CN114052847A

CN114052847A - Endoscopic surgical instrument and protection device therefor

Info

Publication number: CN114052847A
Application number: CN202010747318.1A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 唐志; 张岚; 董文君
Original assignee: Micro Tech Nanjing Co Ltd
Current assignee: Micro Tech Nanjing Co Ltd
Priority date: 2020-07-29
Filing date: 2020-07-29
Publication date: 2022-02-18
Anticipated expiration: 2040-07-29
Also published as: CN114052847B

Abstract

The application discloses endoscopic surgical instrument, it includes: the endoscopic surgical instrument further comprises a protection device for preventing the outer tube from being stabbed by the needle when the outer tube is bent, the protection device comprises a protection ring arranged on the inner wall of the outer tube, and the protection ring at least surrounds the needle point of the needle when the needle is retracted into the outer tube. The application also discloses a corresponding protection device. According to the present invention, by providing a protective ring that can be provided inside the outer tube of the endoscopic surgical instrument to surround the needle tip, it is possible to help prevent the outer tube from being stabbed by the needle when it is bent.

Description

Endoscopic surgical instrument and protection device therefor

Technical Field

The present invention relates to medical instruments for endoscopic procedures, and more particularly to an endoscopic surgical instrument with a needle and a protective device therefor.

Background

At present, an endoscopic surgical instrument with a needle head (such as a puncture needle) on the market is almost free of structural design for protecting the needle tip and/or sleeving an outer tube outside the needle head, so that the needle tip can poke the outer tube when the needle head passes through a large curve, the needle tip is curled and blunted, the puncture is blocked, even the needle cannot be pulled out, the outer tube can be punctured, and even an endoscope can be scratched.

Therefore, it is highly desirable to develop a new endoscopic surgical device with a needle, in which a needle/outer tube protection device is provided, so that the needle can effectively protect the needle tip and/or the outer tube when the needle passes through a curve, and can easily pass through the curve.

Disclosure of Invention

It is an object of the present invention to provide an endoscopic surgical instrument and a protective device therefor that at least partially solves the problem of protecting the needle tip and/or the outer tube from damage when the needle passes through a bend.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an endoscopic surgical instrument comprising: the endoscopic surgical instrument further comprises a protection device used for preventing the outer tube from being stabbed by the needle head when the outer tube is bent, wherein the protection device comprises a protection ring arranged on the inner wall of the outer tube, and when the needle head is retracted into the outer tube, the protection ring at least surrounds the needle point of the needle head.

In some advantageous embodiments, the protection ring is made of a material having a hardness greater than that of the outer tube, preferably the protection ring is made of a metallic material.

In some embodiments, the actuator may be an inner tube extending through the outer tube, the needle may be a puncture needle and may be coupled to a tip of the inner tube, and the endoscopic surgical instrument may further include handle assemblies coupled to the outer tube and the inner tube, respectively, for manipulating the advancement and retraction of the inner tube relative to the outer tube.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a protective device for an endoscopic surgical instrument as described above, the protective device comprising a protective ring, the wall of the protective ring being formed with a discontinuity or thinned structure of material in the axial direction of the protective ring.

In some advantageous embodiments, the protective ring has a plurality of slots formed in the ring wall, which extend at least in the circumferential direction of the protective ring and are arranged in a staggered manner such that adjacent slots in the axial direction of the protective ring are offset from one another in the circumferential direction of the protective ring.

Advantageously, the plurality of slots may extend in a direction parallel to a circumferential direction of the guard ring.

Preferably, the width of the plurality of slits is 0.05mm or less, and the distance between axially adjacent slits in the axial direction is 0.2mm or less.

Further, preferably, the plurality of slits have the same length, and the length is equal to or greater than a quarter of the circumference of the protective ring.

In further advantageous embodiments, the outer surface of the ring wall of the protective ring is formed with at least one recess where the ring wall of the protective ring is reduced in thickness, the at least one recess extending at least in the circumferential direction of the protective ring, and the ring wall of the protective ring has a continuous, smooth inner surface.

In other advantageous embodiments, the annular wall of the protection ring is formed with a plurality of scale structures, each scale structure is formed by deflecting a part of the material of the annular wall of the protection ring towards the axis along the needle tip direction of the needle, and the scale structures are arranged in a staggered manner.

Preferably, the distance between the axially adjacent scale structures in the axial direction is less than or equal to twice the height of the scale, and the distance of the deflection of the tail end of the scale structure from the annular wall to the axial center is greater than the thickness of the annular wall.

Preferably, the scale structure has a rounded tip, and a width of a root of the scale structure connected to the ring wall of the protection ring is greater than a distance in a circumferential direction of a circumferentially adjacent scale structure.

In some advantageous embodiments, the protective device may further comprise an end tube, and one end of the protective ring is connected to the end tube.

Preferably, the end pipe has barbs or threaded protrusions formed on an outer surface thereof for securing the end pipe to an inner wall of a member receiving the end pipe.

The protective ring and the end pipe may be joined together by welding or riveting.

Advantageously, one end of the end tube may be formed with a flange for limiting. The flange is adapted to abut against an end face of a distal end of an outer tube of an endoscopic surgical instrument.

Preferably, the guard ring is made of a metal material.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a protector for an endoscopic surgical instrument as described above, the protector comprising a protective ring, a ring wall of the protective ring being undulated in an axial direction of the protective ring and having a smooth inner surface.

In some advantageous embodiments, the protective device may further comprise an end tube, one end of the protective ring being connected to the end tube.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, by providing a protective ring that can be disposed within an outer tube of an endoscopic surgical instrument to surround a needle tip, the outer tube can be helped to prevent being pricked by the needle when bent.

Drawings

Other features, objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent upon reading of the detailed description of non-limiting embodiments made with reference to the following drawings:

FIG. 1 is a schematic structural view of a protective device and an endoscopic surgical instrument according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion of an endoscopic surgical instrument according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of one example of a protective ring according to a first embodiment of the present invention employed in the endoscopic surgical instrument illustrated in FIG. 2, wherein the protective ring has a slot formed therein;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged partial view of the guard ring of FIG. 3;

fig. 5 is a variation of the guard ring shown in fig. 3 and 4;

FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of one example of a second protective ring according to an embodiment of the present invention that may be used with an endoscopic surgical instrument, wherein the protective ring has a groove formed thereon;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an example of a protective ring according to a third embodiment of the present invention, as may be applied to an endoscopic surgical instrument, wherein the protective ring has a scale structure formed thereon;

FIG. 8 is a view of the protective ring of FIG. 7 taken in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 7;

fig. 9 schematically illustrates a state of the protective ring of fig. 7 during formation, wherein the scale structure has not yet been deflected toward the protective ring axis;

fig. 10 and 11 schematically illustrate the relative partial dimensions of the scale structure on the protective ring of fig. 7;

FIG. 12 is a schematic view of an example of a protective ring according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention applicable to an endoscopic surgical instrument, wherein the protective ring has a ring wall having a wavy shape in an axial direction;

FIG. 13 is an enlarged fragmentary view of an endoscopic surgical instrument according to a second embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 14 is a schematic view of a protective instrument employed in the endoscopic surgical instrument of FIG. 13, wherein the protective instrument includes a protective ring and an end tube.

Detailed Description

The present application will be described in further detail with reference to the following drawings and examples. It is to be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the relevant invention and not restrictive of the invention. It should be noted that, for convenience of description, only the portions related to the present invention are shown in the drawings.

In the present invention, the terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "front", "rear", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "center", "vertical", "horizontal", "lateral", "longitudinal", and the like indicate an orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings. These terms are used primarily to better describe the invention and its embodiments and are not intended to limit the indicated devices, elements or components to a particular orientation or to be constructed and operated in a particular orientation.

Fig. 1 is a schematic structural view of an endoscopic surgical instrument 10 and a protective device provided therein according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, endoscopic surgical device 10 includes a needle 11, an actuator 12 connected to the rear of needle 11, and an outer tube 13 disposed over needle 11 and actuator 12. Needle 11 is connected to the tip of actuator 12 and is adapted to extend from distal end 13a of outer tube 13 out of outer tube 13 and retract back into outer tube 13 upon actuation of actuator 12. Fig. 1 shows the needle 11 retracted inside the outer tube 13.

The needle 11 may be, for example, a puncture needle, but is not limited thereto. In the example of fig. 1, actuator 12 is an inner tube that extends through outer tube 13 and is axially movable relative to outer tube 13. In other examples, actuator 12 may be, for example, a push rod, although the invention is not limited in this respect. As shown in FIG. 1, the endoscopic surgical device 10 may further include a handle assembly 14 located at a proximal end 13b of the outer tube 13 distal from the needle 11, the handle assembly 14 being coupled to the outer tube 13 and the inner tube 12, respectively, and operable for manipulating the advancement and retraction of the inner tube 12 relative to the outer tube 13.

In use, the endoscopic surgical device 10 has a needle 11, an inner tube 12 and an outer tube 13 to be advanced into the body of the subject being treated. During the pushing process, the needle 11 is kept retracted inside the outer tube 13; when the distal end of the outer tube 13 is bent, the needle 11 is in the bend formed by the outer tube 13, often pricking the inner wall of the outer tube 13 and possibly also causing damage to the needle. The inventors of the present invention have paid attention to this problem and propose to further provide a protective device 100 for preventing the outer tube 13 from being pierced by the needle 11 when bent in the endoscopic surgical instrument 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

According to the first embodiment of the present invention, the protection device 100 includes a protection ring 100a provided on the inner wall of the outer tube 13. When the needle 11 is retracted into the outer tube 13, the protective ring 100a surrounds at least the needle tip 11a of the needle 11 (see fig. 1).

In some implementations, the protective ring 100a can be formed as a separate annular member and fixedly or movably positioned inside the distal end 13a of the outer tube 13. For example, the protection ring 100a may be bonded to the inner wall of the outer tube 13. In other implementations, the protective ring 100a may also be formed as a portion of the inner wall of the outer tube 13, for example, by physically/chemically treating the inner wall of the distal end of the outer tube (the inner wall portion surrounding the needle tip portion of the needle) to make the hardness of the inner wall of the portion greater than that of the inner wall at other positions, thereby protecting the outer tube from the needle tip. The present invention is not limited to the use of a particular form of guard ring.

The protection ring 100a has a hardness greater than that of the outer tube 13. For example, the protection ring 100a may be made of a material having a hardness greater than that of the outer tube 13. Preferably, the protective ring 100a is made of a metallic material, such as stainless steel, nitinol, or the like.

In some advantageous embodiments, the wall of the protective ring 100a is formed with a discontinuity or thinned structure of material in the axial direction of the protective ring. This will be described below in conjunction with fig. 2 to 11.

Fig. 2 is a partially enlarged view of the endoscopic surgical instrument 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and fig. 3 is a perspective view showing one example of the protection ring (protection ring 110) according to the first embodiment of the present invention employed in the endoscopic surgical instrument 10 shown in fig. 2. As shown more clearly in fig. 3, the annular wall 111 of the protective ring 110 is formed with a plurality of slits 112 such that the material of the annular wall 111 of the protective ring 110 is discontinuous in the axial direction of the protective ring. The plurality of slits 112 extend in the circumferential direction of the guard ring 110 (direction indicated by arrows in fig. 3), and are arranged in a staggered manner such that adjacent slits (for example,

slits

112a, 112b shown in fig. 3) in the axial direction of the guard ring 110 are offset from each other in the circumferential direction of the guard ring 110. The guard ring 110 is preferably made of metal. The staggered slots 112 make the protective ring 110 more flexible and resilient, thereby facilitating the smooth passage of the protective needle 11 and the outer tube 13 through various curves in the body of the subject.

In the example shown in fig. 3, a plurality of slits 112 may be formed on one circumferential turn of the annular wall 111 of the protective ring 110; however, the invention is not limited thereto, for example fewer slots, for example one or two slots, may be formed in one circumferential turn of the annular wall.

Fig. 4 is a partial enlarged view of the guard ring 110 of fig. 3; as shown in fig. 4, the slits 112 have a very long and narrow shape. Preferably, the width w of the notch 112 is less than or equal to 0.05mm, and more preferably, the width w is less than or equal to 0.03mm, so that the inner wall of the protection ring 110 still corresponds to a smooth surface with respect to the size of the tip 11a of the needle 11. In this way, the needle tip 11a contacts the protective ring 110 and slides on the smooth and hard inner wall of the protective ring 110 during the course of passing through the curve, so that the needle tip 11a is not damaged and the outer tube 13 is not punctured.

Preferably, the distance between the axially adjacent slits 112 in the axial direction is 0.2mm or less, so that the slits 112 are relatively densely arranged in the axial direction. This is advantageous in that, on the one hand, the flexibility of the protective ring 110 is increased to be more easily bent with the outer tube 13, and on the other hand, the increase in the width w of each slit 112 located on the outer side (the side away from the center of the bending) of the protective ring 110 at the time of bending is suppressed. The width w of the cut-inhibiting groove 112 is increased to help maintain the smoothness of the inner wall of the protective ring 110 with respect to the tip 11a, thereby preventing the tip 11a from being damaged.

Furthermore, as shown in fig. 3 and 4, the plurality of slits 112 may be configured to have the same length l, which is advantageous in achieving the same mechanical strength and elasticity of the protection ring 110 in all directions of the ring wall 111, and is also advantageous in terms of design and manufacture. The length l of the plurality of slots 112 is preferably equal to or greater than one-quarter of the circumference of the protective ring 110.

In the example shown in fig. 2-4, the plurality of kerfs of the guard ring extend along a circumferential direction of the guard ring; however, the present invention is not limited thereto. Fig. 5 illustrates a variation of the guard ring 110 of fig. 3 and 4, the guard ring 110'. As shown in fig. 5, the plurality of undercut grooves 112 'of the guard ring 110' extend not only in the circumferential direction but also in the axial direction; in other words, the extending direction of the plurality of slits 112' is inclined with respect to the circumferential direction of the guard ring. Preferably, as shown in fig. 5, the acute angle θ in which the cutting groove 112 'extends with respect to the circumferential direction of the guard ring 110' is 30 ° or less.

Fig. 6 schematically illustrates one example of a protective ring (protective ring 120) according to a second embodiment of the present invention that may be applied to the endoscopic surgical instrument 10. As shown, the outer surface of the annular wall 121 of the protective ring 120 is formed with at least one groove 122, the groove 122 extending at least in the circumferential direction of the protective ring 120. The thickness of the ring wall 121 of the guard ring 120 is reduced at the groove 122. The groove 122 may be, for example, a continuous helical groove, or may be, for example, a plurality of grooves arranged as shown in fig. 4 or 5. With respect to the undercut grooves 112, 112', the groove 122 is formed only on the outer surface of the protective annular wall and does not penetrate to the inner surface of the annular wall. In this way, the protective ring 120 having the groove 122 can have a continuously smooth inner surface.

Since the outer surface of the protective ring 120 is formed with the groove 122 of thinned wall material and the groove extends at least in the circumferential direction, the protective ring 120 can have improved bending deformability while the protective ring 120 can maintain a continuous, smooth inner surface, which is advantageous for preventing damage to the needle tip and the outer tube.

One example of a protective ring (protective ring 130) according to a third embodiment of the present invention that can be applied to the endoscopic surgical instrument 10 will next be described with reference to fig. 7 to 11.

Fig. 7 is a schematic perspective view of the guard ring 130, and fig. 8 is a view of the guard ring 130 taken in the direction indicated by the arrow in fig. 7.

As shown in fig. 7 and 8, the annular wall 131 of the protection ring 130 is formed with a plurality of scale structures 132, each scale structure 132 is formed by deflecting a part of the material of the annular wall 131 toward the axial center in the direction of the needle tip 11a of the needle 11, and the plurality of scale structures 132 are arranged alternately.

The protective ring 130 may be fabricated by, for example, laser engraving a groove corresponding to the profile of the scale structure 132 (as shown in fig. 9) in the wall 131 of the protective ring 130, and then pressing the scale inward with a special tool to deflect the scale to a predetermined degree.

As shown in fig. 10, the scale structure 132 preferably has rounded ends, and the width D of the root where the scale structure 132 is connected to the ring wall 131 is greater than the distance D in the circumferential direction of the circumferentially adjacent scale structure 132.

Further, as shown in fig. 10, the scale structure 132 has a height H in the axial direction, and the axially

adjacent scale structures

132a, 132b of the protection ring 130 have a spacing H in the axial direction, preferably H is equal to or less than twice the scale height H.

Further, as shown in fig. 11, the distance B by which the ends of the scale structures 132 are deflected from the annular wall 131 toward the axial center is preferably greater than the thickness B of the annular wall 131. However, this is not necessary as long as the distance B of the end of the scale structure 132 deflected from the annular wall 131 to the axial center ensures that when the protection ring 130 bends with the outer tube 13, the deflected scale structure 132 can shield the open area on the annular wall 131, thereby preventing the needle tip 11a from passing through or being stuck in the open area.

According to the third embodiment of the present invention, although the inner wall of the protection ring 130 is not a smooth surface, since the scale on the ring wall of the protection ring located at the outer side shields the opening region and does not form a barrier to the needlepoint 11a in the direction along the needlepoint 11a when the protection ring 130 is bent, the protection ring 130 can prevent the needlepoint or the outer tube 13 from being damaged when the outer tube 13 is bent.

Meanwhile, since a part of the material of the annular wall 131 is cut and deflected toward the axial center, in other words, the annular wall 131 forms a discontinuous structure of the material in the axial direction, the protection ring 131 has a better bending deformation capability, thereby being capable of bending along with the outer pipe 13 more flexibly.

Various embodiments of protective ring annular walls formed with a discontinuity or thinned structure of material in the axial direction are described above in connection with fig. 2-11. However, it should be understood that the guard rings according to embodiments of the present invention are not limited to discontinuous structures or thinned structures having the above materials. For example, as shown in fig. 12, a protection ring 140 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention has a continuous material wall 141, and the wall 141 is wavy in the axial direction. Such a guard ring 140 may also be referred to as a "bellows-type" guard ring. When the bellows type protection ring 140 is bent with the outer tube, the wave shape of the ring wall 141 located at the outer side is unfolded so that a smooth inner surface along which the needle tip 11a is guided to slide can be formed, thereby preventing the needle tip or the outer tube from being damaged.

An endoscopic surgical instrument 10' and a protective device 200 according to a second embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to fig. 13 and 14.

The endoscopic surgical instrument 10' according to the second embodiment of the present invention has substantially the same structure as the endoscopic surgical instrument 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, except that: as shown in fig. 13 and 14, in the endoscopic surgical instrument 10', the protection device 200 includes, in addition to the protection ring 200a, an end tube 200 b; one end of the protective ring 200a is connected to the end tube 200b, and the end tube 200b is used to be fixedly connected to a distal end 13a of the outer tube 13 of the endoscopic surgical device 10' near the needle 11 a.

The guard ring 200a according to the second embodiment of the present invention may be the same guard ring as the guard ring 100a of the protection apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and will not be described herein again.

The protective ring 200a and the end pipe 200b may be integrally formed or may be separately formed and then fixedly coupled together, for example, by welding or riveting. Of course, the invention is not limited in the particular manner in which the protector ring and end pipe are connected. For example, the two may be fixed together by bonding or interference fit.

Referring to FIG. 14, in an advantageous embodiment, the outer surface of the end tube 200b may be formed with barb or thread ridge structures 200b-1 for securing the end tube 200b to the inner wall of the outer tube 13 of the endoscopic surgical instrument 10'.

Further, as shown in fig. 13 and 14, one end of the end pipe 200b may be formed with a flange 200b-2 for a stopper. When the protector 200 is fitted to the endoscopic surgical instrument 10', the flange 200b-2 is intended to abut against the end face of the distal end 13a of the outer tube 13. Such a configuration facilitates axial positioning of the protector 200 on the outer tube 13.

The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the application and is illustrative of the principles of the technology employed. It will be appreciated by a person skilled in the art that the scope of the invention as referred to in the present application is not limited to the embodiments with a specific combination of the above-mentioned features, but also covers other embodiments with any combination of the above-mentioned features or their equivalents without departing from the inventive concept. For example, the above features may be replaced with (but not limited to) features having similar functions disclosed in the present application.

Claims

1. An endoscopic surgical instrument, comprising: the endoscopic surgical instrument further comprises a protection device used for preventing the outer tube from being stabbed by the needle head when the outer tube is bent, wherein the protection device comprises a protection ring arranged on the inner wall of the outer tube, and when the needle head is retracted into the outer tube, the protection ring at least surrounds the needle point of the needle head.

2. The endoscopic surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein the protective ring is made of a material having a hardness greater than that of the outer tube, preferably the protective ring is made of a metallic material.

3. The endoscopic surgical instrument according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the ring wall of the protection ring is formed with a discontinuous structure or a thinned structure of material in the axial direction of the protection ring.

4. The endoscopic surgical instrument of claim 2, wherein the ring wall of the protection ring has a plurality of slots formed thereon that extend at least in a circumferential direction of the protection ring and are staggered such that axially adjacent slots of the protection ring are circumferentially offset from one another.

5. The endoscopic surgical device of claim 2, wherein the ring wall of the protective ring is undulating in the protective ring axial direction and has a smooth inner surface.

6. The endoscopic surgical device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein said protection means further comprises an end tube to which one end of said protection ring is connected, said end tube being intended to be fixedly connected to a distal end of the outer tube close to the needle.

7. The endoscopic surgical device according to claim 6, wherein the end tube has barbs or threaded protrusions formed on an outer surface thereof for securing the end tube to an inner wall of the outer tube.

8. The endoscopic surgical instrument according to claim 6 or 7, wherein one end portion of the end tube is formed with a flange for stopping, and the flange abuts on an end face of the distal end portion of the outer tube.

9. A protector for an endoscopic surgical instrument, wherein the protector comprises a protective ring, the wall of which is formed with a discontinuity or a thinned structure of material in the axial direction of the protective ring.

10. The protector of claim 9, wherein a plurality of slits are formed on the ring wall of the protection ring, the plurality of slits extending at least in the circumferential direction of the protection ring, and being staggered such that slits adjacent in the axial direction of the protection ring are offset from each other in the circumferential direction of the protection ring.

11. The protector of claim 10, wherein the plurality of slots extend in a direction parallel to a circumference of the protective ring.

12. The protector of claim 11, wherein the plurality of slots have a width of 0.05mm or less and an axially adjacent slot spacing in the axial direction of 0.2mm or less.

13. The protector of claim 12, wherein the plurality of slots have the same length and the length is equal to or greater than one quarter of the circumference of the protective ring.

14. The protector of claim 9, wherein the outer surface of the wall of the protective ring has at least one groove formed thereon, the wall of the protective ring having a reduced thickness at the groove, the at least one groove extending at least in the circumferential direction of the protective ring, and the wall of the protective ring having a continuous, smooth inner surface.

15. The protector of claim 9, wherein the wall of the protective ring has a plurality of scale structures formed thereon, each scale structure being formed by a portion of material of the wall of the protective ring being deflected toward the axial center in the direction of the tip of the needle, the scale structures being arranged in a staggered manner.

16. The protector of claim 15, wherein the axially adjacent scale structures are spaced apart by an axial distance equal to or less than twice the height of the scale, and the tips of the scale structures are deflected from the annular wall toward the axial center by a distance greater than the thickness of the annular wall.

17. The protector of claim 16, wherein the scale structures have rounded ends, and the width of the roots where the scale structures are connected to the ring wall of the protection ring is greater than the distance in the circumferential direction between circumferentially adjacent scale structures.

18. The protector of any one of claims 10-17, further comprising an end tube, wherein one end of the protective ring is attached to the end tube.

19. The protector of claim 18, wherein the outer surface of the end tube has barbs or threaded projections formed thereon for securing the end tube to the inner wall of the member receiving the end tube.

20. A protective device according to claim 18 or 19 wherein one end of the end tube is formed with a flange for location.

21. A protector for an endoscopic surgical instrument, wherein the protector comprises a protective ring, a ring wall of the protective ring being undulated in an axial direction of the protective ring and having a smooth inner surface.

22. The protector of claim 21, further comprising an end tube, wherein one end of the protective ring is attached to the end tube.