COOLING UNIT AND LIGHT SOURCE APPARATUS FOR ENDOSCOPE

• US 20170319056A1
• Filed: 07/25/2017
• Published: 11/09/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: SHIROTA, Yutaka, WATANABE, Masaaki
• Granted Patent: US 10,638,923 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00117 Optical cables in or with an endoscope
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00126 optical, e.g. for light supply cables
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/06 with illuminating arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0669 at proximal end of an endoscope
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0684 using light emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/128 provided with means for regulating temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/2469 using optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/26 using light guides for illumination G02B23/2469
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/145 having sequential partially reflecting surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/008 with means for compensating for changes in temperature or for controlling the temperature; thermal stabilisation

Abstract

The cooling unit includes: an opening part through which the cooling media flow in; a first flow path; a second flow path; a first heat generation section; a second heat generation section; a first heat dissipation section that is thermally connected to the first heat generation section, and is disposed in the first flow path; and a second heat dissipation section that is thermally connected to the second heat generation section, and is disposed in the second flow path. The second flow path is disposed between the first and second heat generation sections and the first flow path, and the first heat dissipation section has a thermal resistance value smaller than a thermal resistance value of the second heat dissipation section.

Claims

1. A cooling unit that is configured to dissipate heat generated from a plurality of heat generation sections to cooling media by a plurality of heat dissipation sections, the plurality of heat dissipation sections being provided corresponding to the plurality of heat generation sections respectively, the cooling unit comprising:

an opening part through which the cooling media flow in;

a first flow path that is connected to the opening part to form a space through which a first cooling medium passes, among the cooling media flowing in from the opening part;

a second flow path that is connected to the opening part to form a space through which a second cooling medium passes, among the cooling media flowing in from the opening part, the second cooling medium being different from the first cooling medium;

a first heat generation section;

a second heat generation section;

a first heat dissipation section that is thermally connected to the first heat generation section, and is disposed in the first flow path to dissipate heat to the first cooling medium passing through the first flow path; and

a second heat dissipation section that is thermally connected to the second heat generation section, and is disposed in the second flow path to dissipate heat to the second cooling medium passing through the second flow path, wherein

the second flow path is disposed between the first and second heat generation sections and the first flow path, and

the first heat dissipation section has a thermal resistance value smaller than a thermal resistance value of the second heat dissipation section.

2. The cooling unit according to claim 1, wherein

a value determined by dividing a temperature rise amount by a maximum heat generation amount of the heat generation section at maximum heat generation, is used as a heat dissipation performance index, and

the first heat generation section has a value of the heat dissipation performance index smaller than a value of the heat dissipation performance index of the second heat dissipation section.

3. The cooling unit according to claim 1, wherein the first heat generation section has a value of the maximum heat generation amount larger than a value of the maximum heat generation amount of the second heat generation section.

4. The cooling unit according to claim 2, further comprising:

a third heat generation section having a value of the heat dissipation performance index larger than a value of the heat dissipation performance index of the second heat generation section; and

a third heat dissipation section that is thermally connected to the third heat generation section and is disposed on a downstream side of the second heat dissipation section in flow of the second cooling medium inside the second flow path.

5. The cooling unit according to claim 2, wherein the first heat dissipation section has a surface area larger than a surface area of the second heat dissipation section.

6. A light source apparatus for endoscope, comprising:

the cooling unit according to claim 1; and

a plurality of solid-state light emitting devices emitting light of different wavelengths, as the plurality of heat generation sections.