JP3957144B2 - Endoscope illumination system structure - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an endoscope illumination system structure in which a plastic fiber is used as illumination light transmission means.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Plastic fiber is flexible and has a characteristic that it is harder to break than glass fiber. When plastic fiber is used as the illumination light transmission means of an endoscope, the plastic fiber is directly inside the light guide cable. It is inserted through.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The connection tube (light guide connection tube) of the light guide connector that plugs and connects the incident end of the light guide for transmitting illumination light of the endoscope to the light source device has heat resistance and heat dissipation against heat radiated from the light source. It is made of metal from the viewpoint.
[0004]
Therefore, the light guide connection tube is heated to a very high temperature, and if it touches the plastic fiber, it will not only be damaged by heat, but if there is a temperature abnormality or heat radiation abnormality around the light guide connection tube, it will be inserted inside it. There is a case where the incident end of the plastic fiber is deteriorated in a short time and the endoscope becomes unusable.
[0005]
Accordingly, the present invention provides a structure of an endoscope illumination system having excellent durability that does not cause thermal deterioration of the incident end of a plastic fiber for illumination even if a temperature abnormality or heat radiation abnormality occurs in the light guide connector. With the goal.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the structure of the endoscope illumination system according to the present invention is an endoscope illumination system in which plastic fibers are used as illumination light transmission means, and is plugged into the light source device. In the case where the incident end of the plastic fiber is inserted and disposed in the metal light guide connection tube, the plastic fiber is coated with a non-metallic protective tube that is more heat resistant than the plastic fiber at least in the light guide connection tube. It is a thing.
[0007]
The protective tube may be loosely covered with a plastic fiber, and the light guide connecting tube protrudes from the light guide connector connected to the tip of the flexible light guide cable. The plastic fiber may not be coated.
[0008]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 2 shows the overall configuration of the endoscope. A base end of the insertion portion 2 is connected to the lower end of the operation portion 1, and an eyepiece portion 3 is projected from the upper end of the operation portion 1.
[0009]
A light guide connector 5 connected to a light source device (not shown) is attached to the distal end of a flexible light guide cable 4 extending laterally from the operation unit 1. 6 is a rubber stopper.
[0010]
In this endoscope, a single plastic fiber 7 is used as illumination light transmission means, and the plastic fiber 7 has an emission end portion disposed at the distal end of the insertion portion 2, and the operation portion 1 from the insertion portion 2. In addition, the incident end portion is inserted and disposed in a light guide connecting cylinder 8 protruding from the light guide connector 5 through the light guide cable 4.
[0011]
FIG. 1 shows the structure of the light guide connector 5. The light guide connecting tube 8 is made of metal such as brass or stainless steel, and is inserted into a connector receiver of a light source device (not shown).
[0012]
The plastic fiber 7 is disposed at the axial position of the light guide connecting cylinder 8. And the illumination light which passed the condensing lens 11 attached to the protrusion end of the light guide connection pipe | tube 8 is sent to the incident-end surface of the plastic fiber 7 with the rod lens 12 arrange | positioned inside. Reference numeral 13 denotes a small screw for fixing the rod lens 12 to the light guide connecting cylinder 8.
[0013]
The plastic fiber 7 is fixed to the light guide connecting cylinder 8 by fixing a front end cap 7 a attached to the front end of the plastic fiber 7 to the rear end cap 12 a of the rod lens 12 with a small screw 14.
[0014]
The portion of the plastic fiber 7 located in the light guide connecting tube 8 is more heat resistant than the plastic fiber 7 made of acrylic resin (polymethyl methacrylate) or the like, such as a tetrafluoroethylene resin tube or a silicon tube. Such a non-metallic protective tube 10 is loosely covered, and the distal end of the protective tube 10 is fixedly attached to the distal end cap 7 a of the plastic fiber 7.
[0015]
Therefore, the plastic fiber 7 does not touch the light guide connecting tube 8 and is not damaged by heat, and even if a temperature abnormality or heat radiation abnormality occurs in the light guide connecting tube 8, a protective tube 10 is used in the inside. The temperature of the enclosed plastic fiber 7 does not easily rise to the degradation temperature.
[0016]
Note that the protective tube 10 may be tightly coated on the plastic fiber 7. In the above embodiment, the plastic fiber 7 is not coated in the light guide connector 5 and the light guide cable 4, but the protective tube 10 may be extended to those portions. However, in the light guide cable 4, the light guide cable 4 can be formed to be thin and flexible when the plastic fiber 7 is not coated.
[0017]
【The invention's effect】
According to the present invention, in the structure of the illumination system of the endoscope in which the incident end of the plastic fiber is inserted and disposed in the metal light guide connection tube, at least in the light guide connection tube, the heat resistance is higher than that of the plastic fiber. Covering a non-metallic protective tube with a plastic fiber prevents the plastic fiber from touching the light guide connection tube and causing thermal damage, and the light guide connector may experience abnormal temperature and heat dissipation. Even in this case, the incident end of the illumination plastic fiber is not thermally deteriorated and can have excellent durability.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a side sectional view of a light guide connector according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a side view showing an overall configuration of an endoscope according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
5 Light guide connector 7 Plastic fiber 7a Tip cap 8 Light guide connecting cylinder 10 Protective tube

Claims (2)

An endoscope illumination system in which plastic fibers are used as illumination light transmission means, and an incident end portion of the plastic fiber is inserted and disposed in a metal light guide connecting tube inserted and connected to the light source device. In
An endoscope illumination system structure characterized in that at least in the light guide connecting tube, a non-metallic protective tube having a heat resistance higher than that of the plastic fiber is loosely coated on the plastic fiber. The light guide connecting tube is a flexible light guide cable have been projected from the linked light guide connector to the distal end of claim 1, wherein not coated with the plastic fibers is applied within the light guide cable Endoscope illumination system structure.

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