Surgery – Endoscope – Having flexible tube structure
Reexamination Certificate
2002-06-28
2004-10-12
Flanagan, Beverly M. (Department: 3739)
Surgery
Endoscope
Having flexible tube structure
C600S152000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06802809
ABSTRACT:
This application claims the benefit of Japanese Application No. 2001-199234 filed on Jun. 29, 2001, the contents of which are incorporated by this reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention and Description of the Related Art
The present invention relates to an endoscope whose bending section is electrically bent using a motor.
In endoscopes whose insertion units are soft, the insertion unit is provided with a bending section so that the insertion unit can be inserted smoothly into a tortuous body cavity.
FIG. 1
shows an endoscope system
121
in accordance with a related art. The endoscope system
121
consists mainly of: an endoscope
122
in which an imaging device is incorporated; a light source apparatus
123
that supplies illumination light to the endoscope
122
; a video processor
124
that processes an image signal produced by the endoscope
122
; a color monitor
125
on which a view image is displayed according to a video signal transferred from the video processor
124
; a VTR deck
126
and a video disk
127
that are used to record view images; and a video printer
128
that prints view images.
The endoscope
122
includes an elongated soft insertion unit
129
, an operation unit
130
disposed at the rear end of the insertion unit
129
and held by an operator in order to operate the endoscope, and a universal cord
131
led out of the operation unit
130
. A light guide connector that is included in a connector
132
fixed to the terminal of the universal cord
131
is coupled to the light source apparatus
123
so that it can be decoupled freely.
Moreover, a connector
133
a
fixed to the terminal of a signal cable
133
spliced to an electric connector included in the connector
132
is coupled to the video processor
124
so that it can be decoupled freely.
The insertion unit
129
includes a distal part
134
in which an illumination optical system and an observation optical system are placed and which is formed with a hard member, a bending section
135
capable of freely bending vertically, and a pliable flexible (soft) part
136
having flexibility (being soft). An angling knob
137
formed on the operation unit
130
is manipulated in order to bend the bending section
135
.
Illumination light emanating from a lamp
138
included in the light source apparatus
123
travels through a condenser lens
139
and converges on the end surface of the light guide connector. The light is then propagated to the distal part
134
of the insertion unit
129
over a light guide that lies through the universal cord
131
and endoscope
122
alike, and irradiated to an object such as a lesion through an illumination window. A treatment appliance insertion port
140
is bored near the front end of the operation unit
130
.
In the endoscope
122
of the related art, the bending section
135
and the angling knob
137
formed on the operation unit
130
are connected to each other using a traction member realized with angling wires that are not shown. An operator turns the angling knob
137
to operate the endoscope
122
. The operation unit
130
must therefore be connected on a fixed basis to a hand-held unit
130
a
proximal to the insertion unit
129
. The operator must hold the hand-held unit
130
a
integrated with the operation unit
130
all the time.
Furthermore, the universal cord
131
is led out of the operation unit
130
. Over the universal cord
131
, the endoscope is connected to the video processor
124
and light source apparatus
123
that are disposed outside the endoscope. Incidentally, an operator may change the way of holding the hand-held unit
130
a
so as to manipulate the angling knob
137
or press various switches, or may advance, withdraw, or twist the operation unit
130
so as to thrust, pull, or twist the insertion unit
129
. In this case, the universal cord
131
led out of the operation unit
130
is moved or twisted accordingly. This obstructs an operator.
Moreover, fragile built-in components including an image transmission cable and a light guide are run through the universal cord
131
. In order to protect the built-in components, the armor of the universal cord
131
must be formed with a member that is as thick as the insertion unit
129
. When the operation unit
130
is twisted, the universal cord
131
must also be twisted as mentioned above. An operator must therefore apply a large torsion as a whole.
As mentioned above, in the endoscope of the related art, the insertion unit and operation unit are integrated with each other. The universal cord over which the endoscope is connected to the light source apparatus or video processor and which protects a plurality of built-in components is fixed to the operation unit. When the operation unit is moved in order to manipulate the insertion unit, the universal cord is moved accordingly to obstruct an operator. This poses a problem.
Furthermore, there is a motor-driven endoscope in which a traction member coupled to a bending section is pulled using a motor and the bending section is thus bent. Herein, the traction member is passed through a universal cord, and then pulled by actuating the motor. When the universal cord is twisted, the friction of the traction member increases. Namely, in order to bend the bending section, a large load must be cleared. This is a drawback of the motor-driven endoscope.
In addition, for example, Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Application Publication No. 1-159801 has disclosed a columnar control apparatus for endoscopes. Moreover, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2000-217827 has disclosed an apparatus having a power supply driving battery made movable along side rails on an operating table.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an endoscope with excellent maneuverability whose insertion unit can be inserted easily.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an endoscope with excellent maneuverability that permits easy endoscopic examination.
According to the present invention, an endoscope consists mainly of:
a main body including an insertion unit that has a bending mechanism and that includes a bending section capable of bending freely, and a proximal unit disposed proximally to the insertion unit;
an objective optical system mounted in an imaging window formed in a distal part of the insertion unit, and a solid-state imaging device disposed at the position of the image plane of the objective optical system;
an actuator included in the proximal unit and used to operate the bending mechanism so as to bend the bending section;
a light source unit that is included in the proximal unit and that generates illumination light with which an object to be imaged by the solid-state imaging device is illuminated an object;
a communication device that is included in the proximal unit and that transmits an image signal produced by the solid-state imaging device to an external signal processing unit by radio; and
an operation unit formed separately from the main body and used to operate the actuator.
In order to insert the insertion unit or in order to angle the insertion unit for insertion by handling the operation unit, the endoscope is connected to a light source apparatus or a video processor over a universal cord. However, the above configuration obviates the necessity of the universal cord and facilitates inserting work.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5609560 (1997-03-01), Ichikawa et al.
patent: 6468203 (2002-10-01), Belson
patent: 6602185 (2003-08-01), Uchikubo
patent: 6612981 (2003-09-01), Onishi et al.
patent: 2002/0198439 (2002-12-01), Mizuno
patent: 56-5629 (1981-01-01), None
patent: 57-57521 (1982-04-01), None
patent: 63-182701 (1988-11-01), None
patent: 1-175828 (1989-07-01), None
patent: 2-126603 (1990-10-01), None
patent: 7-184844 (1995-07-01), None
patent: 8-206162 (1996-08-01), None
patent: 2000-217827 (2000-08-01), None
Flanagan Beverly M.
Olympus Corporation
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