JP2001128933A - Tip part of endoscope - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a tip part of an endoscope in which the water drops attached on the surface of lens can be easily removed outside the field of observation, and capable obtaining a good observational image. SOLUTION: A hydrophilic painting or a hydrophilic coating A is applied to the part other than an optical effective diameter 11a on the surface of a first optical object lens 11 fitted to an observational window 3 or to the surface of the circumference of the observational window 3 of the tip end body 1.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

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

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An observation window of an endoscope is provided with a first objective optical system.
The lens is mounted with its surface exposed to the outside, but the surface is soiled by adhesion of mucus and the like in the body cavity. Therefore, the surface of the first lens can be washed by spraying water with a nozzle, and after water-washing, air is further blown to blow off water droplets remaining on the lens surface.

[0003]

However, there are many cases where water droplets actually remain on the lens surface without being blown off, which hinders observation.

Therefore, conventionally, for example, Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 51-109
As described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 190-190, etc., there is an example in which a peripheral wall surrounding an observation window is formed with a rough surface so that water droplets on the lens surface are drawn to the peripheral wall.

However, in such a configuration in which the wall surface is simply formed with a rough surface, an effect sufficient to move the water droplet does not actually occur, so that the observation is rarely obstructed by the water droplet remaining on the lens surface. Did not.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a distal end portion of an endoscope which can easily remove water droplets attached to a lens surface outside an observation field of view and can obtain a good observation image.

[0007]

Means for Solving the Problems To solve the above problems, the distal end of the endoscope of the present invention is provided with a water supply nozzle for jetting water toward the surface of an observation window arranged on the distal end body. At the distal end of the endoscope, a portion other than the optically effective diameter of the surface of the first lens of the objective optical system attached to the observation window is provided with a hydrophilic coating or a hydrophilic coating.

[0008] A hydrophilic coating or a hydrophilic coating may be applied to almost the entire surface of the first lens of the objective optical system other than the optically effective diameter. Further, an air supply nozzle for ejecting air toward the surface of the observation window may be provided, and the air supply nozzle may be provided only on a portion of the surface of the first lens of the objective optical system that is farther from the air supply nozzle.

[0009] The hydrophilicity of the hydrophilic coating or the hydrophilic coating may be stronger at a portion closer to the optical effective diameter of the surface of the first lens of the objective optical system than at a portion farther from the optically effective diameter.

[0010] The distal end portion of the endoscope according to the present invention may be a distal end portion of an endoscope provided with a water supply nozzle for jetting water toward a surface of an observation window disposed on the distal end body. The surface of the portion around the observation window of the main body is provided with a hydrophilic paint or a hydrophilic coating.

[0011] A hydrophilic paint or a hydrophilic coating may be applied to almost the entire peripheral portion of the periphery of the observation window of the distal end body. In addition, an air supply nozzle that ejects air toward the surface of the observation window is provided, and the air supply nozzle is provided only on a portion of the distal end body around the observation window that is farther from the air supply nozzle. Good.

Further, the hydrophilicity of the hydrophilic paint or the hydrophilic coating may be stronger in a portion closer to the observation window than in a portion farther from the observation window.

[0013]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 2 shows a distal end portion of an insertion portion of the side-viewing type endoscope.

An electrically insulating tip cap 2 is attached so as to cover the outer surface of the metal tip body 1, and the observation window 3 and the illumination window 4 are laterally attached to the side of the tip body 1. It is arranged facing.

A light distribution lens 5 composed of a concave lens is fixed to the illumination window 4 so as to close the illumination window 4 in a water-tight manner, and an emission end face of a light guide fiber bundle 6 for illumination is disposed on the back side thereof. I have.

A first lens 11 of an objective optical system comprising a concave lens is fixed to the observation window 3 so as to close the observation window 3 in a watertight manner, and the surface of the first lens 11 is exposed to the outside. In addition, the first lens 11 includes a parallel flat plate having no power.

The roof prism 1 is provided on the back surface of the first lens 11.
2 are joined. The second lens group 13 and the first lens 11 arranged behind the roof prism 12 have the same optical axis, and the first lens 11, the roof prism 12 and the second lens group 13 constitute an objective optical system. I have.

Behind the second lens group 13, the incident end face of the image guide fiber bundle 7 is arranged.
A subject in front of the first lens 11 is illuminated by the illumination light emitted from the light distribution lens 5, and an image of the subject is formed on the incident end face of the image guide fiber bundle 7 and transmitted to the rear.

In the vicinity of the first lens 11, an air / water nozzle 8 is disposed with its opening facing the surface of the first lens 11 from the rear, and is selectively fed through an air / water tube 9. Coming air and water can be sprayed on the surface of the first lens 11.

The first lens 11 is formed in a rectangular shape with rounded four corners as shown in FIG. 3 because of the necessity of joining the roof prism 12, and the outer surface of the first lens 11 has an optical surface. Hydrophilic treatment A is applied to the entire portion other than the effective diameter 11a.

As the hydrophilic treatment A, the outer surface of the first lens 11 is subjected to a hydrophilic coating such as a synthetic resin coating to which hydrophilic polymer fine particles are added, or a titanium oxide photocatalytic film (for example, Applying a hydrophilic coating, such as "Hydro Tect" (trade name, manufactured by Kiki Co., Ltd.)
And so on.

At the distal end of the endoscope of the embodiment configured as described above, when a water droplet 50 adheres to the outer surface of the first lens 11 as shown in FIG. Optical effective diameter 11 even inside near outer edge
a, the water droplet 50 is attracted to the portion where the hydrophilic treatment A has been applied, and is excluded outside the optically effective diameter 11a, as shown in FIG.
The observation field of view is not obstructed.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of an observation window 3 according to a second embodiment of the present invention, in which a hydrophilic treatment A similar to that of the first embodiment is applied to an optically effective diameter 11a. With some spacing. By doing so, the water drops removed from the optically effective diameter 11a to the hydrophilic treatment A portion do not touch the observation range at all.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of an observation window 3 according to a third embodiment of the present invention, in which hydrophilic treatment A is applied to the surface of the first lens 11 that is farther from the air / water supply nozzle 8. Is applied only to the part. In this way, water droplets adhering to the surface of the first lens 11 are removed away from the air / water supply nozzle 8 and do not return to the surface of the first lens 11 during air supply.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the observation window 3 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. The hydrophilicity of the hydrophilic treatment A is different between a portion near the optically effective diameter 11a and a portion far from the optically effective diameter 11a. Attach
The hydrophilicity of a portion near the optically effective diameter 11a is enhanced. By doing so, the optical effective diameter 11
Water droplets adhering to the inside a are easily removed to the outside.

FIGS. 7 and 8 show an example in which the hydrophilic treatment A of the present invention is applied to the distal end wall surface of the distal end body 1 of the forward-looking type endoscope. FIG. 8 shows an example in which only the portion far from the air / water supply nozzle 8 is applied.
Is different between a portion close to the observation window 3 and a portion far from the observation window 3 to enhance the hydrophilicity of the portion close to the observation window 3. Even with such a configuration, water droplets on the surface of the observation window 3 can be eliminated to the outside.

[0027]

According to the present invention, the surface of the portion other than the optically effective diameter of the surface of the first lens of the objective optical system attached to the observation window or the surface of the portion around the observation window of the distal end main body is hydrophilic. Since the hydrophilic paint or hydrophilic coating is applied, water droplets adhering to the lens surface are easily removed outside the observation field of view, and a clear and good observation image can be obtained.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view of a state in which water droplets on a surface of a first lens at a distal end portion of an endoscope according to a first embodiment of the present invention are being eliminated.

FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of a distal end portion of the endoscope according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of an observation window portion at a distal end portion of the endoscope according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of an observation window portion at a distal end portion of an endoscope according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of an observation window portion at a distal end portion of an endoscope according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of an observation window portion at a distal end portion of an endoscope according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a front view of a distal end portion main body of a distal end portion of an endoscope according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a front view of a distal end portion main body of a distal end portion of an endoscope according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 A hydrophilic treatment 1 tip body 3 observation window 4 illumination window 8 air / water supply nozzle 11 first lens 11a optically effective diameter 12 roof prism 13 second lens group 50 water droplet

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page F term (reference) 2H040 CA23 DA57 4C061 AA00 BB04 CC06 DD00 FF39 FF40 JJ01 JJ11 LL02 NN01 PP11 RR30

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A first objective optical system lens attached to an observation window at a distal end of an endoscope provided with a water supply nozzle for jetting water toward a surface of an observation window disposed on a distal end body. The end portion of the endoscope, wherein a hydrophilic coating or a hydrophilic coating is applied to a portion other than the optically effective diameter of the surface of the endoscope. 2. The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the hydrophilic paint or the hydrophilic coating is applied to almost the entire surface of the first lens of the objective optical system other than the optically effective diameter. Tip. 3. An air supply nozzle for ejecting air toward the surface of the observation window, wherein the hydrophilic paint or the hydrophilic coating is provided on the surface of the objective optical system first lens. The distal end portion of an endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the distal end portion is provided only on a portion remote from the air supply nozzle. 4. The hydrophilicity of the hydrophilic coating or the hydrophilic coating is greater at a portion closer to the optically effective diameter of the surface of the first lens of the objective optical system than at a portion farther from the optically effective diameter. 4. A distal end portion of the endoscope according to any one of Items 3 to 3. 5. A distal end portion of an endoscope provided with a water supply nozzle for jetting water toward a surface of an observation window disposed on a distal end portion main body, wherein a portion of the distal end portion main body around the observation window is provided. A distal end portion of an endoscope, wherein a hydrophilic coating or a hydrophilic coating is applied to a surface of the endoscope. 6. A distal end portion of an endoscope according to claim 5, wherein said hydrophilic paint or hydrophilic coating is applied to substantially the entire peripheral portion of said distal end portion main body around said observation window. . 7. An air supply nozzle for jetting air toward the surface of the observation window, wherein the hydrophilic paint or the hydrophilic coating is provided on a portion of the distal end body around the observation window. The distal end portion of an endoscope according to claim 5, wherein the end portion is applied only to a portion remote from the air supply nozzle. 8. The method according to claim 5, wherein the hydrophilicity of the hydrophilic coating or the hydrophilic coating is higher in a portion closer to the observation window than in a portion farther from the observation window. The end of the endoscope.