JP3971399B2 - Endoscope device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a video display device, and more particularly, to an endoscope device that is suitable for carrying with the video display device integrated.

An endoscope device widely used in the medical field and the industrial field is connected to a stationary television monitor via a cable at a portion corresponding to the eyepiece, and an image sensor such as a CCD is used to obtain an image obtained by the endoscope. The image formed on the light receiving unit is converted into a signal, and the image converted into the signal is supplied to a television monitor at a remote position via a cable, and is imaged and displayed on the screen. There is something that was made.
In addition, an endoscope apparatus is proposed in which a light source device, a video display device such as a small liquid crystal monitor, and a battery that drives the light source, the image sensor, and the liquid crystal monitor are mounted on the endoscope (for example, a patent). References 1-3).
JP-A-10-127575 (FIG. 1) Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-9548 (FIG. 1) JP 2000-116599 A (FIG. 1)

  In the conventional video display device, the video display device is attached and fixed at a specific position above the endoscope, and displays an image of the subject on the liquid crystal display screen. The surgeon may change the way of holding the endoscope as appropriate according to the procedure and method of examination, but the liquid crystal display screen of the video display device has a narrow viewing angle, so depending on how the endoscope is held The surgeon may not be able to see the image of the subject displayed on the liquid crystal display screen well.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and allows an operator to visually recognize an image of a subject displayed on a liquid crystal display screen without depending on how to hold an endoscope. An object of the present invention is to provide an endoscope apparatus.

As means for solving the above problems, an endoscope apparatus having the following configuration is employed.
That is, an endoscope apparatus according to the present invention includes an endoscope having an imaging unit that captures an observation image of a subject, a video display device that visualizes and displays an imaging signal from the imaging unit, and the endoscope A first attachment portion provided in the operation portion of the mirror and capable of attaching the video display device, and provided in the operation portion of the endoscope and attaching the video display device in a position different from the first attachment portion. And a possible second mounting portion.

  In the endoscope apparatus according to the present invention, the video display device is attached to the first or second attachment portion provided at a different position of the operation portion. Here, when the surgeon changes the way the endoscope is held and the patient image displayed on the video display device cannot be viewed well, the operator removes the video display device from the operation unit. The video display device is attached to the other mounting portion. Thereby, the surgeon can always visually confirm the image of the subject displayed on the video display device no matter how the endoscope is held.

  In addition, an endoscope apparatus according to the present invention is provided in the first and second attachment portions, provided in an output terminal for outputting an imaging signal from the imaging means, and provided in the video display device, And an input terminal to which the imaging signal is input via the output terminal of the second mounting portion.

  In the endoscope apparatus according to the present invention, when the video display device is attached to the operation unit, the video signal is input to the video display device by connecting the output terminal and the input terminal. Accordingly, it is not necessary to separately connect a cable for supplying a video signal to the video display device, so that the video display device can be easily attached and detached.

  According to the endoscope apparatus of the present invention, the surgeon displays the subject displayed on the video display device in the first and second mounting portions provided at different positions of the operation unit. It is possible to select and attach a place where the image of the image can be visually recognized. Thereby, the surgeon can always see the image of the subject displayed on the video display device satisfactorily without depending on how to hold the endoscope device.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
The endoscope apparatus according to the present embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 visualizes and displays an endoscope 1, a light source device 2 that emits illumination light that illuminates the subject, and an image of the subject obtained by the endoscope 1. The video display device 3 is provided as a main component.
The endoscope 1 includes an insertion portion 11 in which the distal end is inserted into an observation site, and an operation portion 12 for performing a bending operation on the distal end of the insertion portion 11. Further, the endoscope 1 has an image pickup device (image pickup means) 4 such as a CCD that receives an image (light) guided by an image guide 11b described later, and a condensing lens that forms an image on a light receiving portion of the image pickup device 4. 4a. The insertion portion 11 has a flexible and elongated shape, and is connected to one end of the operation portion 12. The insertion portion 11 has a hard tip portion 16 located at the tip, and a bending portion 17 provided continuously to the tip portion 16. And a flexible portion 18 provided continuously to the bending portion 17 and connected to the operation portion 12. The distal end portion 16 is provided with an objective lens 19 that forms an image of reflected light from a subject illuminated by illumination light, and an illumination window 16a that emits illumination light. The bending portion 17 and the flexible portion 18 include a light guide 11 a that guides illumination light from the light source device 2 to the distal end portion 16, and an image guide 11 b that guides an image formed on the objective lens 19 to the imaging element 4. ing. Note that the imaging element 4 may be provided at the distal end portion 16 described later.

  The operation unit 12 is a curve for bending the bending portion 17 in a desired direction via the grasping portion 10 for the operator to grasp the endoscope 1 and the two wires 11c passed through the insertion portion 11. And an operation lever 20. The grip portion 10 is formed in a bar shape and can be gripped so as to be wrapped with the thumb and other fingers. The grasping unit 10 includes a suction cap 13 for sucking a liquid such as a body fluid, a forceps insertion port 14 for inserting a treatment tool such as a forceps, and the inside of the endoscope 1 at the time of water leakage inspection of the endoscope 1 A vent 15 for sending air is provided. A suction device is connected to the suction base 13 through a tube (not shown), and body fluid and the like can be sucked through the suction base 13 by operating the suction device. An air supply device is connected to the vent base 15 via a tube (not shown), and by operating the air supply device, air is sent from the vent base 15 to the endoscope 1, and the endoscope 1. Internal water leak inspection can be performed.

In addition, the operation unit 12 includes other ends at which first and second attachment parts 21 and 22 that engage with attachment parts 35 and 36 provided in the video display device 3 to be described later are different positions of the operation part 12. And side surfaces. The operation unit 12 includes an activation switch 24 that activates the endoscope apparatus and an image recording switch 25b that records an image displayed on the image display apparatus 3 on an image recording apparatus 25 described later.
The first and second attachment portions 21 and 22 have output terminals 21A and 22A, respectively, and are connected to input terminals 35A and 36A provided on attachment portions 35 and 36, which will be described later, thereby displaying an image. The apparatus 3 is configured to supply a video signal and power.
In the present embodiment, the first and second attachment portions 21 and 22 are provided at two different locations of the operation unit 12, but the number is not limited to two, and may be three or more.

Further, inside the operation unit 12, an image recording device 25 that records an image of the subject, an image sensor control circuit 26 that outputs the image of the subject imaged by the image sensor 4, and an image sensor control circuit 26. And a display element control circuit 27 that visualizes the signal output from the display element and displays the signal on a display element 37 of the video display device 3 to be described later. In addition, the battery 5 is a secondary battery that can be repeatedly charged and used, and a battery 5 that supplies power to each part of the light source device 2, the imaging device 4, and the video display device 3 is incorporated in a replaceable manner.
The image recording device 25 is constituted by a memory card, for example, and is built in the endoscope 1 so as to be replaceable.

  The bending operation lever 20 is provided adjacent to the grip 10 so that it can be operated with the thumb of the hand holding the grip 10. The bending operation lever 20 is an L-shape composed of a distal end portion 20a operated by the belly of the thumb holding the gripping portion 10 and a proximal end portion 20b connected to one end of the distal end portion 20a. A base end portion 20b is pivotally supported by 12a and is supported so as to be swingable up and down. The bending operation lever 20 can bend the bending portion 17 freely by pushing and pulling the tip portion 20a up and down with a thumb to apply tension to one of the wires 11c and thrust to the other wire 11c. It is like that.

The light source device 2 includes a light source lamp 31, a hand switch 32 for an operator to arbitrarily turn on / off the light source lamp 31, and a condensing lens 33 that condenses illumination light emitted from the light source lamp 31. ing. Further, the light source device 2 is provided with a connector 2a to which a power supply cable 6 described later is detachably connected. The light source lamp 31, the hand switch 32, and the connector 2a are connected in series by a power supply line 2b built in the light source device 2.
Illumination light emitted from the light source lamp 31 is condensed by the condenser lens 33, guided to the light guide 11a, emitted from the illumination window 16a, and illuminates the body cavity.

The video display device 3 is detachably attached to the operation unit 12, and attaches and detachably engages the first and second attachment parts 21 and 22, and visualizes the observation image of the subject. And a display element 37 such as an LCD to be displayed.
The attachment portions 35 and 36 are connected to the endoscope 1 by being connected to the output terminals 21 </ b> A and 22 </ b> A. Power is supplied from the battery 5 to the display element 37, and video signals are output from the display element control circuit 27. Are provided with input terminals 35A and 36A, respectively.
In the present embodiment, the attachment portions 35 and 36 are provided at two locations on the video display device 3, but the number is not limited to two, and may be one or three or more locations.

  The light source device 2 is connected via a power supply cable 6 that includes a power supply line 31a described later. The feeding cable 6 is fixed to the endoscope 1 side, and a connector 6a is provided at the tip. The connector 6a is configured to be detachably connected to the connector 2a of the light source device 2.

  A power supply line 4 b that supplies power to the image sensor 4 is provided between the image sensor 4 and the battery 5. A power supply line 31 a that supplies power to the light source lamp 31 is provided between the light source device 2 and the battery 5. Is provided. Similarly, a power supply line 21b is provided between the output terminal 21A and the battery 5 to supply power to the display element 37 when one of the input terminals 35A and 36A of the video display device 3 is connected. Between the terminal 22A and the battery 5, a power supply line 22b that supplies power to the display element 37 when one of the input terminals 35A and 36A of the video display device 3 is connected is provided. A power supply line 26 a for supplying power to the image sensor control circuit 26 is provided between the image sensor control circuit 26 and the battery 5, and a display element control circuit is provided between the display element control circuit 27 and the battery 5. A power supply line 27 a for supplying power to the power supply 27 is provided.

  Between the image sensor 4 and the image sensor control circuit 26, a signal line S1 for transmitting a video signal acquired by the image sensor 4 to the image sensor control circuit 26 is provided. The image sensor control circuit 26 and the display element control circuit are provided. 27 is provided with a signal line S2 for transmitting a video signal input to the image sensor control circuit 26 to the display element control circuit 27. Between the display element control circuit 27 and the output terminal 21A, a video line is provided. A signal line S3 for inputting a video signal to the display element 37 when either one of the input terminals 35A and 36A of the display device 3 is connected is provided, and a video line is provided between the display element control circuit 27 and the output terminal 22A. A signal line S4 for inputting a video signal to the display element 37 when either one of the input terminals 35A and 36A of the display device 3 is connected is provided, and the image recording device 25 and the image sensor control circuit 26 are provided. Between the signal lines S5 for transmitting a video signal input to the imaging element control circuit 26 to the image recording apparatus 25 is provided.

  In the present embodiment, the attachment portion 35 of the video display device 3 is engaged with the first attachment portion 21, but the attachment portion 36 and the second attachment portion 22 are engaged as shown in FIG. The structure may be sufficient, and the structure which makes the attachment part 36 and the 1st attachment part 21 engage, or makes the attachment part 35 and the 2nd attachment part 22 engage may be sufficient. That is, the video display device 3 can be installed at a position desired by the operator.

  In the endoscope apparatus configured as described above, the video display device 3 is provided on the first and second attachment portions 21 and 22 provided at two positions, that is, the side surface and the upper surface, which are different positions of the operation unit 12. Can be removed. As a result, even if the surgeon appropriately changes the way of holding the grip 10 by a technique or examination, the surgeon can visually recognize the video display device 3 in the first and second mounting portions 21 and 22. A place where it can be selected is selected, and the video display device 3 is mounted. As described above, the surgeon can always see the image of the subject displayed on the video display device 3 satisfactorily, no matter how the endoscope 1 is gripped.

  In addition, since the mounting portions 35 and 36 and the first and second mounting portions 21 and 22 include input terminals 35A and 36A and output terminals 21A and 22A, respectively, one of the mounting portions 35 and 36, By engaging one of the first and second mounting portions 21 and 22, power and a video signal are supplied to the video display device 3. Thereby, since it is not necessary to connect the endoscope 1 and the video display device by a cable for supplying power and a video signal, the video display device can be easily attached and detached.

In addition, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment, A various change can be added in the range which does not deviate from the meaning of this invention.
For example, in the above embodiment, the attachment portions 35 and 36 and the first and second attachment portions 21 and 22 include the input terminals 35A and 36A and the output terminals 21A and 22A, respectively. Power and video signals are supplied to the video display device 3 by engaging one of the 36 and one of the first and second mounting portions 21 and 22, but the present invention has the above structure. In addition to the endoscope apparatus, the attachment portions 35 and 36 and the first and second attachment portions 21 and 22 are not provided with the input terminals 35A and 36A and the output terminals 21A and 22A, respectively. It is also possible to supply power and video signals via a cable connecting the mirror 1 and the video display device 3.

Further, the endoscope apparatus having the structure in which the operation unit 12 is provided with the image recording device 25, the imaging element control circuit 26, and the display element control circuit 27 has been described. However, the endoscope apparatus according to the present invention is an endoscope having the above structure. The present invention is not limited to the mirror device, and can also be applied to an endoscope device having a structure in which the image recording device 25, the imaging element control circuit 26, and the display element control circuit 27 are provided in the video display device 3.
Further, the structure in which the endoscope 1 and the light source device 2 are connected by the power supply cable 6 has been described. However, the endoscope apparatus of the present invention is not limited to the endoscope apparatus having the above structure, and in the first embodiment. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the present invention can be applied to an endoscope apparatus having a structure in which an endoscope 1 and a light source device 2 are integrated.

  The endoscope apparatus of the present invention can be suitably used not only for medical use as described above but also for industrial use.

It is a perspective view of an endoscope apparatus in one embodiment concerning the present invention. It is the perspective view which looked at the endoscope apparatus in one Embodiment concerning this invention from the direction different from FIG. It is the schematic which shows the internal structure of the endoscope apparatus in one Embodiment concerning this invention. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an internal structure of an endoscope apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is the schematic which shows the internal structure of the endoscope apparatus which can apply this invention other than one Embodiment concerning this invention.

Explanation of symbols

4 Image sensor (imaging means)
3 Video display device 12 Operation part 21 1st attachment part 22 2nd attachment part 21A, 22A Input terminal 35A, 36A Output terminal

Claims (2)

An endoscope having an imaging means for imaging an observation image of a subject;
A video display device that visualizes and displays an imaging signal from the imaging means;
A first attachment portion provided in the operation portion of the endoscope and capable of attaching the video display device;
A second attachment portion provided in the operation portion of the endoscope and capable of attaching the video display device at a position different from the first attachment portion;
An endoscope apparatus comprising: An output terminal that is provided in the first and second mounting portions and outputs an imaging signal from the imaging means;
An input terminal provided in the video display device, to which the imaging signal is input via the output terminals of the first and second mounting portions;
The endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

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