Endoscope apparatus with movement driving mechanism for display

• US 8,403,831 B2
• Filed: 01/13/2011
• Issued: 03/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corporation (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Kishioka, Shigeyasu
• Primary Examiner(s): Leubecker, John P
• Application Number:
  US13/005,848
• Publication Number:
  US 20110208002A1
• Time in Patent Office: 803 Days
• Field of Search: 600/131, 600/146, 74/22.R
• US Class Current: 600/131
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00052 positioned at proximal end of the endoscope body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0052 Constructional details of control elements, e.g. handles

Abstract

An endoscope apparatus includes a display portion coupled to an operation portion, configured to be moved relative to the operation portion and configured to display an observation image obtained by the endoscope apparatus, a bending operation portion provided at the operation portion and configured to be moved in a basic direction relative to the operation portion wherein the bending operation portion is configured to be moved in an additional direction different from the basic direction, and a movement driving mechanism configured to move the display portion relative to the operation portion according to movement of the bending operation portion in the additional direction relative to the operation portion.

Claims

1. An endoscope apparatus comprising:

an insertion portion configured to be inserted into a lumen;

an operation portion coupled to the insertion portion and configured to be held and operated by an operator; and

a display portion coupled to the operation portion, configured to be moved relative to the operation portion and configured to display an observation image obtained by the endoscope apparatus, and

the endoscope apparatus includes;

a bending portion provided at the insertion portion and configured to be actuated to be bent;

a bending operation portion provided at the operation portion and configured to be moved in a basic direction relative to the operation portion wherein the bending operation portion is configured to be moved in an additional direction different from the basic direction;

a bending driving mechanism configured to actuate the bending portion to be bent according to movement of the bending operation portion in the basic direction relative to the operation portion; and

a movement driving mechanism configured to move the display portion relative to the operation portion according to movement of the bending operation portion in the additional direction relative to the operation portion, wherein

the operation portion forms a longitudinal direction forming the basic direction and a wide direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction and forming the additional direction, and includes a supporting mechanism supporting the bending operation portion,

the bending operation portion includes;

a coupling portion arranged along directions orthogonal to the longitudinal direction and the wide direction; and

an operation receiving portion coupled to an end portion of the coupling portion, extending in the wide direction and configured to be operated by the operator, and

the supporting mechanism includes;

a supporting axis portion coupled to the other end portion of the coupling portion outside the operation portion and the movement driving mechanism inside the operation portion, and arranged substantially parallel to the operation receiving portion and the wide direction; and

an axis receiving portion which supports the supporting axis portion so that the supporting axis portion rotates about a center axis of the supporting axis portion substantially parallel to the wide direction by moving the bending operation portion in the basic direction, and so that the supporting axis portion slides in the wide direction by moving the bending operation portion in the additional direction, wherein the sliding of the supporting axis portion causes the movement driving mechanism to move the display portion relative to the operation portion.

2. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the operation receiving portion includes a finger placement portion having a concave shape and on which a finger or a thumb of the operator is to be placed to slide the bending operation portion in the wide direction relative to the operation portion.

3. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the display portion is configured to be rotated about a rotational axis substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction relative to the operation portion, and

the movement driving mechanism includes a rotation driving mechanism configured to rotate the display portion relative to the operation portion according to movement of the bending operation portion in the additional direction relative to the operation portion.

4. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the display portion is configured to be tilted about a tilting axis substantially parallel to the wide direction relative to the operation portion, and

the movement driving mechanism includes a tilt driving mechanism configured to tilt the display portion relative to the operation portion according to movement of the bending operation portion in the additional direction relative to the operation portion.