JP2009297425A - Electronic endoscope - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electronic endoscope which allows an insertion part distal end to easily insert even to a narrow part, and easily and accurately acquires detailed entire periphery image information in a wide range. <P>SOLUTION: The electronic endoscope 100 includes: a cylindrical body 13 whose one end part is closed, other end part has a spherical outer diameter surface, and side face is translucent; a body part 11 to which a bearing with the receiving seat of the spherical outer diameter surface is fixed to support the cylindrical body 13 so as to be freely inclined; an introducing optical part 15 which is arranged inside the cylindrical body 13, and leads external light fetched from the side part of the cylindrical body 13 into the center axis direction of the cylindrical body 13; a driving part which moves the introducing optical part 15 back and forth in the center axis direction of the cylindrical body 13; an optical path bend part which introduces the external light led from the introducing optical system 15 to the center axis of the cylindrical body into the body part 11 in a fixed direction regardless of the inclination of the cylindrical body 13; and an imaging part which receives the external light from the optical path bend part and converts it to electric signals. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an electronic endoscope that is inserted into a subject and images the inside of the subject.

  In many electronic endoscopes, for example, as described in Patent Document 1 below, a thin insertion portion is inserted into a hole or body cavity, and an objective lens attached to the distal end of the insertion portion is used as an affected portion in the insertion direction. To get image information.

  In the prior art described in Patent Document 2 below, an omnidirectional light receiving unit is provided at the tip of the insertion portion, and an image over the entire circumference in the circumferential direction of the insertion portion is reflected by the convex mirror in the omnidirectional light reception unit to capture an image. I am doing so.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-192084 JP 2003-279862 A

  An image sensor housed in the distal end portion of the endoscope has a smaller area and a smaller number of pixels than a solid-state image sensor used in a digital camera or the like. Therefore, when trying to capture a detailed image of an affected area or the like, image information obtained by one imaging is limited to an image with a narrow visual field range.

  For this reason, when trying to acquire image information in a wide range closely, the endoscope operator picks up images a plurality of times while manually adjusting the insertion position of the endoscope. That is, attention must be paid to both the search for the affected area, that is, the adjustment of the insertion position and the imaging work, and this work requires skill.

  In addition, in the case of an endoscope that captures an image of the entire circumference of the insertion portion tip using an omnidirectional light receiving unit, image information of the entire circumference of the inserted insertion position can be obtained at one time. It is limited to a narrow area at the insertion position. Therefore, in order to obtain a wide range of omnidirectional image information, images are taken while adjusting the insertion positions one by one, and information on joints between images may be lost or useless imaging may be repeated.

  Furthermore, in the case of an endoscope in which the distal end of the insertion portion is fixed to the main body, it is difficult to reach the target observation position for a narrow portion, and a desired observation image cannot be obtained. is there.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a novel structure capable of easily inserting the distal end of the insertion section into a narrow part and easily obtaining a wide range of detailed all-around image information with high accuracy. To provide an electronic endoscope.

The above object of the present invention is achieved by the following configuration.
(1) An electronic endoscope for imaging the inside of a subject,
A cylindrical body in which one end is closed and a spherical outer diameter surface is formed at the other end, and at least a side surface is translucent,
A main body portion that is fixedly supported by a bearing having a seat of the spherical outer diameter surface and supports the cylindrical body in a tiltable manner;
An introductory optical unit that is arranged in the cylinder and guides external light taken from the side of the cylinder in the direction of the central axis of the cylinder;
A drive unit that advances and retracts the introduction optical unit in the direction of the central axis of the cylindrical body;
An optical path bending part for introducing external light guided from the introduction optical part to the central axis of the cylindrical body into the main body part in a fixed direction regardless of the inclination of the cylindrical body;
An imaging unit that receives the external light from the optical path bending unit and converts it into an electrical signal;
An electronic endoscope characterized by comprising:

  According to this electronic endoscope, after the external light taken from the side of the cylinder by the introducing optical unit is reflected by the rotating reflection mirror, it is received by the image sensor, and the introducing optical unit is installed in the cylinder by the driving unit. By moving forward and backward in the direction of the central axis, detailed image information can be obtained easily and accurately over a wide range inside the subject. And since a cylinder can tilt freely, a cylinder can be easily inserted by bending a cylinder flexibly also to a narrow part, and reliable imaging can be performed.

(2) The electronic endoscope according to (1),
The drive unit is
A female screw formed on the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion of the main body,
A rotating body having a male screw threaded on the outer peripheral surface thereof and screwed into the female screw;
An elastic connecting member for flexibly connecting the rotating body and the introduction optical unit;
Rotation driving means for driving the rotator around the central axis of the cylindrical portion and moving the rotator in the direction of the central axis;
An electronic endoscope characterized by comprising:

  According to this electronic endoscope, side light in the direction of insertion into the subject can be captured with a simple configuration. Then, by connecting the lens holder with a bendable elastic member, the lens holder can be smoothly advanced and retracted even when the insertion portion of the cylindrical body is bent.

(3) The electronic endoscope according to (2),
The rotation driving means;
An internal gear formed on the inner peripheral surface of the rotating body with the tooth width direction parallel to the central axis of the cylindrical portion;
A gear disposed in the rotating body and screwed with the internal gear;
A motor for rotationally driving the gear;
An electronic endoscope characterized by comprising:

  According to this electronic endoscope, when the motor rotates, the gear rotates, and accordingly, the rotating body rotates and moves in the axial direction inside the main body. Along with this movement, the introduction optical unit coupled to the elastic connection member rotates while moving in the axial direction inside the cylinder.

(4) The electronic endoscope according to (2) or (3),
The electronic endoscope is characterized in that the elastic connecting member is a compression coil spring.

  According to this electronic endoscope, the introducing optical unit is connected to the rotating body with a flexible connecting member that can be bent, so that the introducing optical unit can be smoothly connected to the main body in a state where the cylindrical body is bent with respect to the main body. It can move forward and backward in the axial direction.

(5) The electronic endoscope according to any one of (1) to (4),
The rotating body has an imaging hole formed in a peripheral surface thereof, an objective lens mounted on an opening end of the imaging hole, and a mirror for deflecting an optical path on the optical axis of the objective lens. Electronic endoscope.

  According to this electronic endoscope, external light taken from the side of the cylinder via the objective lens can be deflected in the cylinder axis direction in the vicinity of the objective lens by the mirror, and the diameter of the cylinder can be reduced. Become.

(6) The electronic endoscope according to any one of (1) to (5),
The optical path bending portion is
A first coupling lens fixed to the cylinder so that its optical axis coincides with the central axis of the cylinder;
A second coupling lens connected to the optical path from the first coupling lens and fixed to the main body;
With
An electronic endoscope, wherein the focal points of the first and second coupling lenses are at the center of rotation of the inclination of the cylindrical body.

  According to this electronic endoscope, the optical path bending portion is composed of a pair of first coupling lens and second coupling lens that focus on the rotation center of bending of the cylindrical body. Thus, the external light guided to the central axis of the cylinder is introduced into the main body in a fixed direction regardless of the inclination of the cylinder, so that the objective image can always enter the imaging unit.

(7) The electronic endoscope according to any one of (1) to (6),
A half mirror disposed in the middle of the optical path between the optical path bending portion and the imaging device, and a light emitter that illuminates the subject by irradiating the emitted light to the optical path bending portion by reflection of the half mirror. An electronic endoscope comprising the electronic endoscope.

  According to this electronic endoscope, light from the light emitter is reflected by the half mirror toward the subject, and this becomes illumination light that illuminates the entire circumference of the subject.

(8) The electronic endoscope according to any one of (1) to (7),
An electronic endoscope characterized in that the introduction optical part and a distal end portion of a cylinder covering the introduction optical part are formed with a diameter smaller than that of the main body part.

  According to this electronic endoscope, since external light is acquired from the insertion portion of the cylindrical body having a diameter smaller than that of the main body, the cylindrical body can be easily inserted into a narrow region of the subject. It becomes easy to observe a desired position in the specimen. Accordingly, the applicable range of the electronic endoscope can be expanded.

(9) The electronic endoscope according to any one of (1) to (8),
An electronic endoscope comprising a control unit that performs image processing on an image signal obtained by the imaging unit and an image memory that stores image data processed by the control unit. mirror.

  According to this electronic endoscope, the image data after the image processing by the control means is stored in the image memory built in the main body, so that the image can be acquired by the single electronic endoscope and the handling property is improved. It can be improved.

(10) The electronic endoscope according to any one of (1) to (9),
An electronic endoscope characterized in that a power supply battery for supplying power to the imaging unit and the driving unit is built in the main body unit.

  According to this electronic endoscope, since the power supply battery is built in the main body, it is not necessary to supply power from the outside, and therefore it is not necessary to connect a power supply cable from the outside of the main body, thereby improving handling. .

  According to the electronic endoscope of the present invention, detailed image information can be easily and accurately acquired over a wide range inside the subject. And since a cylinder can rotate freely, a cylinder can be bent flexibly with respect to a main-body part, and even if it is a narrow site | part, it can insert a cylinder smoothly and can image.

DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of an electronic endoscope according to the invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of an electronic endoscope according to an embodiment of the present invention. The electronic endoscope 100 according to the present embodiment can be referred to as a side view type, and is a rigid type. The electronic endoscope 100 includes a main body portion 11 serving as an outer shell, a transparent cylindrical portion 13 that is a cylindrical body having at least a side surface that is translucent, an introduction optical unit 15 housed therein, and imaging to be described later. And an imaging drive unit 17 (see FIG. 2).

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the electronic endoscope 100, and FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the electronic endoscope 100.
The main body 11 is made of a resin material or the like and is formed into a bottomed cylindrical shape. The bottom (lower side in FIG. 2) 11a is provided with a cylindrical battery storage portion 11b. The storage portion 11b is hermetically closed by the battery lid 21.

  Also, in the illustrated example, two hard grip tubes 23 and 25 made of resin are projected and fixed to the outside on the bottom 11a, and by operating with the grip tubes 23 and 25, an electronic internal The entire endoscope 100 can be inserted into and pulled out from a hole or a body cavity as a subject. In some cases, the electronic endoscope 100 may be used by inserting wiring into the grip tubes 23 and 25.

  The transparent tubular portion 13 is closed at one end portion (tip portion) and has a spherical outer diameter surface 27 formed at the other end portion (base end portion). A main body upper cover 29 is fixed to the upper opening 11d of the main body part 11, and the main body upper cover 29 has a cylindrical part insertion hole 29a centering on the axis. A close contact spring retainer 31 is fixed inside the main body upper lid 29, and the close contact spring retainer 31 has a spring insertion hole 31a centering on the axis.

  An annular bearing 33 is coaxially fixed on the upper part of the contact spring retainer 31, and the bearing 33 is inserted into the transparent cylindrical portion 13 from below and has a curved seat 33a that supports the spherical outer diameter surface 27 in a tiltable manner. Have That is, the transparent cylindrical part 13 is fixed to the upper part of the main body part 11 so as to be tiltable at a predetermined angle θ (see FIG. 5) in an arbitrary direction.

  The transparent cylindrical portion 13 that covers the introduction optical portion 15 is formed to have a smaller diameter than the main body portion 11. In this way, by narrowing the distal end insertion portion of the main body 11, it becomes easy to observe a desired position in the subject. Accordingly, the applicable range of the electronic endoscope, such as observation of a narrow area, can be expanded. The transparent tubular portion 13 may have a tapered shape, and in this way, the distal end insertion portion of the main body portion 11 can be more easily inserted into a small hole or body cavity.

  An annular cover rubber 35 is fixed to the cylindrical portion insertion hole 29 a of the main body upper lid 29, and the cover rubber 35 fixes the inner hole 35 a to the outer periphery of the base end portion of the transparent cylindrical portion 13. The cover rubber 35 is fixed over the main body upper lid 29 and the transparent cylindrical portion 13, thereby hermetically sealing the space between the cylindrical portion insertion hole 29 a and the transparent capsule portion 13 in a freely tiltable manner.

FIG. 4 shows a partially enlarged perspective view including the imaging drive unit 17.
A control unit 45 including a driver circuit of a stepping motor, which is a drive source of the lifting drive unit, is provided on the lowermost layer (bottom 11a side) substrate 41, and an image memory 47 for storing captured image data is provided on the intermediate layer substrate. The upper substrate 43 is provided with an image sensor 49 such as a CCD image sensor or a CMOS image sensor, which is a solid-state image sensor.

  A condensing lens holder 51 formed in a cylindrical shape is disposed on the substrate 43, and an image sensor 49 is accommodated in the condensing lens holder 51. The condensing lens 53 is disposed in the upper end opening of the condensing lens holder 51 so that the guided parallel light beam (subject light) is imaged on the light receiving surface of the image sensor 49 by the condensing lens 53. Yes.

  A half mirror 55 is arranged in the middle of the optical path between the introduction optical unit 15 and the image sensor 49, and the light emitted from the light emitting diode (LED) 57 as a light emitter is introduced by the reflection of the half mirror 55. Irradiated as illumination light toward the unit 15. In other words, the half mirror 55 is disposed at an angle of 45 degrees obliquely with respect to the optical axis of the parallel light beam (the central axis of the main body 11) immediately before the condensing lens 53 of the parallel light beam incident on the condensing lens 53. is doing. An illumination lens 59 that converts the illumination light into a parallel light beam is provided between the LED 57 and the half mirror 55 with respect to the half mirror 55. The half mirror 55, the illumination lens 59, and the LED 57 are each fixed in the main body 11 by appropriate support members.

  The half mirror 55 is provided in a tubular lens holder 61 disposed coaxially with the main body 11. The lens holder 61 has an axial light guide 61a inside. The lower portion of the lens holder 61 is fixed to a holding member 63 fixed to the substrate 43. That is, the lens holder 61 is fixed upright coaxially inside the main body 11.

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an inclination range of the transparent cylindrical portion 13, and FIG. 6 is an explanatory view of a lens position in which the upright position is represented by (a) and the inclined position is represented by (b).
A universal optical coupling 65 that is an optical path bending portion is provided at the upper end of the lens holder 61, and the universal optical coupling 65 optically connects the introduction optical unit 15 to the lens holder 61. The universal optical coupling 65 has a lower end that is extrapolated to the upper end of the lens holder 61, an upper end that is inserted into the lower end of the transparent cylindrical portion 13, and an optical axis that is the central axis of the transparent cylindrical portion 13. The first coupling lens 69 and the second coupling lens 71 are connected to the optical path from the first coupling lens 69 and fixed to the main body 11.

  The holding tube 67 is made of an elastic member such as rubber or soft resin, and the first and second couplings can be bent by making the optical axis 73 passing through the first coupling lens 69 and the second coupling lens 71 freely bendable. The lenses 69 and 71 are held. That is, the holding tube 67 holds a pair of lenses 69 and 71 that focus on the rotation center of bending. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 6, the universal optical coupling 65 allows the external light guided from the introduction optical part 15 to the central axis of the transparent cylindrical part 13 to be the main body part regardless of the inclination of the transparent cylindrical part 13. 11 is introduced in a fixed direction so that the objective image can always enter the condenser lens 53.

FIGS. 7A and 7B are views showing a moving lens frame in which an objective lens is arranged, in which FIG. 7A is a partially enlarged perspective view showing a raised position and FIG. 7B is a lowered position.
The introduction optical unit 15 is extrapolated to the universal optical coupling 65 and is provided so as to be movable in the central axis direction within the transparent cylindrical portion 13. A moving lens frame 75, which is a cylindrical rotating body, is provided at the tip of the introduction optical unit 15, and the moving lens frame 75 has an objective lens holding hole 75a, which is an imaging hole, on the side. An objective lens 77 is fixed in the objective lens holding hole 75a. The subject light captured from the side through the objective lens 77 travels as a parallel light beam, is reflected by the oblique 45-degree reflecting surface of the objective mirror 79, is deflected, and remains in the parallel light beam along the central axis of the transparent cylindrical portion 13. It has come to advance.

  The upper end of a compression coil spring 81, which is an elastic connecting member, is fixed to the lower end of the moving lens frame 75, and the compression coil spring 81 uses the inner space as the optical path of the parallel light flux. The compression coil spring 81 is longer than the axial length of the transparent cylindrical portion 13, and is inserted coaxially with no looseness at substantially the same outer diameter as the inner diameter of the transparent cylindrical portion 13. The lower end of the compression coil spring 81 is fixed to the lens drive ring 85 of the elevating drive unit 83, and can be moved forward and backward in the direction of the central axis of the transparent tubular portion 13 by driving the elevating drive unit 83.

  An opening 87 through which the lens holder 61 passes is formed on the upper end surface of the lens driving ring 85, and an annular rib 89 is formed upright on the periphery of the opening 85. The lower end of the compression coil spring 81 is fixed to the outer periphery of the annular rib 89. That is, when the lens drive ring 85 is lowered, the universal optical coupling 65 and the lens holder 61 enter the inside from the lower part of the compression coil spring 81.

  A precise female screw 11c centering on the axis of the main body 11 is engraved on the inner peripheral surface of the main body 11, and the lens driving ring 85 on which the male screw 85a is formed is screwed and rotated. The lens drive ring 85 advances and retreats in the axial direction. An internal gear 85 b is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the lens drive ring 85. The internal gear 85b is formed by teeth that are parallel to the axis and that extend over the entire axial length of the lens drive ring 85 at equal intervals in the circumferential direction.

  A stepping motor 91 is installed on the uppermost substrate 43 (the side opposite to the bottom 11a side). A motor gear (spur gear) 93 is attached to the rotation shaft of the stepping motor 91. The rotation axis of the stepping motor 91 is provided in parallel with the center axis of the lens driving ring 85 (= the optical axis of the parallel light beam), and a spur idle gear 95 is engaged with the motor gear 93.

  The rotation shaft of the idle gear 95 is pivotally supported perpendicularly to the substrate 43, and the number of teeth of the idle gear 95 is larger than the number of teeth of the motor gear 93. For this reason, the rotational speed of the stepping motor 91 is reduced and transmitted to the idle gear 95. The idle gear 95 is meshed with an internal gear 85 b provided on the inner peripheral surface of the lens drive ring 85.

FIG. 8 is an operation explanatory view in which half rotation from the rotation start position is shown in (a), one rotation from the rotation start position is shown in (b), and the reverse position after the rotation is shown in (c).
When the motor gear 93 is rotated by driving the stepping motor 91, the idle gear 95 is rotated, and the lens driving ring 85 is rotated accordingly. When the lens driving ring 85 rotates, the lens driving ring 85 moves up and down in the axial direction inside the main body 11 depending on the rotation direction. Along with this movement, the moving lens frame 75 connected to the compression coil spring 81 rotates and moves inside the transparent cylindrical portion 13 in the axial direction. As a result, the moving lens frame 75 gradually goes straight while rotating, and information of the entire field of view is reflected by the objective mirror 79 and taken into the image sensor 49 through the condenser lens 53. Information of the image sensor 49 is appropriately sent to the image memory 47, and information on the entire visual field is acquired.

The internal gear 85b, the motor gear 93, the idle gear 95, and the stepping motor 91 constitute an elevating drive unit 83 that is a rotational drive means.
The female screw 11c, the lens driving ring 85, the male screw 85a, the compression coil spring 81, and the lifting / lowering driving unit 83 constitute a driving unit 97.

  The electronic endoscope 100 is provided with a power switch (not shown). When this power switch is turned on, power from the power battery 19 is supplied to each component of the imaging drive unit 17 through wiring (not shown). The imaging operation and driving operation are performed as described later.

  For example, the power switch may be provided on the bottom 11a of the main body 11 and the manual operation switch may be turned on / off. Alternatively, a switch terminal that responds to a magnetic force may be built in the main body unit 11, and the switch terminal may be turned on / off by moving the magnet closer to or away from the outside of the electronic endoscope 100.

FIG. 9 is a functional block diagram of the imaging drive unit unit 17.
A control unit (CPU) 101 that performs overall control of the entire system stores a control program and also operates as a work memory. The memory 103 including the image memory 47 provided on the board 43 described in FIG. An LED drive circuit 105 for driving, an image sensor driver 107 for driving the image sensor 49, and a pulse generator 111 for supplying a drive pulse to the motor driver 109 for driving the stepping motor 91 are connected. The image data after the image processing by the control unit 101 is stored in the image memory 47 built in the main body unit 11 so that an image can be acquired by the electronic endoscope 100 alone, and the image data is transmitted to the outside one by one. Handleability can be improved compared to the method.

  When the power switch 113 is turned on, power is supplied to each part from the power battery 19 to start operation, and the stepping motor 91 is rotationally driven. Thereby, the moving lens frame 75 rotates inside the electronic endoscope 100 and moves back and forth in the axial direction. The emitted light from the LED 57 is condensed into parallel light by the illumination lens 59, the parallel light is reflected in the direction of the objective mirror 79 by the half mirror 55, and the parallel light reflected by the objective mirror 79 passes through the objective lens 77 to the subject. Irradiated in the direction to become illumination light.

  The reflected light from the subject is taken into the electronic endoscope 100 through the objective lens 77, and the optical image of the subject reflected by the objective mirror 79 proceeds to the condenser lens 53 as a parallel light flux and is picked up by this condenser lens 53. An image is formed on the light receiving surface of the element 49.

  The imaging signal of the subject imaged by the imaging element 49 is captured by the CPU 101 and subjected to image processing, and stored in the image memory 47 as, for example, JPEG image data.

  FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the control program stored in the memory 103. When the power switch 113 is turned on, this control program is started, and first, the stepping motor 91 is driven to the origin side (step S1). The origin side is, for example, the state shown in FIG. 7A, that is, the direction in which the position of the objective lens 77 is the front end side of the electronic endoscope 100.

  In this embodiment, since a sensor for detecting whether or not the stepping motor 91 has reached the origin is not provided, it is determined in the next step S2 whether or not a timer for counting a predetermined time has been counted up. While the time has not elapsed, step S1 is repeatedly executed. If a sensor for detecting that the origin has been reached is provided, step S1 may be repeated until the origin of this sensor is detected.

The predetermined time may be the longest time required for the stepping motor 91 to reach the origin. For example, the state shown in FIG. 7B shows a state in which the moving lens frame 75 is rotated and moved to the lowest position h _n . From this state, the moving lens frame 75 is rotated by the rotation of the stepping motor 91. and the home position shown in FIG. 7 (a) to (equal movable lens frame 75 abuts against the front end of the transparent cylindrical portion 13, the position can not move further in that direction) may be the time to reach h _0.

  Thereby, the movable lens frame 75 is in any state between the state shown in FIG. 7A and the state shown in FIG. 7B (the state in which the lower end portion of the lens driving ring 85 is in contact with the bottom portion 11a of the main body portion 11). Even in the intermediate position state, if the stepping motor 91 is driven in the origin position direction for a predetermined time, the objective lens 77 is always at the origin position.

  When the timer counts the predetermined time, the process proceeds from step S2 to step S3, and the contents of the counter described later are cleared to zero. Then, the process proceeds to step S4, and imaging processing is performed. In the imaging process, the LED 57 is turned on, illumination light is irradiated from the objective lens 77, light reflected from the subject is taken into the electronic endoscope 100 from the objective lens 77, and incident on the light receiving surface of the imaging device 49 from the subject. Image light.

  Then, the CPU 101 drives the image sensor 49 via the image sensor driver 107, captures the imaging signal of the subject obtained from the image sensor 49 from the image sensor 49, processes the image, and stores it in the image memory 47.

  In the next step S5, the stepping motor 91 is driven by the designated number of pulses. In the next step S6, the designated number of pulses is added to the count value of the counter. In the next step S7, the total count value of the counter is set to the designated number. Compare.

  If the total count value of the counter has not reached the designated number, the process returns from step S7 to step S4 to perform the imaging process, and thereafter the processing loop of steps S4 to S7 is repeatedly executed. When the total count value of the counter reaches the designated number, the processing in FIG.

  FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating movement of the imaging field of the objective lens 77 when step S4 of FIG. 10 is repeatedly executed. In the first imaging process performed at the origin position, a subject image in the field of view indicated by “No. 001” in FIG.

  After the subject image of the field of view “No. 001” is captured, the stepping motor 91 with the designated number of pulses is driven in step S5, so that the lens driving ring 85 rotates by the designated number of pulses. As a result, the lens drive ring 85 is screwed into the main body 11 and retracted, and the next field of view becomes “No. 002” in FIG. 11. It is stored in the memory 47.

  Thereafter, the field of view is No. 003 → No. 004 → No. 005... To repeat imaging processing and storage of image data in the memory 103. FIG. 8A shows a state in which the moving lens frame 75 is half-circulated in the transparent cylindrical portion 13 as compared with the state of FIG. The imaging field of view when the moving lens frame 75 has completed one round (one rotation) from the origin position in the transparent cylindrical portion 13 is No. 1 in FIG. 11 and the imaging field of view when the second round (two rotations) has been completed is No. 1 in FIG. 021.

  FIG. 8C shows a state in which the lower end of the lens driving ring 85 is in contact with the bottom 11a of the main body 11 and cannot move further in that direction. When the state shown in FIG. 8C is reached. Then, the processing loop for repeating the photographing process (step S4) is completed. That is, the “specified number” used in step S7 in FIG. 10 is the total number of pulses from the origin position to the state shown in FIG. 8C.

  In the example of movement of each imaging field illustrated in FIG. 11, the left and right ends of adjacent imaging fields are in contact with each other or slightly overlap in the rotation direction of the moving lens frame 75 serving as a rotating body. The designated number of pulses in step S5 is set. Further, the pitch of the threads provided on the inner peripheral surface of the main body 11 and the outer peripheral surface of the lens driving ring 85 is such that the upper and lower ends of the imaging fields adjacent to each other in the rotation axis direction are in contact with each other or slightly overlap. Designed to.

  As a result, the state of the entire field of view on the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical subject to be observed can be captured without omission and acquired as image data. Of course, the number of pulses of the stepping motor 91 may be set or the pitch of the female screw 11c and the male screw 85a may be designed so that the individual imaging fields of view overlap each other.

  After the imaging by the electronic endoscope 100 is completed, the accumulated data in the image memory 47 in FIG. 4 is read out to the outside. This reading may be performed using radio, or may be performed using wiring inserted into the gripping tubes 23 and 25 shown in FIG. Alternatively, the image memory 47 may be provided so as to be removable from the electronic endoscope 100, and the extracted image memory 47 may be read by a separate personal computer.

The electronic endoscope 100 may send captured image data to an external monitor so that the captured image can be observed online on the external monitor, and further, an operation instruction can be input from the outside.
In this case, the CPU 101 may be configured to send the imaging signal acquired from the imaging element 49 to an external video processor as it is without performing image processing, and to display the subject image image-processed by the video processor on an external monitor. Communication between the external video processor or external monitor and the CPU 101 may be wired or wireless. In the case of performing wired communication, an external power source can be used by inserting a power line in the wiring.

  Further, as the control program, in addition to the control program of FIG. 10, for example, a control program for moving the visual field position of the objective lens 77 to an arbitrary imaging visual field position of FIG. 11 in accordance with an external operation instruction may be installed. .

  In the above-described embodiment, the rotation driving of the moving lens frame 75 is performed by the stepping motor 91. However, even if it is not a stepping motor, it may be a motor or other driving means that can accurately control the rotation angle and the rotation length. May be.

  According to the electronic endoscope 100 of the present embodiment described above, since the transparent cylindrical portion 13 is bendable, it is possible to easily observe the inside of the bent portion that is difficult to observe with a straight tube. Can do. That is, as shown in FIG. 12, the inside of the narrow side hole 133 that bends from the middle of the hole 131 to the side in the hole 131 of the subject is difficult to observe with a straight tube electronic endoscope. However, in the electronic endoscope 100 according to the present embodiment, the transparent cylindrical portion 13 that is the distal end of the insertion portion can be bent, so that the transparent cylindrical portion 13 is subjected to an external force from the hole wall along with the insertion operation into the hole. In response, it tilts flexibly and follows the direction of the side hole 133. As a result, the distal end of the insertion portion can be easily inserted even in a narrow part, and detailed image information on a wide range can be acquired easily and accurately.

Next, a preferred use example of the electronic endoscope 100 according to each embodiment described above will be described.
(I) Example of use as a uterine endoscope:
In recent years, cervical cancer affecting women is becoming younger, but early detection is important because cervical cancer is not important by partial extraction if it is detected early. However, women tend to resist seeing their bodies and the screening population does not increase.

  The electronic endoscope 100 according to each of the above-described embodiments is effective for cervical cancer screening if the size and shape are designed to an appropriate size. The electronic endoscope 100 of FIG. 1 is inserted into a woman's vaginal cavity, and the electronic endoscope 100 is inserted into the cervix from the distal end so that the series of imaging visual field positions shown in FIG. 12 reach the cervix. By doing so, it is possible to capture the entire state of the inner peripheral surface of the cervix.

  For example, if the electronic endoscope 100 is inserted into the cervix by the patient's own hand in the examination room and the doctor instructs the insertion position or monitors the captured image online in a separate room, the patient This will reduce the psychological burden and increase the screening population.

  Further, in the electronic endoscope 100 described above, when the power switch 113 is turned on, the position of the objective lens group 17 automatically returns to the origin position and the imaging process is automatically performed. Can be lent to the patient and the patient himself / herself can take an image of his / her cervix at home. The doctor can make a diagnosis by collecting the electronic endoscope 100 and examining the captured image data in the memory 103.

(Ii) Examples of use as colonos and rectal endoscopes:
When examining the large intestine or the rectum, conventionally, since the observation is performed with an endoscope having an image sensor mounted on the distal end, the affected area is observed obliquely from above. However, if the electronic endoscope 100 of the above-described embodiment is inserted to the affected part position and imaging is performed, the affected part can be observed from the vertically upper position, and can be observed in more detail, and highly accurate diagnosis is possible. It becomes.

(Iii) Example of use as an industrial endoscope:
For example, the electronic endoscope 100 of the above-described embodiment can be used as an industrial endoscope that observes fine scratches in a thin pipe. An electronic endoscope 100 having a dimensional shape corresponding to the size of the hole or gap opening to be observed and the insertion depth is prepared. As described above, since it is possible to observe scratches and the like from the vertically upper side with respect to the inner peripheral surface of the hole, more detailed observation is possible. In addition, once inserted, it is possible to observe a wide range (the entire circumference of the movable lens frame 75 in the axially movable length), and the oversight rate of small scratches is also reduced.

1 is an external perspective view of an electronic endoscope according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of an electronic endoscope. It is a disassembled perspective view of an electronic endoscope. It is a partially expanded perspective view including an imaging drive unit. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the inclination range of a transparent cylindrical part. It is explanatory drawing of the lens position which represented the upright position by (a) and inclined position by (b). It is a figure which shows the moving lens frame which has arrange | positioned the objective lens, (a) is a raise position, (b) is a partially expanded perspective view showing a fall position. FIG. 6 is an operation explanatory diagram in which (a) represents a half rotation from the rotation start position, (b) represents one rotation from the rotation start position, and (c) represents a retracted position after the rotation is completed. It is a functional block diagram of an imaging drive unit part. It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence of the control program stored in memory. It is a figure which illustrates the movement of the imaging visual field of an objective lens when performing an imaging step repeatedly. It is explanatory drawing which shows a mode that the inside of the bending part in a hole is observed.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Main-body part 11c Female screw 13 Transparent cylindrical part (Cylinder which has translucency)
15 Introduction optical unit 17 Imaging drive unit unit (imaging unit)
19 Power supply battery 27 Spherical outer diameter surface 33 Bearing 33a Seat 47 Image memory 55 Half mirror 57 LED (light emitting body)
69 First coupling lens 71 Second coupling lens 75a Objective lens holding hole (imaging hole)
77 Objective lens 79 Objective mirror (mirror that bends the optical path)
81 Compression coil spring (elastic connection member)
83 Elevator drive (rotation drive means)
85 Lens drive ring (rotating body)
85a Male thread 85b Internal gear 91 Stepping motor 93 Motor gear (gear)
95 Idle Gear (Gear)
97 Drive unit 100 Electronic endoscope 101 CPU (control means)

Claims (10)

An electronic endoscope for imaging the inside of a subject,
A cylindrical body in which one end is closed and a spherical outer diameter surface is formed at the other end, and at least a side surface is translucent,
A main body portion that is fixedly supported by a bearing having a seat of the spherical outer diameter surface and supports the cylindrical body in a tiltable manner;
An introductory optical unit that is arranged in the cylinder and guides external light taken from the side of the cylinder in the direction of the central axis of the cylinder;
A drive unit that advances and retracts the introduction optical unit in the direction of the central axis of the cylindrical body;
An optical path bending part for introducing external light guided from the introduction optical part to the central axis of the cylindrical body into the main body part in a fixed direction regardless of the inclination of the cylindrical body;
An imaging unit that receives the external light from the optical path bending unit and converts it into an electrical signal;
An electronic endoscope characterized by comprising: The electronic endoscope according to claim 1,
The drive unit is
A female screw formed on the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion of the main body,
A rotating body having a male screw threaded on the outer peripheral surface thereof and screwed into the female screw;
An elastic connecting member for flexibly connecting the rotating body and the introduction optical unit;
Rotation driving means for driving the rotator around the central axis of the cylindrical portion and moving the rotator in the direction of the central axis;
An electronic endoscope characterized by comprising: An electronic endoscope according to claim 2, wherein
The rotation driving means;
An internal gear formed on the inner peripheral surface of the rotating body with the tooth width direction parallel to the central axis of the cylindrical portion;
A gear disposed in the rotating body and screwed with the internal gear;
A motor for rotationally driving the gear;
An electronic endoscope characterized by comprising: An electronic endoscope according to claim 2 or claim 3, wherein
The electronic endoscope is characterized in that the elastic connecting member is a compression coil spring. An electronic endoscope according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein
The rotating body has an imaging hole formed in a peripheral surface thereof, an objective lens mounted on an opening end of the imaging hole, and a mirror for deflecting an optical path on the optical axis of the objective lens. Electronic endoscope. An electronic endoscope according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The optical path bending portion is
A first coupling lens fixed to the cylinder so that its optical axis coincides with the central axis of the cylinder;
A second coupling lens connected to the optical path from the first coupling lens and fixed to the main body;
With
An electronic endoscope, wherein the focal points of the first and second coupling lenses are at the center of rotation of the inclination of the cylindrical body. The electronic endoscope according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
A half mirror disposed in the middle of the optical path between the optical path bending portion and the imaging device, and a light emitter that illuminates the subject by irradiating the emitted light to the optical path bending portion by reflection of the half mirror. An electronic endoscope comprising the electronic endoscope. The electronic endoscope according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
An electronic endoscope characterized in that the introduction optical part and a distal end portion of a cylinder covering the introduction optical part are formed with a diameter smaller than that of the main body part. An electronic endoscope according to any one of claims 1 to 8,
An electronic endoscope comprising a control unit that performs image processing on an image signal obtained by the imaging unit and an image memory that stores image data processed by the control unit. mirror. An electronic endoscope according to any one of claims 1 to 9,
An electronic endoscope characterized in that a power supply battery for supplying power to the imaging unit and the driving unit is built in the main body unit.

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