JPS59129050A - Endoscope - Google Patents

Abstract

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

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] The present invention relates to an endoscope with a built-in solid-state image sensor.

Recently, endoscopes have been developed in which a solid-state image sensor is disposed inside the distal end component of the endoscope body, and an observation light image is captured by the solid-state image sensor and electrically transmitted. In addition, a waterproof structure has been developed for the endoscope body.
By immersing the endoscope body in a chemical solution or water, the endoscope can be disinfected, sterilized, or cleaned. However, even if the endoscope body has a waterproof structure, if the endoscope body is immersed in a chemical solution, the endoscope body may be damaged by the polyurethane resin of the flexible tube, the curved rubber, the universal cord, etc. There was a problem with steam entering the endoscope and increasing the humidity inside the endoscope body.

If the inside of the endoscope becomes humid like this, the imaging function of the solid-state image sensor installed inside the endoscope will be impaired, and there is a risk that the image of the area to be observed will not be captured properly. However, there have been problems in that the operability of the endoscope is reduced and the safety of operating the endoscope is also reduced.

The invention was made based on the above circumstances, and its purpose is to reliably protect the solid-state image sensor from vapor and chemical components that enter the main body of the endoscope 1, and to improve the imaging function of the solid-state image sensor. An object of the present invention is to provide an endoscope that can reliably prevent problems from occurring in the endoscope and improve operability and safety.

Hereinafter, this invention will be explained based on each embodiment shown in the drawings. 1 and 2 show a first embodiment of the invention. FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of the entire main body 1 of a waterproof endoscope. This main body 1 is formed from an operating section 2 on the hand side and an insertion section 3. and,
The operation section 2 is provided with an angle operation knob (not shown) and is connected to a universal cord (light guide cable) 4. Further, the operation section 2 is provided with an air/water supply switch 5 and a suction switch 6, respectively, and a forceps plug 7 forming an insertion end. , a bending tube section 9 and a tip forming section 10 , and the bending tube section 9 can be remotely operated to bend by a bending operation knob of the operation section 2 . Further, the universal cord 4 is connected to a light source device 12 via a connector portion 1.

A television controller 14 is connected to this connector section 1 via a connection cord 13.

On the other hand, FIG. 2 shows the internal structure of the tip structure 10, in which reference numeral 15 denotes a tip structure main body, and 16 a plastic tip cover fitted over the tip of the tip structure main body 15.

An illumination lens 17 and an objective optical system 18 are disposed on the tip cover 16, respectively. In addition, one end of a light guide fiber 19 is disposed in the tip structure main body 15 at a position facing the illumination lens 17, and a part of an objective optical system 18 is also disposed. Further, a mounting hole 20 is formed in the tip structure main body 15 at a position facing the objective optical system 18. For example, a CCD (Charge Couple Dev) is installed in this mounting hole 2°.
Two solid-state image sensors such as ICE) are disposed. This solid-state image sensor 21 is mounted inside a frame 22 made of stainless steel. This frame 22 is inserted into the attachment hole 2o of the tip component body 15 and is hermetically adhesively fixed to the tip component body 15 with a sealant 23. Further, a plurality of electrical contact mounting holes 24 are formed at the end of the frame body 22 on the operating section 2 side. Electrical contacts 25 are inserted into each of these electrical contact mounting holes 24, and each of these electrical contacts 25 is attached to each mounting hole of the frame 22 with a sealing adhesive. 24 and is airtightly adhesively fixed. The mounting hole 2o of the tip component main body 15 and the frame 22 form an airtight housing portion 26 that accommodates the solid-state image sensor 2. Also,
One end of each signal line 28 of a connection cord 27 disposed inside the endoscope body 1 is soldered to the exposed end of each electrical contact 25 . Each of these signal lines 28
The other end is fixed to the connector part 1 so that electrical signals sent through each signal line 28 can be transmitted to the TV controller 14 via the connection cord 13. There is. This television controller 14 converts the electric signal sent from the solid-state image sensor 21 into a video signal, adds a synchronization signal to this video signal, and generates a composite video signal.This composite video signal is sent to the endoscope body 1. By sending the image to a provided monitor (not shown) or an external monitor, the image of the area to be observed is displayed on these monitors. In addition, 29 in Figure 2 is a curved rubber, 3
0 is a curved pipe.

Therefore, in the structure described above, the solid-state imaging device 2 is housed in the airtight housing part 26 formed by the mounting hole 2o of the tip component main body 15 and the frame 22, so that the internal view is When the endoscope is immersed in a chemical solution or water to erase, sterilize, or clean the endoscope, the endoscope can be seen through the polyurethane resin, curved rubber 29, etc. that form the flexible tube section 8. Even if steam or chemical components enter the interior of the endoscope body 1 and the interior of the endoscope body 1 becomes highly humid, the endoscope body 1
The steam, chemical components, etc. inside the mounting hole 2 of the tip component body No. 5
θ and the frame 22, or between the electrical contact mounting holes 24 and the electrical contacts 25 of the frame 22, there is no risk of intrusion into the housing portion 26, and the endoscope main body l The solid-state image sensor 21 can be reliably protected from vapor, chemical components, etc. that enter the inside of the solid-state image sensor 21. Therefore, the imaging function of the solid-state imaging device 21 will not be impaired.
It is possible to improve the operability of the endoscope and the safety of operating the endoscope.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. For example, as in the second embodiment shown in FIG. 3, an annular groove 3 is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the mounting hole 2θ of the tip component main body 5, and an O-ring 32 is fitted into the annular groove 3. It may also be configured to prevent steam from entering between the attachment hole 20 of the tip component body 15 and the frame body 22 using an O-ring 32 at the end. In addition, as in the third embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, a solid-state image pickup device 43 such as a CCD is disposed within the operation section 42 of the endoscope body 41, and a stainless steel with an open end is provided. An airtight housing portion 46 formed by a frame 44 made of aluminum and a cover glass 45 hermetically fixed to the open end of the frame 44 with a sealing adhesive.
The solid-state image sensing device 43 may be housed inside. In addition, in FIGS. 4 and 5, 47 is an image guide fiber disposed inside the endoscope main body 41;
8 is a light guide fiber; 49 is an imaging lens that forms an observation image sent through the image guide fiber 47 on the imaging surface of the solid-state image sensor 43; A cathode ray tube (CRT) is connected to the solid-state image sensor 4 through each signal line 53 of a connection cord 52 soldered to each electrical contact 5 of the frame 44.
Three electric signals are sent to the TV controller, and the TV controller sends a video signal to the polarization 1fM'Wt5o, making it possible to observe the observed image at the eyepiece 5. There is.

As explained above, according to the present invention, since the airtight housing portion for housing the solid-state image sensor is provided in the inner chamber body, the endoscope body can be immersed in a chemical solution or water. To improve operability and safety by reliably protecting a solid-state image sensor from vapor and chemical components that enter a main body, and by reliably preventing damage to the imaging function of the solid-state image sensor. I can do it.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 and 2 show a first embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 1 is a side view showing a schematic overall configuration, FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the main part, and FIG. Embodiment 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the main parts, and FIGS. 4 and 5 are the third embodiment. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the overall configuration, and FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of the main parts. FIG. 1.4... Endoscope main body, 21.43... Solid-state image sensor, 26.46... Housing portion.

Claims (1)

[Claims] An endoscope in which a solid-state image pickup device is mounted in a waterproof endoscope body, characterized in that an airtight housing portion for housing the solid-state image pickup device is provided in the endoscope body. Endoscope.