ENDOSCOPE APPARATUS

• US 20120209066A1
• Filed: 04/24/2012
• Published: 08/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Evident Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Hosaka, Yoichi, Ishikawa, Yoshihisa
• Granted Patent: US 8,795,160 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/109
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00052 positioned at proximal end of the endoscope body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00064 Constructional details of the endoscope body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00066 Proximal part of endoscope body, e.g. handles A61B1/0052 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0051 with controlled bending of insertion part
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/04 combined with photographic or television appliances

Abstract

An endoscope apparatus includes an insertion part which has an imaging mechanism at a distal end portion and which is bendable and elongated; a display part which displays an image acquired by the imaging mechanism; a manipulating part which has a swinging body and which performs curving manipulation of the insertion part; and a housing which provides the display part and the manipulating part to a front face thereof, and which connects the insertion part with a back face opposite to the front face.

Claims

1. An endoscope apparatus comprising:

an insertion part which has an imaging mechanism at a distal end portion and which is bendable and elongated;

a display part which displays an image acquired by the imaging mechanism;

a manipulating part which has a swinging body and which performs curving manipulation of the insertion part; and

a housing which provides the display part and the manipulating part to a front face thereof, and which connects the insertion part with a back face opposite to the front face,

wherein the housing includes an upper portion provided with the display part, and a lower portion provided with the manipulating part and having the insertion part connected thereto;

wherein a back face of the lower portion has a first face, which rise up from an upper side of the insertion part toward a proximal end portion of the insertion part, and a second face, which rise up from an down side of the insertion part toward a proximal end portion of the insertion part;

wherein the second face has a first holding face and a second holding face that incline toward both ends of the housing in a right-and-left direction; and

wherein the housing is held so that a thumb of a one hand of the user is positioned at a distal end portion of the swinging body and the other fingers of the one hand of the user arranged at the first face and the second face, and so that the thumb and the other fingers face each other.

2. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein friction members are arranged at the first holding face and the second holding face, and the frictional coefficient of the first holding face and the second holding face are made higher than that of other portions of the housing.

3. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the friction members are elastically deformable.

4. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the first face and the second face are grip faces on which fingers are arranged when a user uses the housing, and the second face is longer than the first face in the dimension of the housing in a vertical direction.

5. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the first holding face and the second holding face are symmetrically arranged across the center of the housing in the right-and-left direction.

6. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the proximal end portion of the insertion part and the swinging body are concentrically arranged in a neutral state of the swinging body.

7. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the manipulating part is connected with the swinging body and a manipulating member,

wherein the endoscope apparatus further comprises a mechanical curving mechanism 23 which curves the insertion part by manipulating the swinging body to advance or retreat the manipulating member.

8. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein in a part of the lower portion where the first holding face and the second holding face are provided, the cross-sectional area that is parallel to the right-and-left direction of the housing and orthogonal to the vertical direction of the housing becomes gradually smaller toward the lower end.