JP2009297426A - 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 includes: a cylindrical body 13 whose one end part is closed and side face at least is translucent; a body part 11 which is connected to the other end side of the cylindrical body 13 and forms an outer shell body; an introducing optical part 15 which leads external light fetched from the side part of the cylindrical body 13 into the center axis direction of the cylindrical body 13 inside the cylindrical body 13; an imaging part 49 which receives the external light led from the introducing optical part 15 and converts it to electric signals; and a driving part which moves the introducing optical part 15 back and forth in the center axis direction of the cylindrical body 13. The cylindrical body 13 has an external light detection area where the introducing optical part 15 fetches the external light through the side face of the cylindrical body 13, and diameter enlarging parts 13a and 13d for enlarging the diameter of the side face of the cylindrical body 13 are respectively formed on both sides along the center axis of the cylindrical body 13 of the external light detection area. <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.

  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 having one end portion closed and at least a side surface having translucency,
A main body part continuously formed on the other end side of the cylindrical body to form an outer shell,
An introduction optical unit that guides external light taken from the side of the cylindrical body in the cylindrical body toward the central axis of the cylindrical body;
An imaging unit that receives external light guided from the introduction optical unit and converts it into an electrical signal;
A drive unit that advances and retracts the introduction optical unit in the direction of the central axis of the cylindrical body;
With
The cylindrical body has an external light detection region in which the introduction optical unit captures external light through the side surface of the cylindrical body, and the cylindrical body is provided on both sides of the external light detection region along the central axis of the cylindrical body. An electronic endoscope characterized in that a diameter-expanded portion that expands the side surface of each is formed.

  According to this electronic endoscope, by providing the enlarged diameter portions on both sides of the external light detection region of the cylindrical body, when the electronic endoscope is inserted into the subject, the external light detection region of the cylindrical body Contact with the outer surface of the is reduced. Thereby, it is possible to prevent dirt from adhering to the external light detection region due to contact with the inner wall surface of the subject, and it is possible to prevent deterioration of the imaging information and to maintain high inspection accuracy at all times. And it is possible to easily and accurately acquire a wide range of detailed omnidirectional image information in the inserted subject.

(2) The electronic endoscope according to (1),
The electronic endoscope, wherein the enlarged diameter portion is formed over the entire circumference of the cylindrical body.

  According to this electronic endoscope, since the enlarged diameter portion is formed over the entire circumference of the cylindrical body, it is possible to prevent dirt from being attached to the entire circumference of the outside light detection region.

(3) The electronic endoscope according to (1) or (2),
An electronic endoscope characterized in that a pipe communicated with the outside is provided in the main body part, and a pipe outlet of the pipe is provided on a part of a side surface of the enlarged diameter part facing the outside light detection region. .

  According to this electronic endoscope, by providing a pipe line outlet on the side surface of the enlarged diameter portion, when inserted into the subject, the space between the inner wall surface of the subject and the outer peripheral surface of the external light detection region It opens to a pocket defined by this, and this pocket can be communicated with the outside.

(4) The electronic endoscope according to (3),
An electronic endoscope comprising liquid feeding means connected to the pipe and for supplying a liquid into the subject through the pipe.

  According to this electronic endoscope, it is possible to supply a liquid such as physiological saline or a chemical solution to a pocket formed around the external light detection region. Treatment can be performed.

(5) The electronic endoscope according to (3) or (4),
An electronic endoscope comprising an air supply means connected to the pipe and supplying gas into the subject through the pipe.

  According to this electronic endoscope, gas can be supplied to a pocket formed around the outside light detection region. For example, a part of the inner wall surface of the subject facing the outside light detection region is formed in the cylindrical body. When in contact, the pocket can be inflated by supplying gas, and a part of the inner wall surface can be peeled off from the cylinder.

(6) The electronic endoscope according to any one of (3) to (5),
An electronic endoscope comprising: suction means connected to the pipe and sucking the gas-liquid in the subject through the pipe.

  According to this electronic endoscope, body fluid or the like in the subject can be collected, or dirt attached to the external light detection region can be collected and collected together with the jetted and supplied liquid.

(7) The electronic endoscope according to any one of (3) to (6),
An electronic endoscope, wherein the pipe functions as a forceps hole into which a forceps is inserted.

  According to this electronic endoscope, it is possible to perform treatment on the inner wall surface of the subject by inserting forceps into the pipe. For example, it is possible to collect a human tissue from within the body cavity of the human body.

(8) The electronic endoscope according to any one of (1) to (7),
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 one end connected to the introduction optical unit and a base end disposed in the cylindrical portion, and an external thread threadedly engaged with the female screw on the outer peripheral surface of the base end;
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, light in the direction of insertion into the subject can be continuously taken in the circumferential direction with a simple configuration by screwing a male screw and a female screw.

(9) The electronic endoscope according to (8),
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 operation, the introduction optical unit connected to the rotating body moves in the axial direction within the cylinder while rotating.

(10) The electronic endoscope according to any one of (1) to (9),
The introduction optical unit is characterized in that an imaging hole is formed in a peripheral surface, an objective lens is mounted at an opening end of the imaging hole, and a mirror for deflecting an optical path is mounted 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 by the mirror in the vicinity of the objective lens, thereby making the optical path compact. The diameter of the cylinder can be reduced.

(11) The electronic endoscope according to any one of (1) to (10),
A half mirror disposed in the middle of the optical path between the introduction optical unit and the image sensor, and a illuminator that illuminates the subject by irradiating emitted light to the introduction optical unit side by reflection of the half mirror; An electronic endoscope comprising:

  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.

(12) The electronic endoscope according to any one of (1) to (11),
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.

(13) The electronic endoscope according to any one of (1) to (12),
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 according to the present invention, it is possible to easily and accurately acquire detailed omnidirectional image information in a wide range within the inserted subject. In addition, by providing enlarged diameter parts on both sides of the external light detection area of the cylinder, contact with the outer surface of the external light detection area of the cylinder is eliminated, and contamination of the external light detection area is prevented. it can. Thereby, degradation of imaging information can be prevented and inspection accuracy can be maintained at a high level. In addition, a pipe outlet is provided on the side of the enlarged diameter section, and air is supplied, supplied, and suctioned through this pipe, so that dirt in the external light detection area of the cylinder can be wiped off and body fluids can be collected. It becomes. Furthermore, by using this pipe as a forceps hole, it is possible to widen the application range of the electronic endoscope such as collection of human tissue.

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 11 serving as an outer shell, and a translucent cover 13 having a cylindrical body having at least a side surface that is translucent, and is introduced optically housed inside the outer shell. And an imaging drive unit 17 (see FIG. 2), which is an imaging unit described later.

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 translucent cover 13 is formed of a hard transparent resin, and one end portion (tip portion) is closed to form a smooth hemisphere that facilitates insertion into the subject. The enlarged open end 13b opposite to the one end and the open end 11d of the main body 11 are aligned and fixed to each other. The translucent cover 13 has a transparent cylindrical portion 13c having a constant diameter between the hemispherical tip side enlarged diameter portion 13a and the open end portion 13b. In addition, the proximal end side enlarged diameter portion 13d formed between the transparent cylindrical portion 13c and the opening end portion 13b is larger in diameter than the transparent cylindrical portion 13c together with the distal end side enlarged diameter portion 13a.

  The translucent cover 13 may be manufactured by integral molding, or may have a separate structure in which the distal end side enlarged diameter portion 13a, the open end portion 11d, and the like are fixed to the transparent cylindrical body by adhesion. Further, the distal end side enlarged diameter portion 13 a may be provided with a light shielding property to prevent external light from being directly introduced into the objective lens 77. Here, transparent resin should just be transparent with respect to the light of a specific wavelength, and does not necessarily need to be transparent with respect to visible light.

  The translucent cover 13 having the above-described configuration that covers the introduction optical unit 15 is formed to have a smaller diameter than the main body unit 11. As described above, by narrowing the tip of the electronic endoscope 100, the inside of the subject can be easily observed. Accordingly, the applicable range of the electronic endoscope can be expanded, such as observation of a particularly narrow portion in the subject. The translucent cover 13 may have a tapered shape, which makes it easier to insert the distal end insertion portion of the main body 11 into a small hole or body cavity.

  A lens driving ring 85 which is a cylindrical rotating body is disposed inside the main body 11. A moving lens frame 85c connected to the introduction optical unit 15 is connected to the lens drive ring 85 on the translucent cover 13 side (upper side in the drawing). An objective lens holding hole 75a, which is an imaging hole, is formed on the distal end side of the moving lens frame 85c. An objective lens 77 is fixed to the objective lens holding hole 75a, and light from the side of the translucent cover 13 (subject light). ). The light taken from the side through the objective lens 77 is irradiated as a parallel light beam onto the objective mirror 79 fixed to the inner surface of the moving lens frame 85c, and reflected by an oblique 45-degree reflecting surface of the objective mirror 79, thereby generating a parallel light beam. The light-transmitting cover 13 is moved toward the image sensor 49 along the central axis.

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 lift drive unit, is disposed on the lowermost layer (bottom 11a side) substrate 41, and an image memory 47 for storing captured image data on the intermediate layer substrate. An image sensor 49 such as a CCD image sensor or a CMOS image sensor, which is a solid-state image sensor, is disposed on the upper substrate 43.

  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.

  In addition, 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 an illumination optical system is attached. The illumination optical system irradiates light emitted from a light emitting diode (LED) 57 as a light emitter as illumination light toward the introduction optical unit 15 by reflection of the half mirror 55. 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. Although not shown, the half mirror 55, the illumination lens 59, and the LED 57 are fixed in the main body 11 by appropriate support members.

FIGS. 5A and 5B are views showing the operation of the moving lens frame in which the objective lens is arranged, in which FIG. 5A is a partially enlarged perspective view showing the raised position and FIG. 5B is the lowered position.
The introduction optical unit 15 moves up and down in the direction of the central axis while rotating around the central axis of the translucent cover 13. The introduction optical unit 15 is provided at the distal end of the cylindrical moving lens frame 85c, and the objective lens 77 disposed on the side of the moving lens frame 85c rotates while drawing a spiral trajectory that moves in the central axis direction. Is irradiated with illumination light, and the reflected light from the side is taken in and the subject light is sent to the image sensor 49. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the introduction optical unit 15 is integrated with the lens driving ring 85 via a cylindrical moving lens frame 85c, and interlocks with the rotation operation and the elevation operation of the lens driving ring 85. To do.

Next, an operation mechanism of the lens driving ring 85 having the introduction optical unit 15 will be described.
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the inner peripheral surface of the main body 11 is engraved with a precision female screw 11 c centered on the axis of the main body 11, and the lens drive in which the male screw 85 a is formed. When the ring 85 is screwed and rotated, the lens driving ring 85 is advanced and retracted 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. 6 is an operation explanatory diagram showing half rotation from the rotation start position, (a), one rotation from the rotation start position (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. Thereby, the moving lens frame 75 moves in the axial direction inside the translucent cover 13 while rotating. Therefore, the moving lens frame 75 gradually goes straight while rotating, and the 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. That is, the transparent cylindrical portion 13c of the translucent cover 13 becomes an external light detection region, and external light is taken in through the side surface.

  As described above, the internal gear 85b, the motor gear 93, the idle gear 95, and the stepping motor 91 constitute a lifting drive unit that is a rotational drive means. The female screw 11c, the lens drive ring 85, the male screw 85a, and the lift drive unit constitute a drive unit.

  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. 7 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.

  An imaging signal of a 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. 8 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. 5A, 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. 5B shows a state in which the moving lens frame 75 is rotated and moved to the lowest position h _n , and from this state, the moving lens frame 75 is rotated by the rotation of the stepping motor 91. may be the origin position shown in FIGS. 5 (a) is rotated (movable lens frame 75 and the like in contact with the tip of the translucent cover 13, more that can not move in the direction position) and time to reach h ₀ .

  Thereby, the movable lens frame 75 is in any state between the state shown in FIG. 5A and the state shown in FIG. 5B (the state where 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. 8 is terminated.

  FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating movement of the imaging field of the objective lens 77 when step S4 of FIG. 8 is repeatedly executed. In the first imaging process performed at the origin position, the 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 is “No. 002” in FIG. 9. 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. 6A shows a state where the moving lens frame 75 is half-turned within the translucent cover 13 as compared with the state of FIG. The imaging field of view when the moving lens frame 75 completes one round (one rotation) from the origin position in the translucent cover 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. 6C 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. 6C 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. 8 is the total number of pulses from the origin position to the state shown in FIG.

  In the example of movement of the individual imaging fields illustrated in FIG. 9, 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. 8, 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. 9 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, the all-round image information in the subject can be acquired easily and accurately through the transparent cylindrical portion 13c that is the outside light detection region of the translucent cover 13. Can do. The distal-side enlarged portion 13a and the proximal-side enlarged portion 13d formed on both sides along the central axis of the transparent cover 13 of the transparent cylindrical portion 13c insert the electronic endoscope 100 into the subject. In this case, the inner wall surface of the subject is stretched in the diameter-enlarging direction by these diameter-enlarged portions 13a and 13d to reduce contact with the outer surface of the outside light detection region. Thereby, it is possible to prevent dirt from adhering to the external light detection region due to contact with the inner wall surface of the subject, and it is possible to prevent deterioration of the imaging information and to keep the examination accuracy always high. Further, since the respective enlarged diameter portions 13a and 13d are formed over the entire outer peripheral surface of the translucent cover 13, it is possible to prevent adhesion of dirt to the entire outer light detection region.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 10, when observing the inside of the narrow hole 133 existing behind the hole 131 of the subject, the distal end portion is inserted into the narrow hole 133 in the case of an electronic endoscope having a straight tube tip. Then, dirt that hinders acquisition of imaging information such as body fluid may adhere to the external light detection region, and a good captured image may not be obtained. However, the electronic endoscope 100 according to the present embodiment has a distal-side enlarged portion 13a having a diameter larger than that of the external light detection region on both sides of the external light detection region of the translucent cover 13, and a proximal-side expansion. Since the diameter portion 13d is provided, a pocket P is defined on the outer periphery of the outside light detection region by each of the enlarged diameter portions 13a and 13d. Due to the presence of this pocket P, as shown in FIGS. 10B and 10C, the outside light detection area of the translucent cover 13 is protected by the respective enlarged diameter portions 13a and 13d on both sides, Contact with the inner wall surface of the subject can be reduced or prevented. Thereby, the external light detection area is always maintained in a clean state, and imaging information is not deteriorated.

  Note that the distal-side enlarged portion 13a and the proximal-side enlarged portion 13d have the same diameter so that the thickness of the pocket P defined in the outside light detection region is in the axial direction of the translucent cover 13. On the other hand, it can be made constant, and contact unevenness (local contact) with the inner wall surface of the subject can be prevented. In addition to the two locations in the illustrated example, the enlarged diameter portion may have a configuration in which an enlarged diameter portion is provided in the middle of the outside light detection region, for example, at an appropriate position according to the length of the outside light detection region. Can be provided.

Next, another embodiment in which air feeding, liquid feeding, and suction can be performed in the defined pocket P with respect to the electronic endoscope having the above-described configuration will be described.
FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of an electronic endoscope in which a pipe connected to the outside is provided in the main body, and FIG. 12 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a connection destination of the pipe.
In FIG. 11, the same members as shown in FIG. 2 are given the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted or simplified.
As shown in FIG. 11, the electronic endoscope 200 according to the present embodiment includes a pipe 141 communicating with the outside on the side wall of the main body 11, and the base of the translucent cover 13 facing the outside light detection region. A pipe outlet 143 of the pipe 141 is provided on a part of the side surface of the end-side enlarged diameter part 13d. The pipe 141 is extended to the outside through a communication port 145 provided on the outer peripheral side of the bottom 11a of the main body part 11. A connector 147 having a luer lock mechanism is connected to the tip of the pipe 141.

  As shown in FIG. 12, the pipe 141 is connected from the electronic endoscope 200 to the switching unit 151 via the connector 147 described above. A liquid supply syringe 153 and an air suction pump 155 are connected to the switching unit 151. The switching unit 151 switches the connection destination of the pipe 141 to one of the syringe 153 and the pump 155 by operating directly from the outside of the electronic endoscope 200 or via a control signal. With the above configuration, the syringe 153 is connected to the pipe 141 and the liquid is supplied to the pocket P on the subject side, so that the dirt adhering to the side surface of the transparent cylindrical portion 13c of the translucent cover 13 can be washed away. It becomes possible to release a specific chemical solution.

  Further, by connecting the pump 155 to the pipe 121 and performing suction from the pocket P on the subject side, it is possible to remove the liquid jetted and supplied for cleaning, unnecessary liquid, or collect body fluid. Further, by supplying air to the pocket P by the pump 155, for example, when a part of the inner wall surface of the subject facing the external light detection region is in contact with the translucent cover 13, the gas is supplied. The pocket P can be inflated, and a part of the inner wall surface can be peeled off from the surface of the translucent cover 13.

Next, another configuration of the electronic endoscope according to the present invention will be described.
FIG. 13 is a longitudinal sectional view of the electronic endoscope, and FIG. 14 is an exploded perspective view of the electronic endoscope.
The electronic endoscope 300 includes a main body portion 211 and a translucent cover 13 that are outer shells, and an objective lens group 18 that is housed inside the main body portion 211 and is a wide-angle lens on one end side of the cylindrical portion 215. The lens holder 219, the elevating drive unit 221 that moves the lens holder 219 in the optical axis direction of the objective lens group 18 in the translucent cover 13 and the main body 211, and the subject light captured from the objective lens group 18 are received. And an image sensor 49 that converts the signal into an electric signal.

  A rib 231 is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the main body 211 along the longitudinal direction of the main body 211, and is engaged with an engagement groove 235 formed in the flange 233 of the lens holder 219, so that the lens holder 219 is engaged. Is stopped.

  The lens holder 219 is made of a resin material or the like and is formed in an outer surface shape along the inner surface of the translucent cover 13. An objective lens group (wide-angle lens 18A and lens 18B) 18 is fixed to one end side of the cylindrical portion 215, and the opening at the one end side top portion is closed. A fish-eye lens is preferably used as the wide-angle lens 18A. As the fisheye lens in this case, the circumferential fisheye lens can be suitably used for observation in the entire circumferential direction having a large inclination angle (angle from the lens optical axis). That is, this wide-angle lens is a wide-angle lens having an observation field that allows observation in the entire circumferential direction with respect to the optical axis direction of the objective lens group 18 (the central axis direction of the cylindrical portion 215). In addition, as the wide-angle lens 18A, a diagonal fish-eye lens, a general wide-angle lens, or the like can be used. The optical axis of the objective lens group 18 fixed to the lens holder 219 is aligned with the central axis direction of the cylindrical portion 215 of the lens holder 219. The cylindrical portion 215 of the lens holder 219 is formed so that the outer diameter is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the cylindrical portion 13c of the translucent cover 13, and the cylindrical portion 215 moves smoothly within the translucent cover 13 without rattling. It can be done.

  The imaging drive unit 17 is disposed at the tip of the central axis of the cylindrical portion 13c extending to the bottom 211a side of the main body 211. The imaging drive unit 17 is the same as in the first embodiment, and is fixedly installed inside the main body 211 using a stay member (not shown) with the peripheral wall portion of the battery storage portion 11b provided on the bottom 211a of the main body 211 as a support. Is done. The image pickup drive unit 17 includes three substrates 41, 42, and 43 in the illustrated example.

The moving means of the lens holder 219 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.
A motor holding member (not shown) is provided inside the main body 211, and a stepping motor 261 is attached to the motor holding member. The rotation axis of the stepping motor 261 is parallel to the central axis of the cylindrical portion 215 (the optical axis of the parallel light beam). A motor gear (spur gear) 263 is attached to the rotation shaft of the stepping motor 261, and a spur idle gear 265 meshes with the motor gear 263. The idle gear 265 is screwed with a gear 269 fixed by press-fitting or bonding to one end of the feed screw 267 so that the rotational force of the stepping motor 261 is fed through the motor gear 263, idle gear 265, and gear 269. 267. The number of teeth of the idle gear 265 is larger than the number of teeth of the motor gear 263, and the rotational speed of the stepping motor 261 is reduced and transmitted to the idle gear 265. Here, the stepping motor 261 that drives the feed screw 627 is not limited to a pulse-driven motor, and various motors such as a servo motor having an encoder, or other drive sources can be used.

  As shown in a partial cross-sectional view in FIG. 16, the feed screw 67 has a tip on one end side inserted into a shaft hole 13d formed in the flange surface of the opening end portion 13b of the translucent cover 13, and the feed screw 67 The other end side of 267 is rotatably supported by a support arm 271 provided on the side of the condenser lens holder 48 of the imaging drive unit unit 17. Therefore, the feed screw 267 is rotationally driven by the rotation of the stepping motor 261. Note that the stepping motor 261, the motor gear 263, the idle gear 265, and the gear 269 remain at the same height position in the main body 211, regardless of the movement of the lens holder 219.

  On the other hand, an opening 273 that prevents interference with the motor gear 263, the idle gear 265, the gear 269, and the like is formed in the flange portion 233 of the lens holder 219 at the raised position of the lens holder 219 shown in FIG. . A feed nut 275 that is screwed into the feed screw 267 is fixed to the flange portion 233 via a nut retainer 277.

  With the above configuration, the feed screw 267 and the lens holder 219 to which the feed nut 275 is fixed function as a linear movement mechanism in which the lens holder 219 moves in the axial direction of the feed screw 267 by the rotation operation of the feed screw 267.

  For example, when the stepping motor 261 is driven from the raised position of the lens holder 219 shown in FIG. 15A, the feed screw 267 is rotationally driven through the motor gear 263, the idle gear 265, and the gear 269. When the feed screw 267 is rotationally driven, the feed nut 275 screwed with the feed screw 267 moves relative to the feed screw 267. Thereby, the lens holder can be lowered from the raised position as shown in FIG.

  FIG. 17 is a functional block diagram of the imaging drive unit unit 17. A control unit (CPU) 281 that performs overall control of the entire system stores a control program and also operates as a work memory. A memory 283 including the image memory 47 provided on the board 42 described with reference to FIG. An LED drive circuit 285 for driving, an image sensor driver 287 for driving the image sensor 49, and a pulse generator 291 for supplying a drive pulse to the motor driver 289 for driving the stepping motor 261 are connected. The image data after the image processing by the control unit 281 is stored in the image memory 47 built in the main body unit 211, whereby an image can be acquired by the electronic endoscope 300 alone, and the handleability can be improved.

  In addition, the electronic endoscope 300 is provided with a power switch 293. When the power switch 293 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 293 may be provided on the bottom 211a of the main body 211 so that the manual operation switch is turned on and off. Alternatively, a switch terminal that responds to a magnetic force may be built in the main body 211, and the switch terminal may be turned on / off by moving a magnet closer to or away from the outside of the electronic endoscope 300.

Next, the operation of the electronic endoscope 100 will be described.
As shown in FIGS. 13 and 17, when the power switch 293 is turned on, power is supplied from the power battery 19 to each unit to start the operation, and the stepping motor 261 is rotationally driven. Thereby, the lens holder 219 advances in the central axis direction of the cylindrical portion 215 inside the electronic endoscope 300 and stops at the origin position (for example, the rising end position of the lens holder 219). The emitted light from the LED 57 is collimated by the illumination lens 59, and the collimated light is reflected in the direction of the objective lens group 18 by the half mirror 55 and passes through the objective lens group 18 with respect to the central axis of the cylindrical portion 215. Irradiation is performed over the entire circumference in a substantially orthogonal direction (side surface direction with respect to the direction of insertion into the subject) to become illumination light.

The reflected light from the subject is taken into the electronic endoscope 300 through the objective lens group 18, and the optical image of the subject travels to the condenser lens 53 as a parallel light flux. Imaged on top.
Here, FIG. 18 shows a state of the visual field range W by the objective lens group 18. The illumination light emitted from the wide-angle lens 18A is applied to the range indicated by the visual field range W. As the reflected light from the subject by the illumination light, the light incident on the visual field range W is imaged and captured by the image sensor 49. A light-shielding mask M that determines the upper end of the visual field range W is provided at the center of the optical axis of the wide-angle lens 18A. Here, a circular light shielding mask M having a radius set according to the field of view range W is provided on the outer surface (light emitting side surface) of the wide-angle lens 18A.

  An imaging signal of a subject imaged by the imaging element 49 is input to a control unit (CPU) 281 and subjected to image processing, and stored in the memory 283 (image memory 47) as, for example, JPEG image data.

  FIG. 19 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the control program stored in the memory 283. When the power switch 293 is turned on, this control program starts up. First, the stepping motor 261 is driven to move the lens holder 219 in the direction of the origin position (rising end position) (S11). For example, as shown in FIG. 15A, the origin position is a position where the position of the objective lens group 18 is the distal end side of the electronic endoscope 300, but is not limited to this, and is a base opposite to the distal end side. It may be the end side (the position of the lens holder shown in FIG. 15B).

  After the lens holder 219 reaches the origin position, an imaging process is performed (S12). In the imaging process, the LED 57 is turned on to irradiate illumination light from the objective lens group 18, the light reflected from the subject is taken into the electronic endoscope 300 from the objective lens group 18, and formed on the light receiving surface of the imaging element 49. And a process of generating an imaging signal from the imaging element 49, subjecting the imaging signal of the subject to image processing, and storing the imaged signal in the memory 283 (image memory 47).

  Next, the stepping motor 261 is driven by the designated number of pulses (S13), and the lens holder 219 is lowered by a predetermined distance. The predetermined distance is a distance by which the lens holder 219 is moved stepwise so that the visual field range W shown in FIG. 18 fills the movable range of the lens holder 219 stepwise. For example, the transmissivity corresponding to the visual field range W The height La of the cylindrical portion 13c of the cover 13 can be set.

  Until the movement destination reaches the lowest position of the lens holder 219 (S14), the imaging process (S12) is performed at the movement destination. By repeating S12 and S13, an image map as shown in FIG. 20 is generated by synthesizing the captured images of each time (S15). That is, the first picked-up image data IMG (1) has the entire circumferential direction (circumference) in the range from the height h0 to the position of the height h1 separated from the visual field range W, as shown in FIG. The second captured image data IMG (2) is image data in the entire circumferential direction in the range of heights h1 to h2. The plurality of captured image data IMG (1) to (n) obtained by moving the lens holder 219 at the respective movement positions in this way are coupled to each other in the height direction, so that substantially one image is obtained. Data (image map). If a part of the field of view for one shooting overlaps the field of view for the next shooting, the connection area between the images can be captured without any gaps, and image data without gaps can be obtained.

  After creating the image map using the above-described captured image data IMG (1) to (n), the accumulated data is read out from the memory 283 (see FIG. 17) in which the image map is stored. This reading may be performed using radio or may be performed using wiring inserted into the grip tubes 23 and 25. Alternatively, the memory 283 may be provided so as to be removable from the electronic endoscope 300, and the extracted memory 283 may be read by a separate personal computer.

  As another control program example, in addition to the control procedure shown in the flowchart of FIG. 19, for example, a control program that moves the visual field range by the objective lens group 18 to an arbitrary position in accordance with an external operation instruction may be used. Good. In this case, a desired part can be selectively imaged according to the purpose of imaging, and the part to be noticed can be observed in more detail.

Also in the above configuration, as shown in FIG. 12, it is possible to wash away the dirt adhering to the side surface of the transparent cylindrical portion 13c of the translucent cover 13, or to release a specific chemical solution toward the subject.
Next, an example in which a forceps pipe is provided in the main body 211 will be described.
FIG. 21 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a case where a pipe provided in the main body 211 functions as a forceps hole into which a forceps is inserted. By inserting a forceps 159 having a treatment tool 157 at the tip into the pipe 141, for example, it is possible to collect a human tissue from within the body cavity of the human body.
With the electronic endoscope having the above configuration, when a site requiring treatment is found as a result of observing the inside of the subject, the treatment can be immediately performed by the forceps 159 through the pipe 141.

Next, a preferred use example of the electronic endoscopes 100, 200, and 300 according to the above-described embodiments 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 endoscopes 100, 200, and 300 according to the above-described embodiments are effective for cervical cancer screening if their dimensions are designed to an appropriate size. The electronic endoscope 100, 200, 300 of each embodiment is inserted into a woman's vaginal cavity, and the electronic endoscope is viewed from the distal end so that a series of imaging visual field positions shown in FIGS. 9 and 20 reach the cervix. Is inserted into the uterine cervix, it is possible to take an image of the entire inner peripheral surface of the cervix. In particular, when an electronic endoscope is inserted into the cervical canal from the vaginal cavity, the contact of the inner wall of the cervical can with the external light detection region of the translucent cover 13 is reduced, and the external light detection region is passed through. The acquired imaging information is not deteriorated.

  As a usage pattern, for example, an electronic endoscope is inserted into the cervix by the patient's own hand in the examination room, and the doctor instructs the insertion position in a separate room or monitors the captured image online. As a result, the patient's psychological burden is reduced, and the screening population can be increased.

  In the above-described electronic endoscope, when the power switches 113 and 293 are turned on, the positions of the objective lens 77 and the objective lens group 18 are automatically returned to the original position, and the imaging process is automatically performed. An electronic endoscope can be lent to a patient, and the patient can take an image of his / her cervix at home. The doctor can make a diagnosis by collecting the electronic endoscope and examining the captured image data in the memories 103 and 283.

(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 of the above-described embodiment is inserted to the affected part position and imaging is performed, it becomes possible to observe the affected part from the vertically upper position, and it is possible to observe in more detail and to make a highly accurate diagnosis. Become.

(Iii) Example of use as an industrial endoscope:
For example, the electronic endoscope of the above-described embodiment can be used as an industrial endoscope that observes fine scratches in a thin pipe. An electronic endoscope having a dimension and shape corresponding to the size of the hole to be observed and the opening of the gap 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 objective lens 77 and the objective lens group 18 with respect to the axially movable length), and the missing rate of small scratches and the like 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 figure which shows operation | movement of 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 (a), (b), (c) which observes the inside of a subject. It is sectional drawing of the electronic endoscope which installed the piping connected with the exterior in the main-body part. It is a conceptual diagram explaining the connection destination of piping. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of an electronic endoscope. It is a disassembled perspective view of an electronic endoscope. It is a principal part expansion perspective view explaining the moving means of a lens holder. It is a partial cross section figure of the one end side of a feed screw. It is a functional block diagram of an imaging drive unit part It is sectional drawing which shows the mode of the visual field range by an objective lens group. It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence of the control program stored in memory. It is explanatory drawing which shows the image map produced | generated by synthesize | combining the captured image of each time. It is explanatory drawing which shows the case where the piping provided in the main-body part is functioned as a forceps hole which inserts forceps.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Main-body part 11c Female screw 13 Translucent cover (Cylinder which has translucency)
15 Introduction optical unit 17 Imaging drive unit unit (imaging unit)
19 Power supply battery 47 Image memory 55 Half mirror 57 LED (light emitter)
75a Objective lens holding hole (imaging hole)
77 Objective lens 79 Objective mirror (mirror that deflects the optical path)
85 Lens drive ring (rotating body)
85a Male thread 85b Internal gear 85c Moving lens frame 91 Stepping motor 93 Motor gear (gear)
95 Idle Gear (Gear)
100, 200, 300 Electronic endoscope 101 CPU (control means)
111 Pipe 153 Syringe 155 Pump 157 Treatment tool 159 Forceps

Claims (13)

An electronic endoscope for imaging the inside of a subject,
A cylindrical body having one end portion closed and at least a side surface having translucency,
A main body part continuously formed on the other end side of the cylindrical body to form an outer shell,
An introduction optical unit that guides external light taken from the side of the cylindrical body in the cylindrical body toward the central axis of the cylindrical body;
An imaging unit that receives external light guided from the introduction optical unit and converts it into an electrical signal;
A drive unit that advances and retracts the introduction optical unit in the direction of the central axis of the cylindrical body;
With
The cylindrical body has an external light detection region in which the introduction optical unit captures external light through the side surface of the cylindrical body, and the cylindrical body is provided on both sides of the external light detection region along the central axis of the cylindrical body. An electronic endoscope characterized in that a diameter-expanded portion that expands the side surface of each is formed. The electronic endoscope according to claim 1,
The electronic endoscope, wherein the enlarged diameter portion is formed over the entire circumference of the cylindrical body. An electronic endoscope according to claim 1 or 2, wherein
An electronic endoscope characterized in that a pipe communicated with the outside is provided in the main body part, and a pipe outlet of the pipe is provided on a part of a side surface of the enlarged diameter part facing the outside light detection region. . An electronic endoscope according to claim 3, wherein
An electronic endoscope comprising liquid feeding means connected to the pipe and for supplying a liquid into the subject through the pipe. An electronic endoscope according to claim 3 or claim 4, wherein
An electronic endoscope comprising an air supply means connected to the pipe and supplying gas into the subject through the pipe. An electronic endoscope according to any one of claims 3 to 5,
An electronic endoscope comprising: suction means connected to the pipe and sucking the gas-liquid in the subject through the pipe. The electronic endoscope according to any one of claims 3 to 6,
An electronic endoscope, wherein the pipe functions as a forceps hole into which a forceps is inserted. The electronic endoscope according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
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 one end connected to the introduction optical unit and a base end disposed in the cylindrical portion, and an external thread threadedly engaged with the female screw on the outer peripheral surface of the base end;
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: The electronic endoscope according to claim 8, 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 any one of claims 1 to 9,
The introduction optical unit is characterized in that an imaging hole is formed in a peripheral surface, an objective lens is mounted at an opening end of the imaging hole, and a mirror for deflecting an optical path is mounted on the optical axis of the objective lens. Electronic endoscope. The electronic endoscope according to any one of claims 1 to 10,
A half mirror disposed in the middle of the optical path between the introduction optical unit and the image sensor, and a illuminator that illuminates the subject by irradiating emitted light to the introduction optical unit side by reflection of the half mirror; An electronic endoscope comprising: An electronic endoscope according to any one of claims 1 to 11,
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 12,
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.

Images