PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an endoscope wherein safety and visual determination in time of endoscope use are improved by making an easy switchover between forward observation and rearward observation without unnecessarily moving the entire endoscope during an insertion into a human body.SOLUTION: In this endoscope, an insertion part 10 incorporating an endoscope body 20 such that the endoscope body 20 can be moved in the front-rear direction has: a forward illumination means 11 a transparent transparency part 12 a rearward observation mirror 13 disposed within the transparency part 12 and electrode contacts 14, 15 disposed so as to face the inside of the insertion part 10. The endoscope body 20 has: an objective lens provided to the front end thereof a rearward illumination means 21 and electrode contacts 22, 23, 24 disposed on the outer surface of the endoscope body 20. The endoscope includes a power source V for supplying power to the forward illumination means 11 and the rearward illumination means 21. In time of the forward observation, the electrode contacts 14, 15 disposed in the insertion part 10 and the electrode contacts 22, 24 disposed in the endoscope body 20 are connected such that the power is supplied to the forward illumination means 11 from the power source V. In time of the rearward observation, the electrode contacts are connected such that the power is supplied to the rearward illumination means 21 from the power source V.COPYRIGHT: (C)2012,JPO&INPIT【課題】体内への挿入中に全体を徒に動かすことなく、前方観察と後方観察とに容易に切り換えができ、内視鏡使用時の安全性と視覚判断を向上させた内視鏡を提供する。【解決手段】内視鏡本体20を前後移動可能に内蔵する挿入部10が前方照明手段11と、透明な透明部12と、透明部12内に配設された後方観察ミラー13と、挿入部10の内部を臨むように配設された電極接点14,15とを有し、内視鏡本体20が先端の対物レンズと、後方照明手段21と、内視鏡本体20の外側面に配設された電極接点22,23,24とを有し、前方照明手段11と後方照明手段21に電力を供給するための電源Vを備え、前方観察の際、電源Vから前方照明手段11に給電されるように挿入部10に配設された電極接点14,15と内視鏡本体20に配設された電極接点22,24とが接続し、後方観察の際、電源Vから後方照明手段21に給電されるように電極接点同士が接続する。【選択図】図1
