JP2005279299A - Ultrasonic endoscope - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an ultrasonic endoscope in which length of a flexible shaft between an ultrasonic vibrator and a rotation angle detecting means is shortened without thickening an inserting part, by which a clear image of ultrasonic can be obtained, and which has excellent durability and washability and is improved in operability. <P>SOLUTION: This ultrasonic endoscope with a hollow tube guided out from an operating part, a scope connector part set on the end part of the hollow tube, and an ultrasonic observation device to process signals from an ultrasonic vibrator is equipped with a light source connector, arranged in a scope connector part, detachably connected with a light source to supply illuminating light to a light guide set in the inserting part and an ultrasonic connector to electrically connect the ultrasonic observation device and the scope connector part. The ultrasonic connector part is detachably connected with the scope connector part. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an ultrasonic endoscope that mechanically scans ultrasonic waves emitted from an ultrasonic transducer.

  Conventionally, various types of ultrasonic endoscopes that mechanically scan ultrasonic waves emitted from an ultrasonic transducer have been proposed.

As an example of such a thing, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 01-135335 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 02-286144, a superposition is provided above the main operation unit provided with a bending operation means for bending the distal end portion of the ultrasonic endoscope. A slip ring or a rotary connector as a rotary signal transmitting means for transmitting a signal to the ultrasonic vibrator, an optical encoder (hereinafter referred to as an encoder) as a rotational angle detecting means for detecting the rotational angle of the ultrasonic vibrator, and the super A device provided with a sub-operation unit incorporating a motor as a rotation driving means for rotating a sound wave vibrator is disclosed.
In this ultrasonic endoscope, these slip ring or rotary connector, encoder and motor are connected to and controlled by an ultrasonic observation means via an ultrasonic cord derived from the sub-operation unit, and received from the ultrasonic transducer. An ultrasonic image obtained by processing the signal is displayed on a display means such as a monitor to observe the inside of the body cavity.
In the proposed ultrasonic endoscope, since the slip ring or the rotary connector, the encoder, the motor, and the like are built in the sub operation part formed on the upper part of the main operation part, the endoscope operation part is heavy and has an outer shape. Also grows. Also, a light guide composed of a bundle of fibers for guiding illumination light into the body cavity, an imaging cable for transmitting signals of an imaging device such as a CCD that displays an image in the body cavity, and an air / water supply / suction tube are inserted. This weight is added to the operation unit in addition to the universal cord that connects to the operation unit, and these cords are routed while holding the endoscope operation unit and operating the endoscope. Therefore, the operability of the endoscope is poor, and there is a risk that the operator will be fatigued.

  For this reason, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 05-285138 and Japanese Patent Publication No. Sho 62-40018, the slip ring, encoder and motor are miniaturized and arranged near the ultrasonic transducer at the distal end portion of the ultrasonic endoscope. An ultrasonic endoscope is disclosed.

  In the proposed ultrasonic endoscope, an air supply / water supply / suction tube, an illumination light guide, and an imaging unit (including a CCD) are installed in addition to the ultrasonic transducer at the distal end of the ultrasonic endoscope. Therefore, if a motor or the like is installed in this, the diameter of the ultrasonic endoscope distal end portion or insertion portion must be very large, and the hard portion of the distal end portion becomes long. For this reason, in this mechanism, there is a possibility that the patient may be painful, and that the operability for the operator may be deteriorated.

  Therefore, in order to solve these problems, for example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 63-57060, Japanese Patent Publication No. 63-30019, Japanese Patent Publication No. 57-156743, Japanese Patent Publication No. Hei 5-300906, Japanese Utility Model 1- In Japanese Patent Application No. 27764, Japanese Patent Application No. 9-30808, and Japanese Patent Application No. 9-73976, one code derived from the main operation unit is branched into two in the middle, and one of them is a light source or video. A universal cord with a scope connector connected to the processor, and an ultrasonic cord with an ultrasonic connector connected to the ultrasonic observation device, with a slip ring, encoder and motor in this ultrasonic connector Is disclosed.

  In the proposed ultrasonic endoscope, the motor and the ultrasonic transducer are connected by a flexible flexible shaft to transmit the driving force of the motor to rotate, and the ultrasonic vibration that is a rotating body. In order to transmit / receive data to / from the child, the transmission / reception cable connected to the ultrasonic transducer is inserted into the flexible shaft, and the transmission / reception cable is rotated together with the flexible shaft. The transmission / reception cable is connected to a rotating electrode of a slip ring, and a metal brush fixed to the rotating electrode is in contact therewith, and is electrically connected to an external signal cable of a non-rotating body. Also, an encoder is connected to the flexible shaft via a belt or gear to detect the rotation angle, and based on the detected rotation angle signal and the received signal from the ultrasonic transducer, an ultrasonic image at a predetermined position is obtained. The image is processed by an ultrasonic observation apparatus and projected on a monitor or the like.

  However, the proposed ultrasonic endoscope may cause problems (a) to (e) described below.

(A) Since the flexible shaft has a long overall length and the distance between the ultrasonic transducer and the encoder is long, rotational fluctuation occurs in the ultrasonic image.
The flexible shaft is a thin wire wound in a coil shape so as to have flexibility, and rotation unevenness (deviation of the rotation angle between the driving side and the non-driving side) occurs to rotate the ultrasonic transducer. The rotation angle between the angle and the motor does not match. By the way, the ultrasonic endoscope insertion part usually has a length of 1 to 1.7 m, for example, and the length from the operation part to the ultrasonic observation apparatus is also considered to be 1.5 to 3m is necessary. If the ultrasound observation apparatus and the cart on which the light source / video processor and the like are mounted are different, it may be necessary to further increase the length of the ultrasound code. That is, since the distance between the ultrasonic transducer at the front end and the ultrasonic connector at the rear end is long, the flexible shaft connecting the ultrasonic transducer and the motor becomes very long, and the rotation unevenness is also large. Also, if the universal cord is bent or twisted during the inspection, an external force such as bending is applied to the flexible shaft, or the frictional force with the tube covering the flexible shaft changes, thereby inhibiting rotation. Furthermore, the transmission / reception cable inserted through the entire length of the flexible shaft and connected to the ultrasonic transducer becomes a factor that inhibits rotation. In other words, when the flexible shaft is bent, a tensile force is also applied to the transmission / reception cable, so that an uneven force is applied to the flexible shaft, resulting in poor rotation of the flexible shaft. As a countermeasure, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-300906 discloses means for inserting and fixing a cable meandering in a flexible shaft, but this work is difficult if the total length of the flexible shaft is long.
By the way, since the encoder that detects the rotation angle is in the ultrasonic connector, the rotation angle of the ultrasonic transducer and the rotation detection angle of the encoder greatly deviate due to the above-mentioned factors, and the ultrasonic image may be shaken. There is a possibility that the inspection may be hindered due to distortion. If the rotation follow-up property of the flexible shaft is improved in order to eliminate this ultrasonic image fluctuation, the rotation transmission torque is reduced due to the characteristics of the flexible shaft. For this reason, the total length of the flexible shaft is long, the frictional force with the tube protecting the flexible shaft is increased, and an external force due to bending of the universal cord is also received, so that the ultrasonic vibrator cannot be rotated. In addition, if the outer diameter of the flexible shaft is increased to improve the rotational performance, the outer diameter of the insertion portion or the ultrasonic cord must be increased, the operability is deteriorated, and the tube covering the flexible shaft Therefore, a high output motor must be used, and the motor becomes large, heavy, and expensive.

(B) Since the transmission / reception cable connected to the ultrasonic transducer is long, it is difficult to obtain a clear ultrasonic image.
The ultrasonic reception signal is very weak. When the transmission / reception cable is too long, the ultrasonic reception signal is attenuated, and the signal-to-noise ratio (SN ratio) is lowered before entering the ultrasonic observation apparatus. It becomes easy to mix. Furthermore, reflection of signals within the transmission / reception cable also occurs. For this reason, there is a possibility that a clear ultrasonic image cannot be obtained.

(C) Since the total length of the flexible shaft becomes long, it is difficult to manufacture.
As a countermeasure, for example, Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 1-27764 and Japanese Patent Application No. 9-30808 disclose a structure in which a bevel gear is provided in an operation portion and a flexible shaft is divided and connected. According to this, the problem that the flexible shaft is long and difficult to manufacture is solved, but problems such as image shake due to the flexible shaft and image deterioration due to the length of the transmission / reception cable remain.

(D) Cleaning performance and cleaning work are complicated.
Similar to the ultrasonic endoscopes disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 01-135335 and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 02-286144, there are two cords, a universal cord and an ultrasonic cord. Complicated and difficult to clean.

(E) The durability of the transmission / reception cable is a problem.
If the flexible shaft is thick, the insertion portion becomes thick and it may cause pain to the patient, so the outer diameter of the flexible shaft must be reduced. For this reason, the inner diameter is also reduced, and as a result, the transmission / reception cable connected to the ultrasonic transducer is also reduced. For example, the outer diameter of the flexible shaft is φ1.4 to 2.6 mm, the inner diameter is φ0.4 to 1,5 mm, and the outer diameter of the transmission / reception cable is about φ0.2 to 0.8 mm. Such a thin transmission / reception cable is inserted over the entire length of the long flexible shaft, and the durability of the transmission / reception cable becomes a problem. Moreover, workability when inserting the transmission / reception cable is also complicated.

As described above, Japanese Patent Publication No. 63-57060, Japanese Patent Publication No. 63-30019, Japanese Patent Publication No. 57-156743, Japanese Patent Publication No. Hei 5-300906, Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 1-27764, Japanese Patent Application No. Hei. In the ultrasonic endoscope disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 9-30808 and Japanese Patent Application No. 9-73976,
(A) Since the flexible shaft has a long overall length and the distance between the ultrasonic transducer and the encoder is long, rotational fluctuation occurs in the ultrasonic image.
(B) Since the transmission / reception cable connected to the ultrasonic transducer is long, it is difficult to obtain a clear ultrasonic image.
(C) Since the total length of the flexible shaft becomes long, it is difficult to manufacture.
(D) Cleaning performance and cleaning work are complicated.
(E) The durability of the transmission / reception cable is a problem.
This causes problems.

  The present invention has been made in view of these circumstances, and the length of the flexible shaft between the ultrasonic transducer and the rotation angle detecting means is shortened without making the insertion portion thick, and a clear ultrasonic image is obtained. It is an object of the present invention to provide an ultrasonic endoscope that is obtained, has excellent durability and cleanability, and has improved operability.

  An ultrasonic endoscope according to the present invention includes an insertion portion including an ultrasonic transducer that transmits and receives ultrasonic waves, an operation portion provided at a rear end portion of the insertion portion, and a single wire derived from the operation portion. In the ultrasonic endoscope having the hollow tube, the scope connector provided at the end of the hollow tube, and the ultrasonic observation device for processing the signal from the ultrasonic transducer, the scope connector A light source connector that is detachably connected to a light source device that supplies illumination light to a light guide disposed in the insertion portion, and an ultrasonic device that electrically connects the ultrasonic observation device and the scope connector portion. An ultrasonic connector, wherein the ultrasonic connector part is detachably connected to the scope connector part.

  According to the present invention, the length of the flexible shaft between the ultrasonic transducer and the rotation angle detecting means is shortened without making the insertion portion thick, and a clear ultrasonic image is obtained, and durability and cleanability are good. The operability can be improved.

  In addition, since the ultrasonic connector can be detached from the scope connector portion, the capacity is improved, and the operability is improved (the capacity is also a part of the scope operation). Moreover, since an ultrasonic connector can be removed and washed, the washing location (area) is reduced. That is, there is an effect that the washing performance can be improved.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

(First embodiment)
1 to 4 relate to the first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 is an explanatory view showing the entire configuration of the ultrasonic endoscope, and FIG. 2 is an explanatory view of the distal end portion of the ultrasonic endoscope of FIG. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the operation part of the ultrasonic endoscope of FIG. 1, and FIG. 4 is formed at the end of a universal cord derived from the operation part of the ultrasonic endoscope of FIG. It is sectional drawing explaining the scope connector part.

  As shown in FIG. 1, an ultrasonic endoscope 1 includes an elongated insertion portion 3 that is inserted into a body cavity with an ultrasonic transducer 2 at the distal end side, and a base end portion of the insertion portion 3. An operation unit 4 provided, a flexible universal cord 5 extending from one side of the operation unit 4, and a scope connector unit 6 provided at the rear end of the universal cord 5 Has been.

  The insertion portion 3 includes a hard distal end 8 that houses the ultrasonic transducer 2 and the imaging device 7, a bendable bending portion 9 that is connected to the distal end portion 8, and a continuous connection to the bending portion 9. And a flexible portion 10 having flexibility.

  The operation section 4 includes a gripping section 4a for gripping the ultrasonic endoscope 1 in order from the insertion section 3 side, a main operation section 11 from which the universal cord 5 is extended, and a rotary signal transmission means described later. And a sub-operation unit 14 in which an optical encoder (hereinafter referred to as an encoder) 13 as a rotation signal detecting means is incorporated. A treatment instrument insertion port 15 for inserting a treatment instrument is disposed near the front end of the grip portion 4a, and the treatment instrument insertion port 15 communicates with a treatment instrument insertion channel (not shown) therein. ing.

The universal cord 5 is led out to the main operation unit 11 with a length of about 1 to 2 m, for example. The main operation section 11 includes a bending operation knob 16 for bending the bending section 9, an air / water supply button 17 for performing an air / water supply operation, and a suction button 18 for performing a suction operation. Is provided. As described above, the sub-operation unit 14 incorporates the slip ring 12 and the encoder 13, and the slip ring 12 and the encoder 13 are arranged in parallel (see FIG. 3). Further, the main operation unit 11 and the sub operation unit 14 are provided with a plurality of remote switches 19 for stopping the ultrasonic image and the endoscope optical image and taking a picture.
In the present embodiment, the slip ring 12 and the encoder 13 are arranged in parallel in the sub operation section 14, and a motor 20 described later is provided in the scope connector section 6 as a rotational drive means. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the ultrasonic transducer 2 and a flexible shaft as a rotation transmission shaft connected to the slip ring 12 and the encoder 13 are connected to the distal flexible shaft 21 connected to the ultrasonic transducer 2. The rear end side flexible shaft 23 connected to the motor 20 is divided into the front end side flexible shaft 21 and the transducer side transmission / reception cable 22 is inserted. On the rear end side flexible shaft 23, the connector side transmission / reception cable 24 is inserted. By adopting the structure to be provided side by side, the transmission / reception cable is not inserted into the flexible shaft over a long distance from the ultrasonic transducer 2 to the scope connector 6 (see FIGS. 2 to 4).

  The scope connector 6 connected to the end of the universal cord 5 is detachably connected to the video processor 51 via a light source connector 25 detachably connected to the light source device 50 and a scope cable 51a. An electrical connector 26 and an ultrasonic connector 27 that is detachably connected to the ultrasonic observation device 52 are provided via an ultrasonic cable 52a.

  The light source connector 25 is detachably connected to the light source device 50. When the light source connector 25 is connected to the light source device 50, the illumination light supplied from the light source device 50 is received. Light is guided to the distal end portion 8 of the insertion portion 3 through a light guide 28 (see FIG. 2) through which the universal cord 5 is inserted, and emitted from the distal end portion 8 toward the subject.

  The ultrasonic connector 27 incorporates a motor 20 as a rotation driving means for driving the ultrasonic transducer 2 and a rear end side flexible shaft 23 (described later) as a rear end side rotation transmission shaft through which the universal cord 5 is inserted. ) To drive the ultrasonic transducer 2. Further, the ultrasonic connector 27 is detachably connected to an ultrasonic observation device 52 to which a monitor 53 as a display means is connected. The ultrasonic observation device 52 incorporates an electronic circuit or the like for extracting an ultrasonic image. When the ultrasonic connector 27 is connected to the ultrasonic observation device 52, an ultrasonic image is displayed on the monitor 53. It has become so. Further, the scope connector portion 6 is provided with a suction base 29 and a water supply base 30, and a suction pump 31 and a water supply tank 32 can be detachably connected to each. Note that a monitor 53 is connected to the video processor 51 and the ultrasonic observation apparatus 52.

Next, the configuration of the distal end portion of the insertion portion will be described in detail with reference to FIG.
First, the ultrasonic system of the tip 8 will be described.

  A distal end main body 41 made of metal, plastic, or the like has a hollow distal end side flexible shaft 21 as a distal end side rotation transmission shaft inserted through the insertion portion 3 rotatably incorporated therein.

  This distal-end-side flexible shaft 21 is made of a wire made of metal or the like wound in a coil shape, and can transmit rotation while having flexibility. A hollow vibrator holder 42 is fixed to the distal end of the distal flexible shaft 21 by an adhesive means such as welding or brazing, and is rotatably supported by the bearing 43 by the bearing 43. Yes. The ultrasonic vibrator 2 is fixed to the tip of the vibrator holder 42 by means such as adhesion.

  The ultrasonic transducer 2 is connected to a transducer-side transmission / reception cable 22 for transmitting / receiving an ultrasonic signal, and is inserted into the lumen of the transducer holder 42 and the distal-end-side flexible shaft 21. The transducer-side transmission / reception cable 22 may be a coaxial cable in which a shield wire is placed around the conductor and electromagnetic noise countermeasures are taken.

  A substantially cylindrical cap 44 is attached to the tip of the tip portion main body 41 so as to cover the ultrasonic transducer 2. The portion of the cap 44 facing the ultrasonic transducer 2 where ultrasonic waves are transmitted and received is formed of an ultrasonically transparent material such as low-density polyethylene or polymethylpentene. The acoustic transmission medium 200 is filled and fills the periphery of the ultrasonic transducer 2. The ultrasonic transmission medium 200 is a liquid such as liquid paraffin, water, an aqueous carboxymethyl cellulose solution, or KY jelly, and has a characteristic of transmitting ultrasonic waves.

  The distal end side flexible shaft 21 is inserted through a distal end side guide tube 45 made of, for example, Teflon (registered trademark) or polyurethane. The distal-side guide tube 45 is connected by covering with a guide tube pipe 46 connected to the distal-end portion main body 41 by brazing or bonding, and binding the yarn with an adhesive. Further, the inside of the distal end side guide tube 45 is filled with the lubricating oil 47, and the distal end side flexible shaft 21 and the vibrator side transmitting / receiving cable 22 are immersed therein. An O-ring 48 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the vibrator holder 42 so that the ultrasonic transmission medium 200 and the lubricating oil 47 are not mixed.

  On the outer peripheral surface of the cap 44, a first balloon provided on the outer peripheral surface of the distal end portion body 41 is provided with a thin and shrinkable balloon 49 formed of, for example, silicon rubber or latex rubber so as to cover the cap 44. The groove 49a and the second balloon groove 49b provided on the outer peripheral surface of the cap 44 are detachably disposed. Between the first balloon groove 49a and the second balloon groove 49b, a balloon water supply / drainage hole 60 in the tip body 41 is opened.

  The balloon water supply / drain hole 60 is connected to a hollow balloon tube 61 formed of Teflon (registered trademark) or the like at the end of the tip body 41. The balloon tube 61 branches into a balloon water supply tube 62 and a balloon suction tube 63 on the way, and is connected to an air supply / water supply button 17 and a suction button 18 provided in the main operation unit 11, respectively.

Next, the endoscope observation optical system at the tip will be described.
The distal end main body 41 incorporates an illumination unit 70 for optically observing the inside of a body cavity and an imaging unit 71 having an imaging device 7.

  The illumination unit 70 mainly includes an illumination lens 70 a and a light guide 28 inserted through the insertion unit 3 and the universal cord 5.

  The imaging unit 71 mainly includes an objective lens 72, a lens group 73, an imaging device 7 such as a solid-state imaging device (hereinafter referred to as CCD), an imaging cable 74 inserted through the insertion unit 3 and the universal cord 5, and these. The lens frame 75 is held. The lens frame 75 is fitted into the hole of the distal end portion main body 41 and fixed to the distal end portion main body 41 with an imaging portion fixing screw 76. Further, in the groove on the outer peripheral surface of the lens frame 75, an O-ring 77 for the imaging unit for ensuring watertightness is provided behind the imaging unit fixing screw 76. Furthermore, a hollow air / water supply nozzle 78 is provided toward the surface of the objective lens 72 in a state of being connected to an air / water supply hole 79 in the tip body 41. The air / water supply hole 79 is connected to a hollow air / water supply tube 80 formed of Teflon (registered trademark) or the like at the end of the tip main body 41. It branches to the water supply tube 82 and is connected to the air / water supply button 17 provided in the main operation unit 11.

  In addition, a suction port 83 is opened in the distal end portion body 41 and is connected to a hollow suction tube 84 made of Teflon (registered trademark) or the like at the end portion of the distal end portion 41. The balloon tube 61, the air / water supply tube 80, and the suction tube 84 are fixed to the distal end portion body 41 in the same manner as the distal end side guide tube 45 using the connection pipe 85.

Next, the configuration of the operation unit will be described in detail with reference to FIG.
First, the endoscope system of the operation unit 4 will be described.

As described above, the air / water supply button 17 and the suction button 18 provided in the main operation unit 11 include a balloon water supply tube 62, a balloon suction tube 63, a nozzle air / air supply tube 81 inserted through the insertion unit 3, and A nozzle water supply tube 82 is connected. The suction tube 84 is connected to the suction button 18 through the treatment instrument insertion port 15 on the way. On the other hand, an air supply tube 86, a water supply tube 87, and a suction tube 88 inserted through the universal cord 5 from the scope connector 6 are connected to the air supply / water supply button 17 and the suction button 18.
The imaging cable 74 and the light guide 28 inserted through the insertion unit 3 are inserted through the universal cord 5 via the main operation unit 11.

Next, the ultrasonic system of the operation unit will be described.
A connecting shaft 91 is fixed to the end of the distal end side flexible shaft 21 that has been inserted through the insertion portion 3, and is rotatably supported by the housing 93 by a bearing 92. The housing 93 is fixed to the sub operation portion 14 so as not to rotate or move. Further, the end portion of the distal end side guide tube 45 is fixed to the housing 93. Further, the housing 93 is provided with a sealing material 94 such as an O-ring or a mechanical seal so that the lubricating oil 47 does not leak out of the distal end side guide tube 45.

  The connecting shaft 91 is fixed to the coupling portion 95 with a shaft fixing screw 96. The coupling portion 95 is integrated with the slip ring rotating shaft 97 of the slip ring 12, and the slip ring rotating shaft 97 is It rotates together with a rotating electrode (not shown) inside the slip ring 12.

  A first gear 98 is fixed to the slip ring rotating shaft 97, and a second gear 99 is engaged with the first gear 98. An encoder rotating shaft 100 of the encoder 13 is fixed to the second gear 99.

  On the opposite side to the encoder 13, a connecting shaft 101 is fixed to the second gear 99 with a shaft fixing screw 102. The rear end side flexible shaft 23 is fixed to the end portion of the connecting shaft 101 by means such as welding or brazing. The rear end side flexible shaft 23 is inserted through a rear end side guide tube 103 made of Teflon (registered trademark) or polyurethane. Since cables are not inserted through the rear end side flexible shaft 23, it is not necessary to be hollow like the front end side flexible shaft 21.

  Further, in order to prevent buckling of the rear end side guide tube 103 and the rear end side flexible shaft 23 and prevent rotation failure, the bent portion 104 of the rear end side guide tube 103 has a thin metal. A flex 105 formed by spirally winding the strip is covered. Further, the slip ring 12 and the encoder 13 are fixed to the auxiliary operation unit 14 via a support member 106. It is not particularly necessary to put the lubricating oil 47 into the rear end side guide tube 103 unlike the front end side guide tube 45. The rotation transmission torque of the rear end side flexible shaft 23 may be the same as that of the front end side flexible shaft 21, but may be larger than that of the front end side flexible shaft 21.

Next, electrical wiring will be described.
An electric cable 107 is provided between the rotating electrode of the slip ring 12 and the terminal of the cable connection board 95 a fixed to the coupling portion 95.

The transducer-side transmission / reception cable 22 inserted through the distal-end-side flexible shaft 21 is electrically connected to terminals of the cable connection board 95a by means such as soldering.

  The rotating electrode (not shown) is in contact with a conductive brush (not shown) fixed inside the slip ring 12. In this portion, the rotating electrode which is a rotating body and the brush which is a non-rotating body are electrically connected. An amplifier / slip ring connection cable 109 is wired between the brush and the amplifier board 108 that amplifies the ultrasonic reception signal fixed inside the sub-operation unit 14.

  The amplifier board 108 is connected to a connector-side transmission / reception cable 24 that is electrically connected to the ultrasonic connector 27. The connector side transmission / reception cable 24 is inserted into the universal cord 5 from the sub operation unit 14 through the main operation unit 11. Further, the encoder driving electric cable 111 connected to the encoder 13 and the power cable 112 connected to the amplifier board 108 are also inserted into the universal cord 5. As the connector-side transmission / reception cable 24, a coaxial cable in which a shield wire is put around the conductor and electromagnetic noise countermeasures are taken may be used. The outer diameter and hardness may be thicker and harder than the transducer-side transmitting / receiving cable 22.

Next, the configuration of the scope connector unit will be described in detail with reference to FIG.
First, the endoscope system of the scope connector unit 6 will be described.

The imaging cable 74 through which the universal cord 5 has been inserted is electrically connected to the terminals of the electrical connector 26 by soldering or the like, and supplies imaging signals to the video processor 51 via the scope cable 51a.
The light guide 28 is fixed to the light source connector 25, and illumination light from the light source device 50 is supplied to the light guide 28. Further, the light source connector 25 is connected to the air supply tube 86, the water supply tube 87 is connected to the water supply base 30, and the suction tube 88 is connected to the suction base 29.

Next, the ultrasonic system of the scope connector 6 will be described.
A connecting shaft 114 is fixed to the end of the rear end side flexible shaft 23 that has been inserted through the universal cord 5, and is rotatably supported by the housing 116 by a bearing 115. The housing 116 is fixed to the scope connector 6 via a support member 117 so that it does not rotate or move. An end portion of the rear end side guide tube 103 is fixed to the housing 116. The bent portion 118 of the rear end side guide tube 103 is covered with a flex 119 formed by spirally winding a thin metal strip, and further a Teflon (registered trademark) tube 120 is covered thereon. This is to prevent buckling of the rear end side guide tube 103 and the rear end side flexible shaft 23 so as not to cause rotation failure.

  The coupling shaft 114 and the motor rotating shaft 121 of the motor 20 are connected by a coupling 122, and the motor 20 is fixed to the scope connector portion 6 via the support member 117. The connector side transmission / reception cable 24 and the power cable 112 inserted through the universal cord 5 are electrically connected to terminals of the ultrasonic connector 27 by means such as soldering.

  The encoder driving electric cable 111 is connected to an ultrasonic image position adjusting board 123 fixed in the scope connector 6. An electric cable 124 for driving the ultrasonic image position adjustment board 123 and a power cable 125 of the motor 20 are also connected to the terminals of the ultrasonic connector 27.

  In order to observe the various places in the body cavity by grasping the operation part 4 of the ultrasound endoscope 1 configured as described above and inserting the insertion part 3 of the ultrasound endoscope 1 into the body cavity of the patient. Then, the insertion portion 3 is moved back and forth in the body cavity, or the bending operation knob 16 is rotated to bend the bending portion 9, and the position of the distal end portion 8 is moved to operate the ultrasonic endoscope 1. Yes.

  The illumination light emitted from the light source device 50 for observing the inside of the body cavity passes through the light guide 28 and is emitted into the body cavity from the illumination lens 70a of the distal end main body 41. The optical image in the body cavity illuminated by the illumination light passes through the objective lens 72 and the lens group 73 of the distal end body 41 and forms an image on the imaging device 7 such as a CCD. The imaging device 7 converts this image into an electrical signal, and the electrical signal is transmitted from the imaging cable 74 → the electrical connector 26 → the scope cable 51 a → the video processor 51, and after the signal processing by the video processor 51, the body 53 is sent to the monitor 53. The inner optical image is displayed.

  Further, when mucus or the like in the body cavity adheres to the objective lens 72, a clear optical image cannot be obtained, which hinders the examination. At this time, when the air / water supply button 17 is pressed, the water in the water supply tank 32 passes through the water supply tube 87 → the nozzle water supply tube 82 → the air / water supply tube 80 → the air / water supply hole 79 from the air / water supply nozzle 78. The mucus that has been ejected and adheres to the objective lens 72 is washed away. Similarly, by operating the air / water supply button 17, the air discharged from the air supply pump built in the light source device 50 is changed to the air supply tube 113 → the air supply tube 86 → the nozzle air supply tube 81 → the air / water supply tube 80. → Blows away liquid etc. sprayed from the air / water supply nozzle 78 through the air / water supply hole 79 and adhered to the objective lens 72. When the suction button 18 is pressed, excess liquid or gas in the body cavity is discharged outside the body cavity through the suction port 83 → the suction tube 84 → the suction tube 88 by the action of the suction pump 31 connected to the suction base 29. The

  When it is desired to obtain an ultrasonic image in the body cavity, the balloon 49 attached to the distal end portion 8 is inflated to an appropriate size as necessary. That is, the air / water button is pushed to supply water into the balloon 49 through the route of the water supply tank 32 → the water supply tube 87 → the balloon water supply tube 62 → the balloon tube 61 → the balloon water supply / drain hole 60. If the balloon 49 is inflated too much, the suction button 18 is pressed, and the suction pump 31 is driven to suck the balloon water supply / drain hole 60 → the balloon tube 61 → the balloon suction tube 63 → the suction tube 88 and water. The balloon 49 is deflated. Thereafter, the ultrasonic observation apparatus 52 is operated to start an ultrasonic inspection.

  The electric power supplied from the ultrasonic observation device 52 is input to the motor 20 via the ultrasonic cable 52 a → the ultrasonic connector 27 → the power cable 125. The rotation of the motor 20 is transmitted to the rear end side flexible shaft 23 to rotate the second gear 99 in the sub operation unit 14. The rotation of the second gear 99 is transmitted in the order of the first gear 98 → the slip ring rotating shaft 97 → the coupling portion 95 → the connecting shaft 91 → the distal flexible shaft 21 → the vibrator holder 42. As a result, the ultrasonic transducer 2 fixed to the transducer holder 42 rotates together with the transducer-side transmitting / receiving cable 22.

  The transmission pulse signal supplied from the ultrasonic observation device 52 is transmitted from the ultrasonic cable 52 a → the ultrasonic connector 27 → the connector-side transmission / reception cable 24 and input to the amplifier board 108 in the sub operation unit 14. The transmission pulse signal that has passed through the amplifier substrate 108 is transmitted from the transmission path of the non-rotating body so far to the ultrasonic transducer 2 that is the rotating body through the slip ring 12. That is, the amplifier / slip ring connection cable 109 → slip ring 12 (specifically, brush → rotary electrode → electric cable 107 → cable connection board 95a) → transducer-side transmission / reception cable 22 is transmitted and transmitted to the ultrasonic transducer 2. A pulse signal is input.

  The ultrasonic transducer 2 converts the transmission pulse signal into ultrasonic vibration, and radiates ultrasonic waves into the body cavity through the ultrasonic transmission medium 200, the cap 44 and the balloon 49. The ultrasonic signal radiated into the body cavity is reflected by an organ or the like, and the signal is received by the ultrasonic transducer 2. The received signal is input to the amplifier board 108 through the reverse path to that described above. The amplifier board 108 amplifies the reception signal and outputs the amplified signal to the connector-side transmission / reception cable 24. The amplified reception signal is transmitted to the ultrasonic observation device 52 via the ultrasonic connector 27 → the ultrasonic cable 52a.

Next, rotation angle detection will be described.
Since the encoder rotation shaft 100 of the encoder 13 is fixed to the second gear 99, the encoder rotation shaft 100 also rotates in accordance with the rotation of the motor 20. Thereby, the rotation angle of the ultrasonic transducer 2 is detected. The rotation angle detection signal output from the encoder 13 is transmitted to the ultrasonic image position adjustment board 123 through the encoder driving electric cable 111. Further, the image is transmitted to the ultrasonic observation apparatus 52 via the ultrasonic image position adjustment board 123 → the ultrasonic connector 27 → the ultrasonic cable 52a.

  In the ultrasonic observation apparatus 52, an ultrasonic image is generated based on the ultrasonic reception signal, and at the same time, it is determined in which direction the ultrasonic transducer 2 is directed based on the rotation angle detection signal, and the monitor 53 corresponds. An ultrasonic image is displayed at the position. Since this operation is continuously performed, a cross-sectional image (radial image) within the body cavity of the entire circumference in the direction perpendicular to the rotation axis of the ultrasonic transducer 2 can be displayed on the monitor 53.

  When the inspection is completed, it is necessary to clean and disinfect the ultrasonic endoscope 1. That is, the scope cable 51a, the light source device 50, the ultrasonic cable 52a, the suction pump 31, and the water supply tank 32 are removed from the ultrasonic endoscope 1. Then, a waterproof cap (not shown) is attached to the ultrasonic connector 27 and the electrical connector 26 and immersed in a disinfectant solution or the like for the tank, or installed in an endoscope cleaning device (not shown). The sonic endoscope 1 is cleaned and disinfected.

  The present embodiment has the following effects.

(1) The operation part is light and the operability is good.
Although the slip ring 12 and the encoder 13 are not so heavy, the weight of the motor is considerable. The motor 20 occupying most of the weight is conventionally arranged in the sub operation unit 14, but in the present embodiment, it is arranged in the scope connector unit 6. As a result, the operation unit 4 held by the operator is very light, and the outer shape of the sub-operation unit 14 is smaller than before. Further, conventionally, two codes of a universal code and an ultrasonic code have been derived from the operation unit 4, but only the universal code 5 is used in the present embodiment. For this reason, this weight is not applied to the operation unit 4, and only the universal cord 5 is pulled by the operator during the examination.
As described above, the operation unit 4 is light, the operability is improved, and the operator's fatigue can be reduced.

(2) No rotational shaking occurs in the ultrasonic image.
In the present embodiment, the motor 20 is installed in the scope connector unit 6, and the encoder 13 that is a rotation angle detection unit is arranged in the sub operation unit 14. For this reason, the rear end side flexible shaft 23 inserted through the universal cord 5 has a long overall length, causing uneven rotation, or the outer end side flexible shaft 23 is rotated by bending or twisting of the universal cord 5. Even if disturbed, the encoder 13 can accurately measure the position of the ultrasonic transducer 2.
On the other hand, although the ultrasonic image shakes slightly due to the rotation unevenness of the distal-end-side flexible shaft 21 inserted through the insertion portion 3, it has been described by the prior art that it is not at a level that particularly impedes the inspection. Must not.
Further, it is not necessary to increase the diameters of the front end side flexible shaft 21 and the rear end side flexible shaft 23 more than necessary, and it is only necessary to have appropriate rotation follow-up performance and rotation transmission torque. For this reason, the insertion part 3 and the universal cord 5 do not need to be thick, and the motor 20 does not have to be high performance. Further, when the rotational transmission torque of the rear end side flexible shaft 23 is made larger than that of the front end side flexible shaft 21, for example, even if the universal cord 5 is bent and an external force is applied to the rear end side flexible shaft 23, the rotational force of the motor 20 is increased. Stable transmission to the encoder 13 is possible.
As described above, the surgeon can see a good ultrasound image without shaking the ultrasound image. Further, the rear end side flexible shaft 23 does not need to be improved in rotational follow-up like the front end side flexible shaft 21, and therefore does not need to be immersed in the lubricating oil 47. For this reason, there is also an effect that the assemblability is good.

(3) A clear ultrasonic image can be obtained.
In the present embodiment, a slip ring 12 which is a rotary signal transmission means and an amplifier substrate 108 for signal amplification are provided in the sub operation unit 14. Since the ultrasonic reception signal received by the ultrasonic transducer 2 is amplified by the amplifier board 108 and output to the connector-side transmission / reception cable 24, the signal attenuation can be reduced until the ultrasonic observation device 52 is entered, and the signal-to-noise ratio is reduced. It is possible to minimize the decrease in (SN ratio). Further, it is not necessary to rotate the connector side transmission / reception cable 24, and it is not necessary to insert the connector side transmission / reception cable 24 into the rear end side flexible shaft 23, and the outer diameter and hardness of the connector side transmission / reception cable 24 are considerably larger than those of the transducer side transmission / reception cable 22. Can be thick and hard. For this reason, it is possible to reduce the signal resistance by reducing the conductor resistance value and the capacitance value, and to shield electromagnetic noise from the outside by performing a shield.
As described above, since the ultrasonic signal is less attenuated and is not affected by electromagnetic noise, a clear ultrasonic image can be obtained and the usefulness of the inspection can be enhanced.

(4) The flexible shaft is easy and inexpensive to manufacture.
Since the front end side flexible shaft 21 and the rear end side flexible shaft 23 can be manufactured separately, manufacturing is easy and inexpensive. Further, since no cable is inserted through the rear end side flexible shaft 23, it is not necessary to secure a lumen, and there is a degree of freedom in manufacturing.

(5) Easy to clean and easy to clean.
In the conventional ultrasonic endoscope apparatus, two of the universal cord and the ultrasonic cord are attached to the operation unit of the ultrasonic endoscope 1, but in this embodiment, only the universal cord 5 is provided. For this reason, the number of cords to be washed is smaller than before, and the washing operation is easy. As a result, the washability is excellent.

(6) Durable.
In the ultrasonic endoscope apparatus according to the present embodiment, since the slip ring 12 is provided in the sub operation unit 14, the transducer side transmission / reception cable 22 is inserted into the distal end side flexible shaft 21, but the rear end side flexible cable is inserted. The connector-side transmission / reception cable 24 is not inserted into the shaft 23. That is, unlike the conventional one, since a thin transmission / reception cable is not inserted into the flexible shaft over a long distance from the ultrasonic transducer 2 to the scope connector section 6, durability of the transmission / reception cable is not a problem. Therefore, the ultrasonic endoscope is less likely to break down.

(7) The distance between the cart on which the ultrasonic observation device 52 is placed and the cart on which the light source device 50 / video processor 51 is placed can be greatly separated, and the layout of the hospital room can be made free.
In the case where the cart on which the ultrasonic observation device 52 is mounted and the cart on which the light source device 50 / video processor 51 is mounted are different from each other in this embodiment, the ultrasonic cable 52a only needs to be extended. Since this ultrasonic cable 52a does not incorporate a rotation transmission means such as a flexible shaft, even if it is extended, there is no influence on the vibration of the ultrasonic image. In the conventional ultrasonic endoscope, the ultrasonic cord inserted through the flexible shaft has to be extended, and if it is too long, there is a problem of ultrasonic image shaking, which limits the layout of the hospital room.

(8) The above configuration can be realized without making the insertion portion thick, and the possibility of causing pain to the patient can be reduced.
Unlike conventional ultrasonic endoscopes, no mechanism such as an encoder is added inside the distal end portion 8, so there is no need to make the distal end portion 8 or the insertion portion 3 thicker, and there is no pain in the patient. An endoscope can be provided. Furthermore, in the imaging unit 71, the imaging unit O-ring 77 does not get over the threaded portion, so that the imaging unit O-ring 77 is not cut or damaged, so that the watertightness cannot be maintained, and there is an effect that it is difficult to break down.

  In the ultrasonic endoscope according to the present embodiment, a video type ultrasonic endoscope having an imaging device 7 such as a CCD built in the distal end portion 8 of the insertion portion 3 is illustrated. It may be a fiberscope type ultrasonic endoscope.

(Second Embodiment)
FIGS. 5 to 11 relate to a second embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 5 is an explanatory view showing the overall configuration of the ultrasonic endoscope, and FIG. 6 shows an operation unit of the ultrasonic endoscope of FIG. FIG. 7 is a sectional view for explaining the scope connector portion formed at the end of the universal cord derived from the operation portion of the ultrasonic endoscope of FIG. 1, and FIG. 8 is a coupling portion of FIG. FIG. 9 shows a tube connection method in which each tube such as a distal guide tube or a balloon tube is directly fitted into the hole of the distal end body and fixed by bonding, at the distal end portion of the insertion portion. FIG. 10 is an explanatory view showing the arrangement of the rear end side flexible shaft and the rear end side guide tube of FIG. 6, and FIG. 10 (a) shows the rear end side flexible shaft and the suction tube of FIG. Along the rear end guide tube FIG. 10 (b) is an explanatory view showing a configuration in which the rear end side flexible shaft and the rear end side guide tube are bound to a suction tube with a band made of rubber or the like, and fixed. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view for explaining a rotating portion to which an ultrasonic connector is fixed, which is rotatable about the longitudinal axis with respect to the universal cord and the light source connector.

  In the ultrasonic endoscope according to the first embodiment, a slip ring as a rotation type signal transmission unit that transmits a signal to an ultrasonic transducer and a rotation angle detection unit that detects a rotation angle of the ultrasonic transducer. The encoder is arranged in the operation unit, and the respective rotation shafts are connected by the first and second gears to transmit a signal to the ultrasonic transducer, and the rotation angle of the ultrasonic transducer is detected. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, a rotation mechanism in which a slip ring and an encoder are coaxially integrated is provided in the operation unit, and a signal is transmitted to the ultrasonic transducer. The rotation angle is detected. The other configuration is almost the same as that shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, and thus the description thereof will be omitted. The description will focus on a rotating mechanism in which a slip ring and an encoder that are different from each other are coaxially integrated. The same components as those in FIGS. 1 to 4 are described with the same reference numerals.

  In FIG. 5, in the ultrasonic endoscope 1 </ b> A, an operation unit 130 including a gripping unit 4 a and a main operation unit 11 in order from the insertion unit 3 side is formed at the rear end of the insertion unit 3. In this gripping part 4a, a slip ring 131 that is a rotation type signal transmission means and an encoder 132 that is a rotation angle detection means are coaxially integrated to constitute a rotation mechanism 133. In the rotation mechanism 133, the slip ring 131 is disposed on the insertion portion 3 side, and the encoder 132 is disposed on the main operation portion 11 side (see FIG. 6). One end of the slip ring 131 is connected to the transducer-side transmitting / receiving cable 22 connected to the ultrasonic transducer 2. A plurality of remote switches 19 are attached to the main operation unit 11.

Next, the configuration of the operation unit will be described with reference to FIG.
First, the ultrasonic system of the operation unit 130 will be described.

  A connecting shaft 91 is fixed to the end of the distal end side flexible shaft 21 that has been inserted through the insertion portion 3, and is rotatably supported by the housing 134 by a bearing 92. The housing 134 is fixed at the position of the grip portion 4a so as not to rotate or move. The end portion of the distal end side guide tube 45 is fixed to the housing 134. The connecting shaft 91 is fixed to the coupling portion 95 with a shaft fixing screw 96.

  The coupling part 95 is integrated with a slip ring rotating shaft 135 of the slip ring 131 and is rotatable with a rotating electrode (not shown) inside the slip ring 131. The slip ring rotating shaft 135 is led out from both ends of the slip ring 131, and a joint 136 is fixed to the opposite side of the coupling portion 95. An encoder rotating shaft 137 of the encoder 132 is fixed to the joint 136. The encoder rotation shaft 137 is led out from both ends of the encoder 132, and a connecting shaft 138 is fixed to the opposite side of the joint 136 with a shaft fixing screw 139.

  The rear end side flexible shaft 23 is fixed to the end portion of the connecting shaft 138 by means such as welding or brazing. Cables are not inserted into the rear end side flexible shaft 23.

Next, electrical wiring will be described.
The rotating electrode (not shown) of the slip ring 131 and the terminal of the cable connection board 95 a fixed to the coupling part 95 are wired by an electric cable 107. The transducer-side transmission / reception cable 22 inserted through the distal-end-side flexible shaft 21 is electrically connected to terminals of the cable connection board 95a by means such as soldering.

  The rotating electrode (not shown) is in contact with a fixed conductive brush (not shown) inside the slip ring 131, and the rotating electrode which is a rotating body and the brush which is a non-rotating body are electrically connected. An amplifier / slip ring connection cable 109 is wired between the brush and the first amplifier board 140 that amplifies the ultrasonic reception signal fixed inside the main operation unit 11.

  The first amplifier board 140 is connected to a first connector side transmission / reception cable 141 that is electrically connected to the ultrasonic connector 27. The first connector side transmission / reception cable 141 is inserted into the universal cord 5 through the main operation unit 11. In addition, the encoder driving electric cable 111 connected to the encoder 132 and the power cable 112 connected to the first amplifier board 140 are also inserted into the universal cord 5.

Next, the configuration of the scope connector unit will be described with reference to FIG.
First, the ultrasonic system of the scope connector 6 will be described.

  The first connector-side transmission / reception cable 141 inserted through the universal cord 5 is fixed in the scope connector unit 6 and connected to a second amplifier 142 that amplifies an ultrasonic reception signal. A second connector-side transmission / reception cable 143 is connected to the second amplifier board 142 and is electrically connected to the terminals of the ultrasonic connector 27 by means such as soldering.

  The power cable 112 inserted through the universal cord 5 is electrically connected to the terminals of the ultrasonic connector 27 by means such as soldering. The encoder driving electric cable 111 is connected to an ultrasonic image position adjusting board 123 fixed in the scope connector section 6. An electric cable 124 for driving the ultrasonic image position adjustment board 123 and a power cable 125 of the motor 20 are also connected to the terminals of the ultrasonic connector 27.

The grasping portion 4a of the ultrasonic endoscope 1A configured as described above is grasped, the insertion portion 3 of the ultrasonic endoscope 1A is inserted into the body cavity of the patient, and the ultrasonic endoscope 1A is operated. And, if you want to obtain an ultrasound image in the body cavity, as explained in the first embodiment,
If necessary, the balloon 49 attached to the tip 8 is inflated to an appropriate size. Thereafter, the ultrasonic observation apparatus 52 is operated to start an ultrasonic inspection.

  The electric power supplied from the ultrasonic observation device 52 is input to the motor 20 via the ultrasonic cable 52 a → the ultrasonic connector 27 → the power cable 125. The rotation of the motor 20 is transmitted to the rear end side flexible shaft 23.

  The rotation of the rear end side flexible shaft 23 is transmitted to the connecting shaft 138 → the encoder rotating shaft 137 → the joint 136 → the slip ring rotating shaft 135 → the coupling portion 95 → the connecting shaft 91 → the distal end side flexible shaft 21 → the vibrator holder 42. Is done. As a result, the ultrasonic transducer 2 fixed to the transducer holder 42 rotates together with the transducer-side transmitting / receiving cable 22.

Next, transmission of ultrasonic signals will be described.
The transmission pulse signal supplied from the ultrasonic observation device 52 is transmitted as the ultrasonic cable 52 a → the ultrasonic connector 27 → the second connector side transmission / reception cable 143 and is input to the second amplifier board 142 in the scope connector unit 6. The The transmission pulse signal that has passed through the second amplifier board 142 is transmitted through the first connector-side transmission / reception cable 141 and input to the first amplifier board 140.

  The transmission pulse signal that has passed through the first amplifier board 140 is transmitted to the ultrasonic transducer 2 that is a rotating body through the slip ring 131 from the transmission path of the non-rotating body so far. That is, the amplifier / slip ring connection cable 109 → slip ring 131 (specifically, brush → rotary electrode → electric cable 107 → cable connection board 95a) → transducer-side transmission / reception cable 22 is transmitted and transmitted to the ultrasonic transducer 2. A pulse signal is input. The ultrasonic transducer 2 converts the transmission pulse signal into ultrasonic vibration and radiates ultrasonic waves into the body cavity through the ultrasonic transmission medium 200, the cap 44 and the balloon 49.

  The ultrasonic signal radiated into the body cavity is reflected by an organ or the like, and the signal is received by the ultrasonic transducer 2. First, the received signal is input to the first amplifier board 140 through the reverse path. The first amplifier board 140 amplifies the received signal and outputs the amplified signal to the first connector side transmission / reception cable 141. The amplified reception signal is input to the second amplifier board 142, and the second amplifier board 142 further amplifies the reception signal and then outputs it to the second connector side transmission / reception cable 143. The received signal is transmitted to the ultrasonic observation device 52 via the ultrasonic connector 27 → the ultrasonic cable 52a.

Next, rotation angle detection will be described.
The encoder rotation shaft 137 of the encoder 132 rotates in accordance with the rotation of the ultrasonic transducer 2 as described above. Thereby, the rotation angle of the ultrasonic transducer 2 is detected. The rotation angle detection signal output from the encoder 132 is transmitted to the ultrasonic image position adjustment board 123 via the encoder driving electric cable 111. Further, the image is transmitted to the ultrasonic observation apparatus 52 via the ultrasonic image position adjustment board 123 → the ultrasonic connector 27 → the ultrasonic cable 52a. In the ultrasonic observation device 52, an ultrasonic image is generated based on the ultrasonic reception signal, and at the same time, the direction of the ultrasonic transducer 2 is determined based on the rotation angle detection signal. An ultrasonic image is displayed at the position to be used. Since this operation is continuously performed, a cross-sectional image (radial image) within the body cavity of the entire circumference in the direction perpendicular to the rotation axis of the ultrasonic transducer 2 can be displayed on the monitor 53.

In addition to the effects of the ultrasonic endoscope of the first embodiment, the present embodiment has the following effects.
(1) The force applied to the operator is smaller than that of the ultrasonic endoscope 1 according to the first embodiment, and the operability is good.
In the ultrasonic endoscope according to the first embodiment, when the operator is holding the grasping portion 4a and performing an inspection, (slip ring weight + encoder weight + gear weight + sub operation unit housing weight) × ( A bending force of only the distance between the gripping part and the sub-operation part is applied to the operator. However, in the ultrasonic endoscope according to the present embodiment, the slip ring 131 and the encoder 132 are provided inside the grasping portion 4a, and this bending force is hardly applied to the operator. Of course, there is no gear weight or sub-operation unit housing weight. As a result, the force applied to the operator who holds the operation unit while using the ultrasonic endoscope is smaller than that of the ultrasonic endoscope according to the first embodiment. Further, in the ultrasonic endoscope according to the present embodiment, since the sub operation unit 14 is not formed as in the ultrasonic endoscope according to the first embodiment, the outer shape of the operation unit 130 becomes very small. . Furthermore, unlike the first embodiment and the conventional ultrasonic endoscope, the slip ring 131 and the encoder 132 are integrated on the same axis, and thus can be accommodated in the elongated gripping portion 4a. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the encoder 132 is disposed on the rear end side of the slip ring 131, so that the encoder rotary shaft 137 can be connected to the solid shaft without inserting the transducer-side transmitting / receiving cable 22 into the encoder rotary shaft 137. As a result, the outer diameter of the encoder 132 is reduced to facilitate storage in the grip portion 4a.
That is, since the grasping part 4a is thick and the operator does not easily grasp it, the operator's fatigue can be reduced as compared with the first ultrasonic endoscope according to the first embodiment, and the operability is improved. Very good.

(2) The rotational fluctuation of the ultrasonic image is less than that of the ultrasonic endoscope according to the first embodiment.
In the present embodiment, the slip ring 131 and the encoder 132 are arranged inside the grip portion 4a closer to the ultrasonic transducer 2 than the ultrasonic endoscope according to the first embodiment. For this reason, the position of the ultrasonic transducer 2 can be detected more accurately than the first ultrasonic endoscope according to the first embodiment. Therefore, the ultrasonic image does not shake more than the first ultrasonic endoscope according to the first embodiment, and a good ultrasonic image can be obtained.

(3) The cleaning performance is better than that of the ultrasonic endoscope according to the first embodiment, and the cleaning work is easy to perform.
Since the slip ring 131 and the encoder 132 are integrated on the same axis and provided in the operation unit, by removing the sub operation unit 14 formed in the ultrasonic endoscope 1 according to the first embodiment, more places to be washed can be obtained. Less, easy to clean and easy to clean.

  By the way, as the fixing means of the slip ring and the encoder, it is fixed to the main operating portion 11 via a support member so as not to move. However, this fixing means is very complicated and is not sufficiently fixed. For example, when the non-rotating portions of the slip ring 131 and the encoder 132 are not fixed to the grip portion 4a, the universal cord 5 is bent or the rotating rear end side flexible shaft 23 is expanded or contracted or moved. Thus, the slip ring 131 and the encoder 132 may move in the axial direction. Further, since the coupling portion 95 integrated with the slip ring rotating shaft 135 of the slip ring 131 and the cable inserted into the coupling portion 95 are rotating, the surrounding structure, for example, water supply There is a possibility that the cable may be cut or the rotation may be hindered due to interference with a tube connection cap or the like.

  Therefore, for example, as shown in FIG. 8, a protective cover 150 formed by bending a thin plate is provided between the housing 134 and the slip ring 131 so that the inner surface of the protective cover 150 does not contact the coupling portion 95. It is configured to prevent the interference of the pinching and coupling part 95 and the axial movement of the slip ring 131 and the encoder 132.

  As a result, the protective cover 150 prevents the surrounding balloon suction tube 63, the nozzle water supply tube 82, the imaging cable 74, and the like from coming into contact with the rotating coupling portion 95, and the shaft of the slip ring 131 and the encoder 132. Directional movement can be prevented. For this reason, the rotating coupling part 95 does not hit the non-rotating body housing 134 and the rotation is not hindered.

  By the way, as described with reference to FIG. 2, the connection of the tube such as the air / water feeding tube inserted into the tip end body 41 is performed by fixing a pipe to the tip end body 41 and covering the pipe with a tube and binding it with a thread. Since the thread is hardened with an adhesive and connected, the diameter of the connecting portion between the tube and the pipe is increased, and the hard length is increased by the length of the pipe. This could be painful for the patient.

  Therefore, for example, as shown in FIG. 9, the tubes such as the distal end side guide tube 45, the balloon tube 61, the air / water feeding tube 80, and the suction tube 84 are directly fitted into the holes of the distal end portion body 41 and bonded. Configure to be fixed.

  Thereby, in the front-end | tip part main body 41, since there is no part which piles up an adhesive for a thread, the space | interval of each tube can be made small. Further, since a pipe is not required, the hard length can be shortened. As a result, the pain given to the patient can be reduced.

  By the way, since the rear end side flexible shaft 23 is disposed next to the soft tube, if the universal cord 5 is bent or twisted, it is easy to meander and deteriorate the rotation.

  Therefore, as shown in FIG. 10A, the rear end side flexible shaft 23 and the rear end side guide tube 103 are arranged along the suction tube 88 led out from the suction button 18 in the universal cord 5. The configuration.

The suction tube 88 has the largest outer diameter among the components built in the universal cord 5 in order to pass liquid in the body cavity mixed with solid matter such as food waste, and further, Teflon ( It is made of a hard tube such as registered trademark. Therefore, even if the universal cord 5 is bent or twisted by arranging the rear end side flexible shaft 23 and the rear end side guide tube 103 along the suction tube 88, the rear end side flexible shaft 23 is , It can always rotate smoothly along the suction tube 88. Thereby, it is possible to use a motor having a relatively low output, and the outer shape of the motor can be reduced. As a result, the outer shape of the scope connector unit 6 can be reduced, and the operability of the ultrasonic endoscope can be improved.
As shown in FIG. 10B, the rear end side flexible shaft 23 and the rear end side guide tube 103 may be tied to the suction tube 88 with a band 151 made of rubber or the like.

  By the way, depending on the layout of the light source device 50 and the ultrasonic observation device 52, it may be easier to insert the light source device 50 and the ultrasonic cord 52a when the position of the ultrasonic connector 27 is changed. Therefore, for example, as shown in FIG. 11, the scope connector 6 provided at the end of the universal cord 5 is provided with a rotating portion 152 that is rotatable about the longitudinal axis with respect to the universal cord 5 and the light source connector 25. The ultrasonic connector 27 is fixed to the rotating portion 152, and the rotating portion 152 is rotated as necessary to change the position of the ultrasonic connector 27, thereby inserting the ultrasonic cable 52a into the ultrasonic connector 27. To do. Further, the attaching / detaching direction of the ultrasonic connector 27 and the ultrasonic cable 52 a is set to be substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis center 153.

In the scope connector section 6 configured as described above, first, the light source connector 27 is inserted into the light source device 50 as preparation of equipment before inspection.
Next, the rotating unit 152 is rotated as necessary to change the position of the ultrasonic connector 27, and the ultrasonic cable 52 a is inserted into the ultrasonic connector 27.

  Accordingly, the position of the ultrasonic connector 27 can be changed by rotating the rotating unit 152, which is very convenient. Furthermore, since the attaching / detaching direction of the ultrasonic connector 27 and the ultrasonic cable 52a is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis center 153, when the ultrasonic connector 27 and the ultrasonic cable 52a are attached / detached, the light source connector 25 is attached. No bending force is applied. Therefore, the contact state between the light source connector 25 and the light source device 50 is always kept good, and failure can be prevented from occurring.

[Appendix]
(Additional Item 1) An insertion portion including an ultrasonic transducer for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves, an operation portion provided at a rear end portion of the insertion portion, a single hollow tube led out from the operation portion, In the ultrasonic endoscope having a scope connector portion provided at the end of the hollow tube,
A light source connector provided in the scope connector portion and detachably connected to a light source device for supplying illumination light to a light guide disposed in the insertion portion, and an ultrasonic observation means for processing a signal from the ultrasonic transducer An ultrasonic connector to be detachably connected to,
A rotation type signal transmission means for transmitting a signal to the ultrasonic vibrator, and a rotation angle detection means for detecting a rotation angle of the ultrasonic vibrator;
Rotation drive means provided in the scope connector portion and driving the ultrasonic transducer;
A distal end side rotation transmission shaft that is inserted through the insertion portion, the ultrasonic transducer is fixed to one end, and the rotation shaft of the rotary signal transmission means is connected to the other end;
A rear-end-side rotation transmission shaft that is inserted through the hollow tube, has one end connected to the rotation shaft of the rotation angle detection unit or the rotation-type signal transmission unit, and the other end connected to the rotation shaft of the rotation drive unit. When,
A transducer-side transmission / reception cable inserted through the tip-side rotation transmission shaft, having one end electrically connected to the ultrasonic transducer and the other end electrically connected to the rotating electrode side of the rotary signal transmission means. When,
Along with the rear end side rotation transmission shaft, one end is electrically connected to the non-rotating electrode side of the rotary type signal transmission means, and the other end is electrically connected to the ultrasonic connector via the signal amplification means. Connector side transmit / receive cable,
An ultrasonic endoscope characterized by comprising:

(Additional Item 2) An insertion portion including an ultrasonic transducer for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves, an operation portion provided at a rear end portion of the insertion portion, and a single hollow tube led out from the operation portion In the ultrasonic endoscope having a scope connector portion provided at the end of the hollow tube,
A light source connector provided in the scope connector portion and detachably connected to a light source device for supplying illumination light to a light guide disposed in the insertion portion, and an ultrasonic observation means for processing a signal from the ultrasonic transducer An ultrasonic connector to be detachably connected to,
A rotation type signal transmission means for transmitting a signal to the ultrasonic vibrator, and a rotation mechanism comprising a rotation angle detection means for detecting the rotation angle of the ultrasonic vibrator;
Rotation drive means provided in the scope connector portion and driving the ultrasonic transducer;
A distal end side rotation transmission shaft that is inserted through the insertion portion, the ultrasonic transducer is fixed to one end, and the rotation shaft of the rotation mechanism is connected to the other end;
A rear end side rotation transmission shaft that is inserted through the hollow tube, connected to the rotating shaft of the rotating mechanism at one end, and connected to the rotating shaft of the rotation driving means at the other end;
A transducer-side transmission / reception cable inserted through the tip-side rotation transmission shaft, electrically connected at one end to the ultrasonic transducer, and electrically connected at the other end to the rotating electrode side of the rotary signal transmission means; ,
Along with the rear end side rotation transmission shaft, one end is electrically connected to the non-rotating electrode side of the rotary signal transmission means, and the other end is electrically connected to the ultrasonic connector via the signal amplification means. Connector side transmit / receive cable,
An ultrasonic endoscope characterized by comprising:

(Additional Item 3) Additional Item 1 or the above-described light guide, an imaging cable that transmits a signal of an imaging device that displays an image in a body cavity, and an air / water supply / suction tube are inserted into the hollow tube. 2. The ultrasonic endoscope according to 2.

(Additional Item 4) The ultrasonic endoscope according to Additional Item 1 or 2, wherein the signal amplification means is provided in the scope connector portion.

(Supplementary Item 5) The supplementary item 1 or 2, wherein the signal amplification means is divided into at least two and provided in the operation unit or the scope connector unit to perform signal amplification in multiple stages. Ultrasound endoscope.

(Additional Item 6) An additional item 1 is provided in the scope connector unit, the ultrasonic image position adjusting unit which receives the rotation angle detection signal from the rotation angle detection unit and adjusts the ultrasonic image. Or the ultrasonic endoscope of 2.

(Additional Item 7) A protective cover for preventing the peripheral member from interfering with the rotary shaft connecting portion of the rotary signal transmitting means and preventing the axial movement of the rotary signal transmitting means is provided. Item 3. The ultrasonic endoscope according to item 1 or 2, wherein the ultrasonic endoscope is characterized.

(Additional Item 8) The air supply / water supply / suction tube and the guide tube through which the distal end side rotation transmission shaft is inserted are directly fitted and fixed to the distal end body provided at the distal end of the insertion portion. The ultrasonic endoscope according to Additional Item 1 or 2.

(Additional Item 9) The imaging unit without damaging the seal member closer to the distal end than the seal member provided to ensure the water tightness of the imaging unit having the imaging device inherent in the distal end of the insertion unit The ultrasonic endoscope according to Additional Item 1 or 2, wherein a screw portion is provided to allow attachment of the screw portion to the distal end portion.

(Additional Item 10) The scope connector portion is provided with a rotating portion that is rotatable about the longitudinal axis with respect to the universal cord and the light source connector, and the rotating portion is fixed by fixing the ultrasonic connector to the rotating portion. The ultrasonic endoscope according to Additional Item 1 or 2, wherein the position of the ultrasonic connector can be changed by rotating.

(Additional Item 11) A flex formed by spirally winding a thin metal strip to reinforce the bent portion in a portion where the tube covering the front end side rotation transmission shaft and the rear end side rotation transmission shaft is bent, or The ultrasonic endoscope according to Additional Item 1 or 2, wherein a rigid tube is provided.

(Additional Item 12) The ultrasonic endoscope according to Additional Item 1 or 2, wherein the rear end side rotation transmission shaft has a larger rotation transmission torque than the front end side rotation transmission shaft.

(Additional Item 13) The rear end side rotation transmission shaft that is inserted into the hollow tube and the rear end side guide tube that guides the rear end side rotation transmission shaft are arranged along the suction tube. Thus, even if the hollow tube is bent or twisted, the rear end side rotation transmission shaft and the rear end side guide tube can always rotate in a state along the suction tube. 3. The ultrasonic endoscope according to 3.

(Additional Item 14) The ultrasonic endoscope according to Additional Item 13, wherein the rear end side rotation transmission shaft and the rear end side guide tube are fixed to the suction tube.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Explanatory drawing which shows the whole structure of the ultrasonic endoscope which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. Sectional drawing explaining the front-end | tip part of the ultrasonic endoscope in FIG. Sectional drawing explaining the operation part of the ultrasonic endoscope in FIG. Sectional drawing explaining the scope connector part formed in the edge part of the universal cord derived | led-out from the operation part of the ultrasonic endoscope in FIG. Explanatory drawing which shows the whole structure of the ultrasonic endoscope which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. Sectional drawing explaining the operation part of the ultrasonic endoscope in FIG. Sectional drawing explaining the scope connector part formed in the edge part of the universal cord derived | led-out from the operation part of the ultrasonic endoscope in FIG. Explanatory drawing which shows the protective cover which covers the coupling part of FIG. Explanatory drawing which shows the tube connection method which fitted each tube, such as a front end side guide tube and a balloon tube, directly to the hole of the front-end | tip part main body at the front-end | tip part of the insertion part, and was fixed by adhesion | attachment. Explanatory drawing which shows arrangement | positioning of the rear end side flexible shaft and rear end side guide tube in FIG. Sectional drawing explaining the rotation part which fixed the ultrasonic connector which can be rotated centering on a longitudinal axis with respect to a universal cord and a light source connector.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1,1A ... Ultrasound endoscope 2 ... Ultrasonic transducer 3 ... Insertion part 4 ... Operation part 5 ... Universal cord (hollow tube)
6 ... Scope connector part 7 ... Imaging device 8 ... Tip part 11 ... Main operation part 12 ... Slip ring (rotational signal transmission means)
13: Encoder (rotation angle detection means)
14 ... Sub-operation unit 20 ... Motor (rotation drive means)
21 ... Tip side flexible shaft (tip side rotation transmission shaft)
22 ... Transducer side transmission / reception cable 23 ... Rear end side flexible shaft (rear end side rotation transmission shaft)
24 ... Connector side transmission / reception cable 25 ... Light source connector 26 ... Electric connector 41 ... Tip body 95 ... Coupling part 133 ... Rotating mechanism 150 ... Protective cover 152 ... Rotating part

Claims (1)

An insertion part including an ultrasonic transducer for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves, an operation part provided at a rear end part of the insertion part, a single hollow tube led out from the operation part, and the hollow pipe In an ultrasonic endoscope having a scope connector portion provided at an end of an ultrasonic observation device for processing a signal from the ultrasonic transducer,
A light source connector that is provided in the scope connector portion and is detachably connected to a light source device that supplies illumination light to a light guide disposed in the insertion portion;
An ultrasonic connector for electrically connecting the ultrasonic observation device and the scope connector;
With
The ultrasonic endoscope section, wherein the ultrasonic connector section is detachably connected to the scope connector section.

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