Endoscope provided with flexible signal wires

• US 4,919,114 A
• Filed: 01/09/1989
• Issued: 04/24/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Miyazaki, Atsushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Grieb, William H.
• Application Number:
  US07/294,437
• Time in Patent Office: 470 Days
• Field of Search: 128/4, 128/6, 358/98
• US Class Current: 600/110
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00183 for variable viewing angles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0051 with controlled bending of insertion part
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/05 characterised by the image sensor, e.g. camera, being in the distal end portion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0669 at proximal end of an endoscope
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0676 at distal tip of an endoscope
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/2476 Non-optical details, e.g. housings, mountings, supports

Abstract

The endoscope of the present invention, in which the flexibility of a part of a signal wire inserted through the insertable part is varied, is provided with a flexible insertable part to be inserted into a body cavity. A solid state imaging device obtains an optical image of an observed part through an observing window provided in the tip part of the insertable part. A signal wire inserted through the above mentioned insertable part, is electrically connected to the above mentioned solid state imaging device and has parts with different flexibility.

Claims

1. An endoscope including:

a flexible insertable part;

a solid state imaging device obtaining an optical image of an observed part through an observing window provided in a tip part of said insertable part; and

signal wires inserted through said insertable part, electrically connected to said solid state imaging device and said signal wires having parts with higher flexibility than other parts thereof in a lengthwise direction.

2. An endoscope according to claim 1 wherein further said insertable part is provided in a rear of said tip part with a curvable part curving to direct said tip part in a predetermined direction.

3. An endoscope according to claim 2 wherein said signal wires are made higher in flexibility in a part inserted through said curvable part than in other parts.

4. An endoscope according to claim 3 wherein said signal wires are shielding wires coated on an outer periphery with an external conductor.

5. An endoscope according to claim 4 wherein said external conductor is knitted of fine wires formed of an electric conductive material and is knitted in one layer within said curvable part and is knitted in two layers in the other parts.

6. An endoscope according to claim 4 wherein said external conductor is knitted of fine wires formed of an electric conductive material and is more coarsely knitted within said curvable part than in the other parts.

7. An endoscope according to claim 4 wherein said shielding wires consist of a first shielding wire inserted through said curvable part and a second shielding wire inserted through the other parts electrically connected with each other and knitting density of the external conductor of the first shielding wire is lower than knitting density of the external conductor of the second shielding wire.