US20070059989A1 - Insertion device - Google Patents
Insertion device Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20070059989A1 US20070059989A1 US11/599,530 US59953006A US2007059989A1 US 20070059989 A1 US20070059989 A1 US 20070059989A1 US 59953006 A US59953006 A US 59953006A US 2007059989 A1 US2007059989 A1 US 2007059989A1
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- United States
- Prior art keywords
- insertion portion
- observation
- holding section
- tip
- image
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
Links
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Images
Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
- A61B1/00—Instruments for performing medical examinations of the interior of cavities or tubes of the body by visual or photographical inspection, e.g. endoscopes; Illuminating arrangements therefor
- A61B1/31—Instruments for performing medical examinations of the interior of cavities or tubes of the body by visual or photographical inspection, e.g. endoscopes; Illuminating arrangements therefor for the rectum, e.g. proctoscopes, sigmoidoscopes, colonoscopes
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
- A61B1/00—Instruments for performing medical examinations of the interior of cavities or tubes of the body by visual or photographical inspection, e.g. endoscopes; Illuminating arrangements therefor
- A61B1/00147—Holding or positioning arrangements
- A61B1/00148—Holding or positioning arrangements using anchoring means
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
- A61B1/00—Instruments for performing medical examinations of the interior of cavities or tubes of the body by visual or photographical inspection, e.g. endoscopes; Illuminating arrangements therefor
- A61B1/00147—Holding or positioning arrangements
- A61B1/0016—Holding or positioning arrangements using motor drive units
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
- A61B1/00—Instruments for performing medical examinations of the interior of cavities or tubes of the body by visual or photographical inspection, e.g. endoscopes; Illuminating arrangements therefor
- A61B1/04—Instruments for performing medical examinations of the interior of cavities or tubes of the body by visual or photographical inspection, e.g. endoscopes; Illuminating arrangements therefor combined with photographic or television appliances
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
- A61B1/00—Instruments for performing medical examinations of the interior of cavities or tubes of the body by visual or photographical inspection, e.g. endoscopes; Illuminating arrangements therefor
- A61B1/06—Instruments for performing medical examinations of the interior of cavities or tubes of the body by visual or photographical inspection, e.g. endoscopes; Illuminating arrangements therefor with illuminating arrangements
- A61B1/0607—Instruments for performing medical examinations of the interior of cavities or tubes of the body by visual or photographical inspection, e.g. endoscopes; Illuminating arrangements therefor with illuminating arrangements for annular illumination
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
- A61B1/00—Instruments for performing medical examinations of the interior of cavities or tubes of the body by visual or photographical inspection, e.g. endoscopes; Illuminating arrangements therefor
- A61B1/06—Instruments for performing medical examinations of the interior of cavities or tubes of the body by visual or photographical inspection, e.g. endoscopes; Illuminating arrangements therefor with illuminating arrangements
- A61B1/0661—Endoscope light sources
- A61B1/0676—Endoscope light sources at distal tip of an endoscope
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
- A61B1/00—Instruments for performing medical examinations of the interior of cavities or tubes of the body by visual or photographical inspection, e.g. endoscopes; Illuminating arrangements therefor
- A61B1/06—Instruments for performing medical examinations of the interior of cavities or tubes of the body by visual or photographical inspection, e.g. endoscopes; Illuminating arrangements therefor with illuminating arrangements
- A61B1/0661—Endoscope light sources
- A61B1/0684—Endoscope light sources using light emitting diodes [LED]
Definitions
- FIG. 5 is a diagram describing the insertion portion which is inserted up to a deep region of a large intestine
- FIG. 13 is a longitudinal cross sectional view describing the configuration of the camera unit and the tip of the insertion portion
- FIG. 20 is a diagram describing yet another configuration example of the coupling part which prevents the misconnection between the connector part of the endoscope insertion portion and the insertion portion holding section in the insertion portion rotating device;
- the base end surface side of the connector part 4 is provided with a fitting hole 4 a and pinhole 4 b .
- the fitting hole 4 a is a circular hole which is formed at the approximate center of the base end surface, and the protrusion 15 is placed therein.
- Multiple pinholes 4 b are installed around the fitting hole 4 a .
- the pins 14 are placed in each of the pinholes 4 b .
- the signal transmission cable and the power cable which are the electric cables 11 a are connected to each of these contact terminals 4 A.
- the endoscope system 1 at the time of inserting the insertion portion 2 into a body cavity such as the large intestine, in addition to the propulsion force obtained by the guide tube, the operator can insert the insertion portion into the body cavity such as the large intestine while observing the body cavity such as the large intestine, and therefore insertability of the insertion portion 2 to the body cavity is improved.
- the body cavity to which the insertion portion 2 is to be inserted is described as being the large intestine, the body cavity where the insertion portion 2 is inserted is not restricted to the large intestine, and may be the body cavity from the oral cavity through the esophagus, stomach, and small intestine, and so forth.
- the camera unit 30 is formed with a smooth and generally spherical shape for the outer face, giving consideration to insertability of the insertion portion 2 .
- an observation window 12 Provided on the tip portion of the camera unit 30 are an observation window 12 , and multiple, i.e., two illumination windows 13 .
- the optical axis of the observation window 12 and the rotating axis of the insertion portion 2 generally agree.
- the two illumination portions 13 are provided around the observation window 12 .
- a generally-cylindrical connector portion 30 a is provided at the base side of the camera unit 30 . Multiple, two in this case, contact terminals 31 are provided on the side circumferential face of the connector portion 30 a.
- the connector portion 30 a of the camera unit 30 is inserted into the camera unit storage portion 5 A of the tip 5 a .
- the connector portion 30 a of the camera unit 30 is integrally fixed to the tip 5 a with a fixing member 33 such as a screw or the like, to prevent from falling out from the camera unit storage portion 5 A. Accordingly, as with the above embodiment, upon the insertion portion 2 entering a rotating state, the camera unit 30 integrally fixed to the tip 5 a also rotates with the rotations of the insertion portion 2 .
- An observation optical system 12 a is disposed from the observation window 12 of the camera unit 30 toward the base side.
- the CCD 16 is disposed at the base of the observation system 12 a .
- an illumination optical system 13 a is disposed from each of the illumination windows 13 toward the base side.
- An LED 17 is disposed at the base end of each illumination optical system 13 a .
- the signal transmission cable extending form the CCD 16 and the power source cable extending from the LEDs 17 are each connected to the connecting terminals 31 of the connector portion 30 a .
- multiple, two in the case, contact pins 32 are provided on the tip 5 a of the insertion portion 2 . The contact pins 32 are electrically connected to the two contact terminals 31 of the camera unit 30 .
- the contact pins 32 protrude from the inner circumferential face of the camera unit storage portion 5 A by a predetermined amount. Connected to each of the contact pins 32 are the other ends of electric cables 11 a of which the one ends are connected to contact terminals 4 A.
- an O-ring 34 is provided on the opening side of the camera unit storage portion 5 A.
- the O-ring 34 is provided in close contact with the outer circumferential face of the connector portion 30 a of the camera unit 30 . Water-tightness between the connecter portion 30 a and the camera unit storage portion 5 A is maintained by this O-ring 34 .
- a motor 40 is internally provided.
- a motor shaft 40 a of the motor 40 externally protrudes from a side plate portion of the rotating device 6 .
- the motor shaft 40 a is parallel to an insertion portion holding section 9 A.
- a generally-cylindrical rotating member 41 formed of an elastic material is disposed on the tip portion of the motor shaft 40 a .
- the rotating member 41 is disposed so as to be in tight contact with the outer circumferential face of the base portion of the guide tube 3 with a predetermined pressing force. Accordingly, driving the motor 40 rotates the rotating member 41 disposed in close contact with the guide tube 3 , and the guide tube 3 is rotated in a predetermined direction on the longitudinal axis as to the insertion portion body 5 .
- observations signals output from the CCD 16 of the camera unit 11 are continuously generated into video signals by the vide processor 7 , and displayed on the monitor 8 screen. Also, there is no need to have the optical axis of the observation window 12 provided to the camera unit 11 disposed on the rotation axis of the insertion portion 2 , and thus the disposing position of the observation window 12 and illumination windows 13 of the camera unit 11 can be freely changed, and the degree of freedom of design is improved. Accordingly, disposing the illumination windows 13 and the observation window 12 such that light distribution balance within the image-capturing range is optimal, or disposing the illumination windows 13 and the observation window 12 to minimize the diameter of the tip portion, and so forth, can be performed as suitable.
- annular gear 43 is integrally provided to the base end portion of the guide tube 3 , as shown in FIG. 15 .
- a cylindrical gear 42 is provided at the tip portion of the motor shaft 40 a of the motor 40 .
- the cylindrical gear 42 provided to the motor shaft 40 a of the motor 40 meshes with the gear grooves 43 a of the gear 43 provided to the guide tube 3 . Accordingly, driving the motor 40 rotates the cylindrical gear 42 , and the rotations of the cylindrical gear 42 are transmitted to the gear 43 on which are formed the gear grooves 43 a , so that only the guide tube 3 rotates in the predetermined direction on the longitudinal axis.
- the rotation direction of the guide tube 3 shown in FIGS. 14 and 15 is the counter-clockwise direction on the longitudinal axis of the guide tube 3 , likely with the first embodiment.
- contact of the guide tube 3 with the walls of the large intestine is increased, and insertability of the insertion portion 2 to the large intestine improves.
- the guide tube 3 can be removed from the insertion portion body 5 which makes up the insertion portion 2 , by removing the stopper member 29 from the tip 5 a . Accordingly, the staff can perform washing and sterilization with high reliability with ease, since the insertion portion body 5 and the guide tube 3 are in a separated state. Note however that the stopper member 29 and the guide tube 3 may be disposable.
- the rotation direction of the guide tube 3 described above is the counter-clockwise direction on the longitudinal axis of the guide tube 3 , likely with the first embodiment.
- contact of the guide tube 3 with the walls of the large intestine is increased, and insertability of the insertion portion to the large intestine improves.
- FIGS. 17 through 20 A third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 17 through 20 .
- a CCD connection terminal 45 is provided at the end of the CCD wiring through hole 5 B of the connector portion 4 .
- the signal transmission cable is connected to the CCD connection terminal 45 .
- an LED connection terminal 46 is provided to the end of the LED wiring through hole 5 C.
- the power cable is connected to the LED contact terminal 46 .
- the two pins 14 A and 14 B provided to the insertion portion holding section 9 A are respectively inserted into the tow pin holes 4 b provided to the connector portion 4 .
- the pin 14 A comes into contact with the CCD contact terminal 45
- the pin 14 B comes into contact with the LED contact terminal 46 .
- the signal transmission cable is connected to the pin 14 A.
- the pin 14 A is a pin terminal for transmitting the observation signals output from the CCD 16 to the video processor 7 .
- the power source cable is connected to the pin 14 B.
- the pin 14 B is a pin terminal for supplying LED power source to the LEDs 17 .
- a key portion 15 A protruding toward the outer circumference side is provided on a protrusion 15 making up the insertion portion holding section 9 A provided to the rotating device 6 , as shown in FIG. 18 .
- a keyhole portion 4 A is provided to a fitting hole 4 a provided to the connector portion 4 of the insertion portion 2 .
- the keyhole portion 4 A is configured such that the key portion 15 A provided to the protrusion 15 of the insertion portion holding section 9 A is retained therein. Accordingly, the connector portion 4 of the insertion portion 2 and the insertion portion holding section 9 A of the rotating device 6 are linked at a predetermined position relation set beforehand, at the time of linking.
- the key portion 15 A and the keyhole portion 4 A are positioning members, such that in a state of linking, the pin 14 A and the CCD contact terminal 45 are brought into contact in a sure manner, and the pin 14 B and the LED contact terminal 46 are brought into contact in a sure manner.
- the pins 14 A and 14 B also serve as positioning members, as shown in FIG. 19 .
- the pins 14 A and 14 B are disposed in non-point-symmetry as to the perimeter of the protrusion 16 of the insertion portion holding section 9 A.
- the positions of the two pin holes 4 B provided to the connector portion 4 of the insertion portion 2 are provided facing the pins 14 A and 14 B, and also the pin 14 A is disposed so as to come into contact with the CCD contact terminal 45 and the pin 14 B is disposed so as to come into contact with the LED contact terminal 46 .
- a positioning pin 14 C may be provided separately from the pins 14 A and 14 B to the insertion portion holding section 9 A, as shown in FIG. 20 .
- a position hole 4 c is provided to the connector portion 4 of the insertion portion 2 to which the positioning pin 14 C provided to the insertion portion holding section 9 A is inserted.
- the connector portion 4 of the insertion portion 2 and the insertion portion holding section 9 A of the rotating device 6 are always linked only by a predetermined positional relation. That is to say, at the time of linking, the pin 14 A of the insertion portion holding section 9 A is inserted in the pin hole 4 b of the CCD contact terminal 45 side in a sure manner, and the pin 14 B is inserted into the pin hole 4 b of the LED contact terminal 46 side in a sure manner. Accordingly, the staff can perform linking connection of the connector portion 4 of the insertion portion 2 and the insertion portion holding section 9 A of the rotating device 6 without taking into consideration the orientation thereof.
- the positions of protrusion of the pins 14 A and 14 B of the rotating device 6 are preferably in point symmetry to the center of the insertion portion holding section 9 A, as shown in FIG. 18 .
- the power source cable connected to the LED 17 and the signal transmission cable connected to the CCD 16 are each passed through respective through holes 5 B and 5 C within the insertion portion body 5 . Accordingly, electrical trouble occurring due to the power source cable and signal transmission cable being in close proximity can be avoided. Specifically, noise is prevented from entering the observation signals output from the CCD 16 , and consequently, a good endoscope image is displayed on the screen of the monitor 8 .
- the connector portion 4 of the insertion portion 2 and the insertion portion holding section 9 A of the rotating device 6 are linked only in a predetermined fitting direction, so the pin 14 A of the insertion portion holding section 9 A is inserted in the pin hole 4 b of the CCD contact terminal 45 side in a sure manner, and the pin 14 B is inserted into the pin hole 4 b of the LED contact terminal 46 side in a sure manner. Accordingly, connection mistakes wherein the connector portion 4 of the insertion portion 2 and the insertion portion holding section 9 A of the rotating device 6 are erroneously connected are resolved, thereby reducing the load on the staff.
- FIGS. 21 through 24 A fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 21 through 24 .
- an opening of a channel 50 is provided to the tip face of the tip 5 a of the insertion portion 2 with the present embodiment.
- the channel 50 is a through hole extending to the connector portion 4 of the insertion portion 2 .
- the opening end of the channel 50 at the connector portion 4 side of the insertion portion 2 is provided on the side circumferential face of the connector portion 4 , for example.
- a tube connector 51 is provided to the opening of the connector portion 4 side, and one end of the tube 52 is detachably linked to the tube connector 51 .
- the other end of the tube 52 is selectively connected to an external device, e.g., an air/water pump, suction pump, syringe, or the like, which are selected as appropriate according to the various usages thereof.
- feeding air or water, or performing suction, to or from the large intestine or other body cavities is enabled by providing the channel 50 to the insertion portion 2 .
- turning the insertion portion 2 within a predetermined turning range by the motor 20 allows the staff to change the position of the channel 50 and the observation window 12 to a desired position. These improve the efficiency of endoscopy, diagnosis, and so forth.
- the staff can replace various types of replacement units 53 to be inserted to the insertion portion 2 , thereby performing various types of endoscopy and diagnosis and the like.
- FIGS. 25 through 29 may be provided to the above-described endoscope system 1 according to the first embodiment through fourth embodiment.
- the wireless transmitter 60 wirelessly transmits observation signals output and transmitted from the CCD 16 in the insertion portion 2 to a receiver 62 .
- the receiver 62 is connected to the video processor 7 by a cable or the like.
- the observation signals received at the receiver 62 are supplied to the video processor 7 .
- the video signals generated at the video processor 7 are output to the monitor 8 , and an endoscope image image-captured by the CCD 16 is displayed on the monitor 8 screen.
- the receiver 62 may be built into the video processor 7 .
- the endoscope system 1 shown in FIG. 26 is a configuration wherein a connector unit 62 has been built onto the base side of the connector portion 4 of the insertion portion 2 .
- a connector unit 62 Provided in the connector unit 62 are the wireless transmitter 60 and power source battery 61 .
- the connector unit 62 is detachably mounted to the insertion portion holding section 9 of the rotating device 6 .
- the connector unit 62 may also be detachably mounted to the connector portion 4 of the insertion portion 2 .
- the connector unit portion 62 provided with the wireless transmitter 60 and power source battery 61 is detachable from the insertion portion holding section 9 and the connector portion 4 , and therefore expensive equipment such as the wireless transmitter 60 and power source battery 61 can be reused.
- expensive equipment such as the wireless transmitter 60 and power source battery 61 can be reused.
- an inexpensive endoscope system 1 with reduced running costs can be realized.
- FIG. 27 An arrangement may be made such as shown in FIG. 27 , wherein the external shape of the rotating device 6 is that of a rotating device 70 having an operating portion shape which can be grasped by the staff as with a conventional endoscope portion.
- linking the connector portion 4 of the insertion portion 2 to the insertion portion holding section 9 provided to the rotating device 70 configures an endoscope device 80 .
- a universal cord 71 to be connected to various types of external equipment extends from, for example, the side portion of the rotating device 70 .
- two switches 72 To one side face of the rotating device 70 in the proximity of the universal cord 71 , two switches 72 , and one stop switch 72 a , for example, are provided.
- the two switches 72 are for rotating operations of the insertion portion 2 in the counter-clockwise direction and the clockwise direction, respectively, on the longitudinal axis.
- the stop switch 72 a is for stopping turning of the insertion portion 2 .
- the gear grooves 9 a are provided to the base portion of the insertion portion holding section 9 .
- the cylindrical gear 20 a provided to the motor shaft of the motor 20 meshes with the gear grooves 9 a . Accordingly, driving the motor 20 by operating the switches 72 rotates the insertion portion holding section 9 in the predetermined direction on the longitudinal axis.
- a slip ring 18 is provided on the base side of the insertion portion holding section 9 .
- a cable extending from the control device 22 is passed through the universal cord 71 , via the rotating device 70 .
- linking the insertion portion 2 to the rotating device 70 having the operating portion shape enables operability at the time of inserting the insertion portion 2 into a body cavity such as the large intestine or the like, while eliminating the sense of unfamiliarity with the staff using the endoscope system 1 since the shape is that of a conventional endoscope device.
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Abstract
An insertion device comprises a long-sized insertion portion to be inserted into a subject; a propulsion force generating portion provided on the outer peripheral face of the insertion portion; a rotating portion for rotating the propulsion force generating portion on the longitudinal axis of the insertion portion; an observation portion for observing an image of the subject; and a display control portion for displaying, on a screen of a display device, the image of the subject based on an observation signal outputted from the observation portion in a manner corresponding to a rotation of the propulsion force generating portion.
Description
- This application is a continuation application of PCT/JP2005/008915 filed on May 16, 2006 and claims benefit of Japanese Application No. 2004-145703 filed in Japan on May 14, 2004, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by this reference.
- 1. Field of the Invention
- The present invention relates to an insertion device which is used to introduce an insertion portion of an endoscope into the body cavity to perform intracavital endoscopy, colonoscopy in particular.
- 2. Description of the Related Art
- In recent years, an endoscope which has a flexible and slender insertion portion has been used in medical fields such as examinations or treatment. Introducing the insertion portion of the endoscope into the body cavity allows observing intracavital organs and the like without cutting, and moreover various types of remedy and treatment can be performed if necessary, by introducing treatment equipment into the body cavity through an treatment equipment insertion channel provided to the insertion portion. The endoscope has a bending portion at the tip portion of the insertion portion. The bending portion is bent in a direction either horizontal or vertical by reciprocal movement of the operation wire which is coupled with a bending piece configuring the bending portion. The operation wire can be moved back and forth by a turning operation of a bending knob provided to the operation part, for example.
- With endoscopy, it is necessary to insert the insertion portion into complex body cavity portions. To insert the insertion portion into a complex lumen such as the large intestine with a 360° loop for example, an operator introduces the tip of the insertion portion toward the observation target by operating the bending knob to bend the bending portion while performing a manual operation such as a twisting operation of the insertion portion.
- However, considerable skill is required to introduce the insertion portion into the deep region of the complex large intestine smoothly in a short period of time without infliction of discomfort on the patient. In other words, an inexperienced operator may delay the insertion by misdirecting the insertion portion in the deep region or may deform the course of intestines when inserting the insertion portion through to the deep region. Therefore various types proposals have been made to improve the insertability of the insertion portion.
- For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 10-113396 describes a medical appliance propelling device which can guide a medical appliance up to a deep region of an organism canal easily and less invasively. This propelling device has ribs on a rotary member, the ribs being arranged obliquely as to the axial direction of the rotary member. Therefore the medical appliance coupled with the propelling device is moved toward the deep region by the propulsion force generated from the rotating movement of the rotary member because the rib converts the rotation force of the rotational member into the propulsion force.
- The insertion device according to the present invention comprises: a long-sized insertion portion to be inserted into a subject; a propulsion force generating portion provided on the outer peripheral face of the insertion portion; a rotating portion for rotating the propulsion force generating portion on the longitudinal axis of the insertion portion; an observation portion for observing an image of the subject; and a display control portion for displaying, on a screen of a display device, the image of the subject based on an observation signal outputted from the observation portion in a manner corresponding to a rotation of the propulsion force generating portion.
-
FIG. 1 is a diagram describing the configuration of the endoscope system in the first embodiment according to the present invention; -
FIG. 2 is a diagram describing a connection between the insertion portion and the insertion portion rotating device; -
FIG. 3 is a partial cross sectional view in the longitudinal direction describing the principal members of the endoscope insertion portion; -
FIG. 4 is a diagram describing the insertion portion which is inserted into a large intestine; -
FIG. 5 is a diagram describing the insertion portion which is inserted up to a deep region of a large intestine; -
FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an image captured by an image capturing device provided to the insertion portion being displayed as an image A on the screen of the monitor when the insertion portion is at a predetermined phase position; -
FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating the image A being displayed on the screen of the monitor when the insertion portion is rotated from the position shown inFIG. 6 ; -
FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating the image A being displayed on the screen of the monitor when the insertion portion is further rotated from the position inFIG. 7 ; -
FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an image captured by the image capturing device provided to the insertion portion being displayed as an image B on the screen of the monitor when the insertion portion is rotated back to the predetermined phase position once again; -
FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the relationship between the rotation angle θ of the insertion portion holding section in the insertion portion rotating device and the time t; -
FIG. 11 is a diagram describing the relationship between the image which corresponds to the rotation angle θ of the insertion portion holding section in the insertion portion rotating device and the time t inFIG. 10 and the image which is displayed on the screen of the monitor; -
FIG. 12 is a diagram describing a camera unit which is detachably placed in the camera unit housing part provided to the tip of the insertion portion; -
FIG. 13 is a longitudinal cross sectional view describing the configuration of the camera unit and the tip of the insertion portion; -
FIG. 14 is a longitudinal partial cross sectional view describing the insertion portion and the insertion portion rotating device in a second embodiment; -
FIG. 15 is a longitudinal partial cross sectional view describing the insertion portion and the insertion portion rotating device in a modification of the second embodiment; -
FIG. 16 is a cross sectional view describing a stopper member which is placed on the tip of the insertion portion; -
FIG. 17 is a longitudinal partial cross sectional view describing the insertion portion and an insertion portion rotating device in a third embodiment; -
FIG. 18 is a diagram describing a configuration example of the coupling part which prevents the misconnection between the connector part of the endoscope insertion portion and the insertion portion holding section in the insertion portion rotating device; -
FIG. 19 is a diagram describing another configuration example of the coupling part which prevents the misconnection between the connector part of the endoscope insertion portion and the insertion portion holding section in the insertion portion rotating device; -
FIG. 20 is a diagram describing yet another configuration example of the coupling part which prevents the misconnection between the connector part of the endoscope insertion portion and the insertion portion holding section in the insertion portion rotating device; -
FIG. 21 is a front view illustrating the tip of the insertion portion in a fourth embodiment; -
FIG. 22 is a longitudinal partial cross sectional view describing the insertion portion and the insertion portion rotating device in the fourth embodiment; -
FIG. 23 is an external view of an insertion portion into which a replacement unit is inserted; -
FIG. 24 is a longitudinal partial cross sectional view describing an insertion portion in which a replacement unit is disposed; -
FIG. 25 is a diagram describing a radio transmitter and a power battery which are installed at the insertion portion holding section in the insertion portion rotating device; -
FIG. 26 is a diagram describing a connector unit part which is installed at the connector part of the insertion portion; -
FIG. 27 is an external view illustrating the rotating device having the shape of an endoscope operation part and the insertion portion which is detachable from the rotating device; -
FIG. 28 is a diagram describing the detachment relation between the insertion portion and the insertion portion holding section; and -
FIG. 29 is a view describing the insertion portion which is detachable from the rotating device having the shape of an operating part. - Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to drawings.
- A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to
FIGS. 1 through 13 . - As shown in
FIG. 1 , anendoscope system 1 is primarily composed of an endoscopic insertion portion which is the insertion portion of the endoscope system (hereinafter, abbreviated as “insertion portion”) 2, an insertion portion rotating device which is the rotating part of the endoscope system (hereinafter, abbreviated as “rotating device”) 6, avideo processor 7 which is the display control means, and amonitor 8 which is the display means. - The
insertion portion 2 is slender and flexible. Theinsertion portion 2 is provided with aspiral guide tube 3. Theguide tube 3 is installed for example in an integrated fashion between theconnector part 4 and the endoscope tip (hereinafter, abbreviated as “tip”) 5 a. Theconnector part 4 of theinsertion portion 2 is coupled with the approximate cylindrical insertionportion holding section 9 which is protruding out from the one side of therotating device 6. Theguide tube 3 is inserted through theprotection pipe 10 which fits loosely. This prevents theinsertion portion 2 from contacting the floor in the operating room directly. - The
rotating device 6 is a device which is to rotate theinsertion portion 2 in a predetermined direction on its longitudinal axis. Thecable 6 a connects therotating device 6 and thevideo processor 7, and the cable which is not shown in the view connects thevideo processor 7 and themonitor 8. - The
video processor 7 is provided inside with thecontrol part 7 a which controls variously and thesignal processing circuit 7 b which processes signals variously in its inside. Thesignal processing circuit 7 b executes process which provides driving signals to the image capturing device 16 (seeFIG. 3 ) which is the observation means that is placed at thetip 5 a of theinsertion portion 2, process which produces video signals from observation signals that are converted photoelectrically by theimage capturing device 16 and are transmitted and outputs the video signals to themonitor 8, and the like, under control of thecontrol part 7 b. On the screen of themonitor 8, the endoscope image which is the image of the object that is based on the video signals which are output fromvideo processor 7 is displayed. - Note that, as will hereinafter be described in detail, in a state wherein the
insertion portion 2 is inserted to the body cavity such as the large intestine, thevideo processor 7 in this embodiment outputs video signals to themonitor 8, and the signals display only the still image at a predetermined rotation phase which is synchronized with the rotation period of thetip 5 a of theinsertion portion 2 on the screen of themonitor 8. - As shown in
FIG. 2 , thetip 5 a of theinsertion portion 2 is approximately cylindrical in shape. Thetip 5 a is provided with an opening which contains the cameraunit housing part 5A. Thecamera unit 11 which is the image capturing unit is housed in the cameraunit housing part 5A and secured integrally and fixedly therein. Thecamera unit 11 is provided with an observation optical system and an illumination optical system. There is anobservation window 12 at the approximate center of the distal surface of thecamera unit 11. There are multiple, in this case two, illumination windows around theobservation window 12. The multipleelectric cables 11 a are extended from the base end side of thecamera unit 11. Theelectric cables 11 a are extended through interior of theinsertion portion 2 to base end part side. Note that the multiple electric cables 1 a may be bundled and inserted through the interior of theinsertion portion 2 as a cable bundle. - The insertion
portion holding section 9 of therotating device 6 is provided with a generallycylindrical protrusion 15 protruding from the central part of the distal surface and is provided with multiple, in this case two, pins 14 around thisprotrusion 15. Theinsertion portion 2 and the insertionportion holding section 9 are coupled and secured, mechanically and electrically, by thesepins 14 andprotrusion 15 fitting into theconnector part 4 of theinsertion portion 2. - The
insertion portion 2 and therotating device 6 are described in detail with reference toFIG. 3 . - As shown in the drawing, the
camera unit 11 which is secured integrally and fixedly on thetip 5 a is provided with the observationoptical system 12 a and the two illuminationoptical systems 13 a. The observationoptical system 12 a is placed toward the base end side through theobservation window 12, and, for example, the image capturing device (hereinafter, referred to as “CCD”) 16, serving as the observation means, is placed at base end of the observationoptical system 12 a. The illuminationoptical systems 13 a are each disposed from the twoillumination windows 13 toward the base side. The light-emitting diode (hereinafter, referred to as “LED”) 17, which is an illumination beam irradiating part, is placed at the base end part of the illuminationoptical system 13 a. Theelectric cables 11 a which are extending from the base end side of thecamera unit 11 are comprised of a signal transmission cable which is connected electrically to theCCD 16 and a power cable which is connected electrically to theLED 17. - Meanwhile, it is preferable that the signal transmission cable voltage and the power cable voltage are approximately the same, since this prevents various types of damage caused by the proximity of each cable, for example, damage of the
CCD 16 and damage of theLED 17 caused by electromagnetic induction, and the like. - The
insertion portion body 5 is formed smaller than thetip 5 a in diameter. The base end part of theinsertion portion body 5 extends to theconnector part 4. Thetip 5 a is configured as a guard part to prevent theguide tube 3 from coming off. The central part of theinsertion portion body 5 is provided with the through-hole 5 b which theelectric cables 11 a that are extending from thecamera unit 11 are inserted through. Theinsertion portion body 5 is a generally tubular member which has flexibility. Theguide tube 3 is externally attached to theinsertion portion body 5. Theconnector part 4 is fixedly secured to the base end part of theinsertion portion body 5. That is to say, theguide tube 3 is placed on the outer peripheral part of theinsertion portion body 5 between thetip 5 a of theinsertion portion 2 and theconnector part 4. - The
guide tube 3 is a tubular member formed by spirally winding ametal wire 3A of stainless-steel, for example, to a predetermined diameter size in a double- layered configuration, so as to have the predetermined flexibility. Theguide tube 3 may be configured by winding themetal wire 3A in a spiral and multiple-wind configuration, e.g., four-wind. Various types of characteristics of theguide tube 3 can be configured by changing the degree of contact between the winds ofmetal wire 3A or changing the degree of spiral angle when themetal wire 3A is wound. - Therefore, the outer peripheral surface of the
guide tube 3 is provided with the spiral shapedpart 3 a serving as the propulsion force generating portion that is formed by the surface of themetal wire 3A. The configuration of theguide tube 3 is preferably formed by winding themetal wire 3A in a left-handed spiral from the tip toward the base end. In other words, themetal wire 3A is wound spirally so that the groove of the spiral shapedpart 3 a of theguide tube 3 has the same direction as a thread groove of a left-hand thread. When the spiral shapedpart 3 a is in the rotating state at the time of insertion into the body cavity, especially into the large intestine, contact between the spiral shapedpart 3 a and the intestinal wall in the large intestine is improved and the insertability of theinsertion portion 2 into the large intestine is improved, by forming the groove of the spiral shapedpart 3 a of theguide tube 3 so as to have the same direction as a thread groove of a left-hand thread. - The base end surface side of the
connector part 4 is provided with afitting hole 4 a andpinhole 4 b. Thefitting hole 4 a is a circular hole which is formed at the approximate center of the base end surface, and theprotrusion 15 is placed therein.Multiple pinholes 4 b, in this case two, are installed around thefitting hole 4 a. Thepins 14 are placed in each of thepinholes 4 b. There are multiple, in this case three,contact terminals 4A on the bottom surface of thefitting hole 4 a. The signal transmission cable and the power cable which are theelectric cables 11 a are connected to each of thesecontact terminals 4A. - Also, the distal surface of the
protrusion 15 of the insertionportion holding section 9 is provided with threecontact pins 15 a which correspond to thecontact terminals 4A. Therefore, when theconnector part 4 and the insertionportion holding section 9 are coupled with each other, the threecontact terminals 4A which are installed on theconnector part 4 and the threecontact pins 15 a which are installed on the insertionportion holding section 9 come into contact with each other electrically. This connects theCCD 16 andLED 17 to therotating device 6 electrically. - The insertion
portion holding section 9 is held rotatably in a direction on its longitudinal axis by abearing 21, for example, placed on the side panel of therotating device 6.Gear grooves 9 a in the shape of a spur gear, for example, are formed on the outer periphery of the base end part of the insertionportion holding section 9. Acylindrical gear 20 a which is installed on the distal part of the motor shaft of themotor 20 meshes with thegear grooves 9 a. Therefore, driving themotor 20 rotates thecylindrical gear 20 a which is provided to the motor shaft. The insertionportion holding section 9 then is rotated in a predetermined direction, in this case counter-clockwise, from the base end toward the tip on its longitudinal axis, due to thegear grooves 9 a meshing with thecylindrical gear 20 a. - The
rotating device 6 is provided with a collector (hereinafter, referred to as “slip ring”) 18 which electrically connects the insertionportion holding section 9 that is rotated and thecontrol device 22. Thecontrol device 22 serves as display control means, provided with acontrol unit 22 a, asignal circuit 22 b, apower supply circuit 22 c, and the like. Theslip ring 18 is provided with abrush part 23 a which is a first electric contact,brush parts 24 a which are third electric contacts,ring part 23 b which is a second electric contact, andring parts 24 b which are fourth electric contacts. Thebrush part ring part 23 b electrically in a slidable state. Thebrush part portion holding section 9. Thering part shaft body 22 a which is extended from thecontrol device 22. Theshaft body 22 a has the same central axis as the rotational axis of the insertionportion holding section 9. The signal transmission cable is connected to thebrush part 23 a which is the first electric contact, and thering part 23 b which is the second electric contact is electrically connected to thesignal circuit 22 b. On the other hand, the power cables are connected to thebrush parts 24 a which are the third electric contacts, and thering parts 24 b which are the fourth electric contacts are connected to thepower supply circuit 22 c electrically. - Moreover, the
rotating device 6 is provided with amotor encoder 25 which is the rotating part detection means that detects the rotation angle of themotor 20 and with the holdingpart encoder 26 which is the propulsion force generating portion detection means that detects the rotation angle of the insertionportion holding section 9 which rotates theinsertion portion 2 which is provided with theguide tube 3. The detection signals which are output from theencoders control unit 22 a of thecontrol device 22. Note that in this embodiment, a holdingpart encoder 26 is provided, which outputs a detection signal each time a reference point which is set on the insertionportion holding section 9 passes a predetermined phase position. This means that a detection signal is output to thecontrol unit 22 a each time the insertionportion holding section 9 rotates 360 degrees. - The operation of the
endoscope system 1 in this embodiment, which is composed as described above, will now be described. - The preparatory procedures for inserting the
insertion portion 2 into the large intestine will be described. - To insert the
insertion portion 2 through the large intestine, for example, to the cecum region, first of all, a doctor or nurse (hereinafter, referred to as “staff”) insertsinsertion portion 2 through inside of theprotection pipe 10. Then, the staff couples theconnector part 4 of theinsertion portion 2 which protrudes from one end of theprotection pipe 10 with the insertionportion holding section 9 of therotating device 6. At this time, the staff fits each of the twopins 14 of the insertionportion holding section 9 into each of the twopinholes 4 b of theconnector part 4 and, holding this status, fits theprotrusion 15 of the insertionportion holding section 9 into thefitting hole 4 a of theconnector part 4. This completes the preparations for insertinginsertion portion 2 into the large intestine. Moreover, thevideo processor 7 and themonitor 8 are prepared along with the preparation ofinsertion portion 2. - Next, the procedures for inserting the
insertion portion 2 into the large intestine of a patient will be described with reference toFIG. 4 . - First, the staff grasps the tip of the
insertion portion 2 and inserts thetip 5 a of theinsertion portion 2 through the anus 71 (seeFIG. 4 ) of the patient, who is lying on a bed or the like, into the large intestine. Then, the spiral shapedpart 3 a of theguide tube 3 which is installed on theinsertion portion 2 contacts the intestinal wall of the patient. At this time, the contact state between the spiral shapedpart 3 a of theguide tube 3 and the plica of the intestinal wall is like the relationship between a male thread and a female thread. - In this contact state, the staff drives the
motor 20 of therotating device 6 clockwise on the axis ofinsertion portion 2. Then, the insertionportion holding section 9 is rotated counter-clockwise on its axis. This rotates theconnector part 4 of theinsertion portion 2 which is attached to the insertionportion holding section 9 counter-clockwise to the inserting direction on its axis. As this rotation is transmitted from the base end to the tip portion of theinsertion portion 2, the spiral shapedpart 3 a of theguide tube 3 which is installed integrally rotates counter-clockwise on its axis so as to move from the tip portion to the base end side. At this time, thecamera unit 11 which is integrally and fixedly secured on thetip 5 a of theinsertion portion 2 rotates with the rotation of the of theinsertion portion 2. - Then, by the
insertion portion 2 being rotated, at the contact part between the spiral shapedpart 3 a which is rotating and the plica of the intestinal wall, propulsion force which makes theinsertion portion 2 advance is generated as an external thread moves relative to an internal thread. This results in theinsertion portion 2 advancing inside of the large intestine toward deep region by the propulsion force. At this time, the operator may manually operate so as to push ahead theinsertion portion 2 which the staff is grasping. - As shown in
FIG. 4 , therotating insertion portion 2 which is inserted through theanus 71 advances from therectum 72 toward thesigmoid colon region 73 by the propulsion force which is generated by theguide tube 3 and the manual operation of the operator. Then, thetip 5 a of theinsertion portion 2 arrives at thesigmoid colon region 73. At this time, theinsertion portion 2 can obtain stable propulsion force while being bent in a complex manner due to the contact between the spiral shapedpart 3 a of the insertion portion and the intestinal wall. In addition, because theinsertion portion 2 has the predetermined flexibility, theinsertion portion 2 advances along the intestinal wall smoothly without being prevented from advancing at thesigmoid colon region 73 which changes the position easily. Note that there are cases wherein theinsertion portion 2 advances smoothly while forming thesigmoid colon region 73 into an alpha loop shape along the intestinal wall, when theinsertion portion 2 passes thesigmoid colon region 73. - The
rotating insertion portion 2 passes thesigmoid colon region 73. Subsequently, theinsertion portion 2 advances smoothly along the wall of the bending region which is the border between thesigmoid colon region 73 and the descendingcolon region 74 which has low mobility, thesplenic flexure region 76 which is the border between the descendingcolon region 74 and thetransverse colon region 75 which has high mobility, and thehepatic flexure region 77 which is the border between thetransverse colon 75 and the ascendingcolon 78. This makes the insertion portion arrive at, for example, neighborhood of thececum region 79 which is the target region, without changing the course of the large intestine as shown in theFIG. 5 . - While the
rotating insertion portion 2 is inserted into the large intestine of the patient, the staff inserts theinsertion portion 2 into the deep region of the large intestine by the propulsion force and manual operation, while confirming the endoscope image in the large intestine which is displayed on the screen of themonitor 8. At this time, in order to prevent the image which is displayed on the screen of themonitor 8 from being displayed rotationally due to the rotations of theinsertion portion 2, thevideo processor 7 outputs to themonitor 8 predetermined video signals which prevent the endoscope image which is displayed on the screen of themonitor 8 from rotating. The video signals output from thevideo processor 7 to themonitor 8 are observation signals output from theCCD 16 at a predetermined phase position taking into consideration the rotation cycle of theinsertion portion 2. - Here, the image capturing screen which is displayed on the screen of the
monitor 8 will be described with reference toFIGS. 6 through 9 . - As shown in
FIG. 6 , thevideo processor 7 outputs the video signals to themonitor 8, for example, at the predetermined phase position where the triangle mark T of thetip 5 a is positioned at the top portion in the drawing, i.e., at the position where the vertical position of the image of the subject image-captured by theCCD 16 and the vertical relation of the endoscope image displayed on the screen of themonitor 8, agree. Accordingly, the endoscope image image-captured by theCCD 16 positioned at the predetermined phase position shown inFIG. 6 is displayed as an image A on the screen of themonitor 8. - In the state in which the position of the triangle T of the
tip 5 a is rotationally moved in the direction of the arrow from the position shown inFIG. 6 by 120 degrees, for example, as shown inFIG. 7 , i.e., thetip 5 a is rotated to the predetermined phase position, thevideo processor 7 outputs video signals in the state that thetip 5 a is positioned at the predetermined phase position to themonitor 8. That is to say, the image A same as that shown inFIG. 6 continues to be displayed on themonitor 8 screen. - Also, in a state wherein the position of the triangle T of the
tip 5 a is rotationally moved in the direction of the arrow from the position shown inFIG. 7 by 150 degrees for example, as shown inFIG. 8 , i.e., thetip 5 a is rotated to the predetermined phase position, thevideo processor 7 outputs video signals in the state that thetip 5 a is positioned at the predetermined phase position to themonitor 8. That is to say, the image A same as that shown inFIG. 6 continues to be displayed on themonitor 8 screen. - In the event that the position of the triangle T of the
tip 5 a returns to the predetermined phase position again, thevideo processor 7 outputs the video signals image-captured by theCCD 16 repositioned at the predetermined phase position to themonitor 8 anew. Thus, an image B with the same vertical relation of theCCD 16, which is different from the endoscope image image-captured by theCCD 16 at the predetermined phase position shown inFIG. 6 , is displayed on themonitor 8. - That is to say, endoscope images image-captured by the CCD disposed at the predetermined phase position are sequentially displayed on the
monitor 8 screen, synchronously with the cycle of one rotation of thetip 5 a of theinsertion portion 2. - Description will be made regarding the rotational angle information of the insertion
portion holding section 9, which therotating device 6 supplies to thevideo processor 7, with reference toFIG. 10 andFIG. 11 . - The
control unit 22 of therotating device 6 obtains the rotational cycle (time) t information of the insertionportion holding section 9 which rotates as shown inFIG. 10 , at the rotation angle θ (0° through 360° ), and information of the rotation angle θ, via theencoder 26. Specifically, upon thecontrol unit 22 a of thecontrol device 22 which is provided to therotating device 6 receiving a detection signal from theencoder 26, observation signals output from theCCD 16 of thecamera unit 11 with a rotational angle θ of 0° is supplied to thevideo processor 7, under control of thecontrol unit 22 a. Now, under the control of thecontrol unit 7 a, thevideo processor 7 modulates the observation signals transmitted from theCCD 16 of thecamera unit 11 into video signals and outputs to themonitor 8, so as to display an endoscope image on the screen of themonitor 8. - In detail, first, the
control device 22 of therotating device 6 supplies observation signals output from theCCD 16 of thecamera unit 11 at the time T1 where the insertionportion holding section 9 shown inFIG. 10 is at the rotation angle of 0°, to thevideo processor 7. Here, thevideo processor 7 generates video signals at the rotation angle 0° and time T1 and outputs to themonitor 8. Accordingly, an endoscope image V1 is displayed on the screen of themonitor 8 as shown inFIG. 11 . Subsequently, thevideo processor 7 consecutively outputs video signals for displaying the endoscope image V1 shown inFIG. 11 on themonitor 8, while the insertionportion holding section 9 of therotating device 6 is rotating from the time T1 to the time T2, i.e., while the rotation angle θ of the insertionportion holding section 9 moves between 0°<θ<360°. - That is to say, when the time t shown in
FIG. 10 is T1<t<T2, only the endoscope image V1 shown inFIG. 11 is consecutively displayed on the screen of themonitor 8. Accordingly, when the rotational angle θ of the insertionportion holding section 9 of therotating device 6 is between 0°<θ<360°, the observation signals output from theCCD 16 of thecamera unit 11, i.e., observation signals corresponding to the endoscope image V1 a at the rotation angle θ of 90°, observation signals corresponding to the endoscope image V1 b at the rotation angle θ of 150°, and observation signals corresponding to the endoscope image V1 c at the rotation angle θ of 300°, are all not generated into video signals. - Next, the
control device 22 of therotating device 6 supplies the observation signals output from theCCD 16 of thecamera unit 11 at the time T2 where the rotational angle of the insertionportion holding section 9 shown inFIG. 10 is 0° to thevideo processor 7. Accordingly, an endoscope image V2 shown inFIG. 11 , at the rotational angle 0° and time T2 that has been generated at thevideo processor 7, is displayed on themonitor 8 screen. The endoscope image V2 is consecutively displayed on the screen of themonitor 8 during the time t of T2<t<T3. - Next, the
rotating device 6 supplies predetermined observation signals to thevideo processor 7 at the time T3 where the rotation angle of the insertionportion holding section 9 shown inFIG. 10 is 0°. Accordingly, an endoscope image V3 shown inFIG. 11 , at the rotational angle 0° and time T3 that has been generated at thevideo processor 7, is displayed on themonitor 8 screen. - The
video processor 7 continues to output an endoscope image Vn shown inFIG. 11 at the point in time of Tn shown inFIG. 10 where the rotational angle θ of the insertionportion holding section 9 is θ=0°, i.e., the predetermined phase position, based on the information of the rotational cycle (time) t of the insertionportion holding section 9 supplied from thecontrol device 22 of therotating device 6, and information of the rotational angle θ, until the rotational angle θ of the insertionportion holding section 9 is the next θ=0°. Accordingly, the endoscope image Vn is consecutively displayed on themonitor 8 screen until the rotational angle θ of the insertionportion holding section 9 is the next θ=0°. - Note that an arrangement may be made wherein, at the time of displaying the endoscope image on the
monitor 8, rotational correction processing is performed by thevideo processor 7 so as to display the image as a normal video on themonitor 8 in accordance with the rotational cycle of therotating device 6. Accordingly, the video displayed on themonitor 8 screen is displayed as a normal observation image without being rotated. In this rotation correction processing, theobservation window 12 is disposed at the approximate middle of thecamera unit 11. Accordingly, the optical axis of theobservation window 12 is on the rotational axis of theinsertion portion 2. - The staff inserts the
insertion portion 2 to the deep portion of the large intestine while checking the endoscope image displayed on themonitor 8 screen. At this time, manual operations are made for changing the rotation speed of therotating device 6, and advancing theinsertion portion 2 according to various bent states of the large intestine. Subsequently, the staff stops driving of therotating device 6 upon having made a determination from the endoscope image displayed on themonitor 8 screen that thetip 5 a of theinsertion portion 5 a has reached near thececum region 79. Transition is then made to retract theinsertion portion 2 in order to perform endoscope inspection of the large intestine. Note that an arrangement may be made for performing endoscope inspection of the large intestine wherein the staff drives to rotate therotating device 6 in the clockwise direction on the axis from the base end toward the distal end, thereby performing retracting operation of theinsertion portion 2. - Thus, with the endoscope system of a configuration wherein the guide tube provided integrally with the insertion portion is rotated by a rotating device, a spiral-shaped portion is provided on the outer face of the guiding tube. Accordingly, in the state wherein the insertion portion is inserted into the large intestine for example, the contact state between the spiral-shaped portion of the guide tube and the intestine wall is in the relation between a so-called male screw and female screw. In this contact state, the insertion portion holding section is rotated counter-clockwise on its axis by the motor of the rotating device, so as to rotate the endoscope insertion portion in the counter-clockwise direction on its axis. Thus, the rotational force is converted into propulsion force, and the endoscope insertion portion can be advanced toward the deep portions of the large intestine as a male screw moving into a female screw.
- Also, according to the present embodiment, the staff can insert the
insertion portion 2 toward the target portion of a deep portion in the body cavity by rotating theinsertion portion 2 in the counter-clockwise direction on its axis to gain propulsion force, and while checking the endoscope image within the large intestine on themonitor 8 screen. Accordingly, the staff can easily check the bending state within the large intestine, the insertion state of the insertion portion, and so forth. Accordingly, insertion of the endoscope insertion portion to the deep portion of the body cavity can be smoothly and speedily performed, thereby reducing the load on the staff and the load on the patient. - As a result of the above, with the
endoscope system 1 according to the present embodiment, at the time of inserting theinsertion portion 2 into a body cavity such as the large intestine, in addition to the propulsion force obtained by the guide tube, the operator can insert the insertion portion into the body cavity such as the large intestine while observing the body cavity such as the large intestine, and therefore insertability of theinsertion portion 2 to the body cavity is improved. - Note that although with the present embodiment, the body cavity to which the
insertion portion 2 is to be inserted is described as being the large intestine, the body cavity where theinsertion portion 2 is inserted is not restricted to the large intestine, and may be the body cavity from the oral cavity through the esophagus, stomach, and small intestine, and so forth. - Also, note that a
camera unit 30 may be detachably provided to thetip 5 a of theinsertion portion 2, as shown inFIG. 12 . In this diagram, thecamera unit 30 is fit into a cameraunit storage portion 5A provided to thetip 5 a. Note that configurations which are the same as those of theinsertion portion 2 in the above-described embodiment will be denoted with the same reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted. - The
camera unit 30 is formed with a smooth and generally spherical shape for the outer face, giving consideration to insertability of theinsertion portion 2. Provided on the tip portion of thecamera unit 30 are anobservation window 12, and multiple, i.e., twoillumination windows 13. The optical axis of theobservation window 12 and the rotating axis of theinsertion portion 2 generally agree. The twoillumination portions 13 are provided around theobservation window 12. A generally-cylindrical connector portion 30 a is provided at the base side of thecamera unit 30. Multiple, two in this case,contact terminals 31 are provided on the side circumferential face of theconnector portion 30 a. - As shown in
FIG. 13 , theconnector portion 30 a of thecamera unit 30 is inserted into the cameraunit storage portion 5A of thetip 5 a. Theconnector portion 30 a of thecamera unit 30 is integrally fixed to thetip 5 a with a fixingmember 33 such as a screw or the like, to prevent from falling out from the cameraunit storage portion 5A. Accordingly, as with the above embodiment, upon theinsertion portion 2 entering a rotating state, thecamera unit 30 integrally fixed to thetip 5 a also rotates with the rotations of theinsertion portion 2. - An observation
optical system 12 a is disposed from theobservation window 12 of thecamera unit 30 toward the base side. TheCCD 16 is disposed at the base of theobservation system 12 a. Also, an illuminationoptical system 13 a is disposed from each of theillumination windows 13 toward the base side. AnLED 17 is disposed at the base end of each illuminationoptical system 13 a. The signal transmission cable extending form theCCD 16 and the power source cable extending from theLEDs 17 are each connected to the connectingterminals 31 of theconnector portion 30 a. On the other hand, multiple, two in the case, contact pins 32 are provided on thetip 5 a of theinsertion portion 2. The contact pins 32 are electrically connected to the twocontact terminals 31 of thecamera unit 30. The contact pins 32 protrude from the inner circumferential face of the cameraunit storage portion 5A by a predetermined amount. Connected to each of the contact pins 32 are the other ends ofelectric cables 11 a of which the one ends are connected to contactterminals 4A. - Also, an O-ring 34 is provided on the opening side of the camera
unit storage portion 5A. The O-ring 34 is provided in close contact with the outer circumferential face of theconnector portion 30 a of thecamera unit 30. Water-tightness between theconnecter portion 30 a and the cameraunit storage portion 5A is maintained by this O-ring 34. - Due to the above, the
camera unit 30 can be easily attached and detached to and form theinsertion portion 2 via the fixingmember 33. Accordingly, thecamera unit 30 can be easily replaced, and also theCCD 16 andLEDs 17 built into thecamera unit 30 can be easily maintained. - A second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to
FIGS. 14 through 16 . - Note that in describing the second embodiment, members with the same configuration and same operations as those of the endoscope system according to the first embodiment will be denoted with the same reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted.
- As shown in
FIG. 14 , theguide tube 3 according to the present embodiment is fit to the outer circumference portion of theinsertion portion body 5 in a movable manner, between thetip 5 a of the insertion portion and theconnector portion 4. That is to say, while theguide tube 3 according to the first embodiment was integrally disposed to theinsertion portion body 5, with the present embodiment theguide tube 3 is disposed to theinsertion portion body 5 so as to be rotatable on the longitudinal axis thereof. Note that with the present embodiment, surface processing with high lubricity, such as fluorine coating, may be applied to the inner circumferential face of theguide tube 3 to reduce resistance upon rotating. - With the
rotating device 6 according to the present embodiment as well, amotor 40 is internally provided. Amotor shaft 40 a of themotor 40 externally protrudes from a side plate portion of therotating device 6. Themotor shaft 40 a is parallel to an insertionportion holding section 9A. A generally-cylindrical rotatingmember 41 formed of an elastic material is disposed on the tip portion of themotor shaft 40 a. The rotatingmember 41 is disposed so as to be in tight contact with the outer circumferential face of the base portion of theguide tube 3 with a predetermined pressing force. Accordingly, driving themotor 40 rotates the rotatingmember 41 disposed in close contact with theguide tube 3, and theguide tube 3 is rotated in a predetermined direction on the longitudinal axis as to theinsertion portion body 5. In the present embodiment, the insertionportion holding section 9A is integrally fixed to the side plate portion of therotating device 6. Accordingly, there is no need to provide a collector such as aslip ring 18 to therotating device 6, thereby simplifying the configuration of therotating device 6. - Due to the above, at the time of inserting the
insertion portion 2 with theguide tube 3 in a rotating state into a body cavity such as the large intestine, only theguide tube 3 is rotated on the longitudinal axis. That is to say, theinsertion portion body 5 making up theinsertion portion 2 does not rotate. Accordingly, thecamera unit 11 fit to thetip 5 a also does not rotate. Thus, rotating of images captured by thecamera unit 11 of thetip 5 a can be prevented. Accordingly, image processing for handling rotations of thetip 5 a at thevideo processor 7 is unnecessary. - Accordingly, observations signals output from the
CCD 16 of thecamera unit 11 are continuously generated into video signals by thevide processor 7, and displayed on themonitor 8 screen. Also, there is no need to have the optical axis of theobservation window 12 provided to thecamera unit 11 disposed on the rotation axis of theinsertion portion 2, and thus the disposing position of theobservation window 12 andillumination windows 13 of thecamera unit 11 can be freely changed, and the degree of freedom of design is improved. Accordingly, disposing theillumination windows 13 and theobservation window 12 such that light distribution balance within the image-capturing range is optimal, or disposing theillumination windows 13 and theobservation window 12 to minimize the diameter of the tip portion, and so forth, can be performed as suitable. - Note that a configuration may be made wherein, instead of having the rotating
member 41 in close contact with the outer circumferential face of the base portion of theguide tube 3, anannular gear 43 is integrally provided to the base end portion of theguide tube 3, as shown inFIG. 15 . - Formed on the
gear 43 are, for example, spur-like gear grooves 43 a, acylindrical gear 42 is provided at the tip portion of themotor shaft 40 a of themotor 40. Thecylindrical gear 42 provided to themotor shaft 40 a of themotor 40 meshes with thegear grooves 43 a of thegear 43 provided to theguide tube 3. Accordingly, driving themotor 40 rotates thecylindrical gear 42, and the rotations of thecylindrical gear 42 are transmitted to thegear 43 on which are formed thegear grooves 43 a, so that only theguide tube 3 rotates in the predetermined direction on the longitudinal axis. - Note that the rotation direction of the
guide tube 3 shown inFIGS. 14 and 15 is the counter-clockwise direction on the longitudinal axis of theguide tube 3, likely with the first embodiment. Thus, contact of theguide tube 3 with the walls of the large intestine is increased, and insertability of theinsertion portion 2 to the large intestine improves. - Note that as shown in
FIG. 16 , the external diameter of thetip 5 a of theinsertion portion 2 is formed to be the same diameter as with theinsertion portion body 5. An abuttingmember 29 a for preventing falling out of theguide tube 3 is fixedly provided to thetip 5 a. Thus, the tip portion of theguide tube 3 abuts against the abuttingportion 29 a, and the same configuration as that described above can be obtained. Thestopper member 29 is formed of an elastic member fixed in close contact to the outer circumferential face of thetip 5 a of theinsertion portion 2, or a rigid member screwed to the outer circumferential face of thetip 5 a. A male screw is formed on the outer circumferential face of thetip 5 a, and a female screw is formed on the inner hole of thestopper member 29. - According to this configuration, the
guide tube 3 can be removed from theinsertion portion body 5 which makes up theinsertion portion 2, by removing thestopper member 29 from thetip 5 a. Accordingly, the staff can perform washing and sterilization with high reliability with ease, since theinsertion portion body 5 and theguide tube 3 are in a separated state. Note however that thestopper member 29 and theguide tube 3 may be disposable. - Also, the rotation direction of the
guide tube 3 described above is the counter-clockwise direction on the longitudinal axis of theguide tube 3, likely with the first embodiment. Thus, contact of theguide tube 3 with the walls of the large intestine is increased, and insertability of the insertion portion to the large intestine improves. - A third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to
FIGS. 17 through 20 . - With this embodiment as well, members with the same configuration and same operations as those of the endoscope system according to the first embodiment and second embodiment will be denoted with the same reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted.
- As shown in
FIG. 17 , anobservation window 12 andillumination window 13 are provided to the distal face of thetip 5 a of theinsertion portion 2. Provided within thetip 5 a are an observationoptical system 12 a having aCCD 16, and two illuminationoptical systems 13 a havingLEDs 17. A CCD wiring throughhole 5B and an LED wiring through hole 5C are provided within theconnector portion 4 of theinsertion portion body 5. A signal transmission cable extending from theCCD 16 is inserted through the CCD wiring throughhole 5B, and a power source cable extending from theLEDs 17 is inserted through the wiring through hole 5C. - A
CCD connection terminal 45 is provided at the end of the CCD wiring throughhole 5B of theconnector portion 4. The signal transmission cable is connected to theCCD connection terminal 45. On the other hand, anLED connection terminal 46 is provided to the end of the LED wiring through hole 5C. The power cable is connected to theLED contact terminal 46. TheseCCD connection terminal 45 andLed connection terminal 46 are provided such that each is exposed from the hole bases of the twopin holes 4 b of theconnector portion 4. - At the time of linking the
insertion portion 2 to the insertionportion holding section 9, the twopins portion holding section 9A are respectively inserted into the tow pin holes 4 b provided to theconnector portion 4. In the linked state, thepin 14A comes into contact with theCCD contact terminal 45, and thepin 14B comes into contact with theLED contact terminal 46. The signal transmission cable is connected to thepin 14A. Accordingly, thepin 14A is a pin terminal for transmitting the observation signals output from theCCD 16 to thevideo processor 7. On the other hand, the power source cable is connected to thepin 14B. Accordingly, thepin 14B is a pin terminal for supplying LED power source to theLEDs 17. - The configuration of the linking portion between the
connector portion 4 of theinsertion portion 2 and the insertionportion holding section 9A of therotating device 6, will be described in detail, with reference toFIGS. 18 through 20 . - A
key portion 15A protruding toward the outer circumference side is provided on aprotrusion 15 making up the insertionportion holding section 9A provided to therotating device 6, as shown inFIG. 18 . Corresponding to this, akeyhole portion 4A is provided to afitting hole 4 a provided to theconnector portion 4 of theinsertion portion 2. Thekeyhole portion 4A is configured such that thekey portion 15A provided to theprotrusion 15 of the insertionportion holding section 9A is retained therein. Accordingly, theconnector portion 4 of theinsertion portion 2 and the insertionportion holding section 9A of therotating device 6 are linked at a predetermined position relation set beforehand, at the time of linking. Accordingly, thekey portion 15A and thekeyhole portion 4A are positioning members, such that in a state of linking, thepin 14A and theCCD contact terminal 45 are brought into contact in a sure manner, and thepin 14B and theLED contact terminal 46 are brought into contact in a sure manner. - Note that an arrangement may be made wherein, instead of providing positioning members such as the
key portion 15A andkeyhole portion 4A, thepins FIG. 19 . Specifically, thepins protrusion 16 of the insertionportion holding section 9A. At this time, the positions of the two pin holes 4B provided to theconnector portion 4 of theinsertion portion 2 are provided facing thepins pin 14A is disposed so as to come into contact with theCCD contact terminal 45 and thepin 14B is disposed so as to come into contact with theLED contact terminal 46. - Also, a
positioning pin 14C may be provided separately from thepins portion holding section 9A, as shown inFIG. 20 . At this time, aposition hole 4 c is provided to theconnector portion 4 of theinsertion portion 2 to which thepositioning pin 14C provided to the insertionportion holding section 9A is inserted. - According to the above, the
connector portion 4 of theinsertion portion 2 and the insertionportion holding section 9A of therotating device 6 are always linked only by a predetermined positional relation. That is to say, at the time of linking, thepin 14A of the insertionportion holding section 9A is inserted in thepin hole 4 b of theCCD contact terminal 45 side in a sure manner, and thepin 14B is inserted into thepin hole 4 b of theLED contact terminal 46 side in a sure manner. Accordingly, the staff can perform linking connection of theconnector portion 4 of theinsertion portion 2 and the insertionportion holding section 9A of therotating device 6 without taking into consideration the orientation thereof. - Note that with the
endoscope system 1 wherein theinsertion portion 2 rotates, rotation marks may occur on theinsertion portion 2 depending on the position of thepins endoscope system 1 wherein theinsertion portion 2 rotates, the positions of protrusion of thepins rotating device 6 are preferably in point symmetry to the center of the insertionportion holding section 9A, as shown inFIG. 18 . - According to the above, in addition to the operations and advantages of the first and second embodiments, with the present embodiment the power source cable connected to the
LED 17 and the signal transmission cable connected to theCCD 16 are each passed through respective throughholes 5B and 5C within theinsertion portion body 5. Accordingly, electrical trouble occurring due to the power source cable and signal transmission cable being in close proximity can be avoided. Specifically, noise is prevented from entering the observation signals output from theCCD 16, and consequently, a good endoscope image is displayed on the screen of themonitor 8. Also, theconnector portion 4 of theinsertion portion 2 and the insertionportion holding section 9A of therotating device 6 are linked only in a predetermined fitting direction, so thepin 14A of the insertionportion holding section 9A is inserted in thepin hole 4 b of theCCD contact terminal 45 side in a sure manner, and thepin 14B is inserted into thepin hole 4 b of theLED contact terminal 46 side in a sure manner. Accordingly, connection mistakes wherein theconnector portion 4 of theinsertion portion 2 and the insertionportion holding section 9A of therotating device 6 are erroneously connected are resolved, thereby reducing the load on the staff. - A fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to
FIGS. 21 through 24 . - With this embodiment as well, members with the same configuration and same operations as those of the endoscope system according to the first embodiment through third embodiment will be denoted with the same reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted.
- As shown in
FIG. 21 , an opening of achannel 50 is provided to the tip face of thetip 5 a of theinsertion portion 2 with the present embodiment. As shown inFIG. 22 , thechannel 50 is a through hole extending to theconnector portion 4 of theinsertion portion 2. The opening end of thechannel 50 at theconnector portion 4 side of theinsertion portion 2 is provided on the side circumferential face of theconnector portion 4, for example. Atube connector 51 is provided to the opening of theconnector portion 4 side, and one end of thetube 52 is detachably linked to thetube connector 51. The other end of thetube 52 is selectively connected to an external device, e.g., an air/water pump, suction pump, syringe, or the like, which are selected as appropriate according to the various usages thereof. -
Gear grooves 9 a are provided to the base portion of the insertionportion holding section 9 of therotating device 6, in the same way as with the first embodiment. Thecylindrical gear 20 a provided to the top portion of the motor shaft of themotor 20 meshes with thegear grooves 9 a. With the present embodiment, the insertionportion holding section 9 is rotated in the counter-clockwise direction and clockwise direction on the longitudinal axis by themotor 20. Accordingly, theinsertion portion 2 is also turned in the counter-clockwise direction and the clockwise direction on the longitudinal axis. The turning range of the insertionportion holding section 9 is restricted to a predetermined range, e.g., 360°. Restriction of the turning of the insertionportion holding section 9 is performed by controlling the turning of themotor 20, based on control signals output from thecontrol unit 22 a of thecontrol device 22. - Note that with the present embodiment, the
guide tube 3 is rotated in the counter-clockwise direction on the longitudinal axis as to theinsertion portion body 5 making up theinsertion portion 2 by themotor 40. Also, rotation of theinsertion portion 2 is not restricted to turning on longitudinal axis by themotor 20, and is suitable as long as theconnector portion 4 of theinsertion portion 2 is provided with rotation on the longitudinal axis. Also, an arrangement may be made wherein therotating device 6 is provided with a so-called rack-and-pinion, to realize reciprocal movement of theinsertion portion 2 in the longitudinal direction, for example. - Accordingly, feeding air or water, or performing suction, to or from the large intestine or other body cavities, is enabled by providing the
channel 50 to theinsertion portion 2. Also, turning theinsertion portion 2 within a predetermined turning range by themotor 20 allows the staff to change the position of thechannel 50 and theobservation window 12 to a desired position. These improve the efficiency of endoscopy, diagnosis, and so forth. - Note that, as shown in
FIG. 23 , areplacement unit 53 may be provided to theinsertion portion 2 which is detachable from thetip 5 a to theconnector portion 4. In more detail, a throughhole 2A of generally the same shape as the outer shaft of thereplacement unit 53 is provided in the longitudinal direction from thetip 5 a of theinsertion portion 2 up to theconnector portion 4. Accordingly, areplacement unit 53 can be detachably inserted into the throughhole 2A of theinsertion portion 2. Thereplacement unit 53 is a tubular member having flexibility, and has achannel 53 a. Atube connector 54 linking to thechannel 53 a is provided on the base portion of thereplacement unit 53. A biocompatible lubricant such as grease or a powder or the like, for example is applied to the outer face of thereplacement unit 53. Accordingly, the staff can readily insert thereplacement unit 53 into the throughhole 2A of theinsertion portion 2. As with the above embodiment, thetube connector 54 is selectively connected to an external device, e.g., an air/water pump, suction pump, syringe, or the like, as appropriate according to the various usages thereof. - As shown in
FIG. 24 , anotch 56 is provided to the insertionportion holding section 9B of therotating device 6 to which is linked theinsertion portion 2 having the throughhole 2A where thereplacement unit 53 is disposed. Accordingly, at the time of linking theconnector portion 4 of theinsertion portion 2 with thereplacement unit 53 disposed in theinsertion hole 2A, to the insertionportion holding section 9B of therotating device 6, thetube connector 54 and thetube 55 linked to thetube connector 54 are prevented from coming into contact with the insertionportion holding section 9B. - Also, the
insertion portion 2 may be turned on the longitudinal axis by the insertionportion holding section 9B of therotating device 6. Further, a washing nozzle or a water feed nozzle or the like may be provided to the tip face of thereplacement unit 53 to wash theobservation window 12 via thechannel 50. Moreover, the number ofchannels 53 a provided to thereplacement unit 53 is not restricted to one, and may be plural. - Due to the above, the staff can replace various types of
replacement units 53 to be inserted to theinsertion portion 2, thereby performing various types of endoscopy and diagnosis and the like. - Further, the configuration shown in the following
FIGS. 25 through 29 may be provided to the above-describedendoscope system 1 according to the first embodiment through fourth embodiment. - With the
rotating device 6 according to theendoscope system 1 shown in FIG. 25, awireless transmitter 60 and apower source battery 61 are provided within the insertionportion holding section 9. Thepower source battery 61 supplies driving power to theCCD 16,LEDs 17, andwireless transmitter 60. Note that thebattery 61 may be either a chargeable battery or a disposable type. - The
wireless transmitter 60 wirelessly transmits observation signals output and transmitted from theCCD 16 in theinsertion portion 2 to areceiver 62. Thereceiver 62 is connected to thevideo processor 7 by a cable or the like. The observation signals received at thereceiver 62 are supplied to thevideo processor 7. Accordingly, the video signals generated at thevideo processor 7 are output to themonitor 8, and an endoscope image image-captured by theCCD 16 is displayed on themonitor 8 screen. Note that thereceiver 62 may be built into thevideo processor 7. - Due to the above, the power source cable and signal transmission cable extended from the insertion
portion holding section 9 of therotating device 6 for rotating theinsertion portion 2 to thecontrol device 22 and the like can be eliminated, and also signals can be exchanged without complex parts such as theslip ring 18 or the like. Accordingly, the configuration of therotating device 6 can be simplified, thereby realizing reduction in size of the device. - The
endoscope system 1 shown inFIG. 26 is a configuration wherein aconnector unit 62 has been built onto the base side of theconnector portion 4 of theinsertion portion 2. Provided in theconnector unit 62 are thewireless transmitter 60 andpower source battery 61. Theconnector unit 62 is detachably mounted to the insertionportion holding section 9 of therotating device 6. Theconnector unit 62 may also be detachably mounted to theconnector portion 4 of theinsertion portion 2. - Thus, the
connector unit portion 62 provided with thewireless transmitter 60 andpower source battery 61 is detachable from the insertionportion holding section 9 and theconnector portion 4, and therefore expensive equipment such as thewireless transmitter 60 andpower source battery 61 can be reused. Thus, aninexpensive endoscope system 1 with reduced running costs can be realized. - An arrangement may be made such as shown in
FIG. 27 , wherein the external shape of therotating device 6 is that of arotating device 70 having an operating portion shape which can be grasped by the staff as with a conventional endoscope portion. Thus, linking theconnector portion 4 of theinsertion portion 2 to the insertionportion holding section 9 provided to therotating device 70 configures anendoscope device 80. Auniversal cord 71 to be connected to various types of external equipment extends from, for example, the side portion of therotating device 70. To one side face of therotating device 70 in the proximity of theuniversal cord 71, twoswitches 72, and onestop switch 72 a, for example, are provided. The twoswitches 72 are for rotating operations of theinsertion portion 2 in the counter-clockwise direction and the clockwise direction, respectively, on the longitudinal axis. The stop switch 72 a is for stopping turning of theinsertion portion 2. - Also, the insertion
portion holding section 9 protrudes from the tip opening of a bucklingprevention portion 70 a which is the tip portion of theturning device 70. Also, as shown inFIG. 28 , the insertionportion holding section 9 and theconnector portion 4 of theinsertion portion 2, protruding from the bucklingprevention portion 70 a, are detachable. Further, as shown inFIG. 29 , the insertionportion holding section 9 is held so as to turn on the longitudinal axis as to therotating device 70. Specifically, the insertionportion holding section 9 is turnably held by abearing 21. Thebearing 21 is disposed on the inner circumferential face of the tip opening of the bucklingprevention portion 70 a of therotating device 70. Thegear grooves 9 a are provided to the base portion of the insertionportion holding section 9. Thecylindrical gear 20 a provided to the motor shaft of themotor 20 meshes with thegear grooves 9 a. Accordingly, driving themotor 20 by operating theswitches 72 rotates the insertionportion holding section 9 in the predetermined direction on the longitudinal axis. Aslip ring 18 is provided on the base side of the insertionportion holding section 9. A cable extending from thecontrol device 22 is passed through theuniversal cord 71, via the rotatingdevice 70. - Consequently, linking the
insertion portion 2 to therotating device 70 having the operating portion shape enables operability at the time of inserting theinsertion portion 2 into a body cavity such as the large intestine or the like, while eliminating the sense of unfamiliarity with the staff using theendoscope system 1 since the shape is that of a conventional endoscope device. - Note that the present invention is not restricted to the above-described embodiments, and that various modifications can be made within the spirit and scope of the invention.
Claims (7)
1. An insertion device comprises:
a long-sized insertion portion to be inserted into a subject;
a propulsion force generating portion provided on the outer peripheral face of the insertion portion;
a rotating portion for rotating the propulsion force generating portion on the longitudinal axis of the insertion portion;
an observation portion for observing an image of the subject; and
a display control portion for displaying, on a screen of a display device, the image of the subject based on an observation signal outputted from the observation portion in a manner corresponding to a rotation of the propulsion force generating portion.
2. The insertion device according to claim 1 , wherein the observation portion is disposed at a tip of the insertion portion.
3. The insertion device according to claim 1 , wherein the observation portion is integrally provided to the insertion portion to move along with the rotation of the propulsion force generating portion.
4. The insertion device according to claim 1 , further comprising a propulsion force generating portion detection portion for detecting a rotation state of the propulsion force generating portion, wherein the display control portion displays, out of observation signals outputted from the observation portion, an image of the subject based on an observation signal corresponding to a detection signal of the propulsion force generating portion detection portion.
5. The insertion device according to claim 1 , further comprising a rotating portion detection portion for detecting a rotation drive state of the rotating portion, wherein the display control portion displays, out of observation signals outputted from the observation portion, an image of the subject based on an observation signal corresponding to a detection signal of the rotating portion detection portion.
6. The insertion device according to claim 1 , wherein the propulsion force generating portion is configured of a spiral-shaped portion.
7. The insertion device according to claim 3 , wherein the observation portion is detachable from the tip of the insertion portion.
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Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
JP4354485B2 (en) | 2009-10-28 |
JPWO2005110194A1 (en) | 2008-03-21 |
WO2005110192A1 (en) | 2005-11-24 |
JPWO2005110192A1 (en) | 2008-03-21 |
US20070066104A1 (en) | 2007-03-22 |
WO2005110194A1 (en) | 2005-11-24 |
US7621867B2 (en) | 2009-11-24 |
JP4472695B2 (en) | 2010-06-02 |
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