Electric bending endoscope apparatus

• US 20040054258A1
• Filed: 03/24/2003
• Published: 03/18/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Company Ltd. (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Ikeda, Yuichi, Kimoto, Seiichiro, Honda, Takemitsu, Arai, Keiichi, Kawai, Toshimasa, Miyagi, Takayasu, Maeda, Toshinari
• Granted Patent: US 7,060,027 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/152
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00042 for mechanical operation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0016 using motor drive units
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0052 Constructional details of control elements, e.g. handles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/009 with bending or curvature detection of the insertion part

Abstract

Driving force of a bending motor is transmitted to a sprocket via a clutch mechanism portion. The operation of a switching operation lever switches the clutch mechanism portion to a disconnecting/restoring status. A bending control device includes a bending angle calculating portion which calculates information on a bending status based on an output signal of a potentiometer, a motor driving signal generating portion which generates a driving signal for bending a bending portion, a JS-motor driving signal generating portion which calculates a position for an instructing status of a stick portion based on the information on the bending status and generates the driving signal for moving the stick portion to the position, and a calibration instructing portion which receives a position signal from a status detecting switch and which sends an instruction for outputting to a JS motor, the driving signal generated by the JS-motor driving signal generating portion. With the above construction, the calibration operation is easily performed in a freely bending status.

Claims

1. An electric bending endoscope apparatus comprising:

an electric bending endoscope having a bending portion at an inserting portion thereof and a bending driving portion with a plurality of members for bending the bending portion;

a bending motive device which drives the bending driving portion;

a bending angle detecting portion which detects an operating status of the bending driving portion and detects a bending status of the bending driving portion;

a bending operation instructing portion having an instructing member which outputs a bending instructing signal for bending the bending portion, the bending operation instructing portion matching an instructing status of the instructing member to the bending status of the bending portion with a positional relationship;

a bending control device comprising a driving signal generating portion which generates a driving signal outputted to the bending motive device based on the bending instructing signal outputted from the bending operation instructing portion and information on a bending position indicating the bending status detected by the bending angle detecting portion;

a portion for restoring transmission and disconnection of driving force which reversibly switches a transmitting status for transmitting the driving force of the bending motive device to the bending driving portion or a disconnecting status; and

a positioning portion which relatively matches the instructing status of the instructing member in the bending operation instructing portion to the bending status of the bending portion.

2. An electric bending endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the portion for restoring transmission and disconnection of driving force is arranged in the halfway or at front and back positions of a plurality of members forming the bending driving portion.

3. An electric bending endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the bending operation instructing portion comprises an instructing member motive portion which drives a position for the instructing status of the instructing member, and

the positioning portion is an instructing member driving signal generating portion which generates a driving signal for the instructing member outputted to the instructing member motive portion based on the information on the bending position detected by the bending angle detecting portion.

4. An electric bending endoscope apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising:

a status switching portion which switches the portion for restoring transmission and disconnection of driving force to a status for disconnecting the transmission of the driving force or a status for restoring the transmission of the driving force.

5. An electric bending endoscope apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising:

a status detecting portion which detects whether the status switching portion is at a position for disconnecting the transmission of the driving force or at a position for restoring the transmission of the driving force.

6. An electric bending endoscope apparatus according to claim 4, wherein when the status detecting portion detects that the status switching portion is switched to the position for restoring the transmission of the driving force from the status for disconnecting the transmission of the driving force, the status detecting portion outputs to the instructing member motive portion, the driving signal for the instructing member which is generated by the instructing member driving signal generating portion.

7. An electric bending endoscope apparatus according to claim 3, wherein when the portion for restoring transmission and disconnection of driving force is in the status for disconnecting the transmission of the driving force, the instructing member driving signal generating portion outputs the driving signal for the instructing member to the instructing member motive portion.

8. An electric bending endoscope apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the positioning portion has a portion for setting a non-bending status which sets the bending portion to a straight status.

9. An electric bending endoscope apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the portion for setting the non-bending status is a tube member which is attached on an outer peripheral surface of the bending portion.

10. An electric bending endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the instructing member in the bending operation instructing portion can manually be set to a predetermined position, and

the positioning portion is a portion for setting the instructing member which sets a position for the instructing status of the instructing member to a predetermined position.

11. An electric bending endoscope apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the portion for setting the position of the instructing member is a tool for setting a straight position which sets the instructing member to a position for a straight status as a neutral position.

12. An electric bending endoscope apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the portion for setting the position of the instructing member is an energizing member which energizes the instructing status of the instructing member to a position for the straight status.

13. An electric bending endoscope apparatus according to claim 11 or 12, further comprising:

when the instructing member is set to the position for the straight status and the positioning operation is performed so that the bending status of the bending portion matches the instructing status,

a portion for invalidating the restoring instruction which invalidates an instructing for switching the portion for restoring transmission and disconnection of driving force to the status for restoring the transmission of the driving force from the status for disconnecting the transmission of the driving force.

14. An electric bending endoscope apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising:

a calibration switch which sends an instruction for positioning operation by the positioning portion.

15. An electric bending endoscope apparatus according to claim 9 or 11, wherein the positioning portion is a tool for setting the straight position which sets the instructing member to the position for the straight status as the neutral position and a tube member which sets the bending portion to the straight status.

16. An electric bending endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the positioning portion is a gear portion which uniquely sets an engaging status of the portion for restoring transmission and disconnection of driving force.

17. An electric bending endoscope apparatus comprising:

an electric bending endoscope having a bending portion at an inserting portion thereof and a bending driving portion with a plurality of members for bending the bending portion;

a bending motive device which drives the bending driving portion;

a portion for restoring transmission and disconnection of driving force which reversibly switches a transmitting status for transmitting the driving force of the bending motive device to the bending driving portion or a disconnecting status;

a bending operation instructing portion having a bending angle detecting portion which detects an operating status of the bending driving portion and detects a bending status of the bending driving portion and an instructing member which outputs a bending instructing signal for bending the bending portion, the bending operation instructing portion matching an instructing status of the instructing member to the bending status of the bending portion with a positional relationship;

a bending control device comprising a driving signal generating portion which generates a driving signal outputted to the bending motive device based on the bending instructing signal outputted from the bending operation instructing portion and information on a bending position indicating the bending status detected by the bending angle detecting portion;

an image processing device which generates an observed image by the electric bending endoscope to a video signal;

a display device which displays the video signal generated by the electric bending endoscope as an endoscope image; and

a positioning portion which relatively matches the instructing status of the instructing member in the bending operation instructing portion to the bending status of the bending portion,

wherein when the instructing member in the bending operation instructing portion is manually set to a predetermined position,

the positioning portion comprises;

a portion for displaying angle information which displays on a screen of the display device, information on a bending status detected by the bending angle detecting portion and a signal for instructing the bending operation indicating an instructing status of the instructing member; and

a notifying portion which notifies that the instructing status of the instructing member matches the information on the bending status.

18. An electric bending endoscope apparatus comprising:

an electric bending endoscope having a bending portion at an inserting portion thereof and bending driving means with a plurality of members for bending the bending portion;

bending motive means which drives the bending driving means;

means for detecting the bending angle which detects an operating status of the bending driving means and detects a bending status of the bending portion;

bending operation instructing means having an instructing member which outputs a bending instructing signal for bending the bending portion, the bending operation instructing means matching an instructing status of the instructing member to the bending status of the bending portion with a positional relationship;

a bending control device comprising a driving signal generating portion which generates a driving signal outputted to the bending motive means based on the bending instructing signal outputted from the bending operation instructing means and information on a bending position indicating the bending status detected by the means for detecting the bending angle;

means for restoring transmission and disconnection of driving force which reversibly switches a transmitting status for transmitting the driving force of the bending motive means to the bending driving means or a disconnecting status; and

positioning means which relatively matches the instructing status of the instructing member in the bending operation instructing means to the bending status of the bending portion.