Endoscope

• US 8,641,605 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2007
• Issued: 02/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/04/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corporation (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Watanabe, Katsushi, Shoroji, Ayanori
• Primary Examiner(s): SMITH, PHILIP ROBERT
• Application Number:
  US11/821,645
• Publication Number:
  US 20080009677A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,416 Days
• Field of Search: 600/101, 600/131, 600/153, 600/156, 600/178, 600/179, 348/68, 348/73
• US Class Current: 600/178
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00052 positioned at proximal end of the endoscope body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0051 with controlled bending of insertion part
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/042 characterised by a proximal camera, e.g. a CCD camera
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0669 at proximal end of an endoscope
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0684 using light emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/128 provided with means for regulating temperature

Abstract

An endoscope of the invention includes: an LED for supplying illumination light to illuminate a subject; an image pickup device for picking up an image of a region to be inspected of the subject; a video display device provided with a monitor portion on which an endoscope image of the region to be inspected picked up by the image pickup device is displayed and an exterior member for holding the monitor portion; a power supply control circuit for supplying electric power to drive the LED and cause the LED to emit illumination light; and a heat radiation portion for radiating heat generated by the power supply control circuit formed on a rear surface opposing to a disposition surface of the exterior member on which the monitor portion of the video display device is provided.

Claims

1. An endoscope comprising:

an elongated insertion portion inserted into a subject;

an operation portion provided in a linked manner on a proximal end side of the insertion portion;

an illumination portion for supplying illumination light for illuminating the subject, the illumination portion being provided in the insertion portion or in the operation portion;

an image pickup portion for picking up an image of a region to be inspected of the subject, the image pickup portion being provided in the insertion portion or in the operation portion;

a display device including a display portion on which an endoscope image of the region to be inspected picked up by the image pickup portion is displayed and a frame body for holding the display portion, the display device being connected to the operation portion;

a light source driving circuit for supplying electric power to drive the illumination portion and cause the illumination portion to emit illumination light, the light source driving circuit being provided on a rear surface side of the display portion in an interior portion enclosed by the display portion and the frame body of the display device; and

a rear surface, disposed on a surface of the frame body opposing a disposition surface of the frame body on which the display portion in the display device is disposed, configured as a heat conducting portion through which heat generated from the light source driving circuit in the interior portion of the display device transfers from the interior portion side and through which the transferred heat is radiated from an outer surface of the frame body by heat transfer.

2. The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the light source driving circuit is provided on the rear surface of the frame body in the display device.

3. The endoscope according to claim 1, further comprising,

recording portion for recording the endoscope image picked up by the image pickup portion, the recording portion being provided in the operation portion or in the display device,

wherein at least one of a changeover switch for setting the endoscope image to be recorded in the recording portion as a still image or as a moving image, a switch for instructing the recording portion to record the endoscope image, a switch for instructing the display device to display the endoscope image, and a switch for instructing to turning on and off a power of an endoscope main body including the insertion portion, operation portion, and the display device, is provided on the disposition surface of the frame body.

4. The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein a depression is formed on the disposition surface of the frame body, and a display member configuring the display portion and a cover member for covering a display surface of the display member are provided so as to fit in the depression.

5. The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the display device is connected to the operation portion, by a rotational shaft formed in a connecting portion for connecting the display device with the operation portion, so as to be rotatable between a position where the display portion is oriented in an insertion axis direction of the insertion portion and a position where the display portion is oriented in an direction orthogonal to the insertion axis direction.

6. The endoscope according to claim 5, wherein a cable is inserted in a space inside of the rotational shaft, the cable being extended at least from the light source driving circuit to the illumination portion.

7. The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the light source driving circuit further comprises an image processing circuit for processing an image such that the endoscope image picked up by the image pickup portion is displayed on the display device.

8. The endoscope according to claim 1, further comprising, in the operation portion:

an illumination portion disposition space in which the illumination portion is disposed;

a fluid duct insertion hole through which a part of the fluid duct positioned in the operation portion is inserted, the fluid duct having an opening respectively on a distal end of the insertion portion and the operation portion;

wherein an illumination portion fixing member, in which at least a part between the illumination portion disposition space and the fluid duct insertion hole is formed of a heat transfer member, is provided.