INTRACAVITY OBSERVATION APPARATUS AND LIGHT GUIDE MOUNTING METHOD FOR THE SAME

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To constitute a light guide formed by bundling extremely fine optical fibers in such a manner that the light guide can be illuminated with a light quantity free of unevenness and can be easily assembled to a distal end body. SOLUTION: A mold member 55 for mounting the light guide 31 formed to an arcuate shape to the right and left of the inner peripheral surface of a distal end body 32 consists of a body tube 42 of an observation system unit 40 and a member having the same external form shape as that of body tube holding members 43a and 43b continuing therein. Arcuate spaces 58L and 58R are formed on both right and left sides of the distal end body 32 and the many extremely fine optical fibers 31F constituting the light guide 31 are inserted into the distal end body 32 from its base end side and are projected from the distal end side. Adhesives are applied to the projecting segments and the optical fibers are pulled into spaces 58L and 58R to the position where the fibers slightly project from the distal end face of the distal end body 32. The fibers are thus adhered to the inside surface of the distal end body 32. The end face of the light guide 31 projecting from the distal end body 32 is polished, by which the exit end for illumination light is formed.