JP3091199B2 - Endoscope device - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an endoscope apparatus in which an advance / retreat operation and a rotation operation of an insertion portion can be controlled by one manual operation means.

[Prior Art] In recent years, while observing the inside of a body cavity by inserting an elongated insertion portion into the body cavity, performing a medical treatment using a treatment tool as necessary, or connecting the insertion portion to a boiler or the like. 2. Description of the Related Art An endoscope apparatus which can be inserted into a pipe hole to observe an inner wall of the pipe hole and inspect a defective portion such as a crack is widely used.

The insertion portion has a length equal to or greater than the length of the conduit from the insertion port of the subject to be observed to the site to be observed. Therefore, when the site to be observed is at a deep portion of the conduit, the operation of inserting or inserting the insertion portion to the site to be inspected becomes complicated.

In order to cope with this, for example, in a conventional example of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 1-148232, an advance / retreat driving means for applying an advance / retreat operation to the insertion portion is disposed outside the conduit, and the driving means is used to drive the insertion portion. A technique that enables insertion and removal is disclosed.

By the way, when inserting the insertion portion into the large intestine, it is difficult to insert the insertion portion as it is in the S-shaped colon part,
Conventionally, a technique called an α-loop method has been used.
The α-loop method is to advance the insertion portion while twisting it, and to curve the curved portion to form an α-shaped loop.By making the large intestine a smooth curved shape, the insertion of the insertion portion is facilitated. Is what you do. When performing this method, generally, an operation such as operating the angle knob while holding the operation unit with the left hand to perform a bending operation, and grasping the proximal side of the insertion unit with the right hand to advance and retreat, or simultaneously perform advance and retreat and rotation. Is required.

In other words, this procedure requires that the insertion portion be moved forward and backward and twisted.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] Of these forward / backward movements and twisting movements, the forward / backward movements can be added using the above-mentioned conventional example, but the twisting movements need to be added by the operator's hand. Is not so much reduced.

It has been empirically known that applying a twist to the insertion portion is effective in facilitating the insertion and removal even when the insertion portion is inserted into or removed from the tube hole.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and has as its object to provide an endoscope device with good operability that can reduce the burden of an insertion operation by an operator.

[Means for Solving the Problems and Action] In the present invention, advancing / retreating drive means for advancing and retreating the insertion portion and a rotation driving means for rotating and driving are provided. By controlling the manual operation means, it is possible to perform insertion by simple operation even at an insertion site that requires a twisting operation only by operating the manual operation means.

EXAMPLES Hereinafter, the present invention will be described specifically with reference to the drawings.

1 to 18 relate to a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of an endoscope apparatus of the first embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a bending / advancing / rotating / rotation control circuit. Fig. 3 shows a joystick, Fig. 3 (a) is a perspective view, Fig. 3 (b) is a cross-sectional view, Fig. 3 (c) is a bottom view, and Fig. 4 is a display example of various information on a monitor screen. FIG. 5 is a perspective view when the operation of tilting the joystick is performed, FIG. 6 is a timing chart illustrating the operation when the operation of FIG. 5 is performed, and FIG. 7 is a timing chart of FIG. FIGS. 8 to 13 are explanatory views showing the movement of the distal end side of the insertion portion when the operation is performed. FIGS.
FIG. 18 to FIG. 18 are timing charts for explaining the operation when performing various micro-vibration operations.

As shown in FIG. 1, the endoscope apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment is an electronic endoscope (also referred to as an electronic scope) having a built-in image pickup unit.
2 and a light source unit 3 for supplying illumination light to the electronic scope 2
A control unit 5 having a built-in signal processing unit (also referred to as a video processor) 4 for performing signal processing on image pickup means of the electronic scope 2; a monitor 6 for displaying a video signal output from the video processor 4; 2 into the subject.

The electronic scope 2 includes an elongated insertion section 8, a wide operation section 9 formed at the rear end of the insertion section 8, and a universal cable 11 extended from the operation section 9. At the end of the cable 11, a connector 12 is provided.

The insertion section 8 is a hard tip formed at the tip (configuration).
A flexible portion 15 extending from the rear end of the curved portion 14 to the front end of the operating portion 9; Is done.

A light guide 16 for transmitting illumination light is inserted into the insertion section 8, and the light guide 16 is inserted through a universal cable 11 extending from the operation section 9, and connects the connector 12 to the control device 5. By doing so, the illumination light is supplied from the light source unit 3.

The white light of the lamp 17 constituting the light source unit 3 is condensed by the concave mirror, protrudes from the connector 12 toward the control device 5, and is emitted to the end face of the light guide pipe 18 facing the lamp 17. The illumination light applied to the end face is transmitted by the light guide 16, emitted from the emission end face attached to the distal end portion 13, and illuminates the front.

An illuminated subject such as a test site is arranged on a focal plane by an objective lens system 19 attached to the distal end portion 3, and the CCD is provided.
An image is formed on a solid-state imaging device (hereinafter abbreviated as SID) 21 such as. The SID 21 photoelectrically converts the optical image and sends it to the video processor 4 via the signal line 22.
And the image of the subject is displayed on the monitor 6.

The bending portion 14 formed by connecting to the distal end portion 13 is formed by connecting a large number of intersecting pieces 23, 23,... In the longitudinal direction of the insertion portion 8 in a longitudinal direction. It is fixed to the member 24.

The joint pieces 23, 23,...
The one pivotally supported by a pair of pivot members such as rivets and the one pivotally supported by a pair of left and right pivot members 25 (only one is shown in FIG. 1) alternate. , And can be bent in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction, respectively. A pair of curved wires 26u, 26d; 26r, 26l along each pair of pivot members (only 26u, 26r is shown in FIG. 1).
Are inserted through the bending portion 14 and the flexible portion 15 and
Installed on 27A and 27B.

These pulleys 27A, 27B are attached to the rotating shafts of bending drive motors 28A, 28B for bending and driving in the vertical and horizontal directions, respectively. When the motors 28A, 28B rotate, a pair of bending wires 26u, 26d; , 26l (eg 26
u, 26r) is pulled, and the other is relaxed, so that the bending portion 14 can be bent toward the pulled wire.

The motors 28A and 28B are configured by, for example, stepping motors, and are configured to bend in the control device 5 via drive lines 29 and 29.
It is connected to the forward / backward / rotation control circuit 31. Also, each motor
Encoders 32a and 32b of a rotary type or the like are attached to 28A and 28B, respectively, and signals detected by the encoders 32a and 32b are input to a bending angle detection circuit 34 in the control device 5 through signal lines 33 and 33. Is done. That is, the bending angle of the bending portion 14 is detected from the encoder output corresponding to the rotation angles of the motors 28A and 28B, and is output to the bending / advancing / rotating / rotation control circuit 31 and the video processor 4. The video processor 4 superimposes this bending angle signal on the video signal and displays the bending angle on the monitor screen.

A contact pressure sensor 35 is provided on the outer periphery of the bending portion 14, and an output of the sensor 35 is input to a bending resistance detection circuit 37 in the control device 5 via a signal line 36. The bending angle resistance detection circuit 37 detects the contact pressure based on the output of the sensor 35, and displays the contact pressure on the monitor 6 via the video processor 4. The output of the bending angle resistance detection circuit 37 is also input to the bending / forward / backward / rotation control circuit 31.

The insertion drive device 7 provided so as to press against the flexible portion 15 of the insertion portion 8 includes an advance / retreat drive motor 38 for moving the insertion portion 8 forward and backward, and a rotation drive motor 39 for rotating the insertion portion 8. With the motor 3
It comprises an advancing / retracting roller 38a and a rotating roller 38a, which are driven to rotate by 8,39. In FIG. 1, one of the rollers 38a, 39a is rotated by motors 38, 39, and the other rollers 38a ', 39a' are not directly rotated by the motors 38, 39. You may do it.

The motors 38 and 39 are configured by, for example, stepping motors, and bend, advance and retreat through drive signal lines 41 and 42, respectively.
It is connected to the rotation control circuit 31 and is driven by a drive signal from the bending / forward / backward / rotation control circuit 31.

The operation unit 9 includes a joystick 44 for performing a bending operation of the bending unit 14, a joystick 45 for performing an advancing / retracting and rotating operation for inserting the insertion unit 8, a fine vibration switch group 46 for performing a microvibration, and a bending / advancing / retracting operation. A state changeover switch group 47 for switching the rotation between the free state and the locked state is provided.

The joysticks 44, 45 and the switch groups 46, 47 are connected to the bending / forward / backward / rotation control circuit 3 via signal lines 48, 49, 50, 51.
Connected with 1.

Further, a switch group 52 is also provided on, for example, a front panel portion of the control device 5, and is connected to the bending / forward / backward / rotation control circuit 31 via a signal line 53.

The micro vibration switch group 46 includes a bending micro vibration ON / OFF switch 46a, an advance / retreat micro vibration ON / OFF switch 46b, and a rotary micro vibration ON / O.
FF switch 46c. The state changeover switch group 47 includes a bending free / lock switch 47a, an advance / retreat free / lock switch 47b, a rotation free / lock switch 4
7c.

The switch group 52 provided in the control device 5 includes a bending micro vibration mode switching switch 52a, a bending / forward / backward / rotation / miso grinding setting switching switch 52b, a speed designation switch 52c, an angle designation switch 52d, and an all-free switch 52e. .

The electronic scope 2 is provided with an air supply pipe 54 for supplying air.
By connecting the connector 12 to the control device 5, air for air supply is supplied from an air supply pump 55 in the control device 5.

Bending / forward / backward / rotation control circuit to which operation signals from the joysticks 44 and 45 and the switch groups 46, 47 and 52 are input
Reference numeral 31 denotes a configuration as shown in FIG.

The signals from the joysticks 44, 45 and the switch groups 46, 47, 52 are input to the control circuit 55 and the contact pressure sensor 3
5. Signals from the encoder 32 (representing 32a and 32b) are also input to the control circuit 61 via the bending resistance detection circuit 37 and the bending angle detection circuit 34, and the control circuit 61 converts a signal corresponding to the input signal. The signals are output to the speed control circuits 62a, 62b, 62c, 62d, the rotation direction instruction circuits 63a, 63b, 63c, 63d, and the free / lock control circuits 64a, 64b, 64c, 64d.

For example, the joystick 44 includes a variable resistor 44u for detecting an up / down operation and a variable resistor 44r for detecting a right / left operation. When an operation of tilting an operation stick (stick) is performed, the joystick 44 is tilted in the up / down and right / left directions. The resistance values of the two variable resistors 44u and 44r change according to the angle. That is, the resistance values of the two variable resistors 44u and 44r change according to the tilt direction and the tilt angle. Each variable resistor 44
Since constant voltages + Vc and −Vc are supplied to both ends of u and 44r, the voltage output from the variable terminal (output terminal) has a value corresponding to the tilt angle. The control circuit 61 includes a variable resistor 44
Signals corresponding to the output signals from u and 44r are output to speed control circuits 62a and 62b and rotation direction instruction circuits 63a and 63b. The speed control circuit outputs a pulse having a frequency corresponding to the input voltage. The rotation direction instruction circuits 63a and 63b compare the input signal with a zero voltage by a comparison circuit (not shown), detect whether the level is positive or negative, and output it as a rotation direction instruction signal.

Similarly, the joystick 45 is a variable resistor for detecting forward / backward operation.
It has a rotation resistor 45a and a rotation operation detection variable resistor 45r, and outputs signals corresponding to the direction in which the stick is operated and the tilt angle in each direction to the speed control circuits 62c and 62d and the rotation direction instruction circuits 63c and 63d. The speed control circuits 62c and 62d output pulses having a frequency corresponding to the level of the input signal. or,
The rotation direction instruction circuits 63c and 63d detect the polarity and output the rotation direction instruction signals.

When the free / lock operation switch group 47 is operated, a signal corresponding to ON / OFF thereof is output to the free / lock circuit 64a.
To 64d, the respective output signals of the circuits 64a to 64d are respectively input to the drivers 65a to 65d,
The operation of the motors 28A, 28B, 38, and 39 that are rotationally driven after d is controlled.

When a signal for instructing ON / OFF of various types of micro-vibration is input to the control circuit 61 by the switch group 46, the control circuit 61 sends various types of micro-vibration to the speed control circuits 62a to 62d and the rotation direction instruction circuits 63a to 63d. Is output.

The switch group 52 is operated by the switch group 52.
The control circuit 61 outputs a command signal for switching the micro vibration mode, switching the operation of bending / advancing / retracting / rotating / miso grinding, specifying a speed, all-free operation, etc., to the control circuit 61, and the control circuit 61 outputs control signals corresponding to these command signals. Speed control circuits 62a to 62d, rotation direction indicating circuits 63a to 63d, free / lock circuits 64a to 64d
Output to

For example, the bending micro-vibration mode changeover switch 52a is a changeover switch for fine vibration direction and miso movement, and each time it is pressed, fine vibration in the same direction as the bending direction, fine vibration in the direction perpendicular to the bending direction, miso movement right rotation, same movement It is designed to switch left and right cyclically.

Curving / advancing / rotating / miso mash setting switch 52b
Can set the micro-vibration angle and the micro-vibration speed in each state for the type to be pressed. For example, when it is desired to set the angle and speed of the rotation micro-vibration, press the switch twice to set the rotation setting state, and then set the speed designation switch 52d and the angle designation switch 52c.
By pressing, the micro-vibration rotation is performed at a desired speed and angle.

Note that the switch 52b switches cyclically each time it is pressed in the order of bending, moving forward and backward, rotating, and miso.

One of the features of the first embodiment is that the advancing / retreating / rotating of the insertion portion 8 can be operated by one common joystick 45 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 (a). I have.

The joystick 45 (or 44) has a structure as shown in FIGS. 3 (b) and 3 (c), for example.

Inside the frame 45A, U-shaped engaging pieces 45B, 45B are housed in a cross shape with a cross at the center, and each end of each engaging piece 45B, 45B is rotatably supported by a bearing 45C. And one end of each is attached to the rotating shaft of the variable resistor 45a, 45r, respectively.
The resistance values of the variable resistors 45a, 45r change with the rotation of the engagement pieces 45B, 45B. Each engagement piece 45B, 45B has a long groove 45
D, 45D are formed, and the base end side of the stick 45E is engaged with the crossed long grooves 45D, 45D, and the top of the stick 45E projects outside from the box 45A. When the stick 45E is tilted, the engagement piece 45B rotates around the bearing in response to the inclination, and the value of the variable resistor 45a or 45r changes.

The operation state and the like by the joysticks 44 and 45, the switch groups 46, 47 and 52, etc. are displayed on the monitor screen 6A as shown in FIG.
Is displayed.

The length of the insertion section 8 into the subject, the rotation angle of the insertion section 8, the bending angle of the bending section 14, and the bending resistance of the bending section 14 are displayed in the first column on the right side of the monitor screen 6A. Further, ON / OFF of the forward / backward fine vibration, the rotation fine vibration, the bending fine vibration, and the state of the bending fine vibration mode are displayed in the second column. Further, the speed of the micro-vibration is in the third column, and the amplitude (length) and angle of the micro-vibration are in the fourth column.
Displayed in a column.

If the output of the bending resistance detection circuit 37 exceeds a predetermined dangerous value, a warning is issued and the operations of bending, moving forward / backward, rotating, and each minute vibration are stopped.

Next, the operation when the insertion section 8 is inserted into the subject will be described below.

First, the microvibration switches 46b and 46c are OFF and free /
It is assumed that the lock switches 47a, 47b, 47c are not operated. (It is assumed that the all-free switch 52e is also OFF.) In order to insert the insertion section 8 into the subject, the joystick 45 is moved in the forward (forward) direction as shown by the solid line in FIG. Shown). If this tilting operation is, for example, a temporal change as shown in FIG. 6 (a), the output voltage of the variable resistor 45a shown in FIG. 2 also changes as shown in FIG. 6 (a).

In this case, the rotation direction instruction circuit 63c is "L" as shown in FIG. 6D (the free / flock circuit 64c is also in the locked state of "状態" as shown in FIG. 6E). The speed control circuit 62c outputs a pulse having a frequency corresponding to the tilt angle to the driver 65c as shown in FIG. Accordingly, the drive signal output from the driver 65c causes the motor 38 to rotate at a rotational speed proportional to the number of pulses per unit time of the drive signal, and advances the insertion section 8.

Thus, for example, when it is easier to insert by twisting to the right and moving forward, it is inclined rightward as shown by the dotted line from the solid line in FIG. 5 and inclined so as to face the direction between forward and right. . Assuming that this tilting operation is a temporal change as shown in FIG. 6B, the output of the rotation direction instruction circuit 63d is "L" and the speed control circuit 62d is shown in FIG. Thus, a pulse having a frequency corresponding to the tilt angle is output to the driver 65d. Therefore, the motor 39 also rotates at a rotation speed proportional to this pulse. In this case, the state of the distal end side of the insertion section 8 at the time when the joystick 45 is tilted rightward is indicated by the solid line in FIG.
If it is s1, then the distal end surface moves like s2 and s3, but is rotated clockwise by the insertion portion 8, so that the position of the point a1 is the point a2, a
It will advance in a spiral (twisted) as shown in 3.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8 to FIG. 13, the typical mode of operation is such that insertion and removal can be performed while finely vibrating in various fine vibration modes. FIG. 8 shows a mode in which the micro-vibration is performed in the up direction and the down direction,
Fig. 9 and Fig. 12 show the mode of miso grinding motion (precession movement) in which the miso is crushed with a pestle, Fig. 10 shows the mode of fine vibration in the forward and backward directions, and Fig. 11 shows the fine vibration of left and right. FIG. 13 shows the mode of the fine vibration of rotation.

Further, the operation of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

As shown in FIG. 14 (a), when the joystick 44 is tilted, for example, in the up direction and then in the down direction, a voltage value corresponding to the amount of tilt (angle) is output from the variable resistor 44u. This voltage value becomes, for example, proportional to the amount of inclination, and is input to the speed control circuit 62a via the control circuit 61, and the speed control circuit 62a is turned up and down as shown in FIG. 14 (c). A pulse having a frequency corresponding to the tilt angle is output to the driver 65a.

When the direction of tilting the joystick 44 from the up direction to the down direction is changed, the rotation direction indicating circuit 63a detects this by a comparison circuit (not shown) and is tilted in the down direction as shown in FIG. 14 (d). During this period, a signal that becomes “Η” is output to the driver 65a. Driver 6
5a outputs a drive signal to the up / down bending motor 28A composed of a stepping motor according to signals output from the speed control circuit 62a and the rotation direction instruction circuit 63a. This drive signal is a signal for inverting (reversely rotating) the motor 28A when the rotation direction instruction signal is "L", and the rotation speed of the motor 28A is proportional to the frequency of the pulse output from the speed control circuit 62a. Becomes Motor 28A
Is reversed, the wire 26u is pulled, and the bending portion 14 is bent in the up direction.

On the other hand, when the rotation direction instruction signal is “Η”, the motor 28A is rotated forward and its rotation speed corresponds to the output signal of the speed control circuit 62a.

The driver 65a controls the rotation of the motor 28A via the driver 65a when the free / lock circuit 64a is in the locked state of “Η” as shown in FIG. 14 (e). In the free state, the drive signal is not supplied to the motor 28A, and when a force is applied, the bending portion 14 enters a free state in which the bending portion 14 can be freely bent by the force.

It is clear from the timing chart of FIG. 14 that the same operation is performed when the joystick 44 is bent in the right direction or the left direction, and the description thereof will be omitted.

Next, as shown in FIG.
When, for example, an operation of pushing and tilting the insertion unit 8 forward to move the insertion unit 8 forward, that is, an operation of pushing the insertion unit 8 toward the subject, is performed, the speed control circuit 62c determines the frequency corresponding to the inclination angle as shown in FIG. Is output to the driver 65c. or,
In this case, the rotation direction instruction signal is “L” as shown in FIG. 14 (j), and the driver 65c rotates the motor 38 in the reverse direction,
The insertion section 8 is rotated in a rotation direction in which the insertion section 8 is extended forward.

It can be seen from the timing chart of FIG. 14 that when the joystick 45 is tilted backward (Pull), the motor 38 rotates forward at a speed corresponding to the tilt angle. When the joystick 45 is tilted in the right direction, the motor 39 rotates clockwise at a speed corresponding to the tilt angle, and when tilted in the left direction, the motor 39 rotates in the right direction at a speed corresponding to the tilt angle in FIG. You can see from the timing chart.

When the free / lock switch group 47 is operated together, the free / lock circuits 64a to 64d change from “Δ” to “L”, and all the motors 28A, 28B, 38, 39 become free. still,
The same operation is performed when the all-free switch 52e is turned on.

When the bending micro-vibration mode changeover switch 52a is operated, each time it is pressed, the micro-vibration in the same direction as the bending direction, the micro-vibration in the direction perpendicular to the bending direction, the miso grinding clockwise rotation, and the left-hand rotation are cyclically switched to the desired position. Micro vibration mode can be selected.

In addition, a bending / advancing / rotating / miso mash setting switch 52
By operating b, a desired micro-vibration mode can be set, and micro-vibration can be performed at a desired speed, angle, and the like by the speed designation switch 52d and the angle designation switch 52c.

As shown in FIG. 15 (a), the bending micro-vibration switch 46a is
When N is applied, micro-vibration occurs as set by the switches 52a, 52c, and 52d. (It is assumed that the joysticks 44 and 45 are not operated as shown in FIGS. 15D and 15E.) For example, as shown in FIG. When the speed designation switch 52c is at L (low speed) as shown in FIG. 9G and the angle setting is N (narrow angle) as shown in FIG. Rotation direction indicating circuit 63a (for up-down motor)
As shown in FIG. 11 (j), a rotation direction instruction signal in which “Η” and “L” are sequentially output at short time intervals is output, and the speed control circuit 62a outputs a pulse corresponding to the speed set value of the switch 52a. Outputs pulse by width.

Therefore, the motor 28A repeats the forward / reverse rotation, and
It vibrates slightly in the up and down directions as shown in the figure.

When the set value of the speed is Η (High Speed), the frequency of the pulse output from the speed control circuit 62a increases, so that the bending portion 8 vibrates quickly and minutely. The angle is W
In the case of (Wide), the period of the “Η” and “L” of the rotation direction instruction signal output from the rotation direction instruction circuit 63a becomes longer, and therefore, the bending portion 8 vibrates slightly with a large fine vibration width.

In this embodiment, the bending angle is set at the output frequency of the rotation direction instruction circuit 63a.
The rotation angle of the motor 28A may be detected based on the output of 2a, and the forward / reverse rotation of the motor 28A may be controlled.

Next, in a case where the switch 52a is set to the slight vibration mode in the right angle direction, when the switch 46a is turned on, the right-left motor 39 vibrates slightly, and the distal end side of the insertion portion 8 is slightly moved left and right as shown in FIG. It will vibrate.

Next, while operating the joystick 44, switch 46
The case when a is pressed will be described. For simplicity, the operation of the joystick 44 will be described as ON / OFF, the speed as L, and the angle as N. However, when the joystick 45 is not operated (described with reference to FIG. 15). Similarly, speed and angle can be set (Η / L, N / W).

First, the micro-vibration mode in the same direction as shown in FIG. 16 (f) will be described.

When the switch 46a is turned on as shown in FIG. 16 (a) and the operation of tilting the joystick 44 in the up direction is performed as shown in FIG. 16 (d), the rotation direction instruction circuit 63a changes to the state shown in FIG. As shown, a pulse having a duty that is longer for "L" than for "Η" is output. (That is, a rotation direction instruction signal for rotating the motor 28A in the up direction from the down direction is output.) At this time, the speed control circuit 62a is designated by the speed designation switch 52c shown in FIG. 16 (g). A pulse (see FIG. 3I) corresponding to the speed (ie, low speed) is output. Accordingly, the bending portion 14 bends while slightly vibrating in the up direction.

When the joystick 44 is turned off, FIG. 16 (j)
As shown in (2), the duties of the rotation direction instruction signal “Η” and “L” become equal, and the insertion unit 8 slightly vibrates in the up and down directions.

Next, for example, when the switch 46a is turned off and the joystick 44 is operated to the down side, the output of the rotation direction instruction circuit 63a becomes "Η", and the speed control circuit 62a generates a pulse corresponding to the speed set in that case. The output is performed, and the bending portion 14 is bent to the down side. Next, when the switch 46a is turned on as shown in FIG. 16 (a), the rotation direction instructing circuit 63a, as shown in FIG. Output pulse. Also, the speed control circuit 62a
Outputs a pulse corresponding to the designated speed. Accordingly, in this case, the light beam is curved to the down side while slightly vibrating in the up and down directions.

Next, it can be seen from the timing chart of FIG. 16 that when the joystick 44 is tilted in the right direction, it is curved in the right direction while slightly vibrating in the right and left directions. Instead of tilting in the right direction, when tilting in the left direction, the only difference is in the direction of bending, which is the same as in the right direction, and will not be described.

Next, the case where the micro-vibration is performed in the perpendicular direction will be described with reference to FIG.

When the microvibration switch 46a is turned on as shown in FIG. 17 (a), microvibration occurs in the right and left directions in the right-angle vibration mode set by the switch 52a.

When the operation of tilting the joystick 44 in the up direction is performed as shown in FIG. 17D, the bending portion 14 bends in the up direction while slightly vibrating in the right and left directions. That is, by this operation, the rotation direction instruction signal remains "L" as shown in FIG. 17 (j), and the speed control circuit 62a sets the inclination angle in the up direction as shown in FIG. 17 (i). A pulse having a frequency corresponding to the pulse is output, and the bending section 14 curves upward. In this case, the micro-vibration in the right-angle direction is the same as the state before this operation, so that the micro-vibration is curved in the right and left directions.

When the joystick 44 is tilted to the down side, the output of the rotation direction instruction circuit 63a becomes “湾 曲”, and the joystick 44 bends down while slightly vibrating in the right and left directions. (The down side is not shown in FIG. 17.) Next, the micro vibration switch 46a is turned off, and the joystick 44 is turned off.
Once the switch 46a is turned on and the joystick 44 is tilted in the left direction after the switch is set to the neutral state, the switch 52a is in the micro vibration mode in the right-angle direction. It can be seen from FIG. 17 that the part 14 will be bent to the left side.

In the above description, almost only the up / down or right / left directions are described, but it is apparent that these may be operated together.

Next, a case where the switch 52a is set to the right rotation fine vibration mode or the left rotation fine vibration mode of the misting motion will be described with reference to FIG. In addition, the fine vibration modes of advance / retreat and rotation will be described at the same time.

When the switch 46a is turned on as shown in FIG. 18 (a), the speed control circuits 62a and 62b output pulses according to the set speed. At this time, the rotation direction instruction circuit 63a,
63b outputs a pulse with a phase shift of 90 ° as shown in FIGS. 18 (j) and (l). Note that clockwise or counterclockwise rotation is determined by the setting of the switch 52a. Therefore, the bending portion 14
Performs a so-called miso grinding motion by clockwise or counterclockwise rotation as shown in FIG. 9 or FIG. 12 according to the setting of this switch 52a. (In the case of FIG. 18, the rotation is initially clockwise, and then the rotation is switched to the left.) In this case, when the operation of tilting the joystick 44 in the light direction is performed, as shown in FIG. In addition, the "Η" output of the switch 63b is shorter than the "L" output, so that the switch 63b bends in the light direction while performing a miso movement. Similarly, in other directions, the joystick 44 bends in a miso grind motion in accordance with the operation direction. (The description is omitted.) Next, the forward / backward / rotational micro vibration will be described. For the forward / backward speed, angle, rotation speed, and angle, set the switch 52b to the forward / backward or rotation mode and switch 52c, 5
This is possible by setting 2d. FIG. 18 shows a case where the low-speed, narrow-angle mode is set.

Joystick when micro vibration switch 46b, 46c is OFF
When 45 is operated for Push & R rotation as shown in FIG. 18 (e) (that is, the stick is tilted in the middle direction between the forward direction and the right rotation direction), as shown in FIGS. 18 (n) and (p). As described above, the rotation direction instruction circuits 63c and 63d output "L", and the speed control circuits 62c and 62d output low-speed pulses as shown in FIGS. Therefore, the insertion section 8 advances while rotating to the right. (This has already been described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 7.) As shown in FIGS. 18 (b) and (c), when the advance / retreat fine vibration switch 46b and the rotary fine vibration switch 46c are turned on, the rotation is started. The direction indicating circuits 63c and 63d output pulses in a narrow angle mode in which “Η” and “L” are switched at short time intervals as shown in FIGS. Also, speed control circuits 62c, 62d
Outputs a pulse in the low speed mode as shown in FIGS. 18 (m) and 18 (o). Therefore, the insertion portion 8 vibrates forward / backward while vibrating finely.

In this state, when the joystick 44 is operated in the Pull & R direction as shown in FIG. 18 (e), the speed control circuits 62c and 62d pulse at a low speed as shown in FIGS. On the other hand, the rotation direction instructing circuits 63c and 63d output pulses whose "Η" and "L" output times are long as shown in FIGS. Therefore, the insertion portion 8 rotates clockwise while slightly vibrating, and retreats while slightly vibrating in the forward and backward directions.

When the joystick 45 is operated in the Push & L rotation direction as shown in FIG. 18 (e), the insertion unit 8 similarly rotates counterclockwise while slightly vibrating, and advances while slightly vibrating in the forward and backward directions.

The bending micro-vibration, the rotation micro-vibration, and the advance / retreat micro-vibration have been described with reference to FIGS. 14 to 18, but it is clear that these operations can be performed in combination. or,
It is clear that the bending operation can be performed at each fine vibration.

As described above, in the first embodiment, the advancing / retreating operation and the rotating operation can be performed by one joystick 45.
It is also easy to insert them while twisting them in combination. Therefore, the operation of inserting the insertion portion 8 into the target portion or removing the inserted insertion portion 8 can be performed by a simple operation.

In addition, since a means for performing various types of micro-vibration is provided, the state of micro-vibration can be appropriately selected according to the state of insertion, so that, for example, the insertion resistance of the bending portion 14, the insertion portion 8, and the like can be reduced, and insertability is improved. it can.

Also, since the angle of each micro-vibration can be appropriately selected, the optimum micro-vibration can be selected according to the size of the lumen. Furthermore, since the speed of each micro-vibration can be selected as appropriate, the speed according to the case can be appropriately selected.

In addition, for the bending micro-vibration, the direction of the micro-vibration can be switched to the same direction or the vertical direction, and the right rotation miso grinding motion can be switched appropriately, so the optimal mode is selected according to the state of the lumen. I can do it.

Since the micro-vibration can be turned on / off, for example, there is a risk of perforation in the diverticulum part of the body cavity, so the micro-vibration can be turned off, which is very safe.

Also, in the vertical micro-vibration bending mode, bending can be reliably applied even when STOP is performed during bending. That is, when the STOP is performed during the bending, a large starting torque is required because the tension acts in the reverse direction. Accordingly, in such a case, the bending may not be easily applied, but the bending can be easily applied by slightly vibrating in a direction perpendicular to the bending direction.

In addition, since it is possible to bend while making each micro-vibration, it is possible to insert while making micro-vibration along the bent lumen, and it is possible to improve the insertability especially at the bent portion.

Since each micro-vibration, that is, bending (same direction, vertical direction, right-rotating miso grind, left-rotating miso grind) micro-vibration, insertion part advance / retreat micro-vibration, insertion part rotation micro-vibration can be operated by combining at least one or more as appropriate. Optimal micro-vibration according to the state of the lumen can be selected.

In addition, when the insertion portion draws a loop and causes slight vibration, a force to straighten the insertion portion acts, so that the loop can be easily released.

In addition, each fine vibration may be finely vibrated at least once or more. The micro-vibration angle is 1 to 180 degrees, the micro-vibration length is 1 to 5 cm, and the micro-vibration speed is 1 to 90 degrees / second or 1 to 50 millimeters / second. May be changed.

In addition, when the micro-vibration is set at an extremely high speed and at a large angle, the field of view and the screen become extremely difficult to see. In this case, it can be improved by using the freeze function properly and performing intermittent display.

As shown in FIG. 4, when the micro-vibration mode and the like are displayed on the same screen as the observation image, the micro-vibration state can be recognized at a glance, so that the operability is very good.

It is also possible to gradually change the angle of the micro vibration from "slow angle to large angle", or to change the direction of the micro vibration to "vertical → horizontal", "right miso grind → left miso grind". ".

When the micro-vibration switch 46a is off, the state before micro-vibration may be returned.

In addition, when the bending micro-vibration is performed, the front of the insertion portion 8 (the bending portion
The part just behind 14) also vibrates slightly.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

The same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted. In the present embodiment, the motors 28A, 28
B is provided. No operation section is provided, and the connector 12 is directly connected to the rear end of the insertion section 8. The connector 12 is connected to a light source & bending / forward / backward / rotation control device 71.

The light source & bending / forward / backward / rotation control device 71 includes the bending / forward / backward / rotation control circuit 31, the bending angle detection circuit 34 of the first embodiment,
Bending resistance detection circuit 37, lamp 17, pump 55, switch group
It can be considered that 52 is built-in.

The video processor 4 is connected to the control device 71 via a cable 72. The control device 71 includes a bending operation unit.
73, a forward / backward / rotation operation unit 74 is connected. Bending operation unit
73 has a joystick 44 and a switch group 46,
74 is provided with a joystick 45 and a switch group 47. The reciprocating / rotating motors 38 and 39 are provided in a reciprocating / rotating / rotating device 75, and the device 75 is connected to a control device 71 via a cable 76.

The connectors provided on the connection cables 72 and 76 between the devices are detachable.

The operation of the second embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment and will not be described.

As an effect of the second embodiment, since the motors 28A and 28B are provided in the connector 12, there is no need to provide the operation unit 9 in the middle. Further, it is not necessary to hold the heavy operation unit 9 containing the motors 28A, 28B and the like, and it is only necessary to hold the light operation units 73, 74, which is easy.

When the reciprocating / rotating device 74 is not provided, only the bending operation can be performed. At this time, the user holds the operation section 73 in the left hand and the insertion section 8 in the right hand. If there is no advance / retreat / rotation device 74, only the bending can be motorized. Of course, bending micro-vibration is also possible.

Since the operation units 73 and 74 can be operated with both hands while holding each of them with one hand, operability is very good. For example, if the bending operation part 73 is operated with the left hand and the reciprocating / rotating operation part 74 is operated with the right hand, the sharing of the manual operation (the left hand is close to the bending knob operation, and the right hand is close to the reciprocating and rotating (twisting) of the insertion part). Therefore, operation is possible without any confusion.

 FIG. 20 shows a third embodiment of the present invention.

Components similar to those in the first and second embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

Transmission gears 81 and 82 are provided in the connector 12, and
The rotation is transmitted to pulleys 83 and 84. When the connector 12 is connected to the bending device 85, the gears 81 and 82 mesh with the transmission gears 86 and 87, so that the power of the motors 88 and 89 can be transmitted.
The bending device 85 includes a control circuit 90 and controls the motors 88 and 89 according to the operation of the bending operation unit 73.

The connector 12 is connected to a light source device 92 via a connection cable 91. The light source device 92 includes an air supply pump 93, a water supply pump 94,
A suction pump 95 and a lamp 17 are incorporated. Light source device 92
Is connected to a foot switch 97 via a cable 96,
When the pedals 98, 99, and 100 are depressed, air supply, water supply, and suction are performed, respectively.

The connection cable 101 extends from the light source side connector of the cable 91 and is connected to the video processor 4.

The reciprocating / rotating device 75 has a control circuit 102 built therein, and controls the reciprocating motor 38 and the rotating motor 39 (not shown) according to the operation of the reciprocating / rotating operation unit 74. In addition, the display section 103 has an insertion section length, an insertion section rotation angle, advancing / retreating micro vibration ON /
OFF, speed (L, M, H), length (N, M, W), micro vibration O
N / OFF, speed (L, M, H) and angle (N, M, W) are displayed.

The monitor 6 has a bending angle, bending resistance, bending micro vibration ON / O
FF, bending micro vibration mode, speed (L, M, H), angle (N,
M, W) is displayed.

The operation of the third embodiment is the same as that of the second embodiment, and will not be described.

Since the foot switch 97 is provided, air supply, water supply, and suction can be performed even when the operation units 73 and 74 are held with both hands.

In the case where only the reciprocating / rotating device 74 is provided, the motorized reciprocating / rotating, fine reciprocating vibration, and fine revolving vibration can be performed with respect to a normal manually curved endoscope.

The effect of the third embodiment is that the bending device 85 and the
Since the rotating device 74 is a separate unit, either one or a combination can be used as necessary.

Since the bending motor does not exist in the endoscope main body, the weight of the endoscope can be reduced and the cost can be reduced.

 FIG. 21 shows a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

The insertion section 8 is guided to the insertion opening of the subject by a cylindrical guide 110 having flexibility. The guide 110 is connected to the central control device 111. Rails in controller 111
112, 112 are provided. The base 113 moves forward and backward by being guided by the rails 112 and 112. On the base 113, a rotating drum 114,
114 are provided. The bending / light source / VP device 115 is rotatably held by the drums 114 and 114.

The bending / light source / VP device 115 is a bending device 85 of the third embodiment,
The light source device 92 and the video processor 4 are integrated into one. The connector 12 has a built-in transmission gear and is detachable from the device 115.

Device 115 is connected to control box via cable 116
117 is detachably connected. Box 117 is curved up / down and right / left (abbreviated as UDRL) button
118, an insertion portion advance / retreat / rotation button 119, and a bending / advance / retreat / rotation fine vibration control switch 120 are provided.

The guide 110 is a cylindrical object, and can be divided into two in the axial direction.

The central control device 111 is connected to the monitor 6.

The curved UDRL button 118 has the same function as the joystick 44.
Has the same function as the joystick 45.
The internal structure of the buttons 118 and 119 will be described later (FIGS. 25 to 2).
8).

The operation of the fourth embodiment is the same as that of the third embodiment when the bending button 118 is pressed, and therefore the description is omitted. Advance / retreat
When the forward / backward buttons 119a and 119t of the rotation button 119 are pressed, the base 113 moves back and forth along the rails 112 and 112. At this time, since the guide 110 is provided, the insertion portion 8 does not sag. When the rotation buttons 119r and 119l are pressed, the drum 114 rotates,
Therefore, the entire device 115 rotates.

No. 1 for bending, forward / backward, and rotating fine vibration
The description is omitted because it is the same as that of the third embodiment.

The effect of the fourth embodiment is that the handling is easy because the device is integrated. Since the guide 110 is provided, the insertion portion 8 does not sag.

Since the operation of the control box 117 is of a push button type, it can be operated with one finger.

 FIG. 22 shows a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

In this embodiment, the insertion section 8 is provided with an advance / retreat device 121 and a rotation device 122, and these devices 121 and 122 are connected to a central control joystick 123.

The operation unit 9 has a recess 124 and a wire guide 125. The wire guide 125 is a cylindrical member having a slit. The slider 126 is provided therein so as to be able to slide forward and backward. The motor unit 127 is provided with a concave member 128 that fits into the convex part of the slider 126. The concave material 128 is a guide 129
Moves forward and backward by rotating. Motor unit 127 is fitted into recess 124.

The position of the concave member 128 is recognized by an encoder (not shown). Based on this information, bending control and micro-vibration control (micro-vibration angle, etc.) are performed.

By the way, the manual operation device used for the forward / backward and rotation operations is not limited to the one shown in FIG. 3 and the like, and the joysticks 201, 202, 203 and 204 shown in FIGS. May be used.

FIG. 23 (a) shows a case where a ball is not provided on the top of the stick 205, and FIG. 23 (b) has the same structure as that used in FIG. 202. Also, the 23rd
FIG. 2C shows a joystick 208 for moving forward and backward and rotation and a joystick 209 for up and down and left and right provided on the top of one remote control grip 210, and FIG. 2D shows a changeover switch provided on the side of the remote control grip 211. A joystick 204 capable of switching between UDRL and forward / backward right / left functions is provided at the top of a remote control grip 211 by means of 212.

For example, the remote control grip 206 is connected to the operation unit 9 of the endoscope.
May be provided.

Also, as shown in FIG.
A joystick 222 and a joy switch 223 may be provided at the top of the unit 1. For example, the joystick 222 is for forward / backward left / right rotation operation and the joy switch 223 is for bending operation, but may be reversed.

Also, in place of the joystick 201 in FIG.
4A joy switch 231 as shown in FIG.

Instead of the joy switch 231 shown in FIG. 24 (b), as shown in FIGS. 24 (c), (d) and (e), joy switches 241, 242 and 243 having different shapes of operation switches or buttons may be used. good.

The resistance value of the joy switch changes depending on the amount of pressing, and the amount of advance / retreat and left / right rotation can be set in accordance with the use of pressing. The structure of the joy switch is shown in FIGS. 25 to 28.

The joy switch 334 shown in FIG. 25 is provided on the operation unit 9 instead of the joy stick 45 of the first embodiment, for example.

As shown in FIG. 25, for example, a cylindrical joy switch 334 is deeply embedded in a box-shaped frame 333. The joy switch 334 includes a base 335 and a frame 3
33, a base 336 and a nut 337 fixed to the base 33, a flexible substrate 338 bonded and fixed on the base 335, and a pressure-sensitive conductive rubber 339 mounted on the flexible substrate 338.
And a plate 340 made of an insulating material such as plastic, which is tiltably mounted in the concave portion above the base retainer 336,
And a switch cover 341 that covers them. The switch cover 341 is formed of an elastic rubber such as silicon rubber, and the inside of the cover 341 has a watertight structure.

The frame body 333 is provided with a first through hole 333a at the center thereof, arranged at 90 ° intervals around the first through hole 333a, four second through holes 333b, and third through holes arranged therearound. 333c
(See FIG. 27), and a fourth through-hole 33 arranged around the fourth through-hole 33
3d are drilled respectively.

The base 335 has a disk shape, and the base 335 also has a first through hole corresponding to each of the through holes 333a,.
335a, a second through hole 335b, a third through hole 335c, and a fourth through hole 335d are formed. As shown in FIG. 28, a notch 3 for positioning is provided on a part of the outer periphery of the base 335.
35g is provided.

A first through hole provided at the center of the frame 333 and the base 335
The base retainer 336 penetrates through 333a and 335a, and is fixed with a nut 337 at a screw portion at the end (lower end).

On the upper surface of the base 335, the disc-shaped flexible substrate 338 is bonded and fixed. An electrode pattern is provided on the upper surface of the flexible substrate 38. In this electrode pattern, lands 338b and 338d are provided at positions corresponding to the through holes 335b and 335c of the base 335 (see FIG. 26), and a comb extending from the lands 338b (at all four locations) in the outer peripheral direction. A shaped electrode section 338e is provided. One pattern portion of the comb electrode portion 338e is
8b, and the other one is used as a common GND (ground) by making one round around the outer circumference of the flexible substrate 338.
Connected to d.

 Each land portion 338b, 338d has a through hole.

The pressure-sensitive conductive rubber 339 is formed of, for example, TUDEX manufactured by Mitsuboshi Belting Co., Ltd., and has a resistance value that varies depending on the amount of pressing. A through hole 339a is provided at the center of the rubber 339, and a through hole 339c (see FIG. 27) is provided at a position corresponding to the land portion 338d of the flexible board 338 so as not to come into contact with a soldering portion of the flexible board 339 described later. I have to.

The plate 340 has a tilting shaft 340a formed at the center thereof, and is supported in contact with the conical notch recess of the base retainer 336. Further, a total of four pressing projections 34 are provided at positions corresponding to the respective comb-shaped electrode portions 338e of the flexible substrate 338.
0b is provided. Positioning concave portions 340c (four in total) are provided on the surface on the opposite side of each pressing convex portion 340b.

The switch cover 341 includes a disk-shaped main body 341a and a skirt 341b provided on an outer peripheral portion thereof. This body 341a has a notch at the center of its outer surface,
Is provided on the inner surface thereof, and a positioning projection 341d is provided so as to fit into the positioning recess 340c of the plate 340. On the outer surface on the opposite side of each positioning projection 341d, a projection 341e for indicating a direction is provided.

In the lower part of the skirt portion 341b, the narrowed portion 34
1f is provided, and fitted into the recess provided in the frame body 333 by the base 335.

Note that a positioning protrusion 341g is provided below the skirt 341b.
(See FIG. 28), which is fitted into the positioning notch 335g of the base 335.

In the land portions 338b and 338d of the flexible substrate 338,
Lead wires 342 and 343 (4 in total) are soldered. Each of the lead wires 342 and 343 is passed through the universal cord 11, and the control circuit 61 provided in the bending / forward / backward / rotation control circuit 31 via the connector 12. Connected to. The fourth
Positioning pins 345 are fitted into the through holes 333d and 335d to position the base 335.

The joy switch 334 is an equivalent circuit as shown in FIG.

In other words, a joy switch 334 is configured by the forward / backward joy switch unit 351 and the left / right rotation joy switch unit 352. For example, the forward / backward (Push / Pull) joy switch unit 351 is provided.
Are composed of switches S1 and S2 and variable resistors V1 and V2, respectively.

A constant current is supplied from a constant current circuit 355 constituting the first detection system 354A of the interface 354 to the push joy switch 353 comprising the switch S1 and the variable resistor V1, and the voltage detection circuit 356 presses the joy switch 353. Is detected and transmitted to the control circuit 61. Similarly, a constant current is supplied from the constant current circuit 358 to the pull joy switch 357 including the switch S2 and the variable resistor V2, and the voltage detection circuit 359 detects the pressing amount of the joy switch 357,
The signal is transmitted to the control circuit 61.

Note that the left and right rotation joy switch unit 352 and the second detection unit 354B for detecting the pressing amount thereof are also the same, and thus description thereof is omitted.

 FIG. 30 shows the appearance of the sixth embodiment of the present invention.

In the device 401, for example, in the first embodiment, the endoscope 2 is not provided with the joystick 45, and the remote control joy grip 402 is extended from the insertion driving device 7. A joy switch 334 is provided on the top of the remote control grip 402. The operation unit 9 of the endoscope 2 is provided with an air / water switch 403, a suction switch 404, a VTR control switch 405, a freeze switch 406, a release switch 407, and the like.

Further, in this embodiment, the control device 5 in the first embodiment is separated into an angle / resistance detection circuit 411, a video processor 412, and a light source device 413.

The operation and effect of this embodiment are almost the same as those of the first embodiment.

FIG. 31 shows the appearance of a first modification of the third embodiment shown in FIG.

In this modification, the bending device 85 and the light source device 92 shown in FIG.
And the control circuit 102 are integrated to form a control device 421. Therefore, in addition to the transmission gears 86 and 87, a light guide connector receiver 424 is provided in the connector receiving portion 422 of the device 421. In addition, a transmission gear 425 for raising forceps, air supply, water supply, and suction connection are provided. Mouths 426, 427, 428 are provided.

This device 421 has a remote control grip 7 for bending operation.
There is provided a connector receiver 430 to which a connector 429 attached to the cable 3 can be connected.

The connector 431 of the video processor 4 can be connected to a signal connector 433 of a cable 432 extending from the connector 12 of the endoscope 2. This connector 12 has a cable 435 extending from the insertion driving device 7.
By connecting the connector 436, the signal of the remote control grip 402 can be transmitted to the control device 421.

 FIG. 32 shows a further modification of FIG.

A connector 12 and a connector 433 are provided on the universal cable 11 extending from the operation unit 9 of the endoscope 2.
The operation unit 9 is provided with various switches as shown in FIG. Also, a forceps raising switch 409 is provided.

Further, the insertion driving device 7 can connect the connector 436 of the cable 435 to the connector receiver 451 of the control device 421.

 FIG. 33 shows an overall view of the seventh embodiment of the present invention.

In this embodiment, the insertion section 8 is advanced and retracted while slightly vibrating.

The same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted. The bending control light source device 520 includes a motor driver 521 that drives the motor 28A and the like. A motor driver 522 that drives the motor 38 of the forward / backward roller 38a controls the forward / backward advance switch 524 and the backward switch 525 from the control box 523.

The joystick 44 instructs the motor driver 521 to bend the UDRL.

The operation will be described below with reference to the flowchart in FIG. When the insertion portion advance switch 524 is operated, the control box 523 instructs the motor driver 521 to perform a slight vibration. Therefore, the motor 28A repeats up and down, and enters a so-called minute vibration mode. Needless to say, the advance / retreat rollers 38a, 38a 'rotate in the advance direction.

When the insertion unit retreat switch 525 is turned on, the reciprocating rollers 38a, 38
8a 'rotates in the retreating direction. At this time, the motor 28A does not vibrate.

 In addition, it may be made to vibrate slightly even when retreating.

The effect of the seventh embodiment is that the field of view is stationary because the micro-vibration is normally off. Therefore, the observation can be made surely and the eyes are not tired.

Further, when the insertion section 8 is advanced, the micro-vibration is automatically turned on, so that the surgeon can set the micro-vibration OFF when the insertion section is advanced by operating the ON / OFF switch.

Note that the fine vibration is not limited to the bending fine vibration, but may be advancing / retreating / rotating, or may be appropriately combined. Further, it is needless to say that the micro-vibration may be performed not at the time of the advance of the insertion portion but at the time of the bending operation and the rotation operation, or may be appropriately combined.

 FIG. 35 shows an eighth embodiment of the present invention.

In the present embodiment, the respective devices for bending, rotation, and retreat are separate bodies. The bending motor is provided in the operation unit 611. Retract device 6
12. The rotating device 613 is provided separately, and the control can be performed by operating the forward / backward switch 614 and the rotating switch 615, respectively.

Further, a joystick 617 for bending can be connected to the operation unit 611 via a cable 616.

The effect of this embodiment is that the respective devices for bending, rotation and advance / retreat are separate, and can be selectively used as needed, so that it is efficient.

FIG. 36 shows a schematic structure of a main part of a ninth embodiment of the present invention. In the above-described embodiment, the bending motors 28A and 28B, the forward / backward motor 38, and the left / right rotation motor 39 are configured by using the stepping motor.
1A and 701B are used to configure a forward / backward and left / right rotation motor, respectively.

Each of the motors 701I (I = A or B) is connected to a forward / reverse speed control unit 703I, 704I via a stop / forward / reverse switch 702I, and also connected to a free / lock switch 705I. I have.

The speed control unit 703I or 704I changes the value of a variable resistor or an equivalent variable resistor such as a joystick or a joy switch, thereby changing the DC motor 701I or 704I.
The rotation speed can be controlled by varying the supply voltage to the motor. That is, it can be used instead of the stepping motor.

It is apparent that different embodiments can be configured by combining the above embodiments.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, the drive means for moving the insertion part forward and backward and rotating can be controlled by the common manual operation means. This makes it easy to perform an operation such as inserting the insertion portion into the insertion site.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIGS. 1 to 18 relate to a first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an overall configuration diagram of an endoscope apparatus according to a first embodiment, FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a bending / advancing / rotating / rotating control circuit, FIG. 3 shows a joystick, FIG. 4 (b) is a sectional view, FIG. 4 (c) is a bottom view, FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing an example of display of various information on a monitor screen, and FIG. 5 is a perspective view when an operation of tilting a joystick is performed. FIG. 6 is a timing chart showing an operation when the operation of FIG. 5 is performed;
FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing the movement of the distal end of the insertion portion when performing the operation of FIG. 5, FIGS. 8 to 13 are explanatory diagrams showing the movement of the distal end of the insertion portion in various micro-vibration modes, FIG. 14 to FIG. 18 are timing charts for explaining the operation when various micro-vibration operations are performed, FIG. 19 is an overall view of the second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 20 is a third embodiment of the present invention. Overall view of the example, 21st
FIG. 22 is an overall view of a fourth embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 22 is an overall view of a fifth embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 23 is a perspective view showing a modification of the joystick, and FIG. 24 is a modification of the joy switch. FIG. 25 to FIG. 29 relate to a joy switch,
FIG. 25 is a cross-sectional view, FIG. 26 is a plan view partially cut away from FIG. 25, FIG. 27 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line OA in FIG. 26, and FIG. 28 is an OB in FIG.
FIG. 29 is an equivalent circuit diagram of a joy switch and a circuit diagram of a pressing amount detection system, FIG. 30 is a configuration diagram of a sixth embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 31 is a third embodiment of the present invention. External view of a modified example,
FIG. 32 is an external view of a modification of FIG. 31, FIG. 33 is an overall view of a seventh embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 34 is an operation explanatory diagram of the seventh embodiment,
FIG. 35 is an overall view of an eighth embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 36 is a schematic configuration diagram of a main part of a ninth embodiment of the present invention. REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 endoscope device 2 electronic endoscope (electronic scope) 3 light source unit 4 video processor 5 control device 6 monitor 7 insertion drive device 8 insertion Part 9 Operating part 12, Connector 14 Bending part 27A, 27B Pulley 28A, 28B Bending drive motor 31 Bending / forward / backward / rotation control circuit 38 Forward / backward drive motor 39 Rotary drive motor 38a, 39a …… Roller 44,45 …… Joystick

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. An endoscope having an elongated insertion portion, an advancing / retreating drive for moving the insertion portion back and forth, a rotation driving device for rotating the insertion portion, and operations of the advancing / retreating driving device and the rotation driving device. An endoscope apparatus provided with common manual operation means capable of controlling the endoscope.