Endoscope having exchangeable objective unit
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An endoscope comprising:
- (a) a body including a hollow insert portion, said insert portion being elongate and having a hard distal end portion, said insert portion and a proximal end portion including a first and a second receiving space formed in the distal end portion thereof, said first and second receiving spaces extending in an axial direction and being partitioned with each other, said first receiving space being open at a distal end face of said insert portion;
(b) illumination light transmission member whose distal end portion is disposed within said second receiving space and extending backwardly through said insert portion;
(c) a rigid holder extending in an axial direction through said insert portion and projecting backwardly of the proximal end portion, said holder being slidable in said first receiving space between a forward position where a distal end of said holder is disposed near a distal opening of said first receiving space and a backward position where the distal end of said holder is retracted from the distal opening of said first receiving space;
(d) light receiving member mounted on the distal end of said holder, and adapted to receive reflected light from an observation object via an objective optical system;
(e) image transmission member for backwardly transmitting image information received by said light receiving member, said image transmission member being inserted through said insert portion;
(f) an objective unit including said objective optical system, and a sleeve-like support for receiving and supporting said objective optical system, said objective unit being slidably received within said first receiving space, a rear end of said support of said objective unit being detachably connected to the distal end of said holder; and
(g) a fixture mechanism for supporting said holder at said backward position, said backward position of said holder is determined such that a distal end of said objective unit connected to said holder being disposed at the distal opening of said first receiving space, thereby said backward position of said holder being determined in accordance with an axial dimension of said objective unit.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An optical fibers bundle 30 for the use of illumination light transmission is received in a second receiving space 14 of an insert portion 10, and an objective unit 40 is received in a distal end portion of a first receiving space 13. A holder 60 is slidably inserted in the first receiving space 13. An image sensor 65 is supported on a distal end portion of the holder 60. Signal lines 66 from the image sensor 65 extends through the holder 60 and is introduced outside. The objective unit 40 and the holder 60 are threadingly connected with each other.
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Citations
9 Claims
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1. An endoscope comprising:
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(a) a body including a hollow insert portion, said insert portion being elongate and having a hard distal end portion, said insert portion and a proximal end portion including a first and a second receiving space formed in the distal end portion thereof, said first and second receiving spaces extending in an axial direction and being partitioned with each other, said first receiving space being open at a distal end face of said insert portion; (b) illumination light transmission member whose distal end portion is disposed within said second receiving space and extending backwardly through said insert portion; (c) a rigid holder extending in an axial direction through said insert portion and projecting backwardly of the proximal end portion, said holder being slidable in said first receiving space between a forward position where a distal end of said holder is disposed near a distal opening of said first receiving space and a backward position where the distal end of said holder is retracted from the distal opening of said first receiving space; (d) light receiving member mounted on the distal end of said holder, and adapted to receive reflected light from an observation object via an objective optical system; (e) image transmission member for backwardly transmitting image information received by said light receiving member, said image transmission member being inserted through said insert portion; (f) an objective unit including said objective optical system, and a sleeve-like support for receiving and supporting said objective optical system, said objective unit being slidably received within said first receiving space, a rear end of said support of said objective unit being detachably connected to the distal end of said holder; and (g) a fixture mechanism for supporting said holder at said backward position, said backward position of said holder is determined such that a distal end of said objective unit connected to said holder being disposed at the distal opening of said first receiving space, thereby said backward position of said holder being determined in accordance with an axial dimension of said objective unit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. An endoscope comprising:
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(a) a body including a hollow insert portion, said insert portion being elongate and having a hard distal end portion; (b) illumination light transmission means whose distal end portion is disposed within the distal end portion of said insert portion and extending backwardly through said insert portion; (c) an objective optical system disposed within the distal end portion of said insert portion; (d) light receiving means disposed within said insert portion behind said objective optical system, and adapted to receive reflected light from an observation object via said objective optical system; (e) image transmission means for backwardly transmitting image information received by said light receiving means, said image transmission means being inserted through said insert portion; (f) an objective unit including said objective optical system, and a sleeve-like support for receiving and supporting said objective optical system, said objective unit being detachably supported within the distal end portion of said insert portion; and (g) retainer means for retaining said light receiving means within said insert portion, so that an axial position of said light receiving means is adjustable in accordance with an axial dimension of said objective unit; wherein said retainer means having a holder extending in an axial direction of said insert portion and adapted to hold said light receiving means at a distal end portion of said holder, said insert portion including a first and a second receiving space formed in the distal end portion thereof, said first and second receiving spaces extending in the axial direction and partitioned with each other, said first receiving space being opened at a distal end face of said insert portion, said objective unit and said holder being slidably received in said first receiving space, the distal end portion of said illumination light transmission means being received in said second receiving space; wherein said first and second receiving spaces are radially spacedly arranged with each other, a distal end opening of said second receiving space being in a retracted position from the distal end face of said insert portion, said insert portion being provided at the distal end portion with a reflection surface facing with the distal end face opening of said second receiving space and inclined relative to the axis of said insert portion, a distal end portion of said objective unit projecting from the distal end of said insert portion, said objective unit being provided at the distal end portion thereof with a reflection surface for changing an optical path of the reflected light from the observation object.
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Specification