Endoscope apparatus

Abstract

An endoscope apparatus comprises an insertion portion having an observation optical system attached onto the distal end portion thereof and having flexibility, a thrust generating portion for generating a thrust by rotation, formed beyond a predetermined length on an outer-peripheral surface of the insertion portion in a longitudinal-axis direction, a rotation device for rotating the thrust generating portion around the longitudinal axis, and a control portion for controlling a rotational speed of the thrust generating portion according to an insertion length of the thrust generating portion inserted in a subject.

1 . An endoscope apparatus comprising: 
 an insertion portion having an observation optical system attached onto the distal end portion thereof and having flexibility;    a thrust generating portion for generating a thrust by rotation, formed beyond a predetermined length on an outer-peripheral surface of the insertion portion in a longitudinal-axis direction;    a rotation device for rotating the thrust generating portion around the longitudinal axis; and    a control portion for controlling a rotational speed of the thrust generating portion according to an insertion length of the thrust generating portion inserted in a subject.    
   
   
       2 . The endoscope apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the endoscope apparatus has an insertion length calculating portion for calculating an insertion length of the thrust generating portion and the control portion controls a rotational speed of the thrust generating portion according to an insertion length calculated by the insertion length calculating portion.  
   
   
       3 . The endoscope apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the control portion controls to reduce the rotational speed as an insertion length of the thrust generating portion inserted in a subject is longer.  
   
   
       4 . The endoscope apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the thrust generating portion is a spiral shape portion having uneven portions formed into a spiral shape.  
   
   
       5 . An endoscope apparatus comprising: 
 an insertion portion having an observation optical system attached onto the distal end portion thereof and having flexibility;    a thrust generating portion for generating a thrust by rotation, formed beyond a predetermined length on an outer-peripheral surface of the insertion portion in a longitudinal-axis direction;    a rotation device for rotating the thrust generating portion around the longitudinal axis; and    a control portion for controlling a rotational speed of the thrust generating portion according to an insertion length of the insertion portion inserted in a subject.    
   
   
       6 . The endoscope apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein the control portion has an insertion length calculating portion for calculating an insertion length of the insertion portion and controls a rotational speed of the thrust generating portion according to an insertion length calculated by the insertion length calculating portion.  
   
   
       7 . The endoscope apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein the control portion controls to reduce the rotational speed as an insertion length of the insertion portion inserted in a subject is longer.  
   
   
       8 . The endoscope apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein the thrust generating portion is a spiral shape portion having uneven portions formed into a spiral shape.  
   
   
       9 . The endoscope apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the spiral shape portion is integrally formed on an outer-peripheral surface of the insertion portion.  
   
   
       10 . The endoscope apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein the spiral shape portion is integrally formed on an outer-peripheral surface of the insertion portion.  
   
   
       11 . The endoscope apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the spiral shape portion is configured so as to be rotatably formed on an outer-peripheral surface of the insertion portion and the rotation device rotates the spiral shape portion alone.  
   
   
       12 . The endoscope apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein the spiral shape portion is configured so as to be rotatably formed on an outer-peripheral surface of the insertion portion and the rotation device rotates the spiral shape portion alone.  
   
   
       13 . The endoscope apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the insertion portion is provided detachably and reattachably from/on the rotation device.  
   
   
       14 . The endoscope apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein the insertion portion is provided detachably and reattachably from/on the rotation device.  
   
   
       15 . The endoscope apparatus according to  claim 3 , comprising a rotational speed information storage portion storing preset information of rotational speeds for setting the rotational speed according to the insertion length.  
   
   
       16 . The endoscope apparatus according to  claim 7 , comprising a rotational speed information storage portion storing preset information of rotational speeds for setting the rotational speed according to the insertion length.  
   
   
       17 . The endoscope apparatus according to  claim 15 , wherein the preset information of rotational speeds stored in the rotational speed information storage portion is updatable.  
   
   
       18 . The endoscope apparatus according to  claim 2 , further comprising a traveling-amount detection mechanism for calculating a traveling amount of the endoscope insertion portion in an insertion-axis direction in contact with an outer-peripheral surface of the endoscope insertion portion, wherein the insertion length calculating portion calculates an insertion length based on information obtained from the traveling-amount detection mechanism.  
   
   
       19 . The endoscope apparatus according to  claim 6 , further comprising a traveling-amount detection mechanism for calculating a traveling amount of the endoscope insertion portion in an insertion-axis direction in contact with an outer-peripheral surface of the endoscope insertion portion, wherein the insertion length calculating portion calculates an insertion length based on information obtained from the traveling-amount detection mechanism.  
   
   
       20 . The endoscope apparatus according to  claim 2 , further comprising a motor monitoring portion for monitoring a motor drive signal electrically driving a motor for rotatingly driving the thrust generating portion, wherein the insertion length calculating portion calculates an insertion length, based on a motor drive signal when the motor monitoring circuit determines that the motor rotates within a predetermined load range.  
   
   
       21 . The endoscope apparatus according to  claim 6 , further comprising a motor monitoring portion for monitoring a motor drive signal electrically driving a motor for rotatingly driving the thrust generating portion, wherein the insertion length calculating portion calculates an insertion length, based on a motor drive signal when the motor monitoring circuit determines that the motor rotates within a predetermined load range.  
   
   
       22 . The endoscope apparatus according to  claim 2 , further comprising a traveling-amount detection mechanism which includes a magnetic-field generating element disposed along the longitudinal direction of the endoscope insertion portion and a magnetic-field detecting element mounted on the outside of the endoscope insertion portion and which calculates a traveling amount of the endoscope insertion portion in an insertion-axis direction, wherein the insertion length calculating portion calculates an insertion length, based on positional information obtained from the traveling-amount calculating mechanism.  
   
   
       23 . The endoscope apparatus according to  claim 6 , further comprising a traveling-amount detection mechanism which includes a magnetic-field generating element disposed along the longitudinal direction of the endoscope insertion portion and a magnetic-field detecting element mounted on the outside of the endoscope insertion portion and which calculates a traveling amount of the endoscope insertion portion in an insertion-axis direction, wherein the insertion length calculating portion calculates an insertion length, based on positional information obtained from the traveling-amount calculating mechanism.  
   
   
       24 . The endoscope apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the control portion controls the rotation device so as to stop the rotation if a rotational load of the thrust generating portion rotated by the rotation device exceeds a predetermined value.  
   
   
       25 . The endoscope apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein the control portion controls the rotation device so as to stop the rotation if a rotational load of the thrust generating portion rotated by the rotation device exceeds a predetermined value.  
   
   
       26 . The endoscope apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the rotation device has a setting portion for manually setting rotational speeds.  
   
   
       27 . The endoscope apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein the rotation device has a setting portion for manually setting rotational speeds.  
   
   
       28 . The endoscope apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the rotation device has a display portion for displaying an insertion length calculated by the insertion length calculating portion.  
   
   
       29 . The endoscope apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein the rotation device has a display portion for displaying an insertion length calculated by the insertion length calculating portion.  
   
   
       30 . The endoscope apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the rotation device has a display portion for displaying a rotational speed of the thrust generating portion.  
   
   
       31 . The endoscope apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein the rotation device has a display portion for displaying a rotational speed of the thrust generating portion.  
   
   
       32 . The endoscope apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the control portion sets the rotational speed in accordance with information of outer diameters of the thrust generating portion.  
   
   
       33 . The endoscope apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein the control portion sets the rotational speed in accordance with information of outer diameters of the thrust generating portion.  
   
   
       34 . An endoscope apparatus comprising: 
 an insertion portion having an observation optical system attached onto the distal end portion thereof and having flexibility;    a thrust generating portion for generating a thrust by rotation, formed beyond a predetermined length on an outer-peripheral surface of the insertion portion in a longitudinal-axis direction;    a rotation device for rotating the thrust generating portion around the longitudinal axis; and    a control portion for controlling a rotational speed of the thrust generating portion according to an insertion length of the insertion portion or the thrust generating portion inserted in a subject.