JP2010012079A - Endoscope - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a highly reliable endoscope in which a circuit board capable of performing a bi-directional imaging can be assembled in a small occupancy space and with an excellent wiring work without enlarging the diameter of a distal end part. <P>SOLUTION: The endoscope includes: a circuit board for side viewing which is arranged in parallel with the axial line 49 of the distal end part 11 and allows an imaging element for side viewing mounted on a circuit formation surface to receive light from a direction crossing with the axial line 49; and a circuit board for straight viewing which is arranged on the opposite surface of the circuit formation surface of the circuit board for side viewing in parallel so as to face the opposite surface of the circuit formation surface and allows an imaging element for straight viewing mounted on the circuit formation surface via a deflecting means to receive light in a direction along the axial line 49. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an endoscope including a circuit board that receives light from two directions.

  An endoscope used for industrial use, medical use, or the like may be required to obtain a lot of observation information by receiving light from multiple directions while maintaining the small diameter of the insertion portion. For example, in a medical endoscope that examines the presence or absence of a lesion by observing the inside of a luminal organ in the body, tissue sampling is performed using a biopsy forceps or the like. It is not desirable to damage the mucous membrane of the wall and cause bleeding. Therefore, in recent years, endoscopes for magnifying observation that obtain magnified images in a range less than 1 mm have been developed, and definite diagnosis can be performed only by direct observation with an endoscope without collecting biopsy tissue. Yes.

  Conventionally, in a endoscope for observing the wall of a lumen, only a living body located in the radial direction (side view direction) of the insertion tube can be observed, and the axial direction of the distal end of the insertion tube, that is, insertion of the insertion tube of the endoscope The living body in the direction (direct viewing direction) could not be observed. For this reason, the operator must insert the distal end of the insertion tube of the endoscope into the affected area without confirming the state of the insertion direction of the insertion tube. Was needed.

  In order to solve such a problem, an endoscope capable of simultaneously observing a direct-view image and a side-view image has been proposed in a side-view endoscope that observes a living body located in the radial direction of the distal end portion. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a endoscope in which a plurality of imaging elements such as CCDs are arranged as a first imaging area and a second imaging area on the same surface of a circuit board. Patent Document 2 discloses a solid-state imaging device having a light-receiving surface in which a plurality of pixels for photoelectrically converting subject light having different incident angles are arranged on a light-receiving surface of the same element substrate, and a subject having a different incident angle on the solid-state imaging device. An electronic endoscope apparatus including a plurality of objective optical systems that receive light is described.

  Also, in Patent Document 3, a CCD camera or camera is provided in the axial direction of an L-shaped cover or hood that is detachably fixed to the distal end of the insertion section, and the cover or hood is attached to the endoscope body. Describes an endoscope in which treatment and treatment can be observed from two directions using a CCD camera or a camera of the endoscope body. Further, in Patent Document 4, a portion where the observation window for normal observation and the observation window for magnification observation are provided in the insertion portion and the observation window for magnification observation is arranged is operated remotely from the proximal end side of the insertion portion. Describes an endoscope that is movable so as to enter and exit within the observation range from the observation window for normal observation.

JP 2004-329699 A JP 2005-455 A JP 2007-211161 A JP 2007-209450 A

However, in the case where a plurality of image pickup devices are arranged on the same surface of the circuit board (Patent Document 1), or in the case where a plurality of objective optical systems for entering subject light having different incident angles are provided (Patent Document 2), the circuit board It is necessary to provide all the wirings for transmitting the processing signals on the same surface, and a large space is required for the connecting portion, which makes it difficult to perform wiring work in a dense part. In addition, in the case where the camera is built in a hood or the like that is detachably fixed to the insertion tip (Patent Document 3), it is difficult to realize the electrical connection structure of the detachable hood. Considering this, it was expected that it would be difficult to ensure reliability. Furthermore, in the case where the magnification observation camera is movable within the range of the normal observation camera (Patent Document 4), two objective lenses and two circuit boards are arranged at a certain angle, and a movable part is also arranged. Therefore, it is expected that the number of parts increases and it is difficult to manufacture an endoscope with a small diameter.
The present invention has been made in view of the above situation, and its purpose is to assemble a circuit board that enables imaging in two directions, with a space-saving and good wiring operation without increasing the diameter of the tip. An object of the present invention is to provide an endoscope that can be realized and has high reliability.

The present invention has the following configuration.
(1) A side-view circuit board that receives light from a direction that is provided at a tip portion parallel to the axis of the tip portion and that intersects the axis line by a side-view imaging device mounted on a circuit forming surface;
A circuit is formed on the surface opposite to the circuit formation surface of the circuit board for side view with the surface opposite to the circuit formation surface facing in parallel, and light in the direction along the axis is formed through a deflecting means. A direct-view circuit board that receives light with a direct-view image sensor mounted on the surface;
An endoscope characterized by comprising:

  According to this endoscope, the side-view circuit board and the direct-view circuit board are stacked in parallel with each other with the circuit forming surface facing outside. Since the circuit forming surface of the direct-view circuit board is provided with deflection means, the side-view circuit board receives light from the vertical direction of the board, while the direct-view circuit board receives light from the direction along the axis. This enables space-saving imaging in two directions. Further, external wiring can be taken out from the same side portion of the stacked substrates, so that useless wiring space is eliminated and wiring is easily converged.

(2) The endoscope according to (1),
An endoscope characterized in that bumps for external wiring connection are provided at rear ends of circuit forming surfaces of the side-view circuit board and the direct-view circuit board.

  According to this endoscope, the bumps for external wiring connection are located at the rear end portion in the axial direction, so that the light receiving paths of the side view circuit board and the direct view circuit board do not interfere with the external wiring, In addition, the route of the external wiring can be formed in the shortest and minimum space.

(3) The endoscope according to (1) or (2),
Forceps are provided so as to be able to advance and retreat in a direction intersecting the axis from the forceps opening opened in the side surface of the tip portion,
The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the circuit board for side viewing is arranged so that the circuit forming surface intersects with the advancing and retreating direction of the forceps.

  According to this endoscope, by arranging the circuit forming surface of the side viewing circuit board perpendicularly in the protruding direction of the forceps, the observation light is directed to the image pickup device mounted on the circuit forming surface of the side viewing circuit board. Light can be received directly through a linear optical path. As a result, the side-view circuit board can receive light with reduced space and less loss.

(4) The endoscope according to any one of (1) to (3),
A plane portion parallel to the axis is formed on the side of the cylindrical tip portion,
One side of the plane portion in the direction orthogonal to the axis is cut out as the forceps opening and the remaining portion is a substrate housing portion,
The endoscope characterized in that the side-view circuit board and the direct-view circuit board are arranged in the board housing part in parallel with the flat part.

  According to this endoscope, the forceps port is cut out in the plane portion formed on the side portion of the cylindrical body, and the remaining portion serves as the substrate housing portion, so that the forceps protruded in the direction perpendicular to the axis from the forceps port is the substrate. Observation is possible in the same direction by the observation window provided on the flat surface of the housing. At the same time, the direct-view circuit board superimposed on the back can receive light from the direction along the axis. Thereby, observation in the direction in which the forceps protrudes and direct viewing at the time of insertion are compatible with each other in a space-saving manner.

(5) The endoscope according to any one of (1) to (4),
An endoscope, wherein a circuit formation surface of the side-view circuit board and a circuit formation surface of the direct-view circuit board are formed on the front and back surfaces of a single substrate.

  According to this endoscope, it is thinner than a laminated substrate in which two substrates are integrated, and further space saving is possible. In addition, by forming contact holes that penetrate through the front and back of a single substrate, bumps for external wiring connection can be concentrated on either the front or back surface, improving wiring workability and wiring convergence. it can.

  According to the endoscope of the present invention, the circuit board for side viewing is provided in parallel with the axis of the tip, and the surface opposite to the circuit forming surface of the circuit board for side viewing is also aligned with the surface opposite to the circuit forming surface. Since the circuit board for direct view is arranged in parallel, the assembly of the circuit board that enables imaging in two directions can be done with space saving and good wiring work without increasing the diameter of the tip, and high reliability Can be realized under gender.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of an endoscope will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the distal end portion of the endoscope, and FIG. 2 is an overall plan view of the endoscope having the distal end portion shown in FIG.
The endoscope 100 according to the present embodiment has a distal end portion 11 that enables imaging in two directions (side viewing direction and direct viewing direction). The endoscope 100 includes an operation unit 13 and an insertion unit 15 connected to the operation unit 13 and inserted into a body cavity. The insertion portion 15 includes a flexible tube 17, a bending portion 19, and the tip portion 11 described above. The distal end portion 11 provided on the distal end side of the bending portion 19 is also referred to as a hard portion and is made of a substantially columnar non-flexible body. A universal cable 21 is connected to the operation unit 13, and an LG connector (not shown) is provided at the distal end of the universal cable 21. The LG connector is detachably connected to the light source device, so that illumination light is sent to the illumination optical system of the distal end portion 11. In addition, an electrical connector is connected to the LG connector, and this electrical connector is detachably coupled to the processor.

  The operation unit 13 is provided with an air / water supply button 23, a suction button 25, a shutter button 27, and a function switching button 29, and angle knobs 31 and 31 as operation means. A lock knob 33 is provided on the surface of the angle knob 31, and the lock knob 33 can switch the bending state of the bending portion 19. The operation portion 13 is formed with a continuous portion 35 connected to the insertion portion 15, and the continuous portion 35 has a forceps insertion portion 37. The forceps insertion portion 37 leads out the treatment tool 39 from the forceps port 41 of the distal end portion 11 by inserting a treatment tool 39 such as forceps.

Here, FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG.
The forceps insertion portion 37 and the forceps port 41 shown in FIG. 1 are communicated by a forceps insertion passage 43 through which forceps are passed, and the forceps insertion passage 43 introduces the treatment tool 39 into the forceps port 41 without interfering with other parts. The introduced treatment tool 39 can be advanced and retracted from the forceps opening 41. The forceps insertion passage 43 is rotatably provided with a forceps guide member 45 having a smooth curved inner peripheral surface 45a. One end side of an arm 46 that rotates in conjunction with the forceps guide member 45 is connected to the rotation center of the forceps guide member 45, and the other end side of the arm 46 is pulled so that the forceps guide member 45 rotates. Has been made possible. The forceps guide member 45 regulates the advancing direction of the treatment tool 39.

  In other words, as shown in FIG. 3A, when the forceps guide member 45 is in a rotation position where the curved inner peripheral surface 45a does not protrude toward the central axis of the forceps insertion passage 43 (accommodated state of the forceps guide member 45), The tool 39 is guided from the distal end surface 47 of the distal end portion 11 along the axis 49 so as to advance and retreat. Further, as shown in FIG. 3B, when the curved inner peripheral surface 45a is set to the rotational position (the standing state of the forceps guide member 45) that protrudes toward the central axis side of the forceps insertion passage 43, the forceps guide member 45 is The treatment tool 39 is guided so as to be able to advance and retreat in the direction intersecting the axis 49 along the curved inner peripheral surface 45a. In other words, the treatment instrument 39 can freely advance and retract in a direction intersecting the axis 49 or in a direction along the axis 49.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the inside of the substrate housing portion seen through.
The distal end portion 11 accommodates a side-view circuit board 51 and a direct-view circuit board 53. A flat portion 55 shown in FIG. 1 parallel to the axis 49 is formed on the side of the cylindrical tip portion 11. The flat portion 55 is notched on one side in the direction orthogonal to the axis 49 as the forceps opening 41, and the remaining portion becomes the substrate housing portion 57. The side-view circuit board 51 and the direct-view circuit board 53 are arranged and accommodated in the board accommodation portion 57 in parallel with the plane portion 55.

5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 1, and FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the circuit board for side view and the circuit board for direct view shown in FIG.
The side-view circuit board 51 is provided in parallel with the axis 49 of the distal end portion 11 and receives light from the direction intersecting the axis 49 by the side-view imaging element 59 provided on the circuit forming surface 51a. The direct-view circuit board 53 is arranged in parallel (ie, back-to-back) with the circuit-forming surface 53a and the opposite surface 53b of the side-view circuit board 51 in parallel with the circuit-forming surface 53a and the opposite surface 53b. Is received by the direct-view imaging element 63 on the circuit forming surface 53a through the prism 61 which is a deflecting means.

  A side-viewing optical unit 67 including a plurality of lens groups 65 is provided on the side-view imaging element 59 of the side-view circuit board 51, and the side-viewing optical unit 67 is provided for the side view. The observation light received from the observation window 69 (see FIG. 1) is imaged on the side-view image sensor 59. A prism 61 that deflects the optical path at a right angle is provided on the direct-view image pickup device 63 of the direct-view circuit board 53, and a direct-view optical unit 73 including a plurality of lens groups 71 is provided on the light receiving side of the prism 61. The direct viewing optical unit 73 causes the observation light received from the direct viewing observation window 75 (see FIG. 1) provided on the distal end surface 47 to enter the light receiving side of the prism 61. In FIG. 5, reference numeral 77 denotes an air / water supply pipe, 79 denotes an air / water supply nozzle, and 81 and 83 denote side-view illumination optical means such as a light guide and direct-view illumination optical means.

  Therefore, the circuit board 51 for side view is arranged so that the circuit forming surface 51 a intersects the advance / retreat direction of the treatment tool 39. As a result, the circuit forming surface 51a can be arranged vertically in the protruding direction of the treatment instrument 39, and the observation light can be directly received by the side-view imaging element 59 mounted on the circuit forming surface 51a through a linear optical path. That is, it is possible to receive light with a small amount of space and without a deflection means.

  In the endoscope 100, the forceps port 41 is notched in the flat surface portion 55 formed on the side portion of the cylindrical body at the distal end portion 11, and the remaining portion serves as the substrate housing portion 57, so that the direction orthogonal to the axis line from the forceps port 41. The treatment tool 39 projected in the direction can be observed in the same direction by the side-view observation window 69 provided on the flat surface portion 55. At the same time, the direct-view circuit board 53 superimposed on the back can receive the observation light from the direction along the axis 49 through the direct-view observation window 75. As a result, the observation of the forceps protruding direction and the direct view at the time of inserting the distal end portion can be achieved in a space-saving manner without waste.

  In addition, external wiring connection portions 87 are provided on the outer rear end portions 51 c and 53 c of the side-view circuit board 51 and the direct-view circuit board 53, and the external wiring connection portion 87 includes a plurality of output terminals 91. The output terminal 91 is connected to the external wiring 95.

  In the endoscope 100, the bumps 87 for connecting the external wiring are located at the rear end portions 51c and 53c in the axial direction, so that the light receiving paths of the side-view circuit board 51 and the direct-view circuit board 53, the external wiring 95, The path of the external wiring 95 can be formed in the shortest and minimum space.

  As described above, in the endoscope 100, the side-view circuit board 51 and the direct-view circuit board 53 are overlapped in parallel with the circuit formation surface 51a and the circuit formation surface 53a facing outside, so that the circuit formation of the direct-view circuit board 53 is achieved. Since the prism 61 is provided on the surface 53a, the side-view circuit board 51 can receive light from the direction perpendicular to the board, while the direct-view circuit board 53 can receive light from the direction along the axis 49, saving space. Bidirectional imaging is possible. Further, the external wiring 95 can be taken out from the same side portion of the stacked substrates, and a useless wiring space is eliminated, and the focusing of the external wiring 95 is facilitated.

  Therefore, according to the endoscope 100 having the above-described configuration, the side view circuit board 51 is provided in parallel with the axis 49 of the distal end portion 11, and the circuit formation surface 51 a and the opposite surface 51 b of the side view circuit board 51 are similarly provided. Since the direct-view circuit board 53 is arranged in parallel with the circuit forming surface 53a and the opposite surface 53b, the circuit boards 51 and 53 that enable imaging in two directions can be assembled without increasing the diameter of the tip portion 11. It can be realized with space saving and good wiring work and high reliability.

  In the above-described embodiment, the configuration example in which the side-view circuit board 51 and the direct-view circuit board 53 are arranged in parallel with each other has been described. However, the endoscope has the side-view circuit board 51 and the direct-view circuit board. The circuit board 53 may be integrally laminated. Also in this configuration, the circuit forming surfaces 51a and 53a are arranged on the outer surfaces of the respective substrates in the same manner as described above.

  Further, the side-view circuit board 51 and the direct-view circuit board 53 may share a single board. In this case, the side viewing circuit and the direct viewing circuit are formed on the front and back surfaces of the single substrate, respectively. Thus, according to the structure made into the single board | substrate, it becomes thin compared with the laminated substrate which integrated two board | substrates, and further space saving is attained. In addition, by forming contact holes penetrating the front and back of a single substrate, bumps for external wiring connection can be gathered on either the front or back, further improving wiring workability and wiring convergence Can do.

It is a perspective view of the front-end | tip part of an endoscope. It is a whole top view of the endoscope which has a front-end | tip part shown in FIG. FIGS. 2A and 2B are cross-sectional views taken along line A-A in FIG. 1, in which FIG. 1A illustrates a state in which a treatment instrument is guided along an axis, and FIG. It is the perspective view which saw through the inside of a board | substrate accommodating part. It is BB arrow sectional drawing of FIG. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the side-view circuit board and the direct-view circuit board shown in FIG. 5.

Explanation of symbols

11 Tip 39 Treatment tool (forceps)
41 Forceps port 47 Front end surface 49 Axis 51, 53 Side-view circuit board 51a, 53a Circuit formation surface 51b, 53b Opposite side of circuit formation surface 51c, 53c Rear end portion 53 Direct-view circuit board 55 Plane portion 57 Substrate housing portion 59 Side-view image sensor 63 Direct-view image sensor 61 Prism (deflection means)
69 Side-view observation window 83 Direct-view observation window 87 Bump 100 for connecting external wiring Endoscope

Claims (5)

A side-view circuit board that receives light from a direction that is provided parallel to the axis of the tip at the tip and intersects the axis with a side-view imaging device mounted on a circuit forming surface;
A circuit is formed on the surface opposite to the circuit formation surface of the circuit board for side view, with the surface opposite to the circuit formation surface facing in parallel, and light in the direction along the axis is formed through the deflecting means. A direct-view circuit board that receives light with a direct-view image sensor mounted on the surface;
An endoscope characterized by comprising: The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein
An endoscope characterized in that bumps for external wiring connection are provided at rear ends of circuit forming surfaces of the side-view circuit board and the direct-view circuit board. The endoscope according to claim 1 or 2, wherein
Forceps are provided so as to be able to advance and retreat in a direction intersecting the axis from the forceps opening opened in the side surface of the tip portion,
The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the circuit board for side viewing is arranged so that the circuit forming surface intersects with the advancing and retreating direction of the forceps. The endoscope according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
A plane portion parallel to the axis is formed on the side of the cylindrical tip portion,
One side of the plane portion in the direction orthogonal to the axis is cut out as the forceps opening and the remaining portion is a substrate housing portion,
The endoscope characterized in that the side-view circuit board and the direct-view circuit board are arranged in the board housing part in parallel with the flat part. The endoscope according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
An endoscope, wherein a circuit formation surface of the side-view circuit board and a circuit formation surface of the direct-view circuit board are formed on the front and back surfaces of a single substrate.

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