JP2002165750A - Endoscopic device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a means for improving a mobility of a conventional endoscopic device whose whole weight is heavier because of a large size of lamps such as halogen lamp and xenon lamp being used as the light source. SOLUTION: An excellent mobility of an endoscope is achieved by making its whole body more compact, whereas the endoscopic device is provided with a long flexible insertion pipe 21 and a holding portion 22 being attached to an end of the insertion pipe 21, and a photographic means 25 is equipped with a forefront of the insertion pipe 21, which a light source unit 37 of an optical fiber 30 that extends close to the photographic means 25 through the above insertion pipe 21 is built in the holding portion 22.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an endoscope apparatus excellent in portability.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, various endoscope devices have been used for medical diagnosis and treatment inside the body, and also for industrial use for inspection and repair of machines and pipes.

As these endoscope devices, for example, FIG.
The following are known. This endoscope device 1
Is an elongated insertion tube 2 having flexibility, an operation unit 3 provided at a base end of the insertion tube 2, and an optical fiber extending to a vicinity of an imaging unit 4 provided at a distal end of the insertion tube 2. A light guide device 7 for guiding light from the light source device 6 to the optical fiber 5;
And a camera control unit 9 for electrically processing the observation image captured by the camera and displaying the image on a TV monitor 8 as a video output.

[0004] With the widespread use of endoscope devices, expectations for use in disasters such as large earthquakes and volcanic activities are increasing in addition to medical and industrial uses.
In such a use, it is necessary to find and rescue the victim from rubble and soil as soon as possible, so mobility and urgency are required, and portability of the endoscope apparatus is an important factor. However, the conventional endoscope device 1 as described above is heavy and large in size, so that it is difficult to move in a place with poor scaffolding and is inferior in portability. In particular, since a large lamp having a large wattage such as a halogen lamp or a xenon lamp is used as the light source means 6, a large space is required, and since the wattage is large, a cooling device is attached to the light source means 6, for example. Was hindered from miniaturization.

In order to reduce the size of the light source device, a lamp using a light emitting diode has been conventionally known (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-216085). As shown in FIG. 7, a blue light emitting diode 11 is provided near the imaging means 4 provided at the tip of the insertion tube 2. The imaging means 4 includes a CCD 12
An observation image captured by the objective lens 13 is formed by the CCD 12, converted into an electric signal, and transmitted from the signal cable 14 to the camera control unit 9 described above.

On the other hand, the light emitting diode 11 arranged in the vicinity of the imaging means 4 is mounted inside the distal end tube of the insertion tube 2 with the power cable 16. A white fluorescent substance 15 is fitted in front of the light emitting diode 11, and the white fluorescent substance 15
Are excited to illuminate the subject as white light.

[0007]

However, when the light emitting diode 11 as described above is used as a light source, the size of the entire device can be reduced as compared with a conventional halogen lamp or xenon lamp, but the insertion tube 2 is not used. Since a space for providing the light emitting diode 11 at the tip is required, the shape of the tip of the insertion tube 2 becomes thick, and there is a problem that insertion into a narrow place is restricted. Further, since the number of the light emitting diodes 11 is one, there is a possibility that the amount of irradiated light may be insufficient under bad conditions such as a disaster site.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to reduce the size of the light source device, to enable insertion into a narrow place without making the tip of the insertion tube thick, and to secure a predetermined irradiation light amount. It is an object of the present invention to provide an endoscope apparatus excellent in performance.

[0009]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, an endoscope apparatus according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a long insertion tube having flexibility and a base end of the insertion tube. Provided with a provided gripping part, wherein an imaging means is provided at the distal end of the insertion tube, and a light source of an optical fiber extending inside the insertion tube to the vicinity of the imaging means is built in the gripping part. I do.

According to the present invention, by providing the light source in the grip, the size of the entire apparatus can be reduced and the portability can be improved. Further, since the optical fiber extending from the light source is disposed at the distal end of the insertion tube, the distal end of the insertion tube does not need to be thick, and can be inserted into a narrow place.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an elongated insertion tube having flexibility, and a grip portion provided at a base end of the insertion tube, and an imaging means is provided at a distal end portion of the insertion tube. On the other hand, an endoscope apparatus is characterized in that a light source of an optical fiber extending in the insertion tube to the vicinity of the imaging means and a camera control unit are built in the grip portion.

According to the present invention, since the camera control unit is incorporated in the holding portion together with the light source of the optical fiber, the size of the entire apparatus can be further reduced.
Portability is further improved.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided an elongated insertion tube having flexibility and a grip portion provided at a base end of the insertion tube, and an imaging means is provided at a distal end portion of the insertion tube. On the other hand, a lamp holder having a plurality of through holes is arranged in the holding portion, and a light source is inserted into one of the through holes of the lamp holder from one side, and extends from the other side through the insertion tube to the vicinity of the imaging means. An endoscope apparatus, wherein a rear end of the optical fiber is inserted, and the rear end of the optical fiber and the light source are arranged close to each other inside the through hole.

According to the present invention, since the light source and the rear end of the optical fiber are supported by the lamp holder, light emission from the light source can be efficiently guided into the optical fiber and a plurality of light sources can be used. Thus, a sufficient irradiation light amount can be obtained.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the endoscope device according to any one of the first to third aspects, the light source is a white light emitting diode.

According to the present invention, by using a white light emitting diode as a light source, it is possible to easily incorporate the white light emitting diode into the holding portion, and the entire endoscope apparatus can be integrated and reduced in size. Further, since the current consumption in the light source is small, the size of the power supply can be reduced, and a conventional cooling device is not required. Furthermore, white light without discoloration can be obtained from a white light emitting diode through an optical fiber.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the endoscope apparatus according to the fourth aspect, the white light-emitting diode has a shell shape.

According to the present invention, since the light emitting diode has a shell shape, light emitted in a specific direction can be efficiently guided to the optical fiber.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the endoscope apparatus according to any one of the first to third aspects, at the distal end of the insertion tube, a large number of optical fiber distal ends are arranged on the outer periphery of the imaging means. It is characterized by having.

According to the present invention, since only the tip of the thin optical fiber is arranged at the tip of the insertion tube in addition to the imaging means, the conventional light emitting diode is disposed at the tip of the insertion tube. The outer diameter dimension can be smaller than the structure. Further, by arranging the distal end portion of the optical fiber on the outer periphery of the imaging means, it is possible to uniformly irradiate the object under observation without bias.

[0021]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of an endoscope apparatus according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIGS. 1 to 4 show an embodiment of the endoscope apparatus.
Is an external view of the endoscope device, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional structural view of the endoscope device, and FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion A in FIG.
FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion A in FIG.
FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the light source device in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 1, the external shape of the endoscope device 20 in this embodiment is such that a flexible long insertion tube 21 and a grip portion provided at the base end of the insertion tube 21 are provided. 22. The grip portion 22 has a cylindrical shape with a thickness just fit in the hand 23.

The insertion tube 21 is composed of a metal bellows tube 21a extending from the holding portion 22 and a metal cylindrical tube 21b inserted and fixed at the tip of the bellows tube 21a. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, an imaging unit 25 held by a ring tube 24 is provided inside the cylindrical tube 21b. The imaging means 25 comprises a CCD 26 and an objective lens 27 arranged on the front side thereof.
Are mounted on the signal processing board 28. The observation image captured by the objective lens 27 is formed on the CCD 26, converted into an electric signal by the signal processing board 28, and then converted into a signal cable 29.
Is transmitted. The inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical tube 21b and the ring tube 2
4 is provided with a distal end portion 30a of the optical fiber 30.
As shown in FIG. 1, as shown in FIG. 1, at the distal end of the cylindrical tube 21 b, the distal end 3
0a are arranged in large numbers. Since the diameter of the optical fiber 30 is extremely small, even if a large number of distal ends 30a of the optical fiber 30 are arranged around the entire circumference of the objective lens 27, the diameter of the distal end of the cylindrical tube 21b is not increased by that.
As a result, insertion into a narrow place becomes possible.

The signal cable 29 and the optical fiber 30
2 extends inside the bellows tube 21a and reaches the inside of the holding portion 22, as shown in FIG. The grip unit 22 includes a camera control unit 36 for processing an electric signal transmitted through the signal cable 29 in a cylindrical casing 35 and displaying an image on a TV monitor (not shown) as a video output, and the optical fiber 30. A light source device 37 for supplying light is incorporated.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the light source device 37 has a columnar lamp holder 38 supporting a white light emitting diode 39 and a rear end 30b of the optical fiber 30. . The lamp holder 38 is formed of aluminum and has an outer diameter dimension that fits into the casing 35 properly. A large-diameter insertion hole 40 penetrating the signal cable 29 is provided at the center in the front-rear direction.
Are provided, and four through-holes 41 smaller in diameter than the insertion holes 40 are provided around the periphery thereof. Light emitting diode 3
Reference numeral 9 denotes a bullet-shaped one, which is mounted on the circuit board 42 with the legs extended. When assembling the light source device 37, the light emitting diode 39 is inserted into the through hole 41 of the lamp holder 38 from the rear side, and the circuit board 42 is inserted via the insulating spacer until the circuit board 42 hits the rear surface of the lamp holder 38, and then the screw 43 is used. stop. Also, the rear end 3 of the optical fiber 30
Ob divides all the optical fibers 30 into four bundles, fits the tubes 44, inserts the tubes 44 into the through holes 41 of the lamp holder 38 from the front side, and
The tube 44 is fixed with screws 45 after inserting the rear end surface of the light emitting diode 39 until the rear end surface of the light emitting diode 39 almost hits the light emitting diode 39.

In the light source device 37 having such a structure, the light emitting diode 3 is used as the light source of the optical fiber 30.
Since the grip 9 is used, it can be easily built in the casing 35 of the grip portion 22 which is large enough to be held by the hand 23. Further, the light emitting diode 39 and the rear end portion 30b of the optical fiber 30 are supported by the lamp holder 38 and both are arranged close to each other, and the bullet shape of the light emitting diode 39 is set in the through hole 41 toward the rear end surface of the optical fiber 30. , The light emitted from the light emitting diode 39 is efficiently guided into the optical fiber 30. Moreover, in this embodiment, the lamp holder 38 is used.
Is formed of aluminum, the through holes 41
Can be more efficiently guided by internal reflection.
Further, since four white light-emitting diodes 39 are used in the light source device 37, white light without discoloration can be sufficiently obtained through the optical fiber 30. It should be noted that increasing or decreasing the number of the light emitting diodes 39 according to the use is within the scope of the design items.

The camera control unit 36 includes:
As shown in FIG. 2, electronic components and the like (not shown) are mounted on a circuit board, and a signal cable 29 extending from the CCD 26 is connected. They are connected by a cable 46. A signal connector 47 connected to a TV monitor (not shown) and a power connector 48 connected to a battery (not shown) are provided at the rear end of the casing 35 of the grip portion 22. A signal line 49 and a power supply line 50 extend from the camera control unit 36 to the power supply connector 48. Since the light source is only four white light emitting diodes 39, the power consumption is small, and a small battery having excellent portability is sufficient. Further, by providing a storage space for a dry battery in the casing 35, portability can be further improved.

As described above, in the endoscope device 20 having the above-described configuration, since both the light source device 37 and the camera control unit 36 are built in the grip portion 22, the endoscope device 20 is not inserted into the grip portion 22. The endoscope device 20 is constituted only by the tube 21, and is extremely excellent in portability. Further, the light source device 37 has an advantage that it does not require a conventional cooling device.

Next, a method of using the endoscope apparatus 20 having the above-described configuration will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the grip part 22 is grasped with the left hand or the right hand, and the insertion tube 2 is grasped with the opposite hand.
1 and insert the distal end of the insertion tube 21 into a gap such as accumulated rubble or earth and sand. Keep the battery on your waist, etc. Power switch (not shown) provided on grip 22
, The light emitting diode 39 emits light, and emits white light from the tip of the optical fiber 30 to irradiate the object to be observed. The observation image captured by the objective lens 27 is formed on the CCD 26, the electric signal is processed by the camera control unit 36, and the processed image is output as a video, and the image is displayed on a TV monitor. Since this TV monitor can be attached to the casing 35 of the grip 22, the degree of freedom of movement is further increased in that case. Since the insertion tube 21 is made of a metal tube, the insertion tube 21 has straightness, and since the luminance of the light emitting diode 39 is large, a sufficient amount of light can be obtained from the distal end portion 30a of the optical fiber 30 even if the insertion tube 21 is considerably extended. Because it can be done, it can be inserted deep into the rubble and sediment that has been deposited to find it. In this embodiment, an operating means for freely changing the angle of the cylindrical tube 21b at the tip of the insertion tube 21 is not provided, but adding a known function to a part of the grip portion 22 is a design matter. Range.

Although the endoscope device 20 of the above embodiment has been described for emergency use in the event of a disaster, it goes without saying that the same type of endoscope device can be widely used for medical and industrial purposes.

[0031]

As described above, according to the endoscope apparatus according to the present invention, since the optical fiber light source extending to the vicinity of the imaging means is built in the holding portion provided at the base end of the insertion tube, The entire endoscope device can be reduced in size, and the portability is improved. In addition, since the distal end of the optical fiber is provided near the image pickup means for irradiation, the distal end of the insertion tube does not need to be thick and can be inserted into a narrow place.

According to the endoscope apparatus of the present invention,
Since the camera control unit is built in the grip portion together with the optical fiber light source, the overall size of the apparatus can be further reduced, and the portability is further improved.

Further, according to the endoscope apparatus of the present invention, a lamp holder having a plurality of through holes is disposed in the holding portion, and a light source is inserted into each of the through holes of the lamp holder from one side, and the other side. Insert the rear end of the optical fiber from the side,
Since the rear end of the optical fiber and the light source are located close to each other inside the through hole, the light emitted from the light source is efficiently guided into the optical fiber. It was obtained.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external view of an endoscope apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional structural view of the endoscope apparatus.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion A in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion B in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the light source device in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is an overall configuration diagram showing an example of a conventional endoscope device.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a structure of a distal end of an insertion portion of another conventional endoscope device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 20 endoscope device 21 insertion tube 21a bellows tube 21b cylindrical tube 22 gripping part 25 imaging means 26 CCD 27 objective lens 30 optical fiber 30a tip end of optical fiber 30b rear end of optical fiber 35 casing 36 camera control unit 37 light source device 38 lamp holder 39 light emitting diode 41 through hole

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A long insertion tube having flexibility and a grip portion provided at a base end of the insertion tube, and an imaging means is provided at a distal end portion of the insertion tube, while a holding portion is provided in the grip portion. Is an endoscope device having a built-in optical fiber light source extending in the insertion tube to the vicinity of the imaging means. 2. An elongated insertion tube having flexibility, and a grip portion provided at a base end of the insertion tube, wherein an imaging means is provided at a distal end portion of the insertion tube, while a holding portion is provided in the grip portion. Is an endoscope device having a built-in optical fiber light source extending in the insertion tube to the vicinity of the imaging means and a camera control unit. 3. An elongated insertion tube having flexibility, and a grip portion provided at a base end of the insertion tube, wherein an imaging means is provided at a distal end portion of the insertion tube, and a holding portion is provided in the grip portion. A lamp holder having a plurality of through holes is arranged, and a light source is inserted from one side into each through hole of the lamp holder,
An endoscope, wherein the rear end of an optical fiber extending from the other side to the vicinity of the imaging means in the insertion tube is inserted, and the rear end of the optical fiber and the light source are arranged close to each other inside the through hole. apparatus. 4. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the light source is a white light emitting diode. 5. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the white light emitting diode has a shell shape. 6. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of optical fibers are arranged at the distal end of the insertion tube on the outer periphery of the imaging means.