JP2011156217A - Endoscope - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an endoscope where an optical probe or an optical fiber is easily repaired. <P>SOLUTION: The endoscope includes: a plurality of optical fibers serially arranged over a part from the proximal end to distal end of the optical probe; and a fiber connection part which is attached inside the case body of an immovable portion of the endoscope and serially connects a plurality of optical fibers. The fiber connection part includes: a first protective tube for protecting by coating, the connection point of the optical fibers bonded by fusion; a reinforcing member for reinforcing the connection point, which has a surface shape corresponding to a prescribed surface inside the case body of the immovable portion; and a second protective tube for fixing the first protective tube for protecting by coating, the connection point by abutting the first protective tube onto the reinforcing member by coating the first protective tube and the reinforcing member. The whole part of the surface of the reinforcing member corresponding to the prescribed surface is attached inside the case body in an adhering state onto the prescribed surface via the second protective tube. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an endoscope incorporating an optical fiber, and more particularly to an endoscope incorporating an optical fiber in the form of a splicable strand or core.

  Various endoscopes in which an optical probe such as a confocal probe, a scanning medical probe, or an OCT probe is disposed at the tip have been put into practical use. A specific configuration example of this type of endoscope is described in Patent Document 1. In such an endoscope, a single-core or single-core single mode is used to supply illumination light from the processor to the optical probe and to transmit observation light (return light from the subject) from the optical probe to the processor. Many use optical fiber (SMF: Single Mode Fiber).

  FIG. 8 illustrates optical wiring of a conventional endoscope including the endoscope described in Patent Document 1. FIG. 8 shows an example of the endoscope 2 provided with a confocal probe 2100 and a CCD image sensor (not shown) at the distal end of the insertion flexible tube 2120. The endoscope 2 includes a cable portion 2160 for connection to a confocal observation processor and a cable portion 2180 for connection to a normal observation processor. The SMF 2101 is passed through the entire length of the endoscope 2 from the distal end of the insertion flexible tube 2120 to the proximal end of the cable portion 2160, and the confocal probe 2100 and the confocal observation processor are optically transmitted by the SMF 2101. It is connected.

  Generally, a general-purpose optical connector is used for optical connection between the endoscope 2 and the confocal observation processor. The optical connector 2262 provided at the proximal end of the endoscope 2 tends to concentrate the force applied to the cable portion 2160 of the endoscope 2 and is frequently attached and detached. More prone to failure. However, it is difficult to repair the optical connector 2262 alone. Therefore, normally, the repair for replacing the entire optical pigtail 2260 is performed.

  In order to facilitate replacement of the optical pigtail 2260, a connection unit 2170 is provided at the proximal end of the cable portion 2160. The connection unit 2170 accommodates a connection surplus length on the proximal end side of the SMF 2101 and a connection portion 2102 that connects the SMF 2101 and the optical pigtail 2260. The connection unit 2170 is provided with an access panel (not shown) that can be attached or detached. When replacing the optical pigtail 2260, the access panel is opened, the connecting portion 2102 is removed, and the optical pigtail 2260 accommodated in the connection unit 2170 is pulled out. Then, a new optical pigtail 2260 is connected to the SMF 2101 using the newly prepared connection unit 2102 and accommodated in the connection unit 2170. Thus, by providing the connection unit 2170 at the base end of the cable portion 2160, the optical connector 2262 can be easily replaced without disassembling the configuration on the distal end side (insertion flexible tube 2120 side) from the connection unit 2170. Is possible.

JP 2005-198733 A

  However, the disconnection failure of the optical fiber can occur at a place other than the optical connector 2262. For example, the conventional endoscope 2 is not provided with a space for accommodating the connection portion 2102 of the SMF 2101 and the connection extra length other than the connection unit 2170 on the base end side. For this reason, when the disconnection of the optical fiber occurs on the tip side of the connection unit 2170, the entire endoscope 2 may be disassembled and all components such as the optical fiber and the optical probe may be replaced. Many. Even when partial repair is possible, a very high level of individual handling is required depending on the location of the disconnection, and it is pointed out that the repair requires a long time and a large cost.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide an endoscope in which an optical probe or an optical fiber can be easily repaired.

  An endoscope according to an embodiment of the present invention that solves the above problems includes an optical probe, a plurality of optical fibers wired in series from the proximal end to the distal end of the optical probe, and the endoscope A non-movable portion of the optical fiber connecting portion connected in series to connect a plurality of optical fibers. The fiber connection portion has a first protective tube that protects the connection point of the fusion-bonded optical fiber by coating, and a surface shape corresponding to a predetermined surface in the casing of the non-movable part, in order to reinforce the connection point. And a second protective tube for applying the first protective tube and the reinforcing member to the protective member by applying the first protective tube to the reinforcing member. And the entire surface of the reinforcing member corresponding to the predetermined surface is attached in the housing in a state of being in close contact with the predetermined surface via the second protective tube.

  According to such a configuration, the repair is completed simply by exchanging the optical fiber in the section where the damage or the like has occurred. Since the optical fiber in the damaged section can be removed or attached only by disassembling a part of the casing of the endoscope, the repair work is extremely simple. By disposing the connection point of the optical fiber in the casing of the non-movable part where stress is not easily applied, the risk of disconnection at the connection point where durability is a concern can be greatly reduced. In addition, the fiber connection portion is firmly attached to the housing by the entire surface corresponding to the predetermined surface being firmly fixed to the predetermined surface.

  The endoscope according to the present invention may further include a hand operation unit provided with an operation mechanism. In this case, the casing of the non-movable part is, for example, a casing of the hand operation unit. In this case, the predetermined surface is, for example, the surface of the circuit board for the hand operating unit.

  An endoscope according to the present invention includes an endoscope distal end portion on which a solid-state imaging device and a distal optical unit of an optical probe are mounted, and a signal line that transmits the output signal of the solid-state imaging device connected to the endoscope distal end portion. And a distribution pipe wired with an optical fiber for transmitting light from the tip optical unit, and a branching portion for branching the distribution pipe into the first and second cables, and outputting an output signal to the first cable It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which a signal line for transmitting is wired and an optical fiber is wired to the second cable. In this case, one of the casings of the non-movable part is, for example, a branching section casing. The predetermined surface at this time is, for example, the inner wall surface of the branching portion.

  In view of the convenience of repair, at least one connection surplus length of two optical fibers connected by the fiber connecting portion may be accommodated in the casing of the non-movable part.

  An example of the optical fiber assumed here is a single mode optical fiber having a fine diameter.

  The optical probe is, for example, a confocal probe or an OCT (Optical Coherence Tomograph) probe.

  According to the present invention, an endoscope in which an optical probe or an optical fiber can be easily repaired is provided.

It is a figure showing roughly a part of appearance and internal composition of a confocal endoscope system concerning an embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows schematic structure of the optical wiring of the 2nd imaging system accommodated in the electronic scope which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the example of arrangement | positioning structure of the sleeve which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the structure of the sleeve which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the external appearance of the hand operation part periphery which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is AA sectional drawing of FIG. 5, Comprising: It is a figure which shows the arrangement configuration example of a sleeve. It is a figure which shows the structure of the sleeve which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows schematically the optical wiring of the conventional endoscope.

  Hereinafter, a confocal endoscope system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing a part of the external appearance and internal configuration of a confocal endoscope system 1 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the confocal endoscope system 1 includes an electronic scope 100 for photographing a subject. The electronic scope 100 includes an insertion flexible tube 11 covered with a flexible sheath 11a. Connected to the distal end of the insertion flexible tube 11 is an insertion distal end portion 12 covered with a rigid resin casing. The bending portion 14 at the connection point between the insertion flexible tube 11 and the insertion distal end portion 12 is operated remotely from the hand operating portion 13 connected to the proximal end of the insertion flexible tube 11 (specifically, the bending operation knob). 13a), and can be bent freely. This bending mechanism is a well-known mechanism incorporated in a general electronic scope, and is configured to bend the bending portion 14 by pulling the operation wire in conjunction with the rotation operation of the bending operation knob 13a. By changing the direction of the insertion tip 12 according to the bending operation by the above operation, the imaging region by the electronic scope 100 moves. In this specification, in describing the electronic scope 100, the insertion distal end portion 12 side is defined as the distal end, and the opposite side (side connected to a processor described later) is defined as the proximal end.

  The confocal endoscope system 1 includes two imaging systems. One is an imaging system similar to a general endoscope imaging system (hereinafter, referred to as “first imaging system”) that images a subject with standard magnification and resolution. The other is an imaging system (hereinafter referred to as “second imaging system”) that images a subject at a higher magnification and higher resolution than the first imaging system. First, the first imaging system will be described.

  The confocal endoscope system 1 has a first processor 200 that constitutes a first imaging system. The first processor 200 is an apparatus that integrally includes a light source device 202 that illuminates a body cavity that does not reach natural light via the electronic scope 100, and a signal processing device 204 that processes an imaging signal from the electronic scope 100. . In another embodiment, the light source device 202 and the signal processing device 204 may be configured separately. The electronic scope 100 is electrically and optically connected to the first processor 200 via the first universal cable 15.

  Illumination light emitted from the light source device 202 is incident on an incident end of an LCB (light carrying bundle) 102 included in the electronic scope 100. The LCB 102 is disposed at a position where the incident end is coupled to the light source device 202, and the emission end is disposed in the insertion tip portion 12. Illumination light that has entered the entrance end of the LCB 102 propagates through the LCB 102 and exits from the exit end. The insertion tip 12 incorporates a light distribution lens 104, an objective lens 106, and a solid-state image sensor 108 that constitute a first imaging system. The illumination light emitted from the exit end illuminates the subject via the light distribution lens 104. The reflected light from the subject forms an optical image on the light receiving surface of the solid-state image sensor 108 via the objective lens 106.

  The solid-state imaging device 108 is, for example, a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) image sensor, and is driven at a timing synchronized with a video frame rate in accordance with a clock pulse supplied from the first processor 200. The solid-state image sensor 108 accumulates an optical image formed by each pixel on the light receiving surface as a charge corresponding to the amount of light, and converts it into a signal corresponding to each color of R, G, and B. The converted signal is transmitted through the insertion flexible tube 11 and the signal line wired in the first universal cable 15 to the signal processing device 204 via an insulating circuit (not shown) using a photocoupler or the like. input.

  The signal processing device 204 performs predetermined signal processing such as clamping, knee, γ correction, interpolation processing, AGC (Auto Gain Control), AD conversion, and the like on the output signal of the solid-state imaging device 108, and the processed signal is illustrated in the figure. Buffer in frame memory in omitted frame memory. The buffered signal is swept from the frame memory at a predetermined timing, and converted into a video signal conforming to a predetermined standard such as NTSC (National Television System Committee) or PAL (Phase Alternating Line). By sequentially inputting the converted video signals to the monitor 200M, a color image of a subject with standard magnification and resolution is displayed on the monitor 200M.

  Next, the second imaging system will be described. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of the optical wiring of the second imaging system housed in the electronic scope 100. As shown in FIG. 1 or 2, the second imaging system has a confocal optical unit 120 incorporated in the insertion tip 12. The confocal optical unit 120 is a unit designed by applying the principle of a confocal microscope, and is preferably configured to observe a subject with high magnification and high resolution. The confocal observation using the second imaging system is performed in a state where the end surface 12a of the insertion tip portion 12 located on the front surface of the confocal optical unit 120 is applied to the subject. On the other hand, when normal observation is performed using the first imaging system, in order to obtain a clear subject image without blurring, the arrangement surface of the objective lens 106 (the end surface 12b of the insertion tip 12 in FIG. 1) is, for example, It is necessary to move away from the subject by an amount corresponding to the focal length of the objective lens 106. Therefore, the distal end surface of the insertion distal end portion 12 is formed such that the end surface 12a is positioned to protrude from the end surface 12b by a predetermined amount. Therefore, when the end surface 12a is applied to the subject, the objective lens 106 is stabilized at a position where the subject is within the depth of field.

  The confocal endoscope system 1 has a second processor 300 that constitutes a second imaging system. The electronic scope 100 has a second universal cable 16 on the proximal end side. A connection unit 17 is provided at the base end of the second universal cable 16.

  The connection unit 17 includes a substantially box-shaped housing, and a circuit board (not shown) on which a drive circuit for operating the second imaging system is mounted is accommodated in the housing. Various plugs such as a duct plug and an electrical connection plug are provided on one side of the housing. These plugs are inserted into corresponding sockets provided in the second processor 300. The duct plug is a plug that is connected to an air cooling duct provided in the second processor 300 and introduces cooling air into the connection unit 17. The electrical connection plug is a plug for electrically connecting an electrical circuit in the connection unit 17 and a corresponding electrical circuit in the second processor 300. In FIG. 1, for the sake of simplifying the drawing, the electrical connection between the electronic scope 100 and the second processor 300 is omitted.

  A second universal cable 16 and an optical pigtail 18 are inserted into another side surface of the casing constituting the connection unit 17 (a surface opposite to the side surface provided with an electrical connection plug or the like). An optical connector 19 is attached to the proximal end of the optical pigtail 18. By inserting the optical connector 19 into an optical socket provided in the second processor 300, the second processor 300 and the electronic scope 100 are optically connected.

  In the housing of the connection unit 17, an optical connection tray (not shown) that accommodates an optical fiber connection portion and a connection surplus length is stored. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the optical connection tray has a connection length on the proximal end side of the optical fiber 122A wired in the second universal cable 16 in a loop shape (at least one turn or more). ) Contained. In the housing, the proximal end of the optical fiber 122A is fusion-connected to the distal end of the optical pigtail 18. The fusion spliced portion is covered with a sleeve 20 which is a reinforcing tube. For each optical fiber included in the second imaging system, for example, a single-core wire of a silica-based single mode optical fiber coated with an ultraviolet curable resin is used. Each optical fiber is covered with a protective tube over substantially the entire length.

  The second processor 300 includes a laser light source 302 that emits laser light having a wavelength that acts as excitation light on the subject. Laser light (for example, wavelength: 488 nm) emitted from the laser light source 302 propagates through the optical fiber 304 and enters the optical pigtail 18 via the photocoupler 306. The laser light sequentially propagates through each fiber (optical pigtail 18, optical fibers 122A, 122B, 122C) wired from the proximal end to the distal end of the electronic scope 100, and from the distal end 122c of the optical fiber 122C to the confocal optical unit 120. Is incident on. The front end 122c is supported in the confocal optical unit 120 so as to be movable in three axial directions (longitudinal direction of the confocal optical unit 120 and two directions perpendicular to each other and perpendicular to each other). It functions as a secondary point light source.

  The laser beam is focused on the surface or surface of the subject via an objective optical system (not shown) in the confocal optical unit 120. The laser beam emitted from the objective optical system scans the subject three-dimensionally according to the movement of the tip 122c of the optical fiber 122C in the three axial directions. The tip 122c is disposed at the front focal position of the objective optical system. Therefore, the tip 122c also functions as a confocal pinhole. That is, only the fluorescence from the condensing point that is optically conjugate with the tip 122c is incident on the tip 122c among the scattering components (fluorescence) of the subject illuminated by the laser light.

  The fluorescence that has entered the tip 122c of the optical fiber 122C returns on the same optical path in the electronic scope 100, is separated from the laser light from the laser light source 302 by the photocoupler 306, and then is detected by the photodetector 310 via the optical fiber 308. Is done. This detection signal is input to the image generation circuit 312. The image generation circuit 312 assigns a pixel address to a point image represented by each detection signal according to the detection timing of the detection signals that are sequentially input. The image generation circuit 312 buffers an image signal constituted by the spatial arrangement of each point image in the frame memory in units of frames according to the assigned pixel address. The buffered signal is swept from the frame memory at a predetermined timing, and converted into a video signal conforming to a predetermined standard such as NTSC or PAL. By sequentially inputting the converted video signal to the monitor 300M, a high-magnification and high-resolution three-dimensional confocal image of the subject is displayed on the monitor 300M.

  As described above, the optical connector 19 has a problem that it is easily damaged due to its structure. When the optical connector 19 is damaged, the operator performs repairs according to the following procedure. First, an access panel (not shown) provided on the connection unit 17 is removed. Next, the sleeve 20 fixed to the optical connection tray is removed, the vicinity of the proximal end of the optical fiber 122A is cut, and the optical pigtail 18 is pulled out from the connection unit 17 together with the sleeve 20. While the tip of the newly prepared optical pigtail 18 and the cut end of the optical fiber 122A are fusion-bonded, a coating protection treatment is performed on the fusion-bonded portion by the new sleeve 20, and the sleeve 20 is placed on the casing or the circuit board. Fix with screws. Finally, install the access panel to complete the repair work. The optical fiber 122A is shortened by being cut, but has a connection length, so that it can be connected to the optical pigtail 18 with a margin.

  This type of sleeve is difficult to attach inside a movable part such as the insertion flexible tube 11 in view of durability. In addition, the optical connector 19 is relatively easily damaged. For this reason, in the field of endoscope products, it has been considered as a common technical knowledge to perform fusion splicing between fibers only inside the connection unit 17. However, in this case, as described above, it is very complicated and disadvantageous in terms of cost when the disconnection of the optical fiber occurs on the tip side of the connection unit 17. The present applicant pays attention to such a problem and configures the electronic scope 100 as follows in order to effectively solve the problem.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a sleeve. In FIG. 3, for convenience of explanation, a part of the internal structure of the hand operating unit 13 is shown. As shown in FIG. 3, a substrate 21 is attached inside the hand operation unit 13. On the substrate 21, the connection excess of the optical fiber 122 </ b> B is attached in a loop shape (at least one turn or more) by a plurality of fiber fixing members 22. The base end of the optical fiber 122 </ b> C and the distal end of the optical fiber 122 </ b> B are protected by the sleeve 23 while being fusion-spliced. The substrate 21 may be a dedicated substrate for attaching the sleeve 23, and is printed with a hand operation unit 13 originally provided in the hand operation unit 13 (for example, a switch pattern for operation buttons). It may be a circuit board.

  FIG. 4 shows the configuration of the sleeve 23. 4A and 4B are an internal structure diagram (side view) and a front view, respectively, of the sleeve 23 before the fusion splicing portion is protected by coating. As shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the sleeve 23 includes an inner tube 23a and a reinforcing member 23b. The reinforcing member 23b is formed in a rectangular shape, and the length in the longitudinal direction is substantially the same as that of the inner tube 23a. At both ends in the longitudinal direction of the reinforcing member 23b, screw holes 23c with female threads are provided. The inner tube 23a and the reinforcing member 23b are included in the outer tube 23d. The outer tube 23d is shorter than the inner tube 23a and the reinforcing member 23b, and the screw hole 23c is not covered with the outer tube 23d.

  The inner tube 23a and the outer tube 23d are heat shrinkable tubes. 4C and 4D are an internal structure diagram (side view) and a front view, respectively, of the sleeve 23 in a state where these tubes are thermally contracted to protect the fusion spliced portion with a coating. As shown in FIGS. 4C and 4D, the inner tube 23a heat-shrinks to protect the fusion spliced portion by coating. Further, the outer tube 23d thermally protects the inner tube 23a and the reinforcing member 23b by coating. At this time, the inner tube 23a comes into contact with and closely contacts the reinforcing member 23b, so that the fusion splicing portion is reinforced. In the state where the fusion splicing portion is reinforced, the sleeve 23 is screwed by inserting a screw 28 into the screw hole 23c. When the substantially entire bottom surface of the reinforcing member 23b (the surface opposite to the surface to which the inner tube 23a is in close contact and is a flat surface) is in close contact with the substrate 21 directly or through the outer tube 23d, the sleeve 23 is It is firmly fixed to.

  The space in the hand operating portion 13 that accommodates the sleeve 23 is a space that is externally covered by a resin-made housing having rigidity, and is not a movable portion and is not stressed. Therefore, the risk of damage to the fusion splicing portion is extremely low. In addition, it is easy to secure a space for storing connection surplus.

  As an example, consider a case where the optical fiber 122C wired in the insertion flexible tube 11 that is relatively loaded is damaged. In this case, the worker performs repairs according to the following procedure. First, an access panel (not shown) provided in the hand operation unit 13 is removed. Next, the sleeve 23 fixed to the substrate 21 is removed, the vicinity of the proximal end of the optical fiber 122B is cut, and the optical fiber 122C is pulled out from the insertion flexible tube 11. In some cases, the insertion flexible tube 11 and the insertion tip 12 may be disassembled to facilitate the work. However, the configuration on the base end side with respect to the hand operation unit 13 is not disassembled. Next, while the tip of the newly prepared optical fiber 122C and the cut end of the optical fiber 122B are fusion spliced, a coating protection treatment is performed on the fusion spliced portion with a new sleeve 23, and the sleeve 23 is screwed to the substrate 21. And fix. Finally, install the access panel to complete the repair work. The optical fiber 122B is shortened by being cut, but has a connection excess length, so that it can be connected to the optical fiber 122C with a margin. Note that the fusion connection may be performed in a state where the optical fiber 122C is loosened. In this case, it is possible to fuse and connect the optical fiber 122B and the optical fiber 122C using the slack (that is, the connection surplus length) of the optical fiber 122C.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an external appearance around the hand operating unit 13. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 5 and shows an example of the arrangement configuration of sleeves. As shown in FIG. 6, the electronic scope 100 has a configuration in which a first branch cylinder 24 connected to a proximal end of the hand operating unit 13 is branched into two by a second branch cylinder 25. One branch path of the second branch cylinder 25 communicates with the first universal cable 15, and the other communicates with the second universal cable 16. A metal tube 27 is attached to the inner wall of the first branch cylinder 24. On the inner wall of the metal tube 27, the proximal end of the optical fiber 122 </ b> B and the distal end of the optical fiber 122 </ b> A are fusion-connected, and the fusion-bonded portion is protected by the sleeve 26. The sleeve 26 is fixed to the inner wall of the metal tube 27 by screwing with a screw 28 passed from the outer wall side of the metal tube 27. The metal tube 27 may be replaced with a resin tube.

  FIG. 7 shows the configuration of the sleeve 26. FIGS. 7A and 7B are an internal structure diagram (side view) and a front view of the sleeve 26 before the fusion spliced portion is protected by the coating. As shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, the sleeve 26 includes an inner tube 26a and a reinforcing member 26b. Although the reinforcing member 26b is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, as shown in FIG. 7B, it can be seen that the bottom shape when facing from the front is a curved surface. The reinforcing member 26b has substantially the same length in the longitudinal direction as the inner tube 26a. At both ends in the longitudinal direction of the reinforcing member 26b, screw holes 26c with female threads are provided. The inner tube 26a and the reinforcing member 26b are included in the outer tube 26d. The outer tube 26d is shorter than the inner tube 26a and the reinforcing member 26b, and the screw hole 26c is not covered with the outer tube 26d.

  The inner tube 26a and the outer tube 26d are heat shrinkable tubes. FIGS. 7C and 7D are an internal structure diagram (side view) and a front view, respectively, of the sleeve 26 in a state where these tubes are thermally contracted to protect the fusion spliced portion. As shown in FIGS. 7C and 7D, the inner tube 26a is heat-shrinked to protect the fusion spliced portion by coating. Further, the outer tube 26d is thermally contracted to protect the inner tube 26a and the reinforcing member 26b by coating. At this time, the inner tube 26a abuts against and closely contacts the reinforcing member 26b, thereby reinforcing the fusion splicing portion. The sleeve 26 is screwed by inserting a screw 28 into the screw hole 26c in a state where the fusion splicing portion is reinforced.

  The curvature of the bottom surface (curved surface) of the reinforcing member 26 b is substantially equal to the curvature of the inner wall surface of the metal tube 27. For this reason, the bottom surface of the reinforcing member 26b is in close contact with the inner wall surface of the metal tube 27 directly or via the outer tube 26d when screwed. As a result, the sleeve 26 is firmly fixed to the metal tube 27.

  The space around the branch structure (the first branch cylinder 24 and the second branch cylinder 25) that accommodates the sleeve 26 is a space that is sheathed by a rigid resin casing and is not a movable part and is not stressed. The risk of breakage of the fusion splice is extremely low. However, unlike the hand operating unit 13, the parts such as the board 21 are not originally provided around the branch structure, and there is no space for additional mounting of the parts. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the shape of the reinforcing member 26 b is made to correspond to the internal structure of the first branch cylinder 24, thereby realizing stable attachment of the sleeve 26.

  For example, consider a case where the optical fiber 122A is broken. In this case, the worker performs repairs according to the following procedure. First, disassemble the case of the branch structure. Next, the sleeve 26 fixed to the metal tube 27 is removed, and the vicinity of the proximal end of the optical fiber 122B is cut. Further, the access panel of the connection unit 17 is removed. Next, the sleeve 20 fixed to the optical connection tray is removed, and the vicinity of the tip of the optical pigtail 18 is cut. Then, the optical fiber 122A is pulled out from the connection unit 17 side or from the branch structure side. In some cases, the second universal cable 16 may be disassembled to facilitate the work. However, the structure on the tip side of the hand operating unit 13 is not disassembled. Next, while the tip of the newly prepared optical fiber 122A and the cut end of the optical fiber 122B are fusion-bonded, a coating protection treatment is performed on the fusion-bonded portion by the new sleeve 26, and the sleeve 26 is screwed onto the metal tube 27. Stop and fix. Also, while the base end of the optical fiber 122A and the cut end of the optical pigtail 18 are fusion-bonded, a coating protection treatment is performed on the fusion-bonded portion by the new sleeve 20, and the sleeve 20 is screwed onto the casing or the circuit board. Stop and fix. Finally, the disassembled structure around the branch structure is assembled and the access panel of the connection unit 17 is attached to complete the repair work. In the vicinity of the sleeve 26, the optical fibers 122A and 122B are attached in a relaxed state. The optical fiber 122B is shortened by being cut, but has the slack (that is, a connection surplus length), and therefore can be connected to the optical fiber 122A with a margin. In the optical pigtail 18, the part (optical pigtail 18) may be selected so that slack is generated in the vicinity of the tip of the optical pigtail 18 so as to ensure a connection surplus length.

  The above is the description of the embodiment of the present invention. The present invention is not limited to the above-described configuration, and various modifications as exemplified below are possible within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention. For example, the probe configuration to which the present invention is applied is not limited to a confocal probe, and other types of optical probes (using a single mode optical fiber) such as a scanning medical probe and an OCT probe are also assumed.

  In the above embodiment, when the optical fiber is broken, repair is performed to replace it. In another embodiment, in addition to the replacement, a procedure for additionally wiring the optical fiber may be performed. For example, when the optical fiber 122A is broken, it is replaced with a new optical fiber 122A and the optical fiber 122D is spliced between the optical fibers 122A and 122B. Since the extra connection length becomes longer, the repair becomes even easier.

  The above embodiment is an example in which the present invention is applied to an endoscope using a silica-based single mode optical fiber. In another embodiment, the present invention may be applied to, for example, an optical fiber formed from multicomponent glass or plastic, an endoscope using a multimode optical fiber, or the like.

  Moreover, said embodiment is an example which applied this invention to the endoscope by which one optical fiber single core wire was wired. In another embodiment, the present invention is also applied to, for example, a multi-core tape core wire or an endoscope in which a plurality of core wires are wired. Further, a single core wire having a large diameter of about 0.9 mm covered with a thermoplastic resin such as nylon or PEEK (Poly Ether Ether Ketone) may be used. In this case, it is not necessary to cover the optical fiber with a protective tube.

  Moreover, said embodiment is an example which accommodates the fusion splicing part coat | covered and protected by the reinforcement tube in each fiber accommodating part. In another embodiment, for example, a connection part using an optical connector or a mechanical splice may be accommodated in the fiber accommodation part. When applying an optical connector, it is desirable to fix the adapter to the fiber accommodating portion. When an optical connector is applied, an MU type optical connector, an LC type optical connector, an MT type optical connector, an MPO type optical connector, etc. that can be accommodated in a narrow arrangement space are suitable.

  Further, the fusion splicing portion may be recoated with an ultraviolet curable resin or the like. In this case, it is desirable to perform connection by a high-strength fusion splicing system that suppresses generation of cracks on the cladding surface of the optical fiber in a series of fusion splicing processes and obtains a high mechanical strength connection.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Confocal endoscope system 17 Connection unit 18 Optical pigtail 19 Optical connector 20, 23, 26 Sleeve 100 Electronic scope 122A, 122B, 122C Optical fiber

Claims (8)

In endoscopes with built-in optical probes,
A plurality of optical fibers wired in series from the proximal end to the distal end of the optical probe;
A fiber connection part, which is attached in a housing of the non-movable part of the endoscope, and connects the plurality of optical fibers in series;
Have
The fiber connection part is
A first protective tube that protects the connection point of the optical fiber that has been fusion spliced,
A reinforcing member for reinforcing the connection point, having a surface shape corresponding to a predetermined surface in the housing of the non-movable part;
A second protective tube that coats the first protective tube and the reinforcing member to fix the connection point to the reinforcing member by applying a portion of the first protective tube that protects the connection point to the coating;
Have
An endoscope, wherein the entire surface of the reinforcing member corresponding to the predetermined surface is attached to the casing in a state of being in close contact with the predetermined surface via the second protective tube. It further has a hand operating part provided with an operating mechanism,
The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the casing of the non-movable part is a casing of the hand operating unit.   The endoscope according to claim 2, wherein the predetermined surface is a surface of a circuit board for the hand operation unit. An endoscope distal end portion on which a solid-state imaging device and a distal optical unit of the optical probe are mounted;
A signal line that is connected to the endoscope distal end, transmits an output signal of the solid-state imaging device, and a wiring pipe wired with the optical fiber that transmits light from the distal optical unit,
A branching portion for branching the wiring pipe into the first and second cables;
Further comprising
The first cable is wired with a signal line for transmitting the output signal,
The optical fiber is wired to the second cable,
The endoscope according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the casing of the non-movable part is the casing of the branch portion.   The endoscope according to claim 4, wherein the predetermined surface is an inner wall surface of the branch portion.   The at least one connection surplus length of the two optical fibers connected by the fiber connection part is accommodated in the casing of the non-movable part. The endoscope according to any one of 5.   The endoscope according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the optical fiber is a single mode optical fiber.   The endoscope according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the optical probe is a confocal probe or an OCT (Optical Coherence Tomograph) probe.

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