JP2000060796A - Image pickup device of endoscope - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent signal wires from being broken even if a tensile force is applied to a flexible cable and improve the durability by connecting and fixing the signal wires to transmits image signals of a solid image pickup device to a member near the solid image pickup device in a more relaxed state than a steel wire for shielding. SOLUTION: A flexible signal cable 13 connecting an image pickup section and a signal connector portion screws a protection cylinder 52 for signal wires 23 onto the rear end of a unit frame 51. The solid image pickup device 21 is arranged in the tip of a shielding cylinder 25 fitted into the unit frame 51. In addition, a terminal projected rearward from the solid imaging element 21 is soldered to the front end of a circuit board 22, the tips of the signal wires 23 are soldered 200 to the front end of the circuit board 22, and a steel wire 24 for shielding is soldered 300 to the rear end of the signal cable 13. The signal wires 23 are connected and fixed in a more relaxed and meandering state tan the steel wire 24 for shielding and protected against the tensile force of the signal cable 13.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an endoscope image pickup apparatus in which an endoscope observation image is picked up by a solid-state image pickup device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In general, an image pickup apparatus for an endoscope has a shielded net in a flexible cable in which a signal line group for transmitting a video signal obtained by a solid-state image pickup device for picking up an endoscopic observation image is provided. The signal wire group and the shield net wire are surrounded by lines and are inserted and arranged, and the signal wire group and the shield net wire are respectively connected to members that are drawn out from the flexible cable and arranged in the vicinity of the solid-state image sensor.

Such an endoscope image pickup apparatus is used for a so-called electronic endoscope in which a solid-state image pickup element is arranged in the distal end of an endoscope insertion portion, and is attached to and detached from an eyepiece portion of the endoscope. Some are used for so-called image pickup adapters in which a solid-state image pickup element is arranged in an image pickup section that is freely connected.

[0004]

In a so-called electronic endoscope in which the solid-state image pickup device is arranged in the distal end of the endoscope insertion portion, the insertion portion and the curved portion of the endoscope are irregularly bent. The flexible cable may be pulled strongly.

Then, the force is directly transmitted to the signal line group which is pulled out from the flexible cable and connected to the member in the vicinity of the solid-state image pickup element, and a part of the signal lines may be disconnected to cause a signal loss. .

Further, in the case of an image pickup adapter in which a solid-state image pickup element is arranged in an image pickup section detachably connected to an eyepiece section of an endoscope, an end of a flexible cable is fixed to the image pickup section. However, if the fixing method is only tightening a flexible tube, etc., when a strong external force is applied to the flexible cable, the fixing part may shift and the force may be directly transmitted to the signal line group. However, some of the signal lines are disconnected and a signal loss occurs.

Therefore, according to the present invention, even if a pulling force acts on the flexible cable, the signal line group that is pulled out from the flexible cable and connected to a member in the vicinity of the solid-state image sensor is not broken, and the durability is excellent. Another object of the present invention is to provide an imaging device for an endoscope.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, an image pickup device for an endoscope according to the present invention provides a signal for transmitting a video signal obtained by a solid-state image pickup device for picking up an endoscopic observation image. A wire group is inserted and arranged in a flexible cable so as to be surrounded by a shield net wire, and the signal wire group and the shield net wire are drawn out from the flexible cable, respectively, in the vicinity of the solid-state imaging device. In the imaging device of the endoscope connected to the member arranged in, the signal line group is connected and fixed to a member in the vicinity of the solid-state image pickup device in a state of being loosened from the shielding net wire. .

The solid-state image pickup device is arranged in an image pickup portion of an adapter which is detachably connected to an eyepiece portion of an endoscope, and an end portion of the flexible cable is connected to the image pickup portion. Good.

Alternatively, the solid-state image pickup device may be arranged in the tip of the insertion portion of the endoscope, and the flexible cable may be inserted in the insertion portion of the endoscope. Further, the shield net wire may be connected and fixed in an annular shape to a member in the vicinity of the solid-state image sensor in a state of surrounding the signal line group.

The signal line group may be connected and fixed to the circuit board, and the shield net wire may be connected and fixed to the shield tube.

[0012]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 2 schematically shows the overall configuration of a system in which the imaging adapter 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention is used. The endoscope 1 is an optical type that transmits an observation image by an image guide fiber bundle. The light guide connector 2 in which the incident end of the light guide that transmits the illumination light is arranged is connected to the light source device 3.

The endoscope observation image can be seen with the naked eye through the eyepiece 4 in which the exit end of the image guide fiber bundle is arranged.
0 can be connected detachably.

The image pickup adapter 10 is constructed by connecting an image pickup section 11 connected to the eyepiece section 4 and a signal connector section 12 connected to the video processor 5 by a flexible signal cable 13. .

A video signal of an endoscopic observation image (an image of the exit end face of the image guide fiber bundle) picked up by the solid-state image pickup device built in the image pickup section 11 is passed through the signal cable 13. Signal connector part 1 by group
2 is transmitted to the video processor 5 from the signal contacts arranged in the signal connector section 12, and is transmitted to the television monitor 6
The observation image is displayed on.

FIG. 1 shows the image pickup unit 11, and the image pickup unit 1
A frame 31 formed in a tubular shape extending over almost the entire length of the frame 1
An attachment 32 that is detachable from the eyepiece portion 4 of the endoscope 1 is disposed at the tip portion of the.

The image pickup lens 34 is divided into two groups, and drive pins 35 and 36 are projectingly provided on the side wall of the lens frame of each group, and are driven by two cam grooves formed in the zoom cam barrel 38. The heads of the pins 35 and 36 are engaged.

When the rotatably arranged zoom operating ring 37 is rotated, the zoom cam barrel 38 screwed and connected thereto is rotated and the two drive pins 35 and 36 are rotated.
Are individually advanced and retracted in the axial direction, and the imaging lens 34 is displaced as in the state shown in the left half and the state shown in the right half to change the focal length.

The solid-state image pickup device 21, the circuit board 22 and the like are arranged behind the image pickup lens 34 inside the latter half of the frame 31 so as to be fitted and arranged in the axial direction so as to be able to move forward and backward.
The end portion of the signal cable 13 is fixed to the support cylinder 41 by being fastened with a fixing metal fitting 49.

A fold stop 42 for preventing the end portion of the signal cable 13 from being sharply bent and damaged is screwed and connected to the support cylinder 41, and the fold stop 42 is supported.
By being screwed into the end portion of 1, the fixing metal fitting 49 can tighten the signal cable 13 tightly from the outer surface.

A drive pin 43 is projectingly provided on a side wall of the support barrel 41, and a head portion of the drive pin 43 is engaged with a cam groove formed in the focusing cam barrel 45 and is rotatably arranged. When the focus operation ring 44 is rotationally operated, the focusing cam cylinder 45 screwed and connected thereto is moved to move the drive pin 43, and the support cylinder 41 supporting the solid-state imaging device 21 is displaced in the axial direction. Adjustments are made. The signal cable 13 and the break stop 42 connected to the rear end of the support tube 41 are also attached to the frame 31.
Move relative to.

FIG. 3 shows a unit supported by the tip portion of the support cylinder 41. The unit frame 51 includes a metal cylinder 51a screwed and fixed to the support cylinder 41 and an electric insulating property inside thereof. It is formed by integrally joining with a plastic cylinder 51b.

An electrically insulating signal line group protection cylinder 52 for protecting the signal line group 23 extending from the tip of the signal cable 13 is detachably screwed to the rear end of the unit frame 51. ing.

The unit frame 51 is fixed to the support cylinder 41 by pressing pointed screws from, for example, three directions on the inclined surface 51c formed on the outer periphery of the unit frame 51 (see FIG. 1). Therefore, the eccentricity of the unit frame 51 can be adjusted by adjusting the tightening degree of each screw.

At the tip of the unit frame 51, there is a low-pass filter 54 for preventing the generation of moire fringes due to the combination of the image guide fiber bundle in which the single fibers are arranged in a mesh pattern and the solid-state image pickup device 21. It is fixed.

The solid-state image pickup device 21 includes the unit frame 5
The cover glass 53 is arranged in the vicinity of the tip of the shield tube 25 made of a conductive metal that is fitted and adhered inside the cover glass 1, and the cover glass 53 is bonded to the imaging surface side thereof.

The circuit board 22 on which the electronic components constituting the drive circuit of the solid-state image sensor 21 are mounted is the solid-state image sensor 2
It is formed in a rectangular shape that extends slenderly from the rear surface portion of 1 to the vicinity of the rear end of the shield tube 25, and is disposed inside the shield tube 25.

From the back surface of the solid-state image sensor 21 to the shield tube 2
In the area up to the middle portion of 5, the shield cylinder 25 is filled with the adhesive 100, whereby the shield cylinder 25, the solid-state imaging device 21, and the circuit board 22 are joined together in a solidified state. ing.

The terminals projecting rearward from the solid-state imaging device 21 are connected and fixed to the front end portion of the circuit board 22 by soldering, and the front end portions of the signal lines of the signal line group 23 are rear ends of the circuit board 22. The portion is connected and fixed by soldering 200. The shield net wire 24 of the signal cable 13 is connected and fixed to the rear end of the shield tube 25 by soldering 300.

In this way, the signal line group 23 and the shield net wire 24 are soldered to the circuit board 22 and the shield tube 25, which are arranged in the vicinity of the solid-state image pickup device 21, 200, 300.
The connection is fixed by the signal line group 23.
However, they are connected and fixed in a state where they are slackened from the shield net wire 24 and meandered.

Therefore, when the signal cable 13 is pulled from the outside, the force is transmitted to the shield net wire 24 and the shield net wire 24 is in a fully extended state, but the signal wire group 23 has a pulling force. I can't get it.

As a result, no disconnection occurs in the signal line group 23, and even if the shield net wire 24 is partially disconnected, it does not affect the shielding action of the shield net wire 24 at all. .

FIG. 4 shows a unit of the image pickup adapter according to the second embodiment of the present invention, which is supported by the tip portion of the support tube 41. The signal line group 23 is soldered to the shield tube 25. It is the same as the first embodiment in that it is connected and fixed to the circuit board 22 by soldering 200 in a state of being slack and meandering from the connected and fixed shield net wire 24.

In this embodiment, the shield net wire 24 is connected and fixed to the shield tube 25 by soldering 300 so as to surround the signal wire group 23 in an annular shape. Therefore, no matter what direction the pulling force acts on the shield net wire 24, the influence on the signal wire group 23 can be more surely eliminated. Reference numeral 27 is a remote control signal line.

FIG. 5 shows a third embodiment of the present invention, in which the present invention is applied to an electronic endoscope. The image pickup surface of the solid-state image pickup device 21 is arranged at the image forming position of the subject by the objective optical system 9 built in the tip of the insertion portion of the endoscope 1, and the signal cable 13 inserted and arranged in the insertion portion of the endoscope 1. The tip part of is not fixed.

However, as in the first and second embodiments, the signal line group 23 is soldered to the shield tube 25 by soldering 300.
It is connected and fixed to the circuit board 22 by soldering 200 in a state where it is loosened and meandered from the shield net wire 24 which is connected and fixed by.

Therefore, even if the insertion portion of the endoscope 1 is irregularly bent and a tensile force acts on the signal cable 13, the force is received by the shield net wire 24 and is transmitted to the signal wire group 23. Absent.

[0038]

According to the present invention, by connecting and fixing the signal line group to the member near the solid-state image pickup device in a state of being loosened from the shielding net wire, a tensile force acts on the flexible cable. However, since the force is received by the shield net wire and is not transmitted to the signal wire group, there is no fear of disconnection of the signal wire, and excellent durability can be obtained.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view of an image pickup section of an image pickup adapter according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an overall configuration of a system in which the image pickup adapter according to the first embodiment of the present invention is used.

FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of a main part of the image pickup adapter according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a side sectional view of a main part of an image pickup adapter according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a side sectional view of a main part of an electronic endoscope according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

13 signal cable 21 Solid-state image sensor 22 circuit board 23 signal lines 24 Shield wire 25 shield tube 200,300 Soldering

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    F-term (reference) 2H040 BA00 BA01 BA03 BA05 CA27                       CA29 DA03 DA12 DA32 GA01                       GA02                 4C061 AA00 BB01 CC06 DD03 FF45                       JJ11 JJ19 LL02 LL03 NN03                       UU03 UU06 UU09                 5C022 AA09 AB15 AB21 AB66 AC42                       AC54 AC75 AC78                 5C024 AA03 BA03 CA31 EA04 FA01                       GA11

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A signal line group for transmitting a video signal obtained by a solid-state image pickup device for picking up an endoscopic observation image is inserted and arranged in a flexible cable so as to be surrounded by a shielding mesh line. In the imaging device of the endoscope, the signal line group and the shield net wire are connected to the members arranged in the vicinity of the solid-state image pickup device, which are drawn out from the flexible cable, respectively. An imaging device for an endoscope, wherein the imaging device is connected and fixed to a member in the vicinity of the solid-state imaging device in a state of being loosened from the shielding net wire. 2. The solid-state image pickup device is arranged in an image pickup portion of an adapter detachably connected to an eyepiece portion of an endoscope, and an end portion of the flexible cable is connected to the image pickup portion. The imaging device for an endoscope according to claim 1. 3. The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the solid-state imaging device is arranged in a tip of an insertion portion of the endoscope, and the flexible cable is inserted in the insertion portion of the endoscope. Imaging device. 4. The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the shielding net wire is connected and fixed in an annular shape to a member near the solid-state image pickup device in a state of surrounding the signal line group. Imaging device. 5. The signal line group is connected and fixed to a circuit board,
The imaging device for an endoscope according to claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, wherein the shield net wire is connected and fixed to a shield tube.