JPS61106126A - Endoscope - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an endoscope with an improved structure for bending a bending portion.

[Conventional technology]

As a conventional structure for operating a curved section, for example, as shown in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 55-101240, a motor is built into a rigid section provided at the tip of the curved section, and the rotation of this motor is controlled by a wire. There is a device in which the information is transmitted to a suction mechanism, and the suction mechanism suctions a wire passed through the insertion portion, thereby deforming the curved portion into a curved shape.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

In the conventional technology, a motor must be built into a rigid part provided at the distal end of the insertion section, resulting in an increase in the size of the distal end of the insertion section and a complicated structure for bending the insertion section. This invention was made with attention to these problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an endoscope whose insertion section can be made compact and whose structure for bending operation can be simplified. Means for Curving] In this endoscope, a plurality of annular joint pieces 1 are connected in the axial direction of the insertion portion, and a driving means 3 for driving the joint pieces 1 to curve the curved portion 2 is used to bend the curved portion 2. It is thrown in part 2. A control means 4 for controlling the voltage supplied to the drive means 3 is provided.

[Operation] In this endoscope, by controlling the voltage supplied to the drive means 3 by the control means 4, the drive means 3 drives the joint piece 1 to curve the curved portion 2.

, the endoscope 10 includes an insertion section 11 and an insertion section 1.
1, a universal cord 13 extending from the operating section 12, and a connector 14 provided at the end of the universal cord 13.

The insertion section 11 includes a distal end section 15, a curved section 16, and a flexible tube section 17.
Consisting of The operation section 12 includes an eyepiece section 18. Air/water supply, suction switch 19, 20 and bending operation switch-21 (DO
WN), 22 (UP), 23 (IF'T), 2
A changeover switch 25 for switching between 4 (RIGHT) and ANGLE LOCK/7 RIGHT is provided.

The above curved part 16 is! As shown in FIG. 3, joint pieces 26 made up of a large number of short cylindrical bodies are connected so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction indicated by arrow a and in the horizontal direction indicated by arrows. In other words, from both end faces of each joint piece 26, a pair of connecting pieces 27 are offset by 180 degrees in the circumferential direction, and a pair of connecting pieces 27 are projected from both end faces of the joint piece 26 and offset by 90 degrees in the circumferential direction. Each pair of connecting pieces 2 of adjacent joint pieces 26
7 are each seeded by a support shaft 28. In addition,
The joint pieces 26a and 26b at the most and rearmost ends of the curved portion 16 have connecting pieces 27 protruding from only the 10,000 end faces. Therefore, the curved portion 16 to which the joint pieces 26 are connected in this way can be bent in the vertical direction indicated by the arrow a and in the horizontal direction indicated by the arrow perpendicular to this vertical direction, as described above. . On the outer peripheral surface of the most advanced joint piece 26a, cylindrical wire fixing parts 29 are provided at four locations shifted by 90 degrees in the circumferential direction corresponding to the bending direction of the curved tube part 16.

One end of the curved wire 30 is inserted into each through hole 29a of the wire fixing part 29, and is firmly fixed by soldering or the like. The other ends of the four curved wires 30 are connected to the joint piece 2
Four wire drive parts 31 a, 3 l b, 31 c, provided on the outer surface of 6 b, shifted by 90 degrees,
31 d. (Only 31d is not shown). Here, the curved wire and the wire drive section constitute a drive means for driving the joint piece.

The exterior part 32 of the wire drive part 31a is composed of a cylindrical pipe member, and on the inner circumferential surface thereof, there are holes spaced apart by 90 degrees in the circumferential direction.
Four pieces are supported and fixed from four directions over the entire axial length. The fitting member 34 has approximately the same length as the axial length of the exterior portion 32, and its circumferential cross section is approximately U-shaped. That is, the fitting groove 34a is provided in the axial direction. Fitting member 3
The 402 arms 34b are inwardly, that is, slightly tilted toward each other, and are inserted into the curved wire 30 from both sides, so that the inner peripheral surface of the fitting groove 34a and the curved wire 3
0 are closely connected and fixed. A large number of electrostrictive elements 35a and 35b are alternately bonded in the axial direction to three planes provided on the outer periphery of the fitting member 34 at intervals most suitable for generating standing vibration waves, which will be described later. There is. The electrostrictive elements 35a and 35b are connected to electric wires 36& and 37a, respectively. Furthermore, an electric wire 38m is connected to the fitting member 34. Other wire drive parts 31b, 31c
.

Does 31d have a similar configuration? The detailed explanation will be omitted because the explanation is omitted.The control circuit as a control means for controlling each wire driving section will be explained with reference to FIG. The switch control circuits 39 to 42 provided corresponding to the bending operation switches 21 to 24 respectively output a voltage of noi level CkTJ/a-level +L+ in conjunction with 0N10FFK of the switches.

Each output terminal of each of the switch control circuits 39 to 42 is connected to the control input terminal 1c of the switch box 43 to 46, and is also connected to the input terminal of an OR circuit 470.

A switch control circuit 48 provided corresponding to the selector switch 25 is configured to output an H level when the angle 7 is operated, and an L level when the angle lock is operated, and outputs a bell. It is designed to be input at the input terminal. The output terminal of the OR circuit 47 is connected to the control input terminal of the switch box 49.

SWA 50 for Kfljh, V = Vo sk
A voltage called ωt is supplied, and one end of it is the above voltage @ 38
a to 38d, and the other end is a 90 degree phase shifter 510
It is connected to the input terminal and also to each input terminal of the switch boxes 43 to 46. switch box 43,
The output ends of 46, 44, and 45 are connected to the above IT line 36, respectively.
c, 36 d, 36 a, and 36 b. The 90 degree phase shifter 51 advances the phase of the input voltage by 90 degrees, and its output end is connected to the input side Vc of the switch box 49. The output end of the switch box 49 is connected to the electric wires 37a to 37dlCW. When the voltage at the control input terminal of the switch boxes 43 to 46 and 49 is at the H level, the input terminal and the output terminal are connected to each other, and the switch box 49 conducts the input terminal and output terminal to the L level.
It is designed to be separated when it is at the level.

Here, the fitting member 34 of the wire driving section and the bent wire 30. The operating principle of a vibration wave motor (also referred to as a piezoelectric motor, an ultrasonic wave motor, etc.) constituted by the electrostrictive elements 35a and 35b will be explained by taking as an example the wire driving section 31a.

It is a diagram schematically showing a fitting member as a fixed body that performs elastic vibration (for example, PZT, etc.), with the X axis being the direction on the surface of the fixed body 34, and the two axes being the normal direction thereof. When bending vibration is applied to the surface of the fixed body 34 by the electrostrictive element, a traveling vibration wave is generated and propagates on the surface of the fixed body 34. This traveling vibrational wave is a surface wave accompanied by longitudinal waves and transverse waves, and the motion of the mass point describes an elliptical orbit (If we focus on mass point A,
An elliptical motion with a vertical amplitude U and a lateral amplitude W is performed, and if the traveling direction of the surface wave is the X-axis direction, the elliptical motion is clockwise. This surface wave has vertices A, A'...
..., whose apex velocity is only the X component, and ν
=2πfu (f is the frequency). Therefore, the moving body 30
When the surface of the movable body 300 comes into frictional contact with the surface of the fixed body 530, the surface of the movable body 300 contacts only the vertices A, A', etc., so the movable body 30 is driven in the direction of the arrow N by the frictional force. .

The speed of the moving body 30 is proportional to the frequency fVc. In addition, due to friction drive due to pressurized contact, not only vertical shooting U but also
It also depends on the lateral vibration W. That is, the speed of the moving body 52 is proportional to the magnitude of the elliptical motion. Therefore, the speed of the moving body 30 is proportional to the voltage applied to the electrostrictive element.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating the generation of traveling vibration waves and standing vibration waves. When the electrostrictive elements 3.5a and 35b operate independently,
The fixed body 34 is placed in a state where it resonates, that is, in a position where a standing vibration wave exists, and the standing vibration wavelength of the electrostrictive element 35a and the standing vibration wavelength of the electrostrictive element 35b are equal. They are arranged so that they are 90 degrees out of phase (their physical positions are shifted by a quarter wavelength). The drive power supply 50 supplies a voltage of V''Vosinωt.The state of the vibration wave is shown when the voltage VogiHωt is directly applied to the electrostrictive element 35a from the drive power supply 50 through the line 36a.

A indicates a state in which a standing vibration wave is generated only by the electrostrictive element 35a, and - indicates a state in which a standing vibration wave with a phase lead of 4j of 90'' is generated only by the electrostrictive element 35b. 2 shows a state in which the two electrostrictive elements 35a and 35b are operated simultaneously to generate a traveling vibration wave.

C is time t −0+ 2 n π/ω, and 2 is time t=
π/2ω+2nπ/ω, E is time t=π/ω+2nπ/
ω.

and (3π/2ω+2nπ/ω) indicate the phase of the traveling vibration wave, respectively. The traveling vibration wave travels to the left in FIG. 18, but any mass point on the frictional contact surface of the fixed body 34 performs an elliptical motion in the clockwise direction. Therefore, the moving body 30 moves to the right.

Vibration, ie, vertical movement in FIG. Therefore, the frictional contact between the movable body 30 and the fixed body 34 is not a static friction state but a dynamic friction state, and the 1M friction coefficient is small and the contact area is also small. Therefore, the movable body 30 can be easily moved by external force.

The operation of the rX, FC first embodiment will be explained. First, the case where the changeover switch 25 is operated to lock the angle will be explained using an example where the curved portion is operated UP. When the bending operation switch 22 (UI') is turned on, the switch control 01 circuit 40 outputs an H level, so each input/output terminal of the switch box 44 and 49 becomes conductive. As a result, the electric wire 36& has a voltage of V=Vor, i
A voltage of n(ωt-1-π/2) is supplied. At this time, no voltage is supplied to the electric wires 36b to 36+i. Therefore, a standing vibration wave is generated in the fitting member made of the elastic vibrator of the wire thickening portions 31b to 31d, and the fitting member is in a state where it can be easily moved against an external force. - 10,000, a traveling vibration wave in the direction of pulling the wire is generated in the fitting member 34 of the wire drive section 31a. Therefore, by pulling the wire in the UP direction, the curved portion 16 curves smoothly in the UP direction. Soshi℃.

When the bending operation switch 22 is set to OFF, no voltage is applied to the fitting member of each wire drive section, so it stops in that curved state and does not move easily even if an external force is applied to the curved section. Turn on the curve operation switches 21, 23, and 24.
Then it's DOWN.

Although it curves in the LIDF'T and RIGHT directions, the explanation will be omitted.

When the selector switch 25 is operated angle free,
Since the switch control circuit 48 outputs an H level signal,
The input and output terminals of the switch box 490 become conductive. Therefore, the fitting member of each wire drive section [ha,'' = Vot
Since a voltage of h(ωt +x/2) is always applied, a standing oscillatory wave is always generated. If, for example, the bending operation switch 22 is turned on in this state, it will turn in the VCUP direction as in the case of the above-mentioned angle lock operation.

In the above embodiment, the wire driving section is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the joint piece, but the wire driving section may be provided on the inner peripheral surface of the single joint piece, so that the bending wire also passes through the inside of the joint piece. The wire drive section may be provided on the tip component side. In addition, if the wire driving sections are provided on the surface tip forming section side and the hand operation section side -θ, and the bending wires are pulled together to bend the bending wire, quick bending is possible. Electrostrictive Curves Complex curvatures can be achieved by providing an appropriate number of the curved portions of the above-mentioned practical example at appropriate locations in the endoscope insertion portion and operating each one separately. Also, the 9th
figure.

As shown in Fig. 10, a wire drive unit 61 is provided for each of the 5IC1 joint pieces 60, a wire 62 is provided between adjacent joint pieces, and the wires are pushed and pulled for each wire drive unit to control the bending part. This is the fitting part.

FIGS. 11 to 14 show a second embodiment of the present invention, and the difference between the first embodiment and 1 is the structure of the curved portion 16 and the vibration wave motor provided with the pressure of this curved portion. The drive circuit used to drive them is different. Portions similar to those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 11, the curved section 16 is formed by connecting a large number of joint pieces 70 so as to be able to curve in the vertical and horizontal directions. Each joint piece 70 is alternately connected by connecting portions 71, 72 as driving means. Here, the connecting portion 71 is involved in the vertical bending drive, and the connecting portion 72 is involved in the left-right direction bending drive, and the connecting arms 71b and 71a protrude from the joint pieces.
It consists of a rotating shaft 71c that fixes the rotating shaft 71b. Similarly, the connecting portion 72 also includes connecting arms 72 a and 72 b.

As shown in FIG. 12, electrostrictive elements 73m, 73b generate standing vibration waves on the outer circumferential surface, and electrostrictive elements 74m, ?, on the outer circumferential surface. 4b are attached at similar intervals.

FIG. 14 shows a control circuit as a control means for controlling the drive of the drive means. Switch control circuit 39, 40, 4
1.42 is connected to the input terminal VC of the OR circuit 470, and then connected to the control input terminals of the mutual switch boxes 80, 81, 82, and 83, respectively. Switch control circuit 48 is connected to an input terminal of OR circuit 470. The output of OR circuit 47 is connected to switch boxes 84 and 850 control inputs. The drive power source 50 generates a voltage of V=Vogtnωt, one end of which is connected to the connecting arms 71m and 72&,
The other end is connected to the input end of the 90 degree phase shifter 51.degree. 511 and the switch box 84.85. The 90-degree phase shifter 51 advances the phase of the input voltage by 90 degrees, and its output end is connected to the input end of the switch box 80.82. Further, the 90 degree phase shifter 51' delays the phase of the input voltage by 90 degrees, and its output terminal is connected to the switch box 81.83.
connected to the input end of the

Output ends of switch boxes 84 and 85 are connected to electrostrictive elements 73m and 74m, respectively. switch box 80
The output terminals of and 81 are commonly connected to the electrostrictive element 73bK,
The output ends of switch boxes 82 and 83 are electrostrictive elements 74
j) is commonly connected to IC.

Next, the operation of the second embodiment will be explained.

First, the case where the changeover switch 25 is operated to angle lock will be described by taking as an example the case where the curved portion is operated to curve in the vertical direction. When the bending operation switch 22 is turned on, the switch control # circuit 40 outputs an H level, so that each input and output terminal of the switch box 81, 84, and 85 becomes conductive. As a result, a voltage of V=Vosfnωt is applied to the electrostrictive elements 73a and 74a, causing the strain X element 73 b &C+! V=Vosf
A voltage of n(ωt −π/2) is supplied respectively. Therefore, a traveling imaging wave is generated in the connecting arm 711L in a direction to raise the curved portion, so that the curved portion is raised. Next, when the nine-curve operation switch 21 is turned on, the switch control circuit 39 outputs the H level, so the switch box 8
The input/output terminals 0, 84, and 85 are electrically connected. As a result, the voltage of V=Vomωt is applied to the electrostrictive elements 73a2 and 74a, and the voltage of V=Vom((dt+/2) is applied to the electrostrictive element 73bVc.
) are supplied respectively. Therefore, connecting arm 7
At 1 m, a traveling vibration wave is generated in the opposite direction to the previous one, so the curved part goes down. A description of the case where the curved portion is curved in the left-right direction will be omitted.

When the changeover switch 25 is operated in an angle-free manner, the switch control circuit 48 outputs an H level signal, so that the input and output terminals of the switch boxes 84 and 85 are electrically connected. Therefore, the connecting arm 71a.

Since a voltage of V=Vo-ωt is always applied to 72a, a standing vibration wave is always generated.

For example, even when pulling out an endoscope from a body cavity, it can be pulled out smoothly.

Furthermore, if the above-mentioned connecting wind is controlled separately for each joint piece, double-track bending operation is also possible.

According to the second practical example, the configuration can be simplified because a curved wire is not required.

[Effect of the Invention J According to the present invention, the insertion portion can be made smaller and the structure for bending the insertion portion can be simplified. Furthermore, the followability of bending operations can be significantly improved.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the present invention. Figure 2 or W
The XG diagram shows the first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 shows the endoscope, FIG. 3 shows the curved part, and FIGS. 4 and 5 show the wire drive part. The sectional view shown in FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a circuit for driving and controlling the wire driving section. @7
This figure is a diagram explaining the driving principle of the perturbation wave motor used in the wire drive section, and FIG. 8 is a diagram explaining the generation of traveling vibration waves and standing vibration waves in the vibration wave motor. @ Figures 9 and 10 show a modification of the first embodiment, where Figure 9 is a diagram showing a curved portion, and Figure 1θ is a sectional view showing a joint piece. 11 to 14 show a second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1 shows a curved portion;
Figure 2 is a diagram showing the connecting arm, Figure 1g13 is a sectional view showing the connecting part, and Figure 14 is a diagram showing a circuit for driving and controlling the connecting part. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... Endoscope, 16... Curved part, 26... Joint piece, 30 ・@Curved wire, 31 a, 3 l b
, 31 c. 31d...Wire drive unit. Figure 1 Figure 2 I4 13

Claims (1)

[Claims] A plurality of annular joint pieces are connected to the insertion part of the endoscope in the axial direction of the insertion part to enable the insertion part to bend. What is claimed is: 1. An endoscope comprising: a drive means made of a vibration wave motor that bends a portion of the endoscope; and a control means that controls a voltage applied to the drive means.