Endoscope insertion portion

• US 7,896,802 B2
• Filed: 07/03/2007
• Issued: 03/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corporation (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Otawara, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Dvorak; Linda C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nia; Alireza
• Application Number:
  US11/824,917
• Publication Number:
  US 20070260118A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,337 Days
• Field of Search: 600/111, 600/113, 600/129, 600157-158, 600/160, 600/165, 600/166, 600/170, 600/176, 600/156, 600/164, 600/171
• US Class Current: 600/157
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0008 characterised by distal tip features
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00091 Nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00096 Optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/12 with cooling or rinsing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0059 using light, e.g. diagnosis by transillumination, diascopy, fluorescence A61B5/0093, A61B5/1455, A61B5/02416 and A61B5/0261 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6456 Spatial resolved fluorescence measurements; Imaging

Abstract

An endoscope insertion portion of the invention includes an outer surface formed between a plurality of observation windows oriented in a spouting direction of the air/water feeding portion, the outer surface being in the same plane as surfaces of the plurality of observation windows.

Claims

1. An endoscope insertion portion to be inserted into a body cavity and comprising a distal end portion at distal end part, the endoscope insertion portion comprising:

a plurality of observation windows for leading incident light to each of a plurality of image pickup portions, the plurality of observation windows being disposed to the distal end portion;

an air/water feeding portion having a spouting port for spouting out a gas or liquid toward the plurality of observation windows, the air/water feeding portion being disposed to the distal end portion;

outer surfaces of the plurality of observation windows being provided on a distal end surface of the distal end portion and located in series to face toward a spouting direction of the air/water feeding portion,

a first outer surface including an outer surface of the distal end portion which is positioned between the plurality of observation windows in the same plane;

an inclined portion which is provided in a linked manner with an edge part of the first outer surface and circumferences of the plurality of observation windows, and which is inclined to smoothly connect the first outer surface and the outer surfaces of the plurality of observation windows with a proximal side of the endoscope insertion portion; and

a second outer surface provided between the inclined portion and a circumferential surface of the distal end portion, wherein

the air/water feeding portion which is disposed on the distal end portion has the spouting port for spouting out a gas or liquid in a direction in which the plurality of observation windows are located, and supplies the gas or liquid to the first outer surface through the inclined portion by spouting out the gas or the liquid to the second outer surface or the inclined portion.

2. The endoscope insertion portion according to claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of image pickup portions is a first image pickup portion for performing normal light observation, and the other of the plurality of image pickup portions is a second image pickup for performing special observation.

3. The endoscope insertion portion according to claim 2, wherein the special observation is fluorescent light observation.

4. The endoscope insertion portion according to claim 2, wherein the first and second image pickup portions respectively comprise optical systems one of which having a magnification higher than that of the other.

5. The endoscope insertion portion according to claim 3, wherein the first and second image pickup portions respectively comprise optical systems one of which having a magnification higher than that of the other.