JPH0745201Y2 - Endoscope device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial field of application] The present invention relates to an endoscope apparatus provided with a bending amount detecting means.

[Prior Art] In recent years, endoscopes have been widely used in medical fields, industrial fields, and the like.

As a conventional bending means of an endoscope, one that manually pushes and pulls a bending wire inserted in an insertion portion in an operation portion is used. Therefore, the bending amount is known only by the operator's hand feeling, and the operator is not given accurate information on the bending amount.

Therefore, in order to detect the accurate amount of bending,
In the conventional example of No. 7923 or Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 60-106601, a rotary potentiometer is provided in the drive mechanism of the bending wire, a resistor of a variable resistor is provided on the outer cylinder side of the operating portion, and a sliding body is provided on the bending wire. , A potentiometer is disclosed.

Further, JP-A-63-99827 and JP-A-61-122834 disclose those in which a conductive rubber or a magnetoresistive element is provided at the tip.

[Problems to be solved by the invention] When a conductive rubber or a magnetoresistive element for detecting the amount of bending is provided at the tip, the outer diameter of the tip becomes large, and the pain to the patient at the time of examination increases. However, there is a drawback in that the usage that can be inserted and used is restricted.

Further, when a potentiometer or the like is provided in the operation unit as in the conventional example, the operation unit becomes large in size, and the operability is impaired.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an endoscope apparatus that does not reduce operability can be provided in the endoscope operation unit without increasing the size of the operation unit. The purpose is to provide.

[Means and Actions for Solving Problems] In the present invention, a curving operation rotating body provided in the operating portion and a part of the curving body is wound around the rotating body, and the curving portion is rotated to rotate the curving portion. By disposing a part of the bending amount detecting device such as the bending amount detecting sensor in a space portion surrounded by the pulling member for bending the bending portion, it is possible to detect the bending amount without increasing the size of the operating portion. .

[Embodiment] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

1 to 3 relate to a first embodiment of the present invention.
The figure is a front view showing that a differential transformer is arranged in a space portion formed by a sprocket and a chain in the operation portion,
FIG. 2 is an overall configuration diagram of the first embodiment, and FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing the structure of a bending operation device provided in the operation portion.

As shown in FIG. 2, the electronic endoscope apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment.
Is an electronic endoscope 2, a video processor 5 having a light source unit 3 for supplying illumination light to the electronic endoscope 2 and a video signal processing unit 4, and a standard video signal processing unit 4 generated by the video signal processing unit 4. Monitor 6 for displaying various video signals.

The electronic endoscope 2 has a flexible and elongated insertion portion 7 that can be inserted into a body cavity or the like, and a wide operation portion 8 is formed at a rear end of the insertion portion 7. A universal cord 9 is extended from the operation portion 8, and a connector 11 is provided at the tip of the universal cord 9 so that it can be detachably attached to the video processor 5.

The insertion portion 7 is a hard tip forming portion 1 on which a CCD 12 or the like is arranged.
3, a curved portion 14 provided in a rear portion adjacent to the tip (configuration) portion 13, and a long flexible tube portion 15 at the rear end of the curved portion 14.

A light guide 16 for transmitting illumination light is provided in the insertion portion 7.
And the light guide 16 is further inserted through the universal cord 9 from the operating portion 8. Then,
By mounting the connector 11 on the video processor 5, the illumination light from the light source lamp 17 of the light source unit 3 is supplied to the end surface of the light guide 16. Light guide 16
Transmits the illumination light from the light source lamp 17, and the tip 13
The light is emitted forward from the side end surface. The subject illuminated by the emitted light forms an optical image on the CCD 12 disposed on the focal plane of the objective lens 18 provided at the tip portion 13. A color separation color mosaic filter 19 is attached to the image pickup surface of the CCD 12 to perform color separation for each pixel. This CCD12
The signal photoelectrically converted in is input to the video signal processing unit 4 through a signal line, is signal processed and converted into a standard video signal, and a subject image is displayed on the monitor 6.

An air / water switch button is provided on the operation unit 8 of the electronic endoscope 2.
21, a suction switch button 22, and a bending operation switch section 23 are provided.

The bending operation switch section 23 includes a bending section as described later.
Upward switch button 23a used to bend 14
A downward switch button 23b, a leftward switch button 23c, and a rightward switch button 23d are provided.

When the bending operation switch section 23 is operated to bend the bending section 14, the motor control unit 24 in the video processor 5 is operated.
The bending angle detection circuit 25 controls the drive motor for bending the bending portion 14 and detects the bending angle.

A bending operation device as shown in FIG. 3 is incorporated in the operation section 8.

Two sets of frames 29, 29 (only one of which is shown in FIG. 3) composed of a main frame 27 and a sub-frame 28 are formed in the case 26 of the operation portion 8 with a certain space therebetween to form a space therebetween. Are arranged symmetrically on the left and right sides.

A bending operation device portion 31 for vertical bending operation is assembled to the one frame 29, and a bending operation device portion (not shown) for left and right bending is assembled to the other frame 29.

The bending operation device section 31 for vertically bending operation shown in FIG. 3 will be specifically described.

The sub frame 28 supported by the main frame 27 has a DC
The motor 32 is incorporated. Drive axis of this DC motor 32
A drive gear 34 is coupled to 33 by press fitting or the like, and meshes with a driven gear 35 arranged on the opposite side of the insertion portion 7 to form a transmission gear train 36.

The driven gear 35 is rotatably attached to the shaft 37,
The shaft 37 is coaxially connected to a sprocket 38 rotatably supported near the main frame 27. This shaft 37 is screwed to the subframe 28 and
35 and sprocket 38 rotate together about this shaft 37.

The sprocket 38 constitutes a rotating body for pulling operation, and a chain 39 is wound around the sprocket 38.
Also, on the outer periphery of the chain 39 wound around the sprocket 38,
Chain guides 41 and 42 for preventing and guiding the chain 39 from coming off are screwed to the main frame 27.

As shown in FIG. 1, both ends of a chain 39 wound around the sprocket 38 are connected to bending operation wires 44, 44 via connecting pieces 43, 43, respectively. Thus, the chain 39, the connecting pieces 43, 43, and the bending operation wires 44, 44 constitute a pulling member. These bending operation wires 44, 44 are inserted through the insertion portion 7 and are connected to the tip of the bending portion 14 or the rear end of the tip forming portion 13, and when the sprocket 38 rotates,
The bending portion 14 can be bent by pushing one of the bending operation wires 44, 44 in accordance with the rotating direction and pushing and pulling (in other words, pulling and loosening) the other to pull.

Incidentally, as shown in FIG. 3, a partition plate 45 is provided between the chain 39 and the transmission gear train 36 so that the chain 39 does not hit the transmission gear train 36.

Further, a buffer member 46 is interposed between the transmission gear train 36 and the subframe 28 so that the transmission gear train 36 does not directly contact the subframe 28.

By the way, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, both ends of the sprocket 38 and the chain 39 wound around the sprocket 38 are extended in correspondence with the outer diameter of the sprocket 38. Is provided with a differential transformer 51 that constitutes a means for detecting the amount of bending of the main frame, that is, a bending amount detection sensor.
It is screwed to 27.

The differential transformer 51 has a coil portion 54 composed of a primary coil 52 having a substantially cylindrical outer shape and secondary coils 53 provided at both ends thereof, and the central axis of the coil portion 54 is the chain 39. It is arranged so as to be parallel to the moving direction. A core 55 is arranged inside the coil portion 54.
Is fixed to the tip of an L-shaped arm 56 which is fixed to one of the bending operation wires 44 with solder or the like. When the bending operation wire 44 moves as shown by arrow A, the core 55 also moves in the direction of this movement. As indicated by B, the wire 44 is moved in the same direction by an amount equal to the moving amount.

The coil portion 54 of the differential transformer 51 is the video processor 5
Is connected to the bending angle detection circuit 25 in the internal circuit and a voltage of a constant frequency is applied to the primary coil 52 to detect the difference between the voltages induced in the secondary coils 53, 53. The moving direction and moving distance of the core 55, that is, the moving direction and moving distance of the bending operation wire 44 can be detected from the size. The bending angle detection circuit 25 calculates the bending angle (bending amount) of the bending portion 11 from the moving direction and the moving distance and displays it on the monitor 6.

The bending operation switch section 23 and the DC motors 32, 32 (only one of which is shown in FIG. 3) are connected to the motor control unit 24, and in response to the operation of the bending operation switch section 23, the motor control unit 24 changes the DC The drive current including the direction of rotation of the motors 32, 32 is supplied.

The operation of the first embodiment will be described below.

If the insertion portion 7 of the electronic endoscope 2 is inserted into the body cavity and at this time, for example, the user wants to bend the bending portion 14 upward, the surgeon operates the upward switch button 23 in the bending operation switch portion 23.
Press a.

This operation causes the DC motor 32 to rotate, and the DC motor 32
The drive gear 34 fixed to the drive shaft 33 rotates, and the driven gear 35 meshing with the drive gear 34 and the sprocket 38 that rotates integrally with the driven gear 35 are rotationally driven. With the rotation of the sprocket 38, the chain 39 rotates, pulling the upper bending operation wire 44 connected to one end of the chain 39,
The lower bending operation wire 44 is drawn out. As a result, the bending portion 11 is forcibly bent upward.

When the upper bending operation wire 44 is pulled and moved, the arm 56 having one end fixed to the wire 44 also moves in the same direction, and thus the core 55 fixed to the arm 56.
Moves in the coil portion 54.

By the movement of the core 55, the degree of electromagnetic coupling between the primary coil 52 and the two secondary coils 53, 53 changes, and a potential difference proportional to the amount of displacement of the core 55 is generated in the two secondary coils 53, 53. .
This potential difference is detected by the bending angle detection circuit 25, converted into the moving direction and the moving distance of the bending operation wire 44, and the bending angle is further calculated from this moving distance and displayed on the monitor 6.

According to the first embodiment, the differential transformer 51 as a detection sensor for detecting the bending amount of the bending portion 14 is wound around the sprocket 38 at a position adjacent to the sprocket 38 as a pulling / relaxing operation rotating body. Since the chain 39, which is connected to the bending operation wires 44, 44, is arranged in the space portion formed at the extended portions of both ends of the chain 39, the operation portion 8 can be stored without increasing the size. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the operability from decreasing.

In the first embodiment described above, the DC motor 32 is used as the rotation driving means for rotating the sprocket 38, but the invention is not limited to this, and other rotary types such as an ultrasonic motor, a step motor, an AC motor, etc. A motor may be used.

FIG. 4 shows an endoscope apparatus 61 according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

The constituent members having the same names as those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals. The endoscope device 61 includes a fiberscope 62 and an external TV camera attached to the fiberscope 62.
63, a light source unit 3 that supplies illumination light to the fiberscope 62, a video signal processing unit 4 that performs signal processing for the TV camera 63, and a monitor 6 that displays a video signal generated by the video signal processing unit 4. , Curved part 14
And a bending angle detection unit 64 for detecting the bending amount of the.

Like the electronic endoscope 2, the fiberscope 62 has an insertion section 7 including a distal end forming section 13, a bending section 14, and a flexible tube section 15, and an operation section 8, and the operation section An eyepiece 65 is formed on the rear end of the TV 8, and a TV camera is attached to the eyepiece 65.
Can be fitted with 63.

A light guide is provided in the insertion part 7 of the fiberscope 62.
The light guide 16 is inserted, and the light guide 16 is further inserted through the light guide cable 65 extending from the operation portion 8 to the outside. By connecting the connector 66 to the light source unit 3, the illumination light of the light source lamp 17 is supplied. It

An objective lens 18 is attached to the distal end forming portion 13 of the insertion portion 7, and a front end face of an image guide 67 is disposed on the focal plane thereof, and the image guide 67 optically guides the rear end face on the eyepiece 65 side. Transmit the image. An eyepiece lens is provided so as to face the rear end face, and the optical image transmitted through the eyepiece lens can be magnified and observed with the naked eye.

Further, an image forming lens 69 is arranged in the TV camera 63, and an optical image can be formed on the CCD 70 by the image forming lens 69. A color separation mosaic filter 71 is attached to the image pickup surface of the CCD 70.

A bending operation knob is provided on the operation unit 8 of the fiberscope 61.
72 is provided, and the bending portion 14 can be bent by rotating the knob 72.

The structure of the bending operation device inside the operation portion 8 is shown in FIG.

A frame 73 is disposed inside the case 26 of the operation unit 8 so as to face the inner surface of the case 26, and the frame 73 has a case.
A sprocket 38 is arranged so as to face the inner surface of 26, and this sprocket 38 is fixed to a shaft 74 by a screw or the like not shown. This shaft 74 has an end on the frame 73 side
It is rotatably supported by the bearing 75 pressed into 73,
The other end is rotatably supported by a bearing 76 that is pushed into the case 26 in the middle so as to project to the outside, and a knob 72 is fixed to the projecting end.

Therefore, the sprocket 38 can be rotated by rotating the knob 72.

As shown in FIG. 6, the chain is attached to the sprocket 38.
39 is wound, and connecting pieces 4 are attached to both ends of this chain 39.
3, arm-attached connecting pieces 77 are attached respectively, and the bending operation wires 44, 44 are connected via these connecting pieces 43, 77.

A sprocket 38, a chain 39 wound around the sprocket 38, and connecting pieces on both ends of the chain 39.
A linear potentiometer 78 as a bending amount detection sensor is arranged in a space surrounded by the bending operation wires 44, 44 connected via 43, 77.

That is, the resistance element substrate 79 that constitutes the linear potentiometer 78 is arranged so as to be embedded in the frame 73 so that the longitudinal direction thereof is parallel to the moving direction of the chain 39. A long resistance element 80 is attached on the resistance element substrate 79 in the longitudinal direction thereof.
A brush 81 fixed to the connecting piece 77 with the arm by a screw or the like is slidably slidable on the surface 80.

As shown in FIG. 5, the brush 81 is always held in contact with the resistance element 80 by the pressing plate 82 even when the brush 81 moves.

Although FIG. 5 shows a bending operation device for bending in the vertical direction, for example, a bending operation device for bending in the left-right direction is provided on the left side thereof with the same configuration as this (not shown).

The linear potentiometer 78 is connected from the connector 66 to the bending angle detection unit 64 via a signal line (not shown) inserted through the light guide cable 65 shown in FIG. The resistance between the brush 81 and the end of the resistance element 80 changes according to the moving distance of the armed connecting piece 77, and the bending angle detecting unit 64 converts the bending direction and the moving distance. The curve angle is calculated based on this moving distance and can be displayed on the monitor 6.

The operation of the second embodiment will be described below.

When the insertion portion 7 of the fiberscope 62 is inserted into the body cavity and it is desired to bend the bending portion 14 upward, when the knob 72 is rotated in the rotation direction corresponding to the upward bending direction, the sprocket is rotated via the shaft 74. 38 rotates. By the rotation of the sprocket 38, the chain 39 also rotates, pulling the upper bending operation wire 44 connected to one end thereof, and lowering the bending operation wire 44.
Roll out 44. As a result, the bending portion 14 is forcibly bent upward.

During the bending operation, the brush 81 fixed to the arm-attached connecting piece 77 also moves on the resistance element 80 of the resistance element substrate 79 at the same time by the rotational movement of the chain 39, and the ends of the brush 81 and the resistance element 80. The resistance changes in proportion to the distance between them.

Due to this resistance change, the bending angle detection unit 64 converts it into a bending direction and a moving distance, calculates a bending angle from this moving distance, and displays the angle on the monitor 6.

In the second embodiment, by using the linear potentiometer 78, the height can be reduced, so that the operating portion 8 can be downsized.

In addition, by embedding the resistance element substrate 79 in the frame 73, it can be easily manufactured and its height can be lowered, and the operation portion 8 can be formed.
Along with downsizing, it can also be thin.

Further, the resistance element substrate 79 can be made lightweight by molding it with plastic.

It is also possible to use an optical linear potentiometer in which the resistance element 80 is made of a photoconductive material, and an LED or a light guide end is used instead of the brush 81. With this configuration, the bending distance can be calculated by detecting the moving distance in a non-contact manner, the false detection of the bending angle due to a contact failure or the like can be prevented, and the ability of the bending operation can be reduced.

Further, instead of the linear potentiometer 78, an inductosyn utilizing electromagnetic induction may be used.

FIG. 7 shows the main part of the third embodiment of the present invention.

This embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the differential transformer 51 is used.
The magnetic linear encoder 91 is used instead of the.

In the space surrounded by the sprocket 38 and the chain 39,
It is formed by a row of small magnets (indicated by 92) magnetized so that N poles and S poles can be alternately arranged at a desired pitch corresponding to the movement range of one end of the chain 39 wound around the sprocket 38. A linear magnetic scale 93 is attached to the main frame 27 by adhesion or the like so as to be parallel to the moving direction of the chain 38. In this case, the main frame 27 may be provided with a groove or a recess that partially fills the linear magnetic scale 92.

On the other hand, a board 95 provided with a Hall IC 94 is fixed to the connecting piece 43 with a screw or the like, and the Hall IC 94 is set so as to face the magnetic scale 93 at intervals of, for example, about 0.5 mm to 1 mm. Then, when the Hall IC 94 moves together with the connecting piece 43, it crosses the magnetic field of the small magnets 92, ... Constituting the magnetic scale 93, so that a pulsed signal proportional to the number of magnetic poles corresponding to the moving distance is generated, This pulsed signal is detected by the bending angle detection circuit 25 shown in FIG. 2 so that the bending angle can be detected.

The operation of the third embodiment will be described below.

When the sprocket 38 rotates, the chain 39 moves and the connecting piece 43 also moves. Therefore, the Hall IC 94 on the substrate 95 fixed to the connecting piece 43 moves on the magnetic scale 93, and generates a pulse-like signal proportional to the number of magnetic poles corresponding to the moving distance. This pulse-shaped signal calculates the moving distance of the chain 39, that is, the bending angle in the bending angle detection circuit 25,
Display on monitor 6.

The bending direction may be detected by extracting a signal of the motor rotation direction from the motor control unit 24.

According to the third embodiment, by using the Hall IC 94, the size and weight can be reduced.

Further, since the detection is performed by the non-contact method, the amount of bending force does not increase and the motor can be rotationally driven by a motor having a small size or a small torque.

A magnetoresistive element may be used instead of the Hall IC 94. In this case, a magnetic material may be applied to the main frame 27 to create a magnetic scale on the main frame body. By doing so, it is possible to further reduce the weight and size.

FIG. 8 shows a main part of a modification of the third embodiment. In this modified example, two sets of magnetic scales 101, 101 'which are about half the length of the magnetic scale 91 in the third embodiment cover approximately half of the moving range of each end of the chain 39.
It is fixed to the main frame 27 so as to be parallel to the moving direction.

Hall ICs 94, 94 'are attached to the connecting pieces 43, 43 via substrates 95, 95', respectively.

Each of the Hall ICs 94, 94 'is connected to the bending angle detection circuit 25, and is used, for example, to detect an upward bending amount from a state where the bending amount is zero in the Hall IC 94, and the other Hall IC 94' is used for a downward bending amount. I am trying to use it for detection.

By using the two magnetic scales 101 and 101 'and the Hall ICs 94 and 94' in the bending direction as described above, the length of the operating portion 8 can be shortened.

In this modification, the distance between the wires 44, 44 is narrowed.

The space formed by the sprocket 38, the chain 39, and the like is not limited to the one in which a sensor for the bending amount detecting means is arranged, and at least a part of the bending angle detecting device such as a part of the bending angle detecting circuit 25 is provided. It may be arranged.

[Advantages of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, the sensor means of the bending detection means of the bending portion of the insertion portion is arranged in the space portion surrounded by the pulling operation rotating body and the pulling member. Therefore, by providing the bending detecting means, it is possible to effectively prevent the operating section from becoming large.

[Brief description of drawings]

1 to 3 relate to a first embodiment of the present invention.
The figure is a front view showing that a differential transformer is arranged in a space portion formed by a sprocket and a chain in the operation portion,
FIG. 2 is an overall configuration diagram of the first embodiment, FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing a structure of a bending operation device provided in an operation portion, and FIGS. 4 to 6 are related to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is an overall configuration diagram of the second embodiment, FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing a structure of a bending operation device provided in an operation portion, and FIG. 6 is a linear potentiometer in a space portion formed by a sprocket and a chain. 7 is a front view showing a main part of a third embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 8 is a front view showing a main part of a modified example of the third embodiment. 1 ... Endoscope device, 2 ... Electronic endoscope 3 ... Light source unit 4 ... Video signal processing unit 5 ... Video processor, 6 ... Monitor 12 ... CCD 23 ... Curving operation switch section 24 ... … Motor control unit 25 …… Bending angle detection circuit, 38 …… Sprocket 39 …… Chain, 43 …… Coupling piece 44 …… Bending operation wire, 51 …… Differential transformer 54 …… Coil section, 55 …… Core 56 ……arm

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A bending portion formed in an insertion portion, which is bendable, and provided in the operating portion, and a pulling operation rotary member, and a part of the rotary member wound around the rotary member and extended to the bendable portion. An endoscopic device including a pulling member that bends the bending portion by rotating the rotating body, and a bending detection device that detects the bending amount of the bending portion, wherein the bending amount detection of the bending detection device is performed. An endoscope apparatus, wherein a sensor is arranged in a space surrounded by the rotating body and the pulling member.