Electronic endoscope

• US 8,821,381 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2006
• Issued: 09/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corporation (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Akiba, Kazuyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Leubecker, John P
• Assistant Examiner(s): COLQUE, RONALD DAVID
• Application Number:
  US12/065,195
• Publication Number:
  US 20090253955A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,924 Days
• Field of Search: 600/110, 600/166, 600/129, 600/167, 600/168, 600/111, 600/112, 600/103, 600/173, 600/117, 600/101, 600/130, 600/109, 600/172, 600/175, 348/75, 348/72, 359/771, 359/754
• US Class Current: 600/110
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00105 characterised by modular construction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/05 characterised by the image sensor, e.g. camera, being in the distal end portion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/053 being detachable

Abstract

The present invention provides an electronic endoscope which enables the image pickup apparatus of the electronic endoscope to be easily replaced with image pickup apparatuses of different specifications. The electronic endoscope according to the present invention is configured by including a distal end member which is provided at a distal end portion of an insertion portion of the electronic endoscope, and which includes an image pickup apparatus mounting hole as a housing portion for housing an image pickup apparatus; and an outer shape adjusting member as an adjusting member which is provided between the image pickup apparatus and the image pickup apparatus mounting hole, and which fixes the image pickup apparatus in the image pickup apparatus mounting hole.

Claims

1. An electronic endoscope comprising:

an image pickup apparatus having a distal end and a proximal end that define a longitudinal axis of the image pickup apparatus, the image pickup apparatus comprising;

an objective lens unit comprising;

an objective lens for forming an image of light from an object; and

an objective lens frame for holding the objective lens; and

an image pickup device unit comprising;

a solid-state image pickup device arranged at an image forming position of the objective lens; and

a holding frame for holding the solid-state image pickup device;

a distal end member provided at a distal end portion of an insertion portion of the electronic endoscope, wherein the distal end member comprises a housing portion for housing the image pickup apparatus; and

an adjusting member provided between the housing portion of the distal end member and the image pickup apparatus, wherein the adjusting member is configured to hold the image pickup apparatus and is configured to be fixed in the housing portion,

wherein the adjusting member is separable from the image pickup apparatus,

wherein the adjusting member comprises;

a fitting portion shape adjusting member for holding at least one of the objective lens unit and the image pickup device unit in the housing portion, and for positioning the image pickup apparatus at a predetermined position in the housing portion by fitting into an outer peripheral of the image pickup apparatus and fitting to inside of the housing portion,

an external shape adjusting member for surrounding the outer peripheral of the image pickup apparatus and making a clearance between the housing portion and the image pickup apparatus a predetermined width, and

an adhesive for fixing the image pickup apparatus in the housing portion, the adhesive being filled between the housing portion and the external shape adjusting member, and

wherein the adjusting member is separated into a plurality of members including the fitting portion shape adjusting member and the external shape adjusting member, and the external shape adjusting member comprises a plurality of members separated by at least one plane substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the image pickup apparatus.

2. An electronic endoscope comprising:

an image pickup apparatus having a distal end and a proximal end that define a longitudinal axis of the image pickup apparatus, the image pickup apparatus comprising;

an objective lens unit comprising;

an objective lens for forming an image of light from an object; and

an objective lens frame for holding the objective lens;

an image pickup device unit comprising;

a solid-state image pickup device arranged at an image forming position of the objective lens; and

a holding frame for holding the solid-state image pickup device; and

a distal end member provided at a distal end portion of an insertion portion of the electronic endoscope,

wherein the distal end member comprises a housing portion for housing the image pickup apparatus, and

wherein the signal line positioning member is configured to position the signal line at a position offset in a radial direction from a central axis of the housing portion; and

an adjusting member provided between the housing portion of the distal end member and the image pickup apparatus, wherein the adjusting member is configured to hold the image pickup apparatus and is configured to be fixed in the housing portion, wherein;

the adjusting member is separable from the image pickup apparatus, and

the adjusting member comprises;

a fitting portion shape adjusting member for holding at least one of the objective lens unit and the image pickup device unit in the housing portion, and for positioning the image pickup apparatus at a predetermined position in the housing portion by fitting into an outer peripheral of the image pickup apparatus and fitting to inside of the housing portion,

an external shape adjusting member for surrounding the outer peripheral of the image pickup apparatus and making a clearance between the housing portion and the image pickup apparatus a predetermined width, and

an adhesive for fixing the image pickup apparatus in the housing portion, the adhesive being filled between the housing portion and the external shape adjusting member

wherein the adjusting member is separated into a plurality of members including the fitting portion shape adjusting member and the external shape adjusting member, and the external shape adjusting member comprises a plurality of members separated by at least one plane substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the image pickup apparatus.

3. An electronic endoscope comprising:

an image pickup apparatus having a distal end and a proximal end that define a longitudinal axis of the image pickup apparatus, the image pickup apparatus comprising;

an objective lens unit comprising;

an objective lens for forming an image of light from an object; and

an objective lens frame for holding the objective lens;

an image pickup device unit comprising;

a solid-state image pickup device arranged at an image forming position of the objective lens, wherein the solid-state image pickup device comprises a circuit board; and

a holding frame for holding the solid-state image pickup device;

a signal line electrically connected to the circuit board of the solid-state image pickup device; and

a signal line positioning member configured to position the signal line;

a distal end member provided at a distal end portion of an insertion portion of the electronic endoscope,

wherein the distal end member comprises a housing portion for housing the image pickup apparatus, and

wherein the signal line positioning member is configured to position the signal line at a position offset in a radial direction from a central axis of the housing portion; and

an adjusting member provided between the housing portion of the distal end member and the image pickup apparatus, wherein the adjusting member is configured to hold the image pickup apparatus and is configured to be fixed in the housing portion,

wherein the adjusting member is separable from the image pickup apparatus,

wherein the adjusting member comprises;

a fitting portion shape adjusting member for holding at least one of the objective lens unit and the image pickup device unit in the housing portion, and for positioning the image pickup apparatus at a predetermined position in the housing portion by fitting into an outer peripheral of the image pickup apparatus and fitting to inside of the housing portion,

an external shape adjusting member for surrounding the outer peripheral of the image pickup apparatus and making a clearance between the housing portion and the image pickup apparatus a predetermined width, and

an adhesive for fixing the image pickup apparatus in the housing portion, the adhesive being filled between the housing portion and the external shape adjusting member, and

wherein the adjusting member is separated into a plurality of members including the fitting portion shape adjusting member and the external shape adjusting member, and the external shape adjusting member comprises a plurality of members separated by at least one plane substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the image pickup apparatus.