JP2009039462A - Distal end portion of endoscope - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide the distal end portion of an endoscope capable of effectively suppressing temperature rise generated when a phosphor attached to an illumination window receives exciting light irradiation without enlarging an insertion part distal end. <P>SOLUTION: For the distal end portion of the endoscope, a water feed nozzle 5 is formed of a metal material, a metallic heat transmission member 11 to be in contact with both of the phosphor 6A and the water feed nozzle 5 is arranged, the generated heat of the phosphor 6A generated by the excitation light irradiation is conducted through the heat transmission member 11 to the water feed nozzle 5, and heat is discharged to the outside by water jetted from the water feed nozzle 5. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a distal end portion of an endoscope.

  Halogen lamps and xenon lamps are widely used as light sources for generating endoscope illumination light. However, devices using such lamps as light sources increase power consumption.

  Therefore, the laser light generated by the laser diode is guided to the illumination window provided at the distal end of the insertion portion of the endoscope, and the phosphor attached to the illumination window is excited, so that the visible light emitted from the phosphor is visible. A technique for illuminating an observation region of an endoscope with fluorescence of a specific wavelength has been developed.

However, if a sufficient amount of illumination light is obtained in such an apparatus, the heat generation of the phosphor caused by the excitation light irradiation increases. Therefore, conventionally, the temperature of the phosphor is prevented from rising by rotating the phosphor and moving the irradiation position of the excitation light on the phosphor (for example, Patent Document 1).
JP 2006-26135 A

  However, in order to obtain an effect of suppressing the temperature rise of the phosphor by rotating the phosphor, it is necessary to make the phosphor considerably large, and it is necessary to incorporate a mechanism for rotating the phosphor. Therefore, the distal end of the insertion portion of the endoscope is enlarged, the insertion property is lowered, and the person undergoing the endoscopic examination is greatly painful.

  The present invention provides a distal end portion of an endoscope that can effectively suppress a temperature rise that occurs when a phosphor attached to an illumination window is irradiated with excitation light without increasing the size of the distal end of the insertion portion. The purpose is to provide.

  In order to achieve the above object, the distal end portion of the endoscope of the present invention is provided with an observation window, an illumination window, and a water supply nozzle on the surface of a plastic distal end body provided at the distal end of the insertion portion, A phosphor that emits fluorescence when irradiated with excitation light is attached to the illumination window, and an emission portion of the excitation light transmission body for transmitting the excitation light is disposed on the back side of the illumination window toward the phosphor. At the distal end of the endoscope, the water supply nozzle is formed of a metal material, and a metal heat transfer member that is in contact with both the phosphor and the water supply nozzle is arranged so that the heat generated by the phosphor caused by the excitation light irradiation is transferred. The heat is conducted to the water nozzle through the member and is radiated to the outside by the water ejected from the water nozzle.

  A cover plate made of an electrical insulating material may be provided so as to cover the outer surface of the heat transfer member. In addition, the illumination window is provided at a position adjacent to the water supply nozzle and a position not adjacent to the water supply nozzle, and the heat transfer member is in contact with the phosphor attached to the illumination window at a position adjacent to the water supply nozzle. You may make it the water sprayed from the water supply nozzle spray on the fluorescent substance attached to the illumination window of the position which is not adjacent.

  According to the present invention, by arranging the metal heat transfer member that contacts both the phosphor and the water supply nozzle, the heat generated by the phosphor caused by the excitation light irradiation is conducted to the water supply nozzle via the heat transfer member. In addition, heat is radiated to the outside by the water ejected from the water supply nozzle, so that the temperature rise that occurs when the phosphor attached to the illumination window is irradiated with excitation light without increasing the size of the tip of the insertion portion. It can be effectively suppressed.

  An observation window, an illumination window, and a water supply nozzle are provided on the surface of the plastic tip body provided at the distal end of the insertion section, and a fluorescent material that emits fluorescence when attached to excitation light is attached to the illumination window. In addition, a water supply nozzle is formed of a metal material at the distal end portion of the endoscope in which the emission portion of the excitation light transmission body for transmitting the excitation light is disposed on the back side of the illumination window toward the phosphor, and the phosphor The metal heat transfer member that contacts both the water supply nozzle and the water supply nozzle is disposed, and the heat generated by the phosphor caused by the excitation light irradiation is conducted to the water supply nozzle via the heat transfer member, and the water ejected from the water supply nozzle Ensure that heat is dissipated to the outside.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 3 shows the distal end surface 1a of the distal end portion main body 1 provided at the distal end of the insertion portion of the endoscope. The tip body 1 is made of non-conductive plastic in consideration of electrical safety and the like.

  The distal end surface 1a of the distal end main body 1 has an observation window 2 for taking in an image of the subject, two illumination windows 3A and 3B for radiating illumination light for illuminating the observation area, and a treatment tool (not shown). A treatment instrument protrusion 4 and the like from which the distal end of the treatment instrument passed through the insertion channel protrudes are arranged side by side. The two illumination windows 3A and 3B are arranged separately on both sides of the observation window 2 in between.

  Reference numeral 5 denotes a water supply nozzle for spraying water toward the surface of the observation window 2 when the surface of the observation window 2 becomes dirty. Of the two illumination windows 3A and 3B, the illumination window 3B that is not adjacent to the water supply nozzle 5 is disposed at a position beyond the observation window 2 when viewed from the water supply nozzle 5, and from the water supply nozzle 5 to the observation window. The water sprayed on the surface of 2 is sprayed to the surface of the illumination window 3B with the momentum.

  The water supply nozzle 5 may also serve as an air supply nozzle. In this case, air for inflating the body cavity so as to be easily observed or blowing off water remaining on the surface of the observation window 2 is also supplied. It is ejected selectively from the nozzle 5.

  FIG. 1 shows a cross section taken along line I-I in FIG. 3. Of the two illumination windows 3 </ b> A and 3 </ b> B, in the illumination window 3 </ b> A adjacent to the water supply nozzle 5, fluorescent light having a specific wavelength visible by excitation light irradiation. A phosphor 6A that emits light is attached.

  On the back side of the illumination window 3A, an emission portion of an optical fiber 7A for transmitting laser light (excitation light) emitted from a laser diode (not shown) is arranged toward the phosphor 6A. 8A is a light distribution lens for expanding the light distribution of the laser light emitted from the optical fiber 7A.

  The water supply nozzle 5 is formed of, for example, a metal material such as stainless steel, and the nozzle opening portion slightly protrudes from the distal end surface 1a of the distal end portion main body 1, and the tubular portion 5a on the base side is formed through the distal end portion main body 1. The water supply hole 9 is inserted and fixed thereto by adhesion or the like. Reference numeral 10 denotes a water supply tube inserted and disposed in the insertion portion of the endoscope, and the distal end portion thereof is connected and fixed to the rear end side of the water supply hole 9.

  Reference numeral 11 denotes a heat transfer member made of a metal material such as stainless steel, an aluminum alloy, or brass that contacts both the phosphor 6A and the water supply nozzle 5. As shown in the exploded perspective view of FIG. 2, the heat transfer member 11 is provided with a hole into which the phosphor 6 </ b> A is fitted and a hole into which the tubular portion 5 a of the water supply nozzle 5 is fitted.

  The outline shape of the heat transfer member 11 is formed in an oval shape, for example. And the thin-plate-shaped cover board 12 formed in the same outline shape as the heat-transfer member 11 with the electrically insulating plastic material etc. is arrange | positioned in the state superimposed on the outer surface of the heat-transfer member 11. FIG. The contour shape of the heat transfer member 11 and the cover plate 12 may be other than the oval shape.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the distal end surface 1a of the distal end portion main body 1 is formed with a recess 1b that fits snugly in a state where such a heat transfer member 11 and the cover plate 12 are overlapped. In a state where the heat member 11 is not exposed to the outer surface, the heat transfer member 11 and the cover plate 12 are fixed to each other in the concave portion 1b by bonding or the like.

  FIG. 4 shows a cross section taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 3, and the fluorescent light having a specific wavelength visible by excitation light irradiation is also emitted to the illumination window 3B at a position not adjacent to the water supply nozzle 5 among the two illumination windows 3A and 3B. A phosphor 6B that emits light is attached, and an emission portion of an optical fiber 7B that transmits laser light that is excitation light and a light distribution lens 8B that spreads the light distribution of the laser light are disposed on the back side.

  In addition, an objective optical system 14 and a solid-state imaging device 15 are disposed on the back side of the observation window 2, and an observation image captured from the observation window 2 is projected onto the imaging surface of the solid-state imaging device 15 by the objective optical system 14. Then, an imaging signal of an endoscopic observation image is output from the solid-state imaging device 15. As described above, the water ejected from the water supply nozzle 5 toward the surface of the observation window 2 is sprayed on the surface of the phosphor 6B attached to the illumination window 3B with that momentum.

  In the distal end portion of the endoscope of the embodiment configured in this way, the laser light emitted from the optical fibers 7A and 7B passes through the light distribution lenses 8A and 8B and strikes the phosphors 6A and 6B from the back side. As a result, the phosphors 6A and 6B are respectively excited, and the fluorescent light 6A and 6B is irradiated with fluorescence having a specific wavelength visible, and an endoscopic observation image of a subject illuminated with the fluorescence is observed in the observation window 2. Is taken from.

  The heat generated by the phosphor 6A attached to the illumination window 3A at a position adjacent to the water supply nozzle 5 when irradiated with the excitation light is conducted to the metal water supply nozzle 5 via the heat transfer member 11, Heat is radiated to the outside by the water ejected from the water supply nozzle 5, thereby suppressing the temperature rise of the phosphor 6A.

  Further, the heat generated when the phosphor 6B attached to the illumination window 3B at a position not adjacent to the water supply nozzle 5 is irradiated with excitation light is generated by the water jetted from the water supply nozzle 5 being blown to the phosphor 6B. The heat is dissipated, thereby suppressing the temperature rise of the phosphor 6B.

  Thus, without increasing the size of the tip body 1, it is possible to effectively suppress the temperature rise that occurs when the phosphors 6 </ b> A and 6 </ b> B attached to the illumination windows 3 </ b> A and 3 </ b> B are irradiated with excitation light. .

It is II sectional drawing in FIG. 3 of the front-end | tip part of the endoscope of the Example of this invention. It is a disassembled perspective view of the heat-transfer member of the front-end | tip part of the endoscope of the Example of this invention, and the member attached to it. It is a front view of the front-end | tip part of the endoscope of the Example of this invention. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IV-IV in FIG. 3 of the distal end portion of the endoscope according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Tip part main body 1a Tip surface 2 Observation window 3A, 3B Illumination window 5 Water supply nozzle 5a Tubular part 6A, 6B Phosphor 7A, 7B Optical fiber 11 Heat transfer member 12 Cover plate

Claims (3)

An observation window, an illumination window, and a water supply nozzle are provided on the surface of the plastic tip body provided at the distal end of the insertion portion, and a phosphor that emits fluorescence when irradiated with excitation light is provided on the illumination window. At the distal end portion of the endoscope that is attached and the exit portion of the excitation light transmitting body for transmitting the excitation light is disposed on the back side of the illumination window toward the phosphor,
The water supply nozzle is formed of a metal material, and a metal heat transfer member that is in contact with both the phosphor and the water supply nozzle is disposed so that the heat generation of the phosphor caused by the excitation light irradiation is generated by the heat transfer member. A distal end portion of an endoscope, wherein the distal end portion of the endoscope is radiated to the outside by water that is conducted to the water supply nozzle through the water and ejected from the water supply nozzle.   The distal end portion of the endoscope according to claim 1, wherein a cover plate made of an electrical insulating material is provided so as to cover an outer surface of the heat transfer member.   An illumination window is provided at a position adjacent to the water supply nozzle and at a position not adjacent to the water supply nozzle, and the heat transfer member is in contact with the phosphor attached to the illumination window at a position adjacent to the water supply nozzle. The distal end portion of the endoscope according to claim 1 or 2, wherein water ejected from the water supply nozzle is sprayed on a phosphor attached to an illumination window at a position not adjacent to the nozzle.

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