Endoscope

• US 8,394,013 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2008
• Issued: 03/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corporation (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Ichimura, Hironobu
• Primary Examiner(s): Nia, Alireza
• Application Number:
  US12/333,666
• Publication Number:
  US 20090093681A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,551 Days
• Field of Search: 600/129, 600/164, 600/165, 600/171, 600/156, 600/157, 600/160, 600/175, 600/176, 600/166
• US Class Current: 600/129
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00096 Optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00188 with focusing or zooming features
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/05 characterised by the image sensor, e.g. camera, being in the distal end portion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0623 for off-axis illumination
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0661 Endoscope light sources

Abstract

The present invention has a configuration that an observing portion observing an area to be examined and first and second illumination portions performing irradiation of illumination light are disposed on a distal end face of an insertion portion to be inserted into the area to be examined, and a first lens which is a distal end observation lens of an observation window of the observation portion is disposed at a position projecting to a distal end side beyond the distal end face. With the abovementioned configuration, an endoscope provided with an observation optical system of an object contact type performing contact observation to a live body where a sharp observation image can be obtained is provided.

Claims

1. An endoscope comprising

a slender insertion portion having a distal end and a proximal end;

and

a distal end face disposed at the distal end of the insertion portion,

where an observation portion for observing an area to be examined and an illumination portion emitting illumination light are disposed on the distal end face, wherein

the observation portion has an observation window on which an observation image of the area to be examined is incident, and

at least a distal end observation face of the observation window is disposed at a position projecting to a distal end side of the insertion portion beyond the distal end face,

wherein the distal end face includes at least a first face, which is a flat base face, a second face, which is a flat face, disposed at a portion projecting to a distal end side of the insertion portion beyond the first face, a third face, which is a flat face, disposed at a portion projecting to the distal end side of the insertion portion beyond the second face, and a fluid guide face disposed between the first face and the second face and is an inclination face inclined from the first face toward the second face,

the observation portion and the illumination portion are disposed on the second face and the third face,

the distal end observation face of the observation window disposed on the third face is disposed so as to project to the distal end side beyond the third face,

the first face, the second face and the third face are configured to be externally exposed when the endoscope is used,

the first face has a gas-feeding/water-feeding nozzle,

the fluid guide face is disposed between the gas-feeding/water-feeding nozzle and the observation portion disposed on the second face in a plan direction of the distal end face,

the gas-feeding/water-feeding nozzle has a jetting port opening toward the fluid guide face and the observation portion disposed on the second face,

the second face projects to the distal end side of the insertion portion beyond the jetting port, and

the third face projects to the distal end side of the insertion portion beyond the gas-feeding nozzle.

2. The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein

the distal end face of the insertion portion is formed from an inclination face deviated from a direction orthogonal to an axial line direction of the insertion portion.

3. The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein

the distal end face includes at least a first face and a second face disposed at a portion projecting to a distal end side of the insertion portion beyond the first face,

the observation portion and the illumination portion are disposed on the second face, and

at least the distal end observation face of the observation window is disposed so as to project to the distal end side beyond the second face.

4. The endoscope according to claim 3, wherein

the observation portion includes a first observation portion observing the area to be examined in a non-contact state therewith and

a second observation portion observing the area to be examined in a contact state therewith, and

at least the second observation portion is disposed on the second face.

5. The endoscope according to claim 4, wherein

the second observation portion has an observation optical system with a magnification higher than that of the first observation portion.