ENDOSCOPE

• US 20090048488A1
• Filed: 05/23/2006
• Published: 02/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corporation (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Uchimura, Sumihiro
• Granted Patent: US 8,517,926 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/152
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0052 Constructional details of control elements, e.g. handles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0056 the insertion parts being asymmetric, e.g. for unilateral bending mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0058 using shape-memory elements
• 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 23/2476 Non-optical details, e.g. housings, mountings, supports

Abstract

There is provided an endoscope capable of obtaining operability for changing a shape of a bending portion and improving responsiveness.

A bending portion 27 in the vicinity of an insertion portion is formed with an EPAM actuator 28. When bending instruction in an arbitrary direction, for example in an upward direction is performed by bending amount instruction means 81, a bending amount control means 80 bends the EPAM actuator 28 by driving EPAM drive means 78u and applying a driving voltage between electrodes 74u, 75 in response to the bending instruction. When the bending amount instruction means 81 performs instruction operation for returning the EPAM actuator to a straight direction to cancel the bending in the upward direction, inversion instruction detection means 80a detects the operation and applies a driving voltage for bending in a downward direction to set the EPAM actuator 28 in an instructed state at high speed.

Claims

1. An endoscope provided with a bending portion in an insertion portion, comprising:

an actuator formed with a conductive polymer member that extends and contracts according to application of a driving voltage, the actuator configuring the bending portion;

bending instruction operation means for performing instruction operation of a bending direction to bend the actuator from a reference direction to an arbitrary direction; and

control means for performing control to generate a driving voltage for bending the actuator in a direction returning to the reference direction when detecting an instruction operation in the direction returning to the reference direction after detecting instruction operation of the bending direction by the bending instruction operation means.

2. The endoscope according to claim 1, further comprising:

driving voltage applying means for applying a driving voltage to the actuator in response to the instruction operation of the bending direction by the bending instruction operation means; and

detection means for detecting displacement amount of the actuator by the application of the driving voltage by the driving voltage applying means.

3. The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the control means, when detecting the instruction operation in the direction returning to the reference direction, judges that instruction operation in the direction returning to the reference direction has performed if an amount of the instruction operation in the direction returning to the reference direction is equal to or larger than a threshold value set in advance.

4. The endoscope according to claim 2, wherein the detection means detects the displacement amount by measuring capacitance between electrodes when a driving voltage is applied between the electrodes of the actuator.

5. The endoscope according to claim 1, further comprising, current limiting means for limiting current flowing to the actuator when a driving voltage is applied to the actuator.

6. The endoscope according to claim 1, further comprising, discharge means for discharging electric charge between the electrodes of the actuator.

7. The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the bending portion configured of the actuator is provided in plural numbers in a longitudinal direction of the insertion portion.

8. The endoscope according to claim 2, further comprising, current limiting means for limiting current flowing to the actuator when a driving voltage is applied to the actuator.

9. The endoscope according to claim 2, further comprising, discharge means for discharging electric charge between the electrodes of the actuator.

10. The endoscope according to claim 2, wherein the bending portion configured of the actuator is provided in plural numbers in a longitudinal direction of the insertion portion.