JP2008029597A - Endoscope apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an endoscope apparatus capable of not only radiating the heat at the distal end of an insertion section but also easily narrowing the diameter of the distal end of the insertion section. <P>SOLUTION: This endoscope apparatus is provided with the elongate insertion section 2 to be inserted into a subject, an illumination section provided at the distal end of the insertion section 2 and illuminating an illumination light to the subject, an imaging section 23 provided towards the proximal side of the insertion section 2 of the illumination section in the inside of the distal end and imaging a reflected light taken in the insertion section 2, and a heat radiation member 77 radiating the heat generated at least one of the illumination section or the imaging section 23. The apparatus is characterized in that the distal end is formed of a heat transmission member and the distal end of the heat radiation member 77 is disposed towards the proximal side of the insertion section 2 of the maximum outside diameter portion of the imaging section 23 in the inside of the distal end. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an endoscope apparatus for observing a subject.

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, in various fields such as the medical field and the industrial field, an insertion unit that is inserted into a subject, an LED provided at the distal end of the insertion unit, and a CCD that images reflected light from the subject are provided. An endoscope apparatus is used.
LEDs and CCDs are elements that generate heat. If these heats are left unattended, the image quality of the observation image is deteriorated and the LED light emission efficiency is lowered, and the LED or CCD is broken.

  Therefore, there is known a technique in which the distal end side of the long heat radiation wire is brought close to the LED, and the proximal end side of the heat radiation wire is extended toward the proximal end side of the insertion portion through the vicinity of the CCD (for example, a patent Reference 1). Thereby, the heat | fever emitted from LED, CCD, etc. can be thermally radiated to the base end side of an insertion part via a thermal radiation wire.

Here, the distal end portion of the insertion portion needs to have a certain diameter because various components such as a CCD need to be installed inside, but since it is inserted into the subject, the entire diameter Is required to be as thin as possible.
JP 2004-248835 A

  However, in the endoscope apparatus described in Patent Document 1 as described above, a heat radiating wire is generally passed in the vicinity of the CCD having the largest diameter, and the diameter of the entire distal end portion of the insertion portion is increased. There is a problem of end.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and it is not only capable of radiating heat at the distal end portion of the insertion portion, but also an endoscope that can easily reduce the diameter of the distal end portion of the insertion portion. An object is to provide a mirror device.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides the following means.
An endoscope apparatus according to the present invention includes a long insertion portion that is inserted into a subject, an illumination portion that is provided at a distal end portion of the insertion portion, and irradiates the subject with illumination light, and the distal end portion The image sensor is provided on the proximal end side of the insertion unit with respect to the illumination unit, and heat is emitted from at least one of the illumination unit or the imaging unit. A heat radiating member that radiates heat, and the distal end portion is made of a heat conducting member, and the distal end of the heat radiating member is closer to the insertion portion than the maximum outer diameter portion of the imaging portion inside the distal end portion. It is arranged on the base end side.

In the endoscope apparatus according to the present invention, the heat generated from at least one of the illumination unit and the imaging unit is transmitted to the heat radiating member through the tip, and further, the heat is inserted through the heat radiating member. It is transmitted to the base end side of the part.
Here, the distal end of the heat radiating member is disposed closer to the proximal end of the insertion portion than the maximum outer diameter portion of the imaging portion in the distal end portion.
From the above, not only can the heat dissipation member not be passed through the outer periphery of the maximum outer diameter portion of the imaging unit, but also heat generated from at least one of the illumination unit or the imaging unit can be easily transmitted to the proximal end side of the insertion unit. I can tell you.

  In the endoscope apparatus according to the present invention, a sealing material for sealing the inside of the distal end portion is provided at the distal end portion, and the sealing material has thermal conductivity.

In the endoscope apparatus according to the present invention, heat generated from at least one of the illumination unit and the imaging unit is transmitted to the heat radiating member and the like via the tip and the sealing material.
As described above, heat generated from at least one of the illumination unit and the imaging unit can be efficiently and easily radiated.

  The endoscope apparatus according to the present invention is characterized in that the heat radiating member is fixed to the inner surface of the distal end portion by solder.

  In the endoscope apparatus according to the present invention, since the heat radiating member is fixed to the inner surface of the distal end portion with solder, the heat generated from at least one of the illumination unit and the imaging unit can be radiated more efficiently and easily. Can do.

  In the endoscope apparatus according to the present invention, the distal end portion has a circular cross-sectional shape, and the heat radiating member includes an arc surface arranged in accordance with the inner peripheral surface of the distal end portion. Features.

In the endoscope apparatus according to the present invention, since the heat dissipation member has an arc surface, the surface area for heat dissipation increases. Further, since the arc surface is arranged along the inner peripheral surface of the tip portion, the heat transmitted to the tip portion is easily transferred to the heat radiating member.
As described above, heat generated from at least one of the illumination unit and the imaging unit can be radiated more efficiently and easily.

  According to the present invention, not only can the heat dissipation member not be passed through the outer periphery of the maximum outer diameter portion of the imaging unit, but heat generated from at least one of the illumination unit and the imaging unit can be transmitted to the proximal end side of the insertion unit. Therefore, it is possible to effectively dissipate heat at the distal end portion of the insertion portion, and it is possible to easily reduce the diameter of the distal end portion of the insertion portion.

(Embodiment)
Hereinafter, an endoscope apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 shows an endoscope apparatus 1 as an embodiment of the present invention.
The endoscope apparatus 1 includes a rectangular endoscope main body 3 that performs overall control.
A front panel 4 for performing various settings is provided on the top surface of the endoscope body 3. A monitor 5 such as an LCD for displaying an observation image is attached to the side surface of the endoscope body 3. In addition, a belt 8 can be attached to the endoscope main body 3 so that the user can hang from the shoulder and perform a hands-free operation.

Furthermore, a scope unit 11 is detachably attached to the endoscope body 3.
The scope unit 11 includes a control unit 10 for performing an operation and an insertion portion 2 provided in the control unit 10.
The control unit 10 is provided with a universal cable 12, and a scope connector 9 is provided at one end of the universal cable 12. The scope connector 9 is detachably attached to the endoscope body 3.

The insertion section 2 includes a long insertion body section 16 and an endoscope adapter 17 that is detachably connected to the distal end of the insertion body section 16. Note that the endoscope adapter 17 and the distal end cylindrical portion 22 described later constitute the distal end portion of the insertion portion 2.
The rear end of the insertion main body 16 is attached to the control unit 10.

On the other hand, a bendable bending portion 21 is provided in the vicinity of the distal end portion of the insertion main body portion 16. The bending portion 21 is bent in a desired direction by operating the control unit 10, so that the distal end of the insertion portion 2 is directed in the desired direction via the bending portion 21. It has become.
As shown in FIG. 2, a tip cylindrical portion (tip portion) 22 formed in a cylindrical shape is attached to the tip of the bending portion 21 via a substantially cylindrical connecting member 24. An imaging unit 23 for obtaining an observation image of the subject is provided inside the distal cylindrical portion 22. The imaging unit 23 includes an imaging main body unit 26 and a filter unit 27 for obtaining light of an appropriate wavelength.

  The imaging main body 26 includes a CCD 28 and a CCD substrate 33 that photoelectrically convert reflected light from the subject taken into the distal end cylindrical portion 22. The electrical signals from the CCD 28 and the CCD substrate 33 are output via a signal line 31. A cover glass 37 that protects the front surface of the CCD 28 is provided in front of the CCD 28 (at the front end side of the insertion main body 16). The CCD 28 and the cover glass 37 are disposed in a substantially semi-cylindrical imaging cover 41. The imaging cover 41 is for protecting the CCD 28 and the cover glass 37. In front of the cover glass 37, an optical filter 38 is provided for cutting infrared light out of the reflected light from the subject taken into the distal end cylindrical portion 22. The optical filter 38 is arranged in a cylindrical filter support frame 42, and the optical filter 38 is supported inside the distal end tubular portion 22 by the filter support frame 42. The above-described imaging cover 41 is provided at the rear end of the filter support frame 42, and the filter support frame 42 and the imaging cover 41 are integrally formed.

  In front of the optical filter 38, a distal-side objective optical system 43 for imaging the reflected light from the subject taken into the distal cylindrical portion 22 on the CCD 28 is provided. The distal-side objective optical system 43 is disposed in a cylindrical optical support block 46. The optical support block 46 is integrally formed with a large inner diameter portion 47 disposed on the rear end side of the distal end cylindrical portion 22 and a small inner diameter portion 48 disposed on the distal end side and having a smaller diameter than the large inner diameter portion 47. Concatenated. That is, a plurality of cylindrical holes 47 a and 48 a having different diameters are formed inside the optical support block 46. The filter support frame 42 is fitted and fixed to the cylindrical hole 47a of the large inner diameter portion 47 from the rear end. The above-described distal-side objective optical system 43 is provided in the cylindrical hole 48 a of the small-inner-diameter portion 48, and the distal-side objective optical system 43 is supported inside the distal-end tubular portion 22 by the small-inner-diameter portion 48. ing.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3, a pair of front end side FPCs 51 for supplying power to an LED (illumination unit) 71 described later is provided inside the front end cylindrical portion 22. The rear end of the distal end side FPC 51 is electrically connected to a lead 52 extending from the power supply unit of the endoscope main body 3 to the inside of the insertion main body 16. The distal end of the distal end side FPC 51 is electrically connected to a pair of insertion side electrode portions 35 provided at the distal end of the distal end cylindrical portion 22. The distal end of the insertion side electrode portion 35 protrudes forward from the distal end surface of the distal end cylindrical portion 22.

In addition, a male thread portion 36 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the distal end cylindrical portion 22 over the entire circumference. Further, an endoscope adapter 17 for direct viewing for capturing reflected light from the subject and sending it to the insertion main body 16 is detachably attached to the distal end portion of the distal tubular portion 22. .
The endoscope adapter 17 includes an adapter main body 63 and a mounting hood 62 formed in a substantially cylindrical shape. The adapter main body 63 and the mounting hood 62 are arranged on the same axis and are rotatably connected to each other.
An adapter-side objective optical system 66 for adjusting the angle of view, observation depth, brightness, and the like is provided in the adapter main body 63. Further, a donut-shaped LED substrate part 70 is provided at the tip of the adapter main body part 63. An LED 71 that emits illumination light is provided on the surface of the LED substrate 70.
Further, an observation window 58 for taking in reflected light from the subject is provided at the tip of the adapter main body 63.

A pair of contact pins 68 made of a conductive member are provided at the rear end of the adapter main body 63. The contact pin 68 is formed to extend in a rod shape, and one end of the contact pin 68 protrudes rearward from the rear end surface of the adapter main body 63. The contact pin 68 is electrically connected to the LED 71 via the adapter side FPC 73.
A cylindrical tip cover 61 is attached to the outer periphery of the adapter main body 63.

Moreover, the internal thread part 75 extended over the perimeter is formed in the rear-end part among the internal peripheral surfaces of the above-mentioned attachment hood part 62. As shown in FIG.
Under such a configuration, when the distal end of the distal cylindrical portion 22 is inserted from the open end of the mounting hood portion 62 and the mounting hood portion 62 is rotated, the female screw portion 75 and the male screw portion 36 are screwed together. Thus, the endoscope adapter 17 is attached to the distal end tubular portion 22.
When the endoscope adapter 17 is attached to the distal end tubular portion 22, the insertion side electrode portion 35 and the contact pin 68 come into contact with each other, and the insertion side electrode portion 35 and the contact pin 68 are electrically connected. It is like that. As a result, power is supplied to the LED 71 from the power supply unit of the endoscope body 3 via the lead 52, the distal end side FPC 51, the insertion side electrode unit 35, the contact pin 68, and the adapter side FPC 73. .

Further, in the present embodiment, a pair of heat radiation wires (heat radiation members) 77 configured by bundling wires such as aluminum are provided in the insertion portion 2, and the distal ends of the heat radiation wires 77 are connected to the imaging unit 23. It is arranged on the rear side (the base end side of the insertion portion 2) from the maximum outer diameter portion.
Here, as shown in FIG. 2, the outer diameter φ of the imaging cover 41 that protects the CCD 28 whose diameter is generally larger among the outer diameters of the imaging unit 23 is the largest. That is, in the present embodiment, the imaging cover 41 constitutes the maximum outer diameter portion of the imaging unit 23.

Moreover, as shown in FIG.4 and FIG.5, the wide part 79 formed wider than others is formed in the front-end | tip of the heat radiating wire 77. FIG. The wide portion 79 is formed by providing a heat shrinkable tube at the tip of the heat radiating wire 77, soaking solder from the tip of the heat radiating wire 77, and removing the heat shrinkable tube after the solder is solidified. A heat contraction tube 80 made of a member that contracts when heat is applied is covered on the base end side of the wide portion 79 of the distal end portion of the heat radiation wire 77.
Further, the rear end portion of the heat dissipating wire 77 is fixed with solder. In the same manner as described above, the heat-shrinkable tube 77 is also provided with a heat-shrinkable tube at the rear end, soaked in solder from the rear end of the heat-dissipating wire, and after the solder has hardened, the heat-shrinkable tube is removed. It is formed by.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 6, the pair of wide portions 79 are arranged at both ends in the width direction of the distal end cylindrical portion 22 so as to sandwich the CCD substrate 33. The rear end of the heat radiating wire 77 is extended to a predetermined position of the insertion main body 16.
In addition, since the length dimension of a pair of heat radiation wire 77 is set so that it may respectively differ, and the front-end | tip part of the heat radiation wire 77 is arrange | equalized, the rear-end part of the heat radiation wire 77 is distribute | arranged in a mutually different position. It is like that. This is because the rear ends of the heat radiating wire 77 are increased in diameter and hardened by the solder, so that the rear ends of the heat radiating wire 77 do not overlap in the width direction of the insertion portion 2. Thereby, not only can the work of assembling the heat radiating wire 77 be facilitated, but the bending operation of the bending portion 21 can be prevented from being affected.

Further, the distal end cylindrical portion 22, the optical support block 46, the distal end cover 61, the mounting hood portion 62, and the adapter main body 63 in the present embodiment are made of a heat conducting member such as SUS, aluminum, or brass.
Furthermore, a sealing material 82 that seals the inside of the distal end tubular portion 22 is filled in the distal end tubular portion 22. The sealing material 82 is an adhesive having thermal conductivity, and fixes the imaging unit 23, the heat radiation wire 77, the distal end side FPC 51, and the like in the distal end cylindrical portion 22.

Next, the operation of the endoscope apparatus 1 in the present embodiment configured as described above will be described.
First, the endoscope adapter 17 is attached to the distal end of the insertion main body 16. When the power supply unit of the endoscope main body 3 is driven, power from the power supply unit is supplied to the LED 71 via various cables and the illumination light is emitted from the LED 71. In this state, the insertion unit 2 is inserted into the subject. Then, the reflected light from the subject is taken into the endoscope adapter 17 through the observation window 58. The captured reflected light forms an image on the CCD 28 in the distal end cylindrical portion 22 via the adapter side objective optical system 66 and the distal end side objective optical system 43. The output signals from the CCD 28 and the CCD substrate 33 are sent to the CCU that performs signal processing via the signal line 31 and further supplied to the monitor 5. As a result, an observation image is displayed on the monitor 5, and a predetermined examination of the subject is performed while viewing the observation image.

Here, when the LED 71 and the CCD 28 are driven, heat is emitted from the LED 71 and the CCD 28. If this heat is left unattended, the temperature in the distal cylindrical portion 22 rises and noise is generated in the observed image.
In the present embodiment, the heat is radiated as follows.
That is, the heat generated from the LED 71 is transmitted to the adapter main body 63 and the tip cover 61, and further to the mounting hood 62, the optical support block 46, and the tip cylindrical portion 22. The heat of the distal end cylindrical portion 22 transmitted from the LED 71 and the heat from the CCD 28 are transmitted to the wide portion 79 of the heat radiation wire 77 and radiated to the base end side of the heat radiation wire 77.

As described above, according to the endoscope apparatus 1 in the present embodiment, the tip of the heat radiating wire 77 is disposed on the rear side of the maximum outer diameter portion of the imaging unit 23, and heat generated from the LED 71, the CCD 28, and the like. Can be easily transmitted to the proximal end side of the insertion portion 2 via the heat radiation wire 77, so that not only can the heat dissipation be effectively performed at the distal end cylindrical portion 22, but also the distal end cylindrical portion 22 can be easily The diameter can be reduced.
Further, since the sealing material 82 having thermal conductivity is provided in the distal end cylindrical portion 22, the heat transmitted to the optical support block 46 and the distal end cylindrical portion 22 is transmitted via the sealing material 82. It can be easily transmitted to the heat dissipating wire 77. Therefore, heat dissipation efficiency can be improved.

  Further, since the heat-shrinkable tube 80 is provided in the heat radiation wire 77, when the sealing material 82 is filled in the distal end tubular portion 22, the heat radiation wire 77 is sealed by capillarity through each wire of the heat radiation wire 77. It is possible to prevent the material 82 from seeping out to the curved portion 21 side. Therefore, it can prevent that the bending part 21 becomes difficult to curve. Moreover, since the heat-shrinkable tube 80 is contracted by heat, the wires of the heat radiating wire 77 can be tightly bundled, and the sealing material 82 can be reliably prevented from seeping out.

Although the wide portions 79 of the heat dissipating wire 77 are provided at both ends in the width direction of the tip cylindrical portion 22, considering the heat conduction efficiency from the tip cylindrical portion 22 to the wide portion 79, the wide portion 79 is replaced with the tip cylindrical portion. It is preferable to bring the wide portion 79 and the inner surface of the distal cylindrical portion 22 into contact with each other as close as possible to the inner surface of the cylindrical portion 22.
Further, as shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, the wide portion 79 of the heat radiation wire 77 may be fixed to the inner peripheral surface of the distal end tubular portion 22 with solder. As a result, heat can be more efficiently transferred from the distal tubular portion 22 to the wide portion 79 via the solder portion 81, which generally has higher thermal conductivity than the sealing material 82.

Further, as shown in FIG. 10, one side surface of the wide portion 79 may be formed as an outwardly convex circular arc surface 84. The arcuate surface 84 is arranged along the inner surface of the distal end tubular portion 22. That is, the curvatures of the arc surface 84 and the inner surface of the distal end tubular portion 22 are set to be the same.
It is preferable that the arc surface 84 and the inner surface of the distal end cylindrical portion 22 be as close as possible so that the arc surface 84 and the inner surface of the distal end cylindrical portion 22 are brought into contact with each other.
By providing the circular arc surface 84 in this way, not only can the heat radiation area of the wide portion 79 be increased, but also the contact area between the wide portion 79 and the inner surface of the distal end tubular portion 22 can be increased. Efficiency can be further improved.

  In the present embodiment, the endoscope adapter 17 is detachably provided on the insertion main body 16. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and as shown in FIG. The adapter 17 may not be provided as an integrated type. In this case, the lead 52 is electrically connected to the LED 71. In this case, the distal cylindrical portion 22 constitutes the distal end portion of the insertion portion 2.

In the present embodiment, the LED 71 is provided. Instead, the endoscope main body 3 is provided with a light source part, and the light from the light source part is guided by a light guide, and the insertion part 2 is provided. You may make it irradiate from the front-end | tip. FIG. 12 is a side cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the insertion portion 2 when the light is guided by the light guide.
An illumination cover glass (illumination unit) 88 is provided in the vicinity of the observation window 58. On the rear side of the illumination cover glass 88, a ball lens 89 that diffuses light from the light source unit so as to match the angle of view is provided, and an adapter-side light guide 91 that extends from the rear end surface of the adapter main body 63 is provided. Is provided. The adapter side light guide 91 is connected to an insertion portion side light guide 92 provided on the distal end cylindrical portion 22 when the endoscope adapter 17 is attached to the distal end cylindrical portion 22. The insertion part side light guide 92 is connected to a light source part provided in the endoscope main body part 3.
Thereby, compared with the case where LED is provided, generation | occurrence | production of the heat | fever in the front-end | tip of the insertion part 2 can be suppressed.

In the present embodiment, the heat shrinkable tube 80 is provided, but instead of this, a normal tube that does not shrink by heat may be used.
Further, although the sealing material 82 is provided, it is possible to transfer heat from the distal cylindrical portion 22 or the like to the wide portion 79 without providing the sealing material 82. However, in that case, it goes without saying that the heat conduction efficiency increases when the wide portion 79 is as close as possible to the inner surface of the distal cylindrical portion 22.

In the present embodiment, the maximum outer diameter portion is the imaging cover 41, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the portion of the imaging unit 23 that is the maximum outer diameter portion can be appropriately changed.
Furthermore, although the endoscope adapter 17 is configured for direct viewing, the present invention is not limited to this and may be used for side viewing.
The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

1 is an overall configuration diagram showing a first embodiment of an endoscope apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the distal end portion of the insertion portion in FIG. 1, and is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the insertion portion is observed from below. FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a distal end portion of the insertion portion in FIG. 1, and is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the insertion portion is observed from the side. It is a side view which shows the thermal radiation wire in this embodiment. It is a front view which shows the heat radiating wire of FIG. 4 from the front. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 3. It is sectional drawing which shows the modification of the insertion part of FIG. It is a figure which shows the insertion part of FIG. 7, Comprising: It is sectional drawing which shows the modification of FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows the principal part of the thermal radiation wire of FIG. 8, and a front-end | tip cylindrical part. It is sectional drawing which shows the modification of FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the other modification of the insertion part of FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the further another modification of the insertion part of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Endoscope apparatus 2 Insertion part 17 Endoscope adapter (tip part)
22 Tip cylindrical part (tip part)
23 Imaging unit 71 LED (illumination unit)
77 Heat dissipation wire (heat dissipation member)
82 Sealing material 84 Arc surface 88 Cover glass for illumination (illumination part)

Claims (4)

A long insertion part to be inserted into the subject;
An illumination unit that is provided at a distal end of the insertion unit and irradiates the subject with illumination light;
An imaging unit that is provided closer to the base end side of the insertion unit than the illumination unit in the inside of the distal end unit, and images reflected light taken into the insertion unit;
A heat radiating member that radiates heat generated from at least one of the illumination unit or the imaging unit, and
The tip is made of a heat conducting member,
An endoscope apparatus, wherein a distal end of the heat radiating member is disposed closer to a proximal end side of the insertion portion than a maximum outer diameter portion of the imaging portion within the distal end portion. The tip portion is provided with a sealing material for sealing the inside of the tip portion,
The endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sealing material has thermal conductivity.   The endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the heat radiating member is fixed to an inner surface of the distal end portion with solder. The cross-sectional shape of the tip is formed in a circle,
The endoscope apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the heat radiating member includes an arcuate surface arranged in accordance with an inner peripheral surface of the tip portion.

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