Endoscope apparatus

• US 7,001,331 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2003
• Issued: 02/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Kaji, Kunihide
• Primary Examiner(s): Dvorak, Linda C. M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): KASZTEJNA, MATTHEW JOHN
• Application Number:
  US10/371,497
• Publication Number:
  US 20030163025A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,097 Days
• Field of Search: 600/132, 600/153, 600155-159, 600/178, 600/182, 606/46, 362/572, 362/574, 362/580
• US Class Current: 600/132
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00126 optical, e.g. for light supply cables
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00128 mechanical, e.g. for tubes or pipes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0051 with controlled bending of insertion part
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/015 Control of fluid supply or evacuation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0669 at proximal end of an endoscope
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/12 with cooling or rinsing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/128 provided with means for regulating temperature

Abstract

A space through which a cooling fluid flows is provided in the inside of a connection portion between an endoscope and a light source device in order to cool heat generated in the connection portion. For example, a device for performing air supply or air suction (at least either one of air supply and air suction) in the endoscope communicates with the space, and cooling is effected by the flow of air formed by the device. In a preferred example of a cooling method, when neither air supply nor air suction is needed during manipulation of the endoscope, the device and the space are connected to each other to effect cooling, and when air supply or air suction is needed, the flow of air used for cooling is intercepted, and is exclusively directed to an air channel in the endoscope.

Claims

1. An endoscope apparatus comprising:

an inserting part having a light guide passage for illuminating light and an interior air channel, the inserting part being constructed to be inserted into a target to be observed;

a manipulating part positioned on a proximal-end side of the inserting part;

a light source connecting portion disposed on the manipulating part for coupling the light guide passage and an external light source; and

an air channel connecting portion disposed on the manipulating part for coupling the air channel to an external air driving device;

wherein the external air driving device is placed at least selectively in communication with a space inside of the light source connecting portion so that the air driven by the air driving device cools the inside of the light source connecting portion.

2. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the space has an interior fin.

3. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the fin has a heat radiating function.

4. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the fin restricts a flowing direction of the cooling fluid.

5. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cooling fluid flows into the space in an oblique direction.

6. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cooling fluid flows into the space from a plurality of passages.

7. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cooling fluid flows out of the space in an oblique direction.

8. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a proximal end portion of the light guide passage is accommodated in a tubular member, and an outer circumference of the tubular member is exposed in the space in which the cooling fluid flows.

9. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the light guide passage is an optical fiber.

10. An endoscope apparatus comprising:

an inserting part having a light guide passage for illuminating light and constructed to be inserted into a target to be observed;

a manipulating part positioned on a proximal-end side of the inserting part; and

a light source connecting portion disposed on the manipulating part and constructed to connect the light guide passage to an external light source, the light source connecting portion having a space through which a cooling fluid flows to cool at least the light source connecting portion;

wherein the inserting part further has an interior air channel, the manipulating part further has an air connecting portion which causes an external air driving device to communicate with the air channel, the external air driving device is further placed in communication with the space inside the light source connecting portion and the communication between the external air driving device and the space inside the light source connecting portion is realized by a cooling pipe.

11. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the cooling pipe is provided between the air connecting portion and the light source connecting portion.

12. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 10 further comprising a switching mechanism for switching a portion with which the external air driving device is to communicate, between at least the air channel and the cooling pipe.

13. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the switching mechanism, during manipulation by a user, designates the air channel as the portion with which the external air driving device is to communicate, and when the manipulation is released, the switching mechanism designates the cooling pipe as the portion with which the external air driving device is to communicate.

14. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the switching mechanism is a push-button switch, the manipulation being depression of the push-button switch.

15. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the switching mechanism is a removable three-way cock.

16. An endoscope apparatus comprising:

an inserting part having a light guide passage for illuminating light and constructed to be inserted into a target to be observed;

a manipulating part positioned on a proximal-end side of the inserting part; and

a light source connecting portion disposed on the manipulating part and constructed to connect the light guide passage to an external light source, the light source connecting portion having a space through which a cooling fluid flows to cool at least the light source connecting portion;

wherein the space has an interior fin and the fin has a helical shape.

17. An endoscope apparatus comprising:

an inserting part having a light guide passage for illuminating light and constructed to be inserted into a target to be observed;

a manipulating part positioned on a proximal-end side of the inserting part; and

a light source connecting portion disposed on the manipulating part and constructed to connect the light guide passage to an external light source, the light source connecting portion having a space through which a cooling fluid flows to cool at least the light source connecting portion;

wherein the cooling fluid flows out of the space through a plurality of passages.

18. An endoscope apparatus comprising:

an inserting part constructed to be inserted into an area to be observed, the inserting part containing at least an air channel and an illuminating fiber cable;

an air connecting portion connecting an air driving device to the air channel;

a light source connecting portion connecting an illuminating light source to the illuminating fiber cable;

a bifurcated pipe provided in the air connecting portion, one branch of the bifurcated pipe communicating with a proximal end of the air channel, and another branch of the bifurcated pipe communicating with the atmosphere through a inside of the light source connecting portion; and

a switching mechanism for switching the bifurcated pipe to select either the one branch to a communicative state and the other branch to a non-communicative state.

19. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 18, wherein

the one branch of the bifurcated pipe that communicates with the atmosphere through the inside of the light source connecting portion has,

a cooling pipe extending from the air connecting portion and communicating with a proximal end of the light source connecting portion,

a passage formed around a fiber cable receiving member which holds a proximal end portion of the illuminating fiber cable, the passage is formed by the connection between the light source connecting portion and a light source socket of the illuminating light source, and

a path formed to communicate with the passage and cause an interior and exterior of the light source socket to communicate with each other.

20. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the cooling pipe and the path are not parallel.

21. An endoscope apparatus comprising:

an inserting part constructed to be inserted into an area to be observed, the inserting part containing at least an observing channel, an air channel and an illuminating fiber cable;

a bendable portion disposed at a distal end of the inserting part;

an air connecting portion connected to the air channel;

a light source connecting portion connected to the illuminating fiber cable;

a first connecting port to be connected to an air driving device;

a second connecting port to be connected to the air connecting portion;

a third connecting port to be connected to one end of a cooling tube;

a branched cock comprising the first connecting port and the second connecting port and the third connecting port, capable of selectively connecting the first connecting port to either one of the second connecting port and the third connecting port;

a fiber cable receiving member comprised in the light source connecting portion, holding a proximal end of the illuminating fiber cable;

a cooling pipe connecting port which communicates with a space surrounding the fiber cable receiving member, the cooling pipe connecting portion is connected to another end of the cooling tube; and

a light source socket member which has a path to make the space portion surrounding the illuminating fiber cable receiving member and the atmosphere communicative, the light source socket member is to be engaged with the light source connecting portion for connecting a light source to the light source connecting portion thus the projection of illuminating light onto an end portion of the illuminating fiber cable receiving member becomes possible, wherein

in a case where at least either one of manipulations for air supply and air suction is to performed by using the air channel of the endoscope apparatus, the first connecting port of the branched cock being connected to the second connecting port, and in other cases, the first connecting port of the branched cock being connected to the third connecting port to cause air to flow into the atmosphere through the light source connecting portion and the light source socket member by means of the air driving device.

22. An endoscope apparatus comprising:

a manipulating part having a mechanism for bending and manipulating a tip portion of the endoscope apparatus;

a light source connecting portion which is positioned in the manipulating part and to which at least either one of a light guide cable for guiding illuminating light from a light source device and a battery-type light source containing a power source and a light source lamp, is to be removably connected;

an air connecting portion which is positioned in the manipulating part and to which an air tube for performing at least either one of air supply and air suction through an air channel provided on an interior of the endoscope is to be connected; and

a manipulating element positioned in the manipulating part,

a three way channel having three branch channels, one branch channel being connected to the air tube, another branch channel being connected to an air passage which is open to the atmosphere through an inside of the light source connecting portion, and a remaining branch channel being connected to the air channel of the endoscope, communication between the air tube and the air channel of the endoscope and communication between the air tube and the inside of the light connecting portion being selected through operation of the manipulating element.

23. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the passage open to the atmosphere includes a space formed when the light source connecting portion of the endoscope apparatus is connected to either one of the light guide cable and the battery-type light source.

24. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 23, wherein a plurality of air supply and suction ports are led to the space and are respectively secured at angles so that the angles do not coincide with a radial direction of an optical axis of the connecting portion.

25. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 22, wherein a fin is formed in the inside of the light source connecting portion.

26. An endoscope apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the manipulating element and the passage led to the inside of the connecting portion are removably secured to the endoscope apparatus.

27. An endoscope apparatus comprising:

an inserting part having in its inside a light guide passage for illuminating light and an air channel and constructed to be inserted into a target to be observed;

a manipulating part positioned on a proximal-end side of the inserting part;

a connector for coupling the light guide passage and an external light source provided for generating illuminating light; and

a mechanism causing an external air driving device to selectively communicate with an interior of the connector and the air channel.

28. A method of cooling heat generated due to the light loss caused between an entrance of illuminating light into an endoscope and an exit of the illuminating light from an external light source, the method comprising:

introducing illuminating light into the endoscope from the external light source;

flowing a fluid through a channel provided in the endoscope; and

switching at least a portion of the fluid flow from the channel to a coupling portion between the endoscope and the external light source.