JP3170018B2 - 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 having an operation section provided with an angle lever and a push button switch.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, endoscopes have been widely used in the medical and industrial fields. This endoscope is provided with a bending portion on the distal end side of the insertion portion, and the bending portion can be bent by operating an angle lever provided on the operation portion on the hand side. The operation unit may be provided with a suction plug for performing suction or a push button switch for performing light amount adjustment or the like. Then, when operating the angle lever, conventionally, the operator holds the grip portion with the middle finger, the ring finger,
The user grasps with three little fingers, operates the angle lever with the thumb of the hand being grasped, and operates the suction tap or the push button switch with the forefinger.

[0003]

Conventionally, the suction plug and the push button switch provided on the operation unit have to be operated with the forefinger. Therefore, the opening angle of the third finger of the forefinger with respect to the middle finger is set. Although the operation is changed, the opening angle of the forefinger and the middle finger is not so free, and there is an inconvenience that the push button switch cannot be pressed unless the grip portion is re-grip when pressing the push button switch. Further, there is a drawback that when the operation unit is re-grip or the push button switch is pressed, the angle lever is moved, and the observation site may be shifted.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and has as its object to provide an endoscope in which a push button switch can be easily operated without an operator grasping and holding a grip. Aim.

[0005]

To the means and action to solve the problems of the present invention
The endoscope has a curved portion provided on the distal end side of the insertion portion,
It can rotate inside the operation part provided on the base end side of the insertion part
To rotate the rotating shaft supported by the
An endoscope having an angle lever for rotating the rotating shaft , wherein the rotating shaft is connected substantially parallel to the rotating shaft.
The arm that pivots along the outer surface of the operation unit at the center,
Provided on the angle lever and on the opposite side of the operation unit
Characterized in that a push button switch is provided on the arm
And then, by providing a push button switch in the arm of the angle lever, without the need to re-grip the grip portion, in a state of operating a substantially angle lever, you can operate the push button switch.

[0006]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described below with reference to the drawings. 1 and 2 relate to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 shows an electronic endoscope of the first embodiment, and FIG. 2 shows an angle lever.

As shown in FIG. 1, an electronic endoscope 1 according to a first embodiment has an elongated insertion portion 2 that can be inserted into a body cavity or the like, an operation portion 3 formed at a rear end of the insertion portion 2, and an A universal cord 4 extending from the operation unit 3, and a front half (lower half in FIG. 1) of the operation unit 3 is a gripping unit 5;
A suction button 6 is formed on the front wall of the upper half of the operation unit 3, and an angle lever 7 is formed on the back wall. The angle lever 7 has an angle wire (not shown) housed in the operation unit 3 wound and fixed (constituting a bending drive mechanism).
It is connected to a rotation shaft of a pulley and is rotatable with respect to the operation unit 3.

The insertion section 2 is composed of a hard tip 8, a bendable bending section 9, and a flexible section 10. The bending section 9 is operated by operating the angle lever 7. Can be curved. This angle lever 7
Extends from a shaft rotatable with respect to the operation unit 3 in a direction substantially orthogonal to the axis, that is, substantially along the outer wall surface of the operation unit 3, and the extended end is further bent into an L-shape. An arm-shaped finger rest 11 (see FIG. 2) is formed.

In this first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, push-button switches (also simply referred to as button switches) 12a are provided on both sides of the finger rest portion 11 of the angle lever 7.
A thumb 1 placed on the finger rest 11
The angle operation and the switch operation can be easily performed by 3. The finger rest 11 is substantially parallel to the axis of the center of rotation. The push button switches 12a, 1
2b is for performing release or light quantity adjustment, for example. It may be a freeze or the like.

The operation of the first embodiment will be described below.
As shown in FIG. 1, the surgeon grasps the grasping portion 5 with the middle finger, the third finger, and the little finger, puts the index finger 14 on the frequently used suction button 6 and prepares for suction, and the thumb 13 always holds the angle lever 7 A part to be placed on the finger rest part 11 and to observe is always secured.

When it is desired to push the push button switches 12a and 12b, the thumb 13 placed on the finger rest 11 of the angle lever 7 is moved right and left as shown by the dotted line in FIG. Push button switches 12a and 12b can be pressed.

In the first embodiment, the push button switch 12a,
Since the 12b is provided, the surgeon can operate by simply moving the thumb 13 without changing the grip portion 5, thereby improving operability.

FIG. 3 shows an angle lever according to a second embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, a push button switch 12 is provided on one side of the finger rest 11 of the angle lever 7.
a and 12b are provided in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the finger rest portion 11 (of the angle lever 7), and by rotating the thumb 13 about the second joint of the thumb 13 as shown by the dotted line in FIG. , Switches 12a and 12b can be operated.

In the second embodiment, the thumb can be operated by the thumb 13 placed on the finger rest 11, and when the push button switches 12a and 12b are to be pushed, the thumb 13 is placed on the side of the angle lever 7. The switches 12a and 12b can be turned on by bending the finger around the two joints. The effect is the same as that of the first embodiment. FIG.
Then, by turning clockwise, the switch 12
Although the switches 12a and 12b are provided on one side so that the switches 12a and 12b can be operated, the switches 12a and 12b may be provided on the other side.

FIG. 4 shows a modification of the second embodiment. In the second embodiment, two fingers are placed in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the finger rest 11.
Although two switches 12a and 12b are provided, in this modification, the switches 12a and 12b are located at positions (substantially equidistant from the center O) where the thumb 13 faces when the thumb 13 is rotated around the second joint center O. Is provided. The effect of this modification is almost the same as that of the first embodiment.

FIG. 5 shows an angle lever 7 according to a third embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, projections 15a and 15b are provided on both sides of the finger rest portion 11 of the angle lever 7,
Switches 12a and 12b are provided facing the inside thereof, respectively. Also in this embodiment, the switches 13a and 12b are turned by rotating the thumb 13 about the second joint.
Can be operated. One or more switches may be provided on an angle lever having a different shape from the angle lever 7 having the shape shown in FIGS.

The electronic endoscope 1 according to the first embodiment shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 6 (a), peripheral components of the imaging unit such as a capacitor 20, an IC 21, a substrate 22, and the like are arranged on the tip 8 of the imaging unit 19 as shown in FIG. are doing. In other words, the front end 8 has an objective lens 23 forming the imaging unit 19 and a C fixed to the element holder 24.
A CD 25 is disposed, and substrates 22 are provided on both sides of the CCD 25.
There has been arranged. The substrate 20 includes a capacitor 20 and an I
An imaging unit peripheral circuit component such as C21 is mounted, and a cable 26 is connected.

Conventionally, as shown in FIG.
A substrate 22 is provided on the back side of the CD 19, and a capacitor 20,
IC21 etc. were mounted. FIG. 7 shows a peripheral circuit component 27 of the imaging unit 19 in a space on the side of the imaging unit 19.
27 shows a state in which 27 is stored. In FIG. 7, 28
Indicates a light guide, and 29 indicates a channel. FIG. 6 (a)
As can be seen from the comparison with the conventional example shown in FIG. 6B, the hard length can be shortened. In FIG. 6, the peripheral circuit components are arranged on both sides, but the capacitor 20 and the like may be arranged only on one side as shown in FIG. Also in the case of FIG. 8, the hard length can be shortened without increasing the outer diameter of the tip portion by increasing the mounting density.

Further, for example, a structure in which a suction plug 34 provided with a suction base 33 at a lower portion thereof can be rotated by 360 ° as in an operation section 32 of an electronic endoscope 31 shown in FIG. 9 may be employed. The suction base 33 is connected to a suction device 36 via a suction tube 35. In addition, 37 is a switch.

When the switch 37 is operated by grasping the grasping portion 38 below the operating portion 32, since the position of the suction base 33 is fixed in the conventional example, the suction base 33 and the suction tube 35 hit the forefinger. Although there was a disadvantage that the pressing operation was difficult, in this electronic endoscope 31,
As shown in FIG. 10, since the suction plug 34 can be freely rotated by 360 °, it can be set to an angular position that does not hinder the operation of the switch 37. Therefore, the operability of the switch 37 can be improved, and the setting position of the suction device 36 can be freely determined.

Further, it is possible to set a state in which the operator can easily operate with either the left or right hand. It should be noted that the structure is not limited to the one that can rotate 360 °, and may be a structure that can rotate 180 °, for example. still,
11, a forceps port 42 is provided at the top of the endoscope like an electronic endoscope 41, and a channel 43 includes an operation section 44 and an insertion section 45.
The opening may be made at the distal end portion 46 through the above. In the case of this structure, the channel 43 is formed in a straight line, so that the cleaning property is good (the cleaning is easy because the structure is not a branch).

The present invention can be applied not only to an electronic endoscope but also to a fiberscope. Further, the switch is not limited to a push button switch that requires a pressing operation, and may be a switch that operates by simply touching.

[0023]

As described above, according to the present invention, since the button switch is provided on the angle lever in the endoscope in which the grip portion is provided on the operation portion, the end portion is not re-gripped by the operation portion. Button switches can be operated.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing an electronic endoscope according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view showing a finger rest of an angle lever according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a front view showing a finger rest of an angle lever according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a front view showing a finger rest of an angle lever according to a modification of the second embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing an angle lever according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an arrangement of peripheral circuits of an imaging unit in the electronic endoscope of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a view showing an example of the arrangement of the built-in object at the distal end in the case of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an arrangement of peripheral circuits of the imaging unit different from FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 is a view showing an electronic endoscope according to the present invention in which an operation unit is provided with a rotatable suction plug.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state in which the direction of projection of the suction cap is changed by rotating the suction tap.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an electronic endoscope provided with a linear channel.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Electronic endoscope 2 ... Insertion part 3 ... Operation part 4 ... Universal code 5 ... Grip part 6 ... Suction button 7 ... Angle lever 8 ... End part 9 ... Bending part 11 ... Finger placement part 12a ... (Push) button switch 12b ... (push) button switch 13 ... thumb 14 ... index finger 15 ... protrusion

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] A bending portion provided on a distal end side of the insertion portion;
The rotation part is provided inside an operation part provided on the base end side of the insertion part.
To perform the bending of the rotating shaft and the bending portion
An endoscope having an angle lever for rotating the rotation axis , wherein the endoscope is connected substantially in parallel with the rotation axis,
The arm that rotates along the outer surface of the operation unit is
The arm portion provided on the bar and opposite to the operation portion
An endoscope comprising a push button switch provided thereon.