TW201936111A - Endoscope camera device and endoscope camera system - Google Patents

Abstract

A light-weight and compact endoscope camera device (100) capable of efficiently cooling a plurality of heat generating elements, including a solid-state image pickup element, has: an endoscope (110); an image pickup device (130) that is provided with a housing (131) forming a hermetically sealed space; an air supply tube (164A) and an air discharge tube (164B), which are connected to the housing; an air supply/exhaust device (160), which forcibly supplies air to the inside of the housing via the air supply tube, and which forcibly exhausts air from the inside of the housing via the air discharge tube; and an air cooling device (162) that cools the air flowing in the air supply tube. The housing, air supply tube, and air discharge tube are connected to each other so as to form one hermetically sealed space. In the housing, a first airflow for cooling a first heat sink (1316), and a second airflow for cooling a second heat sink (1336) are formed.

Description

Endoscope photography device and endoscope photography system

The invention relates to an endoscope photography device and an endoscope photography system. In detail, the present invention relates to an 8K-level endoscope photography device and an endoscope photography system having a cooling function.

The inventors of the present application have developed an 8K endoscope camera (Non-Patent Document 1), and further developed an ultra-small and ultra-light 8K endoscope device (Japanese Patent No. 2016-123049) (not public). The operation of the endoscope device is thus facilitated by ultra-miniaturization and ultra-lightweight, and by combining with a high-resolution large-screen monitor, the reliability and reliability of endoscopic surgery are dramatically improved.
[Prior Art Literature] [Patent Literature]

[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 04-241830
[Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 04-102435 [Non-Patent Document]

[Non-Patent Document 1] Masayama Yusuke "Application of 8K TV Technology in Endoscopic Surgery", the 1st Optical Technology Trends Investigation Committee in 2015, (published on May 25, 2015)

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

In an 8K endoscopic camera, an ultra-small airtight imaging tube frame is provided so as not to release exhaust gas into the operating space, and an 8K solid-state imaging element is provided inside the imaging tube frame. If it becomes 8K, the amount of heat generated will increase due to the increase in imaging elements and signal processing circuit elements. Therefore, it is necessary to increase the cooling capacity of the cooling mechanism. On the other hand, in the operating space, in order to ensure the freedom of the operability of the endoscope camera, weight reduction and miniaturization are required. In the miniaturized 8K endoscope camera, the internal space of the frame is small, so the cooling mechanism inside the frame has no rotation mechanism, and there is no Peltier element, so it must be as light and compact as possible. The invention of the present application has intensively studied methods for solving the aforementioned problems.

Non-Patent Document 1 describes an example of an operation using an 8K endoscope device developed by the inventors. Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 describe an example in which a Peltier element is provided in order to cool the solid-state imaging element provided on the camera head of the endoscope photographing device, although there is no rotating mechanism such as a fan. However, if the Peltier element is used as a cooling mechanism, a power supply for the Peltier element is required, and it cannot be accommodated in the casing of an ultra-small 8K airtight imaging device.

In addition, in the previous 4K or less endoscope photography device, only the solid-state imaging element is cooled, and circuit components for signal processing are not considered, such as field programmable gate array (FPGA), power supply integrated body Cooling of integrated circuits (IC). However, in 8K, the heat generation amount of the signal processing FPGA may become larger than that of the solid-state imaging element. Therefore, it is necessary to consider not only the heating of the solid-state imaging element but also the heating of the circuit element for signal processing.

An object of the present invention is to provide an endoscope photography apparatus and an endoscope photography system including a cooling mechanism suitable for an 8K endoscope camera having an ultra-small sealed space and a large heat generation amount. In addition, another object of the present invention is to provide an endoscope photography apparatus and an endoscope photography system having a cooling mechanism that does not include a rotation mechanism and a Peltier element.
[Means to solve the problem]

For example, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the endoscope photographing device 100 according to the present invention may include: an endoscope 110; an imaging device 130, including a frame 131 forming an enclosed space; an air supply pipe 164A and air discharge The tube 164B is connected to the housing 131; the air supply and exhaust device 160 forcibly supplies air into the housing 131 via the air supply tube 164A, and forcibly exhausts air from the housing 131 via the air exhaust tube 164B; and the air cooling device 162, cooling the air flowing through 164A in the air supply pipe; and the frame 131, the air supply pipe 164A and the air discharge pipe 164B are connected in such a manner as to form a closed space, and the imaging device 130 has an end provided on the frame 131 Solid-state imaging element 1311, a first heat sink 1316 provided on the solid-state imaging element 1311, an FPGA 1331 for signal processing provided in the frame 131, a second heat sink provided on the FPGA 1331, and covering the The second radiator 1336 and the cover member 1338 connected to the air exhaust pipe 164B generate a first airflow that cools the first radiator 1316 and a second airflow that cools the second radiator 1336 in the frame 131. An air flow is blown onto the first radiator 1316 with the cooling air supplied from the air supply pipe 164A, passes between the fins 1316B (refer to FIG. 3A) of the first radiator 1316, and toward the periphery of the first radiator 1316 The second air flow starts from the periphery of the second radiator 1336, passes between the fins 1336B (refer to FIG. 3A) of the second radiator 1336, and flows into the air exhaust pipe 164B through the cover member 1338. Way composition. With such a configuration, an endoscope photography apparatus and an endoscope photography system including a cooling mechanism suitable for an 8K endoscope camera with an ultra-small sealed space and a large heat generation amount can be provided.

In the endoscope photography apparatus 100 according to the present invention,
It can be assumed that the solid-state imaging element 1311 includes a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor having 7680 × 4320 pixels, and the power consumption of the FPGA 1331 is larger than that of the solid-state imaging element 1311.

In the endoscope photography apparatus 100 according to the present invention, for example, as shown in FIG. 4A,
It may be assumed that the air cooling device 162 has a heat dissipation tube 1621 provided on a part of the air supply tube 164A and a heat sink 1623 attached to the outer surface of the heat dissipation tube 1621.

In the endoscope photography apparatus 100 according to the present invention, for example, as shown in FIG. 4B,
It may be assumed that the air cooling device 162 has a heat dissipation tube 1621 provided on a part of the air supply tube 164A, and a Peltier element 1627 attached to the outer surface of the heat dissipation tube 1621.

In the endoscope photography apparatus 100 according to the present invention, for example, as shown in FIG. 4C,
The air cooling device 162 may include a heat dissipation tube 1621 provided on a part of the air supply tube 164A, a thin tube 1629 provided inside the heat dissipation tube 1621, and a refrigerant flowing in the thin tube 1629, and both ends of the thin tube 1629 It is arranged outside the heat pipe 1621.

In the endoscope photography apparatus 100 according to the present invention, for example, as shown in FIG. 2,
It may be provided that a duct 166A is provided in the frame 131, one end of the duct 166A is connected to the air supply pipe 164A, and the other end of the duct 166A faces the first radiator 1316.

In the endoscope photography apparatus 100 according to the present invention, for example, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3B,
The cover member 1338 may have a cover portion 1338A and a duct portion 1338B, the shape of the cover portion 1338A corresponds to the outer shape of the second radiator 1336, the duct portion 1338B is connected to the air exhaust pipe 164B, and the duct portion 1338B is opened in the center of the lid-shaped portion 1338A.

In the endoscope photography apparatus 100 according to the present invention,
The air supply and exhaust device 160 may include a pump device (not shown) which is a combination of a vacuum pump that generates a vacuum pressure of -5 kPa to -20 kPa and a compressor that generates a pressure of +5 kPa to +20 kPa. Pump device in the form of.

In the endoscope photography apparatus 100 according to the present invention, it may be provided that the housing 131 does not have a rotation mechanism or a Peltier element.

For example, as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the endoscope photographing apparatus 100 according to the present invention may be provided with no rotation mechanism or Peltier element in the housing 131. According to the above-mentioned structure, it is possible to provide an endoscope photographing device having a small and lightweight cooling mechanism.

In an endoscopic photography system including an endoscope 110, an imaging device 130 including a frame 131 forming a closed space, a control device 140, and a display device 150 according to the present invention, for example, as shown in FIG. 2,
It can be set to further include: an air supply pipe 164A and an air discharge pipe 164B connected to the casing 131; an air supply and exhaust device 160 that supplies air into the casing 131 through the air supply pipe 164A and from the air discharge pipe 164B The frame 131 discharges air; and the air cooling device 162 cools the air flowing in the air supply pipe 164A; The exhaust device 160 includes a pump device (not shown) which is a combined pump device that generates a vacuum pressure of -5 kPa to -20 kPa and a compressor that generates a pressure of +5 kPa to +20 kPa .

In the endoscope photography system according to the present invention, for example, as shown in FIG. 2,
It can be assumed that the imaging device 130 includes a solid-state imaging element 1311 provided at the end of the casing 131, a first heat sink 1316 provided on the solid-state imaging element 1311, and an FPGA 1331 for signal processing provided in the casing 131, The second heat sink 1336 provided on the FPGA 1331 and the cover member 1338 covering the second heat sink 1336 and connected to the air exhaust pipe 164B generate a first cooling the first heat sink 1316 in the housing 131 The airflow and the second airflow that cools the second radiator 1336. The first airflow is blown onto the first radiator 1316 with the cooling air supplied from the air supply pipe 164A, passing through the fins 1316B of the first radiator 1316 (Refer to FIG. 3A) The second air flow is configured to radiate around the first heat sink 1316 from the periphery of the second heat sink 1336, through the fins 1316B of the second heat sink 1336 (see FIG. 3A) ) Is configured to flow into the air exhaust pipe 164B via the cover member 1338.

According to the present invention, in the endoscopic photography system,
It can be assumed that the solid-state imaging element 1311 includes a CMOS image sensor having 7680 × 4320 pixels, and the power consumption of the FPGA 1331 is larger than that of the solid-state imaging element 1311. [Effect of invention]

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an endoscope photography apparatus and an endoscope photography system including a cooling mechanism suitable for an 8K endoscope camera having an ultra-small sealed space and a large heat generation amount.
In addition, an endoscope photography device and an endoscope photography system having a cooling mechanism that does not include a rotation mechanism and a Peltier element can be provided.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, in each drawing, the same or corresponding members are denoted by the same or similar symbols, and repeated explanations are omitted.

An example of an endoscope photography apparatus and an endoscope photography system of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 1. The endoscopic photography system of this example includes an 8K endoscopic photography device 100 and a display device 150. The so-called 8K refers to an ultra-high image quality (ultra-high-definition image) system, which provides an image of 7680 horizontal (8K) pixels and 4320 vertical lines. The number of pixels in a frame is about 33 million pixels (33 million pixels). On the other hand, in the previous high-quality system, it provides horizontal 1920 (2K) pixels and vertical 1080 lines of images. Therefore, the number of pixels in a frame becomes about 2 million pixels (2 million pixels). In the case of ultra-high image quality, 16-fold pixel data (each frame) of the previous high image quality is processed in parallel at high speed. Furthermore, in ultra-high image quality, pixel data is processed at a frame rate of 60 frames to 120 frames per second (fps).

In general, devices around 6K are sometimes expressed or referred to as 8K level or equivalent to 8K. Therefore, in this specification, 8K is set to 6K or more and 12K or less.

The endoscope photography device 100 includes an endoscope 110, a lens holder 116 including an imaging lens 114, an illumination device 120, an imaging device 130, a control device 140, an air supply and exhaust device 160, and an air cooling device 162. The air supply and exhaust device 160 is connected to the imaging device 130 via an air supply tube 164A and an air exhaust tube 164B. An air cooling device 162 is provided on the air supply pipe 164A. The display device 150 displays frame images of 8K level or higher. As the display device 150, for example, a large screen monitor of more than 30 inches is used, whereby many people can observe natural images at the same time.

The details of the imaging device 130, the control device 140, the air supply and exhaust device 160, and the air cooling device 162 will be described in detail below. Here, as an example of the endoscope 110, a rigid mirror having a rigid insertion part 111 will be described as an example, but it may also be a flexible mirror having a flexible insertion part.

The lighting device 120 includes an appropriate light source, such as a xenon lamp or a light emitting diode (Light Emitting Diode, LED). An optical fiber 121 is connected to the lighting device 120. The optical fiber 121 is connected to the connection portion 112 provided on the endoscope 110, and further extends to the front end portion 110A along the outer surface of the rigid insertion portion 111. The light from the illumination device 120 is guided to the front end portion 110A of the endoscope 110 via the optical fiber 121. The illumination light emitted from the front end portion 110A illuminates the imaging target.

The inner end portion 110B of the endoscope 110, that is, an eyepiece is mounted on the lens holder 116. The lens holder 116 is attached to the holder 130A of the imaging device 130.

The structure, cooling function, and flow of cooling air of the endoscope photography apparatus 100 of this example will be described with reference to FIG. 2. In this example, the camera 130 generates a high-resolution image of 8K or higher, that is, an image with excellent spatial resolution. The imaging device 130 has a housing 131. A lens holder 116 including an imaging lens 114 is attached to the front end of the frame 131. A solid-state imaging element 1311 is provided behind the imaging lens 114. An anti-reflection glass 1315 is mounted on the front surface of the solid-state imaging element 1311. The solid-state imaging element 1311 is mounted on the substrate 1312. A first heat sink 1316 is attached to the back of the solid-state imaging element 1311. As the solid-state imaging element 1311, a CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) image sensor or a charge coupled device (Charge Coupled Device, CCD) image sensor can be used. In this example, as the solid-state imaging element 1311, a CMOS image sensor is used.

A duct 166A is provided behind the first radiator 1316. The outlet of the duct 166A faces the first radiator 1316, and the inlet of the duct 166A is connected to the air supply pipe 164A. The arrows in the duct 166A and the air supply pipe 164A indicate the direction of airflow.

An FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) 1331 for signal processing is provided in the lower part of the enclosed space inside the housing 131. The FPGA 1331 is mounted on the substrate 1332. A second heat sink 1336 is installed on the surface of the FPGA 1331.

A cover member 1338 is provided on the upper side of the second heat sink 1336. The outlet of the cover member 1338 is connected to the duct 166B. The end on the opposite side of the duct 166B is connected to the air exhaust pipe 164B. The arrows in the duct 166B and the air exhaust pipe 164B indicate the direction of airflow. Furthermore, the duct 166B may not be provided, and the air exhaust pipe 164B may be directly connected to the outlet of the cover member 1338.

In the enclosed space inside the housing 131, in addition to the solid-state imaging element 1311 and the FPGA 1331, various electronic components and electronic components are arranged. For example, a bias power supply (power supply substrate for solid-state imaging element) and a power supply substrate for FPGA are arranged on the upper part inside the casing 131. An optical module for optical transmission is arranged adjacent to the FPGA 1331 in the vicinity of the lower exit inside the casing 131. In this example, the signal transmission between the camera device 130 and the control device 140 is performed by optical transmission. The substrates and optical modules are connected to each other by flexible cables. The FPGA 1331 converts the raw data (the voltage value of each pixel obtained by photoelectric conversion) obtained from the solid-state imaging element 1311 into a digital signal for image formation. The optical module converts electrical signals into optical signals in order to transmit 24 Gbps large-capacity signals from the camera to the camera control unit (CCU). The cable connecting the camera and the CCU is more than 3 m, but if you want to transmit such a large-capacity signal at ultra-high speed in a metal electrical cable, it will be attenuated midway and cannot be communicated. Therefore, it is converted into an optical signal and transmitted by optical fiber.

In the endoscope imaging apparatus of this example, the power consumption of the FPGA 1331 is larger than the power consumption of the solid-state imaging element 1311. Therefore, the heat generation amount of the FPGA 1331 is larger than the heat generation amount of the solid-state imaging element 1311. In the endoscopic photography device of this example, the sum of the power consumption of the FPGA and the FPGA power supply is 10 W to 15 W, and the sum of the power consumption of the CMOS image sensor and the bias power supply is 4 W to 9 W. In the example of the endoscope photographing device manufactured by the inventor of the present application, the sum of the power consumption of the FPGA and the FPGA power supply is about 11.5 W. The sum of the power consumption of the CMOS image sensor and the bias power supply is about 5.5 W.

In the endoscope photographing device of this example, the air supply and exhaust device 160 and the air cooling device 162 are provided separately from the imaging device 130. The housing 131 of the imaging device 130 and the air supply and exhaust device 160 are connected by an air supply pipe 164A and an air exhaust pipe 164B. The air cooling device 162 is provided on the air supply pipe 164A. The air supply pipe 164A and the air discharge pipe 164B may be made of silicone.

The air supply and exhaust device 160 may be any device as long as it has a function of forcibly supplying air and a function of forcibly discharging or sucking air. For example, it may be a single device that performs forced exhaust and forced suction at the same time, or may be a device that combines an air supply device and an air exhaust device. In this example, the air supply and exhaust device 160 uses a device combining the air supply device 160A and the air exhaust device 160B. The air supply device 160A includes an air pump, an air blower, and an air fan. The air exhaust device 160B includes a vacuum pump and the like. The inventor of the present application uses a device that uses both a compressor and a vacuum pump. An air supply pipe 164A is connected to the air supply device 160A. An air discharge pipe 164B is connected to the air discharge device 160B.

According to this embodiment, the air pressure generated by the air supply and exhaust device 160, that is, the air supply device 160A is +5 kPa to +20 kPa, preferably +10 kPa to +20 kPa. The vacuum pressure generated by the air supply and exhaust device 160, that is, the air exhaust device 160B is -5 kPa to -20 kPa, preferably -10 kPa to -20 kPa.

The sealing structure of the endoscope photographing device of this example will be described. According to this embodiment, the housing 131 of the imaging device 130, the air supply pipe 164A, and the air discharge pipe 164B each have a sealed structure, and are connected to each other by the sealed structure. Therefore, a closed space is formed by the housing 131 of the imaging device 130, the air supply pipe 164A, and the air discharge pipe 164B. The air pressure and vacuum pressure from the air supply and exhaust device 160 are hardly changed by the air supply pipe 164A, the duct 166B, and the air discharge pipe 164B, and are supplied into the sealed space of the housing 131.

The flow of air inside the casing 131 will be described. Hereinafter, for convenience of description, the airflow cooling the first radiator 1316 is referred to as a first airflow, and the airflow cooling the second radiator 1336 is referred to as a second airflow. First, the first air flow will be described. The airflow generated by the air supply and exhaust device 160 is cooled by the air cooling device 162 when passing through the air supply pipe 164A. The cooling air is guided into the duct 166A via the air supply pipe 164A. The cooling air is radiated toward the first radiator 1316 from the duct 166A. As described above, the pressure of the cooling air discharged from the duct 166A is relatively high. The cooling air passes between the fins 1316B of the first radiator 1316 and is discharged from the side of the first radiator 1316. This air circulates in the enclosed space in the housing 131.

Next, the second air flow will be described. The upper end of the cover member 1338 is connected to the air exhaust pipe 164B via the duct 166B. As described above, the air exhaust pipe 164B performs suction with a relatively high degree of vacuum. Therefore, the pressure in the space below the cover member 1338 is relatively low. On the other hand, the pressure in the space on the side of the second radiator 1336 is relatively high. Therefore, the flow of air from the space on the side surface of the second radiator 1336 toward the space on the lower side of the cover member 1338 is generated. The airflow collected by the cover member 1338 is guided to the air supply and exhaust device 160, that is, the air exhaust device 160B through the air exhaust pipe 164B, and is discharged from the air exhaust device 160B into the outside air.

In the endoscope photography apparatus of this example, the cooling mechanism provided in the enclosed space inside the casing 131 of the imaging apparatus 130 is only two radiators 1316, a radiator 1336 and a cover member 1338, and two ducts 166A, The catheter 166B can be miniaturized. Furthermore, the cooling mechanism of this example has neither a rotating mechanism nor a movable mechanism in the sealed space inside the frame 131. Therefore, the imaging device 130 can be used freely in the operating space.

3A, the first heat sink 1316 provided on the solid-state imaging element 1311 will be described in detail. An anti-reflection glass 1315 is mounted on the front surface of the solid-state imaging element 1311. The solid-state imaging element 1311 is mounted on the substrate 1312. The terminals of the solid-state imaging element 1311 and the terminals of the substrate 1312 are electrically connected by a ball grid 1313. A first heat sink 1316 is mounted on the rear surface of the solid-state imaging element 1311 via a thermally conductive adhesive 1314. The first heat sink 1316 has a flat plate 1316A and a plurality of fins 1316B. The flat plate 1316A may be, for example, square, but may also be rectangular. The shape of the heat sink 1316B may be a thin plate shape, a corrugated plate shape, a perforated flat plate shape, a needle shape, etc., but here it is a needle shape.

The first air flow will be described. The cooling air supplied from the duct 166A is blown in parallel to the fins 1316B of the first radiator 1316 as shown by arrows, hits the flat plate 1316A, changes the path, and advances in a direction orthogonal to the fins 1316B . That is, the cooling air is emitted around the fins 1316B. While the cooling air passes through the first radiator 1316, heat is taken from the first radiator 1316. The solid-state imaging element 1311 contacts the flat plate 1316A of the first heat sink 1316. Therefore, the heat generated by the solid-state imaging element 1311 is radiated into the outside air through the first heat sink 1316. Therefore, the solid-state imaging element 1311 is prevented from increasing in temperature.

The second heat sink 1336 provided on the FPGA 1331 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 3B. The FPGA 1331 is mounted on the substrate 1332. The FPGA 1331 and the substrate 1332 are electrically connected by the ball grid 1333. On the upper surface of the FPGA 1331, a second heat sink 1336 is mounted via a thermally conductive adhesive 1334. The second heat sink 1336 has a flat plate 1336A and a plurality of fins 1336B. As the shape of the heat sink 1336B, a thin plate shape, a needle shape, or the like is known, but here it is a needle shape.

A cover member 1338 is provided so as to cover the heat sink 1336B. The cover member 1338 has a cover portion 1338A and a duct portion 1338B. The cover portion 1338A is formed so as to cover the upper end of the heat sink 1336B. The lid-shaped portion 1338A has a shape of a box lid having a shape corresponding to the outer shape of the flat plate 1336A of the second radiator 1336. In this example, the FPGA 1331 is square, and the flat plate 1336A of the second heat sink 1336 is square. Therefore, the lid portion 1338A has the shape of a square box lid. The catheter portion 1338B has a shape of a curved tube having a circular cross section. The inlet of the duct portion 1338B is opened at the center of the lid portion 1338A.

The second air flow will be described. The duct part 1338B of the cover member 1338 is connected to the air exhaust pipe 164B. Therefore, the space below the cover member 1338 becomes a relatively low pressure. On the other hand, the pressure around the second radiator 1336 is relatively high. Therefore, the flow of air from the periphery of the second heat sink 1336, through the fins 1336B of the second heat sink 1336, and toward the cover member 1338 occurs. The FPGA 1331 contacts the flat plate 1336A of the second heat sink 1336. Therefore, the heat generated by the FPGA 1331 is dissipated into the airflow through the second heat sink 1336. Therefore, the increase in temperature of the FPGA 1331 is prevented.

The first example of the air cooling device 162 will be described with reference to FIG. 4A. As shown in the figure, a heat radiation pipe 1621 is provided on a part of the air supply pipe 164A. Both ends of the heat dissipation tube 1621 are embedded in the end of the air supply tube 164A. The air supply pipe 164A may be made of silicone. The heat dissipation tube 1621 is formed of a metal with high thermal conductivity such as iron or copper, but as long as it is a material with high thermal conductivity, it may be a material other than metal. The outer diameter of the heat pipe 1621 is slightly larger than the inner diameter of the air supply pipe 164A. The end of the air supply tube 164A is elastically deformed to cover both ends of the heat dissipation tube 1621. In this embodiment, even if the air cooling device 162 is provided, the airtight structure of the air supply pipe 164A is maintained.

The air cooling device 162 of this example includes a radiator 1623 attached to the outer surface of the heat dissipation tube 1621, and an air cooling fan 1625 provided further outside the radiator 1623. The heat sink 1623 is exposed to the external space, so it does not increase in temperature. In particular, the radiator 1623 is cooled by the air cooling fan 1625. Since the heat dissipation tube 1621 takes heat away from the heat sink 1623, the temperature of the heat dissipation tube 1621 is not increased, but is always kept low. The air moving inside the air supply tube 164A contacts the inner surface of the heat dissipation tube 1621 while passing through the heat dissipation tube 1621. By this, the air is cooled. In this example, the air cooling fan 1625 is provided, but the air cooling fan 1625 may be omitted.

A second example of the air cooling device 162 will be described with reference to FIG. 4B. As in the example of FIG. 4A, a heat radiation pipe 1621 is provided on a part of the air supply pipe 164A. The air cooling device 162 of this example has a Peltier element 1627. The Peltier element 1627 has a heat absorption part and a heat radiation part. The heat absorbing portion of the Peltier element 1627 is mounted on the outer surface of the heat dissipation tube 1621 to expose the heat dissipation portion of the Peltier element 1627 to the external space. The heat dissipation tube 1621 is deprived of heat by the Peltier element 1627. Therefore, the temperature of the heat dissipation tube 1621 is not increased, but is always kept low. The air moving inside the air supply tube 164A contacts the inner surface of the heat dissipation tube 1621 while passing through the heat dissipation tube 1621. By this, the air is cooled.

A third example of the air cooling device 162 will be described with reference to FIG. 4C. As in the example of FIG. 4A, a heat radiation pipe 1621 is provided on a part of the air supply pipe 164A. The air cooling device 162 of this example has a thin tube 1629. The thin tube 1629 extends in a meandering manner inside the heat dissipation tube 1621, and both ends of the thin tube 1629 are arranged outside the heat dissipation tube 1621. The refrigerant flows in the thin tube 1629. As the refrigerant, cold water can be used, but liquid nitrogen and liquid air can also be used. The air moving inside the air supply tube 164A contacts the outer surface of the thin tube 1629 while passing through the heat radiation tube 1621. By this, the air is cooled.

4A to 4C, the radiator 1623, the air cooling fan 1625, the Peltier element 1627, and the thin tube 1629 in which the refrigerant flows inside are described as examples of the air cooling device 162. These examples of the air cooling device 162 can be used in appropriate combination. For example, the example of FIG. 4A may be combined with the example of FIG. 4B or the example of FIG. 4C, or the example of FIG. 4B may be combined with the example of FIG. 4C.

The configuration of the control device 140 will be described with reference to FIG. 5. The control device 140 is called a camera control unit (CCU), and converts the camera signal (brightness data) from the camera device 130 into an image signal (frame data) and sends it to the display device 150. The control device 140 includes a control unit 141, an image processing unit 142, a memory unit 143, an input / output interface (I / F) 144, and an input device 145. The control unit 141 controls the entire endoscope photography device and each unit. The control unit 141 sequentially receives the image data transmitted from the camera 130 and sequentially stores them in the memory unit 143. The image processing unit 142 performs processing such as enlargement / reduction (magnification adjustment), noise removal, sharpening, and image conversion on the image data stored in the memory unit 143. Use digital zoom in the magnification adjustment of the frame data.

The memory unit 143 stores the operation program of the control unit 141, the operation program of the image processing unit 142, the image data received from the camera device 130, the frame data regenerated by the image processing unit 142, and the processed frame data Wait.

The miniaturization of the endoscopic imaging device of this example will be described. In the endoscopic photography device of this example, the components provided in the previous camera body are transferred to the control device 140 as much as possible, and the illumination device 120 is provided outside the imaging device 130. Furthermore, the cooling fan and the like are removed from the imaging device 130. Therefore, the weight of the imaging device 130 is reduced in structure. Furthermore, the material of the housing 131 of the camera body is made of light metals such as aluminum alloy, fiber reinforced plastics (FRP), carbon fiber, and other lightweight materials, thereby reducing the weight of the housing 131.

6A and 6B show the results of experiments conducted by the inventor of the present application. In this experiment, the temperature of the CMOS image sensor when the cooling air supply mechanism was not provided was measured. The cover member 1338 and the two ducts 166A and 166B are removed from the frame 131. The outside air temperature is 26 ° C. Turn on the power and start the measurement. As shown in FIG. 6A, the temperature became 90 ° C at 8 minutes and 13 seconds (493 seconds) from the start of the measurement. As shown in FIG. 6B, if 20 minutes have passed since the start of the measurement, the temperature exceeds 110 ° C.

7 shows the results of experiments conducted by the inventor of the present application. In this experiment, an endoscope photographing device provided with a cooling air supply mechanism according to the present invention was used. The sum of the power consumption of the FPGA and the power consumption of the FPGA power supply is about 11.5 W. The sum of the power consumption of the CMOS image sensor and the power consumption of the bias power supply is about 5.5 W. Furthermore, the power consumption of the optical module is about 2.5 W. As the air supply and exhaust device 160, a vacuum pump and a compressor combined pump are used. The pump's suction flow is about 32 L / M (maximum suction pressure = -80 kPa).

First, turn on the switch of the air pump, and secondly, turn on the power of the camera, and start the temperature measurement of the FPGA, the bias power, and the CMOS image sensor. The temperature of the outside air is 26 ° C. Turn off the camera switch 33 minutes after the start of the measurement. The curve of the uppermost dotted line in the three curves of FIG. 7 is the temperature of the FPGA, the curve of the dashed line on the lower side is the temperature of the bias power supply, and the curve of the lowermost solid line is the temperature of the CMOS image sensor .

The temperature of the FPGA after the start of measurement is about 52 ° C, the temperature of the bias power supply is 38 ° C, and the temperature of the CMOS image sensor is 32 ° C. That is, the temperature of the FPGA is higher than the temperature of the CMOS image sensor. The temperature of the FPGA 30 minutes after the start of the measurement was 63 ° C, the temperature of the bias power supply was 59 ° C, and the temperature of the CMOS image sensor was 48 ° C. The temperature of the FPGA is 37 ° C higher than the outside air temperature. However, at this temperature, the function of the FPGA will not be degraded.

Comparing the graphs of FIGS. 6A and 6B with the graph of FIG. 7, it can be seen that by providing the cooling air supply mechanism of this example, the temperature of the CMOS image sensor can be significantly reduced. Therefore, it can be said that by providing the cooling air supply mechanism of this example, not only the temperature of the CMOS image sensor but also the temperature of the FPGA and the bias power supply can be reduced.

As described above, according to the embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to provide an endoscope photography apparatus and an endoscope photography system including a cooling mechanism suitable for an 8K endoscope camera having an ultra-small sealed space and a large amount of heat generation. In addition, an endoscope photography device and an endoscope photography system having a cooling mechanism that does not include a rotation mechanism and a Peltier element can be provided.

The present embodiment has been described above, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and it is self-evident that various changes can be applied to the embodiment without departing from the gist of the present invention.

For example, the shape of the frame is not limited to the example of FIG. 1. The installation position of the FPGA in the frame is not limited to the example of FIG. 2. For example, if FPGAs can be arranged in a distributed manner, it is only necessary to arrange a cover member for each FPGA. Furthermore, the FPGA can also be arranged vertically on the bottom surface of the frame. In addition, the arrangement of the catheter can be changed as appropriate.
[Industry availability]

The invention can be used for endoscope cameras.

100‧‧‧Endoscopic photography device

110‧‧‧Endoscope

110A‧‧‧Front end

110B‧‧‧Inner end

111‧‧‧hard insertion part

112‧‧‧Connect

114‧‧‧Imaging lens

116‧‧‧Lens holder

120‧‧‧Lighting

121‧‧‧ Fiber

130‧‧‧Camera device

130A‧‧‧Bracket Department

131‧‧‧frame

140‧‧‧Control device

141‧‧‧Control Department

142‧‧‧Image Processing Department

143‧‧‧ Memory Department

144‧‧‧I / O

145‧‧‧ input device

150‧‧‧Display device

160‧‧‧Supply and exhaust device

160A‧‧‧Air supply device

160B‧‧‧Air exhaust device

162‧‧‧Air cooling device

164A‧‧‧Air supply pipe

164B‧‧‧Air exhaust pipe

166A, 166B‧‧‧Catheter

1311‧‧‧Solid image sensor

1312, 1332‧‧‧ substrate

1313, 1333‧‧‧ball grid

1314, 1334‧‧‧ thermally conductive adhesive

1315‧‧‧Anti-reflective glass

1316‧‧‧First radiator

1316A, 1336A‧‧‧ Tablet

1316B, 1336B ‧‧‧ heat sink

1331‧‧‧FPGA

1336‧‧‧Second radiator

1338‧‧‧covering member

1338A‧‧‧Cover

1338B‧Catheter Department

1621‧‧‧heat pipe

1623‧‧‧ radiator

1625‧‧‧air cooling fan

1627‧‧‧Peltier element

1629‧‧‧thin tube

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of an endoscope photography apparatus and an endoscope photography system of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the flow of cooling air in the endoscope photographing apparatus of the present invention. 3A is a diagram for explaining the cooling mechanism of the solid-state imaging element of the endoscope photographing device of the present invention. 3B is a diagram for explaining an example of the FPGA cooling mechanism of the endoscope photographing apparatus of the present invention. 4A is a diagram for explaining a first example of the air cooling device of the endoscopic imaging device of the present invention. 4B is a diagram for explaining a second example of the air cooling device of the endoscopic imaging device of the present invention. 4C is a diagram for explaining a third example of the air cooling device of the endoscopic imaging device of the present invention. 5 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of the control device of the endoscope photographing device of the present invention. 6A is a diagram for explaining the results of temperature measurement of the CMOS image sensor when the cooling air supply mechanism is not provided. 6B is a diagram for explaining the results of temperature measurement of the CMOS image sensor when the cooling air supply mechanism is not provided. 7 is a diagram for explaining the temperature measurement results of the FPGA, the bias power supply, and the CMOS image sensor when the cooling air supply mechanism is provided in the endoscope imaging apparatus of the present invention.

Claims (12)

An endoscope photography device, including: Endoscope; camera body, including a frame that forms a closed space; an air supply pipe and an air exhaust pipe connected to the frame; an air supply and exhaust device that forcibly supplies air into the frame through the air supply pipe And forcibly exhaust air from the casing through the air exhaust pipe; and an air cooling device that cools the air flowing in the air supply pipe; and the casing, the air supply pipe and all The air discharge pipe is connected to form a closed space, and the camera body has an 8K-level solid-state imaging element provided at the end of the frame, a first radiator provided on the solid-state imaging element, and an installation A field programmable gate array for signal processing in the frame, a second radiator arranged on the field programmable gate array, and a cover covering the second radiator and connected to the air exhaust pipe A member that generates a first airflow that cools the first radiator and a second airflow that cools the second radiator in the frame, the first airflow is supplied from the air supply pipe Cooling air is blown onto the first radiator, passing through the fins of the first radiator and radiating toward the periphery of the first radiator, the second airflow is free The second radiator is configured to pass through between the fins of the second radiator and flow into the air exhaust pipe via the cover member. The endoscope photography device as described in item 1 of the patent scope, wherein The solid-state imaging element includes a complementary metal oxide semiconductor image sensor with 7680 × 4320 pixels, and the power consumption of the field programmable gate array is greater than that of the solid-state imaging element. The endoscope photography device as described in item 1 of the patent scope, wherein The air cooling device has a heat dissipation tube provided on a part of the air supply tube and a heat radiator mounted on the outer surface of the heat dissipation tube. The endoscope photography device as described in item 1 of the patent scope, wherein The air cooling device has a heat dissipation tube provided on a part of the air supply tube and a Peltier element mounted on the outer surface of the heat dissipation tube. The endoscope photography device as described in item 1 of the patent scope, wherein The air cooling device includes a heat dissipation tube provided on a part of the air supply tube, a thin tube provided inside the heat dissipation tube, and a refrigerant flowing in the thin tube, and both ends of the thin tube are arranged The outside of the heat pipe. The endoscope photography device as described in item 1 of the patent scope, wherein A duct is provided in the frame, one end of the duct is connected to the air supply pipe, and the other end of the duct faces the first radiator. The endoscope photography device as described in item 1 of the patent scope, wherein The cover member has a cover portion and a duct portion, the shape of the cover portion corresponds to the outer shape of the second radiator, the duct portion is connected to the air exhaust pipe, and the duct portion is connected to the The central opening of the lid. The endoscope photography device as described in item 1 of the patent scope, wherein The air supply and exhaust device includes a pump device, which is a combined pump device that generates a vacuum pressure of -5 kPa to -20 kPa and a compressor that generates a pressure of +5 kPa to +20 kPa. The endoscope photography device as described in item 1 of the patent scope, wherein There is no rotating mechanism or Peltier element inside the frame. An endoscope photography system is an endoscope photography system including an endoscope, an 8K-level camera body including a frame forming a closed space, a control device, and a display device, wherein It further includes: an air supply pipe and an air discharge pipe connected to the frame; an air supply and exhaust device that supplies air into the frame through the air supply pipe and from the frame through the air discharge pipe The body discharges air; and an air cooling device that cools the air flowing in the air supply pipe; and the frame, the air supply pipe, and the air discharge pipe are connected in a manner to form a closed space, so The air supply and exhaust device includes a pump device, which is a pump device in the form of a combination of a vacuum pump that generates a vacuum pressure of -5 kPa to -20 kPa and a compressor that generates a pressure of +5 kPa to +20 kPa. The endoscope photography system as described in item 10 of the patent application scope, in which The camera body has a solid-state imaging element provided at the end of the frame, a first heat sink provided on the solid-state imaging element, a field programmable gate array for signal processing provided in the frame, A second radiator provided on the field programmable gate array, and a cover member covering the second radiator and connected to the air exhaust pipe are generated in the frame for the first radiator The cooled first airflow and the second airflow cooling the second radiator, the first airflow is blown onto the first radiator with the cooling air supplied from the air supply pipe, and passes through The radiating fins of the first radiator are configured to radiate toward the periphery of the first radiator, and the second airflow starts from the periphery of the second radiator and passes through the second radiator Between the fins of the device, it is configured to flow into the air discharge pipe via the cover member. The endoscope photography system as described in item 10 of the patent application scope, in which The solid-state imaging element includes a complementary metal oxide semiconductor image sensor with 7680 × 4320 pixels, and the power consumption of the field programmable gate array is greater than that of the solid-state imaging element.