Power driven bending endoscope with detachable insertion portion

• US 20070238927A1
• Filed: 06/01/2007
• Published: 10/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Ikeda, Yuichi, Ishizuka, Tatsuya, Ueno, Haruhiko, Kanazawa, Noriaki, Furukawa, Tatsuya, Masaki, Yutaka, Koitabshi, Masanobu
• Granted Patent: US 7,828,723 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/145
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00105 characterised by modular construction
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/2476 Non-optical details, e.g. housings, mountings, supports

Abstract

A power driven bending endoscope with detachable insertion portion 2 is formed of an insertion body 3 having a flexible bending portion 3B, and a motor unit 4 having an electric motor 23 for driving to bend the bending portion 3B and a potentiometer 26 for detecting a bending state of the bending portion 3B, which are detachably coupled.

Claims

1. A power driven bending endoscope with detachable insertion portion comprising an insertion body having a flexible bending portion, and a power unit having bending drive unit for driving to bend the bending portion and bending state detection unit for detecting a bending state of the bending portion, which are detachably provided.

2. A power driven bending endoscope with detachable insertion portion according to claim 1, wherein the bending state detection unit includes:

a potentiometer for detecting a displacement of a power transmission unit associated with the bending drive unit; and

an encoder for obtaining a rotating speed and a rotating amount of the bending drive unit.

3. A power driven bending endoscope with detachable insertion portion according to claim 1, wherein:

the insertion body is provided with a first power transmission unit for outputting power from the bending drive unit to the bending portion, and the power unit is provided with a second power transmission unit for transmitting the power from the bending drive unit to the first power transmission unit; and

each of the first power transmission unit and the second power transmission unit is provided with positioning unit which always allows an engagement between the first and the second power transmission units at a constant position.

4. A power driven bending endoscope with detachable insertion portion comprising:

an insertion body having a first power transmission unit for transmitting power to a flexible bending portion;

a power unit detachable with respect to the insertion body, which is provided with bending drive unit for generating the power and second power transmission unit engaged with the first power transmission unit to transmit the power of the bending drive unit; and

a separative conduit portion detachable with respect to the insertion body, which is allowed to be communicated with a plurality of tubes disposed in the insertion portion through a single operation, wherein the separative conduit portion is allowed to be assembled to the insertion body in a coupled state with the power unit.

5. A power driven bending endoscope with detachable insertion portion according to claim 4, wherein the power unit is provided with removal prevention unit for preventing the separative conduit from being removed.

6. A power driven bending endoscope with detachable insertion portion according to claim 4, further comprising attachment position regulating unit for regulating a position of an engagement between the second power transmission unit of the power unit and the first power transmission unit of the insertion body when the power unit is coupled with the insertion body.