JP2011136106A - Flexible tube bending device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a flexible tube bending device excellent in the operability, preventing curving and bending of other portions other than a bending part at the distal end by a simple structure. <P>SOLUTION: A first operation wire hole 5 penetrating in the axial direction is bored in a flexible tube 2 composed of the bending part 8 on the distal end side, a connection part 9 on the proximal end side and a bending transition part 10 in-between. The first operation wire hole 5 is formed of a first operation wire hole distal end part 5a bored parallel to a center axis C at a position eccentric to the outer side from the center axis C of the flexible tube 2 in the bending part 8, a first operation wire hole base part 5b bored on the center axis C of the flexible tube 2 in the connection part 9, and a first operation wire hole inclined part 5c bored to be inclined in such a way that the first operation wire hole distal end part 5a communicates with the first operation wire hole base part 5b in the bending transition part 10. A first operation wire 4 whose distal end is attached to the distal end of the flexible tube 2 and whose proximal end is attached to an operation part 3 within the first operation wire hole 5 is pulled by the operation part 3, so that the bending part 8 is bent. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a bending device for a flexible tube that performs an operation of bending a distal end portion of a flexible tube constituting an endoscope, for example, by pulling a wire.

  Medical endoscopes are inserted from outside the body to perform observations and other treatments in the body cavity of tubular organs such as the digestive system, bronchial system, and blood vessels. In order to reach the target site or for treatment, it is necessary to bend or bend the distal end portion of the flexible tube constituting the endoscope. As an apparatus for bending the distal end portion of the flexible tube as described above, for example, there is one described in Patent Document 1 or Patent Document 2.

   The catheter tube described in Patent Document 1 has a tightly wound coil fixed to a part of the distal end side of the tube body, and is pulled through the densely wound coil and fixed at one end near the distal end of the tube body. The tip of the tube body is bent by pulling the wire toward the proximal side, which is the other end. This catheter tube has a groove portion formed on the outer peripheral surface of the closely wound coil, and the tube body on which the closely wound coil is arranged is tightened while being deformed by heat to fix the tube body and the closely wound coil groove portion. By fixing the densely wound coil as described above, the densely wound coil cannot be moved with respect to the tube body, and bending and bending other than the curved portion at the tip can be prevented.

  Further, the bending portion of the endoscope described in Patent Document 2 is an operation wire insertion lumen formed in the vicinity of the outer peripheral portion of the multi-lumen tube with respect to the multi-lumen tube in which a plurality of lumens are formed in the axial direction. A plurality of V-shaped cuts are made from the outer peripheral side so as to cut substantially vertically, and the operation wire having the distal end fixed to the distal end of the tube and inserted through the operation wire insertion hole is pulled to the proximal side which is the other end. In this way, the tip of the tube is bent.

JP-A-8-112245 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 8-94941

However, since the catheter tube described in Patent Document 1 uses a tightly wound coil, the structure is complicated and it takes time and effort to produce a thinner catheter tube. Furthermore, it takes time and effort to form a groove in the closely wound coil or to use heat in order to securely fix the closely wound coil.
In addition, since the bending portion of the endoscope described in Patent Document 2 has a plurality of cuts in the multi-lumen tube, the strength of the bending portion is weaker than other portions, and the bending portion that repeatedly bends is damaged. Easy to do. Furthermore, in order to prevent water or the like from entering the multi-lumen tube, the outer periphery must be covered with a rubber tube, which complicates the structure.

  In view of such a problem, the present invention provides a bending device for a flexible tube that has a simple structure, can prevent bending and bending other than the bending portion at the tip, and is excellent in operability. With the goal.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is arranged in a long flexible tube and a first operation wire hole penetrating in the axial direction in the flexible tube, and a tip of the flexible tube is disposed in the flexible tube. A first operation wire fixed to the distal end and extending long from the distal end of the flexible tube, and connected to the proximal end of the first operation wire and the proximal end of the flexible tube, and pulls the first operation wire And a flexible tube bending device for bending a bendable bending portion formed on a distal end side of the flexible tube by a pulling operation of the operation portion. The flexible tube includes the bending portion, a connecting portion formed on the base end side, and a bending transition portion formed between the bending portion and the connecting portion,
The first operation wire hole includes a distal end portion of a first operation wire hole drilled in parallel with the central axis at a position eccentric to the outer peripheral side from the central axis of the flexible tube in the bending portion; And a first operation wire hole base portion drilled on the central axis, and a slanted first hole formed so as to communicate the operation wire hole tip portion and the operation wire hole base portion at the curved transition portion. An operation wire hole inclined portion is formed.

  Further, according to the present invention, the flexible tube is provided with a second operation wire hole for arranging a second operation wire in the axial direction, and the second operation wire hole is formed in the first bending portion in the bending portion. A second operation wire hole tip portion drilled in parallel to the central axis at a position facing the operation wire hole tip portion across the central axis; the second operation wire hole tip portion and the first operation wire hole; A second operation wire hole inclined portion that is inclined and drilled so as to communicate with the base portion, and the second operation wire is disposed in the second operation wire hole and the first operation wire hole base portion. The distal end is fixed to the distal end of the flexible tube, and the proximal end is attached to the operation portion.

  In the present invention, the flexible tube is provided with an optical element hole for arranging a light transmitting optical element for irradiation or observation in the axial direction, and the light transmitting optical element has a distal end. Is fixed to the distal end of the flexible tube, and the base end extends from the operation portion and can be detachably connected to an external light source. The optical element hole is located on the central axis in the bending portion. An optical fiber hole tip formed in the connecting portion, an optical fiber hole base formed in parallel to the central axis at a position deviated from the central axis to the outer peripheral side in the connecting portion, and the curved transition portion It is characterized by being formed from an optical strand hole inclined portion formed so as to be inclined so as to communicate the optical strand hole tip portion and the optical strand hole base portion.

Therefore, from the above description, according to the bending device for a flexible tube of the present invention, when the pulling operation is performed by the operation unit, the flexible tube is compressed and the tip of the first operation wire is fixed. The flexible tube will be bent. At this time, the first operation wire hole is formed at a position eccentric to the outer peripheral side from the central axis in the curved portion, and on the central axis in the connecting portion, and the first operation wire is disposed therein. In the connecting part, the first operating wire is pulled on the central axis, so even if it is compressed, it will not bend just by being stretched, and the bending part works at the curved part away from the central axis to the outer peripheral side, and the curved part is soft and appropriate and smooth Will be curved.
In addition, by simply perforating the first operation wire hole in the flexible tube in this way, the bending portion can be prevented from bending the connecting portion due to the pulling operation of the first operation wire without using any other special parts. Therefore, the structure is simple and the cost is low.
Furthermore, by arranging the second operation wire in addition to the first operation wire, the bending in two directions is possible, and the tip of the bending portion can be more easily directed in a desired direction.
Further, the optical element hole is formed on the central axis in the curved portion and at the position eccentric to the outer peripheral side from the central axis in the connecting portion, so that the optical element hole becomes the first operation wire hole and the second operation hole. Since it is independent without communicating with the wire hole, the light transmitting optical element arranged in the optical element hole is not easily crushed, and the durability is improved.

FIG. 1 is an overall external view of a flexible tube bending apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the flexible tube. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the bending of the flexible tube. FIG. 6 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the flexible tube according to the second embodiment of the present invention. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC of FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line DD of FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line EE in FIG.

  Hereinafter, a first embodiment for carrying out a flexible tube bending apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In the following description, the left side in the figure is referred to as the distal end, and the right side is referred to as the proximal end.

  FIG. 1 is an overall external view of a bending apparatus 1 for a flexible tube. The flexible tube bending apparatus 1 includes a long flexible tube 2 inserted into a body cavity and an operation unit 3 that performs a bending operation of the flexible tube 2.

  FIG. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the flexible tube 2. The flexible tube 2 is made of a polymer material having flexibility and stretchability in the axial direction, such as polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, polyurethane, polypropylene, and silicone rubber, and a first operation wire 4 to be described later is disposed. In order to arrange the first operation wire hole 5 and the light transmitting optical element wire 6 for the purpose, the optical element hole 7 is formed so as to penetrate in the axial direction.

  The flexible tube 2 includes a bendable bending portion 8 provided on the distal end side, a connecting portion 9 provided on the proximal end side and connected to the operation portion 3, and between the bending portion 8 and the connecting portion 9. It is comprised from the curve transition part 10 provided in. The outer diameter of each part of the bending part 8, the connection part 9, and the bending transition part 10 is substantially the same diameter, and may be connected after processing separately, respectively, and may be integrally formed.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the bending portion 8 has a position (flexible tube 2) where the first operation wire hole tip 5 a is eccentric from the central axis C to the outer peripheral side over the entire length of the bending portion 8. Is formed in parallel with the central axis C, and an optical element hole end portion 7a is formed on the central axis C.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the connecting portion 9 has a first operation wire hole base 5b drilled on the central axis C over the entire length of the connecting portion 9, and an optical element hole base 7b. Is drilled in parallel to the central axis C at a position eccentric from the central axis C toward the outer peripheral side (near the outer periphery in the cross section of the flexible tube 2).

  The bending operation portion 10 is inclined so that the first operation wire hole distal end portion 5a formed in the bending portion 8 and the first operation wire hole base portion 5b formed in the connecting portion 9 communicate with each other. The wire hole inclined portion 5c is drilled, and the optical strand hole distal end portion 7a drilled in the bending portion 8 and the optical strand hole base portion 7b drilled in the connecting portion 9 are inclined to communicate with each other. An optical element hole inclined portion 7c is formed.

  As described above, the first operation wire hole distal end portion 5a, the first operation wire hole base portion 5b, and the first operation wire hole inclined portion 5c, which are formed in the respective portions 8 to 10 of the flexible tube 2 and have substantially the same inner diameter. The first operation wire hole 5 is formed as one hole. In the same manner, each of the portions 8 to 10 of the flexible tube 2 is pierced by the optical strand hole distal end portion 7a, the optical strand hole base portion 7b, and the optical strand hole inclined portion 7c. The strand hole 7 is formed as one hole. The inner diameter of the first operation wire hole 5 is sufficiently larger than the outer diameter of the first operation wire 4 to be described later, and the inner diameter of the optical element hole 7 is larger than the outer diameter of the light transmitting optical element 6 to be described later. It is formed sufficiently large.

  The lengths of the curved transition portion 10, the first operation wire hole inclined portion 5c, and the optical element hole inclined portion 7c are 4 to 6 mm when the outer diameter of the flexible tube 2 is 2 mm, and 10 mm when the outer diameter is 3 mm. It only has to be about. That is, the length of the curved transition portion 10 may be 1.5 to 3 times the outer diameter of the flexible tube.

  Furthermore, although the hardness of each part 8-10 of the flexible tube 2 may be comparable, from the base end side of the flexible tube 2 in order of the connection part 9, the curved transition part 10, and the curved part 8. If it comprises so that it may become soft in steps toward a front end side, the curve of the bending part 8 will become softer and smoother. Further, the expansion and contraction of the connecting portion 9 in the axial direction is also suppressed.

In the present embodiment, the first operation wire hole 5 and the optical element hole 7 are formed substantially in parallel. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the first operation wire hole 5 and the optical element hole 7 Need only be drilled independently so as not to communicate.
In the present embodiment, the holes formed in the flexible tube 2 are described as the first operation wire hole 5 and the optical element hole 7. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and various uses and functions differ. A plurality of holes may be formed.

  The first operation wire 4 is inserted and disposed in the first operation wire hole 5 drilled as described above so as to freely advance and retract. The first operation wire 4 has a tensile strength that does not cause disconnection due to a pulling operation described later, and examples of the constituent material thereof include single wires made of metals such as stainless steel and tungsten, various resins, and the like. Examples thereof include fiber bundles and twisted yarns.

A tubular pipe 11 made of stainless steel or the like is attached to the distal end of the first operation wire 4, and the distal end of the operation wire 4 protrudes from the distal end of the flexible tube 2 through the pipe 11. In addition to being fixed in position, it is fixed to a tip member 12 described later.
Further, the base end of the first operation wire 4 is attached so as to be wound around the operation knob 3a through the inside of the operation portion 3, and is extended and pulled by turning the operation knob 3a.

  A light transmitting optical element 6 is inserted into the optical element hole 7. The light-transmitting optical element 6 is used for irradiating a laser beam or for illumination. A single optical fiber having elasticity or a plurality of optical fiber elements (not shown) are bundled in a bundle. It is formed in the shape of an elongate bar that can be bent freely.

A tubular pipe 13 made of stainless steel or the like is attached to the distal end of the light transmission optical element 6 in the same manner as the operation wire 4, and light is transmitted from the distal end of the flexible tube 2 through the pipe 13. While being fixed in the position where the front-end | tip of the transmission optical strand 6 protrudes, it is fixed to the front-end | tip member 12 mentioned later.
Further, the base end of the light transmitting optical element 6 is connected to the fiber cord 14 through the inside of the operation unit 3 and is detachably connected to an external light source (not shown).

  The tip member 12 includes an outer frame 15 formed in a tubular shape with stainless steel, platinum, or the like, lenses 17 a and 17 b that are fixed by inserting a tubular distance adjusting member 16, the first operation wire 4, and the light transmitting element wire 6. And is attached by fitting the tip of the bending portion 8 to the outer frame 15.

  A hole 18a for fixing the first operation wire 4 is formed in the middle frame 18 so as to communicate with the first operation wire hole distal end portion 5a formed in the bending portion 8, so that light transmission optics is provided. A hole 18b for fixing the element wire 6 is formed so as to communicate with an optical element hole end portion 7a formed in the bending portion 8, and each of the operation wire 4 and the light transmission optical element 6 is provided. The tip is fixed to each of the holes 18a and 18b via the pipes 11 and 13, respectively, at a position where it abuts against the end surface of the lens 17b.

When the bending portion 8 of the flexible tube 2 configured as described above is bent, the operation wire 4 is pulled backward, that is, to the proximal end side by operating the operation knob 3a of the operation portion 3 to rotate. Then, the bending portion 8 is curved in a smooth curve as shown in FIG. 5 on the side where the tip of the pulled operation wire 4 is fixed. At this time, the bending transition portion 10 is gradually bent from the boundary portion P between the connecting portion 9 and the bending transition portion 10 toward the boundary portion D between the bending transition portion 10 and the bending portion 8. Since the length is very short, the amount of bending is small, and only the bending portion 8 is bent.
Then, when the first operation wire 4 is extended to the distal end side by turning the operation knob 3a in the opposite direction from the bent state, the bending portion 8 returns straight.
In addition, in the connection part 9, since the 1st operation wire 4 will be pulled on the central axis C, it receives the compressive force to an axial direction, but does not curve.

Therefore, according to the present embodiment, since the first operation wire 4 is disposed in the first operation wire hole 5 formed as described above, when the pulling operation of the operation unit 3 is performed, the first operation wire The connecting portion 9 in which 4 is arranged on the central axis C is not curved, and the curved portion 8 in which the first operation wire 4 is arranged eccentrically from the central axis C to the outer peripheral side is smoothly curved. And since the bending part 8 curves smoothly in this way, it becomes easy to point the front-end | tip member 12 attached to the front-end | tip of the bending part 8 to a desired position, and irradiation of the laser beam from the light transmission optical element wire 6 is carried out. And the like are appropriately performed through the lenses 17 a and 17 b provided on the tip member 12.
In addition, by simply drilling the first operation wire hole 5 in the flexible tube 2 in this way, the bending of the connecting portion 9 by the pulling operation of the first operation wire 4 can be performed without using any other special parts. Since the appropriate bending of the bending portion 8 can be obtained, the structure is simple and the cost is low.
Furthermore, since the optical strand hole 7 is drilled as described above, the optical strand hole 7 and the first operation wire hole 5 are independent without being communicated with each other. The transmission optical element 6 is not easily crushed and the durability is improved.

  Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. In addition, in the code | symbol in a figure, the code | symbol same as 1st Embodiment shows the same location, and duplication description is abbreviate | omitted.

  In the present embodiment, the second operation wire hole 20 is formed in the flexible tube 2 and the second operation wire 21 is inserted therein. In the present embodiment, an example in which the outer peripheral surface of the flexible tube 2 is covered with a flexible outer tube 22 made of urethane, silicon, or the like is shown, but the outer tube 22 may be omitted. Moreover, you may apply to the above-mentioned 1st Embodiment.

  In the bending portion 8 of the flexible tube 2, a position where the second operation wire hole tip 20 a constituting the second operation wire hole 20 is eccentric from the central axis C of the flexible tube 2 to the outer peripheral side (flexible). Near the outer periphery in the cross section of the conductive tube 2, and is formed parallel to the central axis C at a position facing the first operation wire hole tip 5 a across the central axis C. Further, a second operation wire hole inclined portion 20b constituting the second operation wire hole 20 is formed in the curved transition portion 10 so as to be inclined so as to communicate with the first operation wire hole base portion 5b. In other words, the first operation wire hole base 5b drilled in the connecting portion 9 is branched in a Y shape toward the tip. In the present embodiment, the diameter of the first operation wire hole base portion 5b drilled in the connecting portion 9 has a thickness that allows the first and second operation wires 4 and 21 to be inserted therethrough.

  The second operation wire 21 is inserted through the second operation wire hole 20 and the first operation wire hole base 5b formed in this way. As with the first operation wire 4, the second operation wire 21 is attached with a tubular pipe 23 made of stainless steel or the like at the distal end, and the distal end of the flexible tube 2 is inserted through the pipe 23. The second operation wire 21 is fixed at a position where the tip of the second operation wire 21 protrudes, and is fixed to a hole 18 c formed in the inner frame 18 of the tip member 12.

  Further, the second operation wire 21 is attached to the operation knob 3 a of the operation unit 3 so as to be wound in the opposite direction to the first operation wire 4. Therefore, when the operation knob 3a is turned in one direction, the first operation wire 4 is pulled and the second operation wire 21 is extended, and the bending portion 8 is attached to the tip of the first operation wire 4. Curve to the side. Then, when the operation knob 3a is turned in the reverse direction, the second operation wire 21 is pulled and the first operation wire 4 extends, and the bending portion 8 is moved to the side where the tip of the second operation wire 21 is attached. Will be curved.

  The optical element hole 7 through which the light transmitting optical element 6 is inserted is substantially the same as in the first embodiment, but does not communicate not only with the first operation wire hole 5 but also with the second operation wire hole 20. Are drilled at independent positions. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7 to FIG. 9, the optical wire hole base portion 7 b formed in the connecting portion 9 has the first operation wire hole distal end portion 5 a formed in the bending portion 8 or A center angle is drilled at a position where the central angle is 90 degrees with respect to any one of the second operation wire hole tips 20a. In other words, the optical element hole base 7b and the optical element hole inclined part 7c are on a virtual line passing through the central axis and perpendicular to the straight line connecting the first operation wire hole tip 5a and the second operation wire hole tip 20a. Is drilled.

  Therefore, according to the present embodiment, since the second operation wire 21 is arranged in addition to the first operation wire 4 as described above, the bending portion 8 can be bent in two directions. It becomes easier to orient the tip member 12 attached to the tip of 8 to a desired position.

In each embodiment, “curving” is a concept including bending of the flexible tube 2, that is, bending on one or two or more fold lines, or curving continuously in a curved shape. is there.
In the above-described embodiment, an example in which one or two operation wires are arranged has been shown. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, four operation wires are arranged, and the bending portion 8 is bent vertically and horizontally. Also good.

In addition, the use of the bending operation apparatus of the flexible tube of this invention is not restricted to what was mentioned above, For example, it can apply to various catheter tubes, such as an ablation catheter.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Flexible tube bending apparatus 2 Flexible tube 3 Operation part 4 1st operation wire 5 1st operation wire hole 5a 1st operation wire hole front-end | tip part 5b 1st operation wire hole base 5c 1st operation wire hole inclination part 6 Light-transmitting optical element 7 Optical element hole 7a Optical element hole tip 7b Optical element hole base 7c Optical element hole inclined part 8 Bending part 9 Connecting part 10 Bending transition part 20 Second operation wire hole 20a Second Operation wire hole tip portion 20b Second operation wire hole inclined portion 21 Second operation wire

Claims (3)

A long flexible tube;
A first operation wire disposed in a first operation wire hole penetrating in the axial direction in the flexible tube, and having a distal end fixed to the distal end of the flexible tube and extending from the distal end of the flexible tube. When,
An operation portion connected to a proximal end of the first operation wire and a proximal end of the flexible tube, and for pulling the first operation wire;
A bending device for a flexible tube for bending a bendable bending portion formed on a distal end side of the flexible tube by a pulling operation of the operation portion,
The flexible tube includes the bending portion, a connecting portion formed on the proximal end side, and a bending transition portion formed between the bending portion and the connecting portion.
The first operation wire hole includes a distal end portion of a first operation wire hole drilled in parallel with the central axis at a position eccentric to the outer peripheral side from the central axis of the flexible tube in the bending portion; And a first operation wire hole base portion drilled on the central axis, and a slanted first hole formed so as to communicate the operation wire hole tip portion and the operation wire hole base portion at the curved transition portion. An apparatus for bending a flexible tube, comprising: an operation wire hole inclined portion. The flexible tube is provided with a second operation wire hole for arranging a second operation wire in the axial direction,
The second operation wire hole includes a second operation wire hole tip portion that is drilled in parallel with the central axis at a position facing the first operation wire hole tip portion with the central axis in between in the bending portion; A second operation wire hole inclined portion that is formed to be inclined so as to communicate the second operation wire hole distal end portion and the first operation wire hole base portion;
The second operation wire is disposed in the second operation wire hole and the first operation wire hole base, and the distal end is fixed to the distal end of the flexible tube and the proximal end is attached to the operation portion. The bending apparatus of the flexible tube of Claim 1 characterized by these. In the flexible tube, an optical element hole for arranging a light transmitting optical element for irradiation or observation is formed in the axial direction,
The light-transmitting optical element has a distal end fixed to the distal end of the flexible tube and a proximal end extending from the operation unit and can be detachably connected to an external light source.
The optical strand hole is drilled in parallel with the central axis at a distal end portion of the optical strand hole drilled on the central axis in the curved portion and a position eccentric to the outer peripheral side from the central axis in the connecting portion. An optical fiber hole base provided, and an optical fiber hole inclined part formed so as to incline so that the optical fiber hole tip and the optical fiber hole base communicate with each other at the curved transition part. The bending apparatus for a flexible tube according to claim 1, wherein the bending apparatus is formed.

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