Endoscope

• US 4,979,497 A
• Filed: 03/23/1990
• Issued: 12/25/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Olympus Optical Company Ltd. (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Company Ltd. (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Matsuura, Nobuyuki, Hiroya, Jun
• Primary Examiner(s): Grieb, William H.
• Application Number:
  US07/498,127
• Time in Patent Office: 277 Days
• Field of Search: 128/4, 128/4 A, 128/6, 358/98
• US Class Current: 600/131
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00068 Valve switch arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00096 Optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/042 characterised by a proximal camera, e.g. a CCD camera
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 600/921 Manipulating image characteristics

Abstract

The endoscope comprises an elongate insertable part including an observing window in the tip part and a sucking tube path in the interior, an image forming optical system receiving a light from an object coming in from the observing window and forming an endoscope image, an imaging apparatus for imaging the endoscope image formed by the image forming optical system and an operating part connected to the insertable part at the base on the side opposite the tip part. The operating part includes a holding part arranged on the side near to the insertable part and a switching part arranged on the side far from the insertable part. The switching part includes a plurality of switching devices. The switching device arranged in the position nearest to the holding part among the plurality of switching devices includes a function of controlling sucking using the sucking tube path.

Claims

1. An endoscope comprising:

an elongate insertable part including an observing window in the tip part and a sucking tube path in the interior;

an image forming optical system for receiving a light from an object coming in from said observing window and forming an endoscope image;

an imaging means for imaging said endoscope image formed by said image forming optical system;

an operating part connected to said insertable part at the base on the side opposite said tip part and including a holding part arranged on the side near to said insertable part and a switching part arranged on the side far from said insertable part;

said switching part including a plurality of switching means, said plurality of switching means including a first switching means arranged in the position nearest to said holding part among said plurality of switching means and a second switching means arranged in the position farther from said holding part than said first switching means and said first switching means including a function of controlling sucking using said sucking tube path.

2. An endoscope according to claim 1 wherein said first switching means is arranged just near to the end on said holding part side of said switching part, said second switching means is arranged in a position distinguishable in the operation from said first switching means and near to said first switching means and said first switching means and second switching means are arranged substantially in the lengthwise direction of said insertable part.

3. An endoscope according to claim 1 wherein said first switching means and second switching means are arranged so closely to each other as to be selectively operated with the forefinger of the hand holding said holding part.

4. An endoscope according to claim 3 further comprising a curving means including a curvable part provided in said insertable part and a curving operating means provided in said operating part and for curving said curvable part, said curving opetating means including an operating member arranged on the surface side opposite the plane including said plurality of switching means of said switching part so as to be operatable with the thumb of the hand holding said holding part.

5. An endoscope according to claim 1 further comprising a connecting means for connecting said operating part and outside apparatus with each other and a sucking mouthpiece communicating with said sucking tube path, said connecting means at said operating part side end and said sucking mouthpiece being arranged on the left side surface in case the plane including said plurality of switching means is made a front surface in said switching part and said first switching means and said second switching means being arranged on said insertable part side more than an imaginary plane including the respective center axes of said connecting means and sucking mouth piece.

6. An endoscope according to claim 3 wherein said first switching means and second switching means are both push-button switches and both said switching means pushing directions are parallel with each other.

7. An endoscope according to claim 6 wherein said first switching switch and second switching switch are provided on the same surface which is substantially a plane.

8. An endoscope according to claim 1 wherein said second switching means includes a function of instructing recording a still picture of said endoscope image.

9. An endoscope according to claim 1 wherein said second switching means includes a function of instructing making said endoscope image a still picture.

10. An endoscope according to claim 1 wherein said first switching means and second switching means are both push-button switches.

11. An endoscope according to claim 1 wherein said second switching means includes a plurality of functions.

12. An endoscope according to claim 11 wherein said plurality of functions include a function of instructing recording a still picture of said endoscope image and a function of instructing making said endoscope image a still picture.

13. An endoscope according to claim 11 wherein said second switching means is a push-button switch of twp steps performing two functions.

14. An endoscope according to claim 13 wherein the first step of said push-button switch performs said function of instructing making a still picture and the second step performs said function of instructing recording a still picture.

15. An endoscope according to claim 11 wherein said second switching means performs said plurality of functions by a plurality of operating patterns and said endoscope is further provided with a judging means for judging said plurality of operating patterns of said second switching means.

16. An endoscope according to claim 11 further comprising a means for switching the function of said second switching means.

17. An endoscope according to claim 1 wherein said first switching means has a plurality of functions including said function of controlling sucking.

18. An endoscope according to claim 17 wherein one of said plurality of functions is a function of instructing making said endoscope image a still picture.

19. An endoscope according to claim 18 wherein said first switching means is a push-button switch of two steps performing two functions.

20. An endoscope according to claim 19 wherein the first step of said push-button switch performs said function of instructing making a still picture and the second step performs said function of controlling sucking.

21. An endoscope according to claim 17 wherein one of said plurality of functions is a function of instructing recording a still picture of said endoscope image.

22. An endoscope according to claim 21 wherein said second switching means includes a function of instructing making said endoscope image a still picture and said first switching means has the function switched by said second switching means so as to perform said function of instructing recording a still picture in the state that it is instructed to make a still picture by said second switching means and to perform said function of controlling sucking in other states.

23. An endoscope comprising:

an elongate insertable part including an observing window in the tip part and a sucking tube path in the interior;

an image forming optical system for receiving a light from an object coming in from said observing window and formiong an endoscope image;

an imaging means for imaging said endoscope image formed by said image forming optical system;

an operating part connected to said insertable part at the base on the side opposite said tip part and including a holding part arranged on the side near to said insertable part and a switching part arranged on the side far from said insertable part;

said switching part including a plurality of swithcing means, said plurality of switching means including a first switching means arranged in the position nearest to said holding part among said plurality of switching means and a second switching means the third switching means arranged in the positions farther from said holding part than said first switching means, said first switching means including a function of controlling sucking using said sucking tube path and said second switching means and third switching means being arranged in the direction intersecting substantially at right angles with the lenthwise direction of said operating part.

24. An endoscope according to claim 23 wherein one of said second switching means and third switching means has a function of instructing making said endoscope image a still picture and the other has a function of instructing recording a still picture of said endoscope image.

25. An endoscope apparatus comprising:

an endoscope body having an elongate insertable part including an observing window in the tip part and a sucking tube path in the interior, an image forming optical system for receiving a light from an object coming in from said observing window and forming an endoscope image and an operating part connected to said insertable part at the base on the side opposite said tip part and including a holding part arranged on the side near to said insertable part and a switching part arranged on the side far from said insertable part;

an imaging means for imaging said endoscope image formed by said image forming optical system;

a signal processing means for making the signal from said imaging means an image signal;

a means for making the image made the image signal by said signal processing means a still picture;

a recording means for recording an image by inputting the signal from said signal processing means;

a sucking means connected to said sucking tube path and for sucking using said sucking tube path;

said switching part having a plurality of switching means for performing a plurality of functions including a function of controlling said sucking using said sucking tube path, a function of instructing said recording means to record said image and a function of instructing said means for making still picture to make a still picture and the switching means arranged in the position nearest to said holding part among said plurality of switching means including said function of controlling sucking.

26. An endoscope comprising:

an elongate insertable part including an observing window in the tip part and a sucking tube path in the interior;

an observing means for obtaining an endoscope image including an image forming optical system for receiving a light from an object coming in from said observing window and forming an endoscope image;

an operating part connected to said insertable part at the base on the side opposite said tip part and including a holding part arranged on the side near to said insertable part and a switching part arranged on the side far from said insertable part;

said switching part including a plurality of switching means and the switching means arranged in the position nearest to said holding part among said plurality of switching means including a function of controlling sucking using said sucking tube path.