Patent ID: 8179428

Claim:
An electronic endoscope insertable into a body cavity, comprising: an imaging device arranged in a front end of an insertion section of said electronic endoscope for imaging an inside of said body cavity, wherein said imaging device comprises: an objective optical system for taking in image light reflected by an object in said body cavity; an imaging device arranged such that an imaging surface becomes parallel to an optical axis of said objective optical system, said imaging device being constituted of a bare chip and first signal terminals, said first signal terminals being provided on a surface having said imaging surface, and arranged near an edge portion facing a rear end of said insertion section; a prism for guiding said image light to said imaging surface; a cover glass attached onto said imaging surface to form a gap between said image surface and said prism; a circuit board attached to said bare chip, said circuit board having approximately a same thickness as said bare chip, second signal terminals connected to said first signal terminals by wire bonding and being arranged near an edge portion facing a front end side of said insertion section; a conducting plate having a width which is smaller than a width of said bare chip, wherein one edge of said conducting plate is aligned with one lateral edge of said rear surfaces of said bare chip and said circuit board, said one edge of said conducting plate and said one edge of said rear surfaces extending in parallel to said optical axis of said objective optical system, and said conducting plate electrically connects said bare chip and said circuit board to each other; a cut portion formed by an edge face of said conducting plate and by said rear surfaces of said bare chip and said circuit board, said edge face extending in parallel to said optical axis of said objective lens system; and a forceps channel for inserting a treatment tool into said body cavity, wherein said forceps channel is arranged such that a part of an outer circumference of said forceps channel fits into said cut portion, said outer circumference of said forceps channel having a constant diameter in a direction of said optical axis.