Endoscope and method of disassembling endoscope

Abstract

The present invention provides an endoscope and a method for disassembling the endoscope, which can prevent damage to the lens and focus shift when disassembling the endoscope camera head from the endoscope front end body. The endoscope comprises: an endoscope camera head having a barrel for holding the lens, an imaging element, an optical component arranged between the barrel and the imaging element and guiding the light passing through the lens to the imaging element, and an optical component holder for holding the barrel and the optical component; and an endoscope front end body having a through portion for inserting the endoscope camera head, the outer peripheral surface of the barrel being bonded and fixed to the inner surface of the optical component holder, the endoscope camera head being bonded and fixed to the endoscope front end body, the optical component holder having a protrusion protruding outwardly more than the outer peripheral surface of the barrel in the radial direction of the barrel, and the endoscope front end body having an opening at a position overlapping with the protrusion of the optical component holder when viewed from the axial direction of the barrel.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an endoscope and a method for disassembling the endoscope. Background Art

[0002] In an endoscope, an endoscopic camera head including a lens barrel for holding a lens, an imaging element, and the like is provided at a distal end portion of the endoscope to be inserted into a subject.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 describes an endoscope having an objective lens and an imaging element located on an imaging surface of the objective lens at the distal end of the body insertion portion of the endoscope, and having a prism that bends light from the objective lens toward the imaging element.

[0004] In an endoscopic camera head having a lens barrel and an imaging element, the lens barrel holding the lens is bonded and fixed in order to adjust the relative position in the axial direction so that light is imaged on the light receiving surface of the imaging element. Therefore, when a prism (optical component) is provided between the lens barrel (lens) and the solid imaging element, an optical component holder holding the lens barrel and the prism is used to fix the relative position of the lens barrel and the prism.

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-187420

[0006] However, an endoscopic camera head having an imaging element and the like is expensive. Therefore, it is desired to remove the endoscopic camera head from an endoscope and reuse it.

[0007] However, the endoscope camera head is bonded and fixed to the endoscope front end body. When the endoscope camera head is removed from the endoscope front end body, if the surface of the lens held by the lens barrel is pressed, a load is applied to the lens surface, thereby causing damage or cracking of the lens. In addition, the load during removal is applied to the part where the lens barrel and the optical component holder are bonded and fixed, thereby causing the relative position of the lens barrel and the prism to shift and the focus to shift. Therefore, there is a problem that the removed endoscope camera head cannot be reused or the focus needs to be readjusted. Summary of the invention

[0008] The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems of the prior art and aims to provide an endoscope and a method for disassembling the endoscope, which can prevent damage to the lens and focus shift when the endoscope camera head is disassembled from the endoscope distal end body.

[0009] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention has the following structure.

[0010] [1] An endoscope comprising: an endoscope camera head having a lens, a lens barrel holding the lens, an imaging element, an optical component arranged between the lens barrel and the imaging element and guiding light passing through the lens to the imaging element, and an optical component holder holding the lens barrel and the optical component; and

[0011] The endoscope front end body has a through portion for inserting the endoscope camera head.

[0012] The lens barrel is fitted into the optical component holder, and the outer peripheral surface of the lens barrel and the inner surface of the optical component holder are bonded and fixed by a first bonding and fixing portion.

[0013] The endoscope camera head is bonded and fixed to the endoscope front end body by a second bonding and fixing part.

[0014] The optical component holder has a protrusion that protrudes outward from the outer peripheral surface of the lens barrel in the radial direction of the lens barrel.

[0015] The endoscope front end body has an opening extending axially from the front end surface of the endoscope front end body at a position where at least a portion overlaps with the protrusion of the optical component holder when viewed from the axial direction of the lens barrel.

[0016] The opening has a size that can be inscribed in a circle with a diameter of 0.1 mm or more.

[0017] [2] The endoscope according to [1], wherein the opening is hermetically sealed by an airtight member.

[0018] [3] The endoscope according to [2], wherein the airtight component is a seal.

[0019] [4] The endoscope according to [2] or [3], wherein a bonding surface or a gap is present between the airtight member and the second adhesive fixing portion.

[0020] [5] The endoscope according to any one of [1] to [4], wherein the second adhesively fixed portion is located closer to the proximal end than the first adhesively fixed portion.

[0021] [6] An endoscope comprising: an endoscope camera head having a lens, a lens barrel holding the lens, an imaging element, an optical component disposed between the lens barrel and the imaging element and guiding light that has passed through the lens to the imaging element, an optical component holder holding the lens barrel and the optical component, and an outer tube component into which the optical component holder is inserted; and

[0022] The endoscope front end body has a through portion for inserting the endoscope camera head.

[0023] The lens barrel is fitted into the optical component holder, and the outer peripheral surface of the lens barrel is bonded and fixed to the inner surface of the optical component holder.

[0024] The outer peripheral surface of the optical component holder is bonded and fixed to the outer cylinder component.

[0025] The outer tube member is bonded and fixed to the endoscope front end body.

[0026] [7] The endoscope according to [6], comprising an airtight member for airtightly sealing the space between the lens barrel and the outer tube member.

[0027] [8] The endoscope according to [7], wherein the airtight component is a seal.

[0028] [9] The endoscope according to any one of [6] to [8], wherein the outer diameter of the outer tube member is greater than the outer diameter of the lens barrel by 0.2 mm or more.

[0029]

[10] The endoscope according to any one of [6] to [9], wherein the optical component holder has an outer tube member positioning portion that abuts against the outer tube member to perform positioning.

[0030]

[11] The endoscope according to any one of [6] to

[10] , wherein the outer tube member has an endoscope distal end portion main body positioning portion that abuts against the endoscope distal end portion main body for positioning.

[0031]

[12] A method for disassembling an endoscope camera head, which is a method for disassembling an endoscope camera head from an endoscope front end body, the endoscope camera head comprising a lens, a lens barrel holding the lens, an imaging element, an optical component disposed between the lens barrel and the imaging element and guiding light passing through the lens to the imaging element, and an optical component holder holding the lens barrel and the optical component, the endoscope front end body comprising a through portion for inserting the endoscope camera head, in the method for disassembling the endoscope camera head,

[0032] The optical component holder has a protrusion that protrudes outward from the outer peripheral surface of the lens barrel in the radial direction of the lens barrel.

[0033] The endoscope front end body has an opening extending from the front end surface of the endoscope front end body to the position of the protruding portion at least partially overlapping the protruding portion of the optical component holder when viewed from the axial direction of the lens barrel,

[0034] The endoscope camera head is detached from the endoscope distal end portion body by inserting a pressing member from the opening of the endoscope distal end portion body to press the protruding portion of the optical component holder.

[0035]

[13] A method for disassembling an endoscope camera head, which is a method for disassembling an endoscope camera head from a front end body of an endoscope, the endoscope camera head comprising a lens, a lens barrel for holding the lens, an imaging element, an optical component disposed between the lens barrel and the imaging element and guiding light passing through the lens to the imaging element, an optical component holder for holding the lens barrel and the optical component, and an outer tube component into which the optical component holder is inserted, the front end body of the endoscope comprising a through portion into which the endoscope camera head is inserted, in the method for disassembling the endoscope camera head,

[0036] The endoscope camera head is detached from the endoscope distal end portion body by pressing the outer cylinder member from the distal end side using the pressing member.

[0037] Effects of the Invention

[0038] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an endoscope and a method for disassembling an endoscope, which can prevent damage to a lens and focus shift when an endoscope camera head is disassembled from an endoscope distal end portion body. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0039] Figure 1 It is a schematic configuration diagram showing an example of the configuration of an endoscope system using the endoscope according to the present invention.

[0040] Figure 2 It is a perspective view schematically showing an example of an endoscopic camera head included in the endoscope according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0041] Figure 3 It is a schematic representation of Figure 2 A perspective view of an example of the endoscope front end portion of the endoscope camera shown.

[0042] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 Axial cross-sectional view.

[0043] Figure 5 This is a perspective view schematically showing another example of an endoscope camera head.

[0044] Figure 6 This is a perspective view schematically showing another example of an endoscope camera head.

[0045] Figure 7 It is a perspective view schematically showing another example of the distal end portion of the endoscope.

[0046] Figure 8 yes Figure 7 Axial cross-sectional view.

[0047] Fig. 9 It is a perspective view schematically showing another example of the distal end portion of the endoscope.

[0048] Fig.10 yes Fig. 9 Axial cross-sectional view.

[0049] Fig.11 It is a cross-sectional view schematically showing another example of the distal end portion of the endoscope.

[0050] Fig.12 It is a perspective view schematically showing an example of an endoscopic camera head included in the endoscope according to the second embodiment.

[0051] Fig.13It is a perspective view schematically showing another example of the distal end portion of the endoscope.

[0052] Fig.14 yes Fig.13 Axial cross-sectional view.

[0053] Fig.15 It is a cross-sectional view schematically showing another example of the distal end portion of the endoscope.

[0054] Fig.16 This is a perspective view schematically showing another example of an endoscope camera head.

[0055] Fig.17 This is a perspective view schematically showing another example of an endoscope camera head.

[0056] Fig.18 This is a perspective view schematically showing another example of an endoscope camera head.

[0057] Fig.19 It is a cross-sectional view schematically showing another example of the distal end portion of the endoscope.

[0058] Fig. 20 It is a cross-sectional view schematically showing another example of the distal end portion of the endoscope. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0059] Hereinafter, embodiments of an endoscope and a method for disassembling an endoscope according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0060] The description of the components described below is based on a representative embodiment of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment. In the drawings of this specification, the scale of each part is appropriately changed for easy visual recognition.

[0061] In addition, in this specification, the numerical range expressed using "to" means a range including the numerical values ​​described before and after "to" as the lower limit and the upper limit.

[0062] [First embodiment]

[0063] An endoscope according to a first embodiment of the present invention includes:

[0064] An endoscopic camera head having a lens, a lens barrel holding the lens, an imaging element, an optical component disposed between the lens barrel and the imaging element and guiding light passing through the lens to the imaging element, and an optical component holder holding the lens barrel and the optical component; and

[0065] The endoscope front end body has a through portion for inserting the endoscope camera head.

[0066] The lens barrel is fitted into the optical component holder, and the outer peripheral surface of the lens barrel and the inner surface of the optical component holder are bonded and fixed by a first bonding and fixing portion.

[0067] The endoscope camera head is bonded and fixed to the endoscope front end body by a second bonding and fixing part.

[0068] The optical component holder has a protrusion that protrudes outward from the outer peripheral surface of the lens barrel in the radial direction of the lens barrel.

[0069] The endoscope front end body has an opening extending axially from the front end surface of the endoscope front end body at a position where at least a portion overlaps with the protrusion of the optical component holder when viewed from the axial direction of the lens barrel.

[0070] The opening has a size that can be inscribed in a circle with a diameter of 0.1 mm or more.

[0071] Furthermore, the disassembly method of the endoscope in the endoscope of the first embodiment of the present invention is a method for disassembling an endoscope camera head from an endoscope front end body, the endoscope camera head having a lens, a lens barrel holding the lens, an imaging element, an optical component arranged between the lens barrel and the imaging element and guiding light passing through the lens to the imaging element, and an optical component holder holding the lens barrel and the optical component, the endoscope front end body having a through portion for inserting the endoscope camera head, in the disassembly method of the endoscope camera head,

[0072] The optical component holder has a protrusion that protrudes outward from the outer peripheral surface of the lens barrel in the radial direction of the lens barrel.

[0073] The endoscope front end body has an opening extending from the front end surface of the endoscope front end body to the position of the protruding portion at least partially overlapping the protruding portion of the optical component holder when viewed from the axial direction of the lens barrel,

[0074] The endoscope camera head is detached from the endoscope distal end portion body by inserting a pressing member from the opening of the endoscope distal end portion body to press the protruding portion of the optical component holder.

[0075] exist Figure 1 An example of an endoscope system including the endoscope of the present invention is conceptually shown in FIG.

[0076] The endoscope system 1 includes an endoscope 2, a light source unit 3, and a processor unit 4. The endoscope 2 has the same structure as a conventional endoscope except for an endoscope distal end portion (hereinafter also referred to as a distal end portion) described later.

[0077] The endoscope 2 includes an insertion portion inserted into a subject, an operation portion connected to the insertion portion, and a universal cord extending from the operation portion. The insertion portion includes a distal end portion, a bending portion connected to the distal end portion, and a flexible portion connecting the bending portion and the operation portion.

[0078] The front end is provided with an illumination optical system for emitting illumination light for illuminating the observation part, an imaging device and an imaging optical system for photographing the observation part, etc. The bending part is configured to be able to bend in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the insertion part, and the bending action of the bending part is operated by the operating part. In addition, the soft part is configured to imitate the shape of the insertion path of the insertion part and is relatively soft to be deformable.

[0079] The operation part is provided with buttons for operating the camera operation of the camera device of the front end part and a handle for operating the bending operation of the bending part, etc. In addition, the operation part is provided with an introduction port for introducing treatment instruments such as an electric scalpel, and the inside of the insertion part is provided with a treatment instrument channel that extends from the introduction port to the front end part and through which treatment instruments such as forceps are inserted.

[0080] A connector is provided at the end of the universal cord, and the endoscope 2 is connected via the connector to a light source unit 3 that generates illumination light emitted from an illumination optical system at the distal end and a processor unit 4 that processes a video signal acquired by an imaging device at the distal end.

[0081] The processor unit 4 processes the input video signal to generate video data of the observation site, displays the generated video data on a display, and records the data. The processor unit 4 may be constituted by a processor such as a PC (personal computer).

[0082] The light source unit 3 generates illumination light such as white light or light of a specific wavelength composed of three primary colors such as red light (R), green light (G) and blue light (B) in order to obtain an image signal by photographing the observation object part in the body cavity through the camera device of the endoscope 2, and supplies the light to the endoscope 2. The light is transmitted through the optical guide and the like in the endoscope 2 and emitted from the illumination optical system at the front end of the insertion part of the endoscope 2 to illuminate the observation object part in the body cavity.

[0083] The insertion part, the operation part, and the universal cord contain a light guide and a wire group (signal cable). The illumination light generated by the light source unit 3 is guided to the illumination optical system of the front end through the light guide, and signals and / or power are transmitted between the camera device of the front end and the processor unit 4 through the wire group.

[0084] In addition, the endoscope system 1 may also include a water supply tank for storing cleaning water, etc., and a suction pump for sucking the suction object (including the supplied cleaning water, etc.) in the body cavity. In addition, a supply pump, etc. may be provided to supply the cleaning water in the water supply tank or gas such as external air to a pipeline (not shown) in the endoscope.

[0085] exist Figure 2 2 is a perspective view schematically showing an example of an endoscope camera head included in the endoscope according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 The schematic diagram shows Figure 2 A stereoscopic view of an example of the front end of an endoscope of an endoscope camera head shown in FIG. Figure 4 Shown in Figure 3 An axial cross-sectional view. In addition, the axial cross-sectional view is a cross-sectional view perpendicular to the light receiving surface of the imaging element in a direction parallel to the optical axis of the lens.

[0086] First, use Figure 2 The structure of the endoscope camera head is described.

[0087] Figure 2 The endoscopic camera head (hereinafter also referred to as camera) 10a shown has a lens 12, a lens barrel 14 for holding the lens 12, an imaging element (hereinafter also referred to as sensor) 16, a cover glass 17, an optical component (hereinafter also referred to as prism) 18, an optical component holder 20, a circuit substrate 22 and a protective component 24.

[0088] The lens 12 is an optical system that forms an image of incident light on a light receiving surface of the sensor 16. The lens 12 is held by a lens barrel 14. In the example shown in the figure, the camera 10a has three lenses 12.

[0089] The lens barrel 14 is a cylindrical member and holds one or more lenses 12. The lens barrel 14 holds the lens 12 so that the optical axis of the lens 12 is perpendicular to one surface of the prism 18.

[0090] There is no particular limitation on the structure of the lens 12 and the lens barrel 14. For example, the structure may include one lens 12 or may include two or four or more lenses 12. Furthermore, each lens 12 may be a convex lens or a concave lens.

[0091] The sensor 16 is an imaging element that converts light formed by the lens 12 into an electric signal by photoelectric conversion to perform imaging. The sensor 16 is a conventionally known imaging element such as a CCD (Charge-Coupled Device) or a CMOS (Complementary MOS: Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor).

[0092] The sensor 16 is arranged at a position closer to the base end than the lens barrel 14. Figure 2 and Figure 4 As shown, the sensor 16 is mounted on the circuit board 22 so that the light receiving surface is parallel to the optical axis of the lens 12 .

[0093] In addition, electronic components other than the sensor 16 may be mounted on the circuit board 22. In addition, a plurality of connection terminals (not shown) for inputting and outputting signals or power to and from the sensor 16 and the electronic components are provided on the circuit board 22. The signal lines of the cable 26 are electrically connected to the connection terminals.

[0094] The circuit board 22 may be a flexible board. Furthermore, the circuit board 22 may be folded at two or more locations. Furthermore, there is no particular limitation on the arrangement of the sensor 16, electronic components, and connection terminals on the circuit board 22.

[0095] The cover glass 17 is disposed on the light receiving surface of the sensor 16 to protect the light receiving surface. A prism 18 is disposed on the cover glass 17 .

[0096] The prism 18 is disposed between the lens barrel 14 and the sensor 16. The prism 18 bends the light passing through the lens 12 held by the lens barrel 14 by 90 degrees to change the optical path and guides the light to the light receiving surface of the sensor 16. In the example shown in the figure, the prism 18 is a right angle prism whose incident surface and the exit surface are orthogonal. The prism 18 is disposed so that the incident surface faces the surface on the base end side of the lens barrel 14, and the exit surface faces the light receiving surface of the sensor 16.

[0097] The optical component holder 20 is a member for holding the lens barrel 14 and the prism 18. The optical component holder 20 is a substantially cylindrical member, and the lens barrel 14 is inserted into the inner portion of the barrel to hold the lens barrel 14. The inner surface of the optical component holder 20 and the outer peripheral surface of the lens barrel 14 are bonded and fixed by a first bonding and fixing portion (not shown).

[0098] Various known adhesives used in conventional endoscopes can be used as the adhesive for bonding the optical component holder 20 and the lens barrel 14. This also applies to adhesives for bonding other components.

[0099] The optical component holder 20 has a polygonal flange on the end surface of the base end side of the barrel, and contacts the incident surface of the prism 18. Thus, the prism 18 is positioned. The optical component holder 20 holds the lens barrel 14 and the prism 18 at a predetermined position, thereby fixing the relative position of the lens barrel 14 and the prism 18, that is, the relative position of the lens barrel 14 and the sensor 16 (light receiving surface).

[0100] Here, the lens barrel 14 is bonded and fixed to the optical component holder 20 so that the relative position of the lens 12 in the optical axis direction (hereinafter also referred to as the axial direction) with respect to the optical component holder 20 is adjusted to be in focus with the light receiving surface of the sensor 16 .

[0101] Here, the optical component holder 20 has a protrusion 20a protruding outward from the outer peripheral surface of the lens barrel 14 in the radial direction of the lens barrel 14. In the endoscope of the present invention, the camera head 10a can be easily removed from the endoscope front end body by pressing the protrusion 20a. This will be described in detail later.

[0102] exist Figure 2 In the example shown, the optical component holder 20 has a protrusion 20a on the end surface of the front end side of the cylindrical portion. The protrusion 20a is formed so as to protrude radially in a part of the circumference of the optical component holder 20. The protrusion 20a is substantially semicircular.

[0103] The protection member 24 is a member that holds the cable 26 relative to the optical component holder 20 .

[0104] like Figure 2 As shown, the protective member 24 is a member formed by bending a plate material, and has a pair of arm portions at the front end side. The arm portions are locked to the flange portion at the base end side of the optical component holder 20. In addition, the protective member 24 is riveted at the base end side in a manner of pressing the cable 26. The protective member 24 prevents the connection between the connection terminal and the signal line on the circuit substrate 22 from being pulled when the cable 26 is pulled, etc., thereby preventing the connection between the connection terminal and the signal line from being disconnected.

[0105] The camera head 10a is connected to a cable 26. The light is converted into an electric signal by the sensor 16, and the electric signal is transmitted via the cable 26. The cable 26 is inserted through an insertion portion, an operation portion, a universal cord, etc. of the endoscope and connected to the processor unit 4.

[0106] Thus, the observation image read by the camera 10a is formed on the light receiving surface of the sensor 16 and converted into an electrical signal, which is output to the processor unit 4 via the cable 26 and converted into a video signal, and the observation image is displayed on a display connected to the processor unit 4.

[0107] Next, use Figure 3 and Figure 4 For Figure 2 The endoscope distal end portion 40a of the camera head 10a shown will be described.

[0108] Figure 3 and Figure 4 The endoscope distal end portion 40 a shown includes a camera head 10 a and an endoscope distal end portion main body 30 .

[0109] The endoscope front end body 30 is a component formed of a hard component constituting the front end of the endoscope. A through portion 32 for inserting the camera head 10a is formed on the front end surface 31 of the endoscope front end body 30. In addition, the endoscope front end body 30 is provided with a hole for lighting, a forceps opening, a hole for air supply / water supply nozzle, etc. In addition, a front end cover (a resin component for protecting and insulating the front end) etc. may also be provided at the front end of the endoscope.

[0110] like Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the camera head 10a is inserted into the through portion 32 of the endoscope distal end body 30 and is bonded and fixed by a second bonding and fixing portion (not shown).

[0111] Here, the endoscope distal end body 30 has an opening 33a extending axially from the distal end surface 31 of the endoscope distal end body 30 at a position at which at least a portion overlaps with the protruding portion 20a of the optical component holder 20 when viewed in the axial direction.

[0112] In the example shown in the figure, the opening portion 33 a is formed in a substantially semicircular shape similar to the protruding portion 20 a so as to be connected to (communicate with) a part of the edge portion of the through portion 32 .

[0113] When the camera head 10a is inserted into the through portion 32 of the endoscope distal end body 30, the protrusion 20a of the optical component holder 20 is inserted into the opening 33a. In other words, the opening 33a is formed at a position overlapping the protrusion 20a when viewed from the axial direction.

[0114] The opening 33a has a size that can be inscribed by a circle with a diameter of 0.1 mm or more. In addition, the size of the opening 33a mentioned here refers to the size when the through-portion 32 is removed even when the opening 33a is connected to the through-portion 32. In other words, the size of the opening 33a is the size when the camera 10a is inserted into the through-portion 32.

[0115] In this endoscope, in the disassembly method of the endoscope in which the camera head 10a is removed from the endoscope front end body 30, as shown in FIG. Figure 4 As shown by the middle arrow, a pressing member such as a pin is inserted from the opening 33a to press the protrusion 20a toward the base end, thereby peeling off the second bonding portion that bonds the optical component holder 20 and the endoscope distal end body 30. Thus, the camera head 10a can be removed from the endoscope distal end body 30.

[0116] As mentioned above, the camera head with sensors and the like is expensive, so it is desirable to disassemble it from the endoscope for reuse. However, the camera head is bonded and fixed to the main body of the front end of the endoscope. When the camera head is disassembled from the main body of the front end of the endoscope, if the surface of the lens held by the lens barrel is pressed, the load is applied to the lens surface, so that the lens is damaged or broken. In addition, the load during disassembly is applied to the part where the lens barrel and the optical component holder are bonded and fixed, so the relative position of the lens barrel and the prism is offset and the focus is offset. Therefore, there is a problem that the disassembled camera head cannot be reused or the focus needs to be readjusted.

[0117] In contrast, in the endoscope of the present invention, the optical component holder 20 has a protrusion 20a that protrudes outward from the outer peripheral surface of the lens barrel 14 in the radial direction of the lens barrel 14, and the endoscope front end body 30 has an opening 33a of a size that can be inscribed by a circle with a diameter of 0.1 mm or more that passes axially through the front end face 31 of the endoscope front end body 30 at a position overlapping with the protrusion 20a when viewed from the axial direction. Figure 4 As shown by the middle arrow, by inserting a pressing member such as a pin from the opening 33a to press the protrusion 20a, the second adhesive fixing portion that adhesively fixes the optical component holder 20 and the endoscope front end body 30 is peeled off, so that the camera head can be disassembled. At this time, the pressing force will not be applied to the first adhesive fixing portion that adhesively fixes the lens barrel 14 and the optical component holder 20, so the relative position of the lens barrel 14 and the optical component holder 20, that is, the relative position of the lens barrel 14 and the prism 18 can be prevented from being offset. Therefore, the focus can be prevented from being offset. In addition, the surface of the lens 12 is not pressed, so the lens can be prevented from being damaged. Therefore, the disassembled camera head can be reused, and when it is reused, there is no need to readjust the focus, etc., so the camera head can be simply reused.

[0118] Furthermore, the opening 33a has a size that a circle with a diameter of 0.1 mm or more can be inscribed therein. Therefore, a pin with a diameter of at least 0.1 mm can be used as a pressing component when disassembling the camera. When the diameter of the pressing component is less than 0.1 mm, undesirable conditions such as bending due to insufficient strength of the pressing component when pressing may occur. In contrast, the opening 33 has a size that a circle with a diameter of 0.1 mm or more can be inscribed therein, so that a pin with a diameter of at least 0.1 mm can be used as a pressing component. Therefore, undesirable conditions such as bending due to insufficient strength of the pressing component when pressing may be prevented from occurring.

[0119] Here, the second bonding and fixing portion where the camera head 10 a and the endoscope distal end body 30 are bonded and fixed is preferably located closer to the proximal side than the first bonding and fixing portion where the lens barrel 14 and the optical component holder 20 are bonded and fixed.

[0120] Therefore, since the second adhesive fixing portion is located closer to the base end side than the first adhesive fixing portion, the force when pressing the protrusion of the optical component holder will not be applied to the first adhesive fixing portion, but only to the second adhesive fixing portion, so that the first adhesive fixing portion is not easily damaged, which is preferred in this regard.

[0121] Furthermore, the second adhesive fixing portion is not limited to a structure for bonding the optical component holder 20 of the camera head 10a and the endoscope front end body 30, and may be a structure for bonding other components of the camera head 10a and the endoscope front end body 30. In particular, in the case of a structure in which the second adhesive fixing portion is located closer to the base end side than the first adhesive fixing portion, even if the second adhesive fixing portion is a structure other than bonding the endoscope front end body 30 and the optical component holder 20, it is difficult for force to be applied to the first adhesive fixing portion.

[0122] And, in Figure 2 In the example shown, the protrusion 20a of the optical component holder 20 is set on a part of the circumferential surface of the end face on the front end side of the optical component holder 20, but it is not limited to this as long as the camera can be removed from the front end body of the endoscope by pressing by a pressing component.

[0123] For example, Figure 5 The protrusion 20b of the camera 10b shown in the figure may be provided on the entire circumference of the outer peripheral surface of the optical component holder 20. Also, the protrusion 20b may be extended from the front end side to the base end side of the optical component holder 20. Figure 5 In the Figure 2 The same reference numerals are used for the components with the same structure, and their description is omitted. This also applies to the other drawings.

[0124] Or, if Figure 6 The protrusion 20c of the camera 10c shown may be polygonal when viewed from the axial direction.

[0125] And, in Figure 2 In the illustrated example, the optical component holder 20 has a structure with one protrusion 20 a , but the present invention is not limited thereto, and a plurality of protrusions may be provided at a plurality of locations in the circumferential direction of the outer peripheral surface of the optical component holder 20 .

[0126] And, in Figure 2 In the example shown, the optical component holder 20 has a protrusion on the front end side, but it is not limited to this, and the protrusion can also be formed at any position in the axial direction. From the perspective of more reliably performing the pressing by the pressing member, the protrusion is preferably provided on the front end side of the optical component holder 20.

[0127] And, in Figure 3 and Figure 4 In the example shown, the opening 33a of the endoscope distal end body 30 is connected to the through-hole 32 in the distal end surface 31, but the present invention is not limited to this. Figure 7 and Figure 8 In the endoscope front end portion 40b shown in the figure, the opening portion 33b may also be formed to be separated from the through portion 32 in the front end surface 31. In addition, the camera head 10a needs to be inserted into the through portion 32 from the base end side, so as Figure 8 As shown, the opening portion 33b is connected to the through portion 32 at the base end side.

[0128] When the opening 33b is formed to be separated from the through portion 32 in the front end surface 31, the shape of the opening 33b is not particularly limited. For example, when the opening surface of the opening 33b is circular, the diameter of the opening surface may be 0.1 mm or more.

[0129] And, in Figure 3 and Figure 4 In the example shown, the opening 33a of the endoscope distal end body 30 is formed at a portion of the edge of the through-portion 32 in the distal end surface 31, but the present invention is not limited to this. Fig. 9 and Fig.10 The endoscope distal end portion 40c shown may also be configured such that the opening 33c is formed on the distal end surface 31 over the entire periphery of the edge of the through portion 32. That is, the opening 33c may be in a circular ring shape.

[0130] When the endoscope distal end body 30 having the opening 33c is inserted Figure 5 In the case of the structure of the camera head 10 b shown in the figure, a cylindrical member having substantially the same size as the opening 33 c may be used as a pressing member when the camera head 10 b is removed from the endoscope distal end body 30 .

[0131] Furthermore, in the endoscope of the present invention, the opening of the endoscope distal end portion main body may be hermetically sealed by an airtight member.

[0132] For example, Fig.11 The opening 33a at the distal end of the endoscope shown is hermetically sealed by an airtight member 44. This prevents drugs and the like from entering the interior from the opening 33a and adversely affecting the bonded portions where the bonded members are bonded together.

[0133] As the airtight member 44, silicone rubber (Shin-Etsu Chemical C o ., Ltd. KE45B, KE445B, etc.) and other well-known sealants.

[0134] Furthermore, when the endoscope has an airtight member 44, the airtight member 44 and the second adhesive fixing portion 42 that adheres the fixed camera head 10a to the endoscope front end body 30 preferably have a gap. Alternatively, the airtight member 44 and the second adhesive fixing portion 42 preferably have a bonding surface. That is, the airtight member 44 and the second adhesive fixing portion 42 are preferably not integrated or not bonded.

[0135] Thus, when removing the endoscope camera head, the airtight member can be removed alone first. When the airtight member is fixed to the second adhesive fixing portion, if the airtight member is to be removed, the resistance of the airtight member may be applied as a load to the first adhesive fixing portion.

[0136] [Second embodiment]

[0137] An endoscope according to a second embodiment of the present invention includes:

[0138] An endoscopic camera head having a lens, a lens barrel holding the lens, an imaging element, an optical component disposed between the lens barrel and the imaging element and guiding light passing through the lens to the imaging element, an optical component holder holding the lens barrel and the optical component, and an outer cylinder component into which the optical component holder is inserted; and

[0139] The endoscope front end body has a through portion for inserting the endoscope camera head.

[0140] The lens barrel is fitted into the optical component holder, and the outer peripheral surface of the lens barrel is bonded and fixed to the inner surface of the optical component holder.

[0141] The outer peripheral surface of the optical component holder is bonded and fixed to the outer cylinder component.

[0142] The outer tube member is bonded and fixed to the endoscope front end body.

[0143] Furthermore, the disassembly method of the endoscope in the endoscope of the second embodiment of the present invention is a method for removing an endoscope camera head from an endoscope front end body, the endoscope camera head having a lens, a lens barrel holding the lens, an imaging element, an optical component arranged between the lens barrel and the imaging element and guiding light passing through the lens to the imaging element, an optical component holder holding the lens barrel and the optical component, and an outer cylinder component into which the optical component holder is inserted, the endoscope front end body having a through portion into which the endoscope camera head is inserted, and in the disassembly method of the endoscope,

[0144] The outer tube member is pressed from the distal end side using the pressing member, thereby detaching the endoscope camera head and the outer tube member from the endoscope distal end portion body.

[0145] exist Fig.12 2 is a perspective view schematically showing an example of an endoscope camera head included in an endoscope according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Fig.13 The schematic diagram shows Fig.12 A stereoscopic view of an example of the front end of an endoscope of an endoscope camera head shown in FIG. Fig.14 Shown in Fig.13 The endoscope of the second embodiment also has the same structure as the conventional endoscope except for the front end portion, similarly to the first embodiment.

[0146] First, use Fig.12 The structure of the endoscope camera head is described.

[0147] Fig.12 The camera 50a shown has a lens 12, a lens barrel 14 holding the lens 12, a sensor 16, a prism 18, an optical component holder 20, a circuit board 22 protection component 24, and an outer cylinder component 52. In addition, the camera 50a has the same structure as the camera of the first embodiment except that the optical component holder 20 does not have a protruding portion but has an outer cylinder component 52, so the same parts are marked with the same symbols, and the different parts are mainly described.

[0148] The outer cylinder member 52 is a cylindrical member, and the optical component holder 20 is inserted inside. The outer peripheral surface of the optical component holder 20 is bonded and fixed to the inner surface of the outer cylinder member 52. The outer cylinder member 52 is not bonded and fixed to the lens barrel 14.

[0149] exist Fig.12 In the illustrated example, the outer cylinder member 52 is disposed so that the end surface on the front end side and the end surface on the front end side of the lens barrel 14 are substantially aligned in the axial direction.

[0150] Next, use Fig.13 and Fig.14 For Fig.12 The endoscope distal end portion 60a of the camera head 50a shown will be described.

[0151] Fig.13 and Fig.14 The endoscope distal end portion 60a shown in the figure has a camera head 50a and an endoscope distal end portion main body 30. The endoscope distal end portion main body 30 has the same Figure 3 The endoscope distal end body 30 shown has the same structure.

[0152] like Fig.13 and Fig.14 As shown, the camera head 50a is inserted into the through portion 32 of the endoscope front end body 30, and the outer periphery of the outer tube member 52 of the camera head 50a is bonded and fixed to the inner surface of the through portion 32. That is, the through portion 32 is a through hole having a shape substantially the same as the outer shape of the outer tube member 52.

[0153] In this endoscope, in the disassembly method of the endoscope in which the camera head 50a is removed from the endoscope front end body 30, as shown in FIG. Fig.14 As shown in FIG. 1 , by pressing the outer tube member 52 from the distal end side toward the proximal end side, the portion where the outer tube member 52 and the endoscope distal end body 30 are bonded and fixed is peeled off. Thus, the camera head 50a can be removed from the endoscope distal end body 30.

[0154] At this time, the pressing force will not be applied to the part where the lens barrel 14 and the optical component holder 20 are bonded and fixed, so the relative position of the lens barrel 14 and the optical component holder 20, that is, the relative position of the lens barrel 14 and the prism 18 can be prevented from being offset. Therefore, the focus can be prevented from being offset. In addition, the surface of the lens 12 is not pressed, so the lens can be prevented from being damaged. Therefore, the disassembled camera can be reused, and when it is reused, there is no need to readjust the focus, etc., so that the camera can be simply reused.

[0155] Here, the outer diameter of the outer cylinder member 52 is preferably greater than the outer diameter of the lens barrel 14 by 0.2 mm or more. This allows the outer cylinder member 52 to be reliably pressed without pressing the lens barrel 14 when the camera is removed.

[0156] Furthermore, the outer tube member preferably includes an endoscope distal end portion main body positioning portion that abuts against the endoscope distal end portion main body to perform positioning.

[0157] For example, in Fig.15 In the endoscope front end portion 60b shown, the outer tube member 52 has an endoscope front end portion main body positioning portion 53 protruding radially outward on the end surface on the base end side. The endoscope front end portion main body positioning portion 53 abuts against the end surface on the base end side of the through portion 32 of the endoscope front end portion main body 30, so that the camera head 50b can be positioned relative to the endoscope front end portion main body 30.

[0158] The shape of the endoscope distal end body positioning portion 53 is not particularly limited as long as it can be positioned by contacting with the end surface on the proximal side of the penetration portion 32 of the endoscope distal end body 30 .

[0159] For example, Fig.16 The camera head 50 b shown may also be configured such that the endoscope distal end body positioning portion 53 a is provided on the entire circumference of the outer peripheral surface of the outer cylinder member 52 .

[0160] Or, if Fig.17 The camera head 50 c shown may have a portion in the circumferential direction of the outer peripheral surface of the outer cylinder member 52 where the endoscope distal end portion main body positioning portion 53 b is not formed.

[0161] Or, if Fig.18The camera head 50 d shown may be configured such that the endoscope distal end body positioning portion 53 c is provided on a portion of the outer peripheral surface of the outer cylinder member 52 in the circumferential direction.

[0162] And, if Fig.19 As shown, the optical component holder 20 preferably includes an outer cylinder member positioning portion 21 that abuts against and positions the outer cylinder member 52. The outer cylinder member positioning portion 21 abuts against the end surface of the base end of the outer cylinder member 52, so that the outer cylinder member 52 and the optical component holder 20 can be positioned.

[0163] The outer cylinder member positioning portion 21 may be provided on the entire circumference of the outer peripheral surface of the optical member holder 20 , or may be provided on a portion of the circumference of the outer peripheral surface, or may be provided in plurality on a portion of the circumference of the outer peripheral surface.

[0164] Furthermore, the space between the lens barrel and the outer tube member may be hermetically sealed by the airtight member.

[0165] For example, Fig. 20 The space between the barrel 14 and the outer tube member 52 at the front end of the endoscope shown is hermetically sealed by the airtight member 62. This prevents drugs and the like from entering the gap between the barrel 14 and the outer tube member 52 and adversely affecting the bonding and fixing portions of the bonding and fixing members.

[0166] As the airtight member 62 , the same seal as the airtight member 44 described above can be used.

[0167] The endoscope and the method for disassembling the endoscope according to the present invention have been described in detail by way of various embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited to the above examples, and various improvements or modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0168] Explanation of symbols

[0169] 1-endoscopic system, 2-endoscope, 3-light source unit, 4-processor unit, 10, 10a, 10b, 10c-endoscopic camera head, 12-lens, 14-lens barrel, 16-imaging element (sensor), 17-cover glass, 18-optical component (prism), 20-optical component holder, 20a, 20b, 20c-protrusion, 21-outer cylinder component positioning portion, 22-circuit substrate, 24-protective component , 26-cable, 30-endoscope front end body, 31-front end surface of the endoscope front end body, 32-through portion, 33a, 33b, 33c-opening portion, 40a, 40b, 40c-endoscope front end, 42-second adhesive fixing portion, 44, 62-air-tight component, 52-outer tube component, 53, 53a, 53b, 53c-endoscope front end body positioning portion, 60a, 60b-endoscope front end.

Claims

1. An endoscope, comprising: An endoscopic camera head having a lens, a lens barrel holding the lens, an imaging element, an optical component disposed between the lens barrel and the imaging element and guiding light passing through the lens to the imaging element, and an optical component holder holding the lens barrel and the optical component; and The endoscope front end body has a through portion for inserting the endoscope camera head. The lens barrel is fitted into the optical component holder, and the outer peripheral surface of the lens barrel and the inner surface of the optical component holder are bonded and fixed by a first bonding and fixing portion. The endoscope camera head is bonded and fixed to the endoscope front end body by a second bonding and fixing portion. The optical component holder has a protrusion that protrudes outward from the outer peripheral surface of the lens barrel in the radial direction of the lens barrel. The endoscope front end body has an opening extending axially from a front end surface of the endoscope front end body at a position where at least a portion overlaps with the protrusion of the optical component holder when viewed from the axial direction of the lens barrel. The opening has a size that can be inscribed in a circle with a diameter of 0.1 mm or more.

2. The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein: The opening is hermetically sealed by an airtight member.

3. The endoscope according to claim 2, wherein: The airtight component is a sealing member.

4. The endoscope according to claim 2 or 3, wherein: A joining surface or a gap is present between the airtight member and the second adhesive fixing portion.

5. The endoscope according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The second adhesively fixed portion is located closer to the base end side than the first adhesively fixed portion.

6. A method for disassembling an endoscope camera head, which is a method for disassembling an endoscope camera head from an endoscope front end body, the endoscope camera head comprising a lens, a lens barrel holding the lens, an imaging element, an optical component disposed between the lens barrel and the imaging element and guiding light passing through the lens to the imaging element, and an optical component holder holding the lens barrel and the optical component, the endoscope front end body comprising a through portion for inserting the endoscope camera head, in the method for disassembling the endoscope camera head, The optical component holder has a protrusion that protrudes outward from the outer peripheral surface of the lens barrel in the radial direction of the lens barrel. The endoscope front end body has an opening extending from the front end surface of the endoscope front end body to the position of the protrusion at least partially overlapping the protrusion of the optical component holder when viewed from the axial direction of the lens barrel, The endoscope camera head is detached from the endoscope distal end portion body by inserting a pressing member from the opening of the endoscope distal end portion body to press the protruding portion of the optical component holder.

Images