Electronic endoscope apparatus

• US 8,425,405 B2
• Filed: 04/29/2009
• Issued: 04/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corporation (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Sakai, Seiji, Yamashita, Tomoaki, Mitani, Takahiko, Muramatsu, Akira, Kawauchi, Masahiro, Wataya, Yuichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Leubecker, John P
• Assistant Examiner(s): COLQUE, RONALD DAVID
• Application Number:
  US12/432,053
• Publication Number:
  US 20090292169A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,455 Days
• Field of Search: 600/110, 600/117, 600/118, 600/127, 600/121, 600/129, 600/109, 600/180, 600/176, 600/324, 600/160, 348/72, 348/76, 348/65
• US Class Current: 600/110
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00114 Electrical cables in or with an endoscope
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/018 for receiving instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/042 characterised by a proximal camera, e.g. a CCD camera
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/05 characterised by the image sensor, e.g. camera, being in the distal end portion

Abstract

An electronic endoscope apparatus includes: an image pickup apparatus mounted at a distal end portion of an insertion portion; an operation portion provided consecutively at the insertion portion, with a frame member incorporated therein; and an electrical cable extended from the operation portion for connection with an external device. In the electronic endoscope apparatus, the frame member has a circuit board portion which establishes electrical connection between shields of the insertion portion and the electrical cable, and on which various electronic parts for exchanging signals with the image pickup apparatus are mounted. In spite of the arrangement of the image pickup apparatus that can acquire high-quality images at a distal end portion of the insertion portion, a size of the apparatus, in particular, a diameter of the insertion portion, can be prevented from being increased.

Claims

1. An electronic endoscope apparatus comprising:

an image pickup apparatus which is mounted on a distal end portion of an insertion portion;

an operation portion which is consecutively provided at the insertion portion and at least includes bending operation means for performing a bending operation of a bending portion provided at the insertion portion;

an electrical cable which is extended from the operation portion and connected to an external device;

a frame member incorporated in the operation portion and configured to establish electrical connection between a shield of the insertion portion and a shield of the electrical cable; and

a rigid board arranged parallel to the frame member in the operation portion and including a relay circuit portion which comprises various electronic parts for exchanging signals with the external device and a solid-state image pickup device of the image pickup apparatus,

wherein the bending operation means is provided on one side of the frame member and the rigid board is provided on the other side opposite to the one side of the frame member.

2. The electronic endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the insertion portion has a treatment instrument channel through which a treatment instrument is inserted, the treatment instrument channel being arranged being inserted into the insertion portion; and

an opening portion of the treatment instrument channel is arranged in the operation portion so as to be positioned apart from a connector of the rigid board by a predetermined distance, the connector being connected to a cable extending to the solid-state image pickup device.

3. The electronic endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the rigid board is arranged parallel to the circuit board portion to be apart from one surface of the frame member by a predetermined distance.

4. The electronic endoscope apparatus according to claim 2, wherein:

the rigid board being arranged parallel to the circuit board portion to be apart from one surface of the frame member by a predetermined distance.

5. The electronic endoscope apparatus according to claim 4, wherein:

the treatment instrument channel is connected to a side of the external device so as to communicate with a tubular body which is extended in the electrical cable; and

the tubular body is arranged between the frame member along one side portion of the rigid board and the rigid board.

6. The electronic endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the rigid board is arranged parallel to the frame member to be apart from one surface of the frame member by a predetermined distance.

7. The electronic endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the insertion portion has a treatment instrument channel through which a treatment instrument is inserted, the treatment instrument channel being arranged being inserted into the insertion portion;

and

a opening portion of the treatment instrument channel is arranged in the operation portion so as to be positioned apart from a connector of the rigid board by a predetermined distance, the connector being connected to a cable extending to the solid-state image pickup device.

8. The electronic endoscope apparatus according to claim 7, wherein

the rigid board is arranged parallel to the frame member to be apart from one surface of the frame member by a predetermined distance.

9. The electronic apparatus according to claim 8, wherein:

the treatment instrument channel is connected to a side of the external device so as to communicate with a tubular body which is extended in the electrical cable; and

the tubular body is arranged between the frame member along one side portion of the rigid board and the rigid board.