Electric bending endoscope

• US 7,008,376 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2003
• Issued: 03/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Ikeda, Yuichi, Ueno, Haruhiko, Arai, Keiichi, Miyagi, Takayasu, Maeda, Toshinari
• Primary Examiner(s): Flanagan, Beverly M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): KASZTEJNA, MATTHEW JOHN
• Application Number:
  US10/673,124
• Publication Number:
  US 20040073085A1
• Time in Patent Office: 893 Days
• Field of Search: 600/136, 600/152
• US Class Current: 600/152
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0051 with controlled bending of insertion part
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/009 with bending or curvature detection of the insertion part

Abstract

An electric bending endoscope includes a bending portion arranged to an inserting portion and a bending driving unit which bends the bending portion. In the electric bending endoscope, the bending driving unit includes a motor which generates driving force for bending the bending portion, a first unit which holds the motor, a driving force transmitting member which transmits the driving force of the motor, and a second unit which bends the bending portion by the driving force of the motor. The electric bending endoscope further includes a first holding member which detachably supports, to the first unit, a rotating shaft arranged to the driving force transmitting member of the second unit.

Claims

1. An electric bending endoscope comprising:

an inserting portion having a bending portion which is inserted in a subject;

an operation wire which is inserted in the inserting portion for bending the bending portion;

a motor for supplying a driving force to the operation wire for bending the bending portion;

a first unit for holding the motor;

a driving force transmitting member which transmits the driving force supplied from the motor to the operation wire in order to bend the bending portion, the driving force transmitting member being connected to the operation wire via a connecting portion;

a second unit for holding the driving force transmitting member;

a first connecting member for connecting the first unit and the second unit so that the driving force of the motor maybe transmitted to the driving force transmitting member; and

a second connecting member for connecting the second unit and the inserting portion so that the bending portion many be bent by the driving force transmitted from the driving force transmitting member.

2. An electric bending endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the driving force transmitting member is rotatably supported by the second unit in order to operate a bending operation member passed through the inserting portion in accordance with the driving of the motor, the first unit has an attaching hole which accommodates a rotating shaft of the driving force transmitting member and at least three positioning holes arranged near the attaching hole, and the first connecting member has a hole through which the rotating shaft is passed, a projecting and positioning piece which is accommodated in the attaching hole, and at least three projecting and positioning pins which are fit into the positioning holes.

3. An electric bending endoscope according to claim 2, wherein the first unit is further provided with an opening which connectably accommodates the second unit to the motor and the driving force transmitting member, and a guide hole which guides and accommodates the rotating shaft upon mounting the second unit via the opening.

4. An electric bending endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the second connecting member holds a universal cord for connecting the electric bending endoscope to a peripheral device, wherein the first unit comprises an outer frame and an inner frame for holding the motor, and the second connecting member is connected to the inner frame and the inner frame is accommodated in the outer frame so as to be at least partially exposed to form an exposed portion, and the second connecting member is fixed to the exposed portion.

5. An electric bending endoscope according to claim 4, wherein the second connecting member has a ring-shaped holding portion for holding the universal cord and a fixing portion for fixing the holding portion to the inner frame at at least three positions.

6. An electric bending endoscope according to claim 5, wherein the holding portion has a plurality of screw holes on a peripheral surface and the universal cord is fit by screw operation of a screw via a screw hole arranged to a connector at an edge portion of the universal cord and the screw holes of the holding portion.

7. An electric bending endoscope according to claim 4, further comprising:

a fixing member which fixes the inner frame to a main frame in the second unit.

8. An electric bending endoscope according to claim 7, wherein the main frame is positioned to the inner frame by using a positioning tool for positioning the main frame in the second unit in three-axis directions to the inner frame, and the inner frame and the main frame in the second unit are fixed by using a fixing member for fixing them.

9. An electric bending endoscope according to claim 8, wherein a positioning and fixing member for positioning and fixing the main frame in the second unit in three-axis directions to the inner frame is arranged to a connecting portion of the inner frame and the main frame.

10. An electric bending endoscope according to claim 7, wherein the bending operation member is constituted such as to slide with respect to the second unit in accordance with the driving of the motor when bending the bending portion, and the main frame in the second unit is arranged so that a signal cable which is passed through the endoscope for transmitting an endoscope image pick-up signal, a light guide for transmitting illumination light, and the bending operation member are detached.

11. An electric bending endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the first unit comprises an inner frame for holding the motor and an outer frame for accommodating the inner frame, the inner frame having a holding member for holding a universal cord for connecting the electric bending endoscope to a peripheral device.

12. An electric bending endoscope comprising:

an inserting portion which is inserted in a subject;

bending means for bending the inserting portion;

driving force supplying means for supplying a driving force for bending the inserting portion;

driving force transmitting means which transmits the driving force supplied from the driving force supplying means to the inserting portion in order to bend the inserting portion;

first connecting means for connecting the driving force supplying means and the driving force transmitting means in order to transmit the driving force supplied from the driving force supplying means to the driving force transmitting means; and

second connecting means for connecting the driving force transmitting means and the inserting portion in order to transmit the driving force transmitted to the driving force transmitting means to the bending portion.