JPS5948710A - Fiber scope - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To increase the control distance of a fiber scope without increasing its diameter by equipping the fiber scope body with a deforming member made of shape memory alloy and providing a heating means to the deforming member. CONSTITUTION:Four linear deforming members 16 are incorporated in one body in parallel closely to the outer circumferential wall of the fiber scope body 11 at circumferential intervals of 90 deg. from the center. Each deforming member 16 is made of shape memory alloy of Au and Cd, etc., and a couple of left and right deforming members 16 are connected at the tip ends electrically and also connected to a DC power source 19 in series through a switch 18; the members 16 generate heat by their electric resistances. The members 16 curve upward at room temperature, deform in their memorized shapes, namely, curve downward on the heat genertion, and curve upward again at room temperature. Consequently, the control distance is increased without any increase in the diameter of the fiber scope.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (A) Industrial Application Field This invention is a fiberscope that uses an image fiber that bundles a large number of fibers in an aligned state and directly transmits an image, and in particular uses a shape memory alloy. This invention relates to a fiberscope whose distal end portion can be freely bent or expanded/contracted.

(b) Conventional technology In fiberscopes using image fibers, as in gastric endoscopes, the imaging section at the tip is bent and rotated by external operation, or the focal length of the optical system is changed. It is often necessary to expand and contract in the length direction to adjust the length. Therefore, conventionally, as shown in FIG.
The nodal rings 2 were butted against each other at a spherical fulcrum 3 provided at the center thereof, and the image fiber 1 was bent by a manipulation wire 4 inserted through each nodal ring 2.

(c) Problems to be Solved by the Invention The fiberscope having the above-mentioned configuration has the following drawbacks: 1. It becomes thicker due to the use of the joint ring 2, and the frictional force of the wire 4 accumulates as the length increases. controllable distance is 2~
The length is within several meters, and there is a drawback that it cannot be used with longer fiber scopes.

On the other hand, recently, a new manufacturing method for image fibers has been developed, making it possible to manufacture extremely thin and long fiberscopes.However, in order to expand the field of application, the above-mentioned drawbacks have been eliminated and new fiberscopes have been developed. There is a need to develop a tip drive means suitable for this purpose.

An object of the present invention is to provide a fiberscope equipped with a tip driving means that can meet the above-mentioned demands.

(b) Means for Solving the Problems In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the purpose, this invention attaches a deformable member made of a shape memory alloy to the fiberscope body into which an image fiber is inserted. death,
The structure is such that a υ1 heating means is connected to the deformable member.

(E) Embodiment The embodiment shown in FIG. 2 is a fiberscope equipped with a bending means at the tip. As shown in FIG. 3, this fiberscope 10 has an image transmission part 12 made of an image fiber and an illumination light transmission part 13 parallel to this inside a fiberscope main body 11 made of a heat insulating material in the direction of its stiffness. It is assembled into one piece, and a drug injection hole 14 and a forceps insertion hole 15 are provided in the river parallel to these. In addition, four linear deformation part sets 16 are formed near the outer peripheral wall of the main body 11 at 90 degrees from the center and spaced apart in the circumferential direction.
are integrated in parallel with each of the above parts. These deformable members 16 are made of a shape memory alloy having a composition such as Au-Cd, In77, etc. In FIG.
The deformable member 16 generates heat due to its own electrical resistance when the switch 18 is turned on. In addition, a pair of deformable members 1 below
6 is also connected in series with the other DC power supply 19 in the same way.

In addition, as a heating means for the deformable member 1G, as shown in FIG.
6 and the above-mentioned DC power supply 19 may be connected to each of them.

The pair of left and right deformable members 16 described above are curved into a dirt floor at room temperature, as shown by the arrow a. ! When the transformation temperature is reached by 1, the memory shape, i.e. lower 1'
It has the property of bending in the opposite direction, and then bending in the negative direction once again when it returns to room temperature. Further, the pair of upper and lower deformable members 16 are
As shown by the arrow 1), it has the property of deforming as in the above case.

The deforming force of these deformable members 16 exerts a force larger than the bending strength of the main body 11, the image fibers of the image transmission section 12, the illumination light transmission section 13, and the other pair of deformable members 16 that are not energized. It is configured like this.

Therefore, when the switch 18 is closed, the pair of deformable members 16
When heated, the fiberscope 10 deforms, for example, as shown by the dashed line in FIG.

Further, the degree of deformation can be freely determined depending on the magnitude of the load applied to the deformable member 16 at room temperature.

In the embodiment described below, a linear deformable member 16 is incorporated in the retracting direction of the fiberscope main body 11 so that the fiberscope 10 can be bent in the radial direction. The other poor performance shown is fiber scope 10
The tip of the tube can be expanded and contracted in the length direction.

That is, a stretchable cylinder 22 is fixed to the tip of a fiberscope main body 21 in which an image fiber 20 is incorporated, a lens holder 23 is fixed to the tip of the cylinder 22, and a lens 24 is attached to the holder 23. ing.

A spiral teaching member 25 is integrally incorporated inside the elastic cylinder 22. The deformable member 25 is made of a 1-hi alloy in the shape of a pipe, into which a resistance heating wire 26 made of a nichrome wire is inserted. The deformable member 25 is in a longitudinally elongated state at room temperature and has the property of contracting when heated.

Therefore, is the member deformed by energization? When heating 5,
By changing the distance d between the lens 24 and the image fiber 20, the distance to the focal point of the lens 24 can be adjusted.

Note that, instead of the above-mentioned elastic cylinder 22, the cylinder itself can be formed into a snake-shaped cylinder using a shape memory alloy, and the resistance heating wire can be incorporated into or run along the cylinder. The tip of the fiberscope 10 can be expanded and contracted in the length direction in the same manner as in the above case.

(f) Effects As described above, the present invention has a structure in which a deformable member made of a shape memory alloy is attached to the fiberscope main body, and a heating means is provided on the deformable member, thereby increasing the diameter of the fiberscope. Since there is no interference and the deformable member can be electrically controlled, the control distance is much longer than conventional mechanical control.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a conventional image fiber bending mechanism, Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a fiber scope showing an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 3 is a sectional view thereof, and Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a modified example thereof. FIG. 5 is a partial sectional view of another embodiment. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... Fiber scope, 11... Fiber scope main body, 12... Image transmission part, 16... Deformable member, 16... Resistance heating wire, 17... Connection, 19...
DC power supply, 20... Image fiber, 21... Fiber scope main body, 22... Cylindrical body, 25... Deformable member, 26... Resistance heating wire. Patent applicant: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. Figure 1 4 Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 5

Claims (1)

[Claims] +1+ A fiber scope in which a deformable member made of a shape memory alloy is attached to a fiber scope main body into which an image fiber is inserted, and a heating means is provided on the deformable member. (2) - The deformable member is formed into a linear shape and is incorporated into the main body in parallel with the image fiber, and the deformable member is connected in series to a heating power source. fiber scope. (3) The fiber scope according to claim 1, wherein the deformable member is formed into a linear shape and is incorporated into the main body in parallel with the image fiber, and a resistance heating wire is made to run along the deformable member. (4) The fiber scope according to claim 2 or 3, wherein four of the deformable members are introduced into the fiber scope main body at intervals of 90 degrees from the center thereof. (5) The deformable member is formed into a spiral shape, and is assembled into a stretchable cylinder along with a resistive heating wire, and the cylinder is fixed to the tip of the fiberscope main body. The fiberscope described in item 1.