Endoscopic apparatus and endoscope adapter

• US 8,617,059 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2006
• Issued: 12/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Evident Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Kanzaki, Kazuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Philip R
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHOU, WILLIAM B
• Application Number:
  US11/601,920
• Publication Number:
  US 20070203397A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,598 Days
• Field of Search: 600/127, 600/129, 600/160, 600/172, 600/175, 600/179
• US Class Current: 600/175
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00089 Hoods
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00101 the distal tip features being detachable
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0615 for radial illumination
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0676 at distal tip of an endoscope

Abstract

An endoscope adapter for use with an endoscope is provided. The endoscope includes an endoscopic insertion section subject to be inserted into an object subject to inspection and the endoscope adapter so that the endoscopic insertion section has an insertion section electrodes; the endoscope adapter comprises a lighting section for emitting light to the object and an adapter electrode section connected to the lighting section. The adapter electrode section comprises: an elongated hollow casing having an opening section at one end in the longitudinal direction of the casing; and a columnar electrode terminal configured to be movable in the longitudinal direction in the hollow casing and capable of projecting from the longitudinal direction end of the hollow casing. The inner diameter of the opening section is equalized to the outer diameter of the electrode terminal. It is possible to provide an endoscopic apparatus and an endoscope adapter having an endoscope adapter and an endoscopic insertion section not so significant in sizes; being capable of closing an opening section in a state where the endoscope adapter is attached to the endoscopic insertion section; and being capable of maintaining the electrode terminal clean for a prolonged period.

Claims

1. An endoscopic apparatus comprising:

an endoscopic insertion section configured to be inserted into an object to be inspected; and

an endoscopic adapter configured to be detachably attached to a distal end of the endoscopic insertion section, wherein

the endoscopic insertion section includes;

an insertion section attachment surface being disposed to a distal end face of the endoscopic insertion section;

an insertion section electrode section which is provided in a bottomed cylindrical recess formed on the insertion section attachment surface and is electrically connected to a power supply; and

an insertion section insulating member which is provided on the insertion section electrode section so as to surround a periphery of the insertion section electrode section;

wherein

the endoscopic adapter includes;

an attachment hood which detachably connects the endoscopic adapter by fitting the distal end of the endoscopic insertion section;

an adapter main body which has a first member having an adapter-mounting surface provided in the attachment hood, and a cylindrical-shaped second member which contains the first member therein;

an adapter electrode section configured to be electrically and directly connected to the insertion section electrode section when the endoscopic adapter is attached to the endoscopic insertion section and has a hollow casing, a coil spring, and an electrode terminal;

an adapter insulating member being disposed so as to surround a periphery of the adapter electrode section;

an electrode-mounting hole which is formed on the adapter mounting surface and has a step section on which the adapter insulating member is positioned and fixed,

the hollow casing is an elongated electro-conductive member having an opening section formed at one end of the longitudinal direction thereof and has a configuration in which a flange section is formed on the opening section to prevent the electrode terminal from detaching, and the coil spring and the electrode terminal are slidably disposed in the hollow casing,

the coil spring is an electro-conductive member which biases the electrode terminal that is slidably disposed in the hollow casing,

the electrode terminal is an elongated electro-conductive member, in which a terminal tip section having an outer diameter that is set to be the same as an inner diameter of the flange section and a terminal base end section which is slidably disposed in the hollow casing and has an outer diameter that is set to be the same as the inner diameter of the hollow casing and larger than the inner diameter of the flange section, are formed in a longitudinal direction, and

the electrode terminal biased by the coil spring has a configuration in which the terminal base end section is in contact with the flange section and thus the terminal tip section is capable of projecting from the opening section of the hollow casing.

2. The endoscopic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the adapter electrode section further includes a sealing member disposed to the one end of the hollow casing and configured to seal a gap between the hollow casing and the electrode terminal.

3. The endoscopic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the hollow casing is formed by a cylindrical member having a fixed diameter in the longitudinal direction.

4. The endoscopic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the adapter electrode section further includes a large-diameter portion disposed to a tip of the electrode terminal and having a larger diameter than the electrode terminal.

5. The endoscopic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the hollow casing has a flange projecting outward in a radial direction thereof from the one end of the hollow casing, and

the flange is configured to engage with the adapter insulating member.

6. The endoscopic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the insertion section hole has an inclined surface gradually increasing in diameter toward the endoscopic adapter, and

the inclined surface is connected to the insertion section attachment surface.

7. The endoscopic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an adapter recess is formed in the adapter attachment surface, and is configured so that the projecting section is inserted therein when the endoscopic adapter is attached to the endoscopic insertion section.