JP4708628B2 - Electronic endoscope - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an electronic endoscope apparatus including a video scope (electronic endoscope) including an image sensor and a processor for processing an image signal read from the image sensor, and in particular, a shield member is provided as a noise countermeasure. Related to the video scope.
[0002]
[Prior art]
An image sensor such as a CCD is provided at the distal end of the video scope, and an image signal is generated when an image of an observation site is formed on the image sensor. The image signal is read from the image sensor and sent to the processor via a signal cable provided inside the scope. In the processor, a video signal is generated based on the transmitted image signal. The monitor displays an image of the observation site based on the video signal.
[0003]
The videoscope's insertion part with the image sensor and signal cable inside is inserted into the body during examinations and treatments. The external surface is insulated. On the other hand, in order to suppress noise emission from the signal cable and prevent noise intrusion from the outside, inside the video scope covering the signal cable, it is electrically connected from the tip of the image sensor to the connector that is the connection to the processor. Conduction is made (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-271083).
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, the external surface of the video scope is provided with a metal part such as a forceps insertion opening, air supply, air supply connected to a water supply tank, a water supply base, or a suction nipple connected to an aspirator. . For example, when an operator (operator) touches these members, the impedance of the portion that is electrically conducted from the tip portion to the connector portion changes due to the influence of human capacity, and the waveform of the image signal on the signal cable Will be deformed, and the image quality of the observed site will be reduced.
[0005]
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to obtain an electronic endoscope that can sufficiently exhibit a shielding effect and can obtain a high-quality image without being affected by a member formed on the external surface of the video scope. .
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The electronic endoscope of the present invention is an electronic endoscope that has an image sensor and is detachably connected to the endoscope processor. In the endoscope processor, an image signal sent from the image sensor Are processed, and a video signal is output to a monitor connected to the processor. An electronic endoscope is provided with a bendable bending portion including a distal end portion where an imaging element is disposed, a flexible insertion portion connected to the distal end portion, and an operation member for operating the bending portion, The operation part to be connected, the flexible connection connecting pipe for connecting the operation part and the processor, the connector part which is a connection part to the processor, and the flexibility for connecting the operation part and the connector part. These are connected and connected, and are inserted into the body from the bending portion to the insertion portion when performing surgery, treatment, or the like.
[0007]
Inside the electronic endoscope, there is a signal cable that passes through the bending portion, the insertion portion, the operation portion, the connection connecting pipe, and the connector portion, and sends an image signal read from the image sensor to the processor side. A conductive member is disposed inside the electronic endoscope so as to cover the screen. The conductive member is a shield member for the signal cable, and electrically conducts from the tip portion to the connector portion. As a result, a shielding effect against noise generation or external noise is exhibited.
[0008]
On the other hand, at least one contact member, which is a member that spatially connects the inside and the outside of the endoscope, is provided on at least one of the operation surface and the connector portion of the electronic endoscope. In many cases, the contact member is provided to connect the endoscope related instrument to the electronic endoscope. Examples of endoscope-related instruments include an aspirator that sucks internal filth, air supply for cleaning the objective lens at the tip and cleaning of internal filth, air supply for water supply processing, and water supply There is a tank for it. Usually, a forceps channel for passing forceps is formed inside the electronic endoscope, and a suction nipple for connecting the aspirator to the forceps channel is provided as a contact member on the outer surface of the connector portion, for example. In addition to the forceps channel, the air supply and water supply channels for sending liquids such as air and water to the tip are often formed inside the electronic endoscope, and the air supply and water supply tanks are supplied with air and water supply channels. For example, an air supply base and a water supply base connected to each other are provided as contact members on the outer surface of the connector portion. When a forceps channel is formed, a forceps insertion port for inserting forceps into the forceps channel is provided as a contact member on the surface of the operation unit. On the other hand, a vent base for adjusting the pressure in the air / water supply channel to be equal to the external air pressure is provided as a contact member in the connector portion, for example. These contact members are formed of a conductive member (for example, metal). The electronic endoscope of the present invention includes at least one insulating member that is interposed between the conducting member and at least one contact member and insulates the at least one contact member from the conducting member.
[0009]
In conventional endoscopes, when an operator touches conductive members such as air supply, water supply caps, forceps insertion ports, etc. on the external surface, they are conducted from the tip to the connector inside the electronic endoscope. The impedance of the entire conductive part (metal part) is changed, which adversely affects the waveform of the image signal. However, in the present invention, by interposing the insulating member, the impedance does not change and the image signal is not adversely affected. That is, it is possible to observe a high-quality affected part image.
[0010]
In order to prevent an impedance change from occurring when the contact member is touched, the contact member may be an insulating member instead of conductivity. That is, an electronic endoscope according to another aspect of the present invention is an electronic endoscope that includes an imaging device and is detachably connected to an endoscope processor, and includes a distal end portion on which the imaging device is disposed. A bending portion including a bending portion, a flexible insertion portion that is coupled to the distal end portion, an operation member that operates the bending portion, an operation portion that is coupled to the insertion portion, and a connector portion that is a connection portion between the processor And a flexible connection connecting tube that connects between the operation unit and the connector unit, and a signal that sends an image signal read from the image sensor to the processor side through the bending portion, the insertion unit, the operation unit, and the connection connecting tube A cable, a shield member for the signal cable, a conductive member that electrically conducts from the tip portion to the connector portion, and an insulating member that spatially connects the inside and the outside of the electronic endoscope, the operation portion And a small number of connectors Characterized by comprising at least one contact member mounted on one of the outer surface also.
[0011]
An electronic endoscope according to another aspect of the present invention is an electronic endoscope that includes an imaging device and is detachably connected to an endoscope processor, and space between the inside and the outside of the electronic endoscope. The connecting contact member is attached to the external surface, and is electrically connected to the connector portion which is a connection portion with the processor from the tip portion where the image sensor is arranged inside the electronic endoscope, while the contact member is the tip portion It is characterized in that it is insulated from the conducting part from the connector part to the connector part.
[0012]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, an electronic endoscope apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0013]
FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the electronic endoscope apparatus according to the first embodiment. The electronic endoscope apparatus includes a video scope (electronic endoscope) 10 that is inserted into the body, a light source lamp for illuminating the body, and a signal processing circuit that processes image signals sent from the video scope 10. The video scope 10 is detachably connected to the processor 100. In addition, a monitor 120 for displaying an in-vivo image is connected to the processor 100.
[0014]
The video scope 10 includes a bendable bending portion 14 including a distal end portion 12, a flexible insertion portion 16, an operation portion 11 provided with an instrument for operating the bending portion 14, and the operation portion 11. To the processor 100 and a connector portion 17 which is a connection portion with the processor 100. The curved portion 14 is rigid, and an imaging element (not shown here) is disposed at the distal end portion 12. In the video scope 10, a light guide (not shown) that is a bundle of optical fibers is provided from the connector portion 17 to the distal end portion 12, and an electrical insertion port 17A and a light source insertion port 17B are attached. When the connector portion 17 is inserted into the connection portion 110 of the processor 100, light emitted from a light source lamp (not shown) inside the processor 100 is emitted from the tip portion 12 via the light guide.
[0015]
The light emitted from the distal end portion 12 is irradiated and reflected on a subject such as an affected part, and the reflected light reaches the image sensor through an objective lens (not shown) provided at the distal end portion 12. Thereby, a subject image is formed on the image sensor, and an image signal corresponding to the subject image is generated on the image sensor. When the image signal is read from the image sensor, it is sent to the processor 100 via the electrical outlet 17A. In the processor 100, a video signal such as an NTSC signal is generated based on the transmitted image signal and sent to the monitor 120. On the monitor 120, an image of the observation site is displayed based on the video signal.
[0016]
A metal feedback terminal 50, an air supply / water supply base 52, a suction nipple 54, and a ventilation base 56 are attached to the surface of the connector portion 17, and these are all formed of conductive metal. Yes. In addition, a metal forceps insertion opening 11 </ b> A serving as an inlet for inserting a forceps channel (not shown here) formed in the video scope 10 is provided in the operation unit 11.
[0017]
The feedback terminal 50 is a terminal for returning a leaked current when using forceps or the like, and is connected to a high-frequency current ablation device or the like. A tube of an air supply / water supply tank (not shown) disposed on the processor 100 side is connected to the air supply / water supply base 52, and a liquid such as air or water is supplied to the air supply / water supply base 52. To the air supply / water supply channel (not shown) formed in the video scope 10. The vent cap 56 is a valve that adjusts the pressure in the video scope to be equal to the external pressure, and is appropriately opened and closed. A suction device (not shown) is connected to the suction nipple 54 and is connected to a forceps channel in the video scope 10. By operating the suction device, dirt attached to the affected part is sucked up from the distal end portion 12 and sucked into the suction device through the forceps channel and the suction nipple 54.
[0018]
FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing the internal configuration of the video scope 10.
[0019]
Inside the video scope 10, the signal cable 15 extends from the distal end portion 12 to the connector portion 17, and when an image signal is read from the imaging device 13 at the distal end portion 12, the signal cable 15 is sent to the connector portion 17 via the signal cable 15. . A drive signal for driving the image sensor 13 is also sent from the connector portion 17 to the image sensor 13 via the signal cable 15.
[0020]
In the curved portion 14 excluding the distal end portion 12, a plurality of conductive metal node rings 14A are rotatably connected to each other. The plurality of node rings 14A are covered with a mesh tube 14C formed by combining conductive metal fine wires, and the mesh tube 14C is covered with an insulating rubber tube 14B. The node ring 14A and the mesh tube 14C and the tip 12 are electrically connected.
[0021]
In the flexible insertion portion 16 connected to the bending portion 14, a metal composed of a spiral tube formed by spirally winding a band-shaped metal material with a constant diameter and a mesh tube of conductive metal wires covering the periphery thereof. 16A covers the signal cable 15, and the outer side thereof is covered with a sheath 16 </ b> B made of an electrically insulating synthetic resin (for example, polyurethane). That is, the metal spiral tube 16 </ b> A is formed along the inner wall of the insertion portion 16. The metallic spiral tube 16 </ b> A is provided to obtain a shielding effect, and is electrically connected to the node ring 14 </ b> A in the bending portion 14.
[0022]
A conductive insertion cap 20 at one end of the insertion portion 16 and in contact with the metal spiral tube 16 </ b> A is connected to a conductive operation portion connection pipe 22 provided in the operation portion 11. Inside the operation unit 11, a conductive operation unit relay pipe 23 and a metal frame 25 are provided. The operation unit connection pipe 22 is connected to the operation unit relay pipe 23, and the operation unit relay pipe 23 is connected to the metal frame 25. . On the other hand, the conductive processor side connection pipe 24 provided on the processor side of the operation unit 11 and connected to the metal frame 25 is connected to the conductive connection base 26 provided at one end of the flexible connection connection pipe 18. Connected. The surface 11K of the operation unit 11 is formed of an insulating synthetic resin.
[0023]
The connection connecting pipe 18 has the same configuration as that of the insertion portion 16, and is constituted by a metal spiral pipe 18A that surrounds the signal cable 15 as a shield member, and a synthetic resin sheath 18B that covers the outer periphery thereof. . One end of the connection connecting pipe 18 on the processor side is held by a holding connecting part 40 provided at one end of the connector part 17, whereby the connection connecting pipe 18 is integrally connected to the connector 17 part.
[0024]
One end of the connection connecting pipe 18 on the processor side is provided with a conductive connecting base 27 that comes into contact with the metal spiral pipe 18 </ b> A, and is connected to the rotating cylinder 32 of the holding connecting portion 40. The holding connecting portion 40 includes a rotating cylinder 32 and a holding member 38 that holds the rotating cylinder 32, and the rotating cylinder 32 is rotatable with respect to the holding member 38. The holding member 38 has a conductive holding frame 38 </ b> A, and the lead wire 28 is connected between the holding frame 38 </ b> A and the metal spiral tube 18 </ b> A of the connection connecting pipe 18.
[0025]
An outer surface 17K of the connector portion 17 is formed of an insulating resin, and a conductive plate-like shield plate 19 is formed along the inner surface. In the shield plate 19, a signal processing circuit (not shown) that processes an image signal sent from the image sensor 13 via the signal cable 15, or a CCD that outputs a drive signal to the CCD 13 via the signal cable 15. A circuit board 30 on which a drive circuit (not shown) and the like are disposed is accommodated. The shield plate 19 serves as a shield member for the circuit board 30. The shield plate 19 is in contact with the conductive holding frame 38 </ b> A, and the electrical insertion port 17 </ b> A and the light source insertion port 17 </ b> B are attached so as to be electrically connected to the shield plate 19.
[0026]
As described above, in the video scope 10, the network tube 14 </ b> C (node ring 14 </ b> A) of the curved portion 14 is connected from the distal end portion 12 in order to prevent noise from entering from the outside and to suppress noise emission from the signal cable 15. Metal spiral tube 16A and insertion tube cap 20 of the insertion portion 16, operation portion connection tube 22, operation portion relay tube 23, metal frame 25, processor side connection tube 24, connection cap 26, and metal connection tube 18. 18A, the lead wire 28, and the holding frame 38A are electrically connected to the shield plate 19.
[0027]
An insulating plate 53 formed of an insulating resin is provided between the conductive air / water supply base 52 and the holding frame 38 </ b> A. The air / water supply base 52 is provided inside the video scope 10. It is insulated from the conducting part. Similarly, an insulating plate 55 is provided between the suction nipple 54 and the holding frame 38 </ b> A, and an insulating plate 57 is provided between the ventilation base 56 and the shield plate 19. Furthermore, as will be described later, an insulating plate 58 is provided between the forceps insertion opening 11 </ b> A and the operation portion relay pipe 23. On the other hand, a lead wire (not shown) extending from the metal frame 25 in the operation unit 11 is connected to the feedback terminal 50, and the feedback terminal 50 is electrically connected to the metal frame 25.
[0028]
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the forceps insertion opening 11A of the operation unit 11 in detail.
[0029]
The forceps channel 60 is connected to the forceps insertion opening 11 </ b> A and extends to the distal end portion 12. On the other hand, a branch pipe 60A for taking out dirt and the like from the suction nipple 54 extends from the forceps insertion opening 11A toward the operation unit 11. A forceps connection base 63 connected to the branch pipe 60A is attached to the lower part of the forceps insertion opening 11A. An annular insulating plate 58 is provided between the forceps insertion opening 11A and the forceps connection base 63, both of which are conductive. Is provided. Therefore, the forceps insertion opening 11A is insulated from the conductive operation portion relay pipe 23.
[0030]
As described above, according to the present embodiment, the insulating plates 53 and 55 are provided between the conductive air supply / water supply base 52 and the suction nipple 54 and the conductive holding frame 38A, respectively. An insulating plate is provided between the vent cap 56 and the shield plate 19 (see FIG. 2). Further, an insulating plate 58 is provided between the conductive forceps insertion opening 11A and the operation portion relay pipe 23 (see FIG. 3). Therefore, even if the operator touches a member such as a conductive connection base that is exposed on the outer surface, the impedance of the conductive portion throughout the interior does not change. That is, the shielding effect is exhibited and noise is not generated in the image signal read from the image sensor 13 during the operation of the scope.
[0031]
Instead of providing an insulating plate, an insulating lid may be covered with the air supply, water supply base, suction nipple, ventilation base, and forceps insertion opening. Furthermore, instead of providing an insulating plate, the air supply, water supply base, suction nipple, vent base, forceps insertion port, and the like may be formed of an insulating material such as an insulating resin.
[0032]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to obtain a high-quality image without being affected by a member formed on the outer surface of the video scope while the shielding effect is sufficiently exhibited.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an electronic endoscope apparatus according to an embodiment.
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an internal configuration of a video scope.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of an operation unit showing in detail the vicinity of a forceps insertion opening.
[Explanation of symbols]
10 Videoscope (electronic endoscope)
11 Operation part 11A Forceps insertion port (contact member)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 12 Front-end | tip part 13 Image pick-up element 14 Bending part 15 Signal cable 16 Insertion part 17 Connector part 18 Connection connecting pipe 52 Air supply and water supply cap (contact member)
53 Insulating plate (insulating member)
54 Suction nipple (contact member)
55 Insulating plate (insulating member)
56 Ventilation cap (contact member)
57 Insulation plate (insulation member)
58 Insulation plate (insulation member)

Claims (4)

An electronic endoscope having an image sensor and detachably connected to an endoscope processor,
A bendable bending portion including a tip portion where the image sensor is disposed;
A flexible insert connected to the tip;
An operation member that is provided with an operation member for operating the bending portion and is connected to the insertion portion;
A connector part which is a connection part with the processor;
A flexible connection connecting pipe for connecting between the operation section and the connector section;
A signal cable that passes through the bending portion, the insertion portion, the operation portion, the connection connecting pipe, and the connector portion, and sends an image signal read from the image sensor to the processor side;
A shield member for the signal cable, and a conducting member that electrically conducts from the tip portion to the connector portion;
A conductive member that spatially connects the inside and the outside of the electronic endoscope, and at least one contact member attached to at least one of the external surfaces of the operation portion and the connector portion;
An electronic endoscope comprising: at least one insulating member interposed between the conducting member and the at least one contact member and insulating the at least one contact member from the conducting member. An electronic endoscope having an image sensor and detachably connected to an endoscope processor,
A bendable bending portion including a tip portion where the image sensor is disposed;
A flexible insert connected to the tip;
An operation member that is provided with an operation member for operating the bending portion and is connected to the insertion portion;
A connector part which is a connection part with the processor;
A flexible connection connecting pipe for connecting between the operation section and the connector section;
A signal cable that passes through the bending portion, the insertion portion, the operation portion, the connection connecting pipe, and the connector portion, and sends an image signal read from the image sensor to the processor side;
A shield member for the signal cable, and a conducting member that electrically conducts from the tip portion to the connector portion;
An insulating member for spatially connecting the inside and the outside of the electronic endoscope, comprising at least one contact member attached to at least one of the external surfaces of the operation portion and the connector portion An electronic endoscope characterized by that. The at least one contact member is at least one of a suction nipple, a vent cap, an air supply, a water feed cap, and a forceps insertion port. Electronic endoscope. An electronic endoscope having an image sensor and detachably connected to an endoscope processor,
A contact member that spatially connects the inside and the outside of the electronic endoscope is attached to the outside surface,
Inside the electronic endoscope, electrical connection is made from the distal end portion where the imaging device is disposed to the connector portion which is a connection portion with the processor, while the contact member is electrically connected from the distal end portion to the connector portion. An electronic endoscope characterized in that the electronic endoscope is insulated from a portion that is provided.

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