JP2014188210A - Endoscope system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an endoscope system for achieving an electromagnetic shield and heat radiation in a connection part between an endoscope body and an image processor while avoiding enlargement.SOLUTION: In an endoscope system 1 including an endoscope body 2 having an insertion part 5 inserted into an observation object and a plug part 6 provided at the back of the insertion part, and a video processor 3 having a socket part 7 to which the plug part is connected, the plug part is provided with a heat radiation unit for transmitting heat that is generated to the outside, the socket part is provided with a heat sink for promoting heat radiation of the heat radiation unit with the plug part connected to the socket part, and a shield member 81 for shielding electromagnetic noise generated from the plug part, and the heat sink includes a conductive member connected electrically to the shield member, and is arranged together with the shield member so as to surround the plug part with the plug part connected to the socket part.

Description

  The present invention relates to an endoscope system that images the inside of an observation target that cannot be directly observed from the outside.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an endoscope system including an endoscope main body having an insertion portion that is inserted into an observation target and a video processor that processes an image acquired by the endoscope main body has been widespread. In this type of endoscope system, the plug portion provided on the endoscope main body side is inserted into the socket portion provided on the video processor side, so that they are connected to each other. There exists a technique for preventing leakage of electromagnetic noise generated from a circuit board or the like in such a connection portion. For example, a shield case (metal case for shielding) is provided in a case of a plug portion that is attached to and detached from a video processor. The provided structure is known (see Patent Document 1).

  On the other hand, in an endoscope system including an illuminating device, the output of a light source for illumination tends to increase, and it is necessary to efficiently dissipate heat generated from the light source or the like. Therefore, for example, in an endoscope system in which a plug part provided at one end of an optical transmission cable is connected to a socket part of a light source device, a heat radiating member for radiating heat of the plug part fitted in the socket part is provided in the socket part. What was provided in the side is known (refer patent document 2).

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-190086 JP 2004-57225 A

  In recent years, the endoscope system as described above has been further miniaturized, and thereby the internal space of the endoscope main body and the video processor has been narrowed. However, when a shield case (electromagnetic shield function) as described in Patent Document 1 and a heat dissipation member (heat dissipation function) as described in Patent Document 2 are both employed in an endoscope system, There is a problem that the endoscope main body, the video processor, and the like are increased in size to hinder downsizing of the endoscope system.

  The present invention has been devised in view of such problems of the prior art, avoiding an increase in the size of the endoscope system, and an electromagnetic shield at the connecting portion between the endoscope main body and the image processing apparatus, and The main purpose is to provide an endoscope system that can realize heat dissipation.

  An endoscope system according to the present invention includes an endoscope body having an insertion portion to be inserted into an observation target and a connection portion provided at a rear portion of the insertion portion, and a connected portion to which the connection portion is connected. An endoscope system including an image processing apparatus having a heat dissipation unit for transmitting generated heat to the outside, and the connected portion including the connected portion and the connection In a state of being connected to the portion, a heat dissipation promotion means for promoting heat dissipation of the heat dissipation unit and a shield member for performing electromagnetic shielding of the connection portion are provided, and the heat dissipation promotion means is electrically connected to the shield member. The conductive member is disposed so as to surround the coupling portion together with the shield member in a coupled state between the coupled portion and the coupling portion.

  According to the present invention, there is an excellent effect that it is possible to realize electromagnetic shielding and heat radiation at a connection portion between an endoscope main body and an image processing device while avoiding an increase in size of an endoscope system.

1 is an overall configuration diagram of an endoscope system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Main part exploded perspective view of plug part of endoscope main body Assembly explanatory diagram of the heat radiating unit 30 in the plug portion shown in FIG. The perspective view of the bottom face side of the plug part in the endoscope body Cross section of the main part of the internal structure of the plug part in the endoscope body Perspective view of main part of internal structure of video processor A perspective view of the bottom side of the socket in the video processor Cross section of the main part showing the connection between the plug and socket Cross-sectional view of the main part showing the fixing structure of the socket part to the housing The principal part perspective view which shows the positional relationship of a plug part, a heat sink, and a shield plate Plan view of internal structure of video processor Block diagram showing configurations of patient circuit and secondary circuit Explanatory drawing showing thermal connection between heat dissipation unit and heat sink by connecting plug and socket Explanatory drawing which shows the change of the fitting state of the leaf | plate spring and fixing plate at the time of a connection of a plug part and a socket part

  The first invention made to solve the above-described problem is that an endoscope main body having an insertion portion to be inserted into an observation target and a connection portion provided at a rear portion of the insertion portion, and the connection portion are connected to each other. An image processing apparatus having a connected portion to be connected, wherein the connecting portion is provided with a heat radiating unit for transmitting generated heat to the outside, and the connected portion includes In a connected state between the connected portion and the connecting portion, a heat dissipation promoting means for promoting heat dissipation of the heat radiating unit and a shield member for performing electromagnetic shielding of the connecting portion are provided, and the heat dissipation promoting means is the shield member And a conductive member that is electrically connected to the connected portion and the connecting portion in a connected state so as to surround the connecting portion together with the shield member.

  According to the endoscope system according to the first aspect of the present invention, the heat radiation accelerating means including the conductive member is disposed so as to surround the connecting portion together with the shield member and functions as a part of the shield member (that is, electromagnetic noise). Therefore, it is not necessary to arrange a shield member in the region where the heat radiation promoting means (conductive member) is arranged. Accordingly, it is possible to realize electromagnetic shielding and heat dissipation at the connecting portion between the endoscope main body and the image processing apparatus while avoiding an increase in the size of the endoscope system.

  According to a second aspect, in the first aspect, the image processing apparatus includes a housing, and a patient circuit and a secondary circuit that are disposed in the housing while being electrically insulated from each other. The shield member is electrically connected to the ground of the patient circuit.

  According to the endoscope system according to the second invention, since the shield member is electrically connected to the ground of the patient circuit, an effective electromagnetic shield is realized with a simple configuration.

  According to a third aspect, in the second aspect, the ground of the secondary circuit is electrically connected to the housing, and the heat radiation promoting means is connected to the connected portion and the connecting portion. In a state, it is arranged with a predetermined gap with respect to the casing.

  According to the endoscope system according to the third aspect of the present invention, since the heat radiation accelerating means is arranged with a predetermined gap with respect to the housing, the electrical connection between the patient circuit and the secondary circuit can be achieved with a simple configuration. The insulation state can be maintained.

  According to a fourth aspect, in the third aspect, the image processing apparatus further includes an insulating member disposed in the gap in a connected state of the connected portion and the connecting portion. Features.

  According to the endoscope system according to the fourth aspect of the invention, since the insulating member is disposed in the gap between the heat radiation promoting means and the housing, the electrical insulation state between the patient circuit and the secondary circuit is more reliably ensured. Can be maintained.

  According to a fifth invention, in any one of the first to fourth inventions, the heat dissipation unit includes a heat transfer plate exposed from an outer shell of the connecting portion, and the heat dissipation promoting means is connected to the connected object. A heat sink that comes into contact with the heat transfer plate when the connecting portion is connected to the connection portion, and the connected portion includes the heat transfer plate in the connected state between the connected portion and the connecting portion. An urging means for pressing the connecting portion in a direction to be brought into contact with the side is provided, and the urging means includes a conductive member electrically connected to the shield member, and the connected portion and the connecting portion In the connected state, the shield member is disposed so as to surround the connecting portion.

  According to the endoscope system of the fifth invention, the biasing means including the conductive member is disposed so as to surround the connecting portion together with the shield member and functions as a part of the shield member. There is no need to place a shield member in the region where the (conductive member) is placed. Accordingly, it is possible to realize electromagnetic shielding and heat dissipation at the connecting portion between the endoscope main body and the image processing apparatus while avoiding an increase in the size of the endoscope system.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, about the direction used for description, it shall follow the description of the direction in FIG. 1 in principle. Here, “upper” and “lower” correspond to the upper and lower sides of the video processor 3 respectively, and “front (front)” and “rear” respectively correspond to the insertion portion 5 side and the plug portion 6 side of the endoscope body 2. Correspond.

  FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of an endoscope system according to an embodiment of the present invention. An endoscope system 1 includes an endoscope body 2 which is a medical flexible endoscope, and well-known image processing for still images and moving images obtained by photographing the inside of an observation target (here, a human body). And a video processor (image processing apparatus) 3 that performs the above. The endoscope body 2 includes an insertion portion 5 that is inserted into the observation target and a plug portion (connecting portion) 6 to which the rear portion of the insertion portion 5 is connected.

  The video processor 3 includes a metal housing 10 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and the housing 10 is provided with a socket portion (connected portion) 7 to which the plug portion 6 is connected. The socket portion 7 has an opening 8 that opens in a substantially rectangular shape on the front wall 10a of the housing 10 of the video processor 3, and the rear portion 6a of the plug portion 6 is inserted into the opening 8 so that The plug part 6 is connected to the socket part 7. Thereby, the endoscope body 2 can transmit and receive power and various signals (video signal, control signal, etc.) to and from the video processor 3. The plug unit 6 is a part that is gripped by the user when the user handles the endoscope body 2 such as a connection operation between the endoscope body 2 and the video processor 3 or a connection release operation thereof.

  The insertion portion 5 has a circular cross section and is provided with an appropriate length for the observation target. The insertion portion 5 includes a flexible portion 11 that is easily bent and has a rear end connected to the plug portion 6 and a rigid portion 12 that is connected to the front end of the flexible portion 11 and forms the distal end of the insertion portion. The outer peripheral part of the soft part 11 is formed from a flexible material, and the outer peripheral part of the hard part 12 is formed from a highly rigid member. The internal space of the insertion portion 5 is in a sealed state except for communication with the plug portion 6, and entry of dust and the like is prevented. The rigid portion 12 accommodates an imaging unit (not shown) used for imaging the observation site. This imaging unit has a well-known configuration including a lens unit and an image sensor that form an objective optical system. The front end portion 12a of the rigid portion 12 is made of a translucent optical material and functions as an illumination lens from which illumination light is emitted.

  2 is an exploded perspective view of the main part of the plug portion of the endoscope body, FIG. 3 is an assembly explanatory view of the heat dissipation unit 30 in the plug portion shown in FIG. 2, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the bottom surface side of the plug portion. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the main part of the internal structure of the plug portion.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the plug portion 6 includes an upper plug cover 20 that constitutes the upper half of the outer shell, and a lower plug cover 21 that is coupled to the upper plug cover 20 and constitutes the lower half of the outer shell. have. Further, inside the plug portion 6, an LED substrate 23 having an LED (light source for illumination) 22 that emits white illumination light with high luminance (here, output 2 W), and a lower side of the LED substrate 23. The upper heat transfer sheet 24 that overlaps, the fixing plate 25 that overlaps the lower side of the upper heat transfer sheet 24 and fixes the LED substrate 23, the lower heat transfer sheet 26 that overlaps the lower side of the fixing plate 25, and the lower heat transfer A leaf spring (heat transfer plate) 27 that overlaps the lower side of the seat 26 and a holder member 28 that holds each component or member in the housing 10 are accommodated.

  The upper heat transfer sheet 24, the fixed plate 25, the lower heat transfer sheet 26, and the leaf spring 27 that overlap the lower side of the LED substrate 23 constitute a heat radiating unit 30 for transferring heat generated by the LEDs 22 to the outside. As shown in FIG. 5, the rear end of the optical fiber 35 that guides the emitted light of the LED 22 to the distal end of the insertion portion 5 of the endoscope main body 2 (the front end portion 12 a of the rigid portion 12). Side, the rear end side of the transmission cable 36 for transmitting and receiving power and various signals between the image sensor and the like on the endoscope main body 2 side and the LED substrate 23, and the optical fiber 35 is held and inserted from the vicinity of the LED 22. A fiber holder 37 and the like leading to the portion 5 side are further accommodated.

  The upper and lower plug covers 20, 21 are made of a resin material (here, polypropylene), and in a state where they are coupled to each other, as shown in FIG. 5, a front portion 20a that forms a tapered internal space S1 toward the front. , 21a. The optical fiber 35 and the transmission cable 36 from the insertion portion 5 are passed through the opening 2a formed at the front ends of the front portions 20a and 21a. Further, the upper and lower plug covers 20 and 21 have rear portions 20b and 21b that form a substantially rectangular parallelepiped internal space S2 in the coupled state. In the internal space S2, components and members such as the LED substrate 23 and the heat dissipation unit 30 are accommodated.

  The bottom wall 39 of the lower plug cover 21 that defines the internal space S2 is formed with a substantially rectangular cutout 40 that exposes the leaf spring 27, as shown in FIG. The configuration of the notch 40 can be variously changed as long as the leaf spring 27 can be exposed. For example, one or more openings can be provided instead of the notch 40.

  Referring to FIG. 2 again, the LED board 23 has a well-known configuration in which a copper foil is arranged in a predetermined pattern on an insulating base material, and is formed on the rear end side of the main body that is rectangular in a plan view. Are provided with a terminal portion 41 for electrical connection with the video processor 3. Although not shown here, the LED board 23 is further provided with a temperature sensor for monitoring the temperature of the LED 22, a non-volatile memory for storing data, control information, and the like. The illumination device of the endoscope system 1 is substantially constituted by the LED substrate 23, the above-described optical fiber 35, an illumination lens, and the like.

  The upper heat transfer sheet 24 is made of a material having high thermal conductivity (here, thermally conductive silicone rubber), and has a rectangular shape slightly smaller than the LED substrate 23 in plan view. The upper heat transfer sheet 24 is flexible enough to be deformable according to a change in the distance between the LED substrate 23 and the fixing plate 25, so that the upper and lower surfaces thereof, the lower surface of the LED substrate 23, and the upper surface of the fixing plate 25 Can maintain good adhesion. The upper heat transfer sheet 24 is provided with three relatively large positioning holes 42 and two relatively small positioning holes 43. Furthermore, the upper heat transfer sheet 24 is provided with a through hole 44 arranged in the front-rear direction.

  The fixing plate 25 is made of a metal material (here, aluminum) and has a substantially rectangular shape in plan view. On the front edge and the rear edge of the fixing plate 25, convex portions 46 and 47 projecting forward and rearward are formed, respectively. Further, on the left and right side edges of the fixing plate 25, a pair of convex portions 48 and 49 are formed extending toward the side at the front end and the rear end, respectively. In addition, a plurality of circular protrusions 50 and 51 are provided on the upper surface of the fixed plate 25 at positions corresponding to the positioning holes 42 and 43 of the upper heat transfer sheet 24. Further, one (rear side) of the two attachment holes 52 (see FIG. 3B) provided in the fixed plate 25 is disposed at a position corresponding to the through hole 44 of the upper heat transfer sheet 24.

  The lower heat transfer sheet 26 is made of a material having high thermal conductivity like the upper heat transfer sheet 24 and has a rectangular shape in plan view. The lower heat transfer sheet 26 is flexible enough to be deformable in accordance with a change in the distance between the fixed plate 25 and the leaf spring 27. More specifically, the lower heat transfer sheet 26 has a thickness larger than that of the upper heat transfer sheet 24, and follows the deformation or displacement when the leaf spring 27 described later is elastically deformed or displaced. It can be transformed by itself. Thereby, the lower heat transfer sheet 26 can maintain good adhesion between the upper and lower surfaces thereof, the lower surface of the fixed plate 25, and the upper surface of the leaf spring 27.

  The upper and lower heat transfer sheets 24 and 26 are not limited to a single material (single layer) as long as good thermal conductivity can be ensured, and are a composite of a plurality of materials (multiple layers). May be formed. Moreover, in order to improve the adhesiveness with those upper and lower members on the upper and lower surfaces of the upper and lower heat transfer sheets 24 and 26, adhesive layers may be disposed, respectively.

  The leaf spring 27 is formed by bending a thin metal material (here, a stainless steel plate having a thickness of 0.1 mm), and has a bottom wall 27a having a substantially rectangular shape in plan view, and a front edge of the bottom wall 27a. A front wall 27b extending upward from the rear wall 27b and a rear wall 27c extending upward from the rear edge of the bottom wall 27a. At the center in the width direction of the front wall 27b and the rear wall 27c, rectangular attachment holes 60 and 61 for attaching the fixing plate 25 are formed, respectively. The upper part of the front wall 27b is bent so as to incline upward and obliquely upward, and the upper part of the rear wall 27c is bent forward so as to be substantially horizontal. On the rear end side of the bottom wall 27a, as shown in FIG. 5, an inclined surface 62 that is inclined upward toward the lower edge side of the rear wall 27c is formed. Thereby, the bottom wall 27 a has a step in the vertical direction via the inclined surface 62.

  The holder member 28 is formed by bending a metal material (here, an aluminum plate), and an upper wall 28a disposed so as to face the upper wall of the upper plug cover 20, and a front portion of the upper wall 28a and A pair of leg pieces 28b and 28c are formed so as to extend downward from the left and right side edges with a gap in the rear part. Notch portions 64 and 65 into which the convex portions 48 and 49 of the fixing plate 25 are fitted are provided at the lower portions of the leg pieces 28b and 28c, respectively.

  When the heat radiating unit 30 is assembled, first, as shown in FIG. 3A, the lower heat transfer sheet 26 is overlaid on the upper surface of the bottom wall 27 a of the leaf spring 27. At this time, the front edge of the lower heat transfer sheet 26 is in contact with the front wall 27b of the leaf spring 27, and the lower heat transfer sheet 26 does not overlap the rear end portion including the inclined surface 62 of the bottom wall 27a. It is in.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 3B, the fixing plate 25 is overlaid on the upper surface of the lower heat transfer sheet 26. At this time, the front and rear convex portions 46 and 47 of the fixed plate 25 are inserted into the mounting holes 60 and 61 of the front wall 27b and the rear wall 27c of the leaf spring 27, respectively. The front mounting hole 60 has substantially the same lateral width as that of the convex portion 46, and has a vertical width that is about twice the thickness of the convex portion 46. The rear mounting hole 61 has substantially the same lateral width as that of the convex portion 47 and has a width in the vertical direction that is slightly larger than the thickness of the convex portion 47.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 3C, the upper heat transfer sheet 24 is overlaid on the upper surface of the fixed plate 25. At this time, the circular protrusions 50 and 51 of the fixing plate 25 are inserted into the corresponding positioning holes 42 and 43 of the upper heat transfer sheet 24, respectively. One of the attachment holes 52 of the fixing plate 25 does not overlap the upper heat transfer sheet 24, and the other of the attachment holes 52 is exposed through the through hole 44 of the upper heat transfer sheet 24. Two leg portions 70 protruding from the bottom surface of the fiber holder 37 (see FIG. 8) are inserted into these two attachment holes 52.

  In the heat radiating unit 30, heat radiating grease may be interposed in order to fill minute gaps between the constituent elements. Moreover, the heat radiating unit 30 should just be provided to the heat radiation of LED22 by contacting with LED22 directly or indirectly, and it is not restricted to the said structure, A part of the component is abbreviate | omitted or high It is possible to add a new component having thermal conductivity. Furthermore, the material and shape of each component of the heat dissipation unit 30 can be changed as necessary. A part of the LED substrate 23 can also be regarded as a component of the heat dissipation unit 30.

  As shown in FIG. 5, a potting agent 71 is injected into the internal space S2 of the plug portion 6 in which the LED substrate 23 and the heat dissipation unit 30 are arranged. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 4, the opening 72 in the rear part of the plug part 6 is closed by the potting agent 71 except for the exposure of the terminal part 41 of the LED substrate 23. Further, the notch 40 in the bottom wall 39 of the lower plug cover 21 is closed by the bottom wall 27 a of the leaf spring 27. With such a configuration, the internal spaces S1 and S2 of the plug part 6 are in a sealed state except for the communication with the insertion part 5, and intrusion of dust or the like during use or during high-temperature sterilization processing of the endoscope body 2 Intrusion of high-temperature steam or the like in is prevented. Moreover, the heat insulation effect of the potting agent 71 prevents the outer shell of the plug portion 6 gripped by the user from becoming high temperature.

  6 is a perspective view of the main part of the internal structure of the video processor, FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the bottom side of the socket part, and FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the main part showing a connection state between the plug part and the socket part. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the main part showing the structure for fixing the socket part to the housing, and FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the main part showing the positional relationship between the plug part, the heat sink and the shield plate. Note that FIG. 6 shows a state in which a part of the casing 10 constituting the upper wall and the side wall of the video processor 3 (a cover member constituting the upper wall and the left and right side walls) is removed.

  As shown in FIG. 6, in the video processor 3, the socket portion 7 is fixed to the front wall 10 a and the bottom wall 10 f of the housing 10. In addition, a shield member 81 for shielding electromagnetic noise generated from the plug portion 6 is provided around the upper portion of the socket portion 7 (portion where the plug portion 6 is inserted). As shown in FIG. 7, the socket body that forms the outer shell of the socket portion 7 is configured by combining a plurality of electrically insulating resin members. An opening 8 is provided in the flange-shaped front wall 7a of the socket body, and the internal space S3 connected to the opening 8 can receive the rear portion 6a of the plug portion 6 inserted from the opening 8. .

  As shown in FIG. 8, an opening 82 having a substantially rectangular shape is provided in the upper wall 7b of the socket portion 7 that defines the internal space S3. A leaf spring (biasing means) 83 that presses the plug portion 6 inserted (connected) into the socket portion 7 is attached to the opening portion 82. A connector 84 to which the terminal portion 41 of the LED board 23 is connected is provided at the rear portion of the socket portion 7, and the endoscope body 2 and the video processor 3 are electrically connected via the terminal portion 41 and the connector 84. Connected to.

  The leaf spring 83 is made of a conductive member (here, spring steel) and, as shown in FIG. 8, a pressing piece 83a having a substantially U-shaped cross section, and front and rear sides from the front and rear ends of the pressing piece 83a, respectively. Flat plate-like fixing pieces 83b and 83c extending in the direction of. The pressing piece 83a protrudes downward from the opening 82, and presses the upper surface of the rear portion 20b of the plug portion 6 downward when the plug portion 6 is inserted into the internal space S3. The fixing pieces 83b and 83c are fixed to the upper wall 7b of the socket part 7, respectively.

  In addition, a metal heat sink 85 for accelerating the heat radiation of the heat radiating unit 30 is provided at the lower part of the socket part 7 (the part that forms the pedestal below the part where the plug part 6 is inserted). The heat sink 85 is provided so as to protrude downward from the flat plate portion 86 and the flat plate portion 86 that are in contact with the bottom surface of the leaf spring 27 of the heat radiating unit 30 when the plug portion 6 and the socket portion 7 are connected. And a plurality of fin portions 87 exposed from the bottom. An opening 88 is provided in the lower portion of the socket portion 7, and the upper surface of the flat plate portion 86 is exposed to the internal space S 3 (see FIG. 7) side through the opening 88. Each fin portion 87 has a flat plate shape that is substantially perpendicular to the front-rear direction, and is disposed at a predetermined interval in the front-rear direction. Thereby, each fin part 87 is exhibiting the comb-tooth shape in the side view (similar to the cross section of FIG. 8).

  As shown in FIG. 7, a front rectifying wall 91 disposed on the front side of the fin portion 87 of the heat sink 85 and a rear rectifying wall 92 disposed on the rear side of the fin portion 87 are provided at the lower portion of the socket portion 7. A cooling air passage 94 extending in the left-right direction is defined between the both rectifying walls 91, 92.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the lower portion of the socket portion 7 is fixed to the bottom wall 10 f of the housing by screws 95. At this time, a gap G1 is formed between the lower end of the fin portion 87 located on the lower side of the heat sink 85 and the bottom wall 10f of the casing, and the heat sink 85 and the casing 10 are electrically connected with the gap G1. Is insulated. In the gap G1, as shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 9, an electrically insulating member 96 (here, a rubber sheet) made of a known material can be disposed. Thereby, the electrical insulation state of the heat sink 85 and the housing | casing 10 can be maintained more reliably.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 and 10, the shield member 81 is made of a metal plate (conductive member) bent into a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape without a front wall and a bottom wall. More specifically, the shield member 81 includes an upper wall 81a and a left wall disposed so as to face the upper surface, the rear surface, the left surface, and the right surface of the plug portion 6 via the socket portion 7 (not shown in FIG. 10). 81b, a right wall 81c, and a rear wall 81d.

  On the front side of the upper wall 81a, a notch 89 is formed at a position substantially overlapping with the opening 82 (see FIG. 8) of the socket 7, thereby facilitating attachment of the leaf spring 83. Although illustration is omitted, the shield member 81 is electrically connected to the leaf spring 83.

  Fixing pieces 81e and 81f are provided on the lower edges of the left wall 81b and the right wall 81c so as to extend to the left and right, respectively, and to be fixed to the lower portion of the socket portion 7. Further, a connecting portion that extends downward through an insertion hole 90 (see FIG. 6) provided in the lower portion of the socket portion 7 at the front edge of the fixing piece 81f (the same applies to the fixing piece 81e not shown in FIG. 10). 81g is provided. The connection portion 81g is formed to have a substantially L shape in a side view, and one side of the L shape is in contact with the upper surface of the flat plate portion 86 of the heat sink 85. As a result, the shield member 81 is electrically connected to the heat sink 85.

  An opening 100 for facilitating electrical connection (not shown) between the socket 7 side and a patient circuit 111 (see FIG. 11) described later is formed in the rear wall 81d. The opening 100 extends from the lower end to the rear of the upper wall 7b at the center in the left-right direction of the rear wall 81d, whereby the rear wall 81d forms a pair of left and right leg pieces. Connection portions 81h and 81i extending rearward are provided on the left and right lower edges of the rear wall 81d. At least one of these connection portions 81h and 81i is connected to a ground 130 of the patient circuit 111 described later.

  FIG. 11 is a plan view of the internal structure of the video processor, and FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the patient circuit and the secondary circuit.

  As shown in FIG. 11, in the housing 10 of the video processor 3, a patient circuit 111 that is electrically connected to the endoscope main body 2 side that comes into contact with an observation target, and a secondary connected to a peripheral device such as a display (not shown). A circuit 112 is provided.

  As shown in FIG. 12, the patient circuit 111 includes a CDS (Correlated Double Sampling) 122 that performs processing for reducing noise in an output signal from an image sensor (CCD here) 121 installed in the insertion unit 5. The AGC (Automatic Gain Control) 123 that amplifies the gain of the output signal and maintains a constant output level, and the ADC (Analog to Digital Converter) 124 that converts the analog signal into a digital signal are mainly provided. The secondary circuit 112 performs color space conversion, edge enhancement correction, gamma correction processing, and the like on the output signal from the image sensor 121, and outputs a video signal such as YUV. And a system controller 126 for controlling the apparatus.

  The patient circuit 111 and the secondary circuit 112 are connected via an insulation circuit 127. The insulation circuit 127 is made up of a digital isolator and enables transmission and reception of digital signals between the patient circuit 111 and the secondary circuit 112, while leakage current from a power source or peripheral device is an object to be observed (here, a human body). The patient circuit 111 and the secondary circuit 112 are electrically insulated (interrupted in a DC manner). Further, the power supply of the patient circuit 111 is insulated by an insulation transformer (not shown). As described above, the ground 130 of the patient circuit 111 is electrically connected to the shield member 81. The ground 131 of the secondary circuit 112 is electrically connected to the housing 10.

  As shown in FIG. 11, a cooling fan (blower) 101 is provided on the side of the socket portion 7 in the housing 10 of the video processor 3. The cooling fan 101 functions as a heat radiation promoting means for promoting heat radiation of the heat radiation unit 30 in cooperation with the heat sink 85. A duct 102 communicating with the cooling air passage 94 is attached to the cooling fan 101. When the cooling fan 101 is driven, air is blown so as to suck out air from the cooling air passage 94 through the duct 102.

  The air blowing direction of the cooling fan 101 is set so as to incline backward with respect to the right wall 10d of the casing 10 of the video processor 3 as indicated by an arrow A. As shown by the arrow B, the cooling air flows backward along the right wall 10d. In this case, since the air blowing direction of the cooling fan 101 is inclined with respect to the extending direction (front-rear direction) of the peripheral wall (here, the right wall 10d) of the video processor 3, the space on the air blowing port side of the cooling fan 101. Is ensured efficiently, and the enlargement of the casing 10 of the video processor 3 can be avoided.

  Thereafter, the cooling air flows along the rear wall 10b and the left wall 10c of the housing 10 of the video processor 3 as indicated by arrows C and D, and then from the left to the right as indicated by the arrow E. The air is circulated by entering the duct 102 through the cooling air passage 94 (see FIG. 7). As described above, in the video processor 3, the cooling air is circulated along the peripheral walls (the right wall 10d, the rear wall 10b, the left wall 10c, etc.), so that a part of the casing 10 of the video processor 3 is used as a heat sink. Thus, a large heat radiation area to the outside can be secured. Therefore, in the video processor 3, it is not necessary to provide the housing 10 with an exhaust port for discharging the cooling air to the outside. As a result, in the video processor 3, the internal space can be substantially sealed, and entry of dust and the like can be prevented.

  In order to circulate the cooling air more smoothly along the peripheral wall, for example, an inner wall that is disposed to be opposed to the right wall 10d, the rear wall 10b, and the left wall 10c at a predetermined interval is provided. A cooling air passage may be defined by the peripheral wall.

  In the endoscope system 1, a heat radiating unit 30 for the LED 22 is provided in the plug portion 6 of the endoscope main body 2, and a heat sink 85 that promotes heat radiating from the heat radiating unit 30 is provided in the socket portion 7 of the video processor 3. Therefore, the LED 22 can be effectively cooled while avoiding an increase in the size of the endoscope body 2 even when the LED 22 has a high luminance (high output) or a large number of low luminance LEDs are arranged. Become. The disadvantage that the plug portion 6 becomes large and cannot be gripped with one hand can be avoided.

  The light source of the endoscope system 1 is preferably a relatively small LED, but is not limited to this, and other known light sources may be used. Moreover, although it is preferable that the thermal radiation unit 30 contains the some component which has high heat conductivity, depending on the case, you may be comprised only from one member which has high heat conductivity. In addition, as a means for promoting the heat radiation of the heat radiating unit 30, the heat sink 85 is preferable from the viewpoint of avoiding the complexity of the configuration, but as long as it can be thermally connected to at least the heat radiating unit 30, other well-known Means may be used. When the air-cooled heat sink 85 is used, the heat radiation of the heat radiating unit 30 is further promoted by adding the cooling fan 101 that promotes the air cooling. The cooling fan 101 is always driven, but a configuration in which driving is controlled (turned on and off) in accordance with a value of a temperature sensor provided on the LED substrate 23 is also possible. The shape of the heat sink 85 can be variously changed as long as it has a portion that can contact (thermally connect) the leaf spring 27. The heat sink 85 is not limited to the air cooling type, and may be a water cooling type. In that case, instead of the cooling fan 101 (or together with the cooling fan 101), a water cooling pump or radiator can be provided in the video processor 3.

  FIG. 13 is an explanatory view showing the thermal connection between the heat radiating unit and the heat sink by connecting the plug portion and the socket portion, and FIG. 14 is a state in which the leaf spring and the fixing plate are fitted when the plug portion and the socket portion are connected. It is explanatory drawing which shows the change of. More specifically, FIG. 13 shows (A) when the connection of the plug portion 6 and the socket portion 7 is started, (B) during the connection of the plug portion 6 and the socket portion 7 (when thermal connection is started), and (C) the plug portion. 6 and the connection of the socket part 7 (in the middle of thermal connection) and (D) when the connection of the plug part 6 and the socket part 7 is completed (when the thermal connection is completed), respectively. FIG. 14 shows (A) before connection between the plug portion 6 and the socket portion 7 and (B) after connection between the plug portion 6 and the socket portion 7. In FIG. 13, the illustration of the upper heat transfer sheet 24 in the heat dissipation unit 30 is omitted.

  When the insertion of the plug portion 6 into the socket portion 7 is started, as shown in FIG. 13A, the vertical position of the upper surface 86 a of the flat plate portion 86 in the heat sink 85 is aligned with the inclined surface 62 of the leaf spring 27 in the heat radiating unit 30. It almost coincides with the position.

  Subsequently, when the plug portion 6 is pushed into the socket portion 7 side, the heat dissipating unit 30 moves rearward (to the right in FIG. 13) as shown in FIG. The upper corner 86b is in contact with the inclined surface 62 of the leaf spring 27 from below.

  Subsequently, when the plug portion 6 is further pushed into the socket portion 7 side, the heat radiating unit 30 further moves rearward as shown in FIG. At this time, the leaf spring 27 is elastically deformed by being pressed against the flat plate portion 86 of the heat sink 85, and the rear end side of the bottom wall 27 a is displaced upward to ride on the upper surface 86 a of the flat plate portion 86 of the heat sink 85. It becomes. At the same time, the rear end side of the lower heat transfer sheet 26 is pressed between the bottom wall 27a of the leaf spring 27 and the fixed plate 25 and elastically deforms so as to reduce the thickness in the vertical direction.

  Finally, when the plug portion 6 is completely inserted into the socket portion 7, the heat radiating unit 30 moves above the heat sink 85, as shown in FIG. At this time, the bottom wall 27a of the leaf spring 27 is displaced upward, and substantially the entire bottom wall 27a (excluding the inclined surface 62 and the upper portion on the rear end side of the inclined surface 62) is the upper surface 86a of the flat plate portion 86 in the heat sink 85. It will be in the state where it got on. That is, the lower surface of the bottom wall 27 a of the leaf spring 27 and the upper surface 86 a of the flat plate portion 86 of the heat sink 85 are in close contact with each other. At the same time, the entire lower heat transfer sheet 26 is pressed between the bottom wall 27a of the leaf spring 27 and the fixed plate 25, and is elastically deformed so as to reduce the thickness in the vertical direction. In addition, when the plug part 6 is pulled out from the socket part 7, it returns to the state shown to FIG. 13 (A) again.

  The upward displacement of the bottom wall 27a in the leaf spring 27 as described above is due to the elastic deformation of the leaf spring 27 and the upward movement of the front wall 27b as shown in FIG. In the leaf spring 27 shown in FIG. 13A, the convex portion 46 of the fixing plate 25 inserted into the attachment hole 60 of the front wall 27b is formed on the upper edge side of the attachment hole 60 as shown in FIG. In the upper position. On the other hand, in the leaf spring 27 shown in FIG. 13 (D), the front wall 27b is displaced upward from the position of FIG. 13 (A), so that the convex portion 46 of the fixed plate 25 is as shown in FIG. 14 (B). At the lower position on the lower edge side of the mounting hole 60.

  That is, in the leaf spring 27, since the vertical width of the mounting hole 60 is set to be larger than the thickness of the convex portion 46, the upward movement of the front wall 27b is allowed and a good close contact with the heat sink 85 is achieved. Realized. Note that the rear wall 27c extends from the upper side of the inclined surface of the bottom wall 27a, and thus does not necessarily need to move upward like the front wall 27b, but the mounting hole 61 (see FIG. 3). Is set to be slightly larger than the thickness of the convex portion 46, so that a slight upward movement is allowed.

  In the thermal connection state between the heat dissipation unit 30 and the heat sink 85 shown in FIG. 13D, heat from the LED 22 (see FIG. 8) (more strictly, heat from the LED substrate 23) is mainly used. The heat is transmitted sequentially downward via the upper heat transfer sheet 24 (see FIG. 8), the fixed plate 25, the lower heat transfer sheet 26, and the leaf spring 27, and then the flat plate of the heat sink 85 from the bottom wall 27a of the leaf spring 27. Is transmitted to the unit 86. The heat transmitted to the heat sink 85 is radiated from the fin portion 87 to the atmosphere in the video processor 3. Cooling air from the cooling fan 101, which will be described in detail later, passes through the gap G2 between the plurality of fin portions 87 having a comb-like shape, so that effective heat dissipation is possible.

  Since the heat dissipation unit 30 of the endoscope system 1 includes the leaf spring 27 that elastically deforms when it comes into contact with the heat sink 85, the state of contact with the heat sink 85 is changed using the restoring force of the elastic deformation of the leaf spring 27. It becomes possible to maintain it well, and the LED 22 can be cooled more stably. Further, the use of the leaf spring 27 also has an advantage that an error in the positions of both contact surfaces of the heat dissipation unit 30 and the heat sink 85 is allowed to some extent.

  Further, since the heat radiating unit 30 of the endoscope system 1 includes the flexible lower heat transfer sheet 26 disposed between the leaf spring 27 and the fixed plate 25, the plate is brought into contact with the heat sink 85. Even when the spring 27 is displaced inward, the heat transfer between the heat sink 85 and the leaf spring 27 (that is, heat transfer in the heat dissipation unit 30) is favorably maintained by the deformation of the lower heat transfer sheet 26. Further, the restoring force of the deformed lower heat transfer sheet 26 contributes to maintaining a good contact state between the heat dissipation unit 30 and the heat sink 85, similarly to the restoring force of the leaf spring 27. The member that contacts the heat sink 85 is not necessarily limited to the leaf spring 27, and a metallic flat plate having high thermal conductivity may be used instead of the leaf spring 27.

  Thus, in the endoscope system 1, the heat sink 85 including a conductive member is disposed so as to surround the plug portion 6 together with the shield member 81 and functions as a part of the shield member 81 (that is, shields electromagnetic noise). Therefore, it is not necessary to arrange the shield member 81 (bottom wall) below the plug portion 6 where the heat sink 85 is arranged. Thereby, electromagnetic shielding and heat dissipation at the connecting portion between the endoscope main body 2 and the video processor 3 can be realized while avoiding an increase in size of the endoscope system 1.

  In the endoscope system 1, since the shield member 81 is electrically connected to the ground 130 of the patient circuit 111, an effective electromagnetic shield is realized with a simple configuration. Further, since the leaf spring 83 including the conductive member is disposed so as to surround the plug portion 6 together with the shield member 81 and functions as a part of the shield member 81, the leaf spring 83 is disposed above the plug portion 6 where the leaf spring 83 is disposed. It is not necessary to arrange the shield member 81 for some areas. In other words, even when the cutout portion 89 is provided in the shield member 81 in order to provide the leaf spring 83, the electromagnetic shield of the part is not hindered.

  As mentioned above, although this invention was demonstrated based on specific embodiment, these embodiment is an illustration to the last, Comprising: This invention is not limited by these embodiment. For example, the constituent elements of the patient circuit and the secondary circuit are not limited to those shown in the embodiment, and some of those constituent elements can be omitted or new constituent elements can be added. . As long as the plug portion of the endoscope main body and the socket portion of the video processor can be electrically connected to each other, the coupling structure can be variously changed. It should be noted that not all the constituent elements of the endoscope according to the present invention shown in the above embodiment are necessarily essential, and can be appropriately selected as long as they do not depart from the scope of the present invention.

  The endoscope and the endoscope system according to the present invention can realize electromagnetic shielding and heat radiation at the connection portion between the endoscope main body and the image processing apparatus while avoiding an increase in size of the system, and cannot be directly observed from the outside. This is useful as an endoscope system that images the inside of an observation target.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Endoscope system 2 Endoscope body 3 Video processor (heat dissipation device, processor device)
5 Insertion part 6 Plug part (connection part)
7 Socket part (connected part)
20 Upper plug cover 21 Lower plug cover 22 LED (light source)
23 LED board 24 Upper heat transfer sheet 25 Fixed plate 27 Leaf spring (heat transfer plate)
28 Holder member 35 Optical fiber 39 Bottom wall 27a
40 notch portion 41 terminal portion 85 heat sink 30 heat dissipation unit 85 heat sink (heat dissipation promoting means)
96 Electrical Insulating Member 101 Cooling Fan (Blower, Heat Dissipation Promoting Means)

Claims (5)

An endoscope main body having an insertion portion to be inserted into an observation target and a connecting portion provided at a rear portion of the insertion portion, and an image processing apparatus having a connected portion to which the connecting portion is connected An endoscope system,
The connecting portion is provided with a heat radiating unit that transmits generated heat to the outside.
In the connected state between the connected part and the connecting part, the connected part is provided with a heat dissipation promoting means for promoting heat dissipation of the heat radiating unit, and a shield member for performing electromagnetic shielding of the connecting part,
The heat dissipation promoting means includes a conductive member electrically connected to the shield member, and is disposed so as to surround the connecting portion together with the shield member in a connected state of the connected portion and the connecting portion. An endoscope system characterized by that. The image processing apparatus includes a housing, and a patient circuit and a secondary circuit arranged in a state of being electrically insulated from each other in the housing,
The endoscope system according to claim 1, wherein the shield member is electrically connected to a ground of the patient circuit. A ground of the secondary circuit is electrically connected to the housing;
The endoscope according to claim 2, wherein the heat radiation promoting unit is arranged with a predetermined gap with respect to the housing in a connected state of the connected portion and the connecting portion. system.   The endoscope system according to claim 3, wherein the image processing apparatus further includes an insulating member disposed in the gap in a connected state of the connected portion and the connecting portion. The heat radiating unit includes a heat transfer plate exposed from an outer shell of the connecting portion,
The heat dissipation promoting means includes a heat sink that contacts the heat transfer plate when the connecting portion is connected to the connected portion,
The connected portion is provided with an urging means for pressing the connecting portion in a direction in which the heat transfer plate is brought into contact with the heat sink in the connected state of the connected portion and the connecting portion.
The biasing means includes a conductive member electrically connected to the shield member, and is arranged so as to surround the connecting portion together with the shield member in a connected state of the connected portion and the connecting portion. The endoscope system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the endoscope system is provided.

Images