Portable endoscope

A portable endoscope having a probe which is inserted into a human body, comprises a tank, a flexible tube, a pump, and a weight. The flexible tube is provided to supply liquid to the tip of the probe from the tank via a connection and a nozzle. The weight is provided to bend the flexible tube so that one end of the flexible tube, inside the tank, reaches the liquid regardless of the angle of inclination. A liquid and air supply unit for the endoscope is provided with the tank which stores liquid or cleansing water.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a portable endoscope which is capable of supplying liquid and gas for rinsing and cleaning an observing window.

2. Description of the Related Art

Conventionally, there is known an endoscope which has a light source, a water tank, and other peripheral devices. The light source supplies light to a distal end of a probe of the endoscope through a light guide. The water tank supplies water via a tube for rinsing and cleaning the observing window which protects the objective lens provided at the distal end of the probe.

Before operating the endoscope, the peripheral devices have to be carried to the place of operation and some have to be connected to electricity. Furthermore, the endoscope needs power cables so that the light source and other devices can be connected to a power socket. There are many problems concerning the portability of the endoscope and the peripheral devices, for example, the inconvenience of using many cables, and the limitation of the places where the endoscope can be used.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to improve the portability and the ease of operation of a portable endoscope.

According to the present invention, a portable endoscope has a probe which is inserted into a human body. The portable endoscope comprises a tank, a flexible tube, a pump, and a weight. The tank stores liquid. The flexible tube extends from inside the tank to a liquid supply nozzle via a connection. The pump pumps the liquid to the distal end of the probe from the flexible tube. The weight is provided at one end of the flexible tube inside the tank, whereby, when the tank is inclined, the flexible tube is bent so that the end reaches the liquid regardless of the angle of inclination.

Further, according to the present invention, a portable endoscope comprises a tank, a flexible tube, a pump, and a weight, and further comprises an electric power source. The electric power source provides electricity for driving the pump and a light source. The tank, the pump, and the electric power source are provided in an operational unit of the portable endoscope.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention will be described below with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings.

FIG. 1is a side and partially cross sectional view showing a portable endoscope having a probe. A fiberscope10is provided with a probe11which is a flexible duct that is inserted into a human body, an operational portion12which contains several operational buttons thereon, and an eyepiece portion13which is provided on the operational portion12. An operational unit or a liquid and air supply unit15of a first embodiment is also attached to the operational portion12. A connecting portion14connects the probe11and the operational portion12.

FIG. 2is an enlarged cross sectional view of the tip of the probe11. A tip body20which is made of an appropriate hard material such as corrosion resisting bearing metal, is fixedly adhered to the distal end of the probe11. A hole31is provided in the tip to accommodate an image guide30which goes through the probe11and inside the tip body20. The image guide30is a light fiber bundle for observing an object through the endoscope, and is equipped with an objective lens32at its distal end. An observing window33is fixed so as to cover the hole31to protect the objective lens32and to prevent foreign bodies from getting into the hole31.

Furthermore, holes41and42are formed in the tip body20along a longitudinal axis. LEDs43and44are provided in the vicinity of the openings of the holes41and42. Diverging lenses45and46are provided in front of the LEDs43and44inside the holes41and42. Electrical wires W11, W12, W21, and W22are provided to supply driving electricity for the LEDs43and44.

FIG. 3shows a front cross sectional view of the tip body20in which each part is viewed with relation to the position of each other part.FIG. 2shows a cross sectional view along a line II—II of FIG.3. An air supply nozzle51and a water and liquid supply nozzle52are respectively provided inside an air channel and a water and liquid channel (not shown) provided inside the probe11. The air supply nozzle51is used to supply air or a gas to clean and dry the observing window33, or to supply air into a human body. The water and liquid supply nozzle52is used to supply water or a liquid to rinse and clean the observing window33. A treatment tool such as a biopsy forceps is provided through a forceps channel53to cut off an affected piece of tissue. The way in which air and liquid is supplied to the tip of the probe11will be described later.

InFIG. 1, a forceps opening60which is connected to the above mentioned forceps channel53, is provided on the connecting portion14. A treatment tool such as a biopsy forceps or a brush is inserted from the forceps opening60toward the tip of the probe11through the forceps channel53.

An air and liquid supply button71and an absorption button72are provided on the operational portion12. When a hole (not shown) on the top of the air and liquid supply button71is closed, air spouts from the air supply nozzle51(as shown inFIG. 3) to clean the observing window33which protects the objective lens32, or to supply air into a human body. When the air and liquid supply button71is pressed down, liquid spouts from the liquid supply nozzle52(as shown inFIG. 3) of the tip body20to clean the observing window33. When the absorption button72is pressed down, and the forceps opening60is equipped with a forceps lid (not shown), liquid or viscous material on the observing window33or air inside the human body is absorbed from the opening of the forceps channel53of the tip body20by an operation of an absorption device (not shown) using an absorption nipple73.

The liquid and air supply unit15is provided near the absorption nipple73. The liquid and air supply unit15is provided with a device80and a water tank81which stores the above mentioned liquid. The device80is provided on the opposite side of the air and liquid supply button71and the absorption button72, and is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, of the operational portion12, and is fixed thereto. A partial conceptual cross sectional view of the device80is shown in FIG.1.

The device80is provided with an air supply pump82and a battery83. The air supply pump82is connected to an inlet84which is provided on a side wall of the device80. The hole on the top of the air and liquid supply button71, the air supply nozzle51, and the water tank81, are also connected to the inlet84through a tube or a pipe. The air supply pump82is a diaphragm pump provided to send air from the inlet84to the air and liquid supply button71, the air supply nozzle51, and the water tank81. A battery83is an electric power source which supplies electricity to the air supply pump82, and the LEDs43and44inside the tip body20.

An LED button85to turn on and off the LEDs43and44, and a pump button86to turn on and off the air supply pump82are provided on an outer side wall of the device80. A switch SW1is controlled to be turned on and off by the operation of the LED button85. When the LED button85is pressed down with the switch SW1being off, switch SW1is turned on to start supplying driving electricity to the LEDs43and44. As a result, the LEDs43and44are turned on causing light to be emitted from the tip through the diverging lenses45and46. When the LED button85is pressed down again in this situation, ie. when switch SW1is on, the switch SW1is turned off so that the electricity is prevented from being supplied to the LEDs43and44, so that they are turned off.

A switch SW2is controlled to be turned on and off by the operation of the pump button86. When the pump button86is pressed down with the switch SW2being off, switch SW2is turned on to start supplying driving electricity for the air supply pump82. As a result, the air supply pump82starts drawing in air from the inlet84and sending it to the air and liquid supply button71and the air supply nozzle51. When the pump button86is pressed down again in this situation, ie. when the switch SW2is on, the driving electricity is prevented from being supplied to the air supply pump82.

When using the fiberscope10, the air supply pump82is always in operation. When the hole on the air and liquid supply button71is closed during the operation of the air supply pump82, the air from the inlet84is supplied to the air supply nozzle51as mentioned above. When the air and liquid supply button71is pressed down, the air from the inlet84is sent through the air supply pump82to the water tank81only. As a result, the air pressure inside the tank81increases to push the liquid from the flexible tube87to the nozzle52. Therefore, the liquid spouts from the liquid supply nozzle52.

FIG. 4shows an enlarged partial cross sectional view of the water tank81. A tube holder92and a stopper93form a hole through which an air supply tube100connected to the air supply pump82, an air supply tube102connected to the air supply nozzle51, and the flexible tube87connected to the liquid supply nozzle52, are inserted. The flexible tube87is provided inside the air supply tube (or pipe)102. The air mentioned above goes through a gap between the flexible tube87and the air supply tube102to the tip of the probe11.

The water tank81is a sphere as a whole. The flexible tube87is made of a flexible material such as silicon. When straightened, the flexible tube87has a length which is long enough to have its end approach an inner wall of the water tank81. A weight105is provided at one end of the flexible tube87inside the water tank81. The weight105is made of a metal which is resistant to chemical decomposition such as stainless steel.

The weight105has three sections as can be seen inFIG. 5. Amain section105aformed to be nearly spherical, which is the largest tubular section providing the bulk of the weight; an insertion section105bwhich is inserted into the flexible tube87; and a deepest section105cwhich has a circumference greater than an outer diameter of the insertion section105b. The weight105has a main section105ahaving an outer diameter larger than the inner diameter of the flexible tube87so as to prevent the main section105afrom being inserted into the flexible tube. The outer diameter of the insertion section105bis the same or larger than the inner diameter of the flexible tube87. The deepest section105chas a circumference greater than an outer diameter of the insertion section105bto prevent the weight105from separating from the flexible tube87. The flexible tube is extendable when the weight105is inserted so as to grip the weight105tightly. As a result, the weight105is fixed to the end of the flexible tube87. The weight105has a channel so that liquid can flow through the weight105and the flexible tube87.

As mentioned above, the flexible tube87is bendable having the weight105at one end. Therefore, when the water tank81and the operation portion12are inclined to whatever angle, the flexible tube87is bent so that the end reaches the liquid all the time regardless of the angle of inclination, providing good operational conditions for supplying liquid to the probe11of the fiberscope10as shown in FIG.6.

Furthermore, the water tank81is a sphere in the first embodiment. Therefore, according to the inclination angle of the operation portion12, the end of the flexible tube87inside the water tank81moves along the vicinity of the inner wall thereof. In other words, the end of the flexible tube87moves along the inner wall effectively relative to the change of the position of the operational portion12. The water tank81need not be a sphere as a whole. For example, a tank106can be formed to be cylindrical for the main body and a sphere only at a bottom106awhich is formed at the opposite side of a tank lid95as shown in FIG.7.

FIG. 8shows an enlarged partial cross sectional view of the water tank81of the second embodiment. The same numerical mark is given to the parts that are the same as those in the first embodiment. A rigid material107is made of metal such as stainless steel, formed to be cylindrical. The rigid material107extends from the tank lid95through to approximately the center of the water tank81. Other parts are similar to those in the first embodiment.

As can be seen fromFIG. 9, when the operational portion12is inclined, the flexible tube87is bent so as to be pivotable about one end of the rigid material, like the swing of a pendulum. As mentioned above, the end of the rigid material107is provided near the center of the water tank81. In other words, the pivot point of the flexible tube87, according to the movement of the operational portion12, exists near the center of the spherical water tank81. Therefore, regardless of the inclination of the operational portion12, the end of the flexible tube87stays in the deepest portion of the liquid so that the flexible tube87is able to supply liquid to the probe11even when the amount of the liquid becomes low.

As mentioned above, according to the present invention, a flexible tube which is bendable has a weight at one end to stay in a liquid inside a tank regardless of the inclination of the operational portion during operation. Further, a device which supplies liquid and air is fixed to the operational portion. Therefore, the present invention is able to improve the portability and the ease of operation of a portable endoscope.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, obviously many modifications and changes may be made by those skilled in this art without departing from the scope of the invention.

The present disclosure relates to subject matter contained in Japanese Patent Application No. 2001-249898 (filed on Aug. 21, 2001) which is expressly incorporated herein, by reference, in its entirety.