Patent ID: 7160014
Filing Date: 2007-01-09
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
1. An adjustment mechanism that adjusts an inclination and a position of an optical axis of an excitation light optical system with respect to an optical axis of a white light optical system, to be used in a light source unit including the white light optical system that leads white light emitted by a white light emitting device to a facet of a light guide provided inside an endoscope, the excitation light optical system that leads excitation light emitted by an excitation light emitting device, and an optical path merging device disposed on the optical axis of the white light optical system for bending the optical axis of the excitation light optical system substantially at a right angle toward the light guide, so as to supply the facet of the light guide with the white light for illuminating an internal area of a body cavity in which an insertion tube of the endoscope is inserted, and the excitation light for exciting a body tissue under a body cavity wall, comprising: a frame plate orthogonally placed with respect to the optical axis of the white light optical system, and perforated with a pair of circular holes the respective centers of which are aligned on a straight line perpendicular to a direction of the optical axis of the white light optical system, and an elliptical hole having a major axis coinciding with the straight line and a minor axis whose extension perpendicularly intersects with the optical axis of the white light optical system; a plate-shaped lever perforated with a first elliptical hole and a second elliptical hole respective major axes of which are perpendicular to each other, and provided with a cylindrical projection located on an extension of a segment connecting centers of the first elliptical hole and the second elliptical hole and rotatably and slidably fitted in the elliptical hole in the frame plate; a fixing unit that fixes the excitation light optical system to the plate-shaped lever such that the optical axis of the excitation light optical system becomes perpendicular to a direction parallel to the extension of the segment connecting the centers of the first and second elliptical holes; a first adjuster including a first supporting axle rotatably held in one of the circular holes in the frame plate, and a first disc-shaped cam to which the first supporting axle is eccentrically fixed, the first disc-shaped cam being rotatably and slidably fitted in the first elliptical hole of the plate-shaped lever; and a second adjuster including a second supporting axle rotatably held in the other circular hole in the frame plate, and a second disc-shaped cam to which the second supporting axle is eccentrically fixed, the second disc-shaped cam being rotatably and slidably fitted in the second elliptical hole of the plate-shaped lever.