Patent Description:
In the field of endoscopes, an endoscope device including a treatment tool (robot treatment tool) configured to be remotely operable is known. The treatment tool is controlled by a physician in a master system located at a distance from an endoscope. The treatment tool inserted into the endoscope operates according to the content of control by the master system.

For example, Patent Literature <NUM> describes an endoscopic surgery system as follows.

However, there is a case where it is necessary to use the operation unit of the endoscope suspended on the dedicated hanger by rotating and swaying the operation unit in order to secure the field of view observed by the endoscope at the time of performing the surgery using the treatment tool. Since a mechanical load is applied to the joint section due to such rotation or sway, the joint section provided in the operation unit of the endoscope is required to have mechanical strength suitable for each operation.

In addition, in this endoscopic surgery system, it is necessary to connect the joint section provided in the operation unit of the endoscope to the dedicated hanger for use every surgery, and thus, the joint section provided in the operation unit of the endoscope is required to have such mechanical strength as to be capable of withstanding such repeated attachment and detachment. Patent Literature <NUM> discloses a power driven bending endoscope with detachable insertion portion <NUM> formed of an insertion body <NUM> having a flexible bending portion <NUM> B, and a motor unit <NUM> having an electric motor <NUM> for driving to bend the bending portion <NUM> B and a potentiometer <NUM> for detecting a bending state of the bending portion <NUM> B, which are detachably coupled.

An object of the present invention is to provide an endoscope device capable of enhancing mechanical strength and durability against attachment to and detachment from a hanger and various endoscopic operations at the time of connection to the hanger in the endoscope device in which an endoscope can be suspended on the hanger.

In order to solve the above problem, an endoscope device according to the present invention includes: an insertion portion; an operation unit that has a joint section configured to be suspendable on a hanger and is connected to the hanger through the joint section; a treatment tool channel that is arranged inside the joint section and the operation unit and allows passage of a treatment tool; a plate fixed to the operation unit; and a frame that is provided inside the joint section, includes a plurality of partition structural members coupled to each other and having a longitudinal direction along an arrangement direction of the treatment tool channel, and is fixed to the plate, one partition structural member of the plurality of partition structural members (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) is arranged in parallel at a position sandwiched between other partition structural members, and a thickness of a bottom plate of the one partition structural member is larger than thicknesses of bottom plates of the other partition structural members.

According to the endoscope of the present invention, it is possible to provide the endoscope device capable of enhancing mechanical strength and durability against attachment to and detachment from the hanger and various endoscopic operations at the time of connection to the hanger in the endoscope device in which the endoscope can be suspended on the hanger.

Hereinafter, the present embodiment will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the accompanying drawings, functionally identical elements may be represented by the same number. Note that the accompanying drawings illustrate the embodiment and implementation examples conforming to the principles of the present disclosure, but these are provided to aid in understanding the present disclosure and should not be interpreted as limiting the present disclosure. The description in this specification is merely exemplary and is not intended to limit the scope of the claims or application examples of the present disclosure in any significance.

The present embodiment will be described in such sufficient detail as to enable those skilled in the art to carry out the present disclosure. The following description should not be interpreted as being limited thereto.

An overall configuration of an endoscopic surgery system (endoscope device) according to the embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to <FIG>. This endoscopic surgery system generally includes an endoscope <NUM> and a master system <NUM>.

The endoscope <NUM> is an imaging device that captures an image of a portion to be examined by inserting an insertion portion into the body of the subject, and is configured to enable various treatment tools to be inserted therein as will be described later. The treatment tools include a manual treatment tool and a robot treatment tool (manipulator). The manual treatment tool is a treatment tool used for a general endoscope (for example, a treatment tool used in general endoscopic surgery such as hemostasis or local injection), and can be inserted from a treatment tool insertion port 102F to be described later. On the other hand, the robot treatment tool (manipulator) is a treatment tool (slave) controlled by a controller <NUM> of the master system <NUM> to be described later. The robot treatment tool can be inserted from a treatment tool insertion port 102D or 102E to be described later.

The endoscope <NUM> includes an insertion portion <NUM>, a hand operation unit <NUM>, a universal cable <NUM>, and a connector unit <NUM>. The insertion portion <NUM> further includes a distal tip <NUM>, a bending section <NUM>, and a flexible tube section <NUM>. The hand operation unit <NUM> includes a joint section <NUM>.

The distal tip <NUM> is provided at an end portion of the insertion portion <NUM>, includes an image sensor therein, and includes end portions of various channels. In addition, the bending section <NUM> is configured to be actively bendable by operating a bending adjustment knob 102A of the hand operation unit <NUM>. In addition, the flexible tube section <NUM> is a portion that is passively bendable by an external force regardless of the operation of the hand operation unit <NUM>.

The flexible tube section <NUM> is connected to the hand operation unit <NUM> at one end thereof. The hand operation unit <NUM> includes, for example, the bending adjustment knob 102A and an operation button 102B, and causes an operator to perform various operations for observation and imaging by the endoscope <NUM>.

The joint section <NUM> forms a part of the hand operation unit <NUM>, and is a connection member configured to be connectable to a hanger <NUM> (to be described later) in a suspended state and to be connected to the hand operation unit <NUM> in order to suspend the endoscope <NUM>. Details of a structure of the joint section <NUM> will be described later. Note that the joint section <NUM> and a case 102C include treatment tool insertion ports 102D to 102F for the insertion of the treatment tool.

Note that, for example, a structure as disclosed in <CIT> can be adopted as a specific structure of a connecting portion between the joint section <NUM> and the hanger <NUM>.

The universal cable <NUM> extends from the opposite side of the hand operation unit <NUM> toward the connector unit <NUM>. The universal cable <NUM> includes a light guide, various wirings, and various channels therein similarly to the insertion portion <NUM>. The connector unit <NUM> includes various connectors for connecting the endoscope <NUM> to a processor <NUM> to be described later.

As an example, the master system <NUM> includes an input device <NUM>, a display <NUM>, and a controller <NUM>. As an example, the master system <NUM> can also be operated by a physician A who operates the hand operation unit <NUM> while gripping the endoscope <NUM> and is different from an endoscopist B.

Although not illustrated in detail, the controller <NUM> is configured by a combination of a lever, a button, a foot pedal, and the like as an example, and is operated by the physician A for operating, positioning, and the like of a robot treatment tool in the endoscope <NUM>. The endoscopist B holds the endoscope <NUM>, and executes the operation of the hand operation unit <NUM> and the operation of the insertion portion <NUM> so as to move the distal tip <NUM> of the endoscope <NUM> to a desired position according to an instruction of the physician A. The physician A operates the controller <NUM> to execute the operation of the robot treatment tool based on an image captured by the endoscope <NUM> and displayed on the display <NUM>.

The endoscopic surgery system includes the processor <NUM>, an air/water supply unit <NUM>, a suction unit <NUM>, a motor box <NUM>, a master slave system processor <NUM>, a display <NUM>, and the like.

The processor <NUM> receives an image signal from the endoscope <NUM> and performs predetermined signal processing. The processor <NUM> may include a light source, which emits irradiation light for irradiation of an object, therein. The air/water supply unit <NUM> performs control to release a water flow or an air flow supplied to the subject. The suction unit <NUM> includes a pump and a tank (not illustrated) for suction of body fluid and an excised material sucked from a body of the subject through the endoscope <NUM>.

The motor box <NUM> stores various motors configured to generate a driving force for driving the robot treatment tool of the endoscope <NUM>. The various motors operate based on drive signals generated in accordance with control signals transmitted from the master system <NUM>. The master slave system processor <NUM> executes various types of control on the robot treatment tool through the motor box <NUM> according to instructions from the master system <NUM>. The display <NUM> is a display device configured to perform display based on, for example, a data processing result in the processor <NUM>.

The processor <NUM>, the air/water supply unit <NUM>, the suction unit <NUM>, the motor box <NUM>, and the master slave system processor <NUM> are stored in a rack L. The rack L further includes the hanger <NUM> that is connected to the joint section <NUM> to suspend the endoscope <NUM>.

A structure of the distal tip <NUM> of the endoscope <NUM> will be described with reference to <FIG>. Light distribution lenses 112A and 112B are arranged at the distal tip <NUM> of the endoscope <NUM>, and light guides LGa and LGb extend from the distal tip <NUM> to the connector unit <NUM> inside the insertion portion <NUM>. Light from a light source device in the processor <NUM> is guided by the light guides LGa and LGb, and is emitted toward the subject by the light distribution lenses 112A and 112B arranged at the distal tip <NUM>.

In addition, the endoscope <NUM> includes an objective lens <NUM> and an image sensor <NUM> at the distal tip <NUM> as illustrated in <FIG>. The objective lens <NUM> provided at the distal tip <NUM> collects scattered light or reflected light from the subject to form an image of the subject on a light receiving surface of the image sensor <NUM>.

The image sensor <NUM> can be configured using, for example, a charge coupled device (CCD) or a complementary metal oxide semiconductor sensor (CMOS Sensor). The image sensor <NUM> is controlled by a signal (a gain control signal, an exposure control signal, a shutter speed control signal, and the like) supplied from the processor <NUM> through an electrical wiring <NUM>, and supplies an image signal of a captured image to the processor <NUM> through the electrical wiring <NUM> and an A/D conversion circuit (not illustrated).

In addition, an air/water supply port <NUM>, an auxiliary water supply port <NUM>, and treatment tool ports 116A to 116C are provided, as end portions or openings of various channels, on an end surface of the distal tip <NUM>. The air/water supply port <NUM> is connected to an air/water supply channel <NUM> to introduce a water flow or an air flow for cleaning or the like of the distal tip <NUM>.

In addition, the auxiliary water supply port <NUM> is connected to an auxiliary water supply channel <NUM> in order to introduce auxiliary water supply for removal of wastes in the field of view. The channels <NUM> and <NUM> are arranged to extend along the inside of each of the distal tip <NUM>, the bending section <NUM>, the flexible tube section <NUM>, the hand operation unit <NUM>, and the universal cable <NUM>.

The treatment tool channels 119A to 119C are provided inside the endoscope <NUM>, in addition to these channels <NUM> and <NUM>. The treatment tool channels 119A to 119C are arranged inside the hand operation unit <NUM> and/or the joint section <NUM> so as to allow a treatment tool such as forceps to pass therethrough while freely moving back and forth. Distal tips of the treatment tool channels 119A to 119C form the treatment tool ports 116A to 116C, respectively, at the distal tip <NUM>. In addition, two of the treatment tool channels 119A to 119C communicate with the treatment tool insertion ports 102D and 102E, respectively, and the remaining one thereof communicates with the treatment tool insertion port 102F and is also used as a suction channel. Note that at least one of the treatment tool channels 119A to 119C may also serve as the suction channel.

Structures of the hand operation unit <NUM> and the joint section <NUM> will be described in detail with reference to <FIG>. <FIG> is a perspective view of the hand operation unit <NUM> and the joint section <NUM> and illustrates a state in which a part of a cover of the hand operation unit <NUM> has been removed. In addition, <FIG> is a plan view of the hand operation unit <NUM> and the joint section <NUM>, and <FIG> are cross-sectional views respectively taken along lines A-A and B-B in <FIG>.

As illustrated in <FIG>, plates <NUM> to <NUM> and a frame <NUM> are provided inside a case 102C constituting the hand operation unit <NUM> and the joint section <NUM>. <FIG> illustrates only the plates <NUM> to <NUM> and the frame <NUM> among the internal configurations of the case 102C and the joint section <NUM>, and does not illustrate the other components.

Each of the plates <NUM> to <NUM> has a substantially planar plate shape, but the plate <NUM> may have a rib structure extending along an arrangement direction of the treatment tool channels 119Ato 119C as an example. In addition, the frame <NUM> includes a plurality of partition structural members having partitions which are coupled to each other and have a longitudinal direction along the arrangement direction of the treatment tool channels 119A to 119C as will be described later.

As will be described later, the plates <NUM> to <NUM> are coupled and fixed to each other by screws or the like, and the frame <NUM> is also coupled to the plate <NUM>, whereby the frame <NUM> is arranged inside the joint section <NUM>. Note that the plate <NUM> is also provided with a connection plate <NUM> extending in a direction substantially orthogonal to the plane of the plate <NUM>. The connection plate <NUM> is a fixing member for connecting and fixing the universal cable <NUM> to the hand operation unit <NUM>.

As illustrated in <FIG>, the plate <NUM> is fixed to the plate <NUM> using a plurality of screws S1. In addition, the plate <NUM> is fixed to the plate <NUM> using a plurality of screws S2. In addition, the plate <NUM> is positioned with respect to the frame <NUM> using the alignment pins P1 and is fixed using two screws S3 and one S4. Then, the joint section <NUM> is fixed to the frame <NUM> by means to be described later. Note that the plates <NUM> and <NUM> are fixed to the case 102C by an L-shaped fixation <NUM> extending from the operation button 102B and a screw S6 as illustrated in an enlarged manner in <FIG>.

In this manner, the case 102C and the joint section <NUM> are fixed to the plates <NUM> to <NUM> and the frame <NUM>. Note that the plates <NUM> to <NUM> and the frame <NUM> may be made of aluminum or stainless steel. Note that the case 102C is provided with a stopper 102ST for preventing the plates <NUM> to <NUM> from moving in a direction perpendicular to the plane.

<FIG> is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B in <FIG>, and illustrates a state of the connection of the joint section <NUM> with respect to the frame <NUM> and the plate <NUM>. As illustrated in <FIG>, the case 102C has a protrusion Ed at an end portion on the joint section <NUM> side, and the plate <NUM> is positioned with respect to the case 102C by arranging the plate <NUM> such that one end of the plate <NUM> is in contact with this protrusion Ed. On the other hand, the joint section <NUM> is mounted onto the frame <NUM> fixed to the plate <NUM> (fixed using a fixing ring <NUM> to be described later).

An example of a structure of the frame <NUM> will be described with reference to <FIG>. <FIG> is a perspective view illustrating the structure of the frame <NUM>, and <FIG>, <FIG> are a plan view, a front view, and a cross-sectional view of a lower surface (bottom plate) of the frame <NUM>, respectively. As illustrated in <FIG>, the frame <NUM> is configured by arraying a plurality of (for example, three) hollow partition structural members <NUM> to <NUM> each of which is formed in a rectangular box-shaped shape and has a longitudinal direction along the arrangement direction (longitudinal direction) of the treatment tool channels 119A to 119C in parallel. With such a partition structure, the frame <NUM> has sufficient mechanical strength against a tensile direction, a rotational direction, and sway.

The central partition structural member <NUM> located between the partition structural members <NUM> and <NUM> has a through-hole <NUM> on its upper surface. As illustrated in <FIG>, a screw hole <NUM> for the screw S4 is provided in a lower surface immediately below the through-hole <NUM>. In addition, a pin hole <NUM> into which the alignment pin P1 is inserted is provided at a position at the front of the screw hole <NUM>.

An end surface on the front side of the partition structural member <NUM> is an inclined portion <NUM> having a predetermined inclination with respect to the lower surface in order to facilitate insertion of the alignment pin P1 into the pin hole <NUM>. That is, the inclined portion <NUM> is provided in the vicinity of the pin hole <NUM>. In addition, an interior side surface <NUM> blocking a hollow portion is provided in the hollow portion of the partition structural member <NUM> as illustrated in <FIG>. This interior side surface <NUM> contributes to improvement in mechanical strength of the partition structural member <NUM>.

In addition, the partition structural members <NUM> and <NUM> on both left and right sides include interior side surfaces <NUM> and <NUM>, respectively, as illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG>. This interior side surface <NUM> and <NUM> also contribute to improvement in mechanical strength of the partition structural members <NUM> and <NUM>, which is similar to the interior side surface <NUM>.

In addition, the partition structural members <NUM> and <NUM> include a sleeve <NUM> for connecting the treatment tool channels 119B and 119C therein. The sleeve <NUM> penetrates the interior side surfaces <NUM> and <NUM> and is fixed to an end surface of the frame <NUM>, specifically, the interior side surfaces <NUM> and <NUM> by a fixing ring <NUM>. The frame <NUM> is fixed by the fixing ring <NUM> at an end surface of the joint section <NUM> so that the joint section <NUM> and the sleeve <NUM> are fixed to the frame <NUM>. Note that, regarding thicknesses of lower surfaces of the partition structural members <NUM> to <NUM>, the thickness of a lower surface <NUM> of the central partition structural member <NUM> is larger than the thicknesses of lower surfaces <NUM> and <NUM> of the left and right partition structural members <NUM> and <NUM> (see <FIG>). In a case where a force is applied to the hand operation unit <NUM> in the rotational direction in a state where the joint section <NUM> is mounted on the hanger <NUM>, a portion to which the load is applied the most is a portion of the screw S4. Therefore, the strength of the frame <NUM> can be improved by increasing the thickness of the lower surface <NUM> of the partition structural member <NUM>. Note that it is preferable to use a screw larger than screws used for the lower surfaces <NUM> and <NUM> as the screw used for the thick lower surface <NUM> of the partition structural member <NUM>.

In addition, the partition structural members <NUM> and <NUM> on the left and right sides have screw holes <NUM> and <NUM> for insertion of the above-described screw S3 at end portions of the lower surfaces thereof, respectively. Note that the screw holes <NUM> and <NUM> may be provided at any positions, and are preferably arranged to form an isosceles triangle with the screw hole <NUM> for the screw S4. In addition, in the structure example illustrated in <FIG>, upper surfaces of the partition structural members <NUM> and <NUM> on the left and right sides have end portions at positions retracted from that of the partition structural member <NUM> in order to facilitate screwing of the screw S3 into the screw holes <NUM> and <NUM>. Meanwhile, it is also possible to provide the end portions of the upper surfaces on the front surface side by providing through-holes similar to the through-hole <NUM> on the upper surfaces as in the partition structural member <NUM>.

An example of a structure of the plate <NUM> will be described with reference to <FIG> is a perspective view in which the upper surface side of the plate <NUM> faces upward, and <FIG> is a perspective view in which the lower surface side faces upward. As illustrated in <FIG>, the plate <NUM> has a rib structure including ribs L1 to L3 which extend along the longitudinal direction of the channel. The plate <NUM> having the rib structure and the frame <NUM> in which the plurality of partition structural members <NUM> are coupled provide the hand operation unit <NUM> with high mechanical strength so that high reliability can be obtained. Note that the side surface of the partition structural member of the frame <NUM> can contribute to improvement in strength in the tensile direction similarly to the rib structure.

Note that the plate <NUM> includes a position adjustment space G1 in a screw hole of screw S2 for fixing the plate <NUM> as illustrated in <FIG> (an enlarged view of the vicinity of reference sign C in <FIG>). The position adjustment space G1 facilitates mounting of the plate <NUM> regardless of variations in size between products regarding the frame <NUM> and the plate <NUM> positioned by the alignment pin P1.

In addition, the protrusion Ed is provided at the end portion of the case 102C, and one end <NUM> of the plate <NUM> abuts against an inner surface thereof as illustrated in <FIG> (an enlarged view of the vicinity of reference sign D in <FIG>). The plate <NUM> and the frame <NUM> are positioned with respect to the case 102C by the abutment of the end portion <NUM> against the protrusion Ed and the insertion of the alignment pin P1. An end surface <NUM> of the through-hole <NUM> is preferably formed so as to match an end surface <NUM> of the case 102C in order to improve the mounting property of the screw S4.

Claim 1:
An endoscope device comprising:
an insertion portion (<NUM>);
an operation unit (<NUM>) that has a joint section (<NUM>) configured to be suspendable on a hanger (<NUM>) and is connected to the hanger (<NUM>) through the joint section (<NUM>);
a treatment tool channel (119A, 119B, 119C) that is arranged inside the joint section (<NUM>) and the operation unit (<NUM>) and allows passage of a treatment tool;
a plate (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) fixed to the operation unit (<NUM>); and
a frame (<NUM>) that is provided inside the joint section (<NUM>), includes a plurality of partition structural members (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) coupled to each other and having a longitudinal direction along an arrangement direction of the treatment tool channel (119A, 119B, 119C), and is fixed to the plate (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>),
characterized in that
one partition structural member of the plurality of partition structural members (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) is arranged in parallel at a position sandwiched between other partition structural members, and
a thickness of a bottom plate of the one partition structural member is larger than thicknesses of bottom plates of the other partition structural members.