supply/water supply pipes 25 and 28 are arranged, fluid reservoir parts 30A and 30B, connected to the pipe 25, are formed and arranged on the backside of the LED parts LA and LB. Additionally, in the case of the arrangement of the plurality of fluid reservoir parts, the cooling effect of the LED parts LA and LB can be enhanced when the fluid reservoir parts are connected together via a circulation route so that air or water can pass through the fluid reservoir parts in turn. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a configuration for removing the influence of heat generation at the distal end portion of an endoscope that illuminates an object to be observed using a light emitting diode.

The endoscope apparatus irradiates illumination light into the body to be observed, and images the object to be observed (inside) with, for example, a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) disposed at the distal end of the insertion portion of the endoscope (scope). An image of an object to be observed is observed on a monitor screen. At the tip of such an endoscope, instead of a light guide and a light source lamp that have been conventionally used as a light source of illumination light, in recent years, Then, a light emitting diode (LED) that outputs white light is disposed. By adopting such an LED, it is possible to simplify the configuration of the entire endoscope, reduce the weight, reduce the diameter of the endoscope, and the like.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-216113

  However, in the above-mentioned endoscope, the influence of heat generated in the tip has been a problem. That is, when the light from the light source lamp is irradiated through the light guide, the light from the light source lamp is collected by the condenser lens and is incident on the light guide. Thermal energy is released to On the other hand, in the LED, heat is generated when the LED element emits light, and the heat is transmitted to the LED substrate that drives the LED, and further to the distal end portion of the endoscope that fixes the substrate. Therefore, combined with the influence of heat generated from the CCD disposed at the distal end and the circuit for driving the CCD, heat generation at the distal end of the endoscope becomes a problem. If the entire tip is heated due to this, there is a risk of causing a slight burn or inflammation to the object to be observed that the tip contacts, or adversely affecting the CCD or the electronic circuit for driving the CCD.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an endoscope capable of reducing the influence of heat generation from a light emitting diode provided for illumination of an observation object. is there.

In order to achieve the above object, an invention according to claim 1 is directed to an endoscope in which a light emitting diode portion for outputting illumination light from a tip portion and a fluid tube for supplying fluid are disposed. A fluid reservoir is formed on the back of the light emitting diode, and the fluid reservoir is disposed on the back side of the light emitting diode.
The invention of claim 2 is characterized in that an air / water feeding pipe is applied as the fluid pipe.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, the fluid reservoir is disposed in each of the plurality of light emitting diodes disposed at the tip, and the fluid that has passed through these fluid reservoirs in order (circulates) into the fluid pipe. The fluid reservoir is connected so as to return.

  According to the above configuration, for example, the fluid reservoir formed by being connected (communication) to the air / water supply pipe is disposed on the back side of each of the plurality (or a single) of the light emitting diodes. Part of the generated heat is transferred to and discharged from the air and water flowing through the fluid reservoir, and as a result, the light emitting diode portion is cooled.

According to the endoscope of the present invention, since the light emitting diode part for illuminating the object to be observed is cooled by the fluid flowing in the fluid reservoir part, there is an effect that the influence of heat generation of the light emitting diode is reduced.
Moreover, according to the structure of Claim 3, the flow of the fluid with respect to a some fluid reservoir part can be made smooth, and compared with the case where a some fluid reservoir part is connected to a fluid pipe | tube separately, the heat_generation | fever suppression effect is effective. Get higher.

  FIG. 1 shows the configuration of the distal end portion of the endoscope according to the first embodiment. FIG. 1 (A) is a front end view, FIG. 1 (B) is a cross-sectional view taken along line II, FIG. (C) is a sectional view taken along line II-II. In FIG. 1A, two LED (light emitting diode) portions LA and LB, an observation window (lens) 14 and air or water are supplied to the observation window 14 on the distal end surface of the endoscope distal end portion 11. A treatment instrument insertion channel 16 for inserting a treatment instrument such as an air / water supply nozzle 15 or forceps is provided.

  As shown in FIG. 1B, the LED portions LA and LB include, for example, an LED 18 and an LED substrate 19 in which five (plural) three-wavelength phosphor type white LEDs are formed. Line 20 is attached. The observation window 14 is provided as a part of the objective optical system 22, and a CCD unit 23 is attached to the rear side of the objective optical system 22. The CCD unit 23 is driven by the CCD together with the CCD. An electronic circuit board is provided.

  Further, an air / water supply pipe (pipe) 25 connected to the air / water supply nozzle 15 is formed in a metal tip support portion 26, and the air / water supply pipe 25 is provided with a soft air / water supply pipe 25. Air and water (or physiological saline) are supplied from the air / water supply supply unit via the water supply pipe 28 and the like. As shown in FIG. 1 (C), two fluid reservoirs 30A and 30B are formed via branch pipes (connecting pipes) branching left and right from the air / water feed pipe 25, and one of these fluid reservoirs 30A and 30B is formed. The fluid reservoir 30A is arranged in contact with or close to the back side of the LED unit LA, and the other fluid reservoir 30B is in contact with or close to the back side of the LED unit LB.

  According to the endoscope front end portion of the first embodiment, the object to be observed (inside) is illuminated by the light emission of the two LED portions LA and LB, and the illuminated object has the observation window 14. The image is picked up by the CCD unit 23 via the objective optical system 22. On the other hand, the air and water supplied from the air / water supply device via the air / water supply pipes 25 and 28 are jetted from the air / water supply nozzle 15 to the observation window 14. Thus, the observation window 14 can be cleaned, and air, physiological saline, etc. can be sent into the observed body through the air / water supply pipes 25 and 28 at the time of examination and treatment.

  In the two LED portions LA and LB used for illuminating the object to be observed, heat is generated by light emission, but the fluid reservoir 30A provided connected to (communication with) the air / water supply nozzle 15 is provided. , 30B, air and water flow, so that part of the heat generated from the LED portions LA and LB is transmitted to the air and water and discharged to the outside. As a result, the LED portions LA and LB are cooled, and heat generation of the entire endoscope distal end portion is also suppressed.

  FIG. 2 shows the configuration of the second embodiment. In the second embodiment, a plurality of fluid reservoirs are sequentially connected by a circulation route. That is, in this example, one fluid reservoir 33A is connected to the air / water supply pipe 25 via the first connection pipe 32a, and the fluid reservoir 33A and the other fluid reservoir 33B are connected by the second connection pipe 32b. Further, the other fluid reservoir 33B is connected to the air / water supply pipe 25 through the third connecting pipe 32c.

  According to the second embodiment, the air or water supplied to the air / water supply pipe 25 is supplied from the first connection pipe 32a, one fluid reservoir 33A, the second connection pipe 32b, and the other fluid reservoir 33B. It is sent in order and flows through a circulation route that returns from the fluid reservoir 33B to the air / water pipe 25. Therefore, there is an advantage that the flow (supply) of air or water to the plurality of fluid reservoirs 33A and 33B is smooth, and the cooling effect of the LED units LA and LB is enhanced.

  In the above embodiment, the fluid reservoirs 30A, 30B, 33A, and 33B are formed in the air / water supply pipe 25. However, in the endoscope apparatus, a jet pipe for supplying a chemical solution or the like into the observed body is provided. Alternatively, a fluid reservoir may be formed in such a jet pipe or other fluid pipe.

The structure of the endoscope front-end | tip part which concerns on 1st Example of this invention is shown, A figure (A) is a figure of a front end surface, A figure (B) is II sectional view taken on the line of FIG. These are the II-II sectional view taken on the line of FIG. The fluid reservoir of the second embodiment and its connection configuration are shown, in which FIG. (A) is a view seen from the front side, and FIG. (B) is a view seen from above.

Explanation of symbols

11 ... End of endoscope, 14 ... Observation window,
15 ... Nozzle for air / water supply, 18 ... LED,
19 ... LED substrate, 23 ... CCD unit,
25, 28 ... air / water pipe (fluid pipe),
30A, 30B, 33A, 33B ... fluid reservoir,
32a, 32b, 32c ... connecting pipe,
LA, LB ... LED (light emitting diode) part.

Claims (3)

In an endoscope in which a light emitting diode portion that outputs illumination light from a distal end portion and a fluid pipe for supplying fluid are disposed,
An endoscope characterized in that a fluid reservoir is formed in the fluid pipe, and the fluid reservoir is disposed on the back side of the light emitting diode.   The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein an air / water supply pipe is applied as the fluid pipe.   The fluid reservoir is disposed in each of the plurality of light emitting diodes disposed at the tip, and the fluid reservoir is connected so that the fluid that has passed through the fluid reservoir sequentially returns to the fluid pipe. The endoscope according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by the above.

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