JP2003052614A - Flexible endoscope - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a flexible endoscope which can continuously detect and display the bent state and its change of an inserting section flexible tube which is inserted in the body without exposure to radiation. SOLUTION: This flexible endoscope has the flexible inserting section flexible tube 1. In such a flexible endoscope device, a plurality of flexible optical fibers 21 for bend detection are attached to a flexible band-shape member 20 under a state being arranged in parallel, and insert-arranged extending to the approximately total length in the inserting section flexible tube 1. In this case, the optical fibers 21 have a bend detecting section 22 of which the light transmission amount changes in response to the size of a bent angle. Then, the bent states of the band-shape member 20 at areas where respective bend detecting sections 22 are located are detected from the light transmission amounts of respective optical fibers 21 for the bend detection. The bent states are displayed on a monitor screen 41 as the bent state of the inserting section flexible tube 1.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a flexible endoscope device for observing the inside of the gastrointestinal tract.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A flexible endoscope device to be inserted into the gastrointestinal tract or the like has a flexible insertion part flexible tube that bends freely along the inner wall of the gastrointestinal tract or the like. It is difficult to grasp the bending state of the body from outside the body.

Therefore, it is impossible to determine what state the flexible tube is inserted into the gastrointestinal tract,
It may not be possible to determine how to perform the next insertion / removal operation.

Therefore, if the X-ray fluoroscopy is performed, it is possible to see the bent state of the flexible tube of the insertion portion. However, the X-ray irradiation need not only be performed in a special room surrounded by a thick lead wall or the like. However, continuous fluoroscopy has a problem of radiation exposure, which may have a very bad influence on the human body.

Therefore, a magnetic field generating member is attached to the distal end of the flexible tube of the insertion portion of the endoscope, and the position of the magnetic field generation member is detected by a magnetic sensor arranged outside the human body, and the flexible portion of the insertion portion inside the body is detected. There is one in which the position of the tip of the tube is displayed on a monitor screen (Japanese Patent No. 2959723).

[0006]

However, in the device for detecting the position of the magnetic field generating member attached to the distal end of the flexible tube of the insertion portion as described above, the insertion is performed only by knowing the position of the distal end of the flexible tube of the insertion portion. The bending state of the flexible tube is not known, and such a device is easily affected by external noise, and there are many cases where position detection cannot be continued in a good state.

Therefore, the present invention provides a flexible endoscope apparatus capable of continuously detecting and displaying the bending state of the flexible tube inserted into the body and its change without radiation exposure. The purpose is to

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, the flexible endoscope apparatus of the present invention is bent in a flexible endoscope apparatus having a flexible insertion portion flexible tube. Inside the flexible tube of the insertion part, a plurality of flexible bending detection optical fibers having a bending detection part in which the amount of light transmission changes according to the size of the angle are attached in parallel to a flexible band member. The bending state of the strip-shaped member at the position where each bending detection section is located is detected from the optical transmission amount of each bending detection optical fiber, and the bending state is set as the bending state of the insertion section flexible tube. It is designed to be displayed on the monitor screen.

The bend detecting section may be one in which a light absorbing section is formed only in a predetermined direction in the middle of the bend detecting optical fiber. A plurality of bend detecting optical fibers may be arranged on both front and back surfaces of the strip-shaped member, or the strip-shaped member is turned at 90 ° in a cross section perpendicular to the axis of the insertion portion flexible tube. A plurality may be arranged in a relationship.

Further, the belt-shaped member may be arranged in a spirally twisted state.

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 2 shows the overall configuration of the flexible endoscope apparatus. The proximal end of the insertion portion flexible tube 1 is connected to the connection portion 5 at the lower end of the operation portion 2, and the insertion portion flexible tube 1 is near the distal end thereof. The portion is a curved portion 1a that is bent in an arbitrary direction by rotating the operation knob 3 arranged on the operation portion 2.

A distal end body 4 having an observation window and the like is connected to the distal end of the flexible tube 1 of the insertion portion, and the distal end body 4 is connected.
A video signal of an endoscopic observation image picked up by a solid-state imaging device (not shown) built in the camera is sent to an external video processor 7 through a video signal line 6 extending from the operation unit 2, and the endoscope is The observation image is displayed on the observation image monitor 8.

In the flexible tube 1 of the insertion portion, a flexible synthetic resin band member 20 to which a plurality of bend detecting optical fibers 21 to be described later are attached is inserted through the entire length, and the bend detecting optical fibers 21 are inserted. Both ends are connected to an external optical signal input / output device 30.

The signal output line of the optical signal input / output device 30 is connected to the computer 40, and the computer 4
To 0, an insertion state display monitor 41 for displaying an image using a cathode ray tube or liquid crystal is connected.

FIG. 1 shows the vicinity of the distal end of the flexible tube 1 of the insertion portion, and the observation window 11 and the illumination window 1 are provided on the distal end surface of the distal end main body 4.
2. The treatment tool projecting opening 13 and the like are arranged, and the subject illuminated by the illumination light emitted from the illumination window 12 is the observation window 11
An image is formed on the image pickup surface of the solid-state image pickup device by an objective optical system (not shown) arranged inside.

As shown in FIG. 3, which shows a cross section (III-III cross section in FIG. 2) perpendicular to the axis of the insertion portion flexible tube 1, the strip-shaped member 20 has a surface such as an insertion portion flexible tube. 1
Is arranged parallel to the axis in the flexible tube 1 of the insertion portion in the vertical direction (that is, the vertical direction of the observation screen and the extension direction of the front and rear surfaces of the operation portion 2).

Reference numerals 14 to 19 shown in FIG. 3 are various built-in objects inserted and arranged in the flexible tube 1 of the insertion portion, 14 is an image signal transmission cable, 15 and 16 are air / water supply tubes, and 17 is. A treatment instrument insertion channel, 18 is a light guide for illumination, and 19 is a bending operation wire.

As shown in FIG. 1, the plurality of bend detecting optical fibers 21 are sequentially bent back to a smooth U-shape by sequentially changing their positions. The bend detecting section 22 is provided near the bend-back section of each bend detecting optical fiber 21.
Are formed.

The bend detecting section 22 is spaced in the axial direction of the flexible tube 1 of the insertion section at a distance of, for example, several centimeters.
For example, about 5 to 30 pieces are arranged over the entire length of the insertion portion flexible tube 1.

The bend detecting section 22 is a bend detecting optical fiber 2 in which a plastic core is covered with a clad.
1, a light absorbing portion is formed only in a predetermined direction (for example, an upward direction or a downward direction), and the amount of transmitted light changes in accordance with the degree to which the bend detecting portion 22 is bent. Therefore, by detecting it, it is possible to detect the bending angle of the portion where the bending detection unit 22 is arranged.

Regarding the principle, US Pat. No. 56334
As described in No. 94, etc., a brief description will be given below. In FIG. 4, reference numerals 21a and 21b denote a core and a clad of one bend detecting optical fiber 21, and the bend detecting section 22 absorbs the light passing through the core 21a without totally reflecting it inside the core 21a. The light absorbing portion 22a is formed in a specific direction (here, “downward”) of the clad 21b.

Then, as shown in FIG. 5, when the bend detecting optical fiber 21 is bent upward, the core 2
Since the amount (area) of the light that reaches the light absorbing portion 22a of the light passing through the inside of 1a is increased, the bend detecting optical fiber 21
The light transmission amount of is reduced.

On the contrary, as shown in FIG. 6, when the bend detecting optical fiber 21 is bent downward, the core 21
Since the amount (area) of the light that passes through the inside of a and hits the light absorbing portion 22a decreases, the amount of light transmission of the bend detection optical fiber 21 increases.

Since the bending amount and the light transmission amount of the bending detection optical fiber 21 in the light absorbing portion 22a have a constant relationship (for example, a linear function relation), the light transmission amount of the bending detection optical fiber 21 is By detecting, the bend detecting section 22 in which the light absorbing section 22a is formed
The bending angle of the part can be detected.

Therefore, when a plurality of bend detecting sections 22 are arranged at intervals in the axial direction of the flexible tube 1 of the insertion section, the intervals between the bend detecting sections 22 and the detected bend detecting sections 22 are arranged. The bending state of the entire insertion portion flexible tube 1 in the vertical direction can be detected from the bending angle of 22.

Then, as schematically shown in FIG. 7A, the bend detecting section 22 and the second bend detecting section 22 'as described above are arranged in parallel on the flexible belt member 20, Comparing the light transmission amounts of the two laterally-disposed bend detection units 22 and 22 ', when there is no twist in the left and right directions, there is no difference in the light transmission amounts of the two, and the light transmission amounts of the two are detected according to the twist amount in the left and right directions. The difference in the amount of transmitted light is large.

Therefore, each bend detecting section 22, 22 '
It is possible to detect the amount of twist in the left-right direction of the portion where the bend detecting portions 22 and 22 'are arranged by measuring the amount of light transmission of the above and comparing the measured values. This principle is as described in US Pat. No. 6,127,672.

Further, as shown in FIG. 7B, the two belt-shaped members 2 in which the bend detecting portions 22 are arranged in a line.
Even if 0 ′ and 20 ″ are arranged in a right-angled positional relationship, a three-dimensional bent state can be detected in the same manner.

In the flexible endoscope apparatus of this embodiment,
The arrangement of FIG. 7A is adopted, and as shown in FIG. 8, a plurality of bend detecting optical fibers 21 are arranged so that the bend detecting portions 22 are located at regular intervals in the longitudinal direction of the belt-shaped member 20. Are attached to the front surface side of the belt-shaped member 20 in a line in parallel.

On the back surface side of the belt-shaped member 20, a second bend detecting portion 22 'is provided next to each bend detecting portion 22 on the front side.
The second plurality of bend detecting optical fibers 21 ′ are attached in parallel so that they are arranged in parallel.

Further, at least one simple reference optical fiber 21R having no light absorbing portion 22a is arranged, and the optical transmission amount of each bend detecting optical fiber 21 is compared with that of the reference optical fiber 21R. Therefore, bend detection optical fiber 2
It is possible to eliminate the influence of temperature, deterioration over time, etc. on the light transmission amount of 1.

FIG. 9 shows an optical signal input / output device 30, in which light emitted from one light emitting diode 31 is incident on all the bend detecting optical fibers 21. Reference numeral 32 is a drive circuit for the light emitting diode 31.

Then, each bend detecting optical fiber 21
A photodiode 33 that converts the intensity level of light into a voltage level and outputs the converted voltage is provided for each emission end of the. Is converted into a digital signal and sent to the computer 40.

When the insertion portion flexible tube 1 of the flexible endoscope apparatus thus constructed is inserted into the body, the insertion portion guiding member 50 is inserted into the body as shown in FIG. The insertion portion flexible tube 1 is attached to the entrance portion (for example, the mouth or anus) and is passed through the inside of the insertion portion guide member 50.

Therefore, the insertion portion guide member 50 is provided with an encoder 60 or the like for detecting the insertion length L of the insertion portion flexible tube 1 (that is, the length of passage through the insertion portion guide member 50). Output signal of computer 4
It is supposed to be sent to 0.

FIG. 11 shows such an insertion portion guide member 50.
An example is shown, in which a plurality of rotatable spherical members 51 urged by the compression coil springs 52 are arranged so as to sandwich the insertion portion flexible tube 1 from the surroundings.

Therefore, each spherical member 51 rotates in proportion to the insertion length L of the insertion portion flexible tube 1, and one of the spherical members 51 is proportional to the insertion length L of the insertion portion flexible tube 1. An encoder 60 that outputs a number of pulses is connected.

However, the insertion length L of the insertion portion flexible tube 1 in the insertion portion guide member 50 can be detected by, for example, JP-A-56-9.
As described in JP-A-7429 and JP-A-60-217326, light reflection from the surface of the flexible tube 1 of the insertion portion may be used, and other means may be used.

In this way, as shown in FIG. 10, the computer 40 detects the bending state of the belt-shaped member 20 (that is, the bending state of the insertion portion flexible tube 1) from the optical signal input / output device 30 and the encoder 60. The signal and the insertion length detection signal are input, and an image 50 ′ of the insertion portion guide member 50 and an image 1 ′ showing the bending state of the insertion portion flexible tube 1 are displayed on the insertion state display monitor 41.

At this time, the image 5 of the insertion portion guide member 50
The display position of 0 ′ is fixed on the insertion state display monitor 41, and an image 1 ′ showing the bending state of the insertion portion flexible tube 1 at the portion inserted in front of it is displayed as a change of the insertion portion flexible tube 1. The state of the insertion portion flexible tube 1 in the body can be easily grasped by changing it in real time according to the above.

FIG. 12 is a flow chart showing the outline of the contents of software of the computer 40 for displaying such an image on the insertion state display monitor 41, and S in the figure shows a step.

In order to display the accurate bending state on the insertion state display monitor 41, first, before inserting the insertion portion flexible tube 1 into the body, the insertion portion flexible tube 1 of the endoscope actually used is inserted. It is preferable to perform a calibration to compare the bending angle of B with the detection signal obtained from the bend detecting optical fiber 21 (S1).

Then, after the insertion portion flexible tube 1 is inserted into the body, a detection signal of the insertion length L of the insertion portion flexible tube 1 is input from the encoder 60 (S2), and the insertion portion guide member 50 is inserted. The position of the flexible tube 1 is calculated (S3).

Next, each bend detecting optical fiber 21
Detection signal V ₁ ... by entering from (S4), and converts the detection signal V ₁ ... the skew angle based on the calibration data (S5), the bending angle of the bending detection section 22 portion, three-dimensional Each bend detection unit 22 on coordinates
The position of is calculated (S6).

The position of the image 50 'of the insertion part guide member 50 is not moved on the insertion state display monitor 41, and the positions of the respective bend detection parts 22 are smoothly connected to each other for display. The bent state of the tube 1 is displayed (S7), the process returns to S2 and S2 to S7 are repeated.

When performing such a display, the display on the insertion state display monitor 41 is a two-dimensional image, but since three-dimensional data on the position of each bend detecting portion 22 is obtained, "upward". Not only that, the bending state of the insertion portion flexible tube 1 in an arbitrary rotation direction can be displayed.

The spherical member 51 of the insertion portion guide member 50
From this, the rotation direction around the axis of the insertion portion flexible tube 1 is detected,
If the display image of the insertion state display monitor 41 is rotated according to the amount of rotation of the insertion portion flexible tube 1 about the axis, the insertion state display monitor 41 displays an image as if the orientation of the patient's body is fixed. Can be made.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and for example, regarding the arrangement of the belt-shaped member 20, as shown in FIG. It does not matter if the surface of the member 20 is arranged in the left-right direction.

Further, by adopting the system shown in FIG. 7B, as shown in FIG. 14 and FIG. 15 in which the cross section of the bend detecting optical fiber 21 is omitted, the bend is detected on only one surface. The plurality of strip-shaped members 20 in which the optical fibers 21 for use are arranged may be arranged in a positional relationship in which the direction is changed by 90 ° in a cross section perpendicular to the axis of the insertion portion flexible tube 1.

Further, as shown in FIG. 16 in which the bending detection optical fiber 21 is omitted and only the belt-shaped member 20 and the bending detection portion 22 are schematically shown, the belt-shaped member 20 is arranged in a twisted state. Thus, the method simultaneous with the method shown in FIG. 7B can be adopted by using only one strip-shaped member 20.

[0051]

According to the present invention, the amount of transmitted light changes in accordance with the size of the angle bent in the bend detecting portion formed on a plurality of flexible bend detecting optical fibers, and each bend detecting part is detected. Since the bending state of the belt-shaped member at the position where each bending detection section is located is detected from the amount of optical transmission of the optical fiber, the bending state of the flexible tube of the insertion section of the endoscope inserted in the body and its change are not exposed to radiation. Since the optical fiber for bend detection can be continuously detected and displayed on the strip-shaped member inserted through the flexible tube of the insertion section, the space inside the flexible tube of the insertion section can be effectively used. The insertion portion flexible tube can be configured without increasing the outer diameter of the insertion portion flexible tube.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a distal end portion of an insertion portion flexible tube of a flexible endoscope apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the overall configuration of a flexible endoscope apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a front cross-sectional view (III-III cross-sectional view in FIG. 2) of the flexible tube of the insertion portion of the flexible endoscope device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic sectional view of a bend detecting portion of the bend detecting optical fiber used in the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state in which the bend detecting portion of the bend detecting optical fiber used in the embodiment of the present invention is bent.

FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state in which the bend detecting portion of the bend detecting optical fiber used in the embodiment of the present invention is bent in the opposite direction.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram for explaining the principle of three-dimensional bending state detection by the bending detection optical fiber used in the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a plan view of a belt-shaped member to which a bend detecting optical fiber according to an embodiment of the present invention is attached.

FIG. 9 is a circuit diagram of an optical signal input / output device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing an overall configuration of a flexible endoscope apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention in use.

FIG. 11 is a front sectional view of an insertion portion guide member according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a flow chart schematically showing the contents of software of the computer of the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a front sectional view of an insertion portion flexible tube of a flexible endoscope device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a front sectional view of an insertion portion flexible tube of a flexible endoscope apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a front sectional view of an insertion portion flexible tube of a flexible endoscope device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a perspective view schematically showing a belt-shaped member and a bend detecting portion according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Flexible tube Image of 1'insertion flexible tube bent 20 band-shaped members 21 Optical fiber for bend detection 22 Bending detector 30 Optical signal input / output device 40 computers 41 Insert status monitor 50 Insertion part guide member Image of 50 'insertion part guide member 60 encoder

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    (72) Inventor Kazuki Sumitomo             3-25-8 Nishishimbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo School Law             Inside Jikei University (72) Inventor Motoko Kawamura             2-36 Maeno-cho, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo Asahikou             Gaku Kogyo Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Tetsuya Tarumoto             2-36 Maeno-cho, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo Asahikou             Gaku Kogyo Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Akira Sugiyama             2-36 Maeno-cho, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo Asahikou             Gaku Kogyo Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Tetsuya Nakamura             2-36 Maeno-cho, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo Asahikou             Gaku Kogyo Co., Ltd. F-term (reference) 2H040 BA00 BA23 DA11 DA15                 4C061 AA01 BB02 CC06 DD03 FF24                       FF46 HH51 JJ06 JJ17 WW11

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A flexible endoscope apparatus having a flexible insertion section flexible tube, wherein a plurality of flexible detection sections each having a bending detection section in which the amount of light transmission changes in accordance with the size of the bent angle. The bend detecting optical fibers are attached to the flexible belt-shaped member in parallel and inserted into the flexible tube of the insertion portion for almost the entire length, and the bend detecting optical fibers are detected from the light transmission amount of each bend detecting optical fiber. A flexible endoscope, wherein a bending state of the strip-shaped member in a portion where the portion is located is detected, and the bending state is displayed as a bending state of the flexible tube of the insertion portion on a monitor screen. apparatus. 2. The flexible endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the bend detecting section has a light absorbing section formed in a predetermined direction in the middle of the bend detecting optical fiber. 3. The flexible endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of bend detecting optical fibers are arranged on both front and back surfaces of the belt-shaped member. 4. The flexible inner member according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the band-shaped members are arranged in a positional relationship in which the direction is changed by 90 ° in a cross section perpendicular to the axis of the insertion portion flexible tube. Endoscope device. 5. The flexible endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the strip-shaped member is arranged in a spirally twisted state.