Endoscope and endoscope system

Abstract

To provide an endoscope and an endoscope system that can prevent a decrease in the quantity of illumination light and a deterioration in light distribution, and improve the assemblability.SOLUTION: An endoscope 12 comprises an insertion part 17, an operation part 18, an emitting end 29, a first light guide 27A and a second light guide 27B for guiding illumination light from a light source part 31 to the emitting end 29, a lens member 27C for reducing variations in relative intensity of each color of the illumination light, and a connection part for optically connecting the first light guide 27A, the second light guide 27B, and the lens member 27C. The lens member 27C is arranged between the first light guide 27A and the second light guide 27B. The connection part and the lens member 27C are provided inside the operation part 18.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an endoscope and an endoscope system. [Background technology]

[0002] Endoscopes are widely used in the medical and industrial fields. An endoscope has an insertion section that is inserted into a subject, and irradiates an observation target with illumination light from the tip of the insertion section. Inside the endoscope, a light guide section is provided that guides illumination light supplied from a light source device to the tip of the insertion section. The light guide section guides the illumination light to illuminate the observation target, allowing the inside of the subject to be observed.

[0003] When a light guide consisting of a single optical fiber bundle is used, assembly is difficult and it is difficult to achieve satisfactory optical performance. Therefore, it is known to construct a light guide section from multiple light guides and optical components with different characteristics. In the endoscope described in Patent Document 1, the light guide section includes multiple light guides. The light guides are composed of, for example, a fiber bundle made of silica-based fibers or multi-component fibers. Among the optical performances of a fiber bundle, there is a trade-off between light transmittance and light distribution, and it is difficult to manufacture a fiber bundle that combines both. Therefore, in the endoscope described in Patent Document 1, lenses are disposed as optical components between the multiple light guides. The use of these lenses prevents a decrease in light intensity and deterioration of light distribution, and transmits light from the end of the light guide on the light source side to the end of the light guide on the tip side.

[0004] On the other hand, some endoscopes have a bendable section at the tip of the insertion section to enable observation of the observation site from various angles and to facilitate insertion. In the endoscope described in Patent Document 1, the end of the light guide and a lens are arranged inside the bendable section. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 6-296584 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, in the endoscope described in Patent Document 1, the end of the light guide and the lens are located inside the curved portion, which may result in optical axis misalignment. That is, when the curved portion is curved, the central axes of the light guide ends on the light source side and the tip side facing the lens do not coincide with the central axis of the lens for preventing reduction in light intensity and deterioration in light distribution, which may result in performance degradation such as reduction in light intensity and deterioration in light distribution. Furthermore, in this case, one of the light guides becomes longer. A longer light guide reduces the ease of assembly of the endoscope.

[0007] It is also possible to place the end of the light guide and the lens inside the connector that connects the endoscope and the light source device, but in this case, the light guide would be placed from the tip of the endoscope to the inside of the connector, which would make the light guide longer, and therefore, as with the endoscope described in Patent Document 1, the ease of assembly would be reduced.

[0008] An object of the present invention is to provide an endoscope and an endoscope system that can prevent a decrease in the amount of illumination light and deterioration in light distribution, and that can be easily assembled. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The endoscope of the present invention is connected to a light source device that emits illumination light obtained by mixing multiple colored lights from multiple light sources that emit light of different colors, and includes an insertion section, an operation section, an illumination light output end, a light guide section that guides the illumination light, and a connection section, where the optical member is disposed between the multiple light guides, and the connection section and the optical member are provided inside the operation section. The insertion section is inserted into a subject. The operation section is connected to the insertion section. The illumination light output end is provided at the tip of the insertion section. The light guide section includes multiple light guides that guide illumination light from the light sources to the illumination light output end, and optical members that suppress variation in the relative intensity of each color with respect to the luminous intensity distribution angle of the illumination light that is guided by the light guides and emitted from the illumination light output end. The connection section optically connects the light guides by holding the multiple light guides and the optical member.

[0010] The insertion portion comprises an outer tube and an axial member inserted into the outer tube, the operating portion comprises an operating portion main body connected to the base end side of the axial member, the connecting portion is fixed to the outer tube, and it is preferable that the portions of the multiple light guides held by the connecting portion rotate around the axis of the insertion portion together with the outer tube.

[0011] Preferably, the insertion portion includes an outer tube that forms an outer peripheral wall, the outer cylinder is inserted into the outer tube, and the light guide is inserted between the outer tube and the outer cylinder. Preferably, the operation portion includes a rotation operation member that is rotatably supported on the operation portion body, and the outer tube and the light guide are rotated in the same direction as the rotation operation member by rotation of the rotation operation member.

[0012] It is preferable that a signal cable for transmitting and receiving signals is provided, the signal cable is inserted through the shaft member, and the light guide rotates at a position radially outward of the signal cable when rotating together with the outer cylinder.

[0013] It is preferable to provide a holding member that holds the light guide, the optical member, and the connecting portion and is fixed to the outer cylinder, and the holding member is preferably formed in a cylindrical shape, and the light guide, the optical member, and the connecting portion are held on the outer peripheral surface side of the holding member. It is preferable that the connecting portion and the holding member are disposed inside the operation unit main body.

[0014] It is preferable that the operating unit includes a housing connected to the outer tube and disposed inside the operating unit, and a connecting part that magnetically connects the shaft member and the operating unit main body, the outer tube and the housing forming an airtight space, the housing having a partition wall that closes the base end side, and the connecting part magnetically connects the shaft member and the operating unit main body with the partition wall sandwiched therebetween.

[0015] It is preferable that the optical element is a lens element that, when the relative intensity of one of the multiple colored lights emitted by the light source is used as a reference, the relative intensities of the other colored lights are within ±5% of the relative intensity of the reference colored light.

[0016] An endoscope system of the present invention includes the above-described endoscope and a light source device that emits illumination light in the form of a mixture of a plurality of colored lights from a plurality of light sources that emit light of different colors. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent a decrease in the amount of illumination light and deterioration in light distribution, and to improve assembly efficiency. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an external view of an endoscope system. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the appearance of an endoscope. [Figure 3] 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an endoscope system. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of the light source device. [Figure 5] FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. [Figure 9] 1 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of an endoscope, omitting a rotary operation member, a connecting member, and an operation portion main body. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the periphery of a connection portion and a holding member. [Figure 11] 3 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of an endoscope showing the positional relationship between a first light guide, a second light guide, and a lens member. FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the periphery of a connecting portion and a holding member. [Figure 13] 1A is a perspective view of the connecting portion and the holding member when the outer cylinder is rotated clockwise (FIG. 1B) and counterclockwise (FIG. 1C). [Figure 14] FIG. 4 is an end view showing the shape of the end face at the incident end of the second light guide. [Figure 15] 3 is an end view showing the shape of the end face at the emission end of the first light guide. FIG. [Figure 16] This is an illumination characteristic that indicates the relative intensity of illumination light of each color with respect to the light distribution angle at a position in the light guide section before the illumination light passes through the lens member. [Figure 17] This is an illumination characteristic that indicates the relative intensity of illumination light of each color with respect to the light distribution angle at a position in the light guide section after the illumination light has passed through the lens member. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] [Outline of endoscope system configuration] 1, an endoscope system 10 includes an endoscope 12, a light source device 13, a processor device 14, a monitor 15, and a user interface 16. The endoscope 12 is, for example, a rigid endoscope such as a laparoscope.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 2, the endoscope 12 includes an elongated, rigid insertion section 17 to be inserted into the subject, an L-shaped operating section 18 connected to the base end of the insertion section 17, a flexible universal cable 19 connected to the insertion section 17 via the operating section 18, a switch arrangement member 21 provided in the middle of the universal cable 19, and an endoscope side connector 22.

[0021] The endoscope 12 is an oblique view mirror in which the field of view (see optical axis OA in FIG. 5) of an imaging unit 25 (see FIGS. 3 and 5) described later is inclined with respect to the insertion axis Ax of the insertion portion 17. The imaging unit 25 includes an imaging sensor 26 (see FIGS. 3 and 5) described later.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 3, a first light guide 27A and a first signal cable 28A are inserted within the insertion section 17. The first light guide 27A, together with a lens member 27C and a second light guide 27B, constitutes the light guide 27 that guides the illumination light emitted by the light source device 13. The first signal cable 28A, together with an airtight connector 82 (see FIG. 8) described below and a second signal cable 28B, constitutes the signal cable 28. The signal cable 28 includes a control line that transmits a control signal that controls the imaging sensor 26, a signal line that transmits an image signal that is output by the imaging sensor 26 when an image of an observation target illuminated with illumination light is captured, and a power line that supplies power to each component such as the imaging sensor 26. The configurations of the light guide 27 and the signal cable 28 will be described in detail below, and therefore will not be described here.

[0023] The endoscope side connector 22 is provided at the proximal end of the universal cable 19. The endoscope 12 is detachably connected to the light source device side connector 36 of the light source device 13 via the endoscope side connector 22. The universal cable 19 is a cable in which the second light guide 27B and the second signal cable 28B are integrated.

[0024] The endoscopic system 10 of this embodiment is configured to transmit power, optical signals, etc. contactlessly between the endoscope 12 and the light source device 13 via the endoscope side connector 22 and the light source device side connector 36.

[0025] Furthermore, the operation switch 21A arranged on the switch arrangement member 21 may be, for example, an image changeover switch that changes the image displayed on the monitor 15 between a normal captured image and a special light image (for example, a WL (white light) image, a BLI (Blue Laser Imaging) image, an LCI (Linked CoLor Imaging) image, or a hypoxic imaging image). Furthermore, without being limited to this, an image freeze switch, a photography switch, a zoom switch with tele and wide buttons, a cleaning switch for the tip of the insertion portion, a light intensity adjustment switch, a sensitivity adjustment switch, or the like may also be applied.

[0026] The light source device 13 supplies illumination light to the second light guide 27B (see FIG. 3), which causes the illumination light to be emitted from an illumination light emitting end (hereinafter simply referred to as an emitting end) 29 at the tip of the light guide 27.

[0027] [Outline of processor unit configuration] The processor device 14 controls the amount of illumination light emitted by the light source device 13, the timing of light emission, the operation of the imaging sensor 26, etc., and generates an endoscopic image using an image signal obtained by capturing an image of an observation target illuminated with illumination light. The processor device 14 is also electrically connected to a monitor 15 and a user interface 16. The monitor 15 displays the endoscopic image generated by the processor device 14, information related to the endoscopic image, etc. The user interface 16 accepts input operations such as function settings.

[0028] [Outline of light source device] 3, the light source device 13 includes a light source section 31, a light source control section 32, a wireless communication section 33, a wireless power supply section 34, and a signal transmission section 35. The light source section 31 emits illumination light used to illuminate the object of observation. The light source control section 32 controls the light source section 31. The signal transmission section 35 transmits control signals, image signals, etc. between the light source device 13 and the processor device 14.

[0029] The light source unit 31 is a semiconductor light source of LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) of multiple colors. The light source control unit 32 controls the amount of emitted illumination light by turning the LEDs on and off and adjusting the driving current and driving voltage of the LEDs. Note that the semiconductor light source constituting the light source unit 31 is not limited to LEDs, and may be an LD (Laser Diode) or the like.

[0030] The light source unit 31 has four color LEDs: a V-LED (Violet Light Emitting Diode) 31a, a B-LED (Blue Light Emitting Diode) 31b, a G-LED (Green Light Emitting Diode) 31c, and an R-LED (Red Light Emitting Diode) 31d.

[0031] The LEDs 31a to 31d emit light of different colors. For example, the V-LED 31a emits purple light V in the wavelength range of 380 nm to 420 nm. The B-LED 31b emits blue light B in the wavelength range of 420 nm to 500 nm. The G-LED 31c emits green light G in the wavelength range of 480 nm to 600 nm. The R-LED 31d emits green light G in the wavelength range of 600 nm to 650 nm. Bu They emit red light R. The light emitted from each of the LEDs 31a to 31d may have the same center wavelength and peak wavelength, or may have different center wavelengths.

[0032] The light source control unit 32 independently controls the on / off and light emission intensity of each of the LEDs 31a to 31d, thereby adjusting the emission timing, light emission period, light intensity, and spectral distribution of the illumination light. The on / off control by the light source control unit 32 differs for each observation mode. The reference brightness can be set via the user interface 16, etc.

[0033] In the normal mode, the light source control unit 32 turns on all of the V-LED 31a, B-LED 31b, G-LED 31c, and R-LED 31d. This causes the light source device 13 to emit normal-mode multicolor light, including purple, blue, green, and red light, as normal light. The normal light is a mixture of purple, blue, green, and red light, and has a certain level of intensity from the blue band to the red band, making it a nearly white light. Note that white light includes not only broadband light that includes all of the blue, green, and red wavelength bands, such as the white light emitted by a xenon lamp, but also illumination light that mixes light in at least three wavelength bands of blue, green, and red.

[0034] In the special mode, the light source control unit 32 turns on all of the V-LED 31a, B-LED 31b, G-LED 31c, and R-LED 31d, but sets the light intensity ratios among the purple light, blue light, green light, and red light so that the proportion of purple light is large. As a result, the special light has a bluish tint. Note that the following mainly describes the normal mode, which emits white light as illumination light.

[0035] Furthermore, the light source device 13 is electrically connected to the processor device 14, and the endoscope-side connector 22 of the endoscope 12 is connected to the processor device 14 via the light source device 13. Image signals and the like are transmitted and received between the light source device 13 and the endoscope-side connector 22 wirelessly. Therefore, the light source device 13 outputs image signals and the like transmitted and received wirelessly to the endoscope-side connector 22 to the signal transmission unit 35, and the signal transmission unit 35 transmits them to the processor device 14. Furthermore, the light source device 13 supplies power to the endoscope-side connector 22 for driving the image sensor 26 and the like, and this power supply is also performed wirelessly.

[0036] 4, the light source device side connector 36 is provided with a wireless communication unit 33, a wireless power supply unit 34, locking units 36A and 36B, and a connection hole 36C. When the endoscope side connector 22 is connected, the locking units 36A and 36B lock the endoscope side connector 22 to maintain the connection. The connection hole 36C is a through-hole into which the light guide rod 22A (see FIG. 3) of the endoscope side connector 22 is inserted.

[0037] When connecting the endoscope side connector 22 to the light source device side connector 36, the light guide rod 22A is inserted into the connection hole 36C of the light source device side connector 36, so that the incident end 37 (see FIG. 3) of the second light guide 27B faces the light source section 31 of the light source device 13. As a result, illumination light from the light source section 31 is transmitted through the light guide 27 and irradiated from the exit end 29 to the front of the insertion section 17.

[0038] The wireless communication unit 33 includes an image signal receiving unit 33A (see FIG. 3). The image signal receiving unit 33A receives an image signal from an image signal transmitting unit 38A of the endoscope side connector 22. The wireless power supply unit 34 is, for example, a coil (a so-called primary coil), and supplies power to the wireless power receiving unit 39 by a non-contact power transmission method such as an electromagnetic induction method or a magnetic field resonance method.

[0039] When the endoscope side connector 22 of the endoscope 12 is connected to the light source device side connector 36 of the light source device 13, the illumination light emitted by the light source unit 31 enters the second light guide 27B of the endoscope 12 via a light-guiding member (not shown), such as a prism or a light-guiding rod.

[0040] The light guide 27 is built into the endoscope 12, which includes the universal cable 19 and the endoscope-side connector 22, and guides illumination light to the tip 17A of the endoscope 12. An emission end 29 is provided at the tip 17A. The emission end 29 is arranged around the imaging unit 25 and is the tip of the first light guide 27A. In this embodiment, the imaging unit 25 and the emission end 29 are exposed from the tip surface of the tip 17A. Illumination light emitted by the light source unit 31 is guided from the light source unit 31 by the light guide 27 and is irradiated from the emission end 29 onto the object to be observed.

[0041] The endoscope-side connector 22 is provided with a wireless communication unit 38 and a wireless power receiving unit 39. The wireless communication unit 38 includes an image signal transmitting unit 38A (see FIG. 3). The image signal transmitting unit 38A wirelessly transmits an image signal obtained by the imaging sensor 26 capturing an image of the observation target to the image signal receiving unit 33A of the light source device 13. The wireless communication performed by the wireless communication unit 38 is optical communication, and is preferably near-infrared communication using, for example, near-infrared light (light with a wavelength of approximately 0.7 μm to 2.5 μm).

[0042] The wireless communication unit 38 communicates with the wireless communication unit 33 of the light source device 13 by connecting the endoscope side connector 22 and the light source device side connector 36. image That is, the image signal transmission unit 38A image The signal is optically transmitted to the image signal receiving section 33A of the light source device 13 in a non-contact manner.

[0043] The image signal optically transmitted to the image signal receiving unit 33A is transmitted to the processor device 14 by the signal transmitting unit 35. The image signal transmitted from the endoscope 12 to the processor device 14 via the light source device 13 is subjected to image processing and displayed as an endoscopic image on the monitor 15. Note that the functions of the wireless communication units 33 and 38 are not limited to those described above, and they may also transmit and receive control signals for controlling the imaging sensor 26 of the endoscope 12, for example.

[0044] The wireless power receiving unit 39 is, for example, a coil (so-called secondary coil), and receives power from a wireless power supply unit 34 provided in the light source device 13 by a contactless power transmission method. supply An endoscope that performs this is publicly known from Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-67534, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted here. The wireless power receiving unit 39 supplies power to each unit of the endoscope 12, such as the image sensor 26.

[0045] [Endoscope configuration] As shown in Fig. 5, the insertion section 17 includes a generally cylindrical outer tube 40 (also referred to as a mantle tube) parallel to the insertion axis Ax, an outer cylinder 42, and an inner cylinder 44. The outer tube 40 forms the outer peripheral wall of the insertion section 17. The opening at the tip of the outer tube 40 is inclined from a position perpendicular to the insertion axis Ax. The base end of the outer tube 40 is connected to the operating section 18 (see Figs. 2 and 6), which will be described in detail later.

[0046] The outer tube 42 is inserted and disposed inside the outer tube 40. A distal optical system 50 of the imaging unit 25 is provided at the distal end of this outer tube 42. The proximal end of the outer tube 42 is connected to a housing 74 (see FIG. 8) inside the operation section 18, as will be described in detail later. Furthermore, an insertion passage 41 for the light guide 27 is formed between the inner peripheral surface of the outer tube 40 and the outer peripheral surface of the outer tube 42.

[0047] The inner tube 44 corresponds to the shaft member of the present invention, and is inserted inside the outer tube 42. A first signal cable 28A is inserted inside the inner tube 44. The distal end of the inner tube 44 is provided with a proximal optical system 60 and an imaging sensor 26 that constitute the imaging unit 25. The proximal end of the inner tube 44 is connected to a first connecting member 90 (see FIG. 8) inside the operation section 18, which will be described in detail later.

[0048] The imaging unit 25 includes a distal optical system 50, a proximal optical system 60, and an imaging sensor 26. Note that the symbol OA in the drawing denotes the optical axis of the optical system of the imaging unit 25.

[0049] The distal end optical system 50 is provided at the distal end of the outer tube 42. The distal end optical system 50 is an oblique optical system that refracts light incident from a direction oblique to the insertion axis Ax in a direction parallel to the insertion axis Ax and guides the light to the proximal end optical system 60. The distal end optical system 50 includes a distal end main body 52 and a distal end lens barrel 54 provided on the distal end main body 52.

[0050] The tip portion main body 52 constitutes the tip portion 17A of the insertion portion 17 (outer cylinder 42) and is a cap (cover) that covers the tip barrel 54. The tip portion main body 52 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape that is parallel to the insertion axis Ax. In addition, a cover glass 56 that is inclined to match the inclination angle of the objective lens 58a in the tip barrel 54 is provided at the opening on the tip side of the tip portion main body 52.

[0051] Furthermore, the tip portion main body 52 is fixed to the inner peripheral surface of the outer tube 40. This allows the outer tube 40, the tip optical system 50, and the outer tube 42 to rotate together in the axial direction of the insertion axis Ax (hereinafter simply referred to as the axial direction).

[0052] The distal end barrel 54 houses an objective lens 58a, a prism 58b, and a lens 58c. The objective lens 58a is tilted from a position perpendicular to the insertion axis Ax and faces the cover glass 56. The objective lens 58a emits light incident through the cover glass 56 toward the prism 58b. The prism 58b corresponds to the second refractive optical element of the present invention and refracts the light incident from the objective lens 58a, i.e., light incident from a direction tilted with respect to the insertion axis Ax, in a direction parallel to the insertion axis Ax, and then emits the light toward the lens 58c. The lens 58c is oriented perpendicular to the insertion axis Ax and emits the light incident from the prism 58b toward a lens 66 in a proximal end barrel 62 of the proximal end optical system 60, which will be described later.

[0053] The configuration of the optical system in the distal barrel 54 is not particularly limited as long as it is possible to guide light incident from a direction inclined with respect to the insertion axis Ax into the proximal barrel 62 .

[0054] A cylindrical portion 55 extending toward the base end of distal end barrel 54 is formed on distal end barrel 54. This cylindrical portion 55 is fitted onto the distal end of proximal end barrel 62 (described later) so as to be rotatable relative to the distal end barrel 54 in the axial direction. This allows proximal end barrel 62 to be fitted onto distal end barrel 54 so as to be rotatable relative to the distal end barrel 54 in the axial direction. In this embodiment, cylindrical portion 55 is formed integrally with distal end barrel 54, but it may also be formed separately from distal end barrel 54.

[0055] The proximal optical system 60 is provided at the distal end of the inner tube 44, and guides light incident from the distal lens barrel 54 to the image sensor 26. The proximal optical system 60 includes a proximal lens barrel 62, a holder 64, and a prism 65.

[0056] The base end barrel 62 is connected (fixed) to the tip end of the inner tube 44 via a holder 64. Alternatively, the base end of the base end barrel 62 may be directly connected to the tip end of the inner tube 44, and the holder 64 may be further connected to the base end of the base end barrel 62 inside the inner tube 44.

[0057] As described above, the tip end portion of base end barrel 62 is fitted into the opening on the base end side of tubular portion 55 so as to be rotatable relative to the axis in the direction around the axis. This allows one of tip end barrel 54 and base end barrel 62 to rotate relative to the other in the direction around the axis. Note that the base end portion of tip end barrel 54 may be fitted into the opening on the tip end side of base end barrel 62 so as to be rotatable relative to the axis in the direction around the axis.

[0058] A plurality of lenses 66 having optical axes OA parallel to the insertion axis Ax are provided inside the proximal barrel 62. The lenses 66 emit light incident from the distal barrel 54 toward the prism 65.

[0059] The holder 64 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape parallel to the insertion axis Ax, and is fixed to the tip end of the inner tube 44. The holder 64 is also connected and fixed (externally fitted and fixed) to the base end of the base end barrel 62. As a result, the inner tube 44 and the base end barrel 62 are connected by the holder 64, and the inner tube 44, the base end barrel 62, and the holder 64 are integrated.

[0060] A prism 65 is held in the opening on the base end side of holder 64, and an image sensor 26 (described later) is held via this prism 65. Therefore, image sensor 26 is integrated with inner tube 44 and base end barrel 62 via holder 64 and prism 65.

[0061] Prism 65 corresponds to the first refractive optical element of the present invention, and as described above, is held in the opening on the base end side of holder 64. This prism 65 refracts light incident through base end lens barrel 62 by 90 degrees. Note that a mirror may be used instead of prism 65.

[0062] The image sensor 26 captures an image of light that passes through the distal end lens barrel 54 and the proximal end lens barrel 62 and is reflected by the prism 65. The image sensor 26 is provided integrally with a circuit board 67.

[0063] The image sensor 26 is, for example, a color sensor having primary color filters, and includes three types of pixels: B pixels (blue pixels) having blue color filters, G pixels (green pixels) having green color filters, and R pixels (red pixels) having red color filters. The blue color filters transmit mainly purple to blue light. The green color filters transmit mainly green light. The red color filters transmit mainly red light. When an object to be observed is captured using the primary color image sensor 26 as described above, up to three types of images can be simultaneously obtained: a B image (blue image) obtained from the B pixels, a G image (green image) obtained from the G pixels, and an R image (red image) obtained from the R pixels.

[0064] The imaging sensor 26 may be a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) image sensor or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) image sensor. Although the imaging sensor 26 of this embodiment is a primary color sensor, a complementary color sensor may also be used. A complementary color sensor may have, for example, cyan pixels with cyan color filters, magenta pixels with magenta color filters, yellow pixels with yellow color filters, and green pixels with green color filters. When a complementary color sensor is used, the images obtained from the pixels of each color can be converted into B, G, and R images by performing complementary color-to-primary color conversion. Alternatively, a monochrome sensor without color filters may be used as the imaging sensor 26 instead of a color sensor. In this case, images of each color can be obtained by sequentially capturing images of the object under observation using illumination light of each color, such as BGR.

[0065] In this embodiment, the imaging sensor 26 is attached to the holder 64 via the prism 65, but the imaging sensor 26 may also be attached directly to the opening on the base end side of the holder 64. In this case, it is preferable that the imaging sensor 26 is held in the holder 64 in an orientation perpendicular to the insertion axis Ax (optical axis OA) and has a light receiving surface perpendicular to the optical axis OA.

[0066] The circuit board 67 controls the driving of the image sensor 26. The tip of the first signal cable 28A is connected to the circuit board 67 via a connector 68. The circuit board 67 outputs the image signal output by the image sensor 26 to the first signal cable 28A via the connector 68.

[0067] [Configuration of the operation section] 6 and 7, the operation unit 18 includes a rotation operation member 70, a connecting member 71, and an operation unit main body 72. The operation unit 18 is made of, for example, a resin part and has high rigidity. The rotation operation member 70 is an operation ring formed in a substantially cylindrical shape parallel to the insertion axis Ax, and is rotated around the axis by the user.

[0068] The base end of the above-described outer tube 40 is connected to the tip of the rotation operation member 70. As a result, by rotating the rotation operation member 70 in the axial direction, the outer tube 42 and the tip optical system 50 (tip main body 52 and tip lens barrel 54) are rotated in the same direction via the outer tube 40. As a result, the field of view (observation direction, see optical axis OA in FIG. 5 ) of the endoscope 12 can be rotated in the axial direction of the insertion axis Ax (the circumferential direction of the insertion section 17 and rotation operation member 70).

[0069] The connecting member 71 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape. A seal member 73 is fitted onto the outer peripheral surface of the tip end of the connecting member 71. The connecting member 71 is rotatably fitted onto the inner peripheral surface of the base end of the rotation operation member 70 via the seal member 73. The seal member 73 is formed in an annular shape, and for example, an omniseal or an O-ring is used.

[0070] The operation unit main body 72 is formed in a tubular shape that is bent into an L-shape, and has an outer shape that can be grasped by a human hand. A connecting member 71 is fixed to the tip of the operation unit main body 72. As a result, the operation unit main body 72 rotatably supports the rotation operation member 70 via the connecting member 71. In other words, when a rotational force is applied to the rotation operation member 70 to rotate it around its axis, this rotational force is not transmitted to the operation unit main body 72.

[0071] The rotation operation member 70 is rotatable within a predetermined angular range around its axis, and can be rotated, for example, clockwise and counterclockwise by 0° to 170°.

[0072] As shown in Fig. 8, in addition to the above-mentioned outer tube 40, the base ends of the outer tube 42 and inner tube 44 are inserted into the opening on the tip side of the rotation operation member 70. Furthermore, a housing 74, a connection part 110, and a holding member 111 (see Figs. 9 and 10) are provided inside the operation part 18. The connection part 110 and the holding member 111 will be described in detail later, but they hold the first light guide 27A, the second light guide 27B, and the lens member 27C.

[0073] A fixing member 76 is inserted into the operation unit main body 72. The fixing member 76 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape having a through hole 76A parallel to the insertion axis Ax. A second light guide 27B and a second signal cable 28B are inserted into the through hole 76A. A base end of the fixing member 76 is fixed to the operation unit main body 72, and the operation unit main body 72 and the fixing member 76 are integrated together. The fixing member 76 is connected to a magnetic coupling 102 via a second connecting member 100 and a second bearing support member 96, which will be described in detail later.

[0074] The housing 74 is generally tubular and parallel to the insertion axis Ax, and has a diameter smaller than the inner diameters of the rotation operation member 70, the connecting member 71, and the operation unit main body 72. The housing 74 is accommodated inside the operation unit 18. The housing 74 is supported in the internal space of the operation unit 18 by the outer tube 42, the fixing member 76, and the like. The distal end side of the housing 74 is connected to the proximal end of the outer tube 42. This allows the housing 74 to rotate integrally with the outer tube 42 in the axial direction. As a result, when a rotational force is applied to the rotation operation member 70 to rotate it in the axial direction, this rotational force is transmitted to the outer tube 40, the distal end optical system 50, the outer tube 42, and the housing 74, causing them to rotate in the same direction as the rotation operation member 70.

[0075] The proximal end of the inner tube 44 and the proximal end of the first signal cable 28A are disposed inside the housing 74. A partition wall 74a perpendicular to the insertion axis Ax is provided inside the housing 74, for example, in the opening on the proximal end side of the housing 74. This partition wall 74a closes the opening on the proximal end side of the housing 74.

[0076] A cylindrical portion 74b parallel to the insertion axis Ax is provided on the base end side of the housing 74. The cylindrical portion 74b may be formed integrally with the housing 74. Inside this cylindrical portion 74b, the tip end portion of the second signal cable 28B is disposed in addition to a part of the coupling portion 84, as will be described in detail later.

[0077] 9, a sealed space 80 (airtight space) is formed inside the outer cylinder 42 and the housing 74, and the inner cylinder 44, the image sensor 26, the first signal cable 28A, etc. are arranged in this sealed space 80. Note that FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the periphery of the outer cylinder 42 and the housing 74, and omits the rotation operation member 70, the connecting member 71, the operation unit main body 72, etc.

[0078] The distal end side of the sealed space 80 is defined by the distal optical system 50. The proximal end side of the sealed space 80 is defined by the partition wall 74a. This improves the moisture resistance of the imaging unit 25 and prevents fogging. As described above, the seal member 73 is interposed between the rotation operation member 70 and the housing 74, further improving the airtightness of the sealed space 80.

[0079] 8 and 9, the housing 74 and the cylindrical portion 74b are provided inside with the partition wall 74a, the airtight connector 82, and the connecting portion 84. The airtight connector 82 is provided so as to be rotatable relative to the partition wall 74a in the direction around the axis so as to pass through the inside and outside of the sealed space 80. The airtight connector 82 electrically connects the first signal cable 28A inside the housing 74 (inside the sealed space 80) and the second signal cable 28B inside the cylindrical portion 74b (outside the sealed space 80).

[0080] The coupling portion 84 is provided inside the housing 74 and the cylindrical portion 74b so as to be rotatable relative to the housing 74 and the cylindrical portion 74b in the direction around the axis. The first signal cable 28A and the second signal cable 28B are inserted inside the coupling portion 84. The coupling portion 84 magnetically couples (connects) the base end of the inner cylinder 44 inside the housing 74 (inside the sealed space 80) to the fixed member 76 outside the sealed space 80, with the partition wall 74a sandwiched therebetween.

[0081] The coupling portion 84 includes a first connecting member 90, a first bearing support member 92, a first bearing 94, a second bearing support member 96, a second bearing 98, a second connecting member 100, and a magnetic coupling 102.

[0082] The first connecting member 90 and the first bearing support member 92 are provided inside the housing 74 (inside the sealed space 80) and are formed in a generally tubular shape parallel to the insertion axis Ax. The first signal cable 28A is inserted through the inside of the first connecting member 90 and the first bearing support member 92.

[0083] The first connecting member 90 connects the base end of the inner tube 44 and the first bearing support member 92 inside the housing 74 (inside the sealed space 80). As a result, the first bearing support member 92 is connected to the base end side of the inner tube 44 via the first connecting member 90.

[0084] The tip side of the first bearing support member 92 is connected to the first connecting member 90 as described above. A first bearing 94 that is inscribed in the housing 74 is fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the first bearing support member 92. This allows the first bearing support member 92 and the first magnet 103 to be held within the housing 74 so as to be rotatable relative to the housing 74 in the axial direction. Note that the first bearing 94 may be any of various known radial bearings, such as a ball bearing or a roller bearing.

[0085] The second bearing support member 96 is provided inside the cylindrical portion 74b (outside the sealed space 80), and the second connecting member 100 is provided between the second bearing support member 96 and the fixed member 76. The second bearing support member 96 and the second connecting member 100 are formed in a generally tubular shape parallel to the insertion axis Ax, and the second signal cable 28B is inserted through each of them.

[0086] The second bearing support member 96 has a base end connected to the second connecting member 100. A second bearing 98, which is inscribed in the cylindrical portion 74b, is fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the second bearing support member 96. This allows the second bearing support member 96 and the second magnet 104 to be held within the cylindrical portion 74b so as to be rotatable relative to the cylindrical portion 74b in the axial direction. As with the first bearing 94, the second bearing 98 may be any of various known radial bearings.

[0087] The second connecting member 100 is integrally provided with a connecting piece 100A that is parallel to the insertion axis Ax and protrudes toward the fixing member 76. The connecting piece 100A is fixed to the fixing member 76, for example, by screwing. This connects the fixing member 76 and the second bearing support member 96 via the second connecting member 100. In this way, the second connecting member 100 and the fixing member 76 are connected via the connecting piece 100A, and therefore the second signal cable 28B is exposed between the second connecting member 100 and the fixing member 76 (see FIG. 10 ).

[0088] The magnetic coupling 102 is composed of a plurality of first magnets 103 provided inside the housing 74 (inside the sealed space 80) with the partition wall 74a in between, and a plurality of second magnets 104 provided inside the cylindrical portion 74b (outside the sealed space 80). The magnetic coupling 102 is a magnetic coupling member that magnetically couples the first bearing support member 92 and the second bearing support member 96.

[0089] The first magnet 103 and the second magnet 104 are disposed in opposing positions with the partition wall 74a sandwiched therebetween, and are disposed in a circle around the insertion axis Ax. As a result, the first magnet 103 and the second magnet 104 are magnetically coupled in a direction parallel to the insertion axis Ax (axial direction) with the partition wall 74a sandwiched therebetween. As a result, the inner cylinder 44 and the operation unit main body 72 are magnetically coupled via the magnetic coupling 102.

[0090] By magnetically coupling the inner tube 44 and the operation unit main body 72 with the magnetic coupling 102, torque (static torque and rotational torque) can be transmitted from the operation unit main body 72 to the inner tube 44. This prevents the inner tube 44 (the proximal optical system 60 and the image sensor 26) from rotating around the axis together with the outer tube 42 when the user rotates the rotation operation member 70; in other words, the magnetic coupling 102 maintains the orientation of the inner tube 44 around the axis.

[0091] [Light guide and connection configuration] The light guide 27 has a first light guide 27A, a second light guide 27B, and a lens member 27C. The first light guide 27A and the second light guide 27B are fiber bundles of optical fibers. The light guide 27 corresponds to the light guiding section in the claims, and the lens member 27C corresponds to the optical member in the claims. The optical fibers constituting the first light guide 27A and the second light guide 27B are, for example, silica-based fibers or multi-component fibers.

[0092] In this embodiment, a fiber bundle with a large numerical aperture (NA) is used as the first light guide 27A, and a fiber bundle with high optical transparency is used as the second light guide 27B. In this way, different types of fiber bundles, a fiber bundle with a large numerical aperture and a fiber bundle with high optical transparency, are used, and the fiber bundle with high optical transparency (second light guide 27B) is made long and its end is arranged as close as possible to the tip of the endoscope 12. As a result, the light guide 27 suppresses loss of light quantity with respect to the illumination light emitted by the light source unit 31, and can widen the light distribution at the output end 29 of the first light guide 27A. In other words, the light guide 27 can obtain good optical performance with a good balance between light quantity and light distribution.

[0093] In this embodiment, the first light guide 27A, a part of the second light guide 27B, and the lens member 27C are disposed inside the operation unit 18, more specifically, inside the operation unit main body 72.

[0094] 10 and 11, the first light guide 27A, the second light guide 27B, and the lens member 27C are held and optically connected by a connecting portion 110. Furthermore, the first light guide 27A, the second light guide 27B, the lens member 27C, and the connecting portion 110 are held by a holding member 111 and fixed to the housing 74.

[0095] The connecting portion 110 includes a first ferrule 112, a second ferrule 113, and a lens holder 114. The first ferrule 112 is formed in a cylindrical shape and is fixed to the base end of the first light guide 27A by being adhered with, for example, an adhesive. The second ferrule 113 is formed in a cylindrical shape and is fixed to the tip end of the second light guide 27B by being adhered with, for example, an adhesive.

[0096] The lens holder 114 is formed in a cylindrical shape and has an inner peripheral surface that matches the outer peripheral surface of the lens member 27C. The lens member 27C is held on the inner peripheral surface of the lens holder 114. The lens holder 114 is formed to have a longer axial dimension than the lens member 27C. The first ferrule 112, together with the first light guide 27A, is inserted from the tip side of the lens holder 114 to a position close to the lens member 27C, and is fitted into the inner peripheral surface of the lens holder 114.

[0097] The second ferrule 113, together with the second light guide 27B, is inserted from the base end side of the lens holder 114 to a position close to the lens member 27C, and is fitted onto the inner circumferential surface of the lens holder 114. As described above, the first light guide 27A, together with the first ferrule 112, is held on the tip end side of the lens holder 114, and the second light guide 27B, together with the second ferrule 113, is held on the base end side of the lens holder 114. As a result, the first light guide 27A and the second light guide 27B are optically connected, and the lens member 27C is disposed between the first light guide 27A and the second light guide 27B.

[0098] [Configuration of holding member] As shown in Fig. 12, the holding member 111 is formed in a cylindrical shape. Specifically, the holding member 111 has a cylindrical portion 111A parallel to the insertion axis Ax and a pair of protrusions 111B and 111C protruding from the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 111A. The cylindrical portion 111A fits onto the outer circumferential surface of the housing 74 and is fixed to the housing 74 by, for example, screwing. As described above, the housing 74 is connected to the outer tube 42. Therefore, the holding member 111 is fixed to the outer tube 42 via the housing 74.

[0099] The protrusions 111B and 111C are formed in a rectangular shape parallel to each other. The connection portion 110 is sandwiched between the protrusions 111B and 111C and fixed to the holding member 111 by, for example, screwing. As a result, the first light guide 27A, the second light guide 27B, the lens member 27C, and the connection portion 110 are held on the outer peripheral surface side of the holding member 111. In other words, the first light guide 27A, the second light guide 27B, the lens member 27C, and the connection portion 110 are fixed to the outer cylinder 42 via the holding member 111 and the housing 74.

[0100] As described above, the outer tube 42 rotates around the axis of the insertion axis Ax, and therefore the connection portion 110 fixed to the outer tube 42, and portions of the first light guide 27A and the second light guide 27B held by the connection portion 110, and the lens member 27C also rotate around the axis together with the outer tube 42 via the holding member 111 and the housing 74.

[0101] Furthermore, as described above, the outer tube 42 rotates in the same direction as the rotation operating member 70 due to the rotation force of the rotation operating member 70, and therefore portions of the first light guide 27A and the second light guide 27B and the lens member 27C are also rotated in the same direction as the rotation operating member 70 together with the outer tube 42.

[0102] As described above, the first light guide 27A and the second light guide 27B are fixed to the outer cylinder 42 via the holding member 111 and the housing 74. Meanwhile, the signal cable 28 is inserted into the inner cylinder 44, and the inner cylinder 44 is further inserted into the outer cylinder 42. As a result, when the first light guide 27A and the second light guide 27B rotate together with the outer cylinder 42, they rotate at a position radially outward of the signal cable 28.

[0103] 13(A) shows a case where the outer tube 42 and the housing 74 rotate clockwise, and Fig. 13(B) shows a case where the outer tube 42 and the housing 74 rotate counterclockwise. In either case, when the first light guide 27A and the second light guide 27B rotate together with the outer tube 42, they rotate at a position radially outward of the signal cable 28.

[0104] As described above, the second signal cable 28B is exposed between the second connecting member 100 and the fixing member 76 (see also FIG. 10 ). The second light guide 27B and the second signal cable 28B are both inserted through the through-hole 76A of the fixing member 76. If the second light guide 27B and the second signal cable 28B were positioned close to each other, they could become entangled. However, in the present invention, when the first light guide 27A and the second light guide 27B rotate together with the outer tube 42, they rotate at positions radially outward of the signal cable 28 (the state shown in FIGS. 13(A) and 13(B)). Therefore, the second light guide 27B and the second signal cable 28B do not become entangled, and disconnection can be prevented.

[0105] [Lens component configuration] As shown in Fig. 11, lens member 27C is a plano-convex lens with a convex entrance side and a flat exit side. However, lens member 27C is not limited to this, and may be a biconvex lens, a meniscus lens, or the like. It is preferable that lens member 27C has an anti-reflective coating (AR) formed on each lens surface. This can further prevent a decrease in the amount of illumination light in light guide 27.

[0106] 14, in the light guide 27 of this embodiment, the incident end 37 of the second light guide 27B facing the light source unit 31 has a circular end face, but as shown in FIG. 15, the exit end 29 of the first light guide 27A at the tip portion 17A is formed in an arc shape located around the tip optical system 50 for convenience of component arrangement at the tip portion 17A. Therefore, it is difficult to arrange the lens member 27C at the tip portion 17A. In contrast, the interior of the operation unit 18 does not have any components that would prevent the arrangement of the lens member 27C, making it easy to arrange it there.

[0107] Lens member 27C is a lens that prevents a decrease in the amount of light and deterioration in light distribution of the illumination light that is guided by first light guide 27A and second light guide 27B and emitted from emission end 29. Specifically, lens member 27C is a lens that suppresses variations in the relative intensity of each color with respect to the light distribution angle of the illumination light that is guided by first light guide 27A and second light guide 27B and emitted from emission end 29.

[0108] 16 and 17 are the results of measuring illumination characteristics indicating the relative intensity of illumination light (LED light) of each color versus luminous intensity distribution angle at a position in light guide 27 before the illumination light passes through lens member 27C (FIG. 16) and at a position after the illumination light has passed through lens member 27C (FIG. 17). Note that the relative intensity here refers to the light intensity at a luminous intensity distribution angle other than 0°, expressed as a ratio to the light intensity at 0°, with the light intensity at that angle being 1 for the LED light of each color. Note that light intensity is the density of the luminous flux of light within a unit solid angle.

[0109] 16, at a position before passing through lens member 27C, specifically, at the output end of second light guide 27B, the LED light of purple light V, blue light B, green light G, and red light R emitted from light source unit 31 and guided by second light guide 27B varies in relative intensity with respect to the light distribution angle. The variation in relative intensity is particularly large when the light distribution angle is around ±25°.

[0110] 17, at a position after passing through lens member 27C, specifically, at output end 29 of first light guide 27A, the relative intensities of the purple light V, blue light B, green light G, and red light R, which are LED lights emitted by light source unit 31 and guided by light guide 27, are consistent with each other with respect to the light distribution angle. In other words, variations in relative intensities can be suppressed. Note that, here, consistency in relative intensities means that there is very little difference in the relative intensities of each color with respect to the light distribution angle. When the relative intensity of green light G is used as a reference, it is preferable that the relative intensities of purple light V, blue light B, and red light R all differ from the relative intensity of green light G by no more than ±5%.

[0111] As described above, in this embodiment, the light guide 27 is configured from the first light guide 27A, the second light guide 27B, and the lens member 27C, and the first light guide 27A, the second light guide 27B, and the lens member 27C are fixed inside the operation unit 18. Therefore, the positions of the optical axes of the first light guide 27A, the second light guide 27B, and the lens member 27C do not shift. Therefore, regardless of the operating state of the endoscope 12, the light guide 27 can prevent a decrease in the amount of illumination light and a deterioration in light distribution by the lens member 27C.

[0112] Furthermore, in the endoscope 12, the first light guide 27A and the second light guide 27B are connected inside the operation section 18. If the first light guide 27A and the second light guide 27B were connected inside the distal end 17A of the insertion section 17 or the endoscope-side connector 22, one of the first light guide 27A and the second light guide 27B would be extremely long (e.g., approximately the same length as the total length from the distal end 17A to the endoscope-side connector 22, e.g., 3.5 m). This would make handling difficult and reduce assembly efficiency. In contrast, in the present invention, the first light guide 27A and the second light guide 27B are connected inside the operation section 18, so the lengths of the first light guide 27A and the second light guide 27B do not become extremely long (e.g., one can be 0.5 m and the other can be 3.0 m). This improves assembly efficiency of the endoscope 12.

[0113] In the above embodiment, an endoscope used as a laparoscope has been described as an example, but the present invention can also be applied to endoscopes used for other purposes, such as industrial applications. In addition, in the above embodiment, two light guides are provided as the light guiding section, but this is not limiting and three or more light guides may be provided. [Explanation of symbols]

[0114] 10 Endoscopy System 12 Endoscopy 13 Light source device 14 Processor unit 15 monitors 16 User Interface 17 Insertion section 17A Tip 18 Control section 19 Universal Cable 21 Switch placement member 21A operation switch 22 Endoscope side connector 22A Light guide rod 25 Imaging unit 26 Image sensor 27 Light Guide 27A First Light Guide 27B Second Light Guide 27C Lens material 28 Signal Cable 28A 1st signal cable 28B Second signal cable 29 Output end 31 Light source section 31a V-LED 31b B-LED 31c G-LED 31d R-LED 32 Light source control unit 33 Radio Communication Department 33A Image signal receiving unit 34 Wireless power supply unit 35 Signal transmission section 36 Light source device side connector 36C Connection hole 36A, 36B Locking part 37 Incidence end 38 Radio Communication Department 38A Image signal transmitter 39 Wireless power receiving unit 40 Exterior pipe 41 Passage 42 outer cylinder 44 Inner cylinder 50 Advanced optical system 52 Tip body 54 Front lens barrel 55 Cylindrical part 56 Coverslip 58a Objective Lens 58b Prism 58c lens 60 Proximal optical system 62 Base end barrel 64 Holder 65 Prism 66 Lens 67 Circuit Board 68 Connector 70 Rotation operation member 71 Connecting member 72 Operation unit body 73 Sealing material 74 Housing 74a Bulkhead 74b Cylindrical part 76 Fixing member 76A through hole 80 Closed space 82 Airtight Connector 84 Connecting part 90 first connecting member 92 First bearing support member 94 First bearing 96 Second bearing support member 98 Second bearing 100 Second connecting member 100A connection piece 102 Magnetic Coupling 103 First Magnet 104 Second Magnet 110 Connection 111 Retaining member 111A Cylindrical part 111B, 111C protrusion 112 First ferrule 113 Second ferrule 114 Lens holder Ax Insertion axis OA optical axis

Claims

1. An endoscope connected to a light source device that emits illumination light by mixing a plurality of color lights emitted by a plurality of light sources that emit different color lights, an insertion portion inserted into a subject, an operation portion connected to the insertion portion, an illumination light emission end provided at a distal end portion of the insertion portion, a light guiding portion that guides the illumination light, the light guiding portion including a plurality of light guides that guide the illumination light from the light source device to the illumination light emission end, and an optical member that suppresses variations in the relative intensity of each of the color lights with respect to the light distribution angle of the illumination light guided by the light guide and emitted from the illumination light emission end, and a connection portion that optically connects the plurality of light guides by holding the plurality of light guides and the optical member, wherein the optical member is disposed between the plurality of light guides, and the endoscope, wherein the connection portion and the optical member are provided inside the operation portion.

2. The insertion portion includes an outer cylinder, and a shaft member inserted inside the outer cylinder, the operation portion includes an operation portion main body connected to a proximal end side of the shaft member, the connection portion is fixed to the outer cylinder, and in the endoscope according to claim 1, a portion of the plurality of light guides held by the connection portion rotates in a circumferential direction around the axis of the insertion portion together with the outer cylinder.

3. The insertion portion includes an exterior tube that constitutes an outer peripheral wall, the outer cylinder is inserted inside the exterior tube, and in the endoscope according to claim 2, the light guide is inserted between the exterior tube and the outer cylinder.

4. The operation portion includes a rotation operation member rotatably supported with respect to the operation portion main body, and in the endoscope according to claim 2 or 3, the outer cylinder and the light guide are rotated in the same direction as the rotation operation member by the rotation of the rotation operation member.

5. It includes a signal cable for transmitting and receiving signals, the shaft member has the signal cable inserted therethrough, and in the endoscope according to claim 4, when the light guide rotates together with the outer cylinder, the light guide rotates at a position radially outside the signal cable.

6. The endoscope according to any one of claims 2 to 5, further including a holding member that holds the light guide, the optical member, and the connection portion and is fixed to the outer cylinder.

7. The holding member is formed in a cylindrical shape, and in the endoscope according to claim 6, the light guide, the optical member, and the connection portion are held on an outer peripheral surface side of the holding member.

8. The endoscope according to claim 7, wherein the connecting portion and the holding member are arranged inside the operation unit main body.

9. A housing provided inside the operation unit and connected to the outer cylinder, and a connecting portion that magnetically couples the shaft member and the operation unit main body. The outer cylinder and the housing form an airtight space. The housing has a partition wall that closes the proximal end side. The endoscope according to any one of claims 2 to 8, wherein the connecting portion magnetically couples the shaft member and the operation unit main body with the partition wall interposed therebetween.

10. The endoscope according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the optical member is a lens member that makes the relative intensity of another color light within ±5% of the relative intensity of a reference color light when the relative intensity of one of the plurality of color lights emitted by the light source is used as a reference.

11. An endoscope system comprising the endoscope according to any one of claims 1 to 10 and a light source device that emits illumination light obtained by mixing a plurality of color lights by a plurality of light sources that emit mutually different color lights.

Images