JP2012239845A - Endoscope device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an endoscope which can accurately detect the bend angle of a flexible tube in an insertion portion and is suitable for a reduction in diameter of the flexible tube in the insertion portion.SOLUTION: The endoscope device comprises a bendable flexible tube 12 in the insertion portion and a wire 22 that is displaceable in a longitudinal direction. The wire 22 is inserted into the flexible tube 12 in the insertion portion and is coupled to a front end 14 of the flexible tube 12 in the insertion portion. Four rotating bodies are in pressure-contact with the wire 22 to detect the bend angle of the flexible tube 12 in the insertion portion. When the wire 22 is displaced in a longitudinal direction, the rotating bodies are rotated. The amount of rotation of the rotating bodies is detected by a rod member that is fixed to and rotated integrally with the rotating bodies. The amount of rotation of the rod member is converted to the bend angle of the flexible tube 12 in the insertion portion.

Description

  The present invention relates to an endoscope apparatus, and more particularly to an apparatus for detecting a bending angle of an insertion portion flexible tube.

  Conventionally, in order to detect the bending angle of the insertion portion flexible tube, an optical fiber disposed inside is known (Patent Document 1). The optical fiber extends from the vicinity of the light source, is inserted through the insertion portion flexible tube, is folded at the distal end portion of the insertion portion flexible tube, and reaches the vicinity of the light source. Next to the light source generator, a light quantity measuring device is provided to measure light that has passed through the optical fiber. The optical fiber is provided with a number of light absorbing portions. The amount of light incident on the light absorber changes depending on the bending angle. Therefore, the bending angle can be detected by measuring the amount of light that has passed through the optical fiber. Moreover, the optical fiber which does not have a light absorption part is arrange | positioned with the same form at the insertion part flexible tube. This is to eliminate the influence of the temperature dependence of the optical fiber. Thus, since it is necessary to provide, for example, three optical fibers in the insertion portion flexible tube, the insertion portion flexible tube must be formed in a large diameter.

JP 2003-93326 A

  However, in order to grasp a more accurate bending angle, it is necessary to arrange more optical fibers, and such a configuration causes a problem that the diameter of the insertion portion flexible tube cannot be reduced. An object of the present invention is to provide an endoscope that can detect an accurate bending angle of an insertion portion flexible tube and is suitable for reducing the diameter of the insertion portion flexible tube.

  The present invention relates to a bendable insertion portion flexible tube, a string-like member that is inserted into the insertion portion flexible tube and connected to the distal end portion of the insertion portion flexible tube, and is displaceable in the longitudinal direction. A bending angle detecting means for obtaining a displacement amount in the longitudinal direction of the member and converting the displacement amount into a bending angle of the flexible tube.

  The bending angle detection means preferably includes a driven member that is driven by the displacement of the string-like member.

  The driven member may be a rotating body that presses against the string-like member and rotates with the displacement of the string-like member. If a rotating body is used, a relatively simple structure can be obtained.

  As the bending angle detection means, a displacement amount measuring means for measuring the displacement amount of the driven member may be used.

  The displacement amount measuring means may use an electric signal converting means for converting the displacement amount into an electric signal. The electric signal conversion means includes, for example, an electronic component whose physical quantity is variable, and is configured to obtain an electric signal by converting the displacement amount into a physical quantity.

  Insertion portion Provided on the opposite side of the distal end of the flexible tube, the handle portion that can manipulate the displacement of the string-like member, the operation amount of the handle portion, and the displacement of the string-like body that is displaced in conjunction with this operation amount And a monitor for displaying the quantity.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to detect an accurate bending angle of the insertion portion flexible tube and to reduce the diameter of the insertion portion flexible tube.

1 is an overall view of an endoscope system according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic diagram of the principal part of the endoscope of FIG. It is the schematic of a displacement amount measurement part. It is a figure which cut | disconnects and shows a displacement measuring part by the plane perpendicular | vertical to a wire. It is the schematic which shows the structure for measuring the displacement amount of a wire. FIG. 6 is an electrical block diagram of the configuration shown in FIG. 5. It is the schematic of a monitor and a display image.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is an overall view showing an endoscope apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. An endoscope apparatus is used for, for example, observation in a body cavity in the medical field, and a therapeutic treatment can be performed on a site in a body cavity of a living body using a treatment tool inserted into a treatment tool channel.

  The endoscope apparatus 10 is provided with an insertion portion flexible tube 12 that can be bent and an operation portion 17 having a handle portion 16. The operation portion 17 is provided on the opposite side of the distal end portion 14 of the insertion portion flexible tube 12. A tubular member 18 is connected to the operation portion 17, and the tubular member 18 extends in a direction different from that of the insertion portion flexible tube 12. A connecting portion 20 is provided at the other end of the tubular member 18, and the connecting portion 20 is electrically connected to a processor 70 for performing image processing and the like. A monitor 72 is electrically connected to the processor 70.

  FIG. 2 schematically shows from the handle portion 16 to the distal end portion 14 of the endoscope apparatus 10 (see FIG. 1). A wire (string member) 22 is wound around and engaged with the handle portion 16. The wire 22 is inserted into the insertion portion flexible tube 12, and both ends of the wire 22 are connected to the distal end portion 14. The handle portion 16 can displace the wire 22 by rotating.

  FIG. 2 shows a state where the handle portion 16 is rotated clockwise. When the handle portion 16 is rotated clockwise, the left wire 22 is wound around the handle portion 16 and displaced upward in the figure. As the wire 22 is displaced, the insertion portion flexible tube 12 is bent to the left in the drawing. Similarly, when the handle portion 16 is turned counterclockwise, the handle portion 16 is bent to the right side in the drawing.

  3 and 4 are schematic views of the displacement measuring unit (displacement measuring means) 30. FIG. FIG. 4 shows a state in which FIG. 3 is viewed from above in the longitudinal direction of the wire 22. The four spherical rotating bodies (driven members) 24 are held in the cylindrical member 26 by engaging with the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical member 26. A rod-shaped member 28 is fixed to one of the four rotating bodies 24. The end of the rod-shaped member 28 is embedded in the rotating body 24 and reaches the center. The rod-shaped member 28 is located in a plane including the centers of the four rotating bodies 24, extends in the vertical direction of the longitudinal direction of the wire 22, and coincides with the rotational axis of the rotating body 24.

  When the wire 22 is displaced in the longitudinal direction, the rotating body 24 rotates in the direction of the arrow along with the displacement. When the rotating body 24 rotates, the rod-shaped member 28 also rotates integrally with the rotating body 24. Therefore, the amount of displacement of the wire 22 can be measured via the amount of rotation of the rod-shaped member 28.

  5 and 6 show an electric signal conversion unit (electric signal conversion means) 32 for converting the displacement amount, that is, the rotation amount of the rod-shaped member 28 into an electric signal. The electric signal conversion unit 32 includes an electronic component (variable resistor 40) having a variable physical quantity (resistance value), and converts an electric signal by converting a displacement amount (rotation amount of the rod-shaped member 28) into a physical quantity of the electronic component. obtain. FIG. 6 shows a state in which the rod-shaped member 28 is viewed from above in the rotation axis direction.

  The substrate 46 includes a variable resistor 40, a fixed resistor 48, and an AD converter 50. The variable resistor 40 and the fixed resistor 48 are connected in series. One terminal of the variable resistor 40 is connected to the power source 52 and the other terminal is connected to one terminal of the fixed resistor 48. One terminal of the fixed resistor 48 is connected to the ground 54, and the other terminal is connected to one terminal of the variable resistor 40. A node 56 to which the terminals of the variable resistor 40 and the fixed resistor 48 are connected is connected to an input terminal 58 of the AD converter 50. That is, the divided voltage of the variable resistor 40 and the fixed resistor 48 is applied to the input terminal 58.

  The resistance value of the variable resistor 40 changes as the resistance value variable unit 44 rotates. A groove 42 is formed in the variable resistance portion 44, and a plate-like member (not shown) formed at the tip of the rod-like member 28 is engaged with the groove 42. That is, the rotation of the rod-shaped member 28 is transmitted to the variable resistor 40 via the resistance value variable unit 44, and the resistance value of the variable resistor 40 changes.

  The analog voltage signal input to the input terminal 58 is converted into a digital signal by the AD converter 50 and input to the processor 70. The processor 70 converts the input digital signal into a bending angle.

  FIG. 7 shows the monitor 72. The image display unit 74 displays a captured image of the endoscope. The bending angle is represented by a handle portion image 76 and gauges 78 and 79 representing the bending angle. The gauges 78 and 79 are provided with a slider 80, and the bending angle can be recognized from the position of the slider 80. The gauge 78 represents the bending angle in the vertical direction, the symbol D means the downward direction, and the symbol U means the upward direction. The gauge 79 represents the bending angle in the left-right direction, the symbol L means the left direction, and the symbol R means the right direction. The slider 80 is displaced in conjunction with the rotation angle of the handle portion 16 turned by the operator. Therefore, the operator can know sensuously the degree of bending of the insertion portion flexible tube 12 by the operation of the handle portion 16.

  In FIG. 2, only one wire 22 is shown for the sake of simplicity of description. A wire is provided. The wire is not limited to the configuration wound around the handle portion 16, and may be any wire that is displaced by the rotation of the handle portion 16. Further, although the number of the rotating bodies 24 in FIG. 3 is four, any number may be used as long as the rod-shaped member 28 does not interfere with the rotation. The rotating body 24 is not limited to a sphere, and may be any member that transmits the displacement of the wire 22 such as a gear. The variable resistor 40 of FIG. 6 may be an electronic component having a variable physical quantity, and for example, a variable capacitor may be used. Moreover, you may measure a displacement amount by converting not only to electricity but to light.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Endoscope apparatus 12 Insertion part flexible tube 14 Tip part 16 Handle part 18 Tubular member 20 Connection part 22 Wire 24 Rotating body 26 Cylindrical member 28 Bar-shaped member 30 Displacement amount measurement part 42 Groove 44 Resistance value variable part 46 Substrate 48 Fixed resistor 50 AD converter 52 Power supply 54 Ground 56 Node 58 Input terminal 70 Processor 72 Monitor 74 Image display section 76 Handle section image 78, 79 Gauge 80 Slider

Claims (7)

A flexible insertion tube that can be bent;
A string-like member that is inserted into the insertion portion flexible tube, is connected to the distal end portion of the insertion portion flexible tube, and is displaceable in the longitudinal direction;
An endoscope apparatus comprising: a bending angle detection unit that obtains a displacement amount in a longitudinal direction of a string-like member and converts the displacement amount into a bending angle of the insertion portion flexible tube.   The endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the bending angle detection fixing unit includes a driven member that is driven by displacement of the string-like member.   The endoscope apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the driven member is a rotating body that presses against the string-like member and rotates with the displacement of the string-like member.   The endoscope apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the bending angle detection unit includes a displacement amount measuring unit that measures a displacement amount of the driven member.   The endoscope apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the displacement amount measuring unit includes an electric signal conversion unit that converts the displacement amount into an electric signal.   The endoscope apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the electrical signal conversion unit includes an electronic component having a variable physical quantity, and obtains the electrical signal by converting the displacement amount into the physical quantity. A handle portion provided on the opposite side of the distal end portion of the insertion portion flexible tube and capable of operating the displacement of the string-like member;
The endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a monitor that displays an operation amount of the handle portion and a displacement amount of the string-like body that is displaced in association with the operation amount.

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