JP2020204723A - Visualization probe and endoscope - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a visualization probe capable of fixing the observation direction to the desired direction with a strong structure in a limited narrow space, and an endoscope.SOLUTION: A visualization probe 11 includes: a front end unit 13 accommodating an imaging unit that receives imaging light captured from a tip surface 19 orthogonal to the first axis 17, the opposite side of the tip surface 19 of which is a rear-end joint surface 23 formed being tilt at an arbitrary tilt angle θ1 with respect to the first axis; and a rear-end unit 15 in which one side along a second axis 25 is formed as a front end joint surface 27 which is joined to the rear end joint surface 23 tilt at an arbitrary tilt angle θ2 with respect to the second axis 25.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

The present disclosure relates to visualization probes and endoscopes.

Patent Document 1 discloses an endoscopic system used for inspecting a turbine blade which is a subject in a jet engine. In the jet engine, each of the plurality of turbine blades is erected radially on the outer peripheral portion of the rotating body. Each of a plurality of access ports for inserting an endoscope is provided on the outer periphery of the jet engine. The endoscope is inserted through the access port. When the turbine rotor is rotated, the rotating body rotates in the circumferential direction. Each turbine blade moves in the circumferential direction as the rotating body rotates, and sequentially enters the field of view of the endoscope. As a result, the endoscope inserted from the access port can take an image of each turbine blade erected radially on the outer peripheral portion of the rotating body. In order to change the imaging position of the blade, the blade can be detected by image processing, the curved portion can be changed to a predetermined bending angle, and an image of the blade can be acquired.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2016-209460

However, in the prior art as in Patent Document 1, when observing the wear of a specific part fixed in a machine with an endoscope for a long time, if it is exposed to vibration or other poor external environment for a long time, the following Such a problem arises. Specifically, it is not possible to reliably and firmly hold the imaging unit of the endoscope in a desired direction within a limited fixing means or a limited installation space.

The present disclosure has been devised in view of the above-mentioned conventional circumstances, and an object of the present disclosure is to provide a visualization probe and an endoscope capable of fixing an observation direction in a desired direction with a strong structure in a limited narrow installation space. To do.

The present disclosure accommodates an imaging unit that receives imaging light captured from a front end surface orthogonal to the first axis, and a rear end whose side opposite to the front end surface is inclined at an arbitrary inclination angle with respect to the first axis. The tip portion formed as a joint surface and one along the second axis are formed as a front end joint surface that is inclined at an arbitrary inclination angle with respect to the second axis and is joined to the rear end joint surface. A visualization probe comprising a rear end is provided.

Further, the present disclosure accommodates an imaging unit that receives imaging light captured from a tip surface orthogonal to the first axis, and the side opposite to the tip surface is tilted at an arbitrary inclination angle with respect to the first axis. Formed as a front end joint surface formed as a rear end joint surface and one along the second axis is inclined at an arbitrary inclination angle with respect to the second axis to be joined to the rear end joint surface. Provided is an endoscope comprising, with a rear end.

According to the present disclosure, in a visualization probe or an endoscope, the observation direction can be fixed in a desired direction with a strong structure in a limited narrow installation space.

Perspective view of a main part showing the appearance of the tip side of the visualization probe according to the first embodiment. An exploded perspective view of the tip shown in FIG. 1 as viewed diagonally from above. An exploded perspective view of the tip shown in FIG. 1 as viewed diagonally from above. Side sectional view of the tip portion shown in FIG. Side sectional view of the front end and the rear end filled with the filler and joined. External perspective view of the front end and the rear end where the first axis and the second axis are joined in the orthogonal direction. Perspective view of the tip before the tip outer shell member is rotated Perspective view of the tip portion where the tip outer shell member is rotated by 90 ° An exploded perspective view of the rear end of the visualization probe according to a modified example equipped with a rotation mechanism. Perspective view showing the engagement state between the ring-shaped part and the ant navel Perspective view of the main part showing the appearance of the tip side of the visualization probe according to the modified example in which the tip end and the rear end are joined relative to each other via a rotation mechanism.

Hereinafter, embodiments in which the visualization probe and endoscope according to the present disclosure are specifically disclosed will be described in detail with reference to the drawings as appropriate. However, more detailed explanation than necessary may be omitted. For example, detailed explanations of already well-known matters and duplicate explanations for substantially the same configuration may be omitted. This is to avoid unnecessary redundancy of the following description and to facilitate the understanding of those skilled in the art. It should be noted that the accompanying drawings and the following description are provided for those skilled in the art to fully understand the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the subject matter described in the claims.

(Composition, etc.)
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a main part showing the appearance of the tip end side of the visualization probe 11 according to the first embodiment. In the following description, "top", "bottom", "right", "left", "front", and "rear" follow the corresponding directions shown in FIG.

The visualization probe 11 according to the first embodiment is used, for example, as an industrial endoscope, and can be suitably used for an inspection system of a manufacturing machine or the like in a manufacturing line such as a factory. In this case, the visualization probe 11 is inserted from at least one side of the manufacturing machine or the like and is used to detect at an early stage whether or not the mechanical parts (that is, the object to be observed) of the manufacturing machine or the like are deteriorated. .. In general, mechanical parts are often provided in a limited narrow installation space in which a plurality of structural members or link members are adjacent to each other. The visualization probe 11 has a strong structure in such a narrow installation space, and is configured so that the inspector can face the observation direction in a desired direction and fix the visualization probe 11.

The visualization probe 11 is configured by joining the front end portion 13 and the rear end portion 15. In the first embodiment, each of the front end portion 13 and the rear end portion 15 is formed in a prismatic shape having a substantially square (including a square) cross-sectional shape orthogonal to the axis. The shapes of the front end portion 13 and the rear end portion 15 are not limited to the prismatic shape of a substantially square (see above).

The tip portion 13 accommodates an imaging unit 21 (see FIG. 4) that receives imaging light captured from a tip surface 19 orthogonal to the first axis 17 (see FIG. 5). The tip portion 13 is formed as a rear end joint surface 23 whose side opposite to the front end surface 19 is inclined at an arbitrary inclination angle θ1 (see FIG. 5) with respect to the first axis 17.

In the first embodiment, the axis refers to a line that passes through the center of the prismatic member or the prismatic member along the axial direction. Further, in the first embodiment, the axis also serves as a rotationally symmetric axis of symmetry. The arbitrary tilt angle θ1 is, for example, 45 °. The arbitrary inclination angle θ1 is not limited to 45 °.

One of the rear end portions 15 along the second axis 25 (see FIG. 5) is a front end joint surface 27 inclined at an arbitrary inclination angle θ2 with respect to the second axis 25. The front end joint surface 27 is joined to the rear end joint surface 23 of the tip portion 13. The arbitrary tilt angle θ2 is, for example, 135 °. The arbitrary inclination angle θ2 is not limited to 135 °. As shown in FIG. 5, the sum of the arbitrary tilt angle θ1 and the arbitrary tilt angle θ2 is 180 °.

The visualization probe 11 has an ant umbilicus 29 whose fitting direction is orthogonal to each of the first axis 17 and the second axis 25 and parallel to each of the rear end joint surface 23 and the front end joint surface 27. A dovetail hole 31 is provided across the rear end joint surface 23 and the front end joint surface 27. The visualization probe 11 is assembled into a linear prism shape shown in FIG. 1, for example, by engaging the dovetail portion 29 and the dovetail hole 31 with the front end portion 13 and the rear end portion 15. That is, in this case, the visualization probe 11 can observe the subject in the front direction (that is, can directly see the subject).

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the tip portion 13 shown in FIG. 1 as viewed from diagonally above. A lens constituting the image pickup unit 21 is arranged on the tip surface 19 of the tip portion 13. Above the lens, for example, an LED (Light Emission Diode) 33 for illumination that brightly illuminates the subject is arranged. A substantially square front plate 35 is provided on the tip surface 19. The front plate 35 is formed with an observation window portion 37 and an illumination window portion 39 for exposing the lens and the LED 33, respectively. The tip portion 13 is provided with positioning holes 49 in which female threads are formed in the tip portion upper surface 41, the tip portion lower surface 43, the tip portion left side surface 45, and the tip portion right side surface 47. The positioning hole 49 allows the internal housing component (for example, the sensor holding member 51 constituting the image pickup unit 21) to be positioned and fixed by screwing a jig having a male screw.

A transmission cable 53 is led out from the rear end joint surface 23 of the tip portion 13. The visualization probe 11 can transmit and receive electric power and data of the captured image to be captured between the image pickup unit 21 and the video processor (not shown) on the proximal end side via the transmission cable 53. The transmission cable 53 is inserted through the rear end 15 and connected to the video processor. The video processor performs predetermined video processing on the captured video data transmitted via the transmission cable 53, generates and converts the captured video data after the video processing as display data, and monitors (illustrated). Output to).

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the tip portion 13 shown in FIG. 1 as viewed from diagonally above the rear. In the visualization probe 11, the tip portion 13 has a tip outer shell member 55, and the rear end portion 15 has a rear end outer shell member 57 (see FIG. 5). At least the tip outer shell member 55 is made of a hard stainless steel square pipe or the like. The square pipe has a square cross section in the direction orthogonal to the axis. In the first embodiment, both the front end outer shell member 55 and the rear end outer shell member 57 are square pipes. The wall thickness of the stainless steel square pipe is, for example, about 0.4 mm.

The material of the front end outer shell member 55 and the rear end outer shell member 57 is not limited to stainless steel, and other materials (for example, general engineering plastics which are hard resin materials) may be used.

FIG. 4 is a side sectional view of the tip portion 13 shown in FIG. The imaging unit 21 is housed inside the tip portion 13. The image pickup unit 21 includes a first lens 61, an aperture, a second lens 63, a spacer, a third lens 65, a sensor cover glass 67, and an image sensor 69 in order from the observation target side (that is, the objective side) along the optical axis 59. They are arranged in the order of. The outer periphery of the first lens 61, the aperture, the second lens 63, the spacer, and the third lens 65 is firmly held by the inner circumference of the lens barrel 71 to form the lens unit 73. The rear end of the lens unit 73 on the image sensor side is fixed to the inner circumference of the front side of the sensor holding member 51 formed in a cylindrical shape with an adhesive or the like. The outer circumference of the sensor cover glass 67 is fitted to the inner circumference of the rear side of the sensor holding member 51 and fixed with an adhesive or the like. As a result, in the image pickup unit 21, the lens unit 73 and the image sensor 69 are coaxially positioned and fixed by the sensor holding member 51.

In the sensor holding member 51, the above jig (not shown) is screwed into the positioning hole 49 formed in the upper surface of the tip outer shell member 55. The sensor holding member 51 is pressed against the bottom surface of the tip outer shell member 55 by tightening the jig screwed into the positioning hole 49. An adhesive is applied to the bottom surface in advance. As a result, the image pickup unit 21 is positioned with high accuracy with respect to the tip outer shell member 55 and is firmly fixed. The jig is removed from the positioning hole 49 after the imaging unit 21 is adhesively fixed.

A transmission cable 53 for transmitting an electric signal from the image sensor 69 is electrically connected to the back surface of the image sensor 69. In the transmission cable 53, a cable conductor in a flexible substrate portion (for example, FPC: Flexible Printed Circuits) at the tip thereof is electrically connected to a plurality of bumps 77 provided on the sensor substrate 75 by soldering or the like. The transmission cable 53 led out from the rear end joint surface 23 of the front end portion 13 is passed from the front end joint surface 27 of the rear end portion 15 to the inside of the rear end portion 15. The transmission cable 53 may have a plurality of electrical components 79 mounted on the flexible substrate portion.

The tip outer shell member 55 is provided with an LED 33, which is a light source for illumination, above the image pickup unit 21. The LED 33 is arranged on the back of the lighting window 39 of the front plate 35 and is covered with a transparent cover gas or the like. The LED 33 is mounted on, for example, a flexible substrate electrically connected to the transmission cable 53. The LED 33 may be provided with a heat transfer member 81 in contact with the LED 33 to dissipate heat during driving.

In the visualization probe 11, the filler 83 is filled inside the tip portion 13 and solidified. As a result, the tip portion 13 is integrally fixed with the image pickup unit 21, the transmission cable 53, and the LED 33 embedded in the filler 83 solidified inside the tip outer shell member 55. The filler 83 preferably has a light-shielding property so that, for example, the light leaking from the LED 33 does not enter the lens constituting the lens unit 73.

FIG. 5 is a side sectional view of the front end portion 13 and the rear end portion 15 to which the filler 83 is filled and joined. The visualization probe 11 is filled with the filler 83 and solidified at least over the rear end joint surface 23 of the tip outer shell member 55 and the front end joint surface 27 of the rear end outer shell member 57. Therefore, in the visualization probe 11, the tip portion 13 and the rear end portion 15 are strengthened by the filler 83 solidified inside over the joint surface in addition to the engagement structure by the dovetail navel 29 and the dovetail hole 31 of the outer shell. Is fixed to.

FIG. 6 is an external perspective view of a front end portion 13 and a rear end portion 15 in which the first axis 17 and the second axis 25 are joined in an orthogonal direction. The visualization probe 11 can join the rear end joint surface 23 and the front end joint surface 27 even in the direction in which the front end portion 13 and the rear end portion 15 are relatively rotated by 180 ° before filling the filler 83. That is, the visualization probe 11 can be assembled as a direct view mirror capable of observing the front direction, and can also be assembled as a side view mirror. The switching of the function as a direct view mirror or a side view mirror may be appropriately used according to the needs of the inspector. As shown in FIG. 6, in the visualization probe 11 assembled as a side endoscope, the tip portion 13 is joined in a direction in which the first axis line 17 is orthogonal to the second axis line 25 of the rear end portion 15. .. Also in this case, after engaging the dovetail navel 29 and the dovetail hole 31, the filler 83 is filled over the rear end joint surface 23 and the front end joint surface 27. As a result, the visualization probe 11 is firmly assembled as an L-shaped side endoscope whose observation direction is perpendicular to the rear end portion 15.

The visualization probe 11 as a side endoscope is formed so that the distance Lf in the direction along the first axis 17 at the tip portion 13 is smaller than twice the length Ls of one side of the square (Lf <2Ls). Therefore, in the visualization probe 11 assembled as a side endoscope, the protruding length Lp of the tip portion 13 projecting vertically from the side surface of the rear end portion 15 is smaller than the length Ls of one side of the square. As a result, the visualization probe 11 as a side endoscope is formed so as to be easily inserted into a narrow installation space.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the tip portion 13 before the tip outer shell member 55 is rotated. In the visualization probe 11, at least the cross-sectional shape of the tip portion 13 orthogonal to the first axis 17 is formed in rotational symmetry about the first axis 17. Here, rotational symmetry refers to a property that does not change even if one figure is rotated and moved by a certain angle around a certain axis. This constant axis is called the axis of symmetry. In the first embodiment, the axis is the axis of symmetry. The cases where the constant angle during rotation is 180 °, 120 °, 90 °, etc. are referred to as a 2-fold axis, a 3-fold axis, a 4-fold axis, and the like, respectively. In the first embodiment, since the cross sections of the front end portion 13 and the rear end portion 15 orthogonal to the axes are both square, the first axis 17 and the second axis 25 both have four axes. As a result, the visualization probe 11 has a substantially square cross-sectional shape of the tip outer shell member 55, so that the top and bottom of the imaging unit 21 can be set in any four directions with respect to the four sides of the tip outer shell member 55. ..

The cross-sectional shape orthogonal to the axes of the front end portion 13 and the rear end portion 15 is not limited to a square. The cross-sectional shape orthogonal to the axes of the front end portion 13 and the rear end portion 15 may be an equilateral triangle, a regular pentagon, a regular hexagon, a regular octagon, a circle, or the like.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the tip portion 13 in which the tip outer shell member 55 is rotated by 90 °. For example, in the visualization probe 11, when the imaging unit 21 shown in FIG. 7 is in an upright posture, the tip outer shell member 55 is rotated 90 ° clockwise as shown in FIG. Can be assembled in an arrangement. Thereby, the top and bottom of the image pickup unit 21 can be arranged so as to correspond to the right and left of the tip outer shell member 55, for example.

Next, a modified example of the configuration of the visualization probe 11 according to the first embodiment will be described.

FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of the rear end portion 89 of the visualization probe 87 according to the modified example provided with the rotation mechanism 85. In the visualization probe 87 according to the modified example, the front end portion 13 and the rear end portion 89 are rotatably connected by a rotation mechanism 85 provided across the rear end joint surface 23 and the front end joint surface 27. The rotation mechanism 85 passes through the intersection of the first axis 17 and the second axis 25, and connects the tip portion 13 and the rear end portion 89 at a rotation center perpendicular to the rear end joint surface 23 and the front end joint surface 27. Connect rotatably.

The rear end 89 of the visualization probe 87 is different from the rear end 15 of the visualization probe 11. The rear end portion 89 fixes the ring-shaped component 91 to the front end joint surface 27. As the ring-shaped component 91, for example, an elastic O-ring (O-ring) or the like can be used. The ring-shaped component 91 is not limited to the O-ring.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the engagement state between the ring-shaped part 91 and the ant navel 29. A pair of ant navels 29 protruding from the rear end joint surface 23 of the tip portion 13 are rotatably engaged with the inner circumference of the ring-shaped component 91. As a result, the tip portion 13 has an arbitrary angle around the center of rotation perpendicular to the joint surface passing through the intersection of the first axis 17 and the second axis 25 with respect to the rear end portion 89 via the ring-shaped component 91. It becomes rotatable.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a main part showing the appearance of the front end side of the visualization probe 87 according to a modified example in which the front end portion 13 and the rear end portion 89 are joined so as to be relatively rotatable via a rotation mechanism 85. In the visualization probe 87, after the front end portion 13 and the rear end portion 89 that are relatively rotatable via the rotation mechanism 85 are rotationally moved to a predetermined relative angle, for example, the visualization probe 87 is rearward, as in the visualization probe 11 described above. The filler 83 is filled from the rear end opening of the end 89. As a result, the visualization probe 87 can be firmly fixed to the rear end portion 89 at the tip portion 13 in which the observation direction is directed to any desired rotation direction for the inspector.

(Action, etc.)
Next, the operation of the visualization probe 11 according to the first embodiment will be described more specifically.

The visualization probe 11 (for example, an industrial endoscope) according to the first embodiment accommodates an imaging unit 21 that receives imaging light captured from a tip surface 19 orthogonal to the first axis 17, and is opposite to the tip surface 19. It has a tip portion 13 formed as a rear end joint surface 23 whose side is inclined at an arbitrary inclination angle with respect to the first axis 17. The visualization probe 11 has a rear end portion formed as a front end joint surface 27 in which one side along the second axis 25 is inclined at an arbitrary inclination angle with respect to the second axis 25 and is joined to the rear end joint surface 23. Has 15.

The visualization probe 11 according to the first embodiment has a tip portion 13 that accommodates the imaging unit 21 and a rear end portion 15 that is joined to the tip portion 13. The front end portion 13 has a rear end joint surface 23 on the side opposite to the front end surface 19. The side of the rear end portion 15 facing the rear end joint surface 23 of the front end portion 13 is the front end joint surface 27. The front end portion 13 and the rear end portion 15 are integrally assembled by joining the rear end joint surface 23 and the front end joint surface 27. At this time, the front end portion 13 and the rear end portion 15 are assembled in a straight line by joining the rear end joint surface 23 and the front end joint surface 27. That is, the visualization probe 11 is a direct view mirror that receives the imaging light captured from the distal end surface 19 of the distal end portion 13 linearly joined to the distal end side of the rear end portion 15 by the imaging unit 21.

On the other hand, the visualization probe 11 may join the front end joint surface 27 to the rear end joint surface 23 of the front end portion 13 in a direction in which the rear end portion 15 is rotated by, for example, 180 ° around the second axis 25. it can.

For example, the rear end joint surface 23 of the tip portion 13 is inclined at an inclination angle of 45 ° with respect to the first axis 17, and the front end joint surface 27 of the rear end portion 15 is 135 ° with respect to the second axis 25. It is assumed that it is tilted at the tilt angle of and assembled in a straight line. Here, the rear end portion 15 is rotated by, for example, 180 ° around the second axis 25 with respect to the rear end joint surface 23 of the front end portion 13. A V-shaped gap is formed between the rear end joint surface 23 and the front end joint surface 27. At this time, the angle of the facing inclined surfaces is 135 °. Therefore, if the rear end portion 15 arranged linearly with respect to the tip portion 13 stands upright in this state and the front end joint surface 27 is joined to the rear end joint surface 23, the front end portion 13 and the rear end portion are joined. 15 is joined in the orthogonal direction. That is, the visualization probe 11 is a side endoscope that receives the imaging light captured from the front end surface 19 of the tip end portion 13 that is joined to the rear end portion 15 in the orthogonal direction.

In this way, the visualization probe 11 joins the tip portion 13 and the rear end portion 15 at the rear end joint surface 23 and the tip outer shell member 55 that are inclined at a desired angle with respect to the axis line, and thus is narrow. Even in the installation space, the observation direction can be changed to a desired direction for assembly.

As a result, the visualization probe 11 can be manufactured with a plurality of specifications (directions) using the same member. As a result, productivity can be improved and parts management can be facilitated.

Further, since the visualization probe 11 joins the rear end joint surface 23 formed on the tip portion 13 and the front end joint surface 27 formed on the rear end portion 15, a large area joining structure can be obtained. As a result, the front end portion 13 and the rear end portion 15 can be fixed with high joint strength.

Further, the visualization probe 11 rotates the front end portion 13 and the rear end portion 15 relative to each other to join the rear end joint surface 23 and the front end joint surface 27, so that the visualization probe 11 can be viewed from a direct endoscope even in a limited narrow installation space. It can be freely assembled into a side speculum that observes the sides at a desired angle.

Therefore, according to the visualization probe 11 according to the first embodiment, the observation direction can be fixed in a desired direction with a strong structure in a limited narrow installation space.

Further, in the visualization probe 11, the dovetail umbilicus 29 and the dovetail hole 31 whose fitting direction is orthogonal to the first axis 17 and the second axis 25 and parallel to the rear end joint surface 23 and the front end joint surface 27. Is provided over the rear end joint surface 23 and the front end joint surface 27.

In this visualization probe 11, the fitting direction of the dovetail navel 29 and the dovetail hole 31 is orthogonal to the first axis 17 and the second axis 25, and is parallel to the rear end joint surface 23 and the front end joint surface 27. Become. For example, when the rear end joint surface 23 of the tip portion 13 is a slope having a downward slope toward the rear end, the ant navel 29 can be formed in the shape of a pair of protrusion pieces sandwiching this slope from both the left and right sides. The ant navel 29 has a wide tip. On the other hand, the dovetail hole 31 can be a groove having a wide bottom in which the dovetail navel 29 can be accommodated. The ant navel 29 and the ant hole 31 can be engaged with each other only in the direction of sandwiching the slope from both the left and right sides. The engaged dovetail navel 29 and the dovetail hole 31 cannot move relative to each other except in the engagement direction (see the vertical direction on the paper in FIG. 5). Therefore, the rear end joint surface 23 and the front end joint surface 27 that are engaged with the dovetail navel 29 and the dovetail hole 31 can be joined with high strength and high accuracy by positioning only in the engagement direction. Become.

Further, the visualization probe 87 passes through the intersection of the first axis 17 and the second axis 25, and has a tip portion 13 and a rear end at a rotation center perpendicular to each of the rear end joint surface 23 and the front end joint surface 27. A rotation mechanism 85 that rotatably connects the portion 89 is provided across the rear end joint surface 23 and the front end joint surface 27.

In the visualization probe 87, a rotation mechanism 85 is provided between the rear end joint surface 23 and the front end joint surface 27. The rotation mechanism 85 allows the front end portion 13 and the rear end portion 89 to pass through the intersection of the first axis 17 and the second axis 25 and at the center of rotation perpendicular to the rear end joint surface 23 and the front end joint surface 27. The front end portion 13 and the rear end portion 89 are joined so as to be relatively rotatable. As a result, the visualization probe 87 is located on the side where the observation direction of the tip portion 13 is orthogonal to the rear end portion 89, for example, from the direct microscope whose front end portion 13 is in the linear direction of the observation direction. The imaging unit 21 can be fixed at an arbitrary tilt angle to the endoscope. As a result, the visualization probe 87 can be easily set in the support direction according to the situation at the installation site.

Further, in the visualization probe 11, the tip portion 13 has a tip outer shell member 55, the rear end portion 15 has a rear end outer shell member 57, and the tip outer shell member 55 and the rear end outer shell member 57 have The filler 83 filled at least over the rear end joint surface 23 and the front end joint surface 27 is solidified.

Further, in the visualization probe 11, the tip portion 13 has a tip outer shell member 55, and the rear end portion 15 has a rear end outer shell member 57. The front end portion 13 and the rear end portion 15 have internal functional parts protected by a hard outer shell. Further, the front end portion 13 and the rear end portion 15 can realize a strong joint structure by an engaging structure (for example, dovetail navel 29 and dovetail hole 31) capable of interconnecting hard outer shells. Further, in the front end portion 13 and the rear end portion 15, in addition to the engagement by the above-mentioned engagement structure, the filler 83 injected inward of the front end outer shell member 55 and the rear end outer shell member 57 is applied to the rear end joint surface. By solidifying over 23 and the front end joint surface 27, it is possible to securely fix with a higher bonding strength.

Further, the visualization probe 11 has a cross-sectional shape at least orthogonal to the first axis 17 of the tip portion 13 and has a rotationally symmetric shape centered on the first axis 17.

Further, in the visualization probe 11, at least the cross-sectional shape of the tip portion 13 orthogonal to the first axis 17 is rotationally symmetric with respect to the first axis 17. That is, the first axis 17 of the tip portion 13 is the axis of symmetry. This axis of symmetry is a four-fold axis because the cross-sectional shape of the tip portion 13 is, for example, a square. As a result, the image pickup unit 21 housed inward with respect to the tip outer shell member 55 can be rotationally arranged every 45 °. As a result, the top and bottom of the imaging unit 21 can be easily changed at the time of manufacturing.

Although various embodiments have been described above with reference to the drawings, it goes without saying that the present disclosure is not limited to such examples. It is clear that a person skilled in the art can come up with various modifications, modifications, substitutions, additions, deletions, and equality examples within the scope of the claims. It is understood that it naturally belongs to the technical scope of the present disclosure. In addition, each component in the various embodiments described above may be arbitrarily combined as long as the gist of the invention is not deviated.

The present disclosure is useful as a visualization probe and an endoscope capable of fixing the observation direction in a desired direction with a strong structure in a limited narrow installation space.

11 Visualization probe 13 Tip part 15 Rear end 17 First axis 19 Tip surface 21 Imaging unit 23 Rear end joint surface 25 Second axis 27 Front end joint surface 29 Dovetail 31 Dovetail hole 55 Tip outer shell member 57 Rear end outside Shell member 83 Filler 85 Rotation mechanism θ1, θ2 Tilt angle

Claims (6)

It accommodates an imaging unit that receives imaging light captured from the front end surface orthogonal to the first axis, and is formed as a rear end joint surface whose side opposite to the front end surface is inclined at an arbitrary inclination angle with respect to the first axis. With the tip
It includes a rear end portion formed as a front end joint surface in which one along the second axis is inclined at an arbitrary inclination angle with respect to the second axis and is joined to the rear end joint surface.
Visualization probe. The dovetail and the dovetail hole whose fitting direction is orthogonal to the first axis and the second axis and parallel to the rear end joint surface and the front end joint surface are the rear end joint surface. Provided over the front end joint surface,
The visualization probe according to claim 1. The front end portion and the rear end portion are rotatably connected at a rotation center that passes through the intersection of the first axis and the second axis and is perpendicular to each of the rear end joint surface and the front end joint surface. A rotation mechanism is provided across the rear end joint surface and the front end joint surface.
The visualization probe according to claim 1. The tip portion has a tip outer shell member,
The rear end portion has a rear end outer shell member,
In the tip outer shell member and the rear end outer shell member, a filler filled at least over the rear end joint surface and the front end joint surface is solidified.
The visualization probe according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The cross-sectional shape of at least the tip portion orthogonal to the first axis has a rotationally symmetric shape centered on the first axis.
The visualization probe according to any one of claims 1 to 4. It accommodates an imaging unit that receives imaging light captured from the front end surface orthogonal to the first axis, and is formed as a rear end joint surface whose side opposite to the front end surface is inclined at an arbitrary inclination angle with respect to the first axis. With the tip
It includes a rear end portion formed as a front end joint surface in which one along the second axis is inclined at an arbitrary inclination angle with respect to the second axis and is joined to the rear end joint surface.
Endoscope.

Images