JP3579650B2 - Ultrasound endoscope - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an ultrasonic endoscope in which an ultrasonic probe and an objective optical system for optical observation are provided at the tip of an insertion section.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In an ultrasonic endoscope, it is necessary to insert and arrange a signal transmission member for transmitting signals input / output to / from the ultrasonic probe in the insertion portion. In recent years, a so-called flexible substrate has been used as a signal transmission member in the bending portion. Used.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
Ultrasound endoscopes, like general endoscopes, can easily bend and bend the curved part formed near the distal end of the insertion part by remote operation from the operation unit on the hand side. You can do it.
[0004]
Therefore, when the bending portion is repeatedly bent with a small radius of curvature, a failure may occur in which the wiring provided on the flexible substrate is disconnected in the bending portion.
[0005]
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an ultrasonic endoscope having excellent durability, in which wiring provided on a flexible substrate is not easily disconnected even when a bending operation of a bending portion is repeated.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, an ultrasonic endoscope according to the present invention is configured such that a bending portion that is bent by remote operation is connected to a distal end of a flexible tube portion that forms an insertion portion, and that transmits and receives an ultrasonic signal. An ultrasonic probe and an objective optical system for performing optical observation are disposed at a portion closer to the distal end than the bending portion, and a flexible substrate is used as a signal transmission member for transmitting signals input / output to and from the ultrasonic probe in the bending portion. In the ultrasonic endoscope used, the width of the flexible substrate is formed near the distal end to a width suitable for connection with the ultrasonic probe, and in a portion located in the curved portion, the width is wider than the width near the distal end. It is formed and divided into a plurality in parallel.
[0007]
Note that, in the bending portion, the flexible substrates divided into a plurality of pieces in parallel may be superposed and integrated in pairs.
[0008]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 2 shows an ultrasonic endoscope, in which a distal end of a flexible tube 1 inserted into a body cavity is connected to a bending portion 2 which is bent by remote control, and is connected to the distal end of the bending portion 2. A cylindrical ultrasonic probe 4 is attached to the distal end main body 3.
[0009]
The tip body 3 also includes an objective optical system for optical observation, a solid-state imaging device for capturing an optical observation image, and an emission end of a light guide fiber bundle for illuminating the optical observation range. Built-in.
[0010]
A bending operation knob 6 for bending the bending portion 2 and the like are arranged on the operation portion 5 connected to the base end of the flexible tube portion 1. The bending portion 2 is bendable in four directions, up, down, left, and right, and FIG. 2 shows a state in which the bending portion 2 is bent halfway upward.
[0011]
A treatment instrument insertion channel 10 for inserting a treatment instrument is inserted through the entire length of the flexible tube portion 1 and the curved portion 2, and an insertion port 7 for treatment tools into the treatment instrument insertion channel 10 is provided. At the lower end of the operation unit 5, it is disposed so as to project obliquely upward.
[0012]
At the end of the first connection flexible tube 8 connected to the operation unit 5, a video signal connector unit 81 and a light guide connector unit 82 connected to a video processor (not shown) are provided side by side. An ultrasonic signal connector unit 91 connected to an ultrasonic signal processing device (not shown) is provided at the distal end of the connection flexible tube 9.
[0013]
FIG. 3 shows the distal end portion of the insertion portion, and the front is optically observed from an observation window 11 arranged on the distal end surface of the distal end body 3. The ultrasonic probe 4 is surrounded by a balloon 12 that is inflated with degassed water or the like, and can transmit and receive ultrasonic waves radially around an axis to obtain an ultrasonic tomographic image.
[0014]
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along a cross section perpendicular to the axis of the ultrasonic probe 4. An ultrasonic signal is transmitted / received (electronic scanning) in a range of, for example, 270 ° (135 ° left and right centered on the upward direction) around the axis. Radial scanning is performed in the direction perpendicular to the axis.
[0015]
At the rear end of the ultrasonic probe 4 is connected a flexible substrate provided with wiring for transmitting signals input / output to / from the ultrasonic probe 4, and as shown in FIG. A flexible board 40 extends rearward from the main body 3.
[0016]
As shown in FIG. 1 which is a development view of a single unit, the flexible board 40 is a single wide board near the connecting portion with the ultrasonic probe 4 at the tip, and the inside of the curved section 2 behind it is provided. Is widened and divided into eight equal parts in parallel.
[0017]
Therefore, in the curved portion 2, the width of the wiring on the flexible substrate 40 can be formed wider than the vicinity of the connection portion with the ultrasonic probe 4, thereby increasing the mechanical strength of the wiring and improving the durability against disconnection. Can be improved.
[0018]
The flexible substrate 40 having such a developed shape scans in the vicinity of the connection portion with the ultrasonic probe 4 so as to be suitable for connection with the ultrasonic probe 4 as shown in FIG. 7 showing a VII-VII cross section in FIG. It is formed in the shape of an arc of about 270 °, which is the same as the range, and in the vicinity of the boundary between the curved portion 2 and the tip main body 3, it is formed in the shape of an arc of approximately 360 ° as shown in FIG. ing.
[0019]
Returning to FIG. 5, the flexible substrates 40 divided into eight and arranged in parallel in the curved portion 2 are formed to have different lengths, but even the shortest flexible substrate 40 passes through the curved portion 2. The length is set to reach the inside of the flexible tube portion 1.
[0020]
Then, as shown in FIG. 6, the plurality of signal lines 51 of the signal cable 50 inserted through the flexible tube 1 and the wiring of each flexible substrate 40 are connected in the flexible tube 1. I have.
[0021]
FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along a cross section (IX-IX cross section in FIG. 5) perpendicular to the axis of the bending portion 2, and the wire guides 21 arranged on the inner peripheral surface of the bending portion 2 at 90 ° intervals in the vertical and horizontal directions. The operation wire 20 is inserted and arranged to be able to advance and retreat in the axial direction, and the bending portion 2 is bent in the direction in which the operation wire 20 pulled from the operation portion 5 side is located.
[0022]
In the internal space of the bending portion 2, in addition to the flexible substrate 40 and the treatment tool insertion channel 10, the video signal cable 14 for transmitting an imaging signal of an endoscope observation image and the like, and the illumination light are transmitted. Various internal components such as a light guide fiber bundle 15 and a tube 17 for deaerated water injection / drainage to the balloon 12 are inserted and arranged.
[0023]
The flexible substrates 40 are superposed two by two, and a flexible heat-shrinkable tube 41 is shrink-coated on the periphery thereof so that they are integrated, and are divided into four parts as a whole. However, they may be arranged straight in the curved portion 2 in a state of being arranged in an arc shape shown in FIG. 8, or may be arranged in another manner.
[0024]
【The invention's effect】
According to the present invention, the width of the flexible substrate is formed near the distal end to a width suitable for connection with the ultrasonic probe, and the portion located in the curved portion is formed to be wider than the width near the distal end, and a plurality of flexible substrates are arranged in parallel. With this configuration, the width of the wiring on the flexible substrate can be increased in the bending portion and the mechanical strength of the wiring can be increased. As a result, even when the bending operation of the bending portion is repeated, the wiring is applied to the flexible substrate. This makes it difficult for the connected wiring to be broken, and excellent durability can be obtained.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a development view of a flexible substrate according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an overall side view of the ultrasonic endoscope according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a side view of a distal end portion of an insertion portion of the ultrasonic endoscope according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a schematic plan sectional view of a distal end portion of an insertion portion of the ultrasonic endoscope according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a schematic side view showing the insertion section of the ultrasonic endoscope according to the embodiment of the present invention in a state where outer skins are removed.
FIG. 6 is a side view of the vicinity of a connection portion between the flexible board and the signal cable according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VII-VII in FIG. 5 of the flexible substrate according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VIII-VIII in FIG. 5 of the flexible substrate according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 9 is a plan sectional view (IX-IX sectional view in FIG. 5) of a curved portion of the ultrasonic endoscope according to the embodiment of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Flexible tube part 2 Bending part 4 Ultrasonic probe 40 Flexible board

Claims (1)

A bending portion that bends by remote operation is connected to the distal end of the flexible tube portion that forms the insertion portion, and the ultrasonic probe for transmitting and receiving an ultrasonic signal and the objective optical system for performing optical observation are curved. In the ultrasonic endoscope in which a flexible substrate is used as a signal transmission member provided with a wiring for transmitting a signal input / output to / from the ultrasonic probe in the bending portion, which is disposed at a portion closer to the distal end than the portion. ,
The width in the expanded state of the flexible substrate, the in the vicinity of the tip to a width suitable for the connection between the ultrasonic probe, Oite within the curved portion is formed wider than the width near the tip parallel The width of each of the wirings provided on the flexible substrate is set to be larger than the width of the portion located in the vicinity of the connection portion with the ultrasonic probe. An ultrasonic endoscope characterized by being formed .

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