ENDOSCOPE

• US 20070106119A1
• Filed: 12/28/2006
• Published: 05/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: HIRATA, Yasuo, FUJIKAWA, Shinji
• Application Number:
  US11/617,568
• Publication Number:
  US 20070106119A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/179
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00096 Optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00101 the distal tip features being detachable
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00114 Electrical cables in or with an endoscope
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00124 electrical, e.g. electrical plug-and-socket connection
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00126 optical, e.g. for light supply cables
• 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]
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/2423 of the distal end
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/2484 Arrangements in relation to a camera or imaging device processing or control of video signals generated by an endoscope H04N23/60, H04N23/70

Abstract

An endoscope includes an insertion portion formed in an elongated cylindrical shape; and a cylindrical shaped image pickup adaptor, the pickup adaptor comprising, an electric device arranged on the distal end side thereof, and a proximal end side of the image pickup adaptor being attached to and removed from the distal end side of the insertion portion, wherein a pair of adaptor side electrode terminals conducting with the electric device are arranged on the image pickup adaptor, and a pair of insertion portion side electrode terminals that respectively come into contact with and are electrically connected to the pair of adaptor side electrode terminals, are arranged on the insertion portion so as to respectively face, and be able to come in contact with, the pair of adaptor side electrode terminals, when the image pickup adaptor is attached to the insertion portion.

Claims

1. An endoscope comprising:

an insertion portion formed in an elongated cylindrical shape;

a cylindrical shaped image pickup adaptor, the pickup adaptor comprising, an electric device arranged on the distal end side thereof, and a proximal end side of the image pickup adaptor being attached to and removed from the distal end side of the insertion portion, wherein a pair of adaptor side electrode terminals conducting with the electric device are arranged on the image pickup adaptor; and

a pair of insertion portion side electrode terminals that respectively come into contact with and are electrically connected to the pair of adaptor side electrode terminals, are arranged on the insertion portion so as to respectively face, and be able to come in contact with, the pair of adaptor side electrode terminals, when the image pickup adaptor is attached to the insertion portion.

2. An endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the pair of adaptor side electrode terminals and the pair of insertion portion side electrode terminals are arranged in pairs in a direction different from the direction in which the image pickup adaptor and the insertion portion are attached and detached to and from each other.

3. An endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the pair of adaptor side electrode terminals and the pair of insertion portion side electrode terminals are arranged so as to face each other in a direction orthogonal to the direction in which the image pickup adaptor and the insertion portion are attached and detached to and from each other.

4. An endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the pair of adaptor side electrode terminals and the pair of insertion portion side electrode terminals are arranged so as to face each other in a direction inclined at a constant angle to the direction in which the image pickup adaptor and the insertion portion are attached detached to and from each other.

5. An endoscope according to claim 1, further comprising an aligning section which adjusts the orientation of the image pickup adaptor to the direction the pair of adaptor side electrode terminals and the pair of insertion portion side electrode terminals facing each other, when the image pickup adaptor is attached to the insertion portion.

6. An endoscope according to claim 1, further comprising a biasing device which adjusts a pressing force of the pair of adaptor side electrode terminals and the pair of insertion portion side electrode terminals, when the image pickup adaptor is attached to the insertion portion.

7. An endoscope according to claim 6, wherein the biasing device is a spring member.

8. An endoscope according to claim 6, wherein the biasing device is a rubber member.

9. An endoscope according to claim 8, wherein the rubber member has a conducting property in a direction of pressing.

10. An endoscope according to claim 6, wherein the biasing device is a balloon that inflates when supplied with fluid.

11. An endoscope according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the pair of iron portion side electrode terminals and the pair of adaptor side electrode terminals is formed from an elastic member.

12. An endoscope according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the pair of insertion portion side electrode terminals and the pair of adaptor side electrode terminals is arranged on a flexible substrate that can bend in a plate-thickness direction.

13. An endoscope according to claim 12, wherein the flexible substrate is formed in a strip shape.

14. An endoscope according to claim 12, wherein the flexible substrate is formed in a cylindrical shape.

15. An endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the pair of insertion portion side electrode terminals and the pair of adaptor side electrode terminals are respectively comprising facing surfaces that face each other.

16. An endoscope comprising:

an insertion portion formed in an elongated cylindrical shape;

a cylindrical shaped image pickup adaptor, the pickup adaptor comprising, an electric device arranged on the distal end side thereof, and a proximal end side of the image pickup adaptor being attached to and removed from the distal end side of the insertion portion, wherein a pair of adaptor side electrode terminals conducting with the electric device are arranged on the image pickup adaptor; and

a pair of insertion portion side electrode terminals that respectively come into contact with and are electrically connected to the pair of adaptor side electrode terminals, are arranged on the insertion portion so as to respectively face, and be able to come in contact with, the pair of adaptor side electrode terminals, when the image pickup adaptor is attached to the insertion portion,

wherein the pair of adaptor side electrode terminals and the pair of insertion portion side electrode terminals are arranged in pairs in a direction different from the direction in which the image pickup adaptor and the insertion portion are attached and detached to and from each other.

17. An endoscope according to claim 16, wherein the biasing device is a rubber member and has a conducting property in a direction of pressing.

18. An endoscope comprising:

an insertion portion formed in an elongated cylindrical shape;

a cylindrical shaped image pickup adaptor, the pickup adaptor comprising, an electric device arranged on the distal end side thereof, and a proximal end side of the image pickup adaptor being attached to and removed from the distal end side of the insertion portion, wherein a pair of adaptor side electrode terminals conducting with the electric device are arranged on the image pickup adaptor; and

a pair of insertion portion side electrode terminals that respectively come into contact with and are electrically connected to the pair of adaptor side electrode terminals, are arranged on the insertion portion so as to respectively face, and be able to come in contact with, the pair of adaptor side electrode terminals, when the image pickup adaptor is attached to the insertion portion,

wherein the pair of adaptor side electrode terminals and the pair of insertion portion side electrode terminals are arranged in pairs in a direction different from the direction in which the image pickup adaptor and the insertion portion are attached and detached to and from each other, and

at least one of the pair of insertion portion side electrode terminals and the pair of adaptor side electrode terminals is arranged on a flexible substrate that can bend in a plate-thickness direction.

19. An endoscope according to claim 18, wherein the flexible substrate is formed in a strip shape.

20. An endoscope according to claim 18, wherein the flexible substrate is formed in a cylindrical shape.