JPS6069616A - Endoscope device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce an area of an end diameter by placing an illuminating means such as a solid light emitting element coaxially to an objective lens system, on the outside circumference of the objective lens system placed on the tip of a tip constituting part of an endoscope inserting part. CONSTITUTION:A lens supporting frame 15 is provided in the axial direction of a tip constituting part of an endoscope inserting part 1 formed in the shape of a pipe, and an objective lens system 5 is incorporated. Solid light emitting elements 2, 3 and 4 for R, G and B are placed coaxially at an interval of about 120 deg. in a ring-shaped flange part of the tip surface of the lens supporting frame 15, and a solid image pickup element 6 is provided in the rear of the objective lens system 5, photodetects an optical image formed by the objective lens system, converts it to an electric signal and outputs it. In this way, this device is constituted so as to execute a color display basing on this electric signal.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Technical Field of the Invention] The present invention relates to an endoscope device, and particularly to an electronic endoscope configured to display an image in color. The present invention relates to an endoscope apparatus in which an illumination means for irradiating an object to be observed with illumination light is arranged coaxially around the outer periphery of an objective lens system, thereby reducing the size of the distal end component.

[Technical background of the invention and its problems] Endoscopes are generally used to observe the inside of a living body cavity or a cavity such as a mechanical component.

Conventionally, in such endoscopes, an optical fiber bundle guides an image of the object H to outside the body cavity or into a cavity I, and the optical image formed on the exit +31 end face of the optical fiber is , observed through an eyepiece system. Also,
Separately, a solid-state imaging device such as a charge-coupled device (hereinafter referred to as COD) is installed at the tip of the endoscope shaft in place of the optical fiber, and light is focused on the light-receiving surface of the solid-state imaging device. A device has already been developed that converts the optical image formed into an electrical signal, leads it out of the living body's cavity or cavity via a signal line, performs the necessary signal processing, and then displays it on a television monitor. In such endoscopes, the light source device for illuminating the object to be observed is usually installed externally, and the light from this device is guided to the tip of the endoscope insertion section through the light source connection part and light guide of the endoscope. Alternatively, a solid light emitting element such as a light emitting diode (hereinafter referred to as LED) is arranged at the tip of the endoscope insertion part and is driven by a drive circuit to provide illumination. Furthermore, in order to display the reflected image in color on a monitor, the object to be observed is illuminated by sequentially irradiating trichromatic light of red, green, and blue (hereinafter referred to as R, G, and B) from a light source device or a solid-state light emitting element. Configure it to do so.

An electronic endoscope device that uses three-color solid-state light-emitting elements as the illumination means and a solid-state image element as the edge means has already been disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 52-66188, etc. has been done.

The distal end component of the endoscope insertion section of such an electronic endoscope device includes, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a
Solid-state light emitting device 2.3 that emits three colors of R, G, and B light respectively
．． 4 is disposed, and an objective lens system 5 that forms an image of the light from the object to be observed irradiated by these light emitting elements, and an optical image formed by this objective lens system 5 is provided. is received by a solid-state VA image element 6 and converted into an electric signal by a driver and preamplifier circuit 7 as shown in FIG. The converted electrical signal is then input to the switching circuit 8. On the other hand, the solid state light emitting device 2°3.4 is driven by a drive circuit 9, and this circuit is connected to the switching circuit 8.
The frames are switched in synchronization with each other by a frame switching signal from the switching signal generating circuit 10, and R, G, and B color lights are sequentially irradiated onto the object to be observed.

Therefore, the electrical signals corresponding to the R, G, and B color lights are switched by the switching circuit 8 and sent to the R, G, and B frame memories 11,
12. Sequentially accumulated to 13, R, G.

It is output as a B signal to the color monitor 14 and displayed in color.

However, in the case of a conventional endoscope device that is configured using a solid-state image sensor, a solid state 5, and an optical element and is capable of color display, the endoscope insertion section 1 is Since a holder with solid light emitting elements 2.3.4 for R, G, and 8 light emission arranged in parallel with the objective lens system 5 on the tip surface is provided separately, the solid light emitting elements 2, 3.4 There is a problem that a wasted space force ζ is formed behind the endoscope insertion section 1 and the diameter of the endoscope insertion section 1 is increased.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION] In view of the above-mentioned points, the present invention provides an endoscope, particularly an electronic endoscope capable of displaying an observed image in color, and an illumination means in the distal end component of the endoscope insertion section. An object of the present invention is to provide an endoscope device configured to reduce the required space and to be miniaturized.

[Summary of the Invention] The endoscope apparatus of the present invention includes a solid-state light emitting element or an optical flybar coaxially with the objective lens system disposed at the tip of the distal end component of the endoscope insertion section. By arranging illumination means such as bundles, the end diameter area required for arranging the illumination means is reduced by :1.

[Embodiments of the Invention] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing a first embodiment of the distal end component of the endoscope device (1) according to the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a front view showing the distal end surface thereof.

In these figures, reference numeral 1 denotes an endoscope insertion section which is formed into a tubular shape, and a lens support frame 15 is provided in the axial direction of its distal end component. It's included. The lens support frame 15 has a ring-shaped flange portion formed on its tip surface, and approximately 120 solid-state light emitting elements 2, 3.4 for R, G, and B are mounted on this flange portion.
They are coaxially arranged with a distance of 100°. Further, a solid-state image sensor 6 is disposed behind the objective lens system 5, and is configured to receive an optical image formed by the objective lens system 5, convert it into an electrical signal, and output it. Incidentally, LEDs are used as the solid-state light emitting elements 2.3.4, and it is also possible to arrange two or more LEDs for each color.

In such a configuration, the three-color light of R, G, and B emitted from the solid-state light emitting element 2°3.4 is sequentially irradiated onto the object to be observed at a frame period, and the reflected light corresponding to each color is reflected by the objective lens system. The light is imaged through the solid-state stone image element 6 and received by the solid-state stone image element 6. Note that the circuit configuration of the endoscope device is the same as that shown in FIG. 3, so a circuit description will be omitted. Also,
A plurality of solid-state light-emitting elements 2A emitting white light, for example, three solid-state light-emitting elements.
.

3A and 4A can also be arranged around the outer periphery of the objective lens system 5 to enable color display.

FIG. 6 shows a second embodiment, in which endoscopes A and 4A are configured such that solid-state light-emitting elements 2A, 3A, and 4A for white light emission are disposed in the distal end component so that color display can be performed.
It is connected to A and irradiates the object to be observed with white light. The reflected light from the object to be observed passes through the objective lens system 5, is converged, and is received by the solid-state image sensor 6Δ. A color mosaic or color stripe filter 16 is arranged on the light receiving surface of the solid-state imaging probe 6A. The color mosaic or color stripe filter 16 is a filter in which a large number of R, G, and B color filters are arranged in a plane in a predetermined order at regular intervals, and the optical image formed by the objective lens system 5 is this filter. The light passes through the filter 16, is received by the solid-state image sensor 6A, is converted into an electrical signal using the next-stage driver and preamplifier circuit 7A, and is extracted. Then, the converted electrical signals are sampled and held for each R, G, and B in the sample and hold circuits 17, 18, and 19, and then displayed on the color monitor 14A.
It is output as G and B signals and displayed in color. A sampling pulse generation circuit 20 is connected to the sample hold circuits 17, 18, and 19, and a sampling pulse corresponding to the color mosaic or color stripe filter 1G is generated from the circuit 20, and this sampling pulse is used to generate a sample bold. Circuits 17, 18, and 19 are R, G.

Sample and hold the electrical signal of B and output it.

7 and 8 show a third embodiment of the distal end component, in which FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing the distal end component of the endoscope insertion section, and FIG. 8 is a front view thereof.

In this embodiment, an optical fiber bundle 21 is disposed coaxially around the outer periphery of an objective lens system 5 and a solid-state imaging cord 6, which are disposed in the axial direction of the distal end component of an endoscope insertion section 1. , randomly select the optical fiber bundle 21 disposed around the periphery and divide it into three equal parts, and make the end face of the equally divided fiber bundle R,
G, 8 is bonded to the light emitting surface of the solid light emitting device 2B, 38.4B for light emission. In this case, solid state light emitting devices 2B and 3B.

4B are arranged side by side inside the insertion part, for example, the tip component, and the cover glass normally attached to the light emitting surface is removed and the end face of the optical fiber bundle is directly joined to the light emitting surface. In this embodiment, the plurality of optical fiber bundles 21 are randomly selected and divided into thirds, but instead of this configuration, the tip end surface of the fiber bundle is shown in FIG. The arrangement may be such that the arrangement is divided into spots for each of R, G, and B like the arrangement of solid-state light emitting devices. In addition, solid-state light emitting device 2 for R, G, B
In place of B, 3B, and 4B, a structure may be used in which a solid-state light-emitting element for white light emission as shown in FIG. .

In this way, the solid-state light emitting element is disposed within the distal end component and guided to the distal end of the insertion section with an optical fiber bundle, so that the solid-state light emitting element is emitted at the distal end of the insertion section 9 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. There is no need to arrange three types of elements, the tip component can be made smaller, and each of the R, G, and B light emitted from the solid-state light emitting element is irradiated evenly from a random position on the east end face of the fiber around the objective lens system 5. will be done.

Note that the solid-state light emitting elements 28 and 38 for R, G, and 8 light emission are disposed within the distal end component of the endoscope insertion section 1 shown in FIG.
．． 48 may be installed, for example, in the endoscope operation section on the proximal side, as shown in FIG. 9, and the light of each color may be guided through the optical fiber bundle 21 to the distal end of the insertion section.

In addition, in FIG. 9, solid-state light emitting elements 28, 38, 48
Instead, R, G, and B filters are connected, and three light source lamps are placed behind these filters for R, G.

It is also possible to configure the B trichromatic light to be incident on each fiber bundle. Additionally, instead of three light source lamps with R, G, and B filters, at least one light source lamp without filters can be used.
Two light source lamps are arranged, and the white light is transmitted to two optical fiber bundles.
1, the overall device configuration may be as shown in FIG. Furthermore, a light source device such as the solid-state light emitting elements 2B and 38.4B shown in FIG.
It may also be possible to lead to

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, a solid-state light emitting element or a solid-state light emitting element is placed around the objective lens system disposed at the tip of the distal end component of the endoscope insertion section coaxially with the objective lens system. Therefore, when colorizing a transported image, the space required for arranging the illumination means together with the objective lens system in the tip component is reduced, and there is more room for arranging other components. Assemblability can be improved, and the tip component can be downsized.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a sectional view showing the arrangement of the distal end component of a conventional endoscope device, Fig. 2 is a front view of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram of the endoscope C unit U, and Fig. 4 is a FIG. 5 is a front view of FIG. 4, and FIG. 6 is a second embodiment of the tip component and its use. 7 shows a third embodiment of the distal end component, FIG. 8 is a front view of FIG. 7, and FIG. 9 is a front view of FIG. 6. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the groove when the light source is placed on the hand side. 1... Endoscope insertion section 2.2A, 2B, 3.3A, 3B, 4.4A. 4B...Solid-state light emitting device 5...Objective lens system 6.6A...Solid-state imaging device 21...Optical fiber bundle Continued from page 1 0 Inventor Tsutomu Yamamoto @ Inventor Yu Konomura @ Inventor Miyazaki Number 0 Inventor Kawaaki Nakamura @ Inventor Atsushi Kan - Ken 2-4 Hatagaya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, 2-4-August Olympus Optical Industry Co., Ltd. 2-4 Hatagaya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, 2-August Olympus Optical Industry Co., Ltd. Olympus Optical Industries Co., Ltd. 2-4 Hatagaya 2-4, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Olympus Optical Industries Co., Ltd. 2-4 Hatagaya 2-chome, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Olympus Optical Industries Co., Ltd. Inside the company

Claims (5)

[Claims] (1) an objective lens system that is disposed at the distal end component of the endoscope insertion section and forms an image of light from an object to be observed, and an illumination means that is coaxially disposed around the objective lens system; a solid i+ that receives an optical image from the objective lens system and converts it into an electrical signal;
i-element, and is configured to perform color display based on an electrical signal from the solid-state light emitting element. (2) The endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the illumination means is configured by disposing a solid-state light emitting element that emits white light. (3) The endoscope according to claim 2, wherein the illumination means is configured by disposing at least three solid-state light emitting elements that emit red, green, and blue light. Device. (4) The endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the illumination means is constructed by disposing an optical fiber bundle that guides white light from a light source. (5) The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the illumination means is configured by disposing an optical fiber bundle that guides red, green, and blue light from a light source. Device.