JP2007061377A - Endoscope - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an endoscope provided with an insertion part which can be inserted easily to even an insertion path which is narrow and curved extremely. <P>SOLUTION: A flexible part 2d provided between a distal end side connection ring 12 constituting a distal end hard part 2c and a distal end ring 13a being the distal end position of an angle part 2b is composed of a spiral tube 20 flexible in a curving direction, and can be curved in a desired direction by a curving operation, so that the flexible part 2d is curved when external force acts on it. in order to curve-operating the flexible part 2d, a pair of curve operation wires 22 and 22 are provided vertically and wound on a pulley 31 constituting a flexible part operation means provided at a main body operation part 3. By operating an operation knob 33, the flexible part 2d can be curved. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an endoscope having an insertion portion with a small-diameter structure suitable for insertion into a narrow path such as a nasal insertion path.

  An endoscope used for medical purposes is provided with an insertion portion into a body cavity connected to a main body operation portion, and at least a universal cord that is detachably connected to the light source device extends from the main body operation portion. It is configured. The insertion part is composed of a flexible part that bends in an arbitrary direction along the insertion path for most of the length from the connection part to the main body operation part. The flexible part has an angle part, and the angle part has A hard tip is provided continuously. The distal end rigid portion is provided with an endoscope observation means including an illuminating means and an imaging device on the distal end surface (or distal end side surface portion), and the distal end of the treatment instrument insertion channel is opened. The angle portion is configured to be able to bend by remote operation from the main body operation portion in order to direct the distal end hard portion in a desired direction.

  As an insertion path of an insertion portion of an endoscope, an endoscope for the upper digestive tract is generally inserted orally. However, when the insertion portion is inserted from the oral cavity, a pharyngeal reflex occurs, which causes discomfort and pain to the subject. In addition, since the insertion part is inserted while the subject holds the mouthpiece, the mouth breathing may be hindered and the conversation with the operator becomes difficult. .

As a path through which the endoscope can be inserted, it is possible to insert not only through the oral cavity but also through the nasal cavity. Since the inside of the nasal cavity is a narrow path, the burden on the subject is light compared to an endoscope of the type that is inserted into the oral cavity because a thin insertion portion is used. For this reason, for example, the method of inserting nasally in Patent Document 1 is considered desirable from the viewpoint of subject protection and the like, and in Non-Patent Document 1, using a small-diameter endoscope nasally. Clinical examples of inserted endoscopy have also been reported. From the present situation where endoscopes having a thin insertion portion having a diameter of 6 mm or less are put into practical use, endoscopic examinations by a method of inserting nasally will tend to be frequently used in the future.
JP 2005-74035 A 54th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Gastroenterological Endoscopy Society Vol. 39 (Suppl. 2) 1997 VS6-2

  By the way, in the endoscope inserted transnasally, as already explained, the insertion path is narrow, but the most narrowed part is usually the nasal septum, the middle turbinate and the turbinate. It is a space between. Moreover, the structure of the nasal septal curvature and other congenital or acquired nasal insertion paths may differ depending on the individual subject. Therefore, an operator who operates the endoscope is required to perform an extremely careful operation such as insertion while searching for an insertion path. Here, the insertion part has a structure that can be bent except for the hard tip part, but the angle part connected to the hard tip part performs a bending operation, unlike the soft part that bends freely along the insertion path. This is the first time to bend, and when the bending operation is performed, the entire angle portion is bent. The nasal cavity is a narrow path, and the width, shape, etc. of the path differ depending on the subject, so it is extremely difficult to pass the narrowed part of the insertion path by bending the angle part. It may cause pain to the subject such as pressure on the mucous membrane.

  From the above, while the insertion part is moving in the nasal cavity, the angle part follows the curved path as much as possible, and after the insertion part has passed through the nasal cavity, the position and direction of the distal hard part is changed. In order to stabilize, it is desirable that the angle portion be held stably so as not to bend except during the bending operation. However, since it is necessary to reduce the diameter, the function cannot be switched between a state in which the angle portion can be freely bent and a state in which the angle is bent based on the operation.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object thereof is an endoscope provided with an insertion portion that is narrow and can be easily inserted into an insertion path that is extremely bent. Is to provide.

  In order to achieve the above-described object, the present invention has a distal end hard portion with an endoscope observation means attached to the distal end, and an angle portion is provided on the proximal end side of the distal end hard portion, and the angle portion is soft. An endoscope having an insertion part connected to each other, and a main body operation part provided to be connected to a base end part of the soft part of the insertion part, between the distal end hard part and the angle part. The structure is characterized in that a flexible part having a length shorter than the angle part and having flexibility in the bending direction is provided, and a flexible part operating means for bending the flexible part is provided in the main body operating part. It is what.

  The insertion portion has a cylindrical member having shape retention and crush resistance as a structural member, and an outer layer made of a net and an elastic member, for example, a rubber tube, is covered on the outer peripheral portion of the structural member. The structural member of the flexible portion provided between the distal end hard portion and the angle portion is a tube structure having flexibility in the bending direction. The structural member of the soft part is a metal strip wound spirally, and the angle part is composed of a plurality of angle rings that are sequentially pivoted. Since both are bendable structures, these structures can be adopted as the structural member of the flexible portion.

  Here, the flexible part has a preset bending angle and a dimension in the length direction of the flexible part. Further, in the insertion portion, the angle portion and the flexible portion are independent parts, and the bending portion does not bend when the angle portion is bent, and the angle portion can be bent by the bending portion. Is not bent, that is, the other part is not affected by the operation of one part. Further, the length of the flexible portion is shorter than the angle portion, and the possible bending angle is also smaller than the angle portion. The bending angle and the length in the axial direction of the flexible portion are appropriately set according to the state of the path through which the insertion portion is inserted. For example, in an endoscope that is inserted nasally, the length of the flexible portion is shortened to increase the possible bending angle to some extent.

  The main body operation part is provided with a flexible part operation means, and this flexible part operation means is operated to bend the flexible part by remote control. When the operation is not performed, the flexible portion can be configured to be rigid and not bend. Moreover, when an external force acts on a flexible part, it is good also as a structure bent according to it. Further, the flexible portion may be configured to be switchable between three states, a state where the bending operation can be performed by the flexible portion operating means, a state where the flexible portion does not bend, and a state where the flexible portion can freely bend when an external force is applied. . In order to bend the flexible part by remote operation, a transmission means is provided. This transmission means can use a bending operation wire, and can have substantially the same configuration as the bending operation wire of the angle portion.

  Specifically, for example, a distal end side connection ring connected to the distal end hard portion is provided at the distal end portion of the flexible portion, and the distal end ring constituting the angle ring of the angle portion can be coupled to the proximal end portion. . A fastening portion is provided at an angular position of approximately 180 ° of the distal end side connection ring, and the distal ends of the bending operation wires are connected to the respective fastening portions, and the pair of bending operation wires are attached to the distal end ring. It is made to pass through a flexible sleeve such as a contact coil fixedly held by a sleeve fixing portion provided at the position. Further, the flexible portion operating means includes a knob for winding the base end portion of each bending operation wire described above around a pulley and rotating the pulley. The switching means can be configured by changing the knob into a state in which the knob rotates integrally with the pulley, a state in which the pulley freely rotates, and a state in which the pulley cannot be rotated. It is sufficient that at least one bending operation wire is provided, and four bending operation wires may be provided.

  In addition to mounting the bending operation wire as the transmission means, for example, a configuration in which an electric actuator made of a soft member such as a polymer gel and extending and contracting based on an electric signal is mounted on the flexible portion can be used. The bending operation of the flexible part can also be performed. In this case, by providing an operation unit such as a volume in the main body operation unit, the flexible unit operation unit can be obtained.

  By configuring as described above, the path is slightly changed by the subject, such as a nasal cavity, and the flexible part is bent when the insertion part is inserted through a thin and bent insertion path. By performing the operation, it is possible to smoothly guide the tip of the insertion portion toward the path, and the operability of the insertion operation is improved.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the present embodiment, an endoscope insertion portion is inserted through a subject's nasal cavity and used for an upper digestive tract such as the esophagus, stomach, duodenum, and the like. However, the insertion path of the insertion portion is not limited to this.

  First, as shown in FIG. 1, the endoscope 1 is roughly configured by an insertion portion 2, a main body operation portion 3 to which the insertion portion 2 is connected, and a universal cord 4. The insertion portion 2 is composed of a flexible portion 2a in which a predetermined length is bent from the connecting portion to the main body operation portion 3 in an arbitrary direction, and an angle portion is provided at the distal end portion of the flexible portion 2a. 2b is connected, and a hard tip portion 2c is connected to the tip of the angle portion 2b. The universal cord 4 is detachably connected to a processor equipped with a light source device (not shown) and a video signal processing circuit.

  FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional structure of the distal end portion of the insertion portion 2 of the endoscope 1. In FIG. 2, a portion from the distal end hard portion 2c to the distal end portion of the angle portion 2b is shown, and the flexible portion 2a is not shown, but the configuration of the flexible portion 2a is conventionally known, The illustration and detailed description of the specific configuration are omitted.

  As is clear from FIG. 2, the distal end hard portion 2 c in the insertion portion 2 includes a distal end portion body 10 and an insulating cap 11, and the distal end portion body 10 is connected to the distal end side connection ring 12. Therefore, specifically, the distal end hard portion 2c is configured from the insulating cap 11 to the proximal end portion of the distal end side connection ring 12. An observation means 5 is attached to the distal end hard portion 2c. The observation means 5 includes an objective optical system 5a and a solid-state image sensor 5b. Although not shown, illumination means for irradiating illumination light is attached to the left and right sides of the attachment part of the observation means 5 on the distal end surface of the distal end hard part 2c. These illumination means and observation means constitute an endoscope observation means. Furthermore, a treatment instrument insertion path 6 is provided in the insertion portion 2, and the treatment instrument insertion path 6 includes a treatment instrument insertion pipe 6 a made of a hard pipe and a treatment instrument insertion that is fitted to the treatment instrument insertion pipe 6 a. The treatment instrument insertion pipe 6a is open to the distal end surface of the distal end hard portion 2c.

  The angle portion 2b can be bent by remote operation so that the hard tip portion 2c is directed in a desired direction. Here, the bending direction of the angle portion 2b is set to be two directions of up and down or four directions of up and down, left and right, but in this embodiment, the bending operation is made possible in four directions of up and down and left and right. The angle portion 2b is constructed by pivoting the angle ring 13 with the pivot pin 14 at two locations, up and down and left and right. A net 15 made of a braided metal wire is covered on the outer periphery of the plurality of angle rings 13 connected in this way, and the net 15 is covered with an outer skin layer 16 made of an elastic tube. . Inside the angle ring 14 constituting the angle portion 2b, bending operation wires 17 are mounted at four locations at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. Accordingly, by pushing and pulling the bending operation wire 17, the angle portion 2b is bent vertically and horizontally.

  The bending operation of the angle portion 2 b is performed by remote operation from the main body operation unit 3. For this purpose, the main body operation unit 3 is provided with an angle knob 7. The bending operation wire 17 is wound around a pulley (not shown) rotated by the angle knob 7, and the distal end portion extends to the position of the distal end ring 13 a located at the forefront of the angle ring 13. Has been. And in order to position each operation wire 13 in the circumferential direction, each operation wire 13 is sequentially inserted through a through hole 14 a provided in the pivot pin 14. Further, a cut-out portion 18 for fixing the tip end portion of the operation wire 13 is formed in the tip ring 13 a, and the tip end portion of the bending operation wire 17 is fixed to each cut-out portion 18.

  The distal end hard portion 2c extends to the proximal end portion of the distal end side connecting ring 12, and the distal end position of the angle portion 2b is a distal end ring 13a. A flexible portion 2d is provided between the angle portion 2b and the hard tip portion 2c. The flexible portion 2d is interposed between the distal end side connection ring 12 and the distal end ring 13a constituting the angle ring 13, and has flexibility in the bending direction. The flexible portion 2d has a spiral tube 20 as a structural member, and a net 21 is attached to the outer peripheral portion of the spiral tube 20. The outer skin layer covering the net 21 is extended with the outer skin layer 16 of the angle portion 2b. The flexible portion 2a has a configuration having a spiral tube as its structural member, and therefore can be configured similarly to the spiral tube 20 of the flexible portion 2d. However, in the flexible portion 2a, the spiral tube is composed of a double spiral tube wound in opposite directions, whereas the illustrated flexible portion 2d is composed of a single-layer spiral tube 20. Yes. In addition, it can also comprise with a double spiral tube similarly to the soft part 2a, and the soft part 2a can also be comprised with a single layer spiral tube.

  With this configuration, the flexible portion 2d can be bent in the intended direction by a bending operation. Further, as it is, it bends even when an external force is applied. As described above, the bending operation wire 22 is provided in order to perform the bending operation of the flexible portion 2d. Although the bending operation wire 17 is provided to bend the angle portion 2b, four bending operation wires 17 are provided, and the angle portion 2b can be bent in four directions, up and down and left and right. In the case of the bending operation wire 22, the intended purpose can be achieved if the bending operation wire 22 can be bent only in the vertical direction, so two bending operation wires 22 are provided.

  As apparent from FIG. 3, the bending operation wires 22 have their tips fixed to a cut-off portion 23 provided on the distal end side connection ring 12. Further, a bending pipe 24 is fixed to a portion on the base end side from the flexible portion 2d, that is, the position of the distal end ring 13a of the angle portion 2b by means of soldering or the like, and the bending operation wire 22 is placed inside the bending pipe 24. Is inserted. A close contact coil 25 as a flexible sleeve is connected to the proximal end side of the bending pipe 24, and the bending operation wire 22 is inserted into the close contact coil 25. Therefore, if one of the bending operation wires 22 and 22 provided above and below is pulled and the other is extended, the flexible portion 2d bends in the vertical direction.

  Here, the bending operation wire 22 and the bending operation wire 17 are arranged at the same position in the circumferential direction so that the bending direction of the flexible portion 2d coincides with the vertical direction when the angle portion 2b is bent. Therefore, the bending operation wire 22 is inserted into the bending pipe 24 so that the bending operation wire 22 does not interfere with the bending operation wire 17. However, if it is not necessary to match these directions, the bending pipe 24 may not be provided, and it may be inserted directly into the close contact coil 25.

  The push / pull operation of the bending operation wires 22 and 22 is performed in the main body operation unit 3. As shown in FIG. 4, the main body operation unit 3 is provided with a flexible portion operation means 8. The flexible part operating means 8 is configured as shown in FIGS. That is, a support member 30 is provided in the casing 9 of the main body operation unit 3, and a pulley 31 constituting the flexible unit operation means 8 is attached to the support member 30. The pulley 31 is provided with a groove around which a pair of bending operation wires 22, 22 are wound, and a guide member 32 is provided on the outer peripheral portion of the pulley 31. It is designed to be held stably. By rotating the pulley 31, one of the bending operation wires 22 and 22 is pulled and the other is extended, whereby the flexible portion 2 d is bent by remote operation. An operation knob 33 is provided to rotate the pulley 31, and a knob portion 33a of the operation knob 33 is provided so that an operator who operates the endoscope 1 can operate it with fingers. It is arranged outside the casing 9 of the operation unit 3 and in the vicinity of a portion where the angle knob 13 is provided.

  The operation knob 33 extends into the casing 9, is erected on the support member 30, and is rotatably fitted to a support shaft 34 that rotatably supports the pulley 31. The lower end portion of the operation knob 33 is a large-diameter disc portion 33b, and one or a plurality of engagement protrusions 35 are suspended from the disc portion 33b. The engagement protrusion 35 can be engaged with and disengaged from the drive hole 36 provided in the pulley 31. When the engagement protrusion 35 is detached from the drive hole 36 as shown in FIG. The pulley 31 can freely rotate, and as shown in FIG. 6, when the engaging projection 35 is engaged with the drive hole 36, the operation knob 33 and the pulley 31 rotate integrally. . Further, as shown in FIG. 7, the support member 30 is provided with a stopper hole 37, and the tip of the engagement projection 35 of the operation knob 33 passes through the drive hole 36 and is fitted into the stopper hole 37. If it matches, the operation knob 33 and the pulley 31 will be unable to rotate, and the bending operation wire 22 will be locked.

  As described above, the engaging protrusion 35 of the operation knob 33 is held at three positions by moving up and down along the support shaft 34. In order to stably hold at each of these positions, a mounting portion of the pulley 31 is provided. Are provided with annular click grooves 39U, 39M and 39L over three stages, and a click ball 40 is provided on the outer peripheral portion of the disc portion 33b of the operation knob 33. Is provided. In the figure, reference numeral 41 denotes a return spring that acts on the disk portion 33b of the operation knob 33. Normally, the pulley 31 can be freely rotated by the action of the return spring 41.

  In the endoscope having the above configuration, as shown in FIG. 8, the insertion portion 2 of the endoscope 1 has a narrow path through the nasal passage including the middle nasal passage or the lower nasal passage from the outer nostril that is the entrance of the nasal passage. It will be introduced into the esophagus through the nasal throat and posterior nostril. In this insertion route, the narrowest and most bent route is a gap formed between the nasal septum and the middle and lower turbinates at the site indicated by A in FIG. . In order to pass this part A, as shown in FIG. 9, the distal end hard part 2 c of the insertion part 2 is directed in the direction F and the gap is sniped. Here, depending on the subject, the position and direction of this insertion path are different, and therefore the distal end hard part is operated by bending the flexible part 2d while observing the front by the observation means 5 of the endoscope. The direction of 2c is controlled, and the front-end | tip hard part 2c is orientated in the direction which can pass a constriction part reliably.

  In order to bend the flexible portion 2d by remote operation, the operation knob 33 constituting the flexible portion operating means 8 is set to the state shown in FIG. That is, if the operation knob 33 is in the state shown in FIG. 5, the knob 33a of the operation knob 33 is pushed into the casing 9, and if it is in the state shown in FIG. As a result, the click ball 40 provided on the disc portion 33 b is engaged with the click groove 30 </ b> M located at the middle stage among the three stages of click grooves provided on the peripheral wall portion 38. As a result, the engagement protrusion 35 provided on the operation knob 33 engages with the drive hole 36 of the pulley 31. Accordingly, when the knob portion 33a of the operation knob 33 is rotated, the pulley 31 is rotated following, and the flexible portion 2d in the insertion portion 2 bends according to the rotation amount of the knob portion 33a, and the tip end is hard. The direction of the part 2c can be finely adjusted.

  Then, by operating the operation knob 33, the direction of the flexible portion 2d is finely adjusted so that the distal end hard portion 2c of the insertion portion 2 is in an optimum direction for passing the narrowest portion of the insertion path. By adjusting, it is possible to easily and smoothly insert the insertion portion 2 along a different path according to the individuality of the subject including the narrowed and bent portion A. In addition, since the stenosis can be easily passed in this way, the burden on the subject is minimized.

  Even if the distal end of the insertion portion 2 passes through the part A, it still travels through a narrow path as long as it is located in the nasal cavity. Although the part A is bent, the path ahead is a substantially straight path. Accordingly, the operation knob 33 is returned to the original position, and the operation is performed so as to release the bending of the flexible portion 2d. When the flexible part 2d passes through a greatly bent part, the angle part 2b comes to face this part. The angle portion 2b is curved by the operation of the angle knob 7, but becomes a relatively hard portion if the angle operation is not performed. Therefore, in order to pass the angle portion 2b without giving pain or pressure to the subject, the angle portion 2b is operated to push the insertion portion 2 while operating the angle knob 7, so that the angle portion 2b Will pass smoothly and will not increase the extra burden on the subject.

  As described above, when the angle portion 2b passes through the portion A, the distal end hard portion 2c and the flexible portion 2d are further advanced forward. However, since it does not escape from the nasal cavity, the path is still narrow and some parts are bent. Therefore, the knob 33a of the operation knob 33 is pulled up in the direction away from the casing 9, and the engagement protrusion 35 is detached from the drive hole 36 and the click ball 40 is engaged with the click groove 39U as shown in FIG. Let As a result, the pulley 31 is freely rotated. When the distal end hard portion 2c of the insertion portion 2 is advanced, the flexible portion 2d is easily bent when it is pushed in contact with the inner wall of the body cavity. As a result, even if there is a slight bend in the route, it can proceed smoothly. Note that the operation knob 33 and the pulley 31 are held in a state of rotating integrally, and if there is a bend in the insertion path, the flexible portion 2d can be operated so as to follow it, As described above, since the angle knob 7 is operated so that the angle portion 2b passes through the portion A smoothly, smooth operation is achieved by eliminating the necessity of operating the operation knob 33.

  As described above, when an external force is applied to the distal end hard portion 2c, the flexible portion 2d bends following it, but it is desirable that the resistance to the bend is as small as possible. Therefore, the flexible part 2d has a structure that can be bent as easily as possible. Thereby, the operability of the operation of passing through the nasal cavity, which is a thin insertion path as a whole, is remarkably improved.

  When the distal end portion of the insertion portion 2 passes through the nasopharyngeal portion, it will be guided into the esophagus and the path will be greatly enlarged. Then, in order to perform an examination in this esophagus or to further move the distal end of the insertion portion 2 toward the stomach or the duodenum, it is necessary to reliably apply the pushing thrust of the insertion portion 2 to the distal end hard portion 2c. There is. However, as described above, if the flexible portion 2d is easily bent, it is impossible to reliably transmit the pushing thrust to the tip. Therefore, the operation knob 33 is pushed in the direction of the casing 9, and as shown in FIG. 7, the tip of the engagement protrusion 35 passes through the drive hole 36 and enters the stopper hole 37. At this time, the click ball 40 provided on the disc portion 33b of the operation knob 33 is engaged with the lower click groove 39L. As a result, the operation knob 33 and the pulley 31 are both unable to rotate, that is, locked. As a result, the operation wire 22 cannot be pushed and pulled, so that the flexibility of the flexible portion 2d is reduced or becomes substantially rigid, and the flexible portion 2d becomes flexible when it is moved straight with respect to the insertion portion 2. The portion 2d is not bent, and the pushing thrust is reliably transmitted to the distal end hard portion 2c. In addition, when the insertion portion 2 is inserted to a predetermined position and an endoscopic examination is performed in the body cavity, the angle portion 2b is appropriately bent to change the observation field of view by the distal end hard portion 2c. When the bending portion 2d performs this bending operation, the bending portion 2d is not bent gently, and the stability of the position and direction of the distal end hard portion 2c is not impaired.

  Next, FIGS. 10 and 11 show a second embodiment of the present invention. In the first embodiment described above, the flexible portion 2d is moved by pushing and pulling the operation wire. In the second embodiment, the bending operation of the flexible portion 2d is performed using the electric actuator 50.

  The electric actuator 50 is composed of a thin muscle material having a predetermined length made of a soft member in which a polymer gel is sealed in a bag, and is elastic. And if a voltage is applied to this electric actuator 50, it will contract, and if it cuts off from a voltage source, it will restore to an original state quickly. The electric actuator 50 is fixedly provided on the distal end side connection ring 12 and the distal end ring 13a of the angle portion 2b, which are disposed before and after the spiral tube 20 constituting the flexible portion 2d. As shown in FIG. 11, the main body operation unit 3 is provided with a rotary operation type volume 51 as an operation means.

  Therefore, at any time, that is, when the volume 51 is not operated, the flexible portion 2d is in a state of bending freely. When the voltage is applied to the electric actuator 50 by operating the volume 51, the electric actuator 50 contracts in accordance with the voltage level. As a result, the flexible portion 2d is bent.

  Further, as a configuration that allows the flexible portion 2d to be bent, the flexible tube 2d is composed of the spiral tube 20 in the above-described embodiment. However, as shown in FIG. 12, the distal end side connection ring 60 and the angle portion are configured. Protruding portions 60a, 61a are provided on the left and right side portions of the opposing portion of the tip ring 61, and both the protruding portions 60a, 61a are pivotally attached by pivot pins 62, and the tip hard portion 2c and the angle portion 2b The flexible portion 2d can be formed between the two. Then, a bending operation wire 64 having a distal end fixed to a cut and drawn portion 63 provided on the distal end side connection ring 60 is disposed at a position where the phase is changed by 90 ° from the pivotally attached portion. It is made to pass through the close contact coil 65 that is fixedly attached. And the edge part of the bending operation wires 64 and 64 can be comprised so that it may wind around the pulley 31 shown in FIG. 5 thru | or FIG. As a result, the flexible portion 2d can be switched between a state of bending when an external force is applied, a state of bending by an operation, and a state of not bending substantially. In this configuration, the direction of bending when an external force is applied is limited. However, by providing a ring that pivots vertically on the distal end side connection ring and the distal end ring, the bending can be made almost in all directions by the external force. .

1 is an overall configuration diagram of an endoscope showing an embodiment of the present invention. It is sectional drawing of the front-end | tip part in the insertion part of the endoscope of FIG. FIG. 3 is a configuration explanatory view showing a positional relationship between a bending operation wire and a bending operation wire in the insertion portion of FIG. 2. It is the elements on larger scale of the main-body operation part in the endoscope of FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of a flexible part operation means. It is sectional drawing similar to FIG. 5 which made the bending operation wire the state which can be operated. It is sectional drawing similar to FIG. 5 which made the bending operation wire the locked state. It is an external view which shows the state which has inserted the endoscope of FIG. 1 in a nasal cavity. It is operation | movement explanatory drawing of the front-end | tip part of the insertion part in the endoscope of FIG. It is sectional drawing of the front-end | tip part of the insertion part which shows the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a principal part general-view figure of the main-body operation part in the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is composition explanatory drawing of the bending operation mechanism which shows the 3rd Embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Endoscope 2 Insertion part 2a Soft part 2b Angle part 2c Hard tip part 2d Flexible part 12,60 Tip side connection ring 13 Angle ring 13a, 61 Tip ring 17 Bending operation wire 20 Spiral tube 22,64 Bending operation wire 24 Bending pipe 25, 65 Adhering coil 30 Support member 31 Pulley 33 Operation knob 33a Knob portion 33b Disk portion 34 Support shaft 35 Engaging projection 36 Drive hole 37 Stopper hole 50 Electric actuator 51 Volume

Claims (5)

The distal end has a hard distal end portion to which an endoscope observation means is attached, an angle portion is provided on the proximal end side of the distal end hard portion, and a soft portion is connected to the angle portion, and the flexibility of the insertion portion In an endoscope having a main body operation unit connected to the base end of the unit,
A flexible part having flexibility in the bending direction is provided between the tip hard part and the angle part with a length shorter than the angle part,
An endoscope characterized in that a flexible part operation means for bending the flexible part is provided in the main body operation part. The flexible portion is formed of a spiral tube in which a metal strip is spirally wound, and a distal end side connection ring connected to the distal end hard portion is provided at a distal end portion of the spiral tube, and a proximal end portion is provided at the proximal end portion. The front end ring constituting the angle ring is connected, and the front end side connection ring is provided with a fastening portion at an angular position of approximately 180 °, and the tip of the bending operation wire is connected to each fastening portion. 2. The inner wire according to claim 1, wherein each of the bending operation wires is inserted into a flexible sleeve having a tip fixedly held by a sleeve fixing portion provided at a position of the tip ring. Endoscope. The flexible portion is composed of a pair of ring members provided at the front and rear, and both the ring members are pivotally attached at a position of 180 °, and a pair is arranged at a position whose phase is changed by 90 ° with respect to the position of the pivotally attached portion. The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the bending operation wire is attached. The flexible portion operating means includes a pulley provided by winding a base end portion of each bending operation wire, and a knob for rotating the pulley. The knob rotates integrally with the pulley. 4. An endoscope according to claim 2, further comprising switching means for changing between a state in which the pulley is rotated, a state in which the pulley is freely rotated, and a state in which the pulley is not allowed to rotate. . 2. The flexible part is provided with an actuator of a soft member that expands and contracts based on an electric signal, and an operation means for operating the actuator is provided in the main body operation part. Endoscope.

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