DISTAL END PORTION OF ENDOSCOPE

• US 20090253966A1
• Filed: 03/10/2006
• Published: 10/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corporation (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corporation (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Ichimura, Hironobu
• Application Number:
  US11/913,886
• Publication Number:
  US 20090253966A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/175
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0008 characterised by distal tip features
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00091 Nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00096 Optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00181 for multiple fixed viewing angles A61B1/00193 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/05 characterised by the image sensor, e.g. camera, being in the distal end portion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/051 Details of CCD assembly
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/12 with cooling or rinsing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/243 Objectives for endoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/2476 Non-optical details, e.g. housings, mountings, supports

Abstract

An air-supplying/water-supplying nozzle for delivering fluid to a second imaging unit for observing a body to be examined which is provided at a distal end portion of an insertion portion to be inserted into a body to be examined in a projecting manner is provided on a non-projecting face of the insertion portion, the non-projecting portion being disposed at a position lower than a flat face of a middle step portion on which the second imaging unit is disposed. Thereby, such a possibility can be reduced that an opening portion of the air-supplying/water-supplying nozzle is caught by an object to be examined and observation or diagnosis work conducted using an observation optical system of an object-contacting type can be conducted.

Claims

1. A distal end portion of an endoscope comprising:

an insertion portion to be inserted into a body to be examined;

a projecting face which is provided at a distal end portion of the insertion portion in a projecting manner and on which an observation portion for observing the body to be examined is disposed; and

a nozzle portion which is provided on a non-projecting face of the insertion portion for delivering fluid to the observation portion.

2. The distal end portion of an endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the nozzle portion comprises at least one of nozzles for air supply and for water supply.

3. The distal end portion of an endoscope according to claim 1, wherein a distal end of the nozzle portion is disposed on a proximal end side rather than the projecting face.

4. The distal end portion of an endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the observation portion has a magnification which allows observation of a structure of a body tissue, and is configured to have a magnification of about 200 times to about 1,000 times.

5. The distal end portion of an endoscope according to claim 4, wherein the observation portion has an observation depth of about 0 to 100 μ

m, and is an observation portion of a contact type for performing observation in a contact state with a body to be examined.

6. The distal end portion of an endoscope according to claim 1, wherein

the non-projecting face has a flat face approximately parallel to the projecting face,

the second observation portion is disposed on the non-projecting flat face, and

a step between the projecting face and the non-projecting flat face is formed to have a height by which the projecting portion face enters in a field of view of the second observation portion.

7. The distal end portion of an endoscope according to claim 6, wherein the step is set to about 0.7 mm.

8. The distal end portion of an endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the distal end portion of the insertion portion has, on a corner portion end edge portion on a distal end portion side face on an opposite side spaced from an arrangement position of the observation portion, a chamfer angle enlargement portion with a chamfer angle larger than that of a corner portion end edge portion on the other side face.

9. The distal end portion of an endoscope according to claim 8, wherein the chamfer angle enlargement portion is set such that a chamfer angle R is in a range of about 1 mm to about 1.3 mm, while the corner portion end edge portion on the side face other than the chamfer angle enlargement portion is set such that the chamfer angle R is in a range of about 0.7 mm to about 1 mm.

10. The distal end portion of an endoscope according to claim 1, wherein

the projecting face is disposed with an illumination portion for emitting illumination light to the body to be examined, and

front end portions of the observation portion and the illumination portion are caused to project forward beyond a flat face position of the projecting face.

11. The distal end portion of an endoscope according to claim 10, wherein

the front end portion of the illumination portion is caused to project forward beyond a front end portion position of the observation portion.

12. A distal end portion of an endoscope comprising:

an insertion portion to be inserted into a body to be examined;

a projecting face which is provided at a distal end portion of the insertion portion in a projecting manner and on which a first observation portion for observing the body to be examined is disposed; and

a nozzle portion which is provided on a non-projecting face of the insertion portion for delivering fluid to a second observation portion disposed on the non-projecting face.

13. The distal end portion of an endoscope according to claim 12, wherein the nozzle portion comprises at least one of nozzles for air supply and for water supply.

14. The distal end portion of an endoscope according to claim 12, wherein a distal end of the nozzle portion is disposed on a proximal end side rather than the projecting face.

15. The distal end portion of an endoscope according to claim 12, wherein the nozzle portion has an opening portion for fluid outflow, and a distal end side of the opening portion and the second observation portion are disposed to be approximately flush with each other.

16. The distal end portion of an endoscope according to claim 12, wherein

the non-projecting face has a flat face approximately parallel to the projecting face,

the second observation portion is disposed on the non-projecting face, and

a step between the projecting face and the non-projecting face is formed to have a height by which the projecting portion can be prevented from entering in a field of view of the second observation portion.

17. The distal end portion of an endoscope according to claim 16, wherein the step is set to about 0.7 mm.

18. The distal end portion of an endoscope according to claim 12, wherein the first observation portion is an observation portion with a magnification higher than that of the second observation portion.

19. The distal end portion of an endoscope according to claim 12, wherein the first observation portion has an observation depth of about 0 to 100 μ

m, and is an observation portion for performing observation in a contact state with a body to be examined.

20. The distal end portion of an endoscope according to claim 12, wherein the distal end portion of the insertion portion has, on a corner portion end edge portion on a distal end portion side face on an opposite side spaced from an arrangement position of the observation portion, a chamfer angle enlargement portion with a chamfer angle larger than that of a corner portion end edge portion on the other side face.

21. The distal end portion of an endoscope according to claim 20, wherein the chamfer angle enlargement portion is set such that a chamfer angle R is in a range of about 1 mm to about 1.3 mm, while the corner portion end edge portion on the side face other than the chamfer angle enlargement portion is set such that the chamfer angle R is in a range of about 0.7 mm to about 1 mm.

22. An distal end portion of an endoscope comprising:

an insertion portion to be inserted into a body to be examined;

a first distal end face which is provided at a distal end portion of the insertion portion and on which a first observation portion for observing the body to be examined is disposed;

a second distal end face which is provided on a distal end side to the first distal end face in a projecting manner and on which a second observation portion for observing the body to be examined is disposed; and

a nozzle portion for delivering fluid to the first observation portion disposed on the first distal end face.

23. The distal end portion of an endoscope according to claim 22, wherein the nozzle portion comprises at least one of nozzles for air supply and for water supply.

24. The distal end portion of an endoscope according to claim 22, wherein a distal end of the nozzle portion is disposed on a proximal end side rather than the second distal end face.

25. The distal end portion of an endoscope according to claim 22, wherein the nozzle portion has an opening portion, and a distal end side of the opening portion and the first observation portion are disposed to be approximately flush with each other.

26. The distal end portion of an endoscope according to claim 22, wherein at least a portion of the first distal end face has a flat face approximately parallel to the second distal end face, and

a step between the first distal end face and the second distal end face is formed to have a height by which the second distal end face can be prevented from entering in a field of view of the first observation portion.

27. The distal end portion of an endoscope according to claim 26, wherein the step is set to about 0.7 mm.

28. The distal end portion of an endoscope according to claim 22, wherein the second observation portion is an observation portion with a magnification higher than that of the first observation portion.

29. The distal end portion of an endoscope according to claim 22, wherein the second observation portion has an observation depth of about 0 to 100 μ

m, and is an observation portion for performing observation in a contact state with a body to be examined.

30. The distal end portion of an endoscope according to claim 22, wherein the distal end portion of the insertion portion has, on a corner portion end edge portion on a distal end portion side face on an opposite side spaced from an arrangement position of the observation portion, a chamfer angle enlargement portion with a chamfer angle larger than that of a corner portion end edge portion on the other side face.

31. The distal end portion of an endoscope according to claim 30, wherein the chamfer angle enlargement portion is set such that a chamfer angle R is in a range of about 1 mm to about 1.3 mm, while the corner portion end edge portion on the side face other than the chamfer angle enlargement portion is set such that the chamfer angle R is in a range of about 0.7 mm to about 1 mm.

32. A distal end portion of an endoscope comprising:

an insertion portion to be inserted into a body to be examined;

a first distal end face which is provided at a distal end portion of the insertion portion and on which a first observation portion for observing the body to be examined is disposed;

a second distal end face which is provided on a proximal end side to the first distal end face and on which a second observation portion for observing the body to be examined is disposed; and

an opening portion for delivering a fluid toward a distal end side provided on the second distal end face.

33. The distal end portion of an endoscope according to claim 32, wherein the nozzle portion comprises at least one of nozzles for air supply and for water supply.

34. The distal end portion of an endoscope according to claim 32, wherein a distal end of the nozzle portion is disposed on a proximal end side to the first distal end face.

35. The distal end portion of an endoscope according to claim 32, wherein the nozzle portion has an opening portion, and a distal end side of the opening portion and the second observation portion are disposed to be approximately flush with each other.

36. The distal end portion of an endoscope according to claim 32, wherein at least a portion of the second distal end face has a flat face approximately parallel to the first distal end face, and

a step between the second distal end face and the first distal end face is formed to have a height by which the first distal end face can be prevented from entering in a field of view of the first observation portion.

37. The distal end portion of an endoscope according to claim 36, wherein the step is set to about 0.7 mm.

38. The distal end portion of an endoscope according to claim 32, wherein the second observation portion is an observation portion with a magnification higher than that of the first observation portion.

39. The distal end portion of an endoscope according to claim 32, wherein the second observation portion has an observation depth of about 0 to 100 μ

m, and is an observation portion for performing observation in a contact state with a body to be examined.

40. The distal end portion of an endoscope according to claim 32, wherein the distal end portion of the insertion portion has, on a corner portion end edge portion on a distal end portion side face on an opposite side spaced from an arrangement position of the observation portion, a chamfer angle enlargement portion with a chamfer angle larger than that of a corner portion end edge portion on the other side face.

41. The distal end portion of an endoscope according to claim 40, wherein the chamfer angle enlargement portion is set such that a chamfer angle R is in a range of about 1 mm to about 1.3 mm, while the corner portion end edge portion on the side face other than the chamfer angle enlargement portion is set such that the chamfer angle R is in a range of about 0.7 mm to about 1 mm.

42. A distal end portion of an endoscope comprising:

an insertion portion to be inserted into a body to be examined;

a first distal end face which is provided at a distal end portion of the insertion portion and on which a first observation portion for observing the body to be examined is disposed;

a second distal end face which is provided on a distal end side to the first distal end face in a projecting manner and on which a second observation portion for observing the body to be examined is disposed;

a third distal end face which is provided on a proximal end side to the first distal end face; and

a nozzle portion provided on the third distal end face for delivering a fluid to the first observation portion.

43. The distal end portion of an endoscope according to claim 42, wherein the nozzle portion comprises at least one of nozzles for air supply and for water supply.

44. The distal end portion of an endoscope according to claim 42, wherein a distal end of the nozzle portion is disposed on a proximal end side to the second distal end face.

45. The distal end portion of an endoscope according to claim 42, wherein the nozzle portion has an opening portion, and a distal end side of the opening portion and the first observation portion are disposed to be approximately flush with each other.

46. The distal end portion of an endoscope according to claim 42, wherein at least a portion of the first distal end face has a flat face approximately parallel to the second distal end face, and

a step between the first distal end face and the second distal end face is formed to have a height by which the second distal end face can be prevented from entering in a field of view of the first observation portion.

47. The distal end portion of an endoscope according to claim 46, wherein the step is set to about 0.7 mm.

48. The distal end portion of an endoscope according to claim 42, wherein the second observation portion is an observation portion with a magnification higher than that of the first observation portion.

49. The distal end portion of an endoscope according to claim 42, wherein the second observation portion has an observation depth of about 0 to 100 μ

m, and is an observation portion for performing observation in a contact state with a body to be examined.

50. The distal end portion of an endoscope according to claim 42, wherein the distal end portion of the insertion portion has, on a corner portion end edge portion on a distal end portion side face on an opposite side spaced from an arrangement position of the observation portion, a chamfer angle enlargement portion with a chamfer angle larger than that of a corner portion end edge portion on the other side face.

51. The distal end portion of an endoscope according to claim 50, wherein the chamfer angle enlargement portion is set such that a chamfer angle R is in a range of about 1 mm to about 1.3 mm, while the corner portion end edge portion on the side face other than the chamfer angle enlargement portion is set such that the chamfer angle R is in a range of about 0.7 mm to about 1 mm.