JPH01276046A - Endoscope device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent a rupture, etc., of a sealed member of an inserting part by measuring the pressure of the inside of an object to be inspected by a pressure sensor, pressurizing or pressure-reducing the inside space of the inserting part used by a pressure adjusting device in accordance with a measured pressure level and balancing the inside and the outside pressure of the inserting part. CONSTITUTION:When an inserting part 8 of an endoscope 7 is led to a high pressure water flow 71, for instance, in a water piping 1, a pressure sensor 61 provided on a tip part 21 of the inserting part 8 detects pressure P1 in the piping 1, this detecting signal is transmitted to a control part which is not shown in the figure of an external device 34, and an operation processing is executed. This detecting signal is compared with pressure P2 is the inserting part 8, and when there is a difference between them, a pressure balance adjusting device 37 is brought to discharge operation, and a high pressure fluid, for instance, high pressure air is fed into the inserting part 8 of the endoscope 7 through a sustaining tube. Subsequently, air is fed until the pressure P2 in the inserting part 8 is balanced with the pressure P1 in the tube. Also, when the pressure P1 in the piping 1 falls, the feed air is stopped, and also, the pressure is balanced by opening a valve which is not shown in the figure and lowering the pressure P2 in the inserting part 8.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an endoscope device for inspecting damage such as cracks inside a water pipe, etc., for example.

[Prior Art] Industrial endoscopes are used for various purposes, but they are especially used in environments where the pressure is higher or lower than atmospheric pressure in a sealed atmosphere. There are cases. Specifically, inside the water pipes in use (active) state (approximately 2
K9/d~13 K'j/d), or vacuum deposition (10
-5 to 10-6τorr) or sputtering (10-2
~10-3 Torr), etc.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, since the insertion portion of an endoscope is generally configured to be airtight, when the endoscope is inserted into an environment under pressure conditions different from atmospheric pressure, the insertion portion of the endoscope may be damaged. The sealing member may be damaged or destroyed at the part with the weakest pressure resistance. For example, in an insertion section provided with a curved portion, the sealing member (sheath) of the curved portion is likely to be destroyed.

In other words, in this curved section, a sealing member (outer skin) is fitted around the outer periphery of a curved core material made up of a plurality of bending pieces, but in a high-pressure environment, a sealing member is fitted in the gap without a wall between the bending pieces. The (outer skin) falls down and gets caught between the bending pieces during normal bending operation, destroying the sealing state. In addition, in a low-pressure environment, the sealing member (outer skin) may expand and burst, and in extreme cases, there are problems such as the inability to attach a protective outer blade outside the curved part. be. In particular, in the case of a small-diameter endoscope, the sealing member (outer skin) is thin and therefore easily expands and ruptures.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to use a relatively simple structure to know the pressure of the environment in which the endoscope is used and adjust the pressure inside the insertion tube to balance this pressure. The object of the present invention is to provide an endoscope device that can be adjusted and ensure safety.

[Means for Solving the Problems and Effects] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides an endoscope device that is used by inserting an insertion section of the endoscope into an object to be inspected under a pressure different from atmospheric pressure. A pressure sensor is installed in at least a part of the insertion section of the endoscope and detects the pressure inside the object to be inspected, and the internal space of the insertion section is pressurized or depressurized depending on the pressure level measured by the pressure sensor. and pressure balance adjustment means.

Therefore, when an endoscope is inserted into an object to be inspected at a pressure different from atmospheric pressure, the pressure inside the object to be inspected is measured by a pressure sensor, and the measured pressure level is Depending on the situation, the internal space of the insertion section to be used is pressurized or depressurized by the pressure adjustment means to balance the internal and external pressures of the insertion section. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the sealing member of the insertion portion of the endoscope from rupturing or other problems due to the pressure difference.

[Embodiment] FIGS. 1 to 5 show a first embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 indicates a water pipe buried underground as an object to be inspected. 2 is a fire hydrant installed in the middle of this water pipe 1, and this fire hydrant 2 is used by fire trucks and the like to supply water in the event of a disaster. The fire hydrant 2 is provided with an outlet 3, and an on-off valve 4 is provided between the outlet 3 and the water pipe 1 to control the amount of water flowing out. The opening degree of this on-off valve 4 is adjusted by a handle 5.

Further, the outlet 3 of the fire hydrant 2 is normally sealed by attaching a sealing plug (not shown) with a screw, but when inspecting the inside of the water pipe 1, a sealing cap 6, which will be described later, is replaced and attached. It has become.

Then, the insertion portion 8 of the endoscope 7 is introduced into the water pipe 1 through the sealed mouthpiece 6. Also, at this time, the sealing cap 6
is designed to be inserted while maintaining the insertion portion 8 in a watertight manner.

That is, as shown in FIG. 3, the sealing cap 6 has a connecting end 11 formed at one end thereof to be screwed into the mortar body 3a of the outlet 3 of the fire hydrant 2, and an insertion cap 12 is screwed at the other end. It is fastened.

A plurality of U-rings 13 and a ring-shaped spacer 14 are provided in the inner intermediate portion of the sealing cap 6, and the plurality of U-rings 13
The insertion portion 8 of the endoscope 7 inserted therethrough is sealed. Note that a backing 15 is inserted between the mortar body 3a of the outlet 3 of the fire hydrant 2 and the sealing cap 6.

On the other hand, the endoscope 7 is of a sealed type, and its insertion section 8 consists of a distal end section 21, a curved section 22, and a flexible tube 23. This insertion section 8 is an operation section 2 equipped with various operation switches 24, etc.
5 is connected to the main body 26 of No. 5. Further, the main body 26 of the operating section 25 is provided with a bending knob 27 for remotely controlling the bending section 22 . Further, a flexible cable 28 is connected to the main body 26 of the operating section 25.

As shown in FIG. 2, a connector 35 is attached to the tip of the cable 28 to be connected to an external device 34 that includes a light source 31, a camera control unit 32, and a jet injection compressor 33. Further, a supply tube 36 connected to the jet injection compressor 33 and a control cable 38 connected to a pressure balance adjustment means 37 described later are connected to the connector 35.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 2, the distal end portion 21 of the insertion portion 8 is provided with an observation optical system having an objective lens 41 and a solid-state image sensor 42, and an illumination optical system having a light guide 43. An image signal captured by the solid-state image sensor 42 of the observation optical system is subjected to image processing by the camera control unit 32 of the external device 34, and an observation image is displayed on the TV monitor 44. In addition, the light guide 43 of the illumination optical system
is optically coupled to the light source 31 of the external device 34. Note that 40 is an external recording device for recording images.

Furthermore, injection port members 45 and 46 are attached to the distal end portion 21 of the insertion portion 8 of the endoscope 7, and between the curved portion 22 and the flexible tube 23, respectively. Each injection port member 45.
46 is provided with injection ports 47 and 48. and,
By jetting high-pressure fluid such as air from the injection ports 47 and 48, the insertion portion 8 is floated by the thrust and the curved portion 22 is curved. The injection ports 47 and 48 are connected to a jet injection compressor 33 of an external device 34, which will be described later, through a supply tube 49 disposed within the insertion section 8 and the operating section 25. Incidentally, a plurality of injection ports 47, 48 may be provided in each of the injection port members 45, 46, and jet injection may be performed in a plurality of different directions to perform a stable floating operation. Further, the injection operation from each injection port 47, 48 is controlled by an operation button (not shown) provided on the operation section 25.

).

Further, as shown in FIG. 5, this sealed type endoscope 7 is provided with an inlet cap 51 on the main body 26 of the operating section 25, and a connector 53 of a connecting tube 52 is detachably connected to the inlet cap 51. It looks like this. The inlet cap 51 and the connector 53 are connected by screwing using a mounting ring 54, so that the connection can be airtight.

The insertion section 8 of the endoscope 7 and the main body 26 of the operating section 25 are connected via a bending tube 56, as shown in FIG. Furthermore, a sealing partition wall 57 made of soft rubber or the like is provided inside the operating section 25 to seal a space 58 on the insertion section 8 side that communicates with the space on the insertion section 8 side. This sealed space 58 communicates with the inlet cap 51, and the pressure balance adjustment device 37 is connected to the inlet cap 51 through a connecting tube 52 via a connector 53.
It is designed to be connected to.

Further, the light guide 43, the supply tube 49, the bending operation wire 65, the signal line, etc. pass through the sealing partition wall 57 in an airtight manner. Further, the penetrating portion of the light guide 43 is particularly protected by a sealing pipe 66, and the inside of the pipe 66 is sealed with adhesive.

This connecting tube 52 is connected to an external pressure balance adjusting device 37 as shown in FIG. This pressure balance adjustment device 37 is equipped with, for example, an air compressor as a pressure adjustment means, and controls the discharge pressure according to the pressure inside the water pipe 1, which is the object to be observed, measured by a pressure sensor 61, which will be described later. The internal pressure of the water pipe 1 is balanced with the pressure inside the water pipe 1.

On the other hand, in the insertion section 8 of the endoscope 7, for example, the distal end 21 is provided with a pressure sensor 61 for detecting the pressure at the point where the endoscope 7 is inserted.

The detection signal obtained by this pressure sensor 61 is processed by a control section (not shown) built into the external device 37, and controls the operation of the pressure balance adjustment device 37 described above. .

Next, the operation of the endoscope device configured as described above will be explained. First, while the on-off valve 4 of the fire hydrant 2 in the water pipe 1 is kept closed, the high-pressure water stream 71 flows in the water pipe 1, the sealing valve is removed, and the sealing cap 6 is attached to the open end of the outlet 3 instead. Then, through this sealed cap 6, the internal view m7 is
Insert the insertion part 8 into the outlet 3 of the fire hydrant 2. and,
Adjust the screwing amount of the insertion cap 12 to tighten the U-ring 13, and watertightly seal the gap where the U-ring 13 is inserted.
Prevent water leakage from here. Note that this sealing means is
The withstand pressure level can be adjusted by the number of rings 13. Therefore, the number is selected depending on the pressure of the high-pressure water stream 71. FIG. 4 shows a state in which the pressure is lowered in stages by each U-ring 13, and the pressure is lowered in accordance with the number of U-rings 13.

Then, the valve 4 of the fire hydrant 2 is opened, and the insertion part 8 is guided, for example, to the downstream side within the water pipe 1, as shown in FIG. When the insertion portion 8 is guided into the high-pressure water flow 7 in the water pipe 1 in this way, the pressure sensor 6 provided at the tip 21 of the insertion portion 8
1 detects the pressure P within the water pipe 1, and this detection signal is transmitted to a control section (not shown) of the external device 34, where it is arithmetic processed. Then, it is compared with the pressure P2 (usually atmospheric pressure P) inside the insertion section 8, and if there is a difference between them, the pressure balance adjustment device 37 is operated to discharge the connecting tube 52.
High-pressure fluid, usually high-pressure air, is fed into the insertion section 8 of the endoscope 7 through the tube. Then, air is supplied until the pressure P2 inside the insertion section 8 of the endoscope 7 is balanced with the pressure P inside the water pipe 1. When the pressure P1 inside the water pipe 1 decreases, the air supply is stopped and valves (not shown) are opened according to the degree of decrease, and the air is released and the pressure P2 inside the insertion part 8 is reduced.
to balance the pressure.

Therefore, the internal and external pressures P2. Since P is in equilibrium, its sealing member (shell)
No load is applied. Therefore, destruction of the sealing member (outer skin) at the curved portion 22 of the insertion portion 8, which is particularly weak, can be reliably prevented without using any special crushing prevention means. Also,
Even if the pressure P1 inside the water pipe 1 is particularly high, the insertion part 8
Do not put pressure on the core material to cause it to collapse or deform, damage it, or make it impossible to remove. In other words, the strength of the structural member can be ensured without the need for special collapse prevention means that tend to increase the diameter. In addition, it is possible to prevent the light guide 43, wire 65, or various built-in members built into the insertion portion 8 of the endoscope 7 from being disturbed.

On the other hand, the inner surface of the pipe is observed while being inserted into the water pipe 1. At this time, the insertion part 8 is floated by bending the curved part 22 or by injecting fluid from the injection ports 47 and 48. , or curve it, select the direction of the tip, and observe and confirm the presence or absence of cracks 72, rust, etc. on the inner surface of the water pipe 1.

FIG. 6 shows a second embodiment of the present invention, in which the number of U-rings 13, 13 in the sealing cap 6 is reduced.
An air supply tube 82 is connected to the space 81 between the U rings 13 and 13, and a pressure P3 which opposes the pressure P1 inside the water pipe 1 is applied to the space 81. In this way, the U ring 1
Since there is no need to adjust the number of 3 each time, it is easy to handle.

On the other hand, the pressure P inside the object to be inspected is atmospheric pressure P. If the pressure is negative compared to , a vacuum generator or the like is used as the pressure balance adjustment device 37 to suck the gas inside the insertion section 8 and balance the pressure P2 with the pressure P1 inside the object to be inspected. Therefore, the sealing member (sheath) of the insertion section 8 does not expand or burst like a balloon, and there is no problem in attaching the protective outer blade outside the curved section 22. do not have.

In addition, although the pressure sensor 61 was provided in only one place of the insertion part 8 in the said Example, it may be provided in multiple places. Furthermore, the format of the endoscope 7 is not limited to an electronic type using the image sensor 42, but may be an endoscope 7 using an image guide fiber.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, according to the endoscope device of the present invention, when the insertion portion of the endoscope is inserted and used inside an object to be examined under a pressure different from atmospheric pressure, the object to be examined is The pressure inside the object and the pressure in the internal space of the insertion section can be balanced. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the sealing member of the insertion portion of the endoscope from rupturing or deforming due to the pressure difference between the inside and outside, and from impairing normal use. Furthermore, since the object to be inspected can be safely inspected in a state where it can be used as is, it does not interfere with the use of fire hydrants, for example. Since the object to be inspected can continue to be used as it is, the inspection can be carried out simply, quickly and economically. Furthermore, since the object to be inspected can be inspected in an active state, problems in the active state can be easily discovered. Furthermore, since there is no need to incorporate a particularly large-scale pressure-resistant means into the insertion section of the endoscope, the insertion section can be made smaller in diameter.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a usage state diagram showing the first embodiment of the present invention;
The figure is a general configuration diagram of the endoscope according to the first embodiment, FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the sealed mouthpiece part of the first embodiment, and FIG. 4 is a sealing by the hermetically sealed mouthpiece part. FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the proximal portion of the endoscope according to the first embodiment, and FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the closed cap according to the second embodiment of the present invention. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1...Water piping, 2...Fire hydrant, 3...Inlet fitting, 7...Endoscope, 8...Insertion part, 52...Connection tube, 37...Pressure balance adjustment device , 61...pressure sensor. Applicant's representative Patent attorney Atsushi Tsuboi 3 Amendment to figure procedure 63, 7.20 Showa year, month, Japan Patent Office Commissioner Yoshi 1) Takeshi Moon2, Name of the invention Endoscope device 3, Amendment to the case of the person making the amendment Related Patent Applicant (037) Olympus Optical Industry Co., Ltd. 4, Agent UBE Building 7, 3-7-2 Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo;
Contents of the amendment (1) Change r45.48J on page 7, line 3 of the specification to “
Correct to 46°45''. (2) “High-pressure water flow 7” on page 10, line 4 from the bottom
Correct for "expansion". (4) Correct box 5 in the drawing as shown in the attached sheet. Figure 5

Claims (1)

[Claims] In an endoscope device that is used by inserting an insertion section into an object to be examined under pressure conditions different from atmospheric pressure, it is installed in at least a part of the insertion section of the endoscope to detect the pressure inside the object to be examined. 1. An endoscope apparatus comprising: a pressure sensor; and pressure balance adjustment means for pressurizing or depressurizing an internal space of an insertion section according to a pressure level measured by the pressure sensor.