JP2000254092A - Endoscope having operation switch - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable to easily operate an operation switch in relation with an angle operation lug and easily operate by fingers holding an operation part. SOLUTION: In an operating part 10 of an endoscope in which a variable power operation switch 17 in a driving part for driving a lens for changing an observation distance, for example, by rotating a wire-shaped transmission member by a motor, this switch is projected in the approximately vertical direction in the rear end of the operation part 10, and is arranged so that the top operation face is inclined (angle α) to angle lugs 38 (A, B) side, and a vertical axis of this switch 17 is inclined to the top side of the endoscope. Moreover, this variable power operation switch 17 is a toggle switch having an operation lever, the operation angle of the operation lever is inclined from the direction of the endoscope axis side to the angle lug side.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an endoscope having an operation switch, and more particularly to a structure for mounting an operation switch for driving a lens or the like for changing an observation distance.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In an endoscope, an operation section having a thickness that can be gripped by hand is arranged at the base side of an insertion section, and an angle operation knob (rotating member) for bending a distal end portion of the operation section and an air supply /
Operation switches such as a water supply switch and a photographing switch are arranged. The user operates the angle operation knob and various operation switches with his / her finger while holding the operation unit with the left hand, for example.

Recently, it has been proposed that a variable power drive mechanism for changing, for example, an observation distance is incorporated into the insertion distal end, and a movable lens, which is a component of the variable power drive mechanism, is driven by a motor. . That is, this transmits the rotational driving force of the motor to a variable magnification driving mechanism using a linear transmission member, for example, a multiple coil spring member, where the rotational motion is converted into a linear motion and the predetermined movable lens is moved back and forth. It is moved to execute the scaling operation.

[0004]

By the way, the zooming operation switch such as the above-mentioned zooming drive mechanism is arranged on the above-mentioned operation section like other operation switches.
The problem is how to attach it to the operation unit. That is, the switch operation for changing the magnification is often performed in connection with the operation of the angle operation knob. For example, the target observation portion is projected while bending the end portion of the endoscope with the angle operation knob. An operation of enlarging or reducing the observation unit is performed. Therefore, it is required that the operator, for example, be arranged so that the thumb can easily reciprocate between the angle operation knob and the zoom switch.

[0005] In addition, such an operation switch is operated by a finger while holding the operation section with a hand.
It is necessary that the operation unit can be easily operated without shifting or holding the hand.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has as its object that an operation switch can be easily operated in relation to an angle operation knob, and can be easily operated by a finger of a hand holding an operation section. It is an object of the present invention to provide an endoscope having an operation switch.

[0007]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an endoscope having an operation switch for operating an angle operation knob for bending a distal end portion and a driving unit. In an endoscope having an operation switch and an operation unit, the operation switch is disposed at a rear end of the operation unit so as to protrude in a direction substantially perpendicular to an endoscope axis,
The switch upper operation surface is arranged to be inclined toward the angle operation knob from a position where the vertical axis is placed on a surface parallel to the mounting surface of the angle operation knob. The invention according to claim 2 is characterized in that the vertical axis of the operation switch is also inclined toward the distal end of the endoscope. The invention according to claim 3 is characterized in that the operation switch is a toggle switch having an operation stick, and the operation direction of the operation stick is inclined from the axial direction of the endoscope to the angle operation knob side.

According to the above arrangement, the operation switch such as the variable-power drive mechanism is disposed at the rear end of the operation unit so as to be positioned on the thumb side of the hand holding the operation unit. It is attached to the knob side at an angle.
According to the second aspect, the operation switch is disposed so as to also be inclined toward the distal end of the endoscope. Therefore, this operation switch is close to the position of the thumb placed on the angle operation knob, and the movement of the thumb between the angle operation knob and the operation switch or the movement of the thumb holding the operation unit to the operation switch is performed smoothly. . Furthermore, according to the third aspect, there is an advantage that the reciprocating operation of the switch when the switch is a toggle switch is smooth.

[0009]

1 to 3 show a configuration of an endoscope having an operation switch according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 shows an entire configuration relating to a movable lens driving unit. First, the overall configuration will be described. FIG.
FIG. 4A shows an endoscope operation unit 10 on the left side of FIG.
The insertion portion including the distal end portion 11 of FIG.
0 is connected to a light source device and a processor device via a lower cable 12. On the rear side of the operation unit 10, an air supply / water supply button 14, a suction button 15, a freeze operation switch 16A,
Enlargement switch 16B for enlarging the image to the set magnification, VTR
A switch 16C, and a variable magnification operation switch 17 and an angle knob, which will be described in detail later, are provided.

A forceps port 19 is provided on the front side of the operation unit 10.
The forceps port 19 is connected by a pipe to a treatment instrument insertion channel connected on the front side of the internal suction pipe 20. In addition, a light guide, an air supply / water supply pipe, a signal cable, and the like are arranged, and the variable power switch 17 is mounted via a mounting member 24 on a chassis (base) 22 provided so as to partition the inside at an intermediate portion. Motor 2 driven by
5, a transmission gear portion 26, a linear transmission member 27 composed of a multiple coil spring or the like, and a soft protective tube 28 provided on the outer periphery of the linear transmission member 27.

[0011] As shown in FIG.
Now, the objective lens 30 and the movable lens 3 for performing the zooming operation
1. A prism 32 is arranged, and a CCD 34 as a solid-state image sensor is optically connected to the prism 32 via a cover glass 33. Holding member 3 for movable lens 31
Reference numeral 6 has a female screw portion at an upper portion thereof, and a rotary drive 37 for screwing a male screw to the female screw is disposed, and the linear transmission member 27 is connected to the rotary drive 37. Therefore, when the linear transmission member 27 is rotationally driven by the motor 25, the movable lens 31 moves back and forth by the screwing connection between the rotation driving body 37 and the holding member 36, thereby performing the variable power operation.

FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 show the arrangement of the variable power operation switch 17. As shown in FIG. 1, the upper and lower angle knobs 38A and 38A are attached to the mounting surface 100 which is the back surface in FIG. Left and right angle knobs 38B are provided. The angle knobs 38A and 38B are connected to the operation unit 1
0 is mounted so as to rotate about a rotation axis 101 perpendicular to the mounting surface 100. The tip 11 can be bent up and down via an internal wire by the vertical angle knob 38A, and the left and right angle knob 38B Accordingly, the distal end portion 11 can be bent left and right.

Then, the above-described variable power switch 17 is operated.
As shown in FIG. 1, the endoscope shaft (endoscope insertion direction) 1 is attached to the attachment assisting section 39 at the rear end of the operation section 10.
02 projecting in a direction substantially perpendicular to the mounting surface 100 of the angle knobs 38A, 38B.
From 0 ′, the switch 103 is arranged so that the vertical axis 103 of the switch 17 is inclined by the angle α toward the angle knobs 38A and 38B. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the vertical axis 103 of the zoom operation switch 17 is inclined from the line 104 perpendicular to the endoscope axis 102 by an angle β toward the distal end of the endoscope. With these configurations, the operation surface side of the variable power operation switch 17 is arranged near a finger that operates the angle knobs 38A and 38B.

In this example, the variable power operation switch 17 is used.
Is a toggle switch having an operation stick, and the operation direction (S1 in FIG. 2) of the operation stick coincides with, for example, the direction of the endoscope axis 102 (or the direction of the rotation axis 101). FIG.
As shown in the figure, the operation switch 17 has a momentary toggle switch member 41 in a case body 40, and an operation rod 42 is disposed above the toggle switch member 41. The operation rod 42 is provided with an endoscope shaft 102 indicated by an arrow.
By performing the reciprocating operation in the direction, the magnification can be adjusted.

A cover 44 made of a soft synthetic resin, which covers the operation portion, is fitted to the case body 40 by fitting the distal end of the operation rod 42, and the operation rod is provided inside the cover body 44. A wall 45 is formed along a direction perpendicular to the operation direction (arrow 102) of the wall 42, and the tip of the operation rod 42 is engaged with an engagement hole H of the wall 45. The wall 45 serves as an operation load in a direction other than the operation direction, and serves to guide the operation direction. Further, as shown in FIG. 3B, a U-shaped projection band 46 is formed on the inclined surface of the upper operation surface of the cover body 44 to facilitate operation with a thumb or the like.

According to the configuration of the first example, for example, as shown in FIG. 1, the upper operation surfaces of the angle knobs 38A and 38B and the zoom operation switch 17 are close to each other. And it can be moved smoothly. Then, as shown in FIG. 2, if the operation rod 42 is reciprocated with the thumb or the like via the protruding band 46 of the cover body 44, the imaging magnification changes. That is, the rotational driving force of the motor 25 is transmitted to the distal end via the linear transmission member 27, and the movable lens 31 is moved back and forth by the distal rotational driving body 37, whereby the imaging magnification can be changed. . In the above embodiment, the operation switch device used for the variable power function has been described.
The present invention can be applied to operation switches of other driving units.

FIG. 5 shows a configuration of a second example of the embodiment. In the second example, the operation direction of the variable power switch is inclined to the angle knob 38 side. FIG.
As shown in (B), the reciprocating operation direction S2 of the variable power operation switch 57 is the angle knob 38 by the angle γ from the direction of the endoscope shaft 102 (in the first example, the operation direction S1 coincides with the direction 102). (Rotation axis 101).

That is, in the same manner as in the first example, the vertical axis 103 of the variable magnification operation switch 57 composed of a toggle switch is tilted to the angle knob 38 at the angle α and tilted toward the distal end of the endoscope at the angle β. Then, the switch 57 is disposed with a slight rotation, and the operation direction S2 of the operation stick (42) is inclined to the angle γ and the angle knob 38 side as shown in FIG.
According to the second example, there is an advantage that the reciprocating operation of the scaling operation switch 57 can be performed naturally and smoothly by the thumb separated from the angle knob 38.

[0019]

As described above, according to the present invention,
An operation switch for operating the drive unit is disposed at a rear end of the endoscope operation unit so as to protrude in a direction substantially perpendicular to the endoscope axis, and the vertical axis is parallel to a mounting surface of the angle operation knob. The switch upper operation surface is arranged so that it is inclined to the angle knob side from the position where the switch is placed, so that the operation switch can be easily operated in relation to the angle operation knob, and the operation with the finger of the hand holding the operation unit can be performed. It will be easier.

In the invention of claim 2, the vertical axis of the operation switch is also inclined toward the distal end of the endoscope. In the invention of claim 3, the operation direction of the operation switch comprising a toggle switch is viewed in an endoscope. By inclining from the mirror axis direction to the angle operation knob side, the operation of the operation switch is further improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 shows a configuration of an operation unit of an endoscope having an operation switch according to a first example of an embodiment of the present invention, and is a view of the operation unit viewed from a rear end side.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the endoscope operation unit of FIG. 1 as viewed from a side.

FIG. 3 shows a configuration of a zoom operation switch according to the embodiment;
Figure (A) is a cross-sectional view in the wall arrangement direction, Figure (B) is a top view,
FIG. 9C is a cross-sectional view (90-degree rotation) taken along the line CC in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an entire configuration of an endoscope according to the embodiment;

5A and 5B show the configuration of an endoscope operation unit according to a second example of the embodiment, and FIG. 5A is a view of the operation unit as viewed from the rear end side;
FIG. 2B is a view of the operation unit as viewed from the lower side of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

Reference numeral 10: endoscope operation unit, 17, 57: variable power operation switch, 38A, 38B: angle knob, 41
... Toggle switch member, 42 ... Operation stick, 100
... Mounting surface of the angle knob, 100 '... Surface parallel to the mounting surface, 102 ... Endoscope axis, 103 ...
Vertical axis of the zoom operation switch, 200 ... Switch operation direction.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An endoscope in which an angle operation knob for bending a distal end portion and an operation switch for operating a driving unit are arranged on an operation unit, wherein the operation switch is a rear end of the operation unit. So that the switch upper operation surface tilts toward the angle operation knob from a position where the vertical axis is placed on a surface parallel to the mounting surface of the angle operation knob. An endoscope having an operation switch, wherein the operation switch is disposed in the endoscope. 2. The endoscope having the operation switch according to claim 1, wherein a vertical axis of the operation switch is further inclined toward the distal end of the endoscope. 3. The operation switch according to claim 1, wherein the operation switch comprises a toggle switch having an operation stick, and the operation direction of the operation stick is tilted from the axial direction of the endoscope to the angle operation knob side. An endoscope having the operation switch as described in the above.