Endoscope

• US 8,435,173 B2
• Filed: 07/22/2008
• Issued: 05/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Evident Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Hosaka, Yoichi, Ishigami, Takakazu, Tanaka, Yasunda
• Primary Examiner(s): SMITH, PHILIP ROBERT
• Application Number:
  US12/177,576
• Publication Number:
  US 20080300457A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,750 Days
• Field of Search: 600/172, 600/180, 600175-178
• US Class Current: 600/178
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00096 Optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00101 the distal tip features being detachable
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00108 characterised by self-sufficient functionality for stand-alone use
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/05 characterised by the image sensor, e.g. camera, being in the distal end portion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0605 for spatially modulated illumination
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0676 at distal tip of an endoscope
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0684 using light emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/12 with cooling or rinsing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/128 provided with means for regulating temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0431 Portable apparatus, e.g. comprising a handle or case
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/2461 Illumination
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/2484 Arrangements in relation to a camera or imaging device processing or control of video signals generated by an endoscope H04N23/60, H04N23/70

Abstract

An endoscope is provided capable of performing excellent observation for a long time by preventing decrease in light amount and generation of image noise caused by heat generated by an LED illumination even in a case where a distal-end adapter configured of the LED illumination is arranged at the distal end portion of the insertion unit. One end portion of a heat-radiating member configured of a plurality of elongated wires is arranged in the vicinity of a light emitting device, on the other hand, the other end portion of the heat-radiating member is arranged at a predetermined position on a proximal end side of an insertion unit, and a binding member for binding the wires of the heat-radiating member is provided on a side in the vicinity of the light emitting device of the heat-radiating member.

Claims

1. An endoscope comprising:

a distal-end adapter including;

light emitting devices, the light emitting devices being arranged in a first surface of a substrate;

an illumination optical system;

the substrate for the light emitting devices including a first electric connecting unit for the light emitting devices, the first electric connecting unit being arranged in a second surface of the substrate;

a support member for supporting the substrate;

a first heat-conducting member through which heat generated by the light emitting devices is conducted; and

an objective optical system constituting an observation optical system; and

an insertion unit having a distal end portion from which the distal-end adapter is detachable, the distal end portion including;

an image pickup device constituting the observation optical system;

a second electric connecting unit which is electrically connected to the first electric connecting unit in the substrate;

a second heat-conducting member through which the heat transferred through the first heat-conducting member is further conducted; and

a heat-radiating member for radiating the heat conducted through the second heat-conducting member from the distal end portion in the direction toward a proximal end of the endoscope, the heat-radiating member including a bundle member formed by tying wires in a bundle with a binding member, each wire having a diameter of 0.1 mm or smaller.

2. The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein an adhesive is filled in a distal end side from a proximal-end-side end portion of the binding member of a distal end portion of the insertion unit.

3. The endoscope according to claim 2, wherein a distal-end-side end portion of the binding member is arranged in the adhesive.

4. The endoscope according to claim 2, wherein the binding member is a heat-shrinkable tube, a rubber tube, a string, a metal wire, a solder, or all adhesive with higher viscosity than that of the adhesive filled in the distal end portion.

5. The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the insertion unit includes a bending portion connected to a proximal end side of the distal end portion, and a proximal-end-side end portion of the binding member is arranged closer to the distal end side than the bending portion.

6. The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the bundle member is provided in plurality inside of the insertion unit, and the plurality of bundle members are arranged at equal intervals in an inner circumferential direction of the insertion unit.

7. The endoscope according to claim 6, wherein the plurality of bundle members have different length dimensions.

8. The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the bundle member is bound by the binding member together with an inner cable arranged inside of the insertion unit.

9. The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein a united portion configured of integrally bound wires of the bundle member is formed at a distal-end-side end portion of the bundle member.

10. The endoscope according to claim 9, wherein the united portion of the bundle member and the binding member are arranged with a gap.

11. The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein

the bundle member is provided in plurality inside of the insertion unit,

united portions each configured of the integrally bound wires are formed at proximal-end-side end portions of the plurality of bundle members, and

the united portions on the proximal-end-side end portions of the plurality of bundle members are provided at positions different from one another in an axial direction of the insertion unit.

12. The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein a cross sectional shape of a surface perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the heat-radiating member is changed in the longitudinal direction, but a cross section area of the surface perpendicular to the longitudinal direction is constant.

13. The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the objective optical system of the distal-end adapter is a direct view type.

14. The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the objective optical system of the distal-end adapter is a side view type.

15. The endoscope according to claim 1, further comprising:

electric-connection guiding means, arranged at the distal-end adapter and the distal end portion of the insertion unit, for electrically connecting the first and second electric connecting units in a predetermined relation.

16. The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein an adapter body of the distal-end adapter and an objective holder in the insertion unit are made of a metal with high thermal conductivity, on the other hand, a main frame of the insertion unit is made of a metal with low thermal conductivity.

17. The endoscope according to claim 16, wherein the metal with high thermal conductivity is copper or aluminum, and the metal with low thermal conductivity is stainless steel.