JPH01244416A - Endoscope - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To change the visual field of an endoscope without making the hard section at the leading end of the endoscope longer by shifting at least the optical axis of the body to be oscillated having an image guide section in the direction almost perpendicular to the optical axis against the optical axis of an object lens system provided with an optical path changing lens. CONSTITUTION:In a state where the optical axis of a lens system provided with an image forming lens 7 on the object side and optical path changing lens 8 is aligned to the optical axis of an image guide 1, the end section of the image guide 1 is oscillated in the direction (shown by the arrows) perpendicular to the optical axis and the meshes formed by fibers and spaces among fibers are removed. The image guide 1 is fixed to a fixing piece 2 for moving by means of a fixing tool 4 and moved by means of a supersonic linear motor composed of the fixing piece 2 for moving and piezoelectric vibrator 3 together with the fixing piece 2 for moving so that the end section of the image guide 1 can be set to a state where the end section is shifted from the optical axis of the object lens system. Therefore, the optical axis is bent by the optical path changing lens 8 and the observing visual field is changed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an endoscope for observing the inside of a body cavity or a mechanical structure.

[Conventional technology]

Various types of endoscopes have been proposed in the past, and an object to be observed is irradiated with illumination light using a light guide consisting of a fiber bundle, and an image of the object to be observed is projected from the fiber bundle using an objective lens system. The image is formed on the end surface of the image guide on the objective side, and the image transmitted to the end surface of the eyepiece side of the image guide is observed with the naked eye through an eyepiece system, or photographed with a television camera having a photographic lens and monitored. There are known devices in which the image is projected on top of the screen.

In such endoscopes, the image guide is formed by stacking optical fibers coated with cladding around a core, but if the diameter of the insertion section is made smaller, the number of fibers decreases, making it difficult to obtain sufficient resolution. Therefore, attempts have been made to reduce the diameter of the optical fiber.

However, when the fiber diameter is made thinner, the area of the crund becomes relatively large, and since no light is transmitted between the fibers, black stitches become visible, which has the disadvantage that it becomes difficult to see, especially when magnified.

In order to eliminate these drawbacks, it has been proposed that (a) the image formed on the object side end face of the image guide and the eyepiece side end are vibrated in the same phase by bimorph piezoelectric vibrators; has been done.

Furthermore, in conventional endoscopes, when changing the field of view, such as changing the viewing direction or viewing angle, it was done by installing a reflector at the tip of the image guide and moving it, or by attaching and detaching a prism. .

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

However, because conventional endoscopes change the field of view by installing various optical axis conversion elements on the distal end of the image guide, the rigid distal end at the distal end of the insertion tube becomes long, resulting in narrow and curved lumens. There was a problem in that the ease of insertion into the test subject deteriorated and the pain inflicted on the subject increased.

The present invention is proposed to solve the above problems,
The purpose of the present invention is to provide an endoscope that allows the field of view of the endoscope to be changed without increasing the length of the rigid tip part, and also allows for obtaining a good observation image by sufficiently removing the mesh of the image guide. It is something.

[Means and effects for achieving the object] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention vibrates the objective side observation system in a direction substantially perpendicular to the optical axis, and also vibrates the eyepiece side observation system in the same direction in synchronization with this vibration. In an endoscope that vibrates the system, the optical axis of the vibrated body including at least the end of the image guide on the objective side is directed in a direction substantially perpendicular to the optical axis of the objective lens system having the optical path changing lens. To .

Means for shifting at least more than the amplitude of the vibration is provided so that visual field conversion can be performed. As a result, the optical axis of the objective-side optical system having the optical path changing lens is shifted from the vibration center axis of the vibrated body including at least the image guide, thereby changing the light incident on the image guide and converting the field of view. It is also possible to sufficiently remove meshes from the image guide.

〔Example〕

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view showing the structure of an endoscope according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The endoscope 1 includes an eyepiece section 2, an operation section 3, an insertion section 4, a universal cord 5, and a connector 6.
has. The insertion section 4 consists of a flexible section 7, a curved section 8, and a rigid tip section 9, and extends inside the insertion section 4 and the operation section 3 to provide an image guide and a light guide made of fiber bundles, a forceps channel, etc. is provided. The operation section 3 also includes an angle knob 10 and a forceps insertion port 1.
1 is provided, and by operating the angle knob 10, a curved portion 8 is provided.
The forceps are bent to change the direction of the rigid tip portion 9, and the forceps are inserted through the forceps channel from the forceps insertion port 11 to collect tissue within the body cavity. The entrance end of the light guide is universal code 5
and is connected to a light source device (not shown) via a connector 6, thereby illuminating the inside of the body cavity via a light guide,
The image can be observed with the naked eye at the eyepiece 2 through the objective lens system, image guide, and eyepiece system, photographed with an endoscope camera, or projected on a monitor via a television camera. It has become.

FIG. 2 shows a configuration for vibrating the end of the image guide for mesh removal and a configuration for moving it in a predetermined direction for changing the field of view. The image guide 1 is fixed to a movable fixed piece 2 and moves integrally with the movable fixed piece 2.

The movable fixed piece 2 is pressed against the piezoelectric vibrator 3 under high pressure, and the piezoelectric vibrator 3 generates a standing wave when a voltage is applied, and the movable fixed piece 2 pressed against the piezoelectric vibrator 3 Radial direction of image guide 1 parallel to the plane (six directions of arrows)
Move in a straight line to. This is a piezoelectric vibrator 3 and a moving fixed piece 2
This is due to the fact that an ultrasonic linear motor is constructed with the following. In other words, when a piezoelectric vibrator 3 (stator) that generates flexural vibration and a movable fixed piece 2 (rotor) strongly pressed against the piezoelectric vibrator 3 (stator) are configured as a pair, a voltage is applied to the piezoelectric vibrator 3. The deflection caused by this causes a standing wave that vibrates longitudinally. This standing wave can be converted into a traveling wave by shifting the position and phase and combining them. In this way, the image guide 1 can be moved together with the movable fixed piece 2 to shift the optical axis of the image guide 1 with respect to the optical axis of the objective lens system.

Next, without moving the movable fixed piece 2 in the six directions of the arrows, the mesh can be removed by vibration that reciprocates at a minute amplitude around a predetermined position.

This vibration is performed without changing the standing wave of the piezoelectric vibrator into a traveling wave, but by applying vibration in the radial direction of the image guide 1, the mesh can be removed.

3A and 3B show the state in which the optical axis is shifted by moving the image guide 1, FIG. 3 Δ shows the state before movement, and FIG. The figure shows a state in which it has moved toward the front. Reference numeral 4 denotes a fixture for fixing the end of the image guide to the movable fixed piece 2, and a member for pressing the movable fixed piece 2 against the piezoelectric vibrator 3 is not shown.

FIG. 4 shows the relationship between the lens system on the objective side and the image guide 1. The optical axis of the lens system including the imaging lens 7 and the optical path changing lens 8 and the optical axis of the image guide 1 coincide. . Then, the mesh of the image guide is removed by vibrating the end of the image kite 1 in a direction substantially perpendicular to the optical axis.

FIG. 3 shows the position of the image guide 1 on the piezoelectric vibrator 3 in this case.

In FIG. 5, an ultrasonic linear motor consisting of a moving fixed piece 2 and a piezoelectric vibrator 3 is used to linearly move the moving fixed piece 2, move the end of the image guide 1, and align the optical axis with the light beam of the lens system. It shows the state shifted from the axis. The position of the image guide 1 on the piezoelectric vibrator 3 is as shown in No. 3N8.

By doing this, the optical axis is bent by the optical path changing lens 8, and the observation field of view shown in FIG. 4 is changed. Image guide 1 at the position where the field of view is converted
A good observation image can be obtained by vibrating the end portion in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis to remove the mesh. In both cases shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, when the end of the image kite 1 is vibrated on the objective side, it goes without saying that it is also vibrated on the eyepiece side in synchronization.

FIG. 6 shows a second embodiment of the present invention, in which a lens (not shown) is moved so that the imaging lens 7 of the lens system is moved integrally with the end of the image guide 1 in a direction substantially perpendicular to the optical axis. It is composed of frames. The optical path changing lens 8 has a configuration that allows you to select between expanding the observation field and observing a normal-sized observation image, and changes the field of view by integrally moving the optical axis of the imaging lens 7 and the end of the image guide 1. I do. FIG. 7 shows a third embodiment of the present invention. Unlike the second embodiment, the optical path changing lens 8 has a structure that allows selection of a wide field of view and a normal field of view, and the imaging lens 7 The field of view is changed by integrally moving the optical axis of the image guide 1 and the end of the image guide 1.

FIG. 8 shows a fourth embodiment of the present invention, in which the optical path changing lens 8 has a structure that allows selection of an enlarged observation field, a normal field of view, and a wide field of view. This is similar to the example. In these second to fourth embodiments, the imaging lens 7 and the end portion of the image guide 1 are integrally vibrated in a direction substantially perpendicular to the optical axis at a position shifted from the optical axis, thereby removing the mesh.

In addition, the vibrations used to remove the mesh are minute vibrations of -9, -
,,- However, it goes without saying that the amount of movement of the image guide without shifting the optical axis is greater than the amplitude of minute vibrations.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the present invention, the optical axis of the vibrated body having at least the image guide end portion is not shifted in a direction substantially perpendicular to the optical axis with respect to the optical axis of the objective side lens system having the optical path changing lens. Because the field of view can be changed, general-purpose observation can be performed using a single endoscope. Furthermore, there is no need to provide an optical axis conversion element, and the rigid tip portion can be prevented from becoming long. Further, sufficient vibration for removing the mesh can be performed.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is an overall perspective view of an endoscope showing a first embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is an explanatory diagram for moving and vibrating the end of the image guide, and Fig. 3 is a movement of the image guide. - Figures 4 and 5 are diagrams showing the positions of the optical system and the end of the image guide; Figure 6 is a diagram showing the second embodiment of the present invention; Figure 7 is a diagram showing the position of the optical system and the end of the image guide; FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the fourth embodiment. 1... Image guide 2... Moving fixed piece 3... Piezoelectric vibrator Patent applicant Olympus Optical Industry Co., Ltd. Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure A B Figure 4

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In an endoscope in which the objective side observation system is vibrated in a direction substantially perpendicular to the optical axis, and the eyepiece side observation system is vibrated in the same direction in synchronization with this vibration, the objective side observation system is vibrated in the same direction. means for shifting the optical axis of the vibrated body including at least the image guide end on the side in a direction substantially perpendicular to the optical axis of the objective lens system having the optical path changing lens by at least the amplitude of the vibration; An endoscope characterized in that it is capable of performing visual field conversion.