JP3147312B2 - Endoscope - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an endoscope in which a solid-state imaging device and a circuit board are provided inside a distal end portion, and a signal cable extending to a rear portion is connected to the circuit board.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, by inserting an elongated insertion portion into a body cavity, it is possible to observe internal organs of the body cavity or to perform various treatments using a treatment tool inserted into a treatment tool channel as necessary. Endoscopes are widely used. Further, these endoscopes are used for observing and inspecting an object in a pipe of a boiler, a machine, a chemical plant, or the like or in a machine not only for medical use but also for industrial use.

[0003] Such an endoscope is disclosed in JP-A-63-27.
As shown in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2180, there is an electronic endoscope using a solid-state image pickup device such as an electric coupling device (CCD) as an image pickup means at the distal end of the insertion portion.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view showing a tip portion of a conventional electronic endoscope. As shown in the figure, the endoscope 1 includes a flexible insertion portion 2 and a hard distal end portion 5 provided with a solid-state imaging device 4 having a solid-state imaging device 3. The solid-state imaging device 4 extends the solid-state imaging device 3 disposed such that a subject image is formed through an objective optical system 6 and an external lead 7 of the solid-state imaging device 3 to the rear. One end of the circuit board 8 is connected to the inside of the rear part of the external lead 7. The other end of the connection surface between the circuit board 8 and the external lead 7 is connected to a signal cable 9.

When the signal cable 9 is connected to the circuit board 8 by soldering or the like, the signal cable 9 which is a bundle is separated into signal lines one by one and then connected to the circuit board 8. Was connected to the department. Then, the signal lines after being connected to the circuit board 8 were once again fixed together with the adhesive 10 and the cable fixing member 11 so as not to cause deterioration of durability. Since the signal line always needs a certain rigid part length to be fixed with an adhesive or the like, the rigid part length of the signal line fixed with the adhesive as an element that determines the total length of the solid-state imaging device 4 is determined by the total length of the solid-state imaging device 4. This was one of the causes of lengthening the rigid length of the endoscope tip.

[0006]

As described above, the external leads of the solid-state imaging device and the signal cables are connected via the circuit board, and the signal cable is fixed to the rear of the circuit board by a hard portion length fixed with an adhesive or the like. As a result, the rigid length of the distal end portion of the endoscope is increased. The resistance at the time of insertion into the subject was increased due to the longer rigid length of the endoscope tip.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides an endoscope in which the solid-state imaging device is shortened to shorten the rigid length of the endoscope end portion, thereby facilitating insertion of the endoscope. It is intended to provide.

[0008]

An endoscope according to the present invention comprises:
A receiving device that is disposed inside the endoscope distal end and that is substantially perpendicular to the axial direction.
A solid-state image sensor having an optical surface and
And an external lead extending to the
A first surface connected to the end on the body image sensor side and the first surface
And a second surface which is a back surface of
A vertically disposed circuit board, and the second
Signal cable connected to the solid-state imaging device side end of the surface
And

[0009]

In the endoscope having the above-described structure, the signal cable is connected to the surface of the circuit board opposite to the external lead connection portion and in the vicinity of the solid-state imaging device to shorten the length of the solid-state imaging device in the axial direction.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 to 3 relate to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a distal end portion of an endoscope, and FIG. 2 is a diagram for comparing the full length of the solid-state imaging device between the first embodiment and a conventional example. FIG. 3 and FIG. 3 are schematic configuration diagrams showing the entire configuration of the endoscope apparatus.

As shown in FIG. 3, the electronic endoscope device 20 comprises:
An electronic endoscope 21 formed to be elongated so as to be inserted into a body cavity, a light source device 60 for supplying illumination light to the electronic endoscope 21, and a video processor for processing a video signal for the electronic endoscope 21 81 and this video processor 8
A monitor 82 for displaying a subject image based on the video signal subjected to the signal processing in 1, a VTR 83 for recording and reproducing the video signal,
Video printer 84 that prints an image of a subject based on a video signal
And a video disk 85 which is a large-capacity storage device for recording video signals.

The electronic endoscope 21 includes an elongated and flexible insertion section 22 and an operation section 50 connected to the rear end of the insertion section 22. A flexible universal cord 51 extends to the side of the operation unit 50. Connector 7 at the end of the universal cord 51
0 is connected to the light source device 60. The connector 7
0 is connectable to a video signal cable 86. By connecting the video signal cable 86 to the video processor 81, the signal captured by the electronic endoscope 21 is signal-processed and converted into a predetermined video signal. Output.

The insertion section 22 has a base end connected to the operation section 50.
And flexible part 23 integrally fixed to the
A bending portion 24 provided at the tip of the flexible portion 23;
And a hard distal end 25 provided at the distal end of the curved portion 24. The light source device 60 is provided with a water leak detection system for the endoscope 21 described later, and the detachable connector 70 is provided with a cooling mechanism for a light guide fiber (not shown).

The distal end of the endoscope will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in the figure, the endoscope 21 includes a bending portion 24 on the distal end side of a flexible insertion portion 22.
4 includes a plurality of bending pieces 26 rotatably connected to each other.
Has been arranged. The outer circumference of the bending piece 26 is the blade 2
The metal tip member 29, which is covered with the outer casing 7 and a rubber jacket 28, is connected to a bending piece 26 disposed at the most distal end portion via an insulating member 30. The tip member 2
The exposed portion 9 is covered with an insulating cover 31 and a jacket 28. The tip member 29 and the jacket 28 are connected by a thread winding adhesive layer (not shown).

A plurality of mounting holes are formed in the distal end member 29 and the insulating cover 31 disposed at the distal end of the insertion portion 22 in the axial direction. The mounting holes are provided with an objective optical system 32 and an illumination optical system (not shown). Is attached. Behind the objective optical system 32 having the plurality of objective lenses 32a,
For example, a CCD 3
3 is centered on a CCD holder 34 and fixed with an adhesive 35,
An external lead 36 extends behind D33. An IC 37 and a capacitor 38 are provided inside the external lead 36.
And a circuit board 40 forming a signal conversion circuit or the like is connected with the mounting surface sealed by the sealing member 39 facing outward. Further, the IC 37 of the circuit board 40 and the capacitor 3
A conductor pattern (not shown) for connecting the signal cable 41 is provided on the inner side surface of the mounting surface such as 8 on the side edge of the solid-state imaging device.

When the signal cable 41 is connected to the circuit board 40 by soldering or the like, the signal cables 41, which are bundled wires, are separated one by one as in the prior art, and It is connected to the conductor pattern provided on the surface. That is, the signal cable 41 connects the signal lines to the circuit board 40 on which the conductor pattern is provided and the external leads 36 that do not connect the circuit board, and then collectively fixes these signal lines with the adhesive 42. I have.

FIG. 2A is a schematic sectional view of a solid-state imaging device according to a first embodiment, and FIG. 2B is a schematic sectional view of a conventional solid-state imaging device.

As shown in FIG. 2A, the signal cable 41
2B is connected to a conductor pattern provided on the side of the solid-state imaging element on the surface of the circuit board 40 opposite to the external lead connection, so that the signal cable 41 of FIG. It is shorter than connecting to the end on the image sensor side. When the length of the solid-state imaging device of the first embodiment is a1 and the length of the conventional solid-state imaging device is a2, the difference in the length of the solid-state imaging device is a3. That is, comparing the lengths of the solid-state imaging device of the first embodiment of the present invention and the conventional example, the solid-state imaging device of the first embodiment is shorter than the conventional example by a3. In the endoscope 21, by shortening the rigid portion of the signal cable 41 which affects the length of the solid-state imaging device by the adhesive 42, the rigid length of the distal end portion of the endoscope is shortened. Is smoother, so that the pain of the patient during endoscopy can be reduced.

When the signal cable 41 shown in FIG. 2A is connected to the circuit board 40, the signal lines after the connection to the circuit board are fixed with the adhesive 42. The manager fits inside the circuit board.

FIG. 4 relates to a second embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a schematic sectional view of the solid-state imaging device according to the second embodiment, and FIG. 3B is a schematic sectional view of the solid-state imaging device according to the first embodiment.

In the first embodiment, the circuit board 40 connected inside the external leads 36 of the CCD 33 is replaced by
In the second embodiment, the circuit board 40a is divided into two circuit boards 40a and 40b,
It is connected to and configured.

In the second embodiment, the circuit board 40, which is formed in one board in the first embodiment, is changed to two circuit boards 40a and 40b in the second embodiment. The solid-state imaging device according to the embodiment can be shorter than the solid-state imaging device according to the first embodiment. In FIG. 4, when the length of the solid-state imaging device of the first embodiment is a4 and the length of the solid-state imaging device of the second embodiment is a5, the difference in the length of the solid-state imaging device is a6. That is, comparing the lengths of the solid-state imaging devices of the second embodiment and the first embodiment, the second embodiment can shorten the solid-state imaging device by a6 compared to the first embodiment.

The other constructions and functions and effects are the same as those of the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a schematic sectional view of a solid-state imaging device according to a modification of the second embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 5, circuit boards 40 a and 40 b with the mounting surfaces of the IC 37 and the capacitor 38 facing inward are connected to the outside of the external leads 36, and a coaxial cable 41 a is used instead of the signal cable 41. And
In the coaxial cable 41a, a core wire and a shield wire are connected on a pattern provided on the mounting surface opposite to the connection surface of the circuit boards 40a and 40b.

The other components and functions and effects are the same as those in the second embodiment. Here, a light source device used for the endoscope of the present invention and a connector portion detachable from the light source device will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 6 is a schematic explanatory view of the light source device and the connector section, and FIG. 7 is a schematic explanatory view showing the inside of the connector.

Conventionally, to check for water leakage from an endoscope, the endoscope is connected to an external device, and the inside of the endoscope is pressurized and bubbles are generated from the tip of the endoscope which is placed in a water tank. Was confirmed by. However, in this method, an external device is used for judging a water leak, so that it takes time and effort. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6, a pump 61 and a ventilation connector 62 are provided in the light source device 60 to send air to a not-shown lumen of the endoscope 21. Further, a water leakage detection system having a pressure detection unit 63 and a pressure display unit 64 for displaying the pressure inside the endoscope is provided on at least one of the endoscope 21 and the light source device 60.

When the detachable connector 70 is connected to the light source device 60, the water leak detection system is connected to the light guide tube 65 and the light source device 60 and to a not-shown lumen of the endoscope 21. The air supply pipe 67 and the ventilation connector 62 provided in the light source device 60 are simultaneously connected, and the connector 70 and the light source device 60 are detected by the connector connection detecting means 68 provided in the light source device 60.
After confirming the connection with the pump 6,
1 is driven. The endoscope 2 is driven by driving the pump 61.
The internal pressure of 1 rises, and when the pressure reaches a preset pressure, the driving of the pump 61 is stopped. Then, the internal pressure of the endoscope after a predetermined time has elapsed is measured by the pressure detecting means 63, and if there is no decrease in pressure, it is determined that there is no water leakage in the endoscope, and the endoscope 21 or the light source device 60 is provided. Output to display means 64.

Further, the pump 61 is used as a cooling means at the end of the light guide fiber bundle 71. In the conventional light guide fiber, the light guide fiber is inserted into a guide tube protruding from a connector body (not shown) and a single fiber is connected to the tip, so that there is no space for providing cooling means for the end of the light guide fiber. Was. However, as shown in FIG. 7, the light guide fiber bundle 71 and the single fiber are connected in the connector 70, and the radiator 73 and the air supply line 67 are connected to this connection part by fitting them outside. The gas supply line 67 is connected to the light source device 6.
The structure is such that the end of the light guide fiber 71 is cooled by connecting to the air supply connector 62 which communicates with the pump 61 in the inside of the endoscope 21, and the air is sent to the lumen in the endoscope 21.

As described above, the connector 70 is connected to the light source device 60.
Is connected, water leakage inspection and cooling of the end of the light guide fiber 71 can be performed, so that workability is improved.

[0030]

As described above, according to the present invention, by shortening the length of the solid-state imaging device in the axial direction, the rigid length of the distal end of the endoscope is shortened, so that the endoscope can be easily inserted into the subject. There is an effect that can be.

[Brief description of the drawings]

1 to 3 relate to a first embodiment of the present invention,
FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a distal end portion of an endoscope.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram for comparing the total lengths of the solid-state imaging devices of the first embodiment and a conventional example.

FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating the entire configuration of the endoscope apparatus.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram for comparing the total lengths of the solid-state imaging devices of the second embodiment and the first embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a schematic sectional view of a solid-state imaging device according to a modification of the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a schematic explanatory view of a light source device and a connector unit.

FIG. 7 is a schematic explanatory view showing the inside of the connector.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a distal end portion of a conventional endoscope.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 21 ... Endoscope 22 ... Insertion part 25 ... Tip part 29 ... Tip member 32 ... Objective optical system 33 ... CCD 36 ... External lead 40 ... Circuit board 41 ... Signal cable

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. An endoscope is provided within a distal end portion of an endoscope, and is disposed in an axial direction.
A solid-state imaging device having a substantially vertical light-receiving surface, an external lead extending rearward from the solid-state imaging device, and the external lead connected to an end of the solid-state imaging device.
It has a first surface and a second surface which is the back surface of the first surface.
And a circuit board disposed substantially perpendicular to the light receiving surface.
And an end of the second surface of the circuit board on the solid-state imaging device side.
An endoscope characterized by comprising a signal cable connected to the part, the.