Endoscope apparatus

• US 7,128,709 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2003
• Issued: 10/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Olympus Optical Company Ltd. (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Company Ltd. (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Saruya, Nobuyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Leubecker, John P.
• Application Number:
  US10/658,548
• Publication Number:
  US 20040171913A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,147 Days
• Field of Search: 600/101, 600/102, 600/132, 600/131, 600/130, 600/109, 600/146
• US Class Current: 600/132
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00105 characterised by modular construction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00121 Connectors, fasteners and adapters, e.g. on the endoscope handle
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/042 characterised by a proximal camera, e.g. a CCD camera

Abstract

An endoscope apparatus includes at least one of a connector on the side of a scope unit and a connector on the side of a fixed unit in a connector portion disposed in an detachable portion of a base unit and the fixed unit of the scope unit is a movable connector, and in the detachable portion, the base unit is connected to the fixed unit by positioning means for positioning the fixed unit side to the base unit side, when the connector on the fixed unit side is connected to that on the base unit side.

Claims

1. An endoscope apparatus comprising:

a scope unit including;

an insertion portion to be inserted in an inspection object space,

an observation unit for observation disposed in a tip end of the insertion portion, a curved portion which bends the tip end of the insertion portion in an arbitrary direction, and

a base unit connected to a base end of the insertion portion; and

a fixed unit to which the base unit is detachably connected, wherein at least one of a connector on the side of the base unit and a connector on the side of the fixed unit in a connector portion disposed in a detachable portion of the base unit and the fixed unit is a movable connector, which is movable in a direction perpendicular to an axial direction of the movable connector, and

the detachable portion includes a positioning section for performing positioning which enables the connector on the side of the fixed connector and the connector on the side of the base unit to be connected to each other,

wherein the scope unit includes an angle driving section which bends the curved portion, and

wherein the fixed unit includes a lamp which supplies light to the insertion portion, a power supply unit, a monitor in which a photographed image is displayed, an operation remote controller which operates each constituting portion disposed in the scope unit, and a recording unit which records photographed image data or information on the image data, the scope unit further comprising an angle control circuit which controls the angle driving section, and a camera control unit which controls the observation unit.

2. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the positioning section includes a convex portion disposed on either one of the base unit and the fixed unit, and a concave portion disposed in the other to fit with the convex portion.

3. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the positioning section includes a receiving member including a tapered fitting hole portion in at least either one of the base unit and the fixed unit, and a protrusion which is to fit into the fitting hole portion of the receiving member in the other.

4. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the positioning section includes a rail-shaped convex portion in either one of the base unit and the fixed unit, and a concave portion which is to fit with the convex portion in the other, and slides to position the units.

5. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the connector portion includes connection detection means for using some of a plurality of connector pins disposed on a connector main body to detect connection of the scope unit.

6. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of different types of scope units, which are selectively usable as the scope unit, are prepared, and a selected one of the different types of scope units is detachably connected to the fixed unit, the base unit includes a first control circuit, and the fixed unit includes a second control circuit, the first control circuit stores scope information for measurement to identify a type and individual piece of the scope unit, and the second control circuit includes scope information read means for reading the scope information.

7. An endoscope apparatus comprising:

a scope unit including;

an insertion portion to be inserted in an inspection object space,

an observation unit for observation disposed in a tip end of the insertion portion, a curved portion which bends the tip end of the insertion portion in an arbitrary direction, and

a base unit connected to a base end of the insertion portion; and

a fixed unit to which the base unit is detachably connected, wherein at least one of a connector on the side of the base unit and a connector on the side of the fixed unit in a connector portion disposed in a detachable portion of the base unit and the fixed unit is a movable connector, which is movable in a direction perpendicular to an axial direction of the movable connector, and

the detachable portion includes a positioning section for performing positioning which enables the connector on the side of the fixed connector and the connector on the side of the base unit to be connected to each other,

wherein the scope unit includes an angle driving section which bends the curved portion, and

wherein the fixed unit includes a lamp which supplies light to the insertion portion, and a power supply unit, and the scope unit includes an angle control circuit which controls the angle driving section, a camera control unit which controls the observation unit, a monitor in which a photographed image is displayed, an operation remote controller which operates each constituting portion disposed in the scope unit, and a recording unit which records photographed image data or information on the image data.

8. An endoscope apparatus comprising:

a scope unit including;

an insertion portion to be inserted in an inspection object space,

an observation unit for observation disposed in a tip end of the insertion portion, a curved portion which bends the tip end of the insertion portion in an arbitrary direction, and

a base unit connected to a base end of the insertion portion; and

a fixed unit to which the base unit is detachably connected, wherein at least one of a connector on the side of the base unit and a connector on the side of the fixed unit in a connector portion disposed in a detachable portion of the base unit and the fixed unit is a movable connector, which is movable in a direction perpendicular to an axial direction of the movable connector, and

the detachable portion includes a positioning section for performing positioning which enables the connector on the side of the fixed connector and the connector on the side of the base unit to be connected to each other,

wherein the scope unit includes an angle driving section which bends the curved portion, and

wherein the fixed unit includes a camera control unit which controls the observation unit, and a recording unit which records photographed image data or information on the image data, and the scope unit includes an angle control circuit which controls the angle driving section, a lamp which supplies light to the insertion portion, a power supply unit, a monitor in which a photographed image is displayed, and an operation remote controller which operates each constituting portion disposed in the scope unit.

9. An endoscope apparatus comprising:

a scope unit including;

an insertion portion to be inserted in an inspection object space,

an observation unit for observation disposed in a tip end of the insertion portion, a curved portion which bends the tip end of the insertion portion in an arbitrary direction, and

a base unit connected to a base end of the insertion portion; and

a fixed unit to which the base unit is detachably connected, wherein at least one of a connector on the side of the base unit and a connector on the side of the fixed unit in a connector portion disposed in a detachable portion of the base unit and the fixed unit is a movable connector, which is movable in a direction perpendicular to an axial direction of the movable connector, and

the detachable portion includes a positioning section for performing positioning which enables the connector on the side of the fixed connector and the connector on the side of the base unit to be connected to each other,

wherein the scope unit includes an angle driving section which bends the curved portion, and

wherein the fixed unit includes a built-in type monitor disposed in the fixed unit, a recording unit which records photographed image data or information on the image data, a power supply unit, and an operation remote controller which operates each constituting portion disposed in the scope unit, and the scope unit includes an angle control circuit which controls the angle driving section, a lamp which supplies light to the insertion portion, and a camera control unit which controls the observation unit.

10. An endoscope apparatus comprising:

a scope unit including;

an insertion portion to be inserted in an inspection object space,

an observation unit for observation disposed in a tip end of the insertion portion, a curved portion which bends the tip end of the insertion portion in an arbitrary direction, and

a base unit connected to a base end of the insertion portion; and

a fixed unit to which the base unit is detachably connected, wherein at least one of a connector on the side of the base unit and a connector on the side of the fixed unit in a connector portion disposed in a detachable portion of the base unit and the fixed unit is a movable connector, which is movable in a direction perpendicular to an axial direction of the movable connector, and

the detachable portion includes a positioning section for performing positioning which enables the connector on the side of the fixed connector and the connector on the side of the base unit to be connected to each other,

wherein the scope unit includes an angle driving section which bends the curved portion, and

wherein the fixed unit includes a lamp which supplies light to the insertion portion, a power supply unit, and a built-in type monitor disposed in the fixed unit, and the scope unit includes an angle control circuit which controls the angle driving section, a camera control unit which controls the observation unit, a recording unit which records photographed image data or information on the image data, and an operation remote controller which operates each constituting portion disposed in the scope unit.

11. An endoscope apparatus comprising:

a scope unit including;

an insertion portion to be inserted in an inspection object space,

an observation unit for observation disposed in a tip end of the insertion portion, a curved portion which bends the tip end of the insertion portion in an arbitrary direction, and

a base unit connected to a base end of the insertion portion; and

a fixed unit to which the base unit is detachably connected, wherein at least one of a connector on the side of the base unit and a connector on the side of the fixed unit in a connector portion disposed in a detachable portion of the base unit and the fixed unit is a movable connector, which is movable in a direction perpendicular to an axial direction of the movable connector, and

the detachable portion includes a positioning section for performing positioning which enables the connector on the side of the fixed connector and the connector on the side of the base unit to be connected to each other,

wherein the scope unit includes an angle driving section which bends the curved portion, and

wherein the fixed unit includes a recording unit which records photographed image data or information on the image data, a power supply unit, a monitor in which a photographed image is displayed, and an operation remote controller which operates each constituting portion disposed in the scope unit, and the insertion portion includes an illuminating portion constituted of a light emitting diode (LED) in a tip end, an angle control circuit which controls the angle driving section, and a camera control unit which controls the observation unit.

12. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the positioning section includes a convex portion disposed on either one of the base unit and the fixed unit, and a concave portion disposed in the other to fit with the convex portion.

13. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the positioning section includes a receiving member including a tapered fitting hole portion in at least either one of the base unit and the fixed unit, and a protrusion which is to fit into the fitting hole portion of the receiving member in the other.

14. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the positioning section includes a rail-shaped convex portion in either one of the base unit and the fixed unit, and a concave portion which is to fit with the convex portion in the other, and slides to position the units.

15. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the connector portion includes connection detection means for using some of a plurality of connector pins disposed on a connector main body to detect connection of the scope unit.

16. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 11 wherein a plurality of different types of scope units, which are selectively usable as the scope unit, are prepared, and a selected one of the different types of scope units is detachably connected to the fixed unit, the base unit includes a first control circuit, and the fixed unit includes a second control circuit, the first control circuit stores scope information for measurement to identify a type and individual piece of the scope unit, and the second control circuit includes scope information read means for reading the scope information.