Endoscope apparatus

• US 4,982,725 A
• Filed: 06/08/1990
• Issued: 01/08/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 07/04/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Nagayama, Yoshikatsu, Hibino, Hiroki, Suzuki, Akira, Takara, Toshiyuki, Yoshikawa, Mutsumi, Takehana, Sakae, Yoshimitsu, Koichi, Goto, Masahito, Oaki, Yoshinao, Aoki, Yoshisada
• Primary Examiner(s): Grieb, William H.
• Application Number:
  US07/535,216
• Time in Patent Office: 214 Days
• Field of Search: 128/4, 128/6, 358/98
• US Class Current: 600/117
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00042 for mechanical operation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00055 for alerting the user
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0016 using motor drive units
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0052 Constructional details of control elements, e.g. handles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/009 with bending or curvature detection of the insertion part
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/12 with cooling or rinsing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6885 Monitoring or controlling sensor contact pressure

Abstract

The endoscope apparatus comprises an endoscope having an elongate insertable part having a bendable part and a driving apparatus for bending and driving the bendable part, a first bending controlling apparatus for controlling the driving apparatus and a second bending controlling apparatus for controlling the driving apparatus independently of the first bending controlling apparatus when the first bending controlling apparatus is controllable.

Claims

1. An endoscope apparatus comprising:

an endoscope having an elongate insertable part having a bendable part and a driving means for bending and driving said bendable part;

a first bending controlling means for controlling said driving means; and

a second bending controlling means for controlling said driving means independently of said first bending controlling means when said first bending controlling means is controllable.

4. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said driving means includes an oscillating wave motor.

5. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said driving means includes an electromagnetic motor.

6. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said second bending controlling means includes a means for controlling said bendable part so as to be of a predetermined bending angle with a predetermined time.

27. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said second bending controlling means is of the case that said driving means is controlled by said first bending controlling means and for controling said driving means.

28. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said second bending controlling means is for controlling said bendable part to be of a predetermined bending angle at a bending speed higher than the bending speed by said first bending controlling means.

29. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said second bending controlling means is for controlling said bendable part to be of a predetermined bending angle at a bending speed lower than the bending speed by said first bending controlling means.

2. An endoscope apparatus comprising:

an endoscope having an elongate insertable part having a bendable part and a driving means for bending and driving said bendable part;

a first bending controlling means for controlling said driving means;

a second bending controlling means for controlling said driving means independently of said first bending controlling means when said first bending controlling means is controllable; and

a bending resistance detecting means for detecting the bending resistance of said insertable part.

7. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said bending resistance detecting means includes a contact sensor provided at the tip of said insertable part.

8. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said bending resistance detecting means includes a contact sensor interposed by a bending wire connecting said bendable part and bending driving means with each other.

9. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said driving means includes an oscillating wave motor and said bending resistance detecting means includes a means for detecting the bending resistance by the difference of a phase angle of the voltage and current of an electric power fed to said oscillating wave motor.

10. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said driving means includes an electromagnetic motor and said bending resistance detecting means inclues a means for detecting the bending resistance from the power amount of the driving power fed to said electromagnetic motor.

11. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 2 further comprising a bending resistance reducing means for reducing the bending resistance on the basis of the output of said bending resistance detecting means.

12. An endoscope apparatus accoring to claim 11 further comprising a selecting means for selecting whether said bending resistance reducing means is to be used or not.

13. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 11 wherein said bending resistance reducing means inclues being selecated prior to said first bending controlling means.

14. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 11 wherein said driving means includes an oscillating wave motor and said bending resistance reducing means includes a control means for controlling said oscillating wave motor to be free.

15. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 14 wherein said oscillating wave motor is controlled to separate the rotor and stator from each other in case said oscillating wave motor is to be made free.

16. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 11 wherein said driving means includes an oscillating wave motor and said bending resistance reducing means includes a controlling means for generating a standing wave in said oscillating wave motor.

17. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 11 wherein said bending resistance reducing means includes a means for controlling said second bending controlling means to drive said driving means in the direction of reducing the bending resistance.

18. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 11 wherein said bending resistance reducing means includes a means for controlling a driving force transmitting means to be free.

19. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 18 wherein said transmitting meanns includes an electromagnetic clutch.

20. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said second bending controlling means includes a means for controlling said bendable part to of a predetermined bending angle by the control of said bending resistance detecting means.

21. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 20 wherein said predetermined bending angle is substantially straight.

22. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 20 further comprising at least one bending angle setting means for setting said predetermined bending angle.

30. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said second bending controlling means is controlled on the basis of the output from said bending resistance detecting means.

31. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said second bending controlling means will control said driving means even in case said first bending controlling means is controlling said driving means.

3. An endoscope apparatus comprising:

an endoscope having an elongate insertable part having a bendable part and a driving means for bending and driving said bendable part;

a first bending controlling means for controlling said driving means;

a second bending controlling means for controlling said driving means independently of said first bending controlling means when said first bending controlling means is controllable; and

a switch means for controlling said second bending controlling means.

23. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said second bending angle controlling means includes a means for controlling said bendable part to be of a predetermined bending angle at predetermined time intervals.

24. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said second bending controlling means includes a means for controlling said bendable part to be of a predetermined bending angle by the control of said switch means.

25. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 24 wherein said predetermined bending angle is substantially straight.

26. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 24 further comprising at least one bending angle setting means for setting said predetermined bending angle.

32. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said second control means will control said driving means even in case said first bending controlling means is controlling said driving means on the basis of the control of said switch means.

33. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said second control means will conntrol said driving means even in case said first bending controlling means is not controlling said driving means on the basis of the control of said switch means.

34. An endoscope apparatus comprising:

an endoscope having an elongate insertable part having a bendable part and a driving means for bending driving said bendable part;

a bending controlling means for controlling said driving means; and

a means for controlling said driving means so as to reduce a bending resistance to be at least lower than a predetermined value when said bending resistance of said insertable part reaches said predetermined value during the operation.

35. An endoscope bending driving controlling apparatus comprising:

a connecting means having a bending resistance detecting means for detecting the bending resistance of the insertable part and at least electrically connectable with an endoscope bent and driven by a driving means; and

a means for controlling said bending controlling means so as to reduce said bending resistance to be lower than at reast a predetermined value when the detected result of said bending resistance detecting means reaches said predetermined value during the operation.

36. An endoscope bending driving controlling apparatus according to claim 35 further internally provided with said driving means.

37. An endoscope bending driving controlling apparatus according to claim 35 wherein said endoscope is internally provided with said driving means.

38. An endoscope bending driving controlling apparatus according to claim 35 further comprising a light source means generating an illuminating light and feeding said illuminating light to said endoscope through said connecting means.