Endoscope system

• US 6,540,670 B1
• Filed: 03/15/2000
• Issued: 04/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Takizawa, Hironobu, Hirata, Yasuo, Adachi, Hideyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): MULCAHY, JOHN M
• Application Number:
  US09/526,664
• Time in Patent Office: 1,112 Days
• Field of Search: 600/139-142, 600/144, 600/146, 600/152, 604/95.01, 604/95.04
• US Class Current: 600/152
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00042 for mechanical operation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0016 using motor drive units
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0051 with controlled bending of insertion part
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/015 Control of fluid supply or evacuation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/042 characterised by a proximal camera, e.g. a CCD camera
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/07 using light-conductive means, e.g. optical fibres

Abstract

In this invention, a drum around which an insertion portion is wound is integrally housed in a carrying case, and a cylinder for supplying a fluid to a hydropneumatic actuator and a solenoid valve unit for controlling the application of a hydropneumatic pressure are housed in the carrying case or drum. In addition, a joystick for operating the controlled variables of the solenoid valve unit can be housed in the carrying case.

Claims

1. An endoscope system comprising:

an insertion portion to be inserted into a tubular cavity under examination;

an image sensor provided at a distal end of the insertion portion;

a bending portion provided behind said image sensor;

a hydropneumatic actuator for bending said bending portion by applying hydropneumatic pressure, said hydropneumatic actuator having a multi-lumen tube including at least one pressurization chamber;

a cylinder filled with a fluid to be supplied to said hydropneumatic actuator;

a fluid flow rate adjusting portion for adjusting a flow rate of the fluid supplied from said cylinder;

a control unit for controlling said fluid flow rate adjusting portion by a pulse operation;

an operating portion for operating a controlled variable of said control unit; and

a control device for causing said control unit to control said fluid flow rate adjusting portion in accordance with a signal output from said operating portion so as to stop both supply and exhaustion of the fluid to and from said at least one pressurization chamber at an arbitrary pressure.

2. An endoscope system according to claim 1, wherein said multi lumen tube comprises a central hole housing a built-in member, and a plurality of pressurization chambers arranged around the central hole.

3. An endoscope system according to claim 2, wherein said fluid flow rate adjusting portion comprises:

a first solenoid valve for supplying the fluid from said cylinder to said at least one pressurization chamber and stopping supply of the fluid, and

a second solenoid valve for controlling sealing and exhaustion of the fluid supplied from said cylinder to said at least one pressurization chamber.

4. An endoscope system according to claim 3, wherein:

said operating portion comprises a joystick having an operation lever, and

said control unit comprises a circuit section for changing ON times of said first and second solenoid valves in accordance with at least one of an operation amount and operation speed of the operation lever of said joystick.

5. An endoscope system according to claim 3, wherein:

said first and second solenoid valves are identical 3-port valves each having first, second, and third ports for allowing the fluid to flow,

the first port communicates with the second port and the third port closes when a power supply is turned on,

the second port communicates with the third port and the first port closes when the power supply is turned off,

said cylinder is connected to the first port of said first solenoid valve,

the second port of said first solenoid valve is connected to the second port of said second solenoid valve, and

the first port of said second solenoid valve is connected to said at least one pressurization chamber.

6. An endoscope system according to claim 3, wherein:

said first and second solenoid valves are identical 3-port valves each having first, second, and third ports for allowing the fluid to flow,

the first port communicates with the second port and the third port closes when a power supply is turned on,

the second port communicates with the third port and the first port closes when the power supply is turned off,

said cylinder is connected to the first port of said first solenoid valve,

the second port of said first solenoid valve is connected to said at least one pressurization chamber, and

the third port of said first solenoid valve is connected to the third port of said second solenoid valve.

7. An endoscope system according to claim 1, wherein said cylinder is sheathed with a heater, and said heater includes a temperature control circuit for controlling a heating temperature of said cylinder.

8. An endoscope system according to claim 1, wherein the fluid filled in said cylinder is a compressed fluid.

9. An endoscope system according to claim 8, wherein the compressed fluid comprises one of nitrogen and air.

10. An endoscope system according to claim 1, wherein the fluid filled in said cylinder is a liquefied gas.

11. An endoscope system according to claim 10, wherein the fluid filled in said cylinder is liquefied carbon dioxide.

12. An endoscope system according to claim 1, further comprising a take-up drum which is connected to a proximal end portion of said insertion portion and around which said insertion portion can be wound, and a housing case which integrally houses said operating portion, said control unit, and said cylinder.

13. An endoscope system according to claim 12, wherein said cylinder and said control unit are provided in said drum.

14. An endoscope system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a flow rate detector which is interposed between said fluid flow rate adjusting portion and said hydropneumatic actuator, and which detects a flow rate of the fluid to said hydropneumatic actuator, and

wherein the control device controls said fluid flow rate adjusting portion in exhausting the fluid from said hydropneumatic actuator to stop exhausting the fluid from said hydropneumatic actuator if a flow rate value obtained by subtracting an amount of fluid flow rate exhausted from said hydropneumatic actuator from a detection value of the flow rate detected by said flow rate detector is smaller than a predetermined value of a bending start flow rate.

15. An endoscope system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a pressure detector which is interposed between said fluid flow rate adjusting portion and said hydropneumatic actuator, and which detects a pressure of the fluid supplied to said hydropneumatic actuator, and

wherein the control device controls said fluid flow rate adjusting portion in exhausting the fluid from said hydropneumatic actuator to stop exhausting the fluid from said hydropneumatic actuator if a detection value of the pressure detected by said pressure detector is smaller than a predetermined value of a bending start pressure.

16. An endoscope system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a flow rate detector which is interposed between said fluid flow rate adjusting portion and said hydropneumatic actuator, and which detects a flow rate of the fluid to said hydropneumatic actuator, and

wherein the control device controls said fluid flow rate adjusting portion in supplying the fluid to said hydropneumatic actuator to stop supplying the fluid if the flow rate detected by said flow rate detector is higher than a predetermined allowable maximum flow rate.

17. An endoscope system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a pressure detector which is interposed between said fluid flow rate adjusting portion and said hydropneumatic actuator, and which detects a pressure of the fluid supplied to said hydropneumatic actuator, and

wherein the control device controls said fluid flow rate adjusting portion in supplying the fluid to said hydropneumatic actuator to stop supplying the fluid if the pressure detected by said pressure detector is higher than a predetermined allowable maximum pressure.

18. An endoscope system according to claim 1, wherein said fluid flow rate adjusting portion comprises:

a first solenoid valve for supplying the fluid and stopping supply of the fluid, said first solenoid valve being located on a side of the cylinder,

a second solenoid valve for controlling switching between a state wherein the fluid is supplied from said cylinder to said at least one pressurization chamber through said first solenoid valve and a state wherein the fluid is exhausted, and

a third solenoid valve for controlling exhaustion of the fluid from said at least one pressurization chamber through said first and second solenoid valves.

19. An endoscope system according to claim 18, wherein:

said first, second, and third solenoid valves are identical 3-port valves each having first, second, and third ports for allowing the fluid to flow,

the first port communicates with the second port and the third port closes when a power supply is turned on,

the second port communicates with the third port and the first port closes when the power supply is turned off,

said cylinder is connected to the first port of said first solenoid valve,

the second port of said first solenoid valve is connected to the second port of said second solenoid valve,

the first port of said second solenoid valve is connected to said at least one pressurization chamber, and

the first port of said third solenoid valve is connected to the third port of said second solenoid valve.

20. An endoscope system according to claim 1, wherein said fluid flow rate adjusting portion comprises at least one solenoid valve unit including at least one solenoid valve for supplying the fluid from said cylinder to said at least one pressurization chamber and stopping supply of the fluid, and sealing/exhausting the fluid in/from said at least one pressurization chamber.

21. An endoscope system according to claim 20, wherein said hydropneumatic actuator includes first and second pressurization chambers with which said bending portion bends in opposite directions when said pressurization chambers are pressurized, and piping is performed in said hydropneumatic actuator to supply/exhaust the fluid from said cylinder to/from said first and second pressurization chambers by using said at least one solenoid valve.

22. An endoscope system according to claim wherein:

said at least one solenoid valve is a 3-position 5-port valve and includes first and second solenoids for switching connection states of the five ports,

the first and second ports communicates with each other and the third and fifth ports communicate with each other when said first solenoid is turned on,

the first and third ports communicate with each other and the second and fourth ports communicate with each other when said second solenoid is turned on, and the second and third ports communicate with each other and the first port closes when said second solenoid is turned off,

all the ports close when both said first and second solenoid are turned off,

said cylinder is connected to the first port,

said first and second pressurization chambers are respectively connected to said second and third ports, and

the fourth and fifth ports are released to the atmosphere.

23. An endoscope system comprising:

an insertion portion to be inserted into a tubular cavity under examination;

an image sensor provided at a distal end of the insertion portion;

a bending portion provided behind said image sensor;

a hydropneumatic actuator for bending said bending portion by applying hydropneumatic pressure, said hydropneumatic actuator including at least one pressurization chamber;

a cylinder filled with a fluid to be supplied to said hydropneumatic actuator;

a fluid flow rate adjusting portion for adjusting a flow rate of the fluid supplied from said cylinder;

a control unit for controlling said fluid flow rate adjusting portion;

an operating portion for operating a controlled variable of said control unit;

a control device for causing said control unit to control said fluid flow rate adjusting portion in accordance with a signal output from said operating portion so as to stop both supply and exhaustion of the fluid to and from said at least one pressurization chamber at an arbitrary pressure; and

a signal correcting section for correcting a time lag between an operation signal from said operating portion and a bending operation of said bending portion performed by said hydropneumatic actuator.

24. An endoscope system comprising:

an insertion portion to be inserted into a tubular cavity under examination;

an image sensor provided at a distal end of the insertion portion;

a bending portion provided behind said image sensor;

a hydropneumatic actuator for bending said bending portion by applying hydropneumatic pressure, said hydropneumatic actuator including at least one pressurization chamber;

a cylinder filled with a fluid to be supplied to said hydropneumatic actuator;

a fluid flow rate adjusting portion for adjusting a flow rate of the fluid supplied from said cylinder;

a control unit for controlling said fluid flow rate adjusting portion;

an operating portion for operating a controlled variable of said control unit;

a control device for causing said control unit to control said fluid flow rate adjusting portion in accordance with a signal output from said operating portion so as to stop both supply and exhaustion of the fluid to and from said at least one pressurization chamber at an arbitrary pressure; and

a signal correcting section for correcting a time lag between an operation signal from said operating portion and a bending operation of said bending portion performed by said hydropneumatic actuator;

wherein said signal correcting section comprises a detecting section for detecting a bending speed instruction from the signal output from said operating portion, and an exhaustion timing adjusting section for adjusting an exhaustion timing of said fluid flow rate adjusting portion in accordance with the bending speed instruction detected by said detecting section.