JP3823978B2 - Endoscope device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an endoscope apparatus, and more particularly to an endoscope apparatus that inserts an insertion section into a deep digestive tract such as a small intestine or a large intestine by alternately inserting an insertion section of an endoscope and an insertion aid.

  When inserting the insertion part of the endoscope into the deep digestive tract such as the small intestine, simply pushing the insertion part makes it difficult for force to be transmitted to the distal end of the insertion part due to the complicated bending of the intestinal tract. Have difficulty. For example, if excessive bending or bending occurs in the insertion portion, the insertion portion cannot be inserted further deeper. Therefore, a method has been proposed in which an insertion aid is put on the insertion portion of the endoscope and inserted into the body cavity, and the insertion portion is guided by this insertion aid to prevent excessive bending or bending of the insertion portion. Yes.

Patent Document 1 discloses an endoscope apparatus in which a first balloon is provided at a distal end portion of an insertion portion of an endoscope and a second balloon is provided at a distal end portion of an insertion assisting tool (also referred to as an overtube or a sliding tube). Are listed. According to this endoscope apparatus, by repeatedly inserting the insertion portion and the insertion assisting tool while repeatedly expanding and contracting the first balloon and the second balloon, the insertion portion of the intestinal tract that is bent in a complicated manner such as the small intestine is obtained. Can be inserted deep.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 51-11689

  By the way, the conventional endoscope apparatus has a problem that when the balloon is inflated and fixed to the intestinal tract, the intestinal tract is cooled by the balloon, which places a burden on the patient. In particular, when observing or treating with an endoscope, the balloon is brought into contact with the intestinal tract for a long time, which increases the burden on the patient.

  This invention is made | formed in view of such a situation, and it aims at providing the endoscope apparatus which can reduce a patient's burden.

In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 has an endoscope having an insertion portion on which a first balloon is mounted, and guides insertion into a body cavity over the insertion portion and secondly. An endoscopic device that is supplied with fluid to the first balloon and the second balloon , and adjusts the temperature of the fluid supplied to the first balloon and the second balloon. Temperature adjusting means , a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature between the first balloon and the second balloon, and a control unit for controlling the temperature adjusting means based on the measured value of the temperature sensor. It is characterized by.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the temperature of the fluid supplied to the balloon can be adjusted to an appropriate temperature by the temperature adjusting means. Therefore, even if the balloon is inflated and brought into contact with the intestinal tract or the like, there is no significant burden on the patient.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the invention, the temperature adjusting means includes a fluid conduit that heats the fluid using a light source of illumination light emitted from a distal end portion of the insertion portion , The said control part controls the flow volume of the fluid which flows through the said pipe line based on the measured value of the said temperature sensor, It is characterized by the above-mentioned.

  According to the invention described in claim 2, since the fluid is heated using the light source, it is not necessary to separately provide a temperature adjusting means such as a heater.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the invention, the temperature adjusting unit includes a fluid conduit that heats the fluid using a light source of illumination light emitted from the distal end of the insertion portion, and the tube. A bypass pipe that is connected to a path and supplies the fluid without being heated by the light source; and a flow rate adjusting unit that adjusts a flow rate flowing through the pipe line and a flow rate flowing through the bypass pipe, and the control unit Controls the flow rate adjusting means based on the measured value of the temperature sensor.

According to the invention described in claim 1, since adjusting the temperature of the fluid based on the measured value of the temperature sensor for measuring the temperature between the first balloon and the second balloon, a suitable temperature atmosphere in the vicinity of the balloon Can be controlled. Therefore, it is possible to reliably prevent the temperature of the balloon from adversely affecting the surrounding environment.

  According to the endoscope apparatus according to the present invention, the temperature of the fluid supplied to the balloon can be adjusted to an appropriate temperature, so that the burden on the patient can be reduced.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of an endoscope apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram illustrating an embodiment of an endoscope apparatus. As shown in FIG. 1, the endoscope apparatus mainly includes an endoscope 10, a light source device 20, a processor 30, and a balloon control device 100.

  The endoscope 10 includes an insertion portion 12 that is inserted into a body cavity, and a hand operation portion 14 that is connected to the insertion portion 12. The hand operation unit 14 is provided with an air / water supply button 32, a suction button 34, and a shutter button 36, and a pair of angle knobs 38 and 38 and a forceps insertion unit 40. A universal cable 16 is connected to the hand operation unit 14, and an LG connector 18 is provided at the tip of the universal cable 16. By connecting the LG connector 18 to the light source device 20 in a detachable manner, illumination light can be propagated to an illumination optical system 54 (see FIG. 2) described later. In addition, an electrical connector 24 is connected to the LG connector 18 via a cable 22, and the electrical connector 24 is detachably coupled to the processor 30. The LG connector 18 is connected to a tank 27 via an air / water supply tube 26, and water is supplied from the tank 27. The LG connector 18 is connected to a suction device (not shown) via a suction tube 28, and suction is performed from a forceps port 58 described later by driving the suction device.

  The insertion portion 12 includes a distal end portion 46, a bending portion 48, and a flexible portion 50. The bending portion 48 is remotely operated by rotating a pair of angle knobs 38, 38 provided on the hand operating portion 14. Curved operation. Thereby, the front end surface 47 of the front end portion 46 can be directed in a desired direction.

  As shown in FIG. 2, an observation optical system 52, illumination optical systems 54 and 54, an air / water supply nozzle 56, and a forceps port (corresponding to a suction port) 58 are provided on the distal end surface 47 of the distal end portion 46. A CCD (not shown) is disposed behind the observation optical system 52, and a signal cable is connected to a substrate that supports the CCD. The signal cable is inserted into the insertion portion 12, the hand operating portion 14, and the universal cable 16 of FIG. 1, extends to the electrical connector 24, and is connected to the processor 30. The observation image captured by the observation optical system 52 is formed on the light receiving surface of the CCD and converted into an electrical signal. The electrical signal is output to the processor 30 via the signal cable and converted into a video signal. The As a result, the observation image is displayed on the monitor 60 connected to the processor 30.

  An exit end of a light guide (not shown) is disposed behind the illumination optical systems 54 and 54 in FIG. This light guide is inserted through the insertion portion 12, the hand operating portion 14, and the universal cable 16 of FIG. 1, and the incident end side is disposed on a light guide rod (see FIG. 6) 19 of the LG connector 18. Therefore, by connecting the light guide rod 19 of the LG connector 18 to the light source device 20, the illumination light emitted from the light source device 20 is transmitted to the illumination optical systems 54, 54 via the light guide, and the illumination optical system 54, 54.

  The air / water supply nozzle 56 (see FIG. 2) communicates with a valve (not shown) operated by the air / water supply button 32. This bulb is connected to the tank 27 via the air / water supply tube 26 and to an air pump (not shown) in the light source device 20. By operating the air / water supply button 32, the air supplied from the air pump or the water supplied from the tank 27 is sent to the air / water supply nozzle 56. Thereby, air or water can be ejected from the air / water supply nozzle 56 toward the observation optical system 52.

  The forceps port 58 (see FIG. 2) communicates with the forceps insertion portion 40. Therefore, the treatment tool can be led out from the forceps opening 58 by inserting the treatment tool from the forceps insertion portion 40. The forceps port 58 is communicated with a valve (not shown) operated by the suction button 34, and this valve is further communicated with the suction tube 28. Therefore, a lesioned part or the like can be sucked from the forceps opening 58 by driving a suction device connected to the tip of the suction tube 28.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a first balloon 42 made of an elastic body such as rubber is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the insertion portion 12. The first balloon 42 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape with both ends narrowed. After the insertion portion 12 is inserted and disposed at a desired position, the both ends of the first balloon 42 are fixed to the insertion portion 12. It is installed by.

  A vent hole 62 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the insertion portion 12 where the first balloon 42 is attached. The ventilation hole 62 communicates with the supply / suction port 44 of FIG. 1 via a tube (not shown). A tube 64 is connected to the supply / suction port 44, and this tube 64 is connected to the balloon control device 100. The balloon control device 100 is a device that supplies air to the first balloon 42 via the tube 64 and sucks air, and controls the air pressure at that time, and includes an operation button 102 provided on the front surface. Operated by etc. The first balloon 42 is inflated into a substantially spherical shape by supplying air, and sticks to the outer surface of the insertion portion 12 by sucking air.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a temperature sensor 106 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the insertion portion 12. The temperature sensor 106 is disposed immediately on the proximal end side of the mounting position of the first balloon 42, and the temperature around the first balloon 42 is detected by the temperature sensor 106.

  On the other hand, the insertion assisting tool 70 shown in FIG. 1 is formed in a cylindrical shape, has an inner diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the insertion portion 12, and has sufficient flexibility. A rigid gripping portion 74 is provided at the proximal end of the insertion assisting tool 70, and the insertion portion 12 is inserted from the gripping portion 74. A latex second balloon 72 is mounted near the distal end of the insertion assisting tool 70. The second balloon 72 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape whose both ends are narrowed, and is attached in a state where the insertion assisting tool 70 is penetrated. The second balloon 72 is communicated with a supply / suction port 76 provided in the grip portion 74. An end of a tube 79 is connected to the supply / suction port 76, and the other end of the tube 78 is connected to the balloon control device 100. Therefore, the second balloon 72 is inflated and deflated by driving the balloon control device 100 to supply and suck air. The second balloon 72 is expanded into a substantially spherical shape by supplying air, and is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the insertion assisting tool 70 by sucking air.

  FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram schematically showing the internal configuration of the balloon control device 100. As shown in FIG. 3, a first pressurizing pump 110, a first depressurizing pump 112, a second pressurizing pump 120, and a second depressurizing pump 122 are provided inside the balloon control device 100.

  The first pressurizing pump 110 and the first depressurizing pump 112 are communicated with the first electromagnetic valve 114 via tubes 111 and 113, respectively. The first electromagnetic valve 114 performs switching control so that one of the tubes 111 and 113 communicates with the tube 115. The tube 115 communicates with the first pressure sensor 116, and the pressure is measured by the first pressure sensor 116. Then, the measurement value of the first pressure sensor 116 is displayed on the first display unit 117 provided on the front surface of the balloon control device 100. The tube 115 communicates with an external tube 64 and communicates with the first balloon 42. Therefore, when the first solenoid valve 114 is controlled in a state where the first pressurizing pump 110 and the first depressurizing pump are driven, the first pressurizing pump 110 and the first balloon 42 are communicated with each other from the first pressurizing pump 110. Air is supplied to one balloon 42, or the first decompression pump 112 and the first balloon 42 are communicated to suck air from the first balloon 42. Thereby, the first balloon 42 can be inflated and deflated.

  The second pressurizing pump 120 and the second depressurizing pump 122 are communicated with the second electromagnetic valve 124 through tubes 121 and 123, respectively. Switching control is performed by the second electromagnetic valve 124 so that one of the tubes 121 and 123 communicates with the tube 125. The tube 125 communicates with the second pressure sensor 126, and the pressure is measured by the second pressure sensor 126. Then, the measurement value of the second pressure sensor 126 is displayed on the second display unit 127 provided on the front surface of the balloon control device 100. The tube 125 communicates with an external tube 78 and communicates with the second balloon 72. Therefore, when the second electromagnetic valve 124 is controlled in a state where the second pressurizing pump 120 and the second depressurizing pump are driven, the second pressurizing pump 120 and the second balloon 72 are communicated with each other from the second pressurizing pump 120. Air is supplied to the second balloon 72, or the second decompression pump 122 and the second balloon 72 are communicated to suck air from the second balloon 72. Thereby, the second balloon 72 can be inflated and deflated.

  The first pressure pump 110, the first pressure reduction pump 112, the first electromagnetic valve 114, the second pressure pump 120, the second pressure reduction pump 122, and the second electromagnetic valve 124 described above are controlled by the control unit 130. In accordance with the operation of the operation button 102 or the remote controller 104, and further according to the measurement values of the first pressure sensor 116 and the second pressure sensor 126, the control unit 130 can control the pumps 110, 112, 120, 122, and the like described above. The electromagnetic valves 114 and 124 are controlled. Then, the first balloon 42 and the second balloon 72 are inflated and deflated, and the first balloon 42 and the second balloon 72 are controlled to a desired internal pressure. Further, when fluid leaks or the balloon is torn, an abnormal situation is detected from the measured values of the first pressure sensor 116 and the second pressure sensor 126, and air supply and suction are stopped. .

  By the way, in the balloon control device 100 of the present embodiment, the first heater 118 and the second heater 128 are provided in the tube 111 and the tube 121, respectively. The first heater 118 and the second heater 128 are configured to heat the air passing through the tubes 111 and 113, and are electrically connected to the control unit 130. The controller 130 drives the first heater 118 when the first electromagnetic valve 114 is switched to the tube 111 side, and drives the second heater 128 when the second electromagnetic valve 124 is switched to the tube 121 side. Further, the control unit 130 controls the first heater 118 and the second heater 128 so that the measured value of the temperature sensor 106 described above becomes a set value (for example, about body temperature). As a result, air heated to an appropriate temperature by the first heater 118 and the second heater 128 is supplied to the first balloon 42 and the second balloon 72.

  Next, an operation method of the endoscope apparatus configured as described above will be described with reference to FIGS.

  First, as shown in FIG. 4A, the insertion portion 12 is inserted into the intestinal tract (for example, the descending leg of the duodenum) with the insertion assisting tool 70 placed on the insertion portion 12. At this time, the first balloon 42 and the second balloon 72 are deflated.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 4B, in the state where the distal end of the insertion assisting tool 70 is inserted up to the bent portion of the intestinal tract 90, air is supplied to the second balloon 72 to be inflated. As a result, the second balloon 72 is locked to the intestinal tract 90, and the distal end of the insertion assisting tool 70 is fixed to the intestinal tract 90.

  Next, as shown in FIG.4 (c), only the insertion part 12 of the endoscope 10 is inserted in the deep part of the intestinal tract 90 (insertion operation). Then, as shown in FIG. 4D, air is supplied to the first balloon 42 to be inflated. Thereby, the first balloon 42 is fixed to the intestinal tract 90 (fixing operation).

  Next, after the air is sucked from the second balloon 72 and the second balloon 72 is contracted, the insertion assisting tool 70 is pushed in and inserted along the insertion portion 12 as shown in FIG. Push-in operation). And after holding the front-end | tip of the insertion auxiliary tool 70 to the vicinity of the 1st balloon 42, as shown in FIG.4 (f), air is sent to the 2nd balloon 72 and it is made to expand. Thereby, the second balloon 72 is fixed to the intestinal tract 90. That is, the intestinal tract 90 is grasped by the second balloon 72 (gripping operation).

  Next, as shown in FIG. 4 (g), the insertion assisting tool 70 is brought together (hand feeding operation). Thereby, the intestinal tract 90 is in a contracted state, and the extra bending or bending of the insertion assisting tool 70 is eliminated.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 4 (h), air is sucked from the first balloon 42 to contract the first tube 42. And the front-end | tip part 46 of the insertion part 12 is inserted in the deep part of the intestinal tract 90 as much as possible. That is, the insertion operation shown in FIG. Thereby, the front-end | tip part 46 of the insertion part 12 can be inserted in the deep part of the intestinal tract 90. FIG. When inserting the insertion portion 12 into a deeper portion, after performing a fixing operation as shown in FIG. 4D, a pushing operation as shown in FIG. ), A hand-drawing operation as shown in FIG. 4G, and an insertion operation as shown in FIG. Thereby, the insertion part 12 can be further inserted into the deep part of the intestinal tract 90.

  Next, the operation of the endoscope apparatus configured as described above will be described.

  When air at room temperature is supplied to the first balloon 42 or the second balloon 72 as it is, if the first balloon 42 or the second balloon 72 comes into contact with the intestinal tract 90, the intestinal tract 90 is cooled, which places a heavy burden on the patient. Occurs. In particular, when performing observation from the observation optical system 52 of the endoscope 10 or when performing various treatments by inserting a treatment tool such as forceps from the forceps insertion portion 40, the first balloon 42 and the second balloon 72 are used. May be held for a while in contact with the intestinal tract 90, in which case the problem of further increasing the burden on the patient arises. In addition, when the above-described hand dragging operation (see FIG. 4G) is performed, the first balloon 42 and the second balloon 72 that are inflated are arranged close to each other as shown in FIG. The space 92 sandwiched between the balloon 42 and the second balloon 72 is particularly cooled, causing a problem that the burden on the patient increases.

  In order to solve such a problem, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the air supplied to the first balloon 42 is heated by the first heater 118, and the air supplied to the second balloon 72 is supplied to the second heater 72. 128 is heating. Therefore, since the inflated first balloon 42 and second balloon 72 are at a body temperature, even if the first balloon 42 and the second balloon 72 are in contact with the intestinal tract 90, there is no possibility that the intestinal tract 90 is cooled, There is no risk of burden.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the temperature of the space 92 sandwiched between the first balloon 42 and the second balloon 72 is measured by the temperature sensor 106, and the first heater 118 and the second balloon 118 are set so that the measured value becomes a set value. The heater 128 is controlled. Therefore, the temperature of the space 92 can be reliably set to an appropriate temperature, and an increase in the load on the intestinal tract 90 in this portion can be prevented.

  As described above, according to the endoscope apparatus of the present embodiment, since the air supplied to the first balloon 42 and the second balloon 72 is heated by the first heater 118 and the second heater 128, the patient Can be reduced.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, since heated air is supplied to the first balloon 42 and the second balloon 72, the entire periphery of the distal end portion 46 of the insertion portion 12 is heated to about body temperature. Therefore, since there is no temperature difference between the inside and the outside of the distal end portion 46, it is possible to prevent the observation optical system 52 and the illumination optical system 54 from being fogged or condensed. That is, when the inside of the distal end portion 46 is cooler than the outside, fogging or condensation may occur on the inner surfaces of the observation optical system 52 and the illumination optical system 54. Although the part 46 must be disassembled, in this embodiment, by supplying heated air to the first balloon 42 and the second balloon 72, the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the tip part 46 can be suppressed. The occurrence of defects such as condensation can be prevented. Furthermore, even if clouding or condensation occurs, in the present embodiment, clouding and condensation can be eliminated by supplying heated air to the first balloon 42 and the second balloon 72.

  In the above-described embodiment, the first heater 118 and the second heater 128 are used as temperature adjusting means for the air supplied to the first balloon 42 and the second balloon 72. However, the device can adjust the air temperature. If it is. For example, a device capable of both heating and cooling, such as a temperature controller using a Peltier element, may be used.

  In the above-described embodiment, the temperature adjusting means is provided inside the balloon control device 100. However, the position of the temperature adjusting means is not limited to this, and air is supplied to the first balloon 42 and the second balloon 72. It may be anywhere on the supply pipeline. Therefore, temperature adjusting means may be provided inside the endoscope 10.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, the temperature sensor 106 is attached to the proximal end side of the first balloon 42, but the position of the temperature sensor 42 is not limited to this. For example, the temperature of the air after temperature adjustment can be measured immediately by placing it in the tubes 115, 125, or the temperature of each balloon 42, 72 can be directly measured by placing it inside the first balloon 42 or the second balloon 72. You may do it.

  FIG. 6 is a configuration diagram of a pipe line in the endoscope apparatus according to the second embodiment, in which a pipe line for air supplied to and sucked into the first balloon 42 and the second balloon 72 is shown. .

  As shown in the figure, the first balloon 42 communicates with the tube 140 through the vent hole 62. The tube 140 is inserted through the insertion portion 12, the hand operation portion 14, and the universal cable 16 and extends to the LG connector 18. Then, by connecting the LG connector 18 to the light source device 10, the LG connector 18 communicates with the conduit 142 in the light source device 20. The pipe line 142 is disposed in the vicinity of the light source 144, and air flowing in the pipe line 142 is heated using the light source 144 as a heat source. The light source 144 irradiates the light guide rod 19 with illumination light. For example, a xenon lamp or the like is used. The pipe 142 is configured to easily absorb the heat of the light source 144. For example, a color that easily absorbs light, such as a black copper pipe, a material with high thermal conductivity, and a good heat exchange rate. A shape is selected. When a lamp with a fin (heat radiating plate) is used as the light source 144, if the pipe 142 is crossed with the fin, the heat of the fin is directly transmitted to the pipe 142, so that the thermal efficiency can be improved. it can.

  The conduit 142 is connected to the balloon control device 200, and air is supplied from the balloon control device 200. Although the internal configuration of the balloon control device 200 is omitted, the first electric heater 118 and the second electric heater 128 are not provided as compared with the balloon control device 100 shown in FIG. That is, the balloon control device 200 is configured to supply air at room temperature.

  On the other hand, the second balloon 72 is communicated with the air supply / suction port 148 of the grip portion 74 via the conduit 146. A tube 150 is connected to the air supply / suction port 148, and the tube 150 is coupled to a connector 152 provided in the hand operation unit 14. The length of the tube 150 is set so that contact with the first balloon 42 can be restricted when the insertion assisting tool 70 is moved to the distal end side of the insertion portion 12. A tube 154 is connected to the connector 152, and the tube 154 is inserted into the hand operation unit 14 and the universal cable 16 and extends to the LG connector 18. Then, by connecting the LG connector 18 to the light source device 20, the LG connector 18 communicates with a conduit 156 in the light source device 20. The duct 156 in the light source device 20 is disposed in the vicinity of the light source 144, similarly to the duct 142. Further, the color, material, and shape of the conduit 156 are selected so as to be easily heated by the light source 144. The pipe line 156 is connected to the balloon control apparatus 200, and air is supplied to the pipe line 156 by the balloon control apparatus 200 while keeping the room temperature.

  A wiring 158 is connected to the temperature sensor 106, and the wiring 158 is inserted through the insertion portion 12 and the universal cable 16 and extends to the LG connector 18. Then, the LG connector 18 is connected to the light source 20 to be connected to the control unit 160 in the light source device 20. The control unit 160 is further connected to the balloon control device 100 and controls the flow rate (flow velocity) of air supplied from the balloon control device 100 based on the detection value of the temperature sensor 106. For example, when the measured value of the temperature sensor 106 is lower than the set value, the residence time in the pipe lines 142 and 156 is increased by reducing the flow rate (flow velocity) of the air supplied from the balloon control device 100. And increase the temperature of the air. Further, when the measured value of the temperature sensor 106 is higher than the set value, the residence time in the pipe lines 142 and 156 is decreased by increasing the air flow rate (flow velocity), thereby lowering the air temperature. . Thereby, the measured value of the temperature sensor 106 can be controlled to a desired set value.

  In the second embodiment configured as described above, when air is supplied from the balloon control device 200, the air is heated by the light source 144 when passing through the pipe line 142 and the pipe line 156. Therefore, since the air heated by the light source 144 is supplied to the first balloon 42 and the second balloon 72, the intestinal tract 90 can be prevented from being cooled by the first balloon 42 and the second balloon 72, and the burden on the intestinal tract 90 is reduced. Can be reduced.

  Thus, according to the second embodiment, since the light source 144 is used as a heat source, it is not necessary to separately provide a heat source such as a heater. In addition, according to the second embodiment, the air flow path to the first balloon 42, the air flow path to the second balloon 72, and the temperature sensor simply by connecting the LG connector 18 to the light source device 20. The wiring with 106 can be connected simultaneously.

  In the second embodiment described above, the temperature of the air supplied to the first balloon 42 and the second balloon 72 is adjusted by adjusting the flow rate (flow velocity) of the air flowing through the pipe lines 142 and 156. However, the method of adjusting the temperature is not limited to this. For example, the pipe lines 142 and 156 are supported so as to be movable forward and backward with respect to the light source 144, and the pipe lines 142 and 156 are mechanically moved forward and backward according to the measurement value of the temperature sensor 106. In this case, when the pipe lines 142 and 156 are advanced with respect to the light source 144, the pipe lines 142 and 156 are easily heated, so that the temperature of the air flowing through the pipe lines 142 and 156 can be increased. On the other hand, when the pipe lines 142 and 156 are moved backward with respect to the light source 144, the pipe lines 142 and 156 are hardly heated, so that the temperature of the air flowing through the pipe lines 142 and 156 can be lowered.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 7, a temperature may be adjusted by providing a bypass pipe. In the light source device 20 shown in FIG. 7, bypass pipes 162 and 164 are connected to the pipe lines 142 and 156, respectively. The bypass tubes 162 and 164 are arranged at positions away from the light source 144 so that air passing through the bypass tubes 162 and 164 is not heated by the light source 144. Flow control valves 166a to 166d are disposed in the pipe lines 142 and 156 and the bypass pipes 162 and 164, respectively. The opening degree of each of the flow rate adjusting valves 166a to 166d is controlled by the control unit 160, and the air flow rate is adjusted. Thereby, the ratio of the flow rate of air flowing through the pipe line 142 and the flow rate of air flowing through the bypass pipe 162, or the ratio of the flow rate of air flowing through the pipe line 156 and the flow rate of air flowing through the bypass pipe 164 can be adjusted.

  In the endoscope apparatus configured as described above, air flowing through the bypass pipes 162 and 164 is supplied at room temperature, whereas air flowing through the pipe lines 142 and 156 is heated by the light source 144. Therefore, the air supplied to the first balloon 42 and the second balloon 72 is controlled by controlling the flow rate adjusting valves 166a to 166d to adjust the flow rate ratio of the air flowing through the pipe lines 142 and 156 and the bypass pipes 162 and 164. The temperature of can be adjusted. For example, when it is desired to increase the temperature of the air supplied to the first balloon 42, the flow rate of air flowing through the bypass pipe 162 is decreased and the flow rate of air flowing through the conduit 142 is increased. Thereby, the temperature can be raised without changing the total flow rate of the air supplied to the first balloon 42. Further, by increasing the flow rate of air flowing through the bypass pipe 162 and decreasing the flow rate of air flowing through the pipe line 142, the temperature can be lowered without increasing the flow rate of air supplied to the first balloon 42. Can do. Similarly, the temperature of the air supplied to the second balloon 72 can be controlled by adjusting the flow rate of air flowing through the bypass pipe 164 and the flow rate of air flowing through the conduit 156.

  The first and second embodiments described above have been described with respect to an example of an endoscope apparatus using the insertion assisting tool 70, but an apparatus configuration without the insertion assisting tool 70 may be used. Also in this case, the above-described effects can be obtained by supplying heated air to the first balloon 42 attached to the insertion portion 12 of the endoscope 10. Similarly, the present invention can be applied to an endoscope apparatus in which a balloon is attached only to the insertion assisting tool 70. Furthermore, even when an endoscopic treatment instrument such as a forceps or an ultrasonic probe is attached to an inflatable balloon, the effect of the present invention can be obtained by supplying heated air.

The system block diagram which shows the endoscope apparatus which concerns on this invention The perspective view which shows the front-end | tip part of the insertion part of FIG. Internal configuration diagram of balloon control device Explanatory drawing which shows the operating method of the endoscope apparatus of FIG. Explanatory drawing explaining the effect | action of the endoscope apparatus of FIG. Pipe line configuration diagram of an endoscope apparatus according to the second embodiment Pipe line configuration diagram of an endoscope apparatus of a temperature control method different from FIG.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Endoscope, 12 ... Insertion part, 20 ... Light source device, 42 ... 1st balloon, 70 ... Insertion aid, 72 ... 2nd balloon, 100 ... Balloon control apparatus, 106 ... Temperature sensor, 118 ... 1st heater 128 ... second heater, 144 ... light source

Claims (3)

An endoscope having an insertion portion to which a first balloon is attached; and an insertion assisting tool which is placed on the insertion portion to guide insertion into a body cavity and to which a second balloon is attached. And an endoscope apparatus in which a fluid is supplied to the second balloon ,
Temperature adjusting means for adjusting the temperature of the fluid supplied to the first balloon and the second balloon ;
A temperature sensor for measuring a temperature between the first balloon and the second balloon;
A control unit for controlling the temperature adjusting means based on the measurement value of the temperature sensor;
An endoscope apparatus comprising: The temperature adjusting means includes
A fluid conduit for heating the fluid using a light source of illumination light irradiated from the distal end of the insertion portion ;
The endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls a flow rate of a fluid flowing through the pipe line based on a measurement value of the temperature sensor . The temperature adjusting means includes a fluid conduit that heats the fluid using a light source of illumination light emitted from a distal end portion of the insertion portion;
A bypass pipe connected to the pipe for supplying the fluid without being heated by the light source; Flow rate adjusting means for adjusting the flow rate flowing through the pipe line and the flow rate flowing through the bypass pipe;
The endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the flow rate adjusting unit based on a measurement value of the temperature sensor.

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