JPS63122435A - Ultrasonic 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] [Industrial application field] The present invention relates to a mechanical scanning ultrasonic endoscope.

[Conventional technology]

In recent years, an ultrasonic endoscope in which an endoscope is equipped with an ultrasonic scanning mechanism has been developed as an intrabody cavity ultrasonic diagnostic device, and has been put into practical use. Among these, mechanical scanning ultrasound endoscopes are equipped with a rotor incorporating an ultrasound and wave probe in the tip of the endoscope insertion section, and a flexible rotation transmission shaft ( The ultrasonic probe is configured to rotate the ultrasonic probe by transmitting rotational driving force through a flexible shaft (hereinafter referred to as a flexible shaft) to perform ultrasonic scanning from within the body cavity.

This type of mechanical scanning ultrasonic endoscope was developed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 1983-1989.
As shown in Japanese Patent No. 227740, an ultrasonic operating section is provided with a rotary contact (signal transmission section) for transmitting and receiving signals to and from an ultrasonic probe. This rotary contact is constructed as shown in FIG.
The signal line 1 from the ultrasonic probe (not shown) is connected to the operation unit main body 2.
The ring contact 6 of the rotary contact 5 provided at the end of the rotary shaft 4 passes through the interior of the rotary shaft 4 supported via a bearing 3 on the rotary shaft 4.
It is connected to the. A brush 7 is in contact with this ring contact 6, and the brush 7 is connected to the operating section main body 2 through an insulator 8.
is fixed.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

However, in such a rotary contact 5, deviations occur in the rotation of the ring contact 6 due to eccentricity of the rotating shaft 4 and the ring contact 6, play in the bearing 3, and the like. On the other hand, brush 7
Since it is fixed to the operating section main body 2, it will come into contact regardless of the wobbling of the ring contact 6. For this reason, the state of contact between the ring contact 6 and the brush 7 is directly affected by the rotational vibration of the ring contact 6, and the contact occurs with vibration, resulting in the problem that noise is superimposed on the transmitted signal.

Furthermore, in order to bring the brush 7 into good contact with the ring contact 6, it is necessary to adjust the fixing position of the brush 7, and there is also the problem that installation is time-consuming.

The present invention was made in response to these problems, and
The purpose is to provide an ultrasonic endoscope that can produce good ultrasonic images with little noise and that can easily attach a rotating contact point.

[Means and effects for solving the problems] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a rotating contact with a slip connected to the end of the rotating shaft through which the signal line of the ultrasound probe passes. a ring shaft, a rotating ring contact coaxially provided on the outer periphery of the slip ring shaft, a contact brush holder rotatably provided with respect to the slip ring shaft, and the rotating ring contact provided on the contact brush holder. It is characterized by comprising a contact brush that comes into contact with the contact brush.

That is, in the present invention, by incorporating the rotating ring contact and the contact brush into a contact brush holder that is rotatably provided about the slip ring shaft, it is possible to maintain a good contact state between the two.

〔Example〕

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

1 to 9 show one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of an ultrasound endoscope.

This ultrasonic endoscope 1 includes an endoscope operating section 2 and an ultrasonic operating section 3.
and an insertion section 4, and the ultrasonic operation section 3 is provided between the endoscope operation section 2 and the insertion section 4. The endoscope operation section 2 is provided with an eyepiece section 5 and a universal cord 7, as well as a bending operation knob 6 for bending the bending tube section 9 of the insertion section 4. The insertion section 4 is formed by sequentially connecting a flexible tube section 8 and a curved tube section 9,
An endoscope tip portion 10 is provided at the tip of the curved tube portion 9. As shown in FIG. 2, the endoscope tip 10 is provided with an objective lens 11, an illumination lens 12, a suction port 13, etc., and has the same functions as a normal endoscope. .

Further, an ultrasonic scanning section 14 is provided on the distal end side of the endoscope distal end section 10.
is provided. As shown in FIG.
6 is rotatably provided, and rotational force is transmitted by a flexible shaft 17 provided within the insertion portion 4. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, this flexible shaft 17 is connected to a rotating shaft 18 provided in the ultrasonic operating unit 3, and this rotating shaft 18 is connected to a drive motor 21 via a deceleration mechanism 20. By rotating, the ultrasonic probe 15 is rotated.

A signal cable 21 is connected to the ultrasonic probe 15, and this signal cable 21 passes through the insertion section 4 and connects to the end of the rotation shaft 20 of the ultrasonic operating section 3, as shown in FIG. It is connected to a rotary contact 22 provided. A signal cable 32 that is connected to an ultrasonic observation device (not shown) is connected to the rotary contact 22 via the universal cord 7, and a signal from the ultrasonic probe 15 is transmitted to the device via the rotary contact 22. It can be taken outside.

1. The rotary contact 22 is constructed as shown in FIGS. 5 to 9. In other words, 23 in the figure indicates bearings 2 at the front and rear.
This is a slip ring shaft that is rotatably held in the contact brush holder 25 via 9 and 29. This slip ring shaft 23 is made of a hollow cylindrical member, into which a signal cable 21 from the ultrasonic probe 15 is inserted. Each signal cable 21 has a slip ring shaft 23.
A plurality of rotating ring contacts 24 coaxially provided on the outer periphery of the
...is electrically connected to. Each of these rotating ring contacts 24 is electrically insulated and has a plurality of contact brushes 26 fixed to a contact brush holder 25.
・It is in good electrical contact with. Further, a threaded portion 28 is provided at the end of the slip ring shaft 23 and is screwed to the end of the rotating shaft 20. Note that the contact brush holder 25 is rotatably provided with respect to the slip ring shaft 23, and is further latched to the operating section main body 30 by springs 27, 27.

According to such a configuration, since the rotating ring contacts 24... and the contact brushes 26... are provided in the contact brush holder 25, rotational wobbling occurs in the slip ring shaft 23 due to eccentricity of the rotating shaft 20, etc. Rotating ring contact 24
... and the contact brush 26... will vibrate in the same mode. As a result, the contact state between the two can always be maintained in a good state, so it is possible to prevent noise from being superimposed on the transmitted signal, and it is possible to depict an ultrasonic image with less noise. In addition, the contact brush 26... is connected to the rotating ring contact 24.
Since the contact brush holder 25 can be attached and detached while it is in contact with..., installation is easy! ! No adjustment is required, and the contact part can be attached to the container.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide an ultrasonic endoscope that can depict good ultrasonic images with little noise and can easily attach a rotary contact.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 to 9 show one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 is an overall view of an ultrasonic endoscope, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the distal end of the insertion section, and FIG. 3 is an ultrasonic endoscope. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the internal structure of the operating unit, FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view thereof, FIG. 5 is a plan view showing the structure of the rotary contact, FIG. 6 is a front view thereof, and FIG.
8 is a sectional view taken along line B-B in FIG. 5, and FIG.
The figure is a sectional view taken along the line CC in FIG. 6, and FIGS. 10 and 11 are a front view and a plan view showing a conventional rotary contact. 1... Ultrasonic endoscope, 2... Endoscope operation section, 3...
- Ultrasonic operation unit, 4... Insertion part, 15... Ultrasonic probe, 16... Rotor, 22... Rotating contact, 23
... Slip ring shaft, 24 ... Rotating ring contact,
25...Contact brush holder, 2B...Contact brush. Applicant's agent Patent attorney Jun Tsuboi Figure 1 Figure 2 H Figure 5)-C Figure 6 Figure 8 Figure 7 Figure 9 Figure 10 Figure 11 Procedural amendment Ill; 10 &2" ¥4s Patent Commissioner Kuro 1) Akio Yu 1, Indication of the case Patent Application No. 1988-270469 2, Name of the invention Ultrasonic endoscope 3, Person making the amendment Relationship to the case Patent applicant (037) Olympus Optical Industry Co., Ltd. Company 4, Agent UBE Building 3-7-2 Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
00 Telephone 03 (502) 3181 (main representative)
7. Details of the correction (1) "By the drive motor 21 via the deceleration mechanism 20" stated in page 6, line 11 of the specification is corrected to "by the drive motor 20 via the deceleration mechanism 19." (2) Page 6, line 17 of the specification, page 7, line 18. "Rotating shaft 20" written on page 8, line 5 is replaced with "rotating shaft 18"
I am corrected.

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) A rotor incorporating an ultrasonic probe is provided at the tip of the insertion section, and an ultrasonic operation section for transmitting rotational driving force to the rotor is provided on the operation section main body, and the ultrasonic probe In an ultrasonic endoscope that performs ultrasonic scanning by rotating the A slip ring shaft connected to the end of the rotating shaft through which the slip ring is inserted, a rotating ring contact provided coaxially on the outer periphery of the slip ring shaft, and a contact brush holder provided rotatably with respect to the slip ring shaft. and a contact brush provided on the contact brush holder and in contact with the rotating ring contact. (2) The ultrasonic endoscope according to claim (1), wherein the rotary contact is unitized. (3) The ultrasonic endoscope according to claim (1), wherein the contact brush holder is locked to the operating section main body by an elastic member.