JPH07275244A - Ultrasonic electronic endoscope - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To suppress the penetration of noise into an ultrasonic probe signal line from a solid image pickup signal line so as to obtain an electronic endoscope image by a solid image pickup element and an ultrasonic tomographic image by an electronic scanning type ultrasonic probe simultaneously in the desirable state. CONSTITUTION:A solid image pickup element signal line 29 is formed of coaxial lines, and the whole solid image pickup element signal line 29 are coated with plural shielding layers 292, 293. At least one layer between these layers 292, 293 is formed of a mesh tube formed by braiding wire material made of copper or a copper alloy.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a solid-state image pickup device for converting an optical image of the surface of a subject into an electric signal and transmitting the electric signal.
The present invention relates to an ultrasonic electronic endoscope in which an electronic scanning ultrasonic probe that emits and receives ultrasonic waves to obtain an ultrasonic tomographic image of a subject is provided at the distal end of an endoscope insertion portion.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In this type of ultrasonic electronic endoscope,
A solid-state image sensor signal line for transmitting an input / output signal to the solid-state image sensor and an ultrasonic probe signal line for transmitting a signal input / output to / from the ultrasonic probe are both inserted into the endoscope insertion portion. . As a signal line for that purpose, conventionally, a very general signal cable provided with one shield layer has been used.

[0003]

However, when the solid-state image pickup device signal line and the ultrasonic probe signal line formed of such general cables are juxtaposed in the elongated endoscope insertion portion, the solid-state image pickup device signal line is formed. Noise intrudes into the ultrasonic probe signal line side and disturbs the ultrasonic tomographic image on the monitor screen.

Therefore, conventionally, in an ultrasonic electronic endoscope equipped with a solid-state image sensor and an electronic scanning ultrasonic probe,
The power of the device for driving the solid-state imaging device has to be turned off when the ultrasonic tomographic lines are to be seen, and the operation is complicated and is inconvenient.

Therefore, the present invention suppresses noise intrusion from the signal line of the solid-state image pickup device to the signal line of the ultrasonic probe to obtain an electronic endoscopic image by the solid-state image pickup device and an ultrasonic tomographic image by the electronic scanning type ultrasonic probe. It is an object of the present invention to provide an ultrasonic electronic endoscope capable of simultaneously obtaining the same in a good state.

[0006]

To achieve the above object, an ultrasonic electronic endoscope of the present invention comprises a solid-state image pickup device for converting an optical image of the surface of a subject into an electric signal for transmission.
An electronic scanning ultrasonic probe that emits and receives ultrasonic waves to obtain an ultrasonic tomographic image of the subject is provided at the distal end of the endoscope insertion section, and signals input to and output from the solid-state imaging device are transmitted. An ultrasonic electronic endoscope in which a solid-state imaging device signal line for transmitting and an ultrasonic probe signal line for transmitting a signal input to and output from the ultrasonic probe are inserted into the endoscope insertion section, The solid-state image sensor signal line is formed by a coaxial line, and the entire solid-state image sensor signal line is covered with a plurality of shield layers, at least one of which is formed by a mesh tube braided with a wire made of copper or copper alloy. It is characterized by having done.

[0007]

Embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 3 shows the overall configuration of the ultrasonic electronic endoscope, in which a distal end main body 2 is provided at the distal end of a flexible endoscope insertion portion 1 that is inserted into a body cavity of a patient. Further, a bending portion 3 which is bendable by remote control is formed on the distal end side of the endoscope insertion portion 1.

An operation section 4 is connected to the proximal end side of the endoscope insertion section 1. The operation portion 4 includes a bending operation knob 5 for remotely controlling the bending amount of the bending portion 3, an insertion opening 7 for inserting a treatment tool into the forceps channel 6, an air supply nozzle and a water supply nozzle of the tip body 2. An air / water supply switch 8 for performing an operation of ejecting air and water, a suction switch 9 for performing a suction operation via the forceps channel 6, and the like are provided.

Reference numeral 11 is a water injection port for feeding deaerated water into the balloon when the balloon is attached to the tip end main body 2. Reference numeral 12 is a suction conduit switching lever for switching the suction conduit between the forceps channel 6 and a drainage conduit (not shown) from the balloon. Reference numeral 13 is a remote control switch of a video processor (not shown).

A connector 15 connected to a light source device / video processor (not shown) is connected to the tip of the connection flexible tube 14 extending from the operation section 4. Reference numeral 16 is an incident end portion of the light guide fiber bundle, and 17 is an electric contact portion for a video signal.

The connection cable 18 extended from the operation unit 4 is connected to a tomographic signal processing circuit 19, and an output line from the connection cable 18 is connected to a tomographic image monitor 20 for displaying an ultrasonic tomographic image. ing.

FIG. 4 is a front end body 2 of an ultrasonic electronic endoscope.
Of the ultrasonic scanning unit 2a of the first half of FIG.
In the so-called convex type electronic scanning type ultrasonic probe (ultrasonic wave emitting / receiving device) 2
3 is attached. Reference numerals 24 and 25 are grooves for fastening a balloon (not shown) by tightening it with a rubber ring or the like.

The electronic endoscope section 2 in the latter half of the tip body 2
In b, an objective optical system 27 is arranged inside the observation window 26, and a solid-state image sensor 28 such as a CCD is arranged at a position where an observation image is formed by the objective optical system 27. Reference numeral 29 is a solid-state image sensor signal cable in which solid-state image sensor signal lines for transmitting signals input to and output from the solid-state image sensor 28 are converged.

Illumination window 31 provided side by side with observation window 26
The output end of the light guide fiber bundle is arranged inside the. 32 is the outlet of the forceps channel 6, 33
Reference numerals 34 and 34 denote an air supply nozzle and a water supply nozzle.

Insert portion 1 rearward of the rear end of tip body 2
As shown in FIG. 5, the ultrasonic probe signal cable 36 and the solid-state image sensor signal cable 36 in which the signal lines for transmitting and receiving the signals to and from the ultrasonic probe are converged in the inside (including the bending portion 3). Besides 29, a forceps channel 6, an air feeding tube, a water feeding tube and the like, which are not shown in FIG. 5, are inserted.

The ultrasonic probe signal cable 36 is a shield layer in which coaxial wires independently connected to each of the ultrasonic probe pieces constituting the ultrasonic probe 23 are grouped together. It is formed by coating with an outer skin.

As shown in FIG. 1, the solid-state image pickup device signal cable 29 has a solid-state image pickup device signal line 291 connected to, for example, 4 lines.
It is formed by two coaxial lines, and the circumference is surrounded by two shield layers 2
Insulation tube 294, which is covered with 92, 293 and has a flexible and electrically insulating property inside each shield layer 292, 293.
295 are arranged in close contact with each other, and the outer surface of the outer shield layer 293 is closely covered with a flexible and electrically insulating outer tube 296.

The above two shield layers 292, 293
Is a braided thin copper wire formed in a net-like tubular shape, and a polyurethane resin tube is used for each of the insulating tubes 294 and 295 and the outer tube 296.

When the solid-state image pickup device signal cable 29 is constructed in this way, the noise emitted from the solid-state image pickup device signal line 291 is drastically reduced, and the solid-state image pickup device 28 and the ultrasonic probe 23 are simultaneously driven, Solid-state image sensor 2
Even if the electronic endoscopic image reproduction by the output signal from 8 and the ultrasonic tomographic image by the output signal from the ultrasonic probe 23 are simultaneously displayed on the respective monitors, no disturbance occurs on both screens, which is good. It was possible to obtain various electronic endoscopic images and ultrasonic tomographic images.

Then, next, two shield layers 292, 2
Both 93 are made of aluminum wire mesh tube,
Simultaneous observation of an electronic endoscopic image and an ultrasonic tomographic image revealed that the ultrasonic tomographic image was disturbed.

Therefore, the two shield layers 292 and 293 are provided.
One of them was formed of a reticulated tube made of copper wire, and the other was formed of a reticulated tube made of aluminum, and simultaneous observation showed that no disturbance occurred in any of the images.

Further, when the shield layer was made of a single layer of a copper wire mesh tube and simultaneously observed, the ultrasonic tomographic image was disturbed. Therefore, the shield layer should be at least 2
Layers are required, and if at least one of them is a reticulated tube made of copper wire, the ultrasonic tomographic image will not be disturbed.

Further, instead of the copper wire, when a reticulated tube is formed by using a copper alloy wire whose conductivity is not much different from that of the copper wire, the same result as in the case of using the reticulated tube made of copper wire is obtained. Was obtained. Next, as shown in FIG. 2, a copper wire mesh tube is used for the inner shield layer 294 of the two shield layers, and the outer shield layer is a tape 297 made of thin copper or copper alloy. Was wound around the outer surface of the insulating tube 295 so as to have a uniform diameter and formed into a spiral tube, and the same result as described above was obtained.

For the ultrasonic probe signal cable 36, the shield is removed and the signal line is connected to the endoscope insertion portion 1.
Even if it was directly inserted into the inside, the above results were not affected. Therefore, the signal lines on the ultrasonic probe side may be separated and inserted into the insertion portion 1 as necessary.

The insulating tubes 294 and 295 and the outer tube 296 can be made of vinyl chloride resin, silicone resin, or other material that is flexible and has good electrical insulation. However, it is desirable that the outer tube 296 has a surface with a good slippage.

[0026]

According to the present invention, the emission of noise from the signal line of the solid-state image pickup device is reduced, so that the noise intrusion into the signal line of the ultrasonic probe is suppressed, and an electronic endoscope image by the solid-state image pickup device is obtained. It has an excellent effect that an ultrasonic diagnostic image obtained by the electronic scanning ultrasonic probe can be simultaneously obtained in a good state.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing respective parts of an embodiment of a solid-state image pickup device signal cable of the present invention, which is peeled off in order.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing respective parts of another embodiment of the solid-state image pickup device signal cable of the present invention, which is peeled off in order.

FIG. 3 is an overall configuration diagram of an ultrasonic electronic endoscope of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the tip of the insertion portion of the ultrasonic electronic endoscope of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a side surface partial cross-sectional view of the tip of the insertion portion of the ultrasonic electronic endoscope of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 23 ultrasonic probe 28 solid-state image sensor 29 solid-state image sensor signal cable 36 ultrasonic probe signal cable 292, 293 shield layer

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A solid-state imaging device for converting an optical image of a surface of a subject into an electric signal for transmission, and an electronic scanning type ultrasonic wave for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves to obtain an ultrasonic tomographic image of the subject. A probe is provided at the tip of the endoscope insertion portion to transmit a signal input / output to / from the solid-state imaging device signal line for transmitting signals input / output to / from the solid-state imaging device and the ultrasonic probe. An ultrasonic electronic endoscope in which an ultrasonic probe signal line for insertion is inserted into the endoscope insertion section, the solid-state image sensor signal line is formed by a coaxial line, and the entire solid-state image sensor signal line is formed into a plurality of layers. 2. An ultrasonic electronic endoscope characterized by being covered with a shield layer, and at least one layer of which is formed by a mesh tube braided with a wire made of copper or copper alloy.