This application is a continuation application of PCT/JP2014/058421 filed on Mar. 26, 2014 and claims benefit of Japanese Application No. 2013-084303 filed in Japan on Apr. 12, 2013, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by this reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic endoscope in which an image pickup apparatus is provided in a distal end portion of an insertion portion.
2. Description of the Related Art
Some conventional electronic endoscopes include an image pickup apparatus that forms an observation image of an object for which light was collected by an objective optical system provided in a distal end portion of an insertion portion to thereby pick up an image of the object.
As disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2006-55531, in the aforementioned conventional electronic endoscope, a signal cable bundle as an image pickup cable that transmits electrical power and driving signals to the image pickup apparatus is arranged from an insertion portion to an endoscope connector that is connected to an external device such as a video processor through the main body and a composite cable or the like.
A plurality of signal system cables and electrical power system cables provided in the aforementioned conventional electronic endoscope are formed into a single signal cable bundle in which a metal shield layer is provided as a measure for ensuring electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), and the single signal cable bundle is arranged as far as the image pickup apparatus. That is, the plurality of signal system cables and electrical power system cables are bundled together and arranged in the electronic endoscope as a single signal cable bundle that is integrally covered by the metal shield layer.
An electronic endoscope according to one aspect of the present invention includes: an insertion portion in which, in order from a distal end thereof, a distal end portion in which an image pickup unit is contained and a metal cylindrical member are connected and made electrically conductive with each other; a plurality of small signal cables that extend from the image pickup unit and are inserted through and disposed in an inner space formed in the insertion portion; an operation portion that is connected to the insertion portion and that includes therein a metal frame that is electrically conductive with the metal cylindrical member; an endoscope cable having a first end portion that is connected to the operation portion; and an endoscope connector that is provided at a second end portion of the endoscope cable and that is to be connected to an external device; wherein the plurality of small signal cables are covered by a metal sheath that is electrically connected to the metal frame and thereby brought together to form a single signal cable bundle and are arranged as the single signal cable bundle inside the endoscope cable as far as the operation portion, the metal sheath is arranged inside the operation portion in a state in which the metal sheath is stripped off inside the operation portion, and the plurality of small signal cables protruding from the metal sheath which is stripped off are arranged in a slackened state inside the operation portion.
According to the present invention that is described above, an electronic endoscope can be provided that ensures electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) and in which a plurality of cables are efficiently arranged so as not to buckle inside a bending portion.
An embodiment of the present invention is described hereunder with reference to the drawings.
Note that, in the following description, drawings based on the embodiment are schematic ones in which the relationship between the thickness and width of each portion, the thickness ratios between the respective portions and the like are different from those of actual portions, and the drawings may include portions in which the dimensional relationships and ratios are different from those in other drawings.
The drawings relate to the present invention.
As shown in
The insertion portion 2 is a flexible tube-shaped member formed by connecting a distal end portion 6, a bending portion 7 and a flexible tube portion 8 in that order from the distal end side. Of these members, an image pickup unit that is an image pickup apparatus, described later, that contains image pickup means, and illumination means or the like are housed and disposed in the distal end portion 6.
The bending portion 7 is a mechanism region configured to be actively bendable in the two directions of up and down (UP-DOWN) by a rotational operation of a bending lever 13, described later, among operation members of the operation portion 3.
Note that the bending portion 7 is not limited to the aforementioned type, and may be of a type that is bendable in four directions that include the left/right directions in addition to the up/down directions (capable of bending in all circumferential directions, up-down/left-right, around the axis by vertical and horizontal operations).
The flexible tube portion 8 is a tube-shaped member formed with flexibility so as to be passively flexible. In addition to a treatment instrument insertion channel that is described later, various signal wires that are described later that extend from the image pickup apparatus contained in the distal end portion 6 and run from the operation portion 3 to the inside of the universal cord 4, and a light guide that is described later that guides an illuminating light from a light source apparatus and causes the illuminating light to exit from the distal end portion 6 and the like are inserted through the inside of the flexible tube portion 8 (in this case, these members are not illustrated in the drawings).
The operation portion 3 is constituted by: a bend preventing portion 9 that is provided on the distal end side to cover a proximal end of the flexible tube portion 8 and is connected to the flexible tube portion 8; a grasping portion 10 that is connected to the bend preventing portion 9 and which a user manually grasps when using the endoscope 1; operation means for operating various endoscope functions that are provided on an external surface of the grasping portion 10; a treatment instrument insertion portion 11; and a suction valve 15 or the like.
Examples of the operation means provided in the operation portion 3 include the bending lever 13 for performing bending operations of the bending portion 7, and a plurality of operation members 14 for performing air/water feeding operations, suction operations or each operation corresponding to the image pickup means, the illumination means or the like.
The treatment instrument insertion portion 11 includes a treatment instrument insertion port for inserting various kinds of treatment instruments (not shown) and is a component that communicates with a treatment instrument insertion channel through a branching member inside the operation portion 3. A forceps plug 12 that is a cap member for opening/closing the treatment instrument insertion port is arranged in the treatment instrument insertion portion 11. The forceps plug 12 is configured to be detachable (replaceable) with respect to the treatment instrument insertion portion 11.
The universal cord 4 is a composite cable which is inserted through the inside of the insertion portion 2 from the distal end portion 6 of the insertion portion 2 to the operation portion 3, and inside which various signal wires and the like that extend from the operation portion 3 are inserted, and through which are also inserted a light guide of a light source apparatus (not shown) and an air/water feeding tube that extends from an air/water feeding apparatus (not shown).
The endoscope connector 5 includes, on a side face portion, an electrical connector portion 16 to which is connected a signal cable that connects the endoscope 1 with a video processor (not shown) that is an external device, and also includes a light source connector portion 17 to which are connected a light guide bundle, described later, and an electrical cable (not shown) that connect the endoscope 1 with a light source apparatus that is an external device, and an air/water feeding plug 18 that connects the air/water feeding tube (not shown) from the air/water feeding apparatus (not shown) that is an external device.
The configuration of the insertion portion 2 of the endoscope 1 of the present embodiment will now be described based on
As shown in
An image pickup unit 30 that is an image pickup apparatus and illumination means 40 (see
The image pickup unit 30 that is shown in
A plurality of which in this case is three, small signal cables 31, 32 and 33 extend from the proximal end portion of the image pickup unit 30. Note that, since the configuration of the image pickup unit 30 of the present embodiment is similar to the known conventional configuration, a detailed description of the remaining configuration thereof is omitted here.
The three small signal cables 31, 32 and 33 that extend from the image pickup unit 30 are inserted through and disposed inside the insertion portion 2 as described later, and are extended as far as the endoscope connector 5 via the operation portion 3 and the universal cord 4 shown in
The illumination means 40 that is shown in
Note that the plurality of light guides 44 are inserted through and disposed inside the insertion portion 2 as a light guide bundle 45 in which the light guides 44 are covered by the outer covering 43, and are extended as far as the endoscope connector 5 via the operation portion 3 and the universal cord 4 shown in
The treatment instrument channel 48 shown in
In the bending portion 7 of the insertion portion 2, a plurality of bending pieces 51 that are made of metal are rotatably connected by pivoted portions 52 such as rivets, and a bending rubber 53 covers over the outer circumference thereof so as to cover the plurality of bending pieces 51.
The bending piece 51 on the distalmost end side is fitted onto the proximal end portion of the distal end rigid portion 20 of the distal end portion 6 and connected to the distal end rigid portion 20 so as to be electrically conductive therewith.
Note that the aforementioned exterior tube 22 of the distal end portion 6 is arranged so as to cover the bending piece 51 on the distalmost end side, and is fixed by providing an adhesive 23 between the inner circumferential portion of the exterior tube 22 and the outer circumferential portion of the bending piece 51.
A distal end portion of the bending rubber 53 is fixed by means of a bobbin adhesive portion 54 so as to maintain watertightness with an outer circumferential portion of the bending piece 51 on the distalmost end side. A proximal end portion of the bending rubber 53 is fixed by means of a bobbin adhesive portion 56 so as to maintain watertightness with an outer circumferential portion of a connecting tube 55 that is made of metal and that connects the bending piece 51 on the most proximal end side and the flexible tube portion 8.
In this case, the bending portion 7 is configured to be subjected to a bending operation in two directions, namely the upward and downward directions, of an observation image that the image pickup unit 30 picks up, in response to pulling/slackening of two bending operation wires 57 which are connected to the bending piece 51 on the distalmost end side as a result of the plurality of bending pieces 51 in which the two bending operation wires 57 are inserted and held being rotated in a manner that utilizes the pivoted portions 52 as spindles.
The two bending operation wires 57 are inserted through the inside of a coil sheath 58, shown in
As shown in
The distal end portion of the flexible tube portion 8 is connected to the bending piece 51 on the most proximal end side through the above-described connecting tube 55 that is made of metal. At such time, the metal braid 63 and the connecting tube 55 are connected so as to be electrically conductive with each other.
Note that, because the bending piece 51 on the most proximal end side and the connecting tube 55 are also connected so as to be electrically conductive with each other, the metal braid 63 of the flexible tube portion 8 is electrically conductive with the bending piece 51 on the most proximal end side.
As described above, the distal end portion of the flexible tube portion 8 is fixed to the proximal end portion of the bending rubber 53 by means of a bobbin adhesive portion 56 in a manner such that watertightness is maintained with an outer circumferential portion of the connecting tube 55 that is made of metal and that connects the bending piece 51 on the most proximal end side and the flexible tube portion 8.
In this connection form, the distal end portion of the flexible tube portion 8 is trimmed in the circumferential direction for a predetermined length L1 so that the outer-layer resin 61 has a step (see
In a conventional connection form, the outer-layer resin 61 is trimmed and a metal pipe made of stainless steel or the like is covered over the circumference at that position to connect the distal end portion of the flexible tube portion 8 and the proximal end portion of the bending portion 7. However, if the conventional connection form that uses a metal pipe is adopted, in some cases water will leak from a boundary portion between the metal pipe and the outer-layer resin 61. Therefore, to improve on the conventional connection form and ensure that watertightness can be maintained, according to the present embodiment the connection form of the distal end portion of the flexible tube portion 8 and the proximal end portion of the bending portion 7 is a configuration in which the adhesive portion of the bobbin adhesive portion 56 is extended instead of using a metal pipe.
Note that, with this configuration, the wall thickness of the outer-layer resin 61 of the flexible tube portion 8 may be thickened so that adequate watertightness can be maintained even if the outer-layer resin 61 is trimmed in the circumferential direction for the predetermined length L1. Further, because a connecting metal pipe is not used, in addition to thickening the wall of the outer-layer resin 61, it is preferable to increase the hardness of the resin to secure adequate strength.
In addition, although there is a concern that the diameter of the connection portion may be increased as a result of increasing the diameter of the outer-layer resin 61, an increase in the diameter of the connection portion can be prevented by trimming the outer-layer resin 61 and thereafter fixedly forming the adhesive of the bobbin adhesive portion 56 so as to realize the same external diameter as the external diameter of the bending portion 7.
As shown in
Note that, as shown in
Further, the proximal end side of the heat-shrinkable tube 64 covers the aforementioned structure so that the connecting tube portion 66 of the rear pipe sleeve 67 that is made of metal is interposed therebetween. A rectangular claw portion 68 (see
That is, even if a large clearance arises between the inner diameter of the connecting tube portion 66 of the rear pipe sleeve 67 and the external diameter of the metal braid 63, the claw portion 68 definitely comes in contact with the outer circumferential portion of the metal braid 63, and thus electrical conductivity can be ensured between the metal braid 63 and the rear pipe sleeve 67 via the connecting tube portion 66.
Thus, since the metal braid 63 of the flexible tube portion 8 contacts the inner circumferential portion of the rear pipe sleeve 67, and the claw portion 68 of the connecting tube portion 66 contacts the outer circumferential portion thereof, the configuration is one in which electrical conductivity is reliably achieved between the metal braid 63 and the rear pipe sleeve 67 through the connecting tube portion 66.
Thus, the proximal end portion of the flexible tube portion 8 is fixed in a state in which electrical conductivity is achieved between the metal braid 63 and the rear pipe sleeve 67.
Note that the claw portion 68 of the connecting tube portion 66 of the rear pipe sleeve 67 is not limited to a rectangular shape, and a configuration may also be adopted in which one part of the connecting tube portion 66 is notched in a U-shape to form the claw portion 68 in an arc shape as shown in
Further, as shown in
As described above, in the insertion portion 2, the distal end rigid portion 20 of the distal end portion 6, the plurality of bending pieces 51 inside the bending portion 7, and the metal braid 63 of the flexible tube portion 8 are electrically conductive with each other, and the metal braid 63 is electrically conductive with the rear pipe sleeve 67 that is provided in the operation portion 3.
Further, similarly to the known configuration, the rear pipe sleeve 67 is made electrically conductive with a metal frame portion 27 (see
Note that the metal shield of the universal cord 4 is electrically connected to a ground of an external device through the endoscope connector 5.
Accordingly, the endoscope 1 of the present embodiment is configured so that the insertion portion 2 is in a state in which an inner space thereof is electromagnetically shielded by the plurality of cylindrical bending pieces 51 and the cylindrical metal braid 63 from the distal end portion 6 that is a metal block body, and is connected to a ground that is an external device through the operation portion 3 and the universal cord 4.
That is, the endoscope 1 has a configuration in which an inner space is electromagnetically shielded by a plurality of metal cylindrical members from the insertion portion 2 on the distal end side to the endoscope connector 5 that is provided at the proximal end of the universal cord 4.
Next, the configuration of the three small signal cables 31, 32 and 33 that extend from the image pickup unit 30 in the endoscope 1 of the present embodiment as well as the respective arrangement relations between the three small signal cables 31, 32 and 33 and the treatment instrument channel 48 and the light guide bundle 45 will be described hereunder.
First, as shown in
The electric cable bundle 25 is in a state in which a metal shield that bundles together and covers the three small signal cables 31, 32 and 33 is covered by an outer covering sheath (not shown) that is provided on an inner face side, and is stripped off inside the operation portion 3 or the universal cord 4. Further, the small signal cables 31, 32 and 33 including the outer covering sheath (not shown) are covered by the metal sheath 26 that is an ultrathin tube made of metal from the endoscope connector 5, and the end portion of the metal sheath 26 is connected to the metal frame 27 inside the operation portion 3 by a screw 28 so as to be electrically conductive therewith. That is, the electric cable bundle 25 in which the small signal cables 31, 32 and 33 including the outer covering sheath (not shown) are brought together as a single bundle is formed as a result of covering the small signal cables 31, 32 and 33 including the outer covering sheath with the metal sheath 26 from the endoscope connector 5 to the operation portion 3.
The small signal cables 31, 32 and 33 that protrude from the metal sheath 26 are disposed in a slackened state inside the operation portion 3. That is, by slackening the three small signal cables 31, 32 and 33 inside the operation portion 3, the insertion portion 2 is flexible and advancing and retracting movement amounts that arise as the result of bending operations are absorbed and an excessive load does not arise and thus breakage of the three small signal cables 31, 32 and 33 or the like can be prevented.
Note that among the three small signal cables 31, 32 and 33 of the present embodiment, the first small signal cable 31 is a cable for sending and receiving vertical driving signals to the solid image pickup device 36 provided in the image pickup unit 30, the second small signal cable 32 is a cable for sending and receiving horizontal driving signals to the solid image pickup device 36, and the third small signal cable 31 is an electrical power system cable for driving the solid image pickup device 36.
Further, as shown in
At such time, the three small signal cables 31, 32 and 33 are arranged in parallel along the upward-downward directions that are the U-D (up-down) directions in which the bending portion 7 bends as indicated by the vertical direction in the drawing, and are disposed in the order of, from the upper side, the first small signal cable 31, the second small signal cable 32 and the third small signal cable 33. That is, among the three small signal cables 31, 32 and 33, the second small signal cable 32 that has the largest diameter is positioned at the center in the vertical direction.
Further, when it is assumed that an orthogonal coordinate system is divided in the vertical and horizontal directions into four quadrants Q1, Q2, Q3 and Q4 by the X-axis and Y-axis in a manner that takes the center of distal end portion 6 that is a center O of the insertion portion 2 as an origin, within the distal end portion 6, a center O1 of the treatment instrument channel 48 having the largest diameter is positioned inside the quadrant Q3 that is a third quadrant in terms of the orthogonal coordinate system, a center O2 of the first small signal cable 31 and a center O3 of the second small signal cable 32 are positioned inside the quadrant Q1 that is a first quadrant in terms of the orthogonal coordinate system, a center O4 of the third signal cable 33 is positioned inside the quadrant Q4 that is a fourth quadrant in terms of the orthogonal coordinate system, and a center O5 of the light guide bundle 45 is positioned inside the quadrant Q2 that is a second quadrant in terms of the orthogonal coordinate system, respectively.
Furthermore, as shown in
In addition, within the bending portion 7 also, the three small signal cables 31, 32 and 33 are, as described above, arranged in parallel along the U-D directions in which the bending portion 7 bends, and are arranged in the order of the first small signal cable 31, the second small signal cable 32 and the third small signal cable 33 from the “up” side. That is, inside the bending portion 7 also, among the three small signal cables 31, 32 and 33, the second small signal cable 32 that has the largest diameter is arranged so as to be at the center in the vertical direction.
Further, inside the bending portion 7, among two regions that are divided by a line R that links the two bending operation wires 57 for performing operations to bend the bending portion 7, the center O1 of the treatment instrument channel 48 is disposed in one of the regions, and the center O2 of the first small signal cable 31, the center O3 of the second small signal cable 32, the center O4 of the third signal cable 33 and the center O5 of the light guide bundle 45 are disposed in the other region.
That is, the endoscope 1 of the present embodiment is configured so that, inside the bending portion 7 of the insertion portion 2, the treatment instrument channel 48 or the light guide bundle 45 that are other built-in elements are not arranged in the upward-downward bending direction of the bending portion 7 with respect to the first small signal cable 31, the second small signal cable 32 and the third signal cable 33.
Thus, in the endoscope 1, in particular, in an orthogonal coordinate system that takes as an origin the center of the bending portion 7 (center O of the insertion portion 2) that bends upward or downward (in the U-D directions) in response to operations that pull or slacken the two bending operation wires 57, the center O2 of the first small signal cable 31, the center O3 of the second small signal cable 32, the center O4 of the third signal cable, or the center O5 of the light guide bundle 45 is disposed in a quadrant (here, the first quadrant Q1 or the fourth quadrant Q4 in terms of the orthogonal coordinate system) obtained by dividing the orthogonal coordinate system along the Y-axis that joins the upward and downward directions that are different quadrants to a quadrant in which the center O1 of the treatment instrument channel 48 is disposed (third quadrant Q3 in terms of the orthogonal coordinate system).
By this means, in the endoscope 1 of the present embodiment, when the bending portion 7 is subjected to a bending operation in the upward or downward direction, in particular, since the first small signal cable 31, the second small signal cable 32 and the third signal cable 33 do not buckle due to being squashed by the treatment instrument channel 48 or the light guide bundle 45, breakage of the three small signal cables 31, 32 and 33 is prevented.
Note that the light guide bundle 45 in which a plurality of fibers are bundled together is disposed above the treatment instrument channel 48 inside the bending portion 7. Consequently, when an operation is performed to bend the bending portion 7 in the upward or downward direction, even if the treatment instrument channel 48 contacts and crushes several fibers among the plurality of fibers and the several fibers break, a problem does not arise since the required illuminating light is obtained.
In addition, with respect to the endoscope 1, if a configuration is adopted in which the plurality of, in this case, three, small signal cables 31, 32 and 33 are separated and not bundled together to form a single cable and are inserted through and disposed inside the insertion portion 2, the diameter of the insertion portion 2 can be reduced since the small signal cables 31, 32 and 33 can be effectively disposed in empty space inside the insertion portion 2.
Furthermore, since the inner space of the insertion portion 2 is approximately circular, reducing the diameter of the insertion portion 2 is facilitated by efficiently disposing the three small signal cables 31, 32 and 33 in the empty space so that the second small signal cable 32 that has the largest diameter is in the center.
Note that, as described above, in the endoscope 1, since the three small signal cables 31, 32 and 33 from which the metal sheath 26 was stripped off from the single electric cable bundle 25 within the operation portion 3 are inserted through and disposed in the insertion portion 2 whose inner space is electromagnetically shielded by the plurality of ring-shaped bending pieces 51 and the cylindrical-shaped metal braid 63 from the distal end portion 6 that is a metal block body, the endoscope 1 has a configuration in which electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) is ensured.
(First Modification)
Next, as a first modification, a configuration of the endoscope 1 is described hereunder in which the three small signal cables 31, 32 and 33, the treatment instrument channel 48 and the light guide bundle 45 are disposed inside the insertion portion 2 in a different manner to the above described configuration.
In this case also, as shown in
As shown in
Further, as shown in
In addition, in this case as well, within the bending portion 7 also, the three small signal cables 31, 32 and 33 are arranged in parallel along the up-down (U-D) directions in which the bending portion 7 bends, and are arranged in the order, from the upper side, of the first small signal cable 31, the second small signal cable 32 and the third small signal cable 33. Note that, in this case also, among the three small signal cables 31, 32 and 33, the second small signal cable 32 that has the largest diameter is arranged so as to be at the center in the vertical direction.
Further, inside the bending portion 7, among two regions that are divided by a line R that links the two bending operation wires 57 for performing operations to bend the bending portion 7, the center O1 of the treatment instrument channel 48 is disposed in one of the regions, and the center O2 of the first small signal cable 31, the center O3 of the second small signal cable 32, the center 04 of the third signal cable 33 and the center O5 of the light guide bundle 45 are disposed in the other region.
That is, the endoscope 1 of the present modification is configured so that, inside the bending portion 7 of the insertion portion 2, the treatment instrument channel 48 that is another built-in element is not arranged in the upward-downward bending directions of the bending portion 7 with respect to the first small signal cable 31, the second small signal cable 32 and the third signal cable 33.
Thus, in the endoscope 1, in particular, in an orthogonal coordinate system that takes the center of the bending portion 7 of the insertion portion 2 as an origin, the center O2 of the first small signal cable 31, the center O3 of the second small signal cable 32, the center O4 of the third signal cable 33 or the center O5 of the light guide bundle 45 is disposed in a quadrant (here, the third quadrant Q3 or the second quadrant Q2 in terms of the orthogonal coordinate system) obtained by dividing the orthogonal coordinate system along the Y-axis that joins the upward and downward directions that are different quadrants to a quadrant in which the center O1 of the treatment instrument channel 48 is disposed (fourth quadrant Q4 in terms of the orthogonal coordinate system).
Thus, the present modification has a configuration in which the same operations and/or effects as described above are obtained, and in which the three small signal cables 31, 32 and 33 are disposed in a state in which electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) is ensured and breakage of the three small signal cables 31, 32 and 33 when operations are performed to bend the bending portion 7 in the upward and downward directions is prevented, and in which the diameter of the insertion portion 2 can be reduced.
(Second Modification)
Next, as a second modification, a configuration of the endoscope 1 is described hereunder in which two light guide bundles are provided that is different from the above described configuration, that is a configuration in which the three small signal cables 31, 32 and 33, the treatment instrument channel 48 and two light guide bundles 45a and 45b are disposed inside the insertion portion 2.
As shown in
The three small signal cables 31, 32 and 33 are disposed inside the distal end portion 6 so that the center O1 of the treatment instrument channel 48 that has the largest diameter is positioned inside a quadrant Q1 that is a first quadrant in terms of the orthogonal coordinate system, the center O2 of the first small signal cable 31 and a center O5 of the first light guide bundle 45a are positioned inside a quadrant Q2 that is a second quadrant in terms of the orthogonal coordinate system, and the center O3 of the second small signal cable 32, the center O4 of the third signal cable 33 and a center O6 of the second light guide bundle 45b are positioned inside a quadrant Q3 that is a third quadrant in terms of the orthogonal coordinate system, respectively.
In addition, in this case as well, within the bending portion 7 also, the three small signal cables 31, 32 and 33 are arranged in parallel along the U-D directions in which the bending portion 7 bends, and are arranged in the order of, from the “up” side, the first small signal cable 31, the second small signal cable 32 and the third small signal cable 33. Note that, in this case also, the second small signal cable 32 that has the largest diameter is arranged so as to be at the center.
Further, in this configuration also, inside the bending portion 7, among two regions that are divided by a line R that links the two bending operation wires 57 for performing operations to bend the bending portion 7, the center O1 of the treatment instrument channel 48 is disposed in one of the regions, and the center O2 of the first small signal cable 31, the center O3 of the second small signal cable 32, the center O4 of the third signal cable 33, the center O5 of the first light guide bundle 45a and the center O6 of the second light guide bundle 45b are disposed in the other region.
That is, the endoscope 1 of the present modification is configured so that, inside the bending portion 7 of the insertion portion 2, the treatment instrument channel 48 that is another built-in element is not arranged in the upward-downward bending directions of the bending portion 7 with respect to the first small signal cable 31, the second small signal cable 32 and the third small signal cable 33.
Thus, in the endoscope 1 of the present modification, in particular, inside the bending portion 7 of the insertion portion 2 that bends upward or downward in response to an operation that pulls or slackens the two bending operation wires 57, with respect to an orthogonal coordinate system that takes the center of the bending portion 7 (center O of the insertion portion 2) as an origin, the center O2 of the first small signal cable 31, the center O3 of the second small signal cable 32, the center O4 of the third signal cable 33, the center 05 of the first light guide bundle 45a or the center O6 of the second light guide bundle 45b is disposed in a quadrant (here, the third quadrant Q3 or the second quadrant Q2 in terms of the orthogonal coordinate system) obtained by dividing the orthogonal coordinate system along the Y-axis that joins the upward and downward directions and that are different quadrants to a quadrant in which the center O1 of the treatment instrument channel 48 is disposed (first quadrant Q1 in terms of the orthogonal coordinate system).
Thus, the endoscope 1 of the present modification also has a configuration in which the same operations and/or effects as described above are obtained, and in which the three small signal cables 31, 32 and 33 are disposed in a state in which electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) is ensured and breakage of the three small signal cables 31, 32 and 33 when operations are performed to bend the bending portion 7 in the upward and downward directions is prevented, and in which the diameter of the insertion portion 2 can be reduced.
As described in the foregoing, in the endoscope 1 of the present embodiment, in particular, inside the bending portion 7 of the insertion portion 2, with respect to the quadrants of the orthogonal coordinate system that takes the center of the bending portion 7 (center O of the insertion portion 2) as an origin, by arranging at least the three small signal cables 31, 32 and 33 in a separated manner in quadrants obtained by dividing the orthogonal coordinate system along the Y-axis that joins the upward and downward directions and that are different quadrants to a quadrant in which the center O1 of the treatment instrument channel 48 that has the largest diameter among the built-in elements in the upward-downward bending directions of the bending portion 7 is disposed, breakage of the three small signal cables 31, 32 and 33 can be prevented and the diameter of the insertion portion 2 can be reduced.
Furthermore, with respect to the quadrants of the orthogonal coordinate system that takes the center of the bending portion 7 (center O of the insertion portion 2) as an origin, besides the treatment instrument channel 48, it is preferable that the three small signal cables 31, 32 and 33 are disposed in quadrants obtained by dividing the orthogonal coordinate system along the Y-axis that joins the upward and downward directions and that are different quadrants to a quadrant in which the center O5 of the light guide bundle 45a and the center O6 of the light guide bundle 45b that are other built-in elements are disposed.
(Third Modification)
Note that, as shown in
That is, unlike the respective configurations described above, the bending portion 7 in this case has a configuration in which the pivoted portions 52 are not provided, and the bending tube 59 that is formed so that a plurality of metal cylindrical members are connected in the longitudinal axis direction by the plurality of slits 59a is contained therein.
According to the endoscope 1 of the present modification, since the arrangement of the three small signal cables 31, 32 and 33, the treatment instrument channel 48 and the light guide bundle 45 that are arranged inside the insertion portion 2 is substantially the same as the arrangement configuration of the first embodiment, a detailed description thereof is omitted here.
(First Reference Example)
A reference example relating to the configuration of the distal end portion 6 is described hereunder. Note that
As shown in
As shown in
The predetermined angle β of the tapered face 74 is set to an angle that is equal to or greater than an angle that is a half (½ α) of the predetermined angle of view α (β≧½ α). By adopting this configuration, the protrusion portion 75 does not enter the field of view of the endoscope 1, and furthermore, as shown in
(Second Reference Example)
Next, a reference example relating to the connection of cylindrical members arranged in the insertion portion 2 and the like is described hereunder. Note that
As shown in
In a case where the two cylindrical members 81 and 82 are components constituting the bending portion 7 of the insertion portion 2, the strength in the bending directions can be secured by forming these two fitting portions 83 in conformity with the up-down directions in which the bending portion 7 bends.
Thus, in comparison to a configuration in which the entire circumference of an end portion of the second cylindrical member 82 that is the side to fit into is insertedly fitted into the first cylindrical member 81 that is the side to be fitted into, as in the case of the conventional configuration, by adopting a configuration in which the two fitting portions 83 are formed on the second cylindrical member 82 that is the side to fit into, and insertedly fitting only the two fitting portions 83 into the first cylindrical member 81 that is the side to be fitted into, there is the advantage that space can be secured in the internal space of the fitting portions of these two cylindrical members 81 and 82.
Note that, as shown in
In addition, as shown in
The invention described in the foregoing embodiment is not limited to the embodiment and modifications described above, and various modifications can be implemented within a range that does not deviate from the spirit of the present invention in the implementing stage. Further, the above described embodiment includes inventions of various stages, and various inventions can be extracted by appropriately combining a plurality of the disclosed configuration requirements.
For example, if the problem to be solved by the invention can be solved and the described effects of the invention are obtained even after omitting some of the configuration requirements from the entire configuration requirements disclosed according to the embodiment, then the configuration obtained by omitting the relevant configuration requirements can be extracted as an invention.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2013-084303 | Apr 2013 | JP | national |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | PCT/JP2014/058421 | Mar 2014 | US |
Child | 14705187 | US |