JP2002051968A - Electronic endoscope - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electronic endoscope enabled to save labor for an adjustment of white balance. SOLUTION: The electronic endoscope comprises an inserting observation part to be inserted into the object to be observed, and a detachable protection cap covering the inserting observation part, and observes an image observed by an objective optical system of the inserting observation part as an electronic image. The electronic endoscope is enabled to be sterilized by gas in the state that the inserting observation part is covered by the protection cap. Further, on the inner surface of the protection cap, in the state of being covered by the protection cap, a color index part adjusting the white balance of the electronic image observed by the objective optical system, is installed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an electronic endoscope for adjusting white balance before use.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in an electronic endoscope, a dedicated adjusting tool has been used to adjust a white balance before use. For this reason, the adjustment tool must be sterilized separately from the electronic endoscope, which requires much time in the preparation stage.

[0003]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an electronic endoscope capable of adjusting a white balance without trouble.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention for achieving the above object has an insertion observation section inserted into an observation target, and a detachable protective cap for covering the insertion observation section, and an objective optical system of the insertion observation section. Endoscope for observing an observation image as an electronic image, the electronic endoscope can be gas-sterilized in a state where a protective cap is attached to an insertion observation section, and further, the inner surface of the protective cap has the protective A color index section for adjusting a white balance of an electronic image by an objective optical system in a state where the cap is mounted is provided. According to this configuration, gas sterilization and white balance adjustment can be performed while the protective cap is attached, so that the white balance can be easily adjusted without trouble. The present invention is particularly effective when applied to an ophthalmic electronic endoscope.

[0005] As a configuration for enabling gas sterilization with the protective cap attached, for example, a communication hole communicating the inside and the outside where the insertion observation section is located may be formed in the protective cap.

The color indicator portion may be formed separately from the protective cap and fixed to the inside of the protective cap, or may be formed by directly painting the inner surface of the protective cap. .

[0007]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows an overall configuration of an ophthalmic electronic endoscope 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the ophthalmic electronic endoscope 10, a needle-shaped insertion observation unit 12 extends from one end of the elongated holding unit 11, and the insertion observation unit 1
The flexible tube 13 extends in the direction opposite to the direction 2.
At the end of the flexible tube 13, a connector 14 including a signal connector 14a and a light guide connector 14b is provided.

The insertion observation unit 12 has an optical fiber rod constituting an objective optical system disposed inside a hard outer cylinder made of a stainless steel tube or the like, and an observation image (subject image) incident from the distal end of the insertion observation unit 12 is provided. ) Is emitted toward the imaging optical system in the holding unit 11 through the optical fiber rod. An imaging device (CCD) is provided behind the imaging optical system, and the observation image is converted into electronic image data and sent to the image processing device via the signal connector 14a. The image processing device includes a monitor and an image recording device, and displays an observed image on a monitor as an electronic image based on image data,
The electronic image can be recorded on an image recording medium. Although the imaging optical system and the imaging device in the holding unit 11 are not shown in the drawing, they are well known.

A light source (not shown) is connected to the light guide connector 14b, and a light guide fiber (not shown) extends from the light guide connector 14b to the distal end of the insertion observation section 12. The light guide fiber is disposed between the above-described hard outer cylinder and the optical fiber rod in the insertion observation unit 12, and emits light from the light source unit toward the observation target from the distal end of the insertion observation unit 12. Can be.

As shown in FIG. 2, a cap mounting step 15 is formed on the outer surface of the holding section 11 near the base end of the insertion observation section 12, and a protective cap 20 is attached to and detached from the cap mounting step 15. It is possible to The protective cap 20 has a bottomed cylindrical shape in which the end on the side to be mounted on the cap mounting step 15 is open and the opposite end is closed. The length of the protective cap 20 in the axial direction is longer than that of the insertion observation section 12 and completely covers the insertion observation section 12 when the protection cap 20 is mounted on the cap mounting step section 15.

On the inner surface of the protective cap 20, a position where the distal end (light incident portion) of the insertion observation section 12 faces, that is, a region that can be observed through the insertion observation section 12, is used for adjusting white balance. Color index member (color index section) 22 is provided. The color of the color index member 22 is a reference color for adjusting the white balance.
Therefore, the protective cap 20 is attached to the cap mounting step 15.
In the state where is mounted, the color index member 22, that is, the reference color for white balance adjustment is observed through the insertion observation unit 12 incorporating the optical fiber rod. Then, the white balance can be adjusted based on the electronic image of the color index member 22 displayed on the monitor via the insertion observation unit 12 and the image processing device.

A plurality of communicating holes 21 are formed on the peripheral surface of the protective cap 20 so as to penetrate the inside and the outside.
The communication hole 21 is for enabling the insertion section 12 to be sterilized with the protective cap 20 attached thereto, and for the ophthalmic electronic endoscope 10 with the protective cap 20 attached.
Is sterilized with a gas, a sterilizing gas flows into the protective cap 20 through the communication hole 21, and the protective cap 20 and the insertion observation unit 12 are sterilized simultaneously.

In the ophthalmic electronic endoscope 10 described above, as a preparatory stage before use, sterilization is first performed with the protective cap 20 attached. As described above, the protective cap 20
Is formed with a communication hole 21 so that the protective cap 2
0 and the insertion observation unit 12 are sterilized simultaneously by a single sterilization operation. Subsequently, the white balance is adjusted with reference to the color index member 22 provided on the inner surface of the protective cap 20 immediately before using the electronic endoscope 10 for ophthalmology. After the adjustment, if the protective cap 20 is removed, the sterilized and white balance adjusted ophthalmic electronic endoscope 10 can be used.

As is apparent from the above description, according to the electronic endoscope of the present embodiment, the protective cap 20 provided with the color index member 22 also functions as a white balance adjusting tool, and the protective cap 20 is mounted. Since the insertion observation unit 12 can be sterilized in this state, it is not necessary to sterilize the dedicated adjustment device for white balance adjustment separately from the electronic endoscope as in the related art, and it is troublesome to attach and detach the adjustment device when adjusting the white balance. It does not take. Therefore, preparation before use of the electronic endoscope can be easily performed. Further, in the electronic endoscope of the present embodiment, since the protective cap 20 can be kept attached until just before use after sterilization and white balance adjustment, the exposure time of the insertion observation unit 12 can be shortened as much as possible to prevent damage. There is also an advantage that the fear can be reduced.

However, the present invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiment. For example, the shape of the protective cap is not limited to a cylindrical shape, but may be any shape. Further, in the above embodiment, the color indicator member 22, which is a separate member, is fixed inside the protective cap 20.
A color index portion for white balance adjustment may be formed on the inner surface of 0 by painting. Further, the present invention is suitable for an electronic endoscope for ophthalmology, but can also be applied to electronic endoscopes other than for ophthalmology.

[0016]

As described above, according to the electronic endoscope of the present invention, the white balance can be adjusted without any trouble.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overall configuration of an ophthalmic electronic endoscope according to an embodiment of the present invention with a protective cap removed.

FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of an insertion observation unit in a state where a protective cap is attached to the ophthalmic electronic endoscope of FIG. 1;

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Ophthalmic electronic endoscope 11 Holding part 12 Insertion observation part 15 Cap mounting step part 20 Protective cap 21 Communication hole 22 Color index member (color index section)

Claims (5)

[Claims] An insertion observation unit inserted into an observation target;
A removable protective cap that covers the insertion observation section,
An electronic endoscope for observing an image observed by an objective optical system of an insertion observation unit as an electronic image, wherein the electronic endoscope is capable of gas sterilization with a protective cap attached to the insertion observation unit; An electronic endoscope, characterized in that a color indicator for white balance adjustment of an electronic image by the objective optical system when the protective cap is mounted is provided on an inner surface of the protective cap. 2. The electronic endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the protective cap is provided with a communication hole communicating the inside and the outside where the insertion observation section is located in the mounted state. 3. The electronic endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the color indicator is formed separately from the protective cap, and is fixed inside the protective cap. 4. The electronic endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the color indicator is formed on an inner surface of the protective cap by painting. 5. The electronic endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the electronic endoscope is an ophthalmic electronic endoscope.