JP2004180814A - Light source device for endoscope - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To certainly suppress the temperature rise in the periphery of a xenon lamp at the time of driving of the xenon lamp. <P>SOLUTION: A first fan 71 and a second fan 72 are arranged in the vicinity of a lamp house 10. The first fan 71 is arranged in the vicinity of a heat sink 40 for supporting the cap 25 provided on the leading end of the xenon lamp 20 while the second fan 72 is arranged in the vicinity of a heat sink 30 for supporting the cap 24 provided to the base part of the xenon lamp 20. The first fan 71 has a predetermined angle with respect to the fins 42 of the heat sink 40 and the second fan 72 has a predetermined angle with respect to the fins 32 of the heat sink 30. The first fan 71 is always driven during the driving of the xenon lamp 20 and the second fan 72 is driven only when the peripheral temperature of the xenon lamp 20 detected by a temperature sensor 70 is not less than 160°C. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a light source device that supplies illumination light to an endoscope.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an endoscope irradiates illumination light forward from a distal end of an insertion portion to be inserted into a body to observe an object to be observed. The illumination light is supplied from a light source provided in a light source device to which the endoscope is connected. As this light source, a xenon lamp is used. Xenon lamps are point light sources, are capable of instantaneous re-lighting, and have a spectral distribution similar to that of sunlight. This is because it is suitable as a light source for an endoscope.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
Since the xenon lamp generates heat when driven, it needs to be cooled to suppress a rise in temperature around the lamp. In the light source device, there are provided a control circuit for controlling the entire light source device, a condenser lens for guiding light emitted from the xenon lamp to the light guide, and the like. Therefore, if the above-described cooling process is not performed sufficiently, the temperature of the xenon lamp portion increases, and electronic components and the like disposed around the xenon lamp may be thermally destroyed, or the xenon lamp itself may burst, There is a problem that illumination light cannot be supplied to the light guide of the endoscope.
[0004]
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and it is an object of the present invention in an endoscope light source device using a xenon lamp as a light source to surely suppress a temperature rise when the xenon lamp is driven.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
A light source device for an endoscope according to the present invention includes a xenon lamp for supplying illumination light to the endoscope, and first and second radiators for radiating heat generated by the xenon lamp during driving of the xenon lamp. Means, first and second cooling means for cooling the first and second heat radiating means, a temperature sensor for detecting a temperature around the xenon lamp, and control of driving of the first and second cooling means. The first heat radiating means and the first cooling means are disposed in the vicinity of the tip of the xenon lamp from which the illumination light is emitted, and the second heat radiating means and the second cooling means comprise: In the xenon lamp, the first cooling means is disposed near the base on the side opposite to the tip, and is constantly driven during driving of the xenon lamp, and the second cooling means is controlled by the control means in accordance with the detection result of the temperature sensor. That the drive is controlled accordingly. And butterflies.
[0006]
Preferably, the control means drives the second cooling means when the detection result of the temperature sensor exceeds the first threshold value, and when the detection result of the temperature sensor falls below a second threshold value lower than the first threshold value, The driving of the second cooling means is stopped.
[0007]
Further, the endoscope light source device according to the present invention is a xenon lamp for supplying illumination light of the endoscope, and a plurality of heat radiating means for radiating heat generated by the xenon lamp during driving of the xenon lamp. Controlling a plurality of cooling means provided for each of the plurality of heat radiating means, a temperature sensor for detecting a peripheral temperature of the xenon lamp, and a plurality of cooling means for cooling the plurality of radiating means; Control means for controlling the driving of the plurality of cooling means based on the detection result of the temperature sensor.
[0008]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
1 to 3 are diagrams schematically showing an internal configuration of a light source device 1 for an endoscope to which an embodiment according to the present invention is applied. 1 is a plan view of the internal configuration of the light source device 1, FIG. 2 is a side view shown in FIG. 1 from the direction S1, and FIG. 3 is a side view shown in FIG. 1 from the direction S2. In FIG. 3, some members are cut away in order to clearly show main parts of the internal configuration. Inside the housing 2 of the light source device 1, a hollow lamp house 10 having an outer shape of a square pole is provided. In the lamp house 10, a xenon lamp 20 is provided as a light source. A pair of opposing side surfaces 11 and 12 of the lamp house 10 are open. The heat sink 30 (second heat radiating means) has a pair of parallel fin portions 31 and 32 and a connecting portion 33 that connects these fins 31 and 32. The heat sink 30 is disposed in the lamp house 10 such that the fin portions 31 and 32 face the side surfaces 11 and 12 of the lamp house 10, respectively. The heat sink 40 (first heat radiating means) also has a pair of fin portions 41 and 42 and a connecting portion 43 connecting the fin portions 41 and 42, and is arranged in the lamp house 10 in the same manner as the heat sink 30. . The heatsinks 30 and 40 dissipate heat generated when the xenon lamp 20 is driven. An insertion port 80 into which the incident end of the illumination light guide fiber bundle is inserted is provided on a side surface of the housing 2.
[0009]
FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of the xenon lamp 20. The body 21 of the xenon lamp 20 is an insulating member made of alumina, and has a reflection surface 21a curved in a parabolic shape inside. The plus electrode 22 and the minus electrode 23 are disposed coaxially and opposite to the central axis of the reflection surface 21a. When the xenon lamp 20 is driven, light emitted from the tip of the minus electrode 23 is reflected by the reflection surface 21a and is emitted through the window member 24 made of sapphire glass provided in the opening on the tip side. The bases 25 and 26 are provided on the xenon lamp 20 at the tip end side and at the base opposite to the tip end, respectively. In the xenon lamp 20, the base 25 is supported by the connecting portion 43 of the heat sink 40 (see FIG. 2), and the base 26 is supported by the connecting portion 33 of the heat sink 30 (see FIG. 2). That is, the xenon lamp 20 is positioned in the lamp house 10 such that the base 25 on the tip end side is located on the insertion port 80 side. The starting (lighting) and stopping (lighting out) of the xenon lamp 20 are controlled by inputting an on / off signal of a lamp switch (not shown) interlocked with an operation member (not shown) provided in the housing 2 (FIG. 1). It is controlled by the circuit 90 (see FIG. 1).
[0010]
Referring again to FIGS. 1 to 3, the power supply 50 provided inside the housing 2 is, for example, a commercial power supply circuit or a battery, and generates a DC constant voltage for driving the xenon lamp 20. An igniter 60 is interposed between the power supply 50 and the xenon lamp 20. When the xenon lamp 20 is started, the igniter 60 superimposes a high-voltage pulse obtained by boosting the voltage generated by the power supply 50 between the electrodes in order to cause dielectric breakdown between the plus electrode 22 and the minus electrode 23 in the xenon lamp 20. I do. The positive electrode 22 is connected to a Tesla coil (not shown) for generating a high voltage pulse in the igniter 60 via a positive wiring 61. The minus electrode 23 is connected to the minus side of the power supply 50 via the minus wire 62 and the igniter 60.
[0011]
A temperature sensor 70 is disposed near the base 25 on the tip end side of the xenon lamp 20. The temperature around the xenon lamp 20 being driven is detected by the temperature sensor 70. A signal having information on the ambient temperature of the xenon lamp 20 detected by the temperature sensor 70 is input to the control circuit 90. It should be noted that a conventionally known temperature sensor is used, and the temperature sensor 70 is omitted in FIGS. 2 and 3 to avoid complicating the drawings.
[0012]
Near the lamp house 10, a first fan 71 and a second fan 72 are provided. The first fan 71 (first cooling means) is provided on the heat sink 40 side, and the second fan 72 (second cooling means) is provided on the heat sink 30 side. That is, the first fan 71 is located on the side of the tip of the xenon lamp 20 where the base 25 is located, and the second fan 72 is located on the side of the base 26 of the xenon lamp 20. As shown in FIG. 1, the first fan 71 is disposed at a predetermined angle with respect to the fins 42 of the heat sink 40. Accordingly, the first fan 71 mainly plays a role in cooling the heat sink 40 and also somewhat in cooling the heat sink 30. Similarly, the second fan 72 is arranged at a predetermined angle with respect to the fins 32 of the heat sink 30. Accordingly, the second fan 72 mainly contributes to cooling the heat sink 30 and somewhat cooling the heat sink 40. The driving of the first fan 71 and the second fan 72 is controlled by the control circuit 90.
[0013]
The control of the first fans 71 and 72 in the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a control procedure of the first and second fans 71 and 72, and FIG. 6 is a timing chart. The control shown in FIG. 5 is executed by a system controller provided in the control circuit 90 of the light source device 1.
[0014]
In step S100, driving of the first fan 71 is started (t0 in FIG. 6). Next, in step S102, the state of the lamp switch of the xenon lamp 20 is checked. When the lamp switch is turned on and it is confirmed that the xenon lamp 20 has been started, the process proceeds to step S104.
[0015]
In step S104, the detection result of the temperature sensor 70 is checked and set to a variable X. That is, the value of the ambient temperature of the xenon lamp 20 is set in the variable X. Next, proceeding to step S106, the value of the variable X is compared with a first threshold value. In the present embodiment, the first threshold is set to “200 degrees”. In step S106, when it is confirmed that the value of the variable X is larger than the first threshold value and the ambient temperature of the xenon lamp 20 has risen to 200 degrees or more, the process proceeds to step S108. In step S108, the driving of the second fan 72 is started (t1 in FIG. 6).
[0016]
If it is determined in step S106 that the value of the variable X is equal to or less than the first threshold value and that the ambient temperature of the xenon lamp 20 does not exceed 200 degrees, the process returns to step S104. That is, as long as the ambient temperature of the xenon lamp 20 does not exceed 200 degrees, the second fan 72 is not driven, and cooling is performed only by the first fan 71.
[0017]
In step S106, it is confirmed that the ambient temperature of the xenon lamp 20 has risen to 200 degrees or higher. When the driving of the second fan 72 is started in step S108, the process proceeds to step S110. In step S110, the value of the variable X is compared with a second threshold. In the present embodiment, the second threshold is set to “160 degrees”. If it is determined in step S110 that the value of the variable X is smaller than the second threshold value and that the ambient temperature of the xenon lamp 20 has dropped to a level lower than 160 degrees, the process proceeds to step S112. In step S112, the driving of the second fan 72 is stopped (t2 in FIG. 6), and cooling is performed only by the first fan 71 again. Next, the process returns to step S104, and the subsequent processing is repeatedly executed.
[0018]
In step S110, when it is confirmed that the value of the variable X is equal to or greater than the second threshold value and the ambient temperature of the xenon lamp 20 is equal to or greater than 160 degrees, the second fan 72 is not stopped, and the process proceeds to step S114. . In step S114, the state of the lamp switch is checked. If it is determined in step S114 that the lamp switch is on, the process returns to step S104, and the subsequent processing is repeatedly executed. That is, cooling is performed by the first and second fans 71 and 72 while the xenon lamp 20 is being driven and the surrounding temperature is higher than 160 degrees. If it is confirmed in step S114 that the lamp switch is off, the process ends.
[0019]
As described above, in the present embodiment, the first fan 71 disposed on the base 25 side of the tip of the xenon lamp 20 is constantly driven. Therefore, the fins 40 that support the tip of the xenon lamp 20, whose temperature rises sharply, are constantly cooled. Further, the second fan 72 is driven together with the first fan 71 only when the surrounding temperature of the xenon lamp 20 exceeds 160 degrees. Therefore, power consumption can be saved without lowering the cooling capacity, and the temperature rise can be suppressed efficiently and it is economical.
[0020]
The first fan 71 may be always driven only when the xenon lamp 20 is turned on. The present invention can also be applied to a light source device (processor) in an electronic endoscope device.
[0021]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, in a light source device for an endoscope using a xenon lamp as a light source, a temperature rise during driving of the xenon lamp can be efficiently and economically suppressed.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically showing an internal configuration of a light source device of an endoscope to which an embodiment according to the present invention is applied.
FIG. 2 is a side view schematically showing an internal configuration of the light source device of FIG. 1 from a direction S1 of FIG.
FIG. 3 is a side view schematically showing the internal configuration of the light source device of FIG. 1 from the direction S2 of FIG.
FIG. 4 is a partial sectional view of a xenon lamp.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a control procedure of two fans.
FIG. 6 is a timing chart showing a relationship between a change in the ambient temperature of a xenon lamp and drive control of two fans.
[Explanation of symbols]
REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 light source device 2 housing 10 lamp house 20 xenon lamps 30, 40 heat sink (radiator)
Reference Signs List 50 power supply 60 igniter 61 positive wiring 62 negative wiring 70 temperature sensor 71 first fan 72 second fan 80 insertion port 90 control circuit (control means)

Claims (3)

A xenon lamp for supplying illumination light to the endoscope,
First and second heat radiating means for radiating heat generated by the xenon lamp during driving of the xenon lamp;
First and second cooling means for cooling the first and second heat radiating means;
A temperature sensor for detecting an ambient temperature of the xenon lamp;
Control means for controlling the driving of the first and second cooling means,
The first heat radiating unit and the first cooling unit are disposed near a tip of the xenon lamp from which illumination light is emitted,
The second heat radiating means and the second cooling means are disposed near a base portion of the xenon lamp opposite to the tip portion,
The first cooling means is constantly driven during driving of the xenon lamp,
The light source device for an endoscope, wherein the drive of the second cooling unit is controlled by the control unit in accordance with a detection result of the temperature sensor. When the detection result of the temperature sensor exceeds a first threshold, the control unit drives the second cooling unit, and the detection result of the temperature sensor falls below a second threshold lower than the first threshold. 2. The light source device for an endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the driving of the second cooling unit is stopped. A xenon lamp for supplying illumination light for the endoscope;
During driving of the xenon lamp, a plurality of heat radiating means for radiating heat generated by the xenon lamp,
In order to cool the plurality of radiating means, a plurality of cooling means provided corresponding to each of the plurality of radiating means,
A temperature sensor for detecting an ambient temperature of the xenon lamp;
Control means for controlling the driving of the plurality of cooling means,
The drive of the plurality of cooling units is controlled based on the detection result of the temperature sensor, wherein the light source device for an endoscope is provided.

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