JPS628727A - 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 (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to an endoscope whose insertion portion is inserted into a body cavity of a subject for observation.

(Prior Art) A conventional general endoscope is constructed as shown in FIG. That is, the operation main body 110 has a grip part 111. The flexible insertion portion 12 is inserted from one end of the gripping portion 111.
0 extends, and an eyepiece section 119 is provided at the other end of the grip section 111. The grip part 111 further includes an operation dial 1.
14 and 115 are provided. The insertion portion 120 has a curved portion 121 on the distal end side. Then, the insertion section 12
0 into the subject's body cavity, and through the observation window and optical fiber bundle (not shown) provided at the tip of the insertion section 120,
The inside of the body cavity is observed through the eyepiece 119.

The operations of the endoscope include pushing the insertion section 120 into the body cavity, turning the grip section 111 to rotate (twist) the insertion section 120 in order to change the direction of the insertion section 120, and operation dials 114, 115. There are operations to bend the bending part 121 via the wire inside the insertion part 120, push buttons to send air or water into the body cavity, suction valve operations, etc.
(The mechanisms for air supply, water supply, and suction described above are not shown), and these operations were performed while looking through the eyepiece 119.

Note that even if the gripping part 111 is turned to twist the insertion part 120, the lens optical axis of the eyepiece part 119 and the optical axis of the eye A should not be misaligned, so the axis 1 of the gripping part 111 is
11a and the axis 120a of the insertion section 120 must be arranged on a straight line, and the eyepiece 119 must be provided coaxially with these axes 111a and 120a.

When such a configuration is adopted, a gripping method is inevitably determined. That is, since it is necessary to bring the eye A closer to the eyepiece 119, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the user bends the elbow B and grips the grip 111 with the so-called reverse hand. This grip is similar to the way you grip a spear when throwing a spear. Then, for example, grip the grip part 111 with your ring finger and little finger, and hold the grip part 111 with your thumb, index finger,
The middle finger is used to perform the bending operation and other operations using the operation dials 114 and 115.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) However, the fatal drawback of the above-mentioned gripping method is that the bending operation and the other operations are significantly affected by the twisting operation. To be more specific, when the grip part 111 is naturally gripped as shown in FIGS. When twisting is applied to the insertion portion 120 by rotating the insertion portion 111 counterclockwise as shown in FIG. 11 or clockwise as shown in FIG.
Since the thumb, index finger, and middle finger are folded outward or inward, the mobility of the thumb, index finger, and middle finger is seriously impaired, and the operation dial 114.1
15 etc. becomes difficult to operate. Furthermore, the grip strength of the ring finger and little finger becomes weak, and the grip of the grip part 111 tends to become unstable, which may cause the endoscope to drop.

For this reason, the range of angles that can be twisted is narrow.

In recent years, endoscopes have been equipped with a solid-state image sensor at the tip of the insertion section, and the image inside the body cavity projected onto this solid-state image sensor is displayed by a receiver, and optical fiber bundles for image transmission are attached to the operating body. A device has been developed that is derived from the system, connects a television camera, and displays an image of the inside of the body cavity using a receiver. A feature of these endoscopes is that the endoscope is operated while observing the image on the receiver. Therefore, it is no longer necessary to provide an eyepiece at the end of the grip, and there is no need to bring the eye closer to the grip. In fact, the examiner performs the operation with the grip part away from his/her eyes. However, even with these endoscopes,
Since the conventional structure in which the axis of the gripping part and the axis of the insertion part are arranged in a straight line is still adopted, the gripping method is also the same. Although many operators are accustomed to the conventional grasping method, there was a problem that no improvements were made that took into account the features and characteristics of new endoscopes.

Note that Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 59-139235 describes an endoscope in which the grip portion is gripped like a pistol. However, with this endoscope, the eyepiece is provided on the operation main body, and when twisting the insertion tube, bring your eyes close to the eyepiece and bend your elbow to grasp the grip. Moreover, since the axis of the gripping part and the axis of the insertion part are perpendicular to each other, the structure is different from that of the present invention and the effects of the present invention cannot be achieved.

(Means for Solving the Problems) The present invention has been made to solve the above problems.
The gist of the system is that it includes an operation main body having a grip, and an insertion section extending from the operation main body and inserted into the body cavity, with one end of the image transmission system disposed inside the insertion section and the other end outside the operation main body. In the endoscope that is being guided out, the axis of the gripping part is inclined downwardly and away from the tip of the insertion part with respect to the axis of the insertion part! The symptoms are found in endoscopes.

(Operation) The operator grips the grip part as if holding a pistol, and twists the insertion part by twisting the arm. At this time, since the wrist does not need to be bent, it is possible to perform reliable and stable operation and grasp the endoscope without causing a decrease in finger mobility or grip strength.

(Example) Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIGS. 1 to 3 show an embodiment of the present invention, and numeral 10 in the figures is an operating body. The operation main body 10 includes a grip portion 11, a detour portion 12 extending forward from the upper end of the grip portion 11 while bending, and a support portion 13 extending forward from the detour portion 12. A proximal end portion of the insertion portion 20 is connected to the support portion 13 .

The axis 11a of the grip part 11 is the axis 13 of the support part 13.
a and the axis 20a of the insertion section 20 coaxial therewith, it is inclined downward and away from the distal end of the insertion section 20. The intersecting angle θ of these axes 11a and 20a is preferably 40 to 80 degrees, more preferably 55 to 75 degrees. Further, the detour section 12 is connected to the insertion section 2.
The shape is determined such that the axis 20a of 0 passes approximately through the center of the gripping portion 11.

The insertion section 20 is flexible and has a curved section 21 on its distal end side.
It further has a hard tip forming portion 22 on its tip side.

The bending section 21 is operated to bend by means of the two operation dials 14 and 15 via a wire inside the insertion section 20. The operation dials 14 and 15 are rotatably supported by a boss portion 16 formed on the upper side surface of the grip portion 11 so as to be coaxial with each other. Then, the inner operation dial 1 with a smaller diameter
4, the curved portion 21 curves in the X-X direction in FIG. There is.

An observation window 23 and an illumination window 24 are provided on the end surface 22a of the tip component 22. Inside the tip component 22, there is an M
A solid-state image sensor 25 consisting of an OS, CCD, SIT, etc. is arranged, and the solid-state image sensor 25 and observation window 23 are optically connected via an objective optical system 26. A signal line 27 (image transmission system) is connected to the solid-state image sensor 25. The illumination window 24 is optically connected to the end of the optical fiber bundle 28.

One end of a cable 30 is connected to the lower end of the grip 11 , and the other end of the cable 30 is connected to a processing device 31 . The processing device 31 includes a scanning control circuit and a light source. This scanning control circuit is electrically connected to the solid-state image sensor 25 via the signal line 27 described above, and the light source is optically connected to the illumination window 24 via the optical fiber bundle 28 described above. The signal line 27 and the optical fiber bundle 28 pass through the insertion section 20 , the operating body 10 , and the cable 30 to reach the processing device 31 .

A freezer 33, a receiver 34 consisting of a CRT display, and a video tape recorder 35 are connected to the processing device 31.

The operation of the endoscopic device having the above configuration will be explained. The operator holds the gripping section 11 of the endoscope with his left hand and inserts the insertion section 20 into the body cavity of the subject. For example, insert it from the mouth into the stomach. The light from the light source in the processing device 31 passes through the optical fiber bundle 28 and reaches the illumination window 2.
4 and irradiates into the body cavity. The reflected light from the inner wall of the body cavity passes through the observation window 23 and the objective optical system 26 to the solid-state image sensor 2.
Reach 5. As a result, the image of the inner wall of the body cavity is captured by the solid-state image sensor 2.
The image is formed on the light receiving surface of 5.

The solid-state image sensor 25 charges and converts the projected image based on a scan control signal from a scan control circuit in the processing device 31 to generate a video signal. The scanning control circuit receives a video signal from the solid-state image pickup device 25 and sends the video signal to the receiver 34 via the freezer 33. As a result, the receiver 34
An image of the inner wall of the body cavity is displayed.

The operator operates the endoscope while looking at the image receiver 34 to observe the inside of the body cavity. If necessary, operate the freezer 33 to receive the image I! 34 is temporarily stopped or recorded by a video tape recorder 35.

The operator grips the grip portion 11 of the endoscope in a so-called manual manner, as if holding a pistol, as shown in FIG. The grip portion 11 is placed on the palm of the hand and supported with the ring finger and little finger. The thumb, index finger, and middle finger are used to control the operation dial 14.
Used to operate 15. In this gripping state,
Normally elbow B should be bent.

As mentioned above, the axis 11a of the gripping part 11 is aligned with the insertion part 2.
Since the gripping portion 11 is inclined downwardly and away from the tip of the insertion portion 20 with respect to the axis 20a of the
When gripping, the axis of the arm distal to the elbow B and the axis 20a of the insertion portion 20 are approximately parallel. In this specification, "substantially parallel" means that an error of about 20' is allowed, and also includes the case where the two force axes 20a and D are on a straight line. The ideal crossing angle θ, which is parallel when gripped most naturally, is 55 to 75 degrees, although there are individual differences in hand shape and grip style.
is within the range of In addition, even if you twist your arm with your wrist slightly rotated up and down as shown in Figure 3, even if it is somewhat unnatural, the operability of your fingers will improve.
Since grip strength does not decrease, the above-mentioned crossing angle e should be set at 40 to 80 degrees.
In addition, since the axis 20a of the insertion section 20 passes through approximately the center of the gripping section 11, it becomes approximately the same straight line as the axis of the arm. Note that the role of the detour portion 12 is that the axis 20a of the insertion portion 20 does not need to be aligned with the axis of the arm, and these axes 20a
, D may be simply shortened.

By turning the operation dial 14 with the thumb and forefinger and turning the operation dial 15 with the thumb and middle finger, the bending portion 21 is operated to bend as described above.

When changing the direction of the insertion section 20 in the body cavity, while holding the insertion section 20 in the above-mentioned state, twist the arm on the distal side from the elbow B (indicated by arrow M-M in FIG. 3). Twist. When twisting the insertion portion 20, there is almost no need to bend the wrist, so the mobility and grip strength of each finger are not reduced.
For this reason, the operation dial 14 with the thumb, index finger, and middle finger
．． 15 can be performed reliably and stably, and the grip part 11 can be gripped reliably and stably with the ring finger and little finger to prevent the endoscope from being dropped. Since the axis of the arm and the axis 20a of the insertion section 20 are almost in a straight line, when twisting the arm, the axis 20a of the insertion section 20 outside the body cavity draws a circle around the axis of the arm. There will be no inconvenience that may cause pain to the subject.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the operating body 40 includes a grip portion 41
and a support part 43 for supporting the proximal end part of the insertion part 20, and the support part 43 protrudes forward from the middle part of the grip part 41. One or two operation dials 44 for operating the bending section 21 are rotatably provided on the upper side surface of the grip section 41 . The axis 41a of the gripping part 41 is inclined with respect to the axis 43a of the support part 43 and the axis 20a of the insertion part 20, as described above, and forms an intersecting angle e. Note that this crossing angle θ has the above-mentioned angle range, and the same applies to the following embodiments. In this embodiment, the support part 43 is inserted between the index finger and the middle finger, the part above the support part 43 in the grip part 41 is supported by the index finger, and the part below the support part 43 is supported by the middle finger, ring finger, and little finger. The bending operation of the operation dial 44 is performed mainly using the thumb and supplementally using the index finger.

In this case, the axis of the arm and the axis 20a of the insertion section 20 are
They are almost parallel, and although they are not necessarily in a straight line, the distance between them is short. This is because the axis 20a of the insertion section 20 passes between the index finger and the middle finger, and passes approximately at or near the center of the grip section 41.

It is. In this embodiment, when the arm is twisted, the axis 20a of the insertion section 20 draws a ring around the axis of the arm, but this ring is small and does not cause pain to the subject.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the operation main body 50 is formed by a grip portion 51 and a support portion 53 provided at the upper end of the grip portion 51. In the embodiment shown in FIG. The insertion section 20 and the cable 30 are connected to both ends of the support section 53 in a straight line with the axis 53a of the support section 53. The axis 51a of the gripping part 51 is connected to the supporting part 53, the insertion part 20, and the cable 30.
It is inclined at an intersecting angle θ with respect to each of the axes 53a, 20a, and 30a. In this embodiment, compared to the two embodiments described above, the axis 20a of the insertion section 20 is farther away from the axis of the arm, but since these axes 20a and D are almost parallel, the arm When the insertion part 20 is twisted, the insertion part 20 does not swing significantly at a position close to the subject, and does not cause pain to the subject. Furthermore, since the cable 30 is approximately parallel to the axis of the arm, the cable 30 does not swing significantly when the arm is twisted, so it does not get in the way.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the operation main body 60 includes a grip portion 61, a detour portion 62 that bends and extends from the side surface of the approximately central portion of the grip portion 61, and a support portion 63 that extends further forward from the detour portion 62. The operation dial 64 for the 6-curve operation has a detour portion 62 on the side surface of the grip portion 61.
is rotatably supported at the proximal end of. The axis 61a of the gripping part 61 is aligned with the axis 63a of the support part 63 and the insertion part 20.
It is inclined with respect to the axis 20a in the same manner as described above, and forms an intersecting angle e. The shape of the detour portion 62 is determined such that the axis 20a of the insertion portion 20 passes approximately through the center of the grip portion 61. In this embodiment as well, the axis 20a' of the insertion portion 20 is substantially in line with the axis of the arm, similar to the embodiment shown in FIG.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 7, the operating body 70 has a parallelogram shape, and has a hole 70a formed therein for finger insertion. The sloping portion on the left side in the figure serves as a gripping portion 71, and an operation dial 74 is provided on the side surface of the upper end of this gripping portion 71. Further, the insertion portion 20 is connected to the center of the right inclined portion of the operation main body 70. The axis 71a of the gripping part 71 is
It is inclined with respect to the axis 20a of the insertion portion 20 and forms an intersecting angle θ. The axis 20a of the insertion section 20 passes through approximately the center of the grip section 71. In this embodiment as well, the axis of the arm can be made substantially in line with the axis 20a of the insertion section 20.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 8, the operation main body 80 consists only of a grip part 81, and the insertion part 20 and the cable 30 extend coaxially from the lower end of the grip part 81. Grip part 8
An operation dial 84 is provided at the upper part of 1. The axis 81a of the gripping part 81 is inclined with respect to the axis 20a of the insertion part 20 and the axis 30a of the cable 30, forming an intersecting angle θ.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various embodiments are possible. For example, in the above embodiment, mechanisms such as air supply, water supply, suction, etc. have been omitted from the explanation, but it goes without saying that the present invention can also be applied to a structure in which the operation parts of these mechanisms are provided in the sweeping body. Furthermore, instead of using a solid-state image sensor and a signal line, an optical fiber bundle for image transmission (image transmission system) is housed in the insertion section, and the light incident from the observation window via the objective optical system is transmitted to the optical fiber bundle. The optical fiber bundle was received at one end face, and guided outside the operating body in the same way as the optical fiber bundle for illumination.The image appearing on the other end face was captured by a television camera, and the image inside the body cavity was projected by a receiver. It can also be applied to things.

(Effects of the Invention) As explained above, if the endoscope of the present invention is used, the operator can use a completely new method in which the operator grasps the grip part as if holding a pistol and twists the arm at least on the distal side of the elbow. , the insertion part can be twisted, and the wrist does not need to be bent at this time, so finger mobility and grip strength are not impaired.
For example, operations such as bending operations and gripping of the endoscope can be performed reliably and stably. Moreover, a wide practical twisting angle range can be adopted. Furthermore, since the axis of the arm and the axis of the insertion tube are almost parallel, when the arm is twisted, the insertion tube does not swing too far near the patient, which can cause pain to the patient. can be prevented.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of the endoscope and attached devices, Fig. 2 is a rear view of the endoscope, Fig. 3 is a side view showing the state in which the endoscope is held, and Figs. 4 to 8 are respectively Figures 9 to 12 show examples of different ponds, and Figures 9 to 12 show conventional endoscopes and how to hold them. Figure 9 is a side view, and Figure 10 is a rear view partially cut away. , FIG. 11, and FIG. 12 are rear views showing states in which the insertion portion is twisted in different directions from the state shown in FIG. 10. 10.40, 50, 60, 70.80... operation main body,
11.4 j, 51.61.71', 8.1...Holding part, 11a, 21a, 51a, 61a, 71a, 81a
... Axis of the gripping part, 20... Insertion part, 20a...
Axis of insertion section, 27...Signal line (image transmission system)

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) Comprising an operation main body having a grip and an insertion section extending from the operation main body and to be inserted into a body cavity, one end of the image transmission system is disposed within the insertion section and the other end is led out to the outside of the operation main body. In a conventional endoscope, the axis of the gripping portion is
An endoscope characterized in that the endoscope is inclined downwardly and away from the distal end of the insertion section with respect to the axis of the insertion section. (2) The intersection angle between the axis of the gripping part and the axis of the insertion part is 4
The endoscope according to claim 1, which has an angle of 0 to 80 degrees. (3) The intersection angle between the axis of the gripping part and the axis of the insertion part is 5
The endoscope according to claim 2, which has an angle of 5 to 75 degrees.