JPH039721A - Endoscope - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To achieve a higher operability of a manipulating button with a higher frequency of use by arranging a plurality of manipulating buttons along the length of a manipulating section to make the manipulating button the closest to a grip section as a suction control button among the buttons. CONSTITUTION:An operator holds a grip section 8 with a middle finger 37b, a ring finger 37c and a little finger 37d of a left and and puts thumb 37e on a finger rest section 17 while an index finger 27a is put on a suction control button 1. A right hand holds an inserting section 2 to make a pushing or pulling or a twisting. A scope 1 for bronchia has the suction control button 11 the highest in the frequency of use and as the index finger 27a is placed on the button 11, the button 11 can be operated simply by pressing a finger. When a picture is a still picture, the index finger 37a is shifted to a manipulation button 12 from the suction control button 11 and formed in by one stage. A freeze switch is operated to output a freeze signal to a video processing circuit 18. The video processing circuit 18 outputs the still picture to a monitor 22 and a recorder 23. In this manner, the suction control button 11 the highest in the frequency of use is provided at a position the closest to the grip section 8, thereby achieving a higher operability with easier operation.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Industrial application field] TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an endoscope with an operation button provided on the operation section.

[Prior art and problems to be solved by the invention] In recent years, endoscopes (endoscopes) that can diagnose and examine internal organs, etc. of body cavities by inserting an elongated insertion section into body cavities have been developed.
scope or fiberscope) are widely used. In addition to medical use, boilers and
It is used to observe and inspect objects inside pipes of machines, chemical plants, etc., or inside equipment.

Further, electronic scopes using a solid-state image carrier such as a charge-coupled device (COD) as an image carrier are also used for each pole.

The above-mentioned fiberscope or electronic scope is provided with an operation section at the rear end of the insertion section, and this operation section is equipped with a grip section, a suction button, various electric control operation buttons for the angle lever, etc. There is. When operating these buttons, the surgeon holds the operating section by grasping it with the left hand, and operates the operating buttons with either the left or right hand.
Since the right hand normally holds the insertion section and performs operations such as pushing, pulling, twisting, etc., various operation buttons and the like are operated with the left hand that holds the operation section. Furthermore, the thumb of the left hand always operates the angle lever on the rear surface of the operating section, and the middle finger, ring finger, and little finger grip the grip section, so the various operating buttons are operated with the index finger of the left hand.

Furthermore, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 58-182704, a plurality of operation buttons were conventionally provided on the front surface of the operation unit, but these operation buttons were arranged without considering the frequency of use. .

As mentioned above, if the operation can only be performed with the index finger of the left hand, it is easier to operate with the index finger (it is necessary to arrange the operation button, and the most frequently used operation button is located in the position where it is easiest to operate with the index finger) It is necessary to place it in

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and it is an object of the present invention to provide an endoscope with improved operability of frequently used operation buttons.

[Means and Effects for Solving the Problems 1] The endoscope of the present invention is provided with a plurality of operation buttons in the longitudinal direction of the operation section, and the operation button behind the plurality of operation buttons and closest to the grip section is a suction control button. That is.

In the present invention, the operation button closest to the grip is the suction control button that is used most frequently.

[Embodiments] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings.

1 and 2 relate to an embodiment of the present invention, with FIG. 1 being an explanatory diagram of an endoscope, and FIG. 2 being a block diagram illustrating the configuration of an endoscope apparatus.

In this embodiment, the present invention is applied to a bronchoscope.

The bronchial scope 1 has a sublong, flexible insertion section 2 that is inserted into the bronchus, and an operating section 3 is provided at one end of the insertion section 2. Further, a distal end portion 4 is provided at the other end of the insertion portion 2, and a curved portion 6 is provided at the rear of the distal end portion 4. Further, a flexible portion 7 is connected to the rear portion of the curved portion 6.

A grip portion 8 is provided on the insertion portion side of the operating portion 3, and a switch portion 9 is provided on the opposite side of the grip portion 8 to the insertion portion. The switch section 9 is provided with a bending operation knob 13 for bending the bending section 6 on one side, and a universal cord 14 extending from the other side.

The bending operation knob 13 is formed in a single-shape shape, and one end of the knob 13 is rotatably supported, and a finger rest 17 is provided at the other end.

A suction control button 11 and an operation button 12, which are most frequently used in the bronchoscope 1, are provided on the wall surface of the switch section 9 opposite to the finger rest section 17. The suction control button 11 and the operation button 12 are located at a position close to the grip part 8 along the longitudinal direction of the operation part 3.
1, a row of operation buttons 12 are provided in a far position. Note that the operation button 12 is, for example, a two-stage switch, and when the first stage is pressed, a freeze switch is activated, and the second stage is activated.
Pressing the second step activates the release switch, allowing you to switch between both freeze and release functions.

A connector 16 is provided at the rear end of the universal cord 14.
The connector 16 is detachably connected to a control device 21 having a video processing circuit 18 and a light source section 19. This control device 21 includes a recording device 2 consisting of a monitor device 22 and a photographing device, etc.
3 is connected so that endoscopic images can be observed, recorded, etc. One light source section is provided with a light source lamp 24, and the illumination light output from this light source lamp 24 is condensed by a condensing lens 26 and irradiated onto the incident end surface of a light guide 27 provided in the connector 16. It has become so. Light guide 27 is universal code 17
'I is inserted through the insertion section 2 and illuminates the subject from the distal end 4. The reflected light from the object is focused on the imaging surface of the solid-state image recording element 29 by the objective lens system 28 provided at the tip 4, and is converted into an electrical signal.

The solid-state dancer element 29 inputs the electrical signal to a common drierjection amplifier (hereinafter abbreviated as CMR amplifier) 31, which is an amplifier with a large ability to remove noise of the in-phase component, and is amplified by the CMR amplifier 31. The electrical signal is sent to the video processing circuit 18. This video processing circuit 18 performs signal processing on the electrical signal and outputs the video signal to the monitor device 22 and the recording device 23.

One end of the suction conduit 32 inserted through the insertion section 2 is opened at the distal end surface of the distal end section 4, and the other end of the suction conduit 32 is provided inside the operating section 3. suction switching valve 33
It is connected to the. This suction bow switching valve 33 is integrated with the suction control button 11, and by operating the button 11, the suction bow switching valve 33 is opened and closed. The suction bow switching valve 33 is further connected to one end of a suction conduit 34, and this suction conduit 34 is inserted through the universal cord 14 and connected to a suction device 36. There is.

The operation button 12 provided adjacent to the suction control button 11 is capable of inputting a freeze and release signal to a video processing circuit 18 via a universal cord 14, and the video processing circuit 18 is configured to input a freeze signal to the video processing circuit 18. Then, the endoscopic image of the moving image displayed on the screen of the monitor device 22 is made into a still image, and when the release signal is input, the recording device 23 records the still image.

The operation of the endoscope configured as described above will be explained.

As shown in FIG.
c. Grasp the grip part 8 with the little finger 37d, place the thumb 37e on the finger rest part 17, and press the suction control button 11 with the index finger 37a.
put it on. The right hand grips the insertion section 2 and performs pushing, pulling, and twisting.

Illumination light output from the light source lamp 24 of one light source section is irradiated onto the incident end surface of the light guide 27 by the condensing lens 26 and transmitted to the tip section 4.

The illumination light emitted from the tip 4 is irradiated onto the subject, and the reflected light from the subject is imaged by the objective lens system 28 on the decoy image plane of the solid-state image sensor 29.

The solid-state image sensor 29 converts the optical image into an electrical signal and performs CMR.
The electric signal is output to the amplifier 31 and amplified by the CMR amplifier 31, and then sent to the video processing circuit 18. The video processing circuit 18 generates a video signal, which is output to the monitor device 22 and the recording device 23, and a moving endoscopic image is displayed on the screen of the monitor device 22.

The suction control button 11 of the bronchial scope 1 is most frequently used, but this suction control! 21] When operating the button 11, the index finger 37a is always placed on the button 11, so the button 11 can be operated simply by pressing the finger.

To convert the image to a still image, move the index finger 37a from the suction control button 11 to the operation button 12 and press it one step. Then, the freeze switch operates and a freeze signal is output to the video processing circuit 18, and the video processing circuit 18 outputs a still image to the monitor device 22 and the recording device 23.

When recording a still image, when the second opening of the operation button 12 is pressed, the release switch is operated in the "C" position and a release signal is sent to the recording device 23 via the video processing circuit 18. Then, the recording device 23 records the endoscopic image as a still image.

As mentioned above, in this embodiment, the suction control button 11, which is most frequently used, is provided at the position closest to the grip part 8, so that it is easy to operate this suction control button 11 with the large index finger 37a, and the button 11 can be improved.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, according to the present invention, the operability of the frequently used operation button is improved by making the operation button disposed near the grip part the frequently used operation button. You can avoid improvement.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 and 2 relate to an embodiment of the present invention, with FIG. 1 being an explanatory diagram of an endoscope, and FIG. 2 being a block diagram illustrating the configuration of an endoscope apparatus. 1...Bronchoscope 2...Insertion part 3...Operation part 8...Gripping part 9...Switch part
11... Suction control button 12... Operation button

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] An endoscope having an operation section connected to the rear end of the insertion section and having a grip section on the side of the insertion section, and a plurality of operation buttons on the side opposite to the insertion section of the operation section, comprising: The operation buttons are provided in the longitudinal direction of the operation section, and among the plurality of operation buttons, the operation button closest to the grip section is the suction control button.