ENDOSCOPE

• US 3,804,081 A
• Filed: 07/26/1972
• Issued: 04/16/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kunio Kinoshita, Mitsuto Itoh
• Original Assignee: Kunio Kinoshita, Mitsuto Itoh
• Inventors: Kinoshita, Kunio, Itoh, Mitsuto
• Primary Examiner(s): Laudenslager, Lucie H.
• Application Number:
  US05/275,428
• Time in Patent Office: 629 Days
• Field of Search: 128/6-9,11
• US Class Current: 600/167
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00165 with light-conductive means, e.g. fibre optics A61B1/07 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00183 for variable viewing angles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00188 with focusing or zooming features

Abstract

An endoscope comprising an object lens movable in the axial direction of the endoscope according to a varied distance between the observation end of the endoscope and the body cavity walls and a rotatable prism for transmitting reflections from the illuminated body cavity to the object lens whereby simple operation of said object lens and prism provides a proper focal distance and enables the desired region of the illuminated body cavity walls to be distinctly observed.

Claims

1. An endoscope comprising:

a flexible tube;

an observation optical system for image transmission and an illumination optical system both mounted in said flexible tube;

a movable object lens assembly disposed on the optical axis of said observation optical system so as to face its light receiving plane;

rotatable reflection means for conducting reflections from a foreground subject illuminated by said illumination optical system to said object lens assembly;

an operating section for driving said object lens assembly and said rotatable reflection means, said operation section including a tubular case connected to said flexible tube and an operating ring rotatably mounted on the tubular case, said operating ring being non-slidable in the axial direction of the tubular case; and

drive transmission means disposed in said tubular case and engaged with said operation ring for converting the rotation of said operation ring to linear motion in the axial direction of said tubular case and transmitting said linear motion to said object lens assembly and reflection means, thereby simultaneously causing said object lens assembly to travel linearly and said reflection means to rotate to an extent corresponding to the rotation of said operating ring.

2. The endoscope according to claim 1 wherein said drive transmission means includes a single flexible filament connecting said object lens assembly and reflection means to said operating ring.

3. The endoscope according to claim 1 wherein:

said rotatable operating ring contains a gear; and

said drive transmission means comprises a gear disposed inside of said operating ring and engaging said operating ring gear, first and second additional gears for independently coupling out the rotating moment of said operating ring, first and second conversion means connected to said first and second additional gears so as to convert the rotation of said additional gears to respective linear movements, and first and second flexible filaments respectively coupled to said first and second conversion means for conducting said linear movements to said object lens assembly and reflection means.

4. THe endoscope according to claim 3 which further comprises a spring connected between the inner wall of the flexible tube and said reflection means for biasing said reflection means in the direction in which said second flexible filament is stretched.

5. The endoscope according to claim 3 wherein said drive transmission means includes a pair of gears disposed inside said operating ring and respectively coupled to said first and second additional gears.

6. The endoscope according to claim 3 wherein said first and second conversion means respectively comprise first and second linearly movable rack gears coupled respectively to said first and second additional gears.

7. The endoscope according to claim 1 wherein:

said rotatable operating ring has at least one pin projectively extending from the inner wall thereof; and

said drive transmission means comprises first and second cylindrical members for converting a rotation of said operating ring into a linear movement in the axial direction of said operating ring, said first and second cylindrical members including on the side walls thereof first and second cam slots, respectively, for engaging said extending pin of the operating ring, such that upon rotation of the operating ring, said cylindrical members independently make a linear movement in said axial direction of said operating ring according to the shapes of said cam slots; and

first and second flexible filaments for respectively transmitting said linear movements of said first and second cylindrical members to said object lens assembly and reflection means.

8. The endoscope accoring to claim 1 which further comprises a spring connected between the inner wall of the flexible tube and said reflection means for biasing said reflection means in the direction in which said second flexible filament is stretched.

9. The endoscope according to claim 7 wherein said cam slots are differently shaped such that different degrees of linear motion are imparted to said first and second cylindrical members upon rotation of said operating ring.

10. The endoscope according to claim 7 wherein said operating ring has a single pin extending inwardly therefrom, said single pin commonly engaging said cam slots of said first and second cylindrical members.

11. The endoscope according to claim 7 wherein said first and second cylindrical members are coaxially mounted within said tubular case.