Endoscope apparatus

• US 20050182291A1
• Filed: 12/15/2004
• Published: 08/18/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Hirata, Yasuo
• Granted Patent: US 7,691,056 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/101
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00096 Optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00101 the distal tip features being detachable
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/015 Control of fluid supply or evacuation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/06 with illuminating arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0607 for annular illumination
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0676 at distal tip of an endoscope
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0684 using light emitting diodes [LED]

Abstract

An endoscope apparatus including: an elongated insertion section; an adaptor, which has an illuminating section including optical elements, and an observation optical system, that are attached to and removed from a tip of the insertion section; a sensor provided in the adaptor; and electrical contacts for the illumination section, and electrical contacts for the sensor, provided in the adaptor and the tip of the insertion section.

Claims

1. An endoscope apparatus comprising:

an elongated insertion section;

an adaptor which has an illuminating section and an observation optical system that are attached to and removed from a tip of the insertion section;

a sensor provided in the adaptor; and

electrical contacts for the illumination section, and electrical contacts for the sensor, respectively provided in the adaptor and the tip of the insertion section.

2. An endoscope apparatus comprising:

an insertion section having an imaging device;

an adaptor which is attached to and removed from a tip section of the insertion section, and has an optical lens group for an illuminating device and for observation; and

a sensor device which is detachably provided between the adaptor and the tip section, or to the front of the adaptor.

3. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the sensor device is provided with one or more types of measuring device, and an electrical connection device for the measuring device.

4. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 3, wherein:

the sensor device is provided between the adaptor and the tip section;

a bending section of the insertion section is bent by a fluid actuator; and

the measuring device is provided with a pressure sensor for measuring the pressure of a fluid driving the fluid actuator.

5. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

the sensor device is provided with a memory device for storing measured values which is measured by the measuring device.

6. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising

a sensor information measuring device for reading information of the measured values stored in the memory device.

7. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

an identification signal output device, which is provided in both the adaptor and the sensor device, and outputs unique signals according to the types of the adaptor and the sensor device; and

an identification device having a reading and determining device which reads the unique signals, and determines the types of the adaptor and the sensor device.