Endoscope apparatus provided with curvature and fluid flow control
First Claim
1. An endoscope comprising:
- an elongated inserting section including a curvable curvature portion formed adjacent to a distal end of said inserting section, wherein said curvature portion is curvable in more than two directions;
illuminating-light outgoing means for projecting an illuminating light from said distal end of said inserting section;
an objective optical system formed at said distal end of said inserting section, for observing an object illuminated by said illuminating light;
a fluid line having an opening thereof formed adjacent to said distal end of said inserting section, for executing at least one function of outflow and inflow of fluid with respect to said opening;
an operating section formed at a proximal end of said inserting section, and provided with a grasping portion capable of being grasped by a hand of an operator;
a cross-pad having a plurality of touch-actuated pad sections for controlling curvature in a plurality of directions including one upward-direction curvature indicating touch-actuated pad section being disposed nearest the inserting section of the endoscope in said plurality of touch-actuated pad sections, said cross-pad being mounted on a first surface of said operating section for executing a curvature operation in an indicated direction selectable from said more than two directions to curve said curvature portion in said direction, wherein said upward-direction curvature indicating touch-actuated pad section indicates curving of said curvature portion in a direction corresponding to an upward direction of afield of view of said objective optical system, and wherein said first surface is inclined with respect to an adjacent surface of said grasping portion located on the same side of said operating section as said first surface;
at least one fluid control operating element arranged on a second surface of said operating section, and arranged at a position substantially opposed to said cross-pad mounted on said first surface for executing operation to control at least one function of the outflow and the inflow of said fluid;
detecting means for detecting whether or not said cross-pad and said fitlid control operating element are simultaneously operated andinhibiting means for inhibiting operation of said curvature section when said cross-pad is activated whenever said detecting means detects that said cross-pad and said fitlid control operating element are simultaneously operated.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In an endoscope, a curvature indicating element for curvature-indicating a curvable curvature section provided adjacent to a distal end of an elongated inserting section having elasticity is arranged at a location close to a thumb of a hand grasped by an operator in the operating section provided at a proximal end portion of an inserting section. An operating element for controlling operation of fluid such as outflow, inflow or the like is arranged at location opposite to the curvature indicating element in the operating section. Thus, operations of the curvature operation, outflow and inflow of the fluid and the like can be executed simultaneously under a condition where the operating section is grasped.
66 Citations
14 Claims
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1. An endoscope comprising:
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an elongated inserting section including a curvable curvature portion formed adjacent to a distal end of said inserting section, wherein said curvature portion is curvable in more than two directions; illuminating-light outgoing means for projecting an illuminating light from said distal end of said inserting section; an objective optical system formed at said distal end of said inserting section, for observing an object illuminated by said illuminating light; a fluid line having an opening thereof formed adjacent to said distal end of said inserting section, for executing at least one function of outflow and inflow of fluid with respect to said opening; an operating section formed at a proximal end of said inserting section, and provided with a grasping portion capable of being grasped by a hand of an operator; a cross-pad having a plurality of touch-actuated pad sections for controlling curvature in a plurality of directions including one upward-direction curvature indicating touch-actuated pad section being disposed nearest the inserting section of the endoscope in said plurality of touch-actuated pad sections, said cross-pad being mounted on a first surface of said operating section for executing a curvature operation in an indicated direction selectable from said more than two directions to curve said curvature portion in said direction, wherein said upward-direction curvature indicating touch-actuated pad section indicates curving of said curvature portion in a direction corresponding to an upward direction of afield of view of said objective optical system, and wherein said first surface is inclined with respect to an adjacent surface of said grasping portion located on the same side of said operating section as said first surface; at least one fluid control operating element arranged on a second surface of said operating section, and arranged at a position substantially opposed to said cross-pad mounted on said first surface for executing operation to control at least one function of the outflow and the inflow of said fluid; detecting means for detecting whether or not said cross-pad and said fitlid control operating element are simultaneously operated and inhibiting means for inhibiting operation of said curvature section when said cross-pad is activated whenever said detecting means detects that said cross-pad and said fitlid control operating element are simultaneously operated. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An endoscope comprising:
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an elongated inserting section including a curvable curvature portion formed adjacent to a distal end of said inserting section, wherein said curvature portion is curvable in more than two directions; illuminating-light outgoing means for projecting an illuminating light from said distal end of said inserting section; an objective optical system formed at said distal end of said inserting section, for observing an object illuminated by said illuminating light; a fluid line having an opening thereof formed adjacent to said distal end of said inserting section, for executing at least one function of outflow and inflow of fluid with respect to said opening; an operating section formed at a proximal end of said inserting section, and provided with a grasping portion capable of being grasped by a hand of an operator; a cross-pad having a plurality of touch-actuated pad sections for controlling curvature in a plurality of directions including one upward-direction curvature indicating touch-actuated pad section being disposed nearest the inserting section of the endoscope in said plurality of touch-actuated pad sections, said cross-pad being mounted on a first surface of said operating section for executing a curvature operation in an indicated direction selectable from said more than two directions to curve said curvature portion in said direction, wherein said upward-direction curvature indicating touch-actuated pad section indicates curving of said curvature portion in a direction corresponding to an upward direction of afield of view of said objective optical system, wherein said first surface is inclined with respect to an adjacent surface of said grasping portion located on the same side of said operating section as said first surface, and wherein said cross-pad includes curvature direction indicating multi-stage ON/OFF switches for controlling the execution of said touch-actuated pad sections by depression of said switches; at least one fluid control operating element arranged on a second surface of said operating section, and arranged at a position substantially opposed to said cross-pad mounted on said first surface section for executing operation to control at least one function of the outflow and the inflow of said fluid, a driving motor for driving said curvature portion; and a control portion supplying a small first amount of electrical current into said driving motor when a first stage of one of said multi-stage ON/OFF switches is ON, said control portion supplying a second amount of electrical current greater than said first amount of electrical current into said driving motor when a second stage of one of said multi-stage ON/OFF switches is ON.
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Specification