Endoscope capable of being autoclaved

An endoscope capable of being autoclaved, comprising:

• an outer casing means made at least partially of a polymeric material that secures an internal space;
• a component housed in the internal space of the outer casing means and constituted as a hermetically sealed unit composed of a plurality of airtight partition members, end parts of said plurality of airtight partition members being hermetically joined to one another such as to at least partially have said partition members overlap one another thereby to provide an airtight space;
• a first sealing means, with which the outer casing means is provided, to provide the outer casing means with watertightness to hinder liquid from invading into the interior of the outer casing means and to provide a first sealing level to permit high-pressure, high-temperature steam given off during autoclaving to invade into the internal space of the outer casing means;
• and
• a second sealing means with which the component is provided, to provide the component with a second sealing level higher than the first sealing level provided by the first sealing means, to hinder the high-pressure, high-temperature steam invading through the outer casing means during autoclaving from invading into the airtight partition members,
• wherein said hermetically sealed unit includes at least one of optical members and electronic parts or both said optical members and said electronic parts as airtight partition members, and
• wherein said hermetically sealed unit is a lens unit having optical members as said airtight partition members, said lens unit having a first and second end portions which are hermetically locked as optical windows.

An endoscope capable of being autoclaved, comprising:

• an outer casing made at least partially of a polymeric material and having an interior;
• a component housed in the interior of the outer casing and constituted as a hermetically sealed unit composed of a plurality of airtight partition members which are hermetically joined to one another and at least partially overlapped;
• a frame body which constitutes an end of the component;
• a first optical member which is hermetically locked in the frame body and which forms an optical path;
• and
• a second optical member which is positioned, bonded and fixed to a distal surface of the first optical member and which forms the optical path,
• wherein
• the outer casing is formed to provide a first sealing level to hinder liquid from invading into the interior thereof while permitting high-pressure, high-temperature steam given off during autoclaving to invade into the interior thereof;
• and
• the component is formed to provide a second sealing level higher than the first sealing level of the outer casing, to hinder the high-pressure, high-temperature steam penetrating through the outer casing during autoclaving from invading into the interior.

An endoscope comprising:

• an outer casing made at least partially of a polymeric material and having an interior;
• a component housed in the interior of the outer casing and constituted as a hermetically sealed unit composed of a plurality of airtight partition members which are hermetically joined to one another and at least partially overlapped;
• a frame body defining an airtight inner space, the frame body being capable of expanding when subjected to autoclaving, while maintaining the airtightness of the inner space;
• an optical window coupled to the frame body to guide light into the inner space;
• a first optical member having a first diameter and mounted within the airtight inner space and disposed on an optical axis of incident light penetrating through the optical window;
• a second optical member mounted within the inner space without contacting any portion of the frame body in a manner whereby expansion and contraction of the second optical member does not affect the ability of the frame body to maintain the airtightness of the inner space
• wherein
• the outer casing is formed to provide a first sealing level to hinder liquid from invading into the interior thereof while permitting high-pressure, high-temperature steam given off during autoclaving to invade into the interior thereof;
• and
• the component is formed to provide a second sealing level higher than the first sealing level of the outer casing, to hinder the high-pressure, high-temperature steam penetrating through the outer casing during autoclaving from invading into the interior.