ENDOSCOPE WITH FIRST AND SECOND IMAGING AND ILLUMINATION UNITS

• US 20110190587A1
• Filed: 01/28/2011
• Published: 08/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Suzuki, Katsuya, Onoda, Fumiyuki, Uchimura, Sumihiro, Taniguchi, Akira, Noguchi, Toshiaki
• Application Number:
  US13/016,083
• Publication Number:
  US 20110190587A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/173
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00016 using wireless means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00045 Display arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00114 Electrical cables in or with an endoscope
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00121 Connectors, fasteners and adapters, e.g. on the endoscope handle
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/041 Capsule endoscopes for imaging

Abstract

A container body includes an illumination section and an image pickup section. A tube body is integrally provided to the container body. A distal end of a hollow duct line provided in the tube body penetrates the container body to have an opening on an outer surface of the container body. First and second illumination and image pickup units are provided in the container body having opposite reference view field directions and are respectively freely tilted in an arbitrary direction within predetermined inclination angles from the reference view field direction.

Claims

1-24. -24. (canceled)

25. An endoscope, comprising:

a container body;

an illumination section and an observation section provided to the container body; and

a view field direction varying section provided in the container body for varying a view field direction of the observation section.

26. The endoscope according to claim 25, wherein the view field direction varying section varies the view field direction of the observation section by varying an inclination angle of an attachment member to which the observation section is attached.

27. The endoscope according to claim 25, wherein the view field direction varying section varies the view field direction of the observation section by varying a rotation angle about a predetermined axis direction of an attachment member to which the observation section is attached.

28. The endoscope according to claim 25, further comprising a tube body that has a smaller diameter than the container body and is consecutively mounted at an end section on a base end side in the container body.

29. The endoscope according to claim 25, wherein the illumination section and the observation section are attached to a common board, and the board can be freely tilted in an arbitrary direction of up, down, left, and right with respect to a reference view field direction.

30. The endoscope according to claim 25, wherein the illumination section and the observation section are attached to a common board, and the board can be freely turnable about a reference view field direction.

31. The endoscope according to claim 28, wherein the illumination section and the observation section are arranged on a distal end side of the container body, and the view field varying section can vary the view field direction on a distal end side along an axis direction of the container body.

32. The endoscope according to claim 28, wherein the illumination section and the observation section are arranged on a base end side of the container body, and the view field varying section can vary the view field direction on a base end side along the axis direction of the container body.

33. The endoscope according to claim 25, wherein the observation section includes an image pickup element, and the image pickup element includes a high sensitivity image pickup element with a gain set to be variable inside the image pickup element.

34. The endoscope according to claim 28, wherein the container body accommodates a power supply circuit, and the power supply circuit is supplied with an alternating current power via a contactless electrical connector.

35. The endoscope according to claim 25, wherein the endoscope performs communication with remote operation sections for performing various operation instructions of remote operations for the endoscope via a signal transmission section.

36. The endoscope according to claim 35, wherein the remote operation section includes a grasping section grasped by a user, and the operation sections for performing various operation instructions are bilaterally symmetrically arranged.

37. The endoscope according to claim 25, wherein the container body includes first and second illumination and image pickup units each of which includes the illumination section and the image pickup section.

38. The endoscope according to claim 37, wherein the first and second illumination and image pickup units are accommodated to have opposite reference view field directions in the container body and are respectively freely tilted in an arbitrary direction within predetermined inclination angles from the reference view field direction.

39. The endoscope according to claim 37, wherein the first and second illumination and image pickup units are respectively freely turnable in arbitrary angles within predetermined angles about the axis direction of the container body.

40. The endoscope according to claim 28, further comprising consistency varying sections at a plurality of positions on the tube body, which are capable of varying a consistency of the tube body.

41. The endoscope according to claim 25, wherein the illumination section includes a visible area illumination section for performing illumination in a visible area and a special wavelength area illumination section for performing illumination in a special wavelength area other than the visible area.

42. The endoscope according to claim 25, wherein one end side of the container body is in a dome shape.

43. The endoscope according to claim 25, further comprising a control process section for performing a control process at least for the image pickup section.

44. The endoscope according to claim 43, wherein the control process section includes a device model information on the endoscope as control information for the control process.

45. The endoscope according to claim 44, wherein the device model information on the endoscope includes at least one of type information on a solid-state image pickup element structuring the image pickup section, and insert section length information.

46. The endoscope according to claim 43, wherein the control process section includes individual information unique to the endoscope as control information for performing the control process.

47. The endoscope according to claim 46, wherein individual information on the endoscope includes at least one of information on endoscope use time, and information on the number of performing washing.

48. The endoscope according to claim 26, wherein the view field direction varying section for varying the inclination angle is structured by arranging expansion/contraction members that expand or contract upon electric signal application at a plurality of positions.

49. The endoscope according to claim 48, wherein the expansion/contraction members are each formed of one of an electroconductive polymer artificial muscle and a piezoelectric element.

50. The endoscope according to claim 27, wherein the view field direction varying section for varying the turning angle is formed of a motor rotated upon electrical signal application.

51. An endoscope device, comprising:

an endoscope including an illumination section and an image pickup section in a container body; and

a remote operation unit including a view field direction varying section built in the container body for varying a view field direction of the image pickup section; and

an operation section that is provided separately from the endoscope and performs an instruction operation for at least the view field direction varying section.

52. The endoscope device according to claim 51, wherein the operation section includes an operation pad on which one of a track ball and a plurality of switches are arranged.

53. The endoscope device according to claim 51, wherein the view field direction varying section varies a view field direction of the observation section by varying an inclination angle of an attachment member to which the observation section is attached.

54. The endoscope device according to claim 51, wherein the view field direction varying section varies a view field direction of the observation section by varying a rotation angle about a predetermined axis direction of an attachment member to which the observation section is attached.

55. The endoscope device according to claim 51, further comprising a tube body that has a smaller diameter than the container body and is consecutively mounted at an end section on a base end side in the container body.

56. The endoscope device according to claim 53, wherein the operation of the remote operation unit generates a control signal for controlling a tilt direction and the inclination angle of the attachment member.

57. The endoscope device according to claim 54, wherein the operation of the remote operation unit generates a control signal for controlling a rotation direction and the rotation angle of the attachment member.

58. The endoscope device according to claim 51, further comprising a view field direction display section for displaying the view field direction of the observation section.