JPH0356049B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Field of Application] The present invention relates to a temperature measuring endoscope that can measure temperature distribution on the surface of a mucous membrane in a body cavity without contact.

Although endoscopes are widely used for medical purposes and for detecting cancer, it is extremely difficult to detect early cancer or submucosal malignant tumors with the naked eye. However, since the temperature of abnormal cells such as cancer cells is approximately 1°C higher than that of normal cells, attempts have been made to detect early cancer by measuring the temperature distribution of the luminal mucosa using an endoscope. being done.

[Conventional technology]

Traditional thermometers used for the above purposes measure the temperature of the mucosal surface by inserting a thermometer probe into the channel of the endoscope and pressing the tip of the probe directly against the mucosal surface of the body cavity. It was hot.

However, such devices can only measure the temperature at one point at a time, so it takes a huge amount of time and effort to measure the temperature distribution. It was virtually impossible to measure.

Conventionally, an infrared image transmission fiber bundle that transmits infrared images is built into the endoscope to guide the infrared image of the temperature measurement site to the outside of the body, and the temperature distribution is visually displayed using thermovision or other equipment. was.

The infrared image transmitting fiber bundle used therein has a large number of infrared fibers made of an infrared transparent material arranged in the same arrangement at both ends so as to transmit an image.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

However, even a thin infrared fiber has a diameter of about 50 μm, which is significantly thicker than the visible light fiber of an endoscope, which is about 10 μm. Moreover, in order to obtain the infrared energy necessary for temperature measurement,
The core diameter of the infrared fiber must be several 100 μm,
Furthermore, in order to transmit infrared rays, a cladding thickness of several tens of micrometers is required. Even if 100 infrared fibers with a diameter of 100 μm were arranged in rows and columns, they would occupy a cross-sectional area of 10 x 10 mm.

In this way, infrared fibers with large single fiber diameters have low flexibility, and infrared image transmission fibers made by bundling these fibers have a very large outer diameter and very low flexibility. The flexibility of the insertion section of the endoscope was impaired. Furthermore, since infrared fibers are very expensive, using a large number of infrared fibers requires a large amount of cost.

The present invention eliminates such drawbacks of the conventional technology, and measures the temperature of the mucosal surface in a body cavity by transmitting an infrared image at a low cost without impairing the flexibility of the insertion section of an endoscope. The purpose is to provide a temperature measuring endoscope that can perform

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to achieve the above object, the temperature measuring endoscope of the present invention has a plurality of infrared fibers made of an infrared transmitting material arranged in at least one row in the same arrangement at both ends thereof, so that the endoscope can be inserted into the endoscope. The infrared fiber array inserted into the infrared fiber array and each pair of objective lenses have the same characteristics, and the prisms have a plurality of pairs of objective lenses and prisms made of infrared transmitting materials, each of which has a different polarization angle. The objective lens and prism move in front of the infrared fiber array to horizontally scan the temperature measurement target area, and move the objective lens and prism in front of the infrared fiber array. The temperature measurement target range is vertically scanned by changing the position of the objective lens and prism pair to the next pair, and the infrared image of the temperature measurement target range is sequentially scanned onto the incident end face of the infrared fiber array. and an infrared image scanning means provided outside the insertion of the endoscope to visually convert the infrared images successively transmitted by the infrared fiber array into one image. It is characterized by having an infrared image display means for restoring and displaying the image.

[Effect]

By moving one pair of objective lenses and a prism in front of the infrared fiber array, the range to be measured is horizontally scanned, and the pair of objective lenses located in front of the infrared fiber array changes to the next pair. As a result, the temperature measurement target range is vertically scanned, and an infrared image of the temperature measurement target range is incident on the infrared fiber array. The infrared images sequentially transmitted through the infrared fiber array are visually converted by the infrared image display means, restored into one image, and displayed.

〔Example〕

Examples will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows the overall configuration of the embodiment.
is a flexible insertion section of an endoscope. An infrared fiber array 2 as shown in FIG. 2 is inserted into the insertion portion 1 over its entire length.

The infrared fiber array 2 is formed by arranging, for example, 10 infrared fibers 2a made of an infrared transmitting material in the same arrangement in a row at both ends, and the infrared fiber array 2 is formed by arranging ten infrared fibers 2a made of an infrared transmitting material in the same arrangement in a row at both ends. are arranged side by side in the Y-axis direction). however,
One row may be 10 or less or 10 or more, and the infrared fibers 2a may be arranged in two or more rows to form an array.

Note that fluoride glass, chalcogenide glass, or the like can be used as the material for the infrared fiber.

Examples of fluoride fibers include those having a composition of ZrF ₄ : 57 mol% BaF ₂ : 34 mol% LaF ₃ : 5 mol% AlF ₃ : 4 mol%.

Examples of chalcogenide fibers include those with core: Ge ₂₅ As ₂₀ Se ₂₅ Te ₃₀ cladding: Ge ₂₀ As ₃₀ Se ₃₀ Te ₂₀ .

Based on FIG. 1, the temperature measurement target range is divided into multiple rows at the tip 1a of the insertion section 1 of the endoscope, and the infrared image of each row is transferred to the entrance end surface 2b of the infrared fiber array.
An infrared image scanning means 3 is provided which sequentially scans and forms an image. This infrared image scanning means 3 includes ten prism groups 31 arranged at equal angles in a rotatable turret-shaped frame, and the prism groups 31.
A group of ten objective lenses 32 with the same characteristics are arranged in a rotatable turret-shaped frame provided between the incident end face 2b of the infrared fiber array and the prisms are remotely driven by a motor 33. Group 3
1 and a flexible drive shaft 34 that rotates the objective lens 32 together at a constant period.

3 and 4 show each prism 31a... and objective lens 32a... in the prism group 31 and objective lens group 32, and these prisms 31a... and objective lens 32a... are both made of silicon that transmits infrared rays. It is made of materials such as.

This prism group 31 and objective lens group 32 are
They are arranged in a one-to-one positional relationship, and are rotated (revolving) by the drive shaft 34, so that each of the objective lenses 32a...
In other words, in a narrow range, it is approximately horizontal (X-axis direction in Figure 1)
It has the same effect as scanning. In this embodiment, a range of 15 degrees is scanned in the horizontal direction.

FIG. 5 shows the state of horizontal scanning in this embodiment. Even if the prism 31a and the objective lens 32a rotate together, the imaging range will not change in the vertical direction as long as the prism 31a located in front of the infrared fiber array 2 is the same prism. As the objective lens 32a moves, the imaging range on the incident end surface 2b of the infrared fiber array moves horizontally, as shown in FIG. In this way, with the vertical width of the field of view of 10 infrared fibers (for example, a viewing angle of 1°), e.g.
The width of the viewing angle of 15° is scanned horizontally.

In the prism group 31, the angle of each prism 31a is sequentially changed so that scanning in the vertical direction (Y-axis direction) is performed by changing the prism 31a located in front of the infrared fiber array 2. It is formed. That is, when the prism group 31 shown in FIG. 7 is displayed in cross section as shown in FIG.
The angles θ ₁ and θ ₂ of the prisms 31a in each cross section are shown in FIG. FIG. 6 shows the values of θ ₁ and θ ₂ when silicon is used as the material of the prisms 31a. Due to this angle change, each prism 31a located in front of the infrared fiber array 2 is scanned by 1° in the vertical direction. In this way, as shown in FIG. 9, a total range of 10 degrees is scanned in the vertical direction by the ten prisms 31a.

Therefore, in this example, a range of 10° is scanned with a resolution of 100 infrared fibers in the vertical direction,
In the horizontal direction, a range of 15° is scanned, or a resolution of 150 infrared fibers. In other words, in this example, the resolution of 1500 infrared fibers can be achieved with only 10
It is obtained from the infrared fiber of the book.

Returning to FIG. 1 again, 4 is an infrared image display means that visually converts the infrared images sequentially transmitted by the infrared fiber array 2, restores it to one image, and displays it. It is provided outside the insertion section 1 of the endoscope. 41 is an infrared detector made of InSb etc.
A total of 10 elements are arranged so that the elements correspond to each other. Then, by the conversion unit 42,
The fragmented infrared image transmitted by the infrared fiber array 2 is converted into a single original infrared image, ie, temperature distribution, and converted into a signal indicating a visible color change. Then, the temperature distribution in the temperature measurement range is
This is displayed on the display 43 as a difference in color.

〔Effect of the invention〕

According to the temperature measurement endoscope of the present invention, by simply rotating the plurality of pairs of objective lenses and prisms in one direction, horizontal scanning and vertical scanning of the temperature measurement range can be performed relatively quickly and accurately. Therefore, an infrared image with high resolution and a large number of pixels can be obtained with a very simple operation using a small number of infrared fibers. Therefore, the insertion part of the endoscope can be made thin, and the flexibility of the insertion part is not impaired, which greatly reduces the pain inflicted on the patient.Moreover, it has excellent advantages such as lower manufacturing costs. have an effect. Under such excellent conditions, the present invention can discover early cancer cells, submucosal tumors, etc. that are difficult to detect with the naked eye.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the overall configuration of an embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the infrared fiber array, Figure 3 is a perspective view of the infrared fiber array.
Figure 4 is a front view of the prism group and objective lens group which are the infrared image scanning means, Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the horizontal scanning state of the embodiment, and Figure 6 is a diagram showing the angle of the prism. , FIG. 7 is a front view of the prism group, FIG. 8 is a sectional view of the prism group, and FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the scanning state of the embodiment. 1... Insertion section, 2... Infrared fiber array, 2
a... Infrared fiber, 3... Infrared image scanning means, 4
... Infrared image display means, 31 ... Prism group, 32
...Objective lens group, 33...Motor, 34...Drive shaft, 43...Display.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. An infrared fiber array in which a plurality of infrared fibers made of an infrared transmitting material are arranged in at least one row in the same arrangement at both ends thereof and are inserted into an insertion section of an endoscope; The pairs of objective lenses have the same characteristics, and the prism's declination angle is determined by rotating the prism and a plurality of pairs of objective lenses, each made of a different infrared transmitting material, in front of the incident end face of the infrared fiber array. The two pairs of objective lenses and prisms move in front of the infrared fiber array to horizontally scan the range to be measured, and the pair of objective lenses and prisms located in front of the infrared fiber array an infrared image scanning means that vertically scans the temperature measurement target range by changing to a pair, and sequentially scans and forms an infrared image of the temperature measurement target range on the incident end surface of the infrared fiber array; , an infrared image display means that is provided outside the insertion section of the endoscope and visually converts the infrared images sequentially transmitted by the infrared fiber array, restores it to one image, and displays the restored image; A temperature measuring endoscope comprising: