JP2008212348A - Endoscope apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an endoscope apparatus, when a failure related to a laser light occurs, capable of detecting an abnormal part in the apparatus, specifying the cause of the failure and improving the maintenance of the apparatus. <P>SOLUTION: This endoscope apparatus 1 comprises: an illumination section having an LD (Laser Diode) 12 for oscillating an excitation light, a light emitting element actuation section 6 for actuating the LD 12, a phosphor 15 for generating an illumination light consisting of the excitation light and the phosphor excited by the excitation light, and an optical transmission fiber 14 for transmitting the excitation light to the phosphor 15; an illumination optical system 16, or a light detection section for detecting the illumination light; a detection fiber 18 and an RGB light sensor section 19; a constant current circuit 7, or an actuation current detection section for detecting a current flowing the light emitting element actuation section 6; a current detection voltage circuit 25 and a comparator circuit 27; and a failure detection section 23 for detecting a failure of the illumination section based on the detection results of the light detection section and the actuation current detection section. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an endoscope apparatus that performs observation, treatment, and the like using laser light, and more particularly, to an endoscope apparatus that can detect abnormal locations such as laser light generation means and transmission means.

Conventionally, laser surgery has attracted attention as a surgical method that can shorten the operation time and provide rapid treatment and is highly safe for patients.
In such laser surgery, for example, a laser scalpel or an endoscopic device using laser light is used.

  In general, when the surgical instrument used for laser surgery is a laser scalpel, laser light is used for treatment such as excision of the affected area, and when it is an endoscopic device, the examination site is irradiated with laser light and irradiated. It is often used to observe normal or abnormal tissue by fluorescence of the living tissue at the examination site.

  In such an apparatus using laser light, it is essential to improve safety, and many proposals have been made so far.

  For example, in an apparatus such as an endoscope apparatus using laser light, a generation means for generating laser light and a transmission means for transmitting laser light through the distal end of the insertion portion are provided. A failure may occur in these generation means or transmission means.

  Therefore, for example, a transmission fiber safety device described in Patent Document 1 has been proposed as a method for ensuring safety against failure of such laser beam transmission means.

This safety device for a transmission fiber according to Patent Document 1 determines whether or not the intensity of laser light reflected and returned from the emission end face of a fiber transmitting laser light is equal to or less than a preset normal value. An abnormality such as breakage (such as a transmission fiber) is detected, and when the abnormality is detected, the shutter is closed to block the laser beam. This makes it possible to prevent accidents caused by laser light irradiation and to ensure safety.
Japanese Patent Publication No.3-3174

  However, in the conventional technique described in Patent Document 1, the transmission means (such as a transmission fiber) is damaged by the determination using the intensity of the laser light reflected and returned from the emission end face of the fiber transmitting the laser light. However, it is not possible to detect the generating means for generating the laser light.

  For this reason, in order to identify the cause of the abnormality, it takes time to disassemble the endoscope apparatus and inspect each suspicious part. Therefore, when such a broken endoscope apparatus is repaired in the service department or factory of the manufacturer, a lot of labor is required, and it is difficult to improve the maintainability of the apparatus.

  In recent years, an endoscope apparatus that is applied to illumination of an examination site with white light by converting laser light into white light with a phosphor has attracted attention. In the case of such an endoscope apparatus, the laser light before being converted into white light is extremely strong like the laser knife, and thus means for ensuring safety against failure is also necessary as described above.

  However, even in the case of such an endoscope apparatus, if the technique described in Patent Document 1 is used in the same manner as described above, an abnormality such as breakage of transmission means (transmission fiber or the like) or detection for detecting laser light. Although it is possible to detect abnormality of the means, it is not possible to detect the generating means that generates the laser light. Furthermore, it is impossible to detect a failure of a phosphor that converts laser light into white light.

  For this reason, since such an endoscope apparatus has a larger number of components than the apparatus of Patent Document 1, more time and labor are spent on the inspection work for identifying the cause of the abnormality. Similar to the problem, it has been difficult to improve apparatus maintainability.

  Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and in the event of a failure relating to laser light, it is possible to detect an abnormal location in the device and identify the cause of the failure, thereby maintaining the device. An object of the present invention is to provide an endoscope apparatus capable of improving the performance.

  The endoscope apparatus according to the present invention generates illumination light including a light emitting element that oscillates excitation light, a light emitting element driving unit that drives the light emitting element, and the excitation light and fluorescence excited by the excitation light. An illumination unit having a fluorescent member and a light transmission member that propagates the excitation light to the fluorescent member, a light detection unit that detects the illumination light, and a drive current that detects a current flowing through the pre-light emitting element drive unit A failure detection unit that determines a failure of the illumination unit based on detection results of the detection unit and the light detection unit and the drive current detection unit;

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an endoscope apparatus capable of improving the maintainability of the apparatus by enabling detection of an abnormal point in the apparatus and identifying the cause of the malfunction when a malfunction related to the laser beam occurs. can do.

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

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 relates to a first embodiment of an endoscope apparatus according to the present invention, and FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the entire endoscope apparatus according to the first embodiment. Since the present invention is characterized by the constituent elements related to the laser beam of the endoscope apparatus 1, the constituent elements of the imaging system inherent in the endoscope included in the endoscope apparatus are simply described. Therefore, the description is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the endoscope apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment includes an inner part imaged by an insertion unit 2 and a main body unit 3 constituting the endoscope and an imaging unit (not shown) of the insertion unit 2. A display unit 4 such as an LCD for displaying an endoscopic image and an abnormal part of the endoscope apparatus 1 to be described later, and a sound for notifying the examiner of the abnormal part of the endoscope apparatus 1 by voice by voice output And an output unit 5. The audio output unit 5 is not necessarily provided as long as the display unit 4 has an audio output reproduction function.

  When using the endoscope apparatus 1, the inspector inserts the insertion unit 2 into an inspection target such as a pipe, and checks and confirms an endoscopic image displayed on the display unit 4. Then, examination / diagnosis processing based on an endoscopic image is performed while the insertion portion is held at a desired examination site.

  The insertion portion 2 is an elongated flexible tube that is inserted into the space to be inspected, and includes a transmission fiber 14 that is an optical transmission member for transmitting racer light therein, and the transmission fiber 14. It has a phosphor 15 that is a fluorescent member provided at the tip, an illumination optical system 16 disposed on the front side of the phosphor 15, an external light shielding plate 17, and a detection fiber 18. .

  The main body 3 includes a semiconductor laser diode (hereinafter referred to as LD) 12 that is a light emitting element that oscillates the laser light, and a condensing lens that makes the laser light from the LD 12 incident on the transmission fiber 14 side of the insertion portion 2. 13 for driving the LD 12 and the LD-ON for turning on / off the connection between the light emitting element driving unit 6 having a driving current detecting unit therein and the light emitting element driving unit 6 and the LD output adjustment circuit 9. / OFF switch 8, LD output adjustment circuit 9 that outputs a current necessary for driving LD 12, and LD-ON / that controls LD-ON / OFF switch 8 to turn on / off light-emitting element driving unit 6. An OFF control circuit 10, an RGB sensor unit 19 that is a light detection unit that detects return light that is part of the illumination light from the insertion unit 2, a drive current detection unit, and an RGB sensor unit 19; Based on the detection result, and has transmission fiber 14, LD driving circuit, or the failure detecting section 21 for detecting an abnormal portion such as a phosphor 15, a.

  The LD 12, the light emitting element driving unit 6, the phosphor 15 and the transmission fiber 14 constitute an illumination unit. The illumination optical system 16, the external light shielding plate 17, the detection fiber 18 and the RGB sensor unit 19 constitute a light detection unit.

  Here, a specific configuration of the main body unit 3 will be described. The light emitting element driving unit 6 includes a power source 3a, a regulator 11, a constant current circuit 7, a current detection voltage amplification circuit 25, a reference voltage 26, and a comparison. Circuit 27.

  The power source 3 a supplies power necessary for driving the LD 12 and the main body 3, and supplies power to the regulator 11 that generates a driving voltage for driving the LD 12.

  The LD-ON / OFF control circuit 10 includes a resistor 10a to which a control signal (high level or low level voltage value) is supplied from a control unit (CPU) 23 of a failure detection unit 21 described later, and an output of the resistor 10a. And a switching element 10b for switching the presence / absence of output of current to the constant current circuit 7.

  In addition, the constant current circuit 7 in the light emitting element driving unit 6 compares the output from the switching element 10b with the positive input terminal and the output of the subsequent switching element 7b with the negative input terminal. A comparison circuit 7a such as a comparator to be performed, a switching element 7b that performs switching so that a drive current supplied to the LD 12 is always constant based on an output of the comparison circuit 7a, and a voltage value corresponding to the current flowing through the switching element 7b The voltage dividing resistor 24 is detected as follows.

  The output of the constant current circuit 7, that is, the voltage value detected by the voltage dividing resistor 24 is amplified by the current detection voltage amplification circuit 25 and supplied to one input terminal of the comparison circuit 27. A reference voltage from the reference voltage 26 is supplied to the other input terminal of the comparison circuit 27. Then, the comparison circuit 25 compares the reference voltage with the detection voltage from the voltage dividing resistor 24, and uses the comparison result as the LD drive NG presence / absence detection signal 21a to control the regulator 11 and a control unit (CPU) of the failure detection unit 21 described later. 23.

  On the other hand, the RGB sensor unit 19 detects return light that is part of the illumination light from the insertion unit 2, and for example, allows light in the R, G, and B specific wavelength ranges of the return light to pass through. An R photodiode (hereinafter referred to as PD) 19a, a G PD 19b, and a B PD 19c, and three R amplifier circuits 20a for amplifying and outputting the outputs of the RGB PDs 19a to 19c, and the G amplifier A light amount detection voltage amplification circuit 20 including a circuit 20b and a B amplification circuit 20c.

  The output of the RGB sensor unit 19, that is, the output of the light amount detection voltage amplification circuit 20 is supplied to the subsequent failure detection unit 21. The B PD 19c constitutes at least one first light receiving element that detects the amount of the excitation light component of the return light. The R PD 19a and the G PD 19b constitute second light receiving elements, respectively.

  The failure detection unit 21 includes three R AD converters 22a, G AD converters 22b, and B AD converters 22c to which the outputs of the light amount detection voltage amplification circuit 20 of the RGB sensor unit 19 are supplied. An AD converter 22 that converts a voltage value corresponding to the amount of light into a digital signal and outputs the digital signal, a digital signal from the AD converter 22 and a comparison result from the comparison circuit 27 of the light emitting element driving unit 6 are supplied and input. Based on the detected result, any abnormality in the light emitting element driving unit 6, the transmission fiber 14, and the phosphor 15 is detected. Based on the detection result, the LD-ON / OFF control circuit 10 and the light emitting element driving are detected. And a control unit (CPU) 23 for controlling the regulator 11 in the unit 6.

  The control unit 23 mainly controls various blocks in the main body unit 3, various arithmetic processes for performing abnormality detection determination processing, the LD-ON / OFF control circuit 10, the regulator 11, the display unit 4, and the audio output unit 5. .

  Next, the operation of the endoscope apparatus 1 having such a configuration will be described with reference to FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 1, in the endoscope apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1, the laser light emitted from the LD 12 is collected by a condenser lens 13, and the distal end portion of the insertion portion 2 is transmitted by a transmission fiber 14 of the insertion portion 2. Is transmitted.

  Then, the laser light is converted into white light by the phosphor 15 of the insertion portion 2 and illuminates the inspection object via the illumination optical system 16. The phosphor 15 is converted into white light as illumination light including fluorescence excited by laser light from the LD 12 and laser light, and emitted.

  Thereafter, part of the white light that is illumination light from the phosphor 15 is scattered in the illumination optical system 16 and transmitted into the detection fiber 18 in the insertion portion 2.

  The R, G, and B wavelength components of the detection light output from the detection fiber 18 are converted into voltage values by the R PD 19a, the G PD 19b, and the B PD 19c in the RGB sensor unit 19, respectively. .

  An external light shielding plate 17 is provided so that external light does not enter the RGB sensor unit 19.

  After that, the voltage value corresponding to the light amount detected by the RGB sensor unit 19 is amplified by the light amount detection voltage amplification circuit 20 (R amplification circuit 20a, G amplification circuit 20b, and B amplification circuit 20c), respectively. It is supplied to the failure detection unit 21.

  The voltage value corresponding to the amplified light amount is digitized by the AD converter 22 (the R AD converter 22a, the G AD converter 22b, and the B AD converter 22c) in the failure detection unit 21, and the control unit 23 To be supplied.

  The control unit 23 performs a calculation for determining whether there is an abnormality from the output values of R, G, and B. In this case, for example, when the detection voltage value of the supplied excitation light is equal to or lower than a preset lower limit value, the control unit 23 detects an abnormality in the light emitting element driving unit 6 and the transmission fiber 14.

  For example, the control unit 23 detects an abnormality in the light emitting element driving unit 6 and the phosphor 15 when the detection voltage value of the supplied excitation light is equal to or higher than a preset upper limit value.

  In this case, when the abnormality is normal without being detected, the control unit 23 controls the LD-ON / OFF control circuit 10 to be at a low level (hereinafter referred to as L level) in order to continue driving the LD 12. The voltage value of is output. On the other hand, when an abnormality is detected, the control unit 23 outputs a voltage value of High level (hereinafter referred to as H level) to the LD-ON / OFF control circuit 10 in order to stop driving of the LD 12. To do.

  The LD-ON / OFF control circuit 10 outputs the voltage value to the comparison circuit 7a of the constant current circuit 7 by turning on the switching element 10b when the supplied voltage value is L level. On the other hand, when the supplied voltage value is at the H level, the LD-ON / OFF control circuit 10 turns off the switching element 10b to supply the voltage value to the comparison circuit 7a of the constant current circuit 7. Stop.

  Here, in the first embodiment, as described above, there is a circuit for detecting the presence or absence of an abnormality in the current of the constant current circuit 7. That is, a voltage value (constant current circuit abnormality detection signal) detected as a voltage value corresponding to the output current of the constant current circuit 7 and amplified by the current detection voltage amplification circuit 25 is supplied to one input terminal of the comparison circuit 27. The Then, the comparison circuit 27 compares this voltage value (constant current circuit abnormality detection signal) with a reference voltage that is supplied to the other input terminal and serves as a determination reference value for the presence or absence of abnormality, and compares the result (LD drive). An NG presence / absence detection signal 21 a) is supplied to the control unit 23.

  In this case, when the comparison result is equal to or higher than the reference value, the control unit 23 fails to drive the LD 12 with a current value equal to or higher than a predetermined current value because the constant current circuit 7 in the light emitting element driving unit 6 fails. Therefore, the regulator 11 is controlled to stop. As a result, the emission of laser light from the LD 12 can be quickly stopped.

  In this way, it is possible to detect a state in which the constant current circuit 7 fails and an attempt is made to drive the LD 12 with a current value equal to or greater than a predetermined current value.

  In the first embodiment, the failure detection unit 23 detects an abnormality in the current flowing through the light emitting element drive unit 6 by the current detection voltage amplification circuit 25 and the comparison circuit 27 constituting the drive current detection unit. It is also possible to detect an abnormal location based on the result and the detection result by the RGB sensor unit 19 constituting the light detection unit.

  Next, a description will be given of such a specific abnormal point detection method, that is, an abnormal point detection method for identifying the cause of the abnormality from the combination of the detected voltages of R, G, and B and the constant current circuit abnormality detection signal. .

  As described above, in the endoscope apparatus 1 having the configuration shown in FIG. 1, the voltage values corresponding to the R, G, and B light amounts from the RGB sensor unit 19 are digitally converted by the AD converter 22 in the failure detection unit 21. Then, it is supplied to the control unit 23. Further, a comparison result (LD drive NG presence / absence detection signal 21a) from the comparison circuit 27 in the light emitting element driving unit 6 is supplied to the control unit 23.

  The control unit 23 determines from the combination of supplied input signals so as to identify the cause of the abnormality. Then, the control unit 23 counts the number of occurrences of the abnormality for each cause and performs control so as to be stored in a storage unit such as a ROM (not shown) or a RAM with a battery.

Here, the relationship between the input signal to the control unit 23 and the cause of the abnormality is as follows.
That is, in the case of a failure of the light emitting element driving unit 6, the detection voltage of the constant current circuit 7 shows an abnormality, that is, the comparison result from the comparison circuit 27 in the light emitting element driving unit 6 (LD driving NG presence / absence detection signal 21a). Is a signal indicating an abnormality that is NG.

  For example, when the detection voltage value corresponding to each light quantity of R, G, and B is equal to or lower than the lower limit value, the transmission fiber 14 is identified by comparison with the LD drive NG presence / absence detection signal 21a. It can be recognized that the cause is that the fiber 14 is broken and the laser light leaks from the insertion portion 2 to the outside of the apparatus.

  For example, when a blue laser is used as the LD 12, if the R and G components are below the lower limit and the B component is above the upper limit, the phosphor 15 is damaged and laser light is inserted. It can be recognized that the cause is that the light is irradiated directly from the tip of the part 2 to the outside of the apparatus.

  Therefore, according to the first embodiment, by performing the abnormal point detection method as described above, when a failure related to the laser beam occurs, the abnormal point in the apparatus is detected and the cause of the failure is specified. can do. As a result, the inspection work for specifying the cause of the abnormality can be easily performed and the inspection work time can be shortened, so that the maintainability of the apparatus can be improved.

  In addition, since the number of occurrences of failures for each cause can be counted inside the apparatus and stored in a storage unit (not shown), the quality of the endoscope apparatus 1 can be improved by reading the stored past failure occurrence history. It can greatly contribute to the improvement of quality or properties when developing new products.

(Second Embodiment)
FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an example of control by the control unit in the failure detection unit of the endoscope apparatus according to the second embodiment of the endoscope apparatus of the present invention.
The endoscope apparatus 1 according to the second embodiment is configured in substantially the same configuration as the endoscope apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment.

  In the endoscope apparatus 1 according to the second embodiment, a specific failure location can be determined by the control unit 23 in the failure detection unit 21.

A specific control example by the control unit 23 will be described with reference to FIG.
Now, when the endoscope apparatus 1A is powered on and in a usable state or in use, the control unit 23 of the failure detection unit 21 reads out and executes the program shown in FIG. 2 from a storage unit (not shown).

  In other words, the control unit 23 is outside the predetermined range in which the detection voltage value corresponding to the B light amount out of the R, G, and B light amounts supplied from the RGB sensor unit 19 is out of the predetermined range. It is determined whether or not there is. The predetermined range is a range that is equal to or less than a preset lower limit value of B (denoted as Bmin in the figure), or a predetermined upper limit value of B (denoted as Bmax in the figure). The range which is is shown.

  In this case, when the control unit 23 determines that the detected voltage value (described as B in the figure) corresponding to the light quantity of B is outside the predetermined range, the process proceeds to step S2, while the predetermined range If it is determined that it is not outside, the process proceeds to step S5.

In the determination process of step S2, the control unit 23 determines whether or not the detection voltage value corresponding to the B light amount is equal to or less than a preset lower limit value (Bmin) of B.
In this case, if it is determined that the detection voltage value corresponding to the light quantity of B is equal to or less than the lower limit value of B, the process proceeds to step S3. The process proceeds to step S8.

  Here, in the determination process in step S2, when it is determined that the detected voltage value corresponding to the light quantity of B is equal to or lower than the lower limit value of B, the light emitting element driving unit 6 that is the drive system and the transmission fiber that is the transmission system. 14 can be determined to be abnormal.

  Therefore, the control unit 23 executes the determination process of step S3 in order to determine that the abnormal part is either the light emitting element driving unit 6 or the transmission fiber 14. That is, in the determination process of step S3, the supplied LD drive NG presence / absence detection signal 21a is compared with a predetermined threshold value to determine whether or not the LD drive NG presence / absence detection signal 21a is NG indicating abnormality. I do.

  In this case, if it is determined that it is NG, the control unit 23 determines that the light emitting element driving unit 6 (specifically, the constant current circuit 7) is abnormal by the processing of the subsequent step S4, and turns off the LD 12 The regulator 11 is turned off so as to be controlled, or control is made so as to notify that effect via the display unit 4 or the audio output unit 5, and the process ends.

  If it is determined that it is not NG, the control unit 23 determines that the transmission fiber 14 is abnormal by the processing in the subsequent step S11, and turns off the regulator 11 so that the LD 12 is controlled to be turned off. Control is performed so as to notify the user via the display unit 4 or the audio output unit 5, and the process is terminated.

  On the other hand, in the determination process in step S2, if it is determined that the detected voltage value corresponding to the light quantity of B is not less than or equal to the lower limit value of B, either the light emitting element driving unit 6 that is the driving system or the phosphor 15 is used. It can be determined that there is an abnormality.

  Therefore, the control unit 23 executes the determination process of step S8 in order to determine whether the abnormal part is either the light emitting element driving unit 6 or the phosphor 15. That is, in the determination process of step S8, it is determined whether or not the detected voltage value corresponding to the light quantity of R or G is equal to or less than a preset lower limit value of R or G (Bmin or Gmin).

  In this case, when it is determined that the detection voltage value corresponding to the light quantity of R or G is equal to or less than the preset lower limit value of R or G, the control unit 23 performs the process of step S9 to perform phosphor 15 Is controlled to turn off the regulator 11 so as to control to turn off the LD 12 or to notify that via the display unit 4 or the audio output unit 5.

  If it is determined that the detected voltage value corresponding to the light quantity of R or G is not less than or equal to the preset lower limit value of R or G, the control unit 23 performs the light emitting element driving unit by the process of subsequent step S10. 6 is determined to be abnormal, the regulator 11 is turned off so as to control the LD 12 to be extinguished, or the fact is notified via the display unit 4 or the audio output unit 5 to end the processing.

By the way, if it is determined in step S1 that the detected voltage value (denoted as B in the figure) corresponding to the B light quantity is not outside the predetermined range, the detection corresponding to the B light quantity is currently detected. Since only voltage values are compared, it can be determined whether the phosphor 15 is abnormal or not.
Therefore, the control unit 23 executes the determination process of step S5 in order to determine whether the abnormal part is the phosphor 15 or no abnormality. That is, in the determination process of step S5, it is determined whether or not the detected voltage value corresponding to the light quantity of R or G is equal to or less than a preset lower limit value of R or G (Bmin or Gmin).

  In this case, when it is determined that the detection voltage value corresponding to the light quantity of R or G is equal to or less than the preset lower limit value of R or G, the control unit 23 performs the process of step S6 to execute the phosphor 15. Is controlled to turn off the regulator 11 so as to control to turn off the LD 12 or to notify that via the display unit 4 or the audio output unit 5.

  If it is determined that the detected voltage value corresponding to the light quantity of R or G is not less than or equal to the preset lower limit value of R or G, the control unit 23 is a drive system by the processing of the subsequent step S7. It is determined that there is no abnormality in all of the light emitting element driving unit 6, the transmission fiber 14 that is a transmission system, and the phosphor 15, and that there is no abnormality through the display unit 4 or the audio output unit 5 while maintaining the apparatus operation. Control is made to notify, and the process ends.

  Therefore, according to the second embodiment, in addition to obtaining the same effects as those of the first embodiment, it is possible to reliably identify and determine the failure location and the failure cause in the endoscope apparatus 1. It becomes possible. Further, in the second embodiment, since it is possible to determine that the endoscope apparatus 1A has no abnormality in the two determination processes of Step S1 and Step S5, it is quickly recognized that there is no failure point. Therefore, the inspection / diagnosis process by the endoscope apparatus 1 can be performed smoothly.

(Third embodiment)
3 to 5 show a third embodiment of the endoscope apparatus of the present invention, FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of the endoscope apparatus of the third embodiment, and FIG. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a subroutine of the abnormality presence / absence self-check process of the failure detection unit of FIG.
Note that, in FIG. 3, like the endoscope apparatus 1 of the first embodiment, the same reference numerals are given to the constituent elements, description thereof is omitted, and only different portions will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the endoscope apparatus 1 </ b> A of the third embodiment is configured in substantially the same configuration as the endoscope apparatus 1 of the first embodiment, but the failure detection unit 21. An abnormality presence / absence self-check function for detecting the presence / absence of abnormality is provided.

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the main body 3A of the endoscope apparatus 1A is provided with an LED lighting circuit 30, a switch 31, and a half mirror 32 that are necessary to execute the abnormality detection presence / absence self-check function. ing. The LED lighting circuit 30 constitutes a second light emitting element.

  The switch 31 is electrically connected to the control unit 23 of the failure detection unit 21. Then, the switch 31 turns on / off the LED lighting circuit 30 connected thereto.

  The LED lighting circuit 30 is driven when the switch 31 is turned on to light an LED (not shown) provided therein. Illumination light emitted from an LED (not shown) of the LED lighting circuit 30 is irradiated to a half mirror 32 provided in the RGB sensor unit 19 on the lower side of the LED lighting circuit 30.

  Similarly to the first embodiment, the half mirror 32 can irradiate any of the light from the detection fiber 18 to the R, G, and B PDs 19a to 19c, and from an LED (not shown) of the LED lighting circuit 30. The optical characteristics are such that the illumination light can be reflected and irradiated to the R, G, B PDs 19a to 19c.

  The control unit 23 performs lighting control of the LED lighting circuit 30 in a state where the LD 12 does not emit light when the endoscope apparatus 1A is activated. That is, in this case, the control unit 23 turns on the switch 31 and turns on the LED lighting circuit 30 to turn on an LED (not shown) and causes the illumination light of the LED to enter the half mirror 32.

  In synchronization with this, the voltage values corresponding to the light amounts of the R, G, and B LEDs from the RGB sensor unit 19 are digitized by the AD converter 22 in the failure detection unit 21 and then supplied to the control unit 23. Is done.

  When the control unit 23 determines that the detection voltage based on the illumination light of the LED is out of the normal value range stored in the ROM or the battery-equipped RAM in advance, the failure detection unit 21 The endoscope apparatus 1A is turned off, and the number of occurrences of abnormality in the failure detection unit 21 stored in a ROM or a battery-equipped RAM (not shown) is updated and overwritten and saved. To do.

  In the third embodiment, the abnormality presence / absence self-check function of the failure detection unit 21 by the control unit 23 is not limited to the activation of the endoscope apparatus 1A, but always the LED lighting circuit when the LD 12 is OFF. It may be configured such that the abnormality presence / absence self-check function operates by turning on 30.

Therefore, by performing such an abnormality presence / absence self-check function, it is possible to determine the cause of the failure of the apparatus more finely than in the first embodiment.
Other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment.

  Next, a specific control example by the control unit 23 capable of the abnormality presence / absence self-check function will be described with reference to FIGS.

  Now, when the endoscope apparatus 1A is turned on and can be used or is in use, the control unit 23 of the failure detection unit 21 reads out and executes the program shown in FIG. 4 from a storage unit (not shown).

  That is, the control unit 23 compares the supplied LD drive NG presence / absence detection signal 21a with a predetermined threshold value in step S21, and determines whether the LD drive NG presence / absence detection signal 21a is NG indicating an abnormality. Determine whether or not.

  In this case, when determining that it is NG, the control unit 23 recognizes that the light emitting element driving unit 6 (specifically, the constant current circuit 7) is abnormal, and shifts the processing to step S22. In step S22, the regulator 11 is turned OFF so that the LD 12 is controlled to be turned off.

  And the control part 23 displays that the light emitting element drive part 6 is abnormal on the screen of the display part 4 of 1 A of endoscope apparatuses by the process of subsequent step S23, At the same time, the endoscope apparatus by a user The operation unit (not shown) related to the entire endoscope apparatus 1A is controlled so as to accept only the power OFF operation of 1A, and the process is terminated.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S21 that the LD drive NG presence / absence detection signal 21a is not NG indicating abnormality, that is, if it is normal, the process proceeds to step S24, and in step S24, It is determined whether the LD 12 is turned off.

  In this case, if it is determined that the LD 12 is turned off, the abnormality detection self-check function of the failure detection unit 21 as described above is executed by the subsequent process of step S25, and then the process proceeds to step S26. To do. In the determination process of step S24, if the LD 12 is not turned off, the process proceeds to step S28.

  In the determination process of step S26, the control unit 23 determines whether or not the detection result obtained by the abnormality presence / absence self-check detection function is abnormal.

  In this case, when it is determined that there is an abnormality, that is, when it is determined that there is an abnormality in the failure detection unit 21, the control unit 23 performs a subsequent process of step S27 to display the display unit of the endoscope apparatus 1A. 4 is displayed on the screen 4 indicating that the failure detection unit 21 is abnormal, and at the same time, only the operation of turning off the power to the endoscope apparatus 1A by the user is accepted. To finish the process.

  Moreover, in the determination process of the said step S26, when it determines with a determination result not being abnormal but normal, a process is complete | finished.

  On the other hand, when the LD 12 is turned on instead of being turned off and is irradiated with laser light, the control unit 23 presets detection voltage values of the respective light amounts of R, G, and B by the determination process in step S28. It is determined whether it is below the threshold value.

  In this case, when it is determined that the transmission fiber 14 is abnormal or not, that is, when it is determined that there is an abnormality in the transmission fiber 14, the control unit 23 performs a regulator so that the LD 12 is controlled to be extinguished by the process of subsequent step S 29. 11 is turned off.

  Then, the control unit 23 displays the fact that the transmission fiber 14 is abnormal on the screen of the display unit 4 of the endoscope apparatus 1A by the processing of the subsequent step S30, and at the same time, the endoscope apparatus 1A by the user. The related operation means (not shown) of the entire endoscope apparatus 1A is controlled so as to accept only the power-off operation, and the process is terminated.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S28 that the threshold value is not less than or equal to the threshold value, the process proceeds to step S31.

  In the determination process of step S31, the control unit 23 determines whether or not the detection voltage value of each of the R and G light amounts is equal to or less than a preset threshold value and the detection voltage value of the B light amount is equal to or greater than the threshold value. I do.

  In this case, when it is determined that the detection voltage value of each light quantity of R and G is less than or equal to a preset threshold value, and the detection voltage value of the light quantity of B is greater than or equal to the threshold value, that is, the phosphor 15 is abnormal. If it is determined that it is, the control unit 23 turns OFF the regulator 11 so as to control the LD 12 to be extinguished by the processing in the subsequent step S32.

  And the control part 23 displays that the fluorescent substance 15 is abnormal on the screen of the display part 4 of the endoscope apparatus 1A by the process of subsequent step S33, and at the same time, the user of the endoscope apparatus 1A by the user. The related operation means (not shown) of the entire endoscope apparatus 1A is controlled so as to accept only the power OFF operation, and the process is terminated.

  On the other hand, if it is determined by the determination process in step S31 that the detection voltage value of each of the R and G light amounts is equal to or less than a preset threshold value, and the detection voltage value of the B light amount is not equal to or greater than the threshold value, 23 recognizes that the endoscope apparatus 1A is operating normally without any abnormality in the process of step S34, and thereafter ends the process.

  Further, in the second embodiment, when the abnormality detection self-check function of the failure detection unit 21 is executed by the process of step S25, the control unit 23 executes the subroutine program shown in FIG. Let

  That is, after the control unit 23 turns on the LED lighting circuit 30 and turns on the LED (not shown) by the process of step S40, the process proceeds to the determination process of step S41.

  In the determination process of step S41, the control unit 23 detects that the detected voltage value corresponding to the light quantity of each of the R, G, and B LEDs is outside the range of normal values stored in advance in a ROM (not shown) or a battery-equipped RAM. Whether or not the failure detection unit 21 is normal is determined.

  In this case, when it is determined that the detected voltage value is within the range of the normal value, it is determined in the subsequent step S42 that the failure detecting unit 21 is in a normal state, and the process proceeds to step S44. On the other hand, if it is determined that the detected voltage value is outside the normal value range, it is determined in step S43 that the failure detection unit 21 is in an abnormal state, and the process proceeds to step S44.

  In the process of step S44, the control unit 23 turns off the LED lighting circuit 30 and turns off the LED (not shown), and then shifts the process to the process of step S45.

  In the process of step S45, the control unit 23 performs control so as to store the determination result (determination result of whether or not the failure detection unit 21 is abnormal) in step S42 or step S43 in a ROM (not shown) or a RAM with a battery. Alternatively, control is performed such that the determination result such as the number of occurrences of abnormality of the failure detection unit 21 that has already been stored is updated and overwritten.

  And the control part 23 complete | finishes the process of this subroutine, and transfers a process to step S26 shown in FIG.

Therefore, according to the third embodiment, it is possible to identify and determine the failure location and the cause of failure in the endoscope apparatus 1A, which are finer than those of the first embodiment. Other effects are the same as those of the first embodiment.
In the third embodiment, in step S23, step S27, step S30, and step S33 in FIG. 4, the abnormal portion of the endoscope apparatus 1A is displayed on the screen of the display unit 4 so as to examine the examiner. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the sound output unit 5 such as a speaker may be controlled to notify the inspector of the abnormal part by sound reproduction.

  In the first to third embodiments according to the present invention, the description has been given of stopping the emission of laser light by stopping the regulator 11 when an abnormality is detected. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the adjustment mechanism for adjusting the light amount of the LD 12 is controlled to adjust the light amount of the LD 12, or the blocking means such as a shutter for blocking the laser light from the LD 12 is controlled to physically control the laser light. You may comprise so that it may interrupt | block.

  Further, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an entire endoscope apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The flowchart which shows the example of control by the control part in the failure detection part of the endoscope apparatus which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. The block diagram which shows the structure of the whole endoscope apparatus which concerns on the 3rd Embodiment of this invention. The flowchart which shows the example of control by the control part in the failure detection part of FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a subroutine of an abnormality presence / absence self-check process of the failure detection unit of FIG. 4.

Explanation of symbols

1, 1A ... endoscope apparatus,
2 ... insertion part,
3, 3A ... main body,
3a ... Power supply,
4 ... display part,
5 ... Audio output part,
6 ... Light emitting element driving unit,
7 ... Constant current circuit,
7a: comparison circuit,
7b ... switching element,
8 ... LD-ON / OFF switch,
9: LD output adjustment circuit,
10 ... LD-ON / OFF control circuit,
10a ... resistance,
10b ... switching element,
11 ... Regulator,
13 ... Condensing lens,
14: Transmission fiber,
15 ... phosphor,
16: Illumination optical system,
17 ... External light shielding plate,
18: Detection fiber,
19 ... RGB sensor part,
19a ... PD for R,
19b PD for G,
19c ... PD for B,
20: Light amount detection voltage amplification circuit,
21 ... Failure detection unit,
21a ... LD drive NG presence / absence detection signal,
22 ... AD converter,
23 ... Failure detection unit,
23 ... Control unit (CPU),
24: Voltage divider resistance,
25 ... Current detection voltage amplification circuit,
25. Comparison circuit,
26: Reference voltage,
27. Comparison circuit,
30 ... LED lighting circuit,
32 ... Half Mira.

Claims (16)

A light emitting element that oscillates excitation light; a light emitting element driving unit that drives the light emitting element; a fluorescent member that generates illumination light composed of the excitation light and fluorescence excited by the excitation light; and A light transmission member that propagates to the fluorescent member;
A light detection unit for detecting the illumination light;
A drive current detector for detecting the current flowing through the pre-light emitting element driver;
A failure detection unit that determines a failure of the illumination unit based on detection results of the light detection unit and the drive current detection unit;
An endoscope apparatus comprising:   The endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the failure detection unit determines a failure of the light emitting element drive circuit based on a detection result of the drive current detection unit.   3. The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the light detection unit includes at least one light receiving element that detects a light amount of a specific wavelength of return light that is a part of the illumination light. 4. Armor device.   The endoscope apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the light detection unit includes a first light receiving element that detects a light amount of a wavelength related to the excitation light of the return light.   The failure detection unit determines a failure of either the light emitting element driving unit or the optical transmission member when a detection value by the first light receiving element is equal to or lower than a preset lower limit value. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 4.   The said failure detection part determines the failure of the said optical transmission member based on the detection result by the said 1st light receiving element, and the detection result by the said drive current detection part. Endoscopic device. The light detection unit further includes, as the light receiving element, a second light receiving element that detects a light amount of a wavelength related to the fluorescence of the return light,
The failure detection unit determines a failure of the light transmission member and the light emitting element driving unit when detection values by the first light receiving element and the second light receiving element are equal to or lower than a preset lower limit value. The endoscope apparatus according to any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein:   The failure detection unit determines a failure of the optical transmission member based on a detection result by the first light receiving element and the second light receiving element and a detection result by the drive current detection unit. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 7.   The failure detection unit determines a failure of either the fluorescent member or the light emitting element driving unit when a detection value by the first light receiving element is equal to or higher than a preset upper limit value. The endoscope apparatus according to any one of claims 3 to 6.   The said failure detection part determines the failure of the said fluorescent member based on the detection result by the said 1st light receiving element, and the detection result by the said drive current detection part, The inside of Claim 9 characterized by the above-mentioned. Endoscopic device. The light detection unit further includes, as the light receiving element, a second light receiving element that detects a light amount of a wavelength related to the fluorescence of the return light,
The failure detection unit determines a failure of the fluorescent member based on a detection result by the first light receiving element when a detection value by the second light receiving element is equal to or lower than a preset lower limit value. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 9. The light receiving element is a first light emitting element, and further includes a second light emitting element different from the first light emitting element,
The failure of the light detection unit is determined by causing light from the second light emitting element to enter the light detection unit in a state where the first light emitting element is not driven. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 11.   13. The device according to claim 12, wherein when the power is turned on, the first light emitting element and the second light emitting element are driven for a predetermined time, and the failure detection unit determines a failure of the light detection unit. Endoscopic device. A display unit for displaying an observation image;
The endoscope apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the failure detection unit displays the location of the failure on the display unit based on a result of the detection. An audio output unit for outputting and reproducing the audio signal;
The endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the failure detection unit causes the audio output unit to instruct the location of the failure based on the detection result.   The endoscope according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein the failure detection unit stops driving of the light emitting element by the light emitting element driving unit based on a result of the detection. apparatus.

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