JPS6088923A - Endoscope - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To irradiate an object with uniform illumination light and to reduce the size of a tip constitution part by providing a communication path from an image pickup surface side to its reverse surface side at a circumferential edge part including the image pickup surface of a solid-state image pickup element, and inserting light guide fibers into this communication path. CONSTITUTION:The solid-state image pickup element 2 is arranged at right angles to the lengthwise direction of the tip constitution part 1 and the image pickup surface is formed at the surface side of a rectangular base except at a circumferential edge base part 2a. Through-holes 3 as communication paths extending from the image pickup surface 2b to its reverse surface are formed at the four corner parts of the circumferential edge base part 2a including the image pickup surface 2b. The light guide fiber bundle 4 is branched into four at the projection end side, and the respective branch bundles 4a are inserted into the through-holes 3 and terminated on the front end surface of the tip constitution part 1. A light beam incident to the light guide fiber bundle 4 is dispersed to the respective branch bundles 4a to illuminate uniformly an object range which can be image-formed on the image pickup surface 2b of the solid-state image pickup element 2 on the front end surface of the tip constitution part 1. Further, the tip constitution part 1 is reduced in size.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Technical Field of the Invention] The present invention relates to an endoscope that uses a solid-state imaging device in its tip component, and in which a light guide fiber bundle is distributed around the solid-state imaging device including its imaging surface. The present invention relates to an endoscope that illuminates a subject uniformly and efficiently by arranging the endoscope in such a manner that the distal end component thereof can be miniaturized.

[Technical background of the invention]

In recent years, for medical and industrial use, by arranging a C0D (charge coupled device), BI3D (bucket relay device), etc. used as a solid-state image sensor in the tip component, for example, images inside a body cavity can be captured using light. It has been proposed that the image can be viewed as a signal charge, displayed on a separate image display device, and used for medical tests, surgeries, etc. This type of endoscope makes it easy to perform medical surgeries while observing the subject, and it also makes it easy to store or enlarge the obtained ceremonial image. It has numerous advantages over endoscopes using conventional image fibers, including the ability to transmit internal images through signal lines, and the internal structure of the insertion section to be much simpler and smaller in diameter than before. We are prepared.

[Problems with background technology]

By the way, the solid-state image sensor is a chip member having an imaging surface, and is disposed at the distal end component of the endoscope insertion section. In this case, in a direct-view endoscope using a conventional solid-state imaging device, the imaging surface on which each light-receiving element of the solid-state imaging device is arranged is arranged perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the tip component, and one or Multiple light guides (or light source elements),
Water supply/air supply holes, channels for forceps/treatment tools, etc. pass through the side of the solid-state image sensor and extend to the end surface of the tip component. Therefore, in addition to the diameter of the imaging system occupied by the solid-state imaging device, the diameter of the tip component is such that a light guide fiber or light emitting diode for transmitting illumination light, an air/water supply channel, a treatment instrument channel such as forceps, etc. are inserted. A diameter is required, which is quite large. In addition, in order to fix the solid-state imaging device to the tip component, a special holding member is required, and this holding member has the disadvantage that the diameter of the tip component must be further expanded.

In addition, since the objective lens and the light guide fiber end face are separated from each other on the tip face of the tip component, the viewing range of the objective lens (the range of the subject that can be imaged by 1π on the imaging surface of the solid-state image sensor) and the light guide fiber end face are separated from each other. There is a problem in that the illumination light does not completely match the main illumination range of the emitted illumination light, and the imaging surface of the solid-state image sensor captures a subject image with non-uniform reflected light. Therefore, the image on the image display device is
The problem was that the image was divided into dark and bright areas, and the dark areas were very unclear.

Therefore, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 58-46924, a hole is made in the periphery of the package of the solid-state image sensor.
It has been proposed that a light guide fiber, an air/water supply channel, a treatment tool channel, etc. are guided to the distal end surface through this hole.

However, with such a configuration, the package of the solid-state image sensor must be expanded more than necessary to allow the light guide fiber to be inserted therethrough. Furthermore.

The package containing this solid-state image sensor is fixed as if covered with a cap-like cover, and the objective lens must be housed and fixed within this cover, which makes the structure of the tip component extremely complicated and the diameter of the tip component. There was a problem that the diameter became large.

[Purpose of the invention]

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and it is possible to irradiate a subject with uniform illumination light by arranging a light guide fiber bundle around the periphery of a solid-state image sensor without increasing the diameter of the solid-state image sensor. It is an object of the present invention to provide an internal crusher whose tip component can be downsized.

[Summary of the invention]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides at least one communication path communicating from the imaging surface side to the back side of the solid-state imaging device in the peripheral portion including the imaging surface, and a light guide fiber is inserted into the communication path. It was established.

[Embodiments of the invention]

The present invention will be specifically explained below.

1 and 2 relate to one embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 1 shows a cross section M of the distal end component of the endoscope according to the same embodiment.
It's easy to get the tile Ii'711 ÷ out of stock or 1 me.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an integrated image sensor. In these figures.

The distal end component 1 is applied to a direct viewing endoscope, and the solid-state image sensor 2 is arranged perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction (axial direction) of the distal end component 1. This solid-state imaging device 2 is a rectangular chip-shaped integrated circuit, and as shown in FIG. 3, an imaging surface 2b is formed on the front side of a rectangular base excluding a peripheral base portion 2a. Through-holes 3, 3, 3.3 are formed in four corners of the peripheral base portion 2a including the imaging surface 2b as communication paths communicating from the imaging surface 2b to the back surface thereof. These through-holes 3, 3, 3.3 are formed so that the effective light-receiving element portion (eg, circular) of the imaging surface 2b is not inhibited from functioning as a solid-state imaging device. In other words, since the internal image captured by the endoscope may be a circular screen, the light receiving element portions formed at the four corners of the rectangular imaging surface 2b are not used. Therefore, in this embodiment, a circular family celebration image is displayed on the image display device.

On the other hand, the light guide fiber bundle 4 is inserted into the through holes 3 , 3 , 3 . This tip surface side constitutes the bottom of a bottomed cylindrical cover 5 as an outer cover of the tip component 1, and each branch bundle 4a of the light guide fiber bundle 4,
4 a , 4 a , 4 a are configured to emit illumination light from circular windows 6 , 6 , 6° 6 formed at the bottom of the cover 5 .

Furthermore, an observation window 7 is formed within the circle of the circular windows 6, 6, 6.6. One end of a cylindrical heat transfer body 8 having good thermal conductivity is fitted into the observation window 7 . The other end of the heat transfer body 8 is the effective imaging surface 2b of the solid-state imaging device 2.
is closely joined to contain the inside of the cylindrical hollow. Due to this close bonding, the heat transfer body 8 transfers the heat generated by the solid-state imaging device 2 to the flame side, warms the cover glass 9, etc., which will be described later, and prevents dew condensation on the cover glass 9, etc. It is configured to perform a heat dissipation function of the element 2.

Further, in the hollow space of the heat transfer body 8, a cover glass 9 and various lenses 10 constituting an imaging optical system are disposed from one end to the other end. Note that the solid-state image sensor 2 is fixed within the cover 5 by a fixing means (not shown). Furthermore, although not shown in the drawings, the distal end component 1 is provided with channel members such as air/water channels, treatment instrument channels, and the like.

According to the endoscope having the above configuration, the light beam incident on the light guide fiber bundle 4 by the 5 C source device (not shown) is guided to the branch point of the fiber bundle 4, and from this branch point to each branch bundle 4a. , 4a, 4a, 4a. Each of these distributed branch bundles 4a, 4a.

4a, the illumination light from 4a is emitted from the periphery (four sides) of the observation window 7 at the distal end surface of the distal end component 1, and illuminates the subject. This illumination light can uniformly irradiate the field of view of the imaging optical system, that is, the object range that can be imaged on the 19 image plane 21) of the solid-state image sensor 2, and can illuminate dark and bright parts within the same range. It never occurs.

In addition, the light guy and the fiber bundle 4 are connected to the solid-state image sensor 2.
Since it is arranged so as to encroach on the four corners of the rectangular imaging surface 2b,
The peripheral edge base portion 2a of the solid-state image sensor 2 is not made wide, and each branch bundle 4a, 4a.

4 a , 4 a can be inserted through the branch bundles 4 a , 4 a , 4 a , 4 a , and these branch bundles 4 a , 4 a , 4 a , 4 a are collected within the shape range of the solid-state image sensor 2 , and the present invention makes it possible to miniaturize the tip component l accordingly. However, the endoscope according to this embodiment also has the following effects.

In general, the distal end portion 1 of the endoscope is cooled by the outside air temperature before being inserted into the body cavity, and is rapidly warmed by the internal body temperature after insertion, so that the cover glass 9 causes dew condensation. For this reason, the inner image formed on the solid-state image sensor 2 remains unclear until the fog on the cover glass 9o disappears. On the other hand, the solid-state image sensor 2
Since it generates heat during operation, it is necessary to cool it down using a special method. In this embodiment, the heat transfer body 8 performs the functions of cooling the solid-state image sensor 2 and warming the cover glass 9 and the imaging optical system to prevent dew condensation. , I-
It is also possible to use the heat of the light guide fiber bundle 4 in addition to the heat of the Fushiba image Riko 2 to heat the crane during its final stage. In this case, a large number of fins 8a, ga... are provided on the heat transfer body 8 as shown in FIG. Branch bundles 4a, 4a.

4a, 4a, and each branch bundle 4a, 4a
, 4a, 4a and the heat from the solid-state imaging device 2 warm the heat transfer body 8, and the heat of this heat transfer body can prevent dew condensation on the cover glass 9 and the imaging optical system.

The present invention thus makes it possible to downsize the distal end component 1 of the endoscope.

Note that the fifth communication path formed in the solid-state image sensor 2 is
As shown in the figure, a notch hole 3' having a square top cut out,
It may be 3', 3', 3'.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, according to the present invention, the light guide fiber bundle is arranged so as to include a part of the imaging surface of the solid-state image sensor, so that the conventional package of the solid-state image sensor (
The branch bundle of the ride guide can be distributed around the periphery of the imaging surface without making the base (outer edge of the base) unnecessarily wide, the tip structure can be made compact, and the illumination light with uniform intensity can be distributed over the subject area. It has the effect of irradiating.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing the distal end component of an endoscope according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective sectional view of the same embodiment, and FIG. 3 is a solid-state image sensor used in the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an example of a heat transfer body, and FIG. 5 is a plan view showing another shape of the solid-state image sensor 2. 1... Tip component, 2... Solid-state image sensor, 3.3
'...Communication path, 4...Light guide fiber bundle,
6.7... Window, 8... Heat transfer body, 10... Imaging optical system. Agent: Patent Attorney Susumu Ito Continued from page 10 Inventor: Masaru Konomura, Hatagaya Co., Ltd., Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Inventor: Atsushi Miyazaki Inventor: Hatagaya Co., Ltd., Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 1) Makoto 0, Hatagaya Co., Ltd., Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Author: Tsuyoshi Nakamura 0: Hatagaya Co., Ltd., Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Author: Ken Sugawara 2-4, 2, Hatagaya Co., Ltd., Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Olympus Optical Co., Ltd. 2nd grade 4 pm 2 No. Olympus Optical Co., Ltd. 2nd grade 4 pm 2nd No. Olympus Optical Co., Ltd. 2nd grade 4 pm 2nd No. Olympus Optical Co., Ltd.

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) In an endoscope using a solid-state imaging device in the distal end component, at least one communication path communicating from the imaging surface side to the back side thereof is provided in the peripheral portion including the imaging surface of the solid-state imaging device, and An endoscope, characterized in that a light guide fiber bundle is inserted and arranged in a communication path. (2) The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the communicating path is a through hole formed in the peripheral portion. (3) The communication path is a cut hole cut from the outside of the peripheral edge to the inside.
The endoscope described in section.