JP5570960B2 - Hollow waveguide and laser treatment instrument - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to, for example, a hollow waveguide for transmitting a treatment laser beam for performing laser treatment, and a laser treatment instrument using the hollow waveguide.

  Conventionally, a treatment method using an endoscope has been implemented as a treatment method that can be treated with less burden on the patient. In the treatment using this endoscope, an endoscope tube is inserted into the body from the oral cavity or the like, and a treatment is performed using the distal end configuration portion of the endoscope tube.

  This treatment is performed by a forceps tip that is inserted from a forceps insertion opening called a channel and comes out from a forceps outlet of a tip constituting portion. As the forceps, various instruments such as a gripping forceps and a knife are used.

  As an instrument that is inserted from the forceps insertion opening and used for the treatment, an instrument that uses a laser transmission path for irradiating a therapeutic laser beam has been proposed (see Patent Document 1). The laser transmission path of Patent Document 1 describes that laser light is conducted to a tubular waveguide having a hollow inside (hereinafter referred to as a hollow waveguide).

  In addition, as such a hollow waveguide, a glass thin film member, which is a hollow substrate made of glass fiber, has a silver thin film layer on the inner surface, and the inner surface of the silver thin film layer is made of a transparent polyimide resin or a cyclic olefin polymer. The thing provided with the body thin film layer is proposed (refer patent documents 2 and 3). With such a configuration, the hollow waveguides proposed in Patent Document 2 and Patent Document 3 are said to be capable of efficiently guiding laser light by suppressing transmission loss by an internal dielectric thin film layer. Yes.

  However, when a hollow waveguide provided with a silver thin film layer and a dielectric thin film layer on the inner surface of such a glass tubular member is used for a laser transmission path inserted into a forceps insertion port of an endoscope tube, The hollow waveguide also bends along with the free bending operation of the bending operation portion provided on the distal end side of the mirror tube. However, this bending operation may damage the glass tubular member constituting the hollow waveguide.

Special table 2007-533374 JP-A-8-234026 JP-A-10-282348

  In view of the above-described problems, the present invention uses a highly durable hollow waveguide that does not damage the bending operation without reducing the transmission efficiency of the laser light to be guided, and the hollow waveguide. An object is to provide a laser treatment instrument.

According to the present invention, a silver thin film layer formed by a silver mirror reaction and a dielectric thin film layer are formed in this order from the outer diameter side on the inner surface of a hollow glass tubular member, and the laser light is guided. A hollow hollow waveguide, which is formed between the inner surface of the glass tubular member and the silver thin film layer before the silver mirror reaction, and the silver liquid in the silver mirror reaction is the inner surface of the glass tubular member A protective film layer is provided to prevent the protective film layer from acting on the protective film layer, and the protective film layer is made of a material that is insoluble in a solvent of an organic material constituting the dielectric thin film layer.

According to the present invention, the durability of the hollow waveguide can be improved without reducing the transmission efficiency of the laser light to be guided and without damaging the bending operation.
Specifically, since the silver thin film layer and the dielectric thin film layer are provided on the inner surface of the glass tubular member, it is possible to guide the light without reducing the transmission efficiency of the laser light.

  Further, a protective film is formed between the inner surface of the glass tubular member and the silver thin film layer before the silver mirror reaction, and prevents silver liquid in the silver mirror reaction from acting on the inner surface of the glass tubular member. By providing the film layer, durability against the bending operation can be improved.

  More specifically, for example, a bending load acts on the glass tubular member by the bending operation of the hollow waveguide, and the glass tubular member is damaged by the bending load. This damage is based on the sincere examination by the applicant, and the inner surface of the glass tubular member is caused by the acid or water of a silver nitrate aqueous solution generally used in a silver mirror reaction for forming a silver thin film layer on the inner surface of the glass tubular member. It was found that this was caused by a decrease in durability due to minute defects such as fine scratches generated in the surface.

Therefore, the applicant forms a film between the inner surface of the glass tubular member and the silver thin film layer before the silver mirror reaction in order to prevent the occurrence of minute defects on the inner surface of the glass tubular member due to the silver mirror reaction. And the protective film layer which prevents that the silver liquid in the said silver mirror reaction acts on the inner surface of the said glass tubular member was provided. Thereby, in the silver mirror reaction for forming a silver thin film layer on the inner surface of the glass tubular member, it is possible to prevent the acid or water of the silver nitrate aqueous solution generally used from directly acting on the inner surface of the glass tubular member. . By forming the protective film layer from a material that is insoluble in the solvent of the organic material constituting the dielectric thin film layer, the protective film does not dissolve when the dielectric thin film layer is formed. It is possible to prevent micro defects from occurring on the inner surface of the glass tubular member due to the acid or water of the silver nitrate aqueous solution in the silver mirror reaction. Therefore, durability against the bending operation can be improved.

As an aspect of the present invention, the dielectric thin film layer can be made of an organic material, and the protective film layer can be made of an inorganic material.
With this configuration, it is possible to suppress a reduction in the transmission efficiency of the laser light to be guided, and to configure a hollow waveguide with higher durability against a bending operation.

  Specifically, the protective film layer is made of an inorganic material, and the dielectric thin film layer is made of an organic material, thereby forming a dielectric thin film layer made of an organic material on the inner surface of the silver thin film layer. In doing so, it is possible to prevent the protective film layer formed of the inorganic material formed between the silver thin film layer and the inner surface of the glass tubular member from being melted by the solvent of the organic material. Therefore, generation | occurrence | production of the micro defect in the inner surface of the glass tubular member by an organic material can be prevented. Therefore, it is possible to suppress a reduction in the transmission efficiency of the laser light guided by the dielectric thin film, and to further improve the durability against the bending operation.

  As an aspect of the present invention, the dielectric thin film layer is made of a first organic material, and the protective film layer is made of a second organic material that is insoluble in the solvent of the first organic material. Can be composed of materials.

  Even if the second organic material insoluble in the solvent of the first organic material is an organic material of the same kind, for example, a cycloolefin polymer composed of cyclohexane and a cycloolefin polymer resin, Organic materials having different constituent components or organic materials having different solvents such as a cyclic olefin polymer composed of tetrahydrafurone and a cyclic olefin resin can be used.

With this configuration, it is possible to suppress a reduction in the transmission efficiency of the laser light to be guided, and to configure a hollow waveguide with higher durability against a bending operation.
Specifically, the protective film layer is made of a second organic material, and the dielectric thin film layer is made of a first organic material, thereby forming a dielectric made of the first organic material on the inner surface of the silver thin film layer. When forming the body thin film layer, the protective film layer made of the second organic material formed between the silver thin film layer and the inner surface of the glass tubular member is melted by the solvent of the first organic material. Can be prevented. Therefore, generation | occurrence | production of the micro defect in the inner surface of the glass tubular member by a 1st organic material can be prevented. Therefore, it is possible to suppress a reduction in the transmission efficiency of the laser light guided by the dielectric thin film, and to further improve the durability against the bending operation.

  Further, as an aspect of the present invention, the protective film layer is a first protective film layer, and an outer peripheral film made of an organic material is provided on the outer surface of the glass tubular member. A protective film layer can be provided.

  The second protective film layer is made of an organic material that is insoluble in a solvent of an organic material that forms the outer peripheral film or a protective film layer that is made of the same or different inorganic material as the first protective film layer. The protective film layer can be made.

  With this configuration, durability against the bending operation can be further improved.

  Specifically, an outer peripheral film made of an organic material is provided on the outer surface of the glass tubular member, and an external force acts on the outer surface of the glass tubular member by providing a second protective film layer outside the outer peripheral film. And it can prevent that the micro defect in the outer surface of a glass-made tubular member arises. Therefore, the durability against the bending operation can be further improved.

In addition, the present invention is a laser treatment instrument in which the above-described hollow waveguide is inserted into an endoscope tube provided with a bending operation section capable of bending operation on the distal end side.
According to the present invention, a practitioner can perform laser treatment safely and reliably in a favorable work environment.

  Specifically, a good working environment can be obtained by a transmission path with low transmission loss and high durability, and an endoscope that can be directly visually recognized and accessed with minimal invasiveness. And since the hollow waveguide which improved the durability with respect to the bending operation in the bending operation part which can bend freely can be used, the hollow waveguide is damaged and the laser beam does not leak out. It is possible to prevent damage to the outer tube, the endoscope tube, or the optical system of the endoscope. Therefore, a laser treatment instrument with high safety and reliability can be configured.

  According to the present invention, there is provided a highly durable hollow waveguide that does not damage the bending operation without reducing the transmission efficiency of the laser light to be guided, and a laser treatment instrument using the hollow waveguide. be able to.

Explanatory drawing of a hollow waveguide. Explanatory drawing about the manufacturing method of a hollow waveguide. The schematic block diagram of the laser treatment system by an endoscope apparatus and a laser treatment apparatus. The block diagram which shows the structure of an endoscope apparatus and a laser treatment apparatus.

This embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is an explanatory view of the hollow waveguide 1, and FIG. 2 is an explanatory view of a method for manufacturing the hollow waveguide 1. Specifically, FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the hollow waveguide 1 in a state in which a part in the length direction is cut out and a part in the cross section is cut out. FIG. 2A shows a cross-sectional explanatory view in the step of forming the inner protective film 20 on the inner surface of the glass fiber tube 10 constituting the hollow waveguide 1, and FIG. 2B shows the inner protective film 20. FIG. 2C shows a cross-sectional explanatory view in the step of depositing the dielectric thin film 40 on the inner surface side of the silver thin film 30. .

  FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram showing a schematic configuration of the laser treatment system 100 including the endoscope apparatus 110 having the hollow waveguide 1 inserted and the laser treatment apparatus 150, and FIG. 4 shows a configuration of the endoscope apparatus 110 and the endoscope apparatus 110. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a laser treatment apparatus 150. FIG.

  The hollow waveguide 1 is a long tubular part that constitutes a laser transmission path 170 inserted through a forceps insertion path 119 provided in an endoscope tube 121 of an endoscope apparatus 110 described later together with an exterior tube 171. is there.

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, which is a perspective view of the hollow waveguide 1 cut out in a part in the length direction, the hollow waveguide 1 is composed of a glass fiber tube 10 serving as a base material, and a glass fiber tube 10. The inner protective film 20, the silver thin film 30, and the dielectric thin film 40 are arranged in order from the radially outer direction toward the radially inner direction on the inner surface, and the outer surface coating layer 50 that covers the outer surface of the glass fiber tube 10. . And the conduction | electrical_connection space 1a is comprised in the hollow inside. In the present embodiment, the diameter is 0.7 mm.

The glass fiber tube 10 is composed of a glass capillary made of hollow glass fiber with a thickness of approximately 30 to 75 μm.
The inner protective film 20 formed on the inner surface of the glass fiber tube 10 is a siloxane cured thin film (inorganic thin film) composed of a room temperature moisture-curable special inorganic paint having high lubricity, adhesion to glass, and water resistance. In the present embodiment, the inner protective film 20 is formed with a thickness of approximately 0.2 to 1.6 μm.

More specifically, the inner protective film 20 is a mixture of a liquid main component composed of silicon dioxide (SiO ₂ ) and a liquid curing agent. After curing at room temperature, the inner protective film 20 has high hardness, heat resistance, weather resistance, and chemical resistance. It is a thin film with excellent wear resistance and stain resistance. In addition, it has solvent resistance to organic solvents such as methyl ethyl ketone, ethanol, ether, benzine and unleaded gasoline.

  The silver thin film 30 is a silver thin film formed by silver mirror reaction using a silver liquid 30a (see FIG. 2B) obtained by adding ammonia to an aqueous silver nitrate solution. In the present embodiment, the silver thin film 30 is formed with a thickness of about 50 to 100 μm.

The dielectric thin film 40 is an appropriate organic material that efficiently reflects and transmits laser light, and is formed of a transparent cyclic olefin polymer composed of cyclohexane and a cycloolefin polymer resin.
The outer surface coating layer 50 covers the outer surface of the glass fiber tube 10 with the above-mentioned cyclic olefin polymer.

A method of manufacturing the hollow waveguide 1 configured as described above will be described with reference to FIG.
First, when the hollow waveguide 1 is manufactured, in order to form the inner protective film 20 on the inner surface of the glass fiber tube 10 serving as a base material, a liquid main agent, a liquid curing agent, and a diluting liquid are used in a predetermined manner. It mixes by mixing | blending and stirs for a predetermined time, The inorganic solution 20a is created. In the present embodiment, an inorganic solution 20a having a concentration of 47.6 wt% is prepared.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 2 (a), the prepared inorganic solution 20a is placed inside the glass fiber tube 10 by using a micro tube pump (not shown) through the micro tube 60 connected to the end of the glass fiber tube 10. The solution was fed at a feeding rate of 4 cm / min. After the feeding was completed, air 11 having a flow rate of 100 ml / min was flown into the glass fiber tube 10 for 12 hours to dry the inorganic solution 20a, and the inner surface of the glass fiber tube 10 An inner protective film 20 is formed on the substrate.

  Further, after the inner protective film 20 is formed, the above-described silver liquid 30a is fed into the glass fiber tube 10, and the silver thin film 30 is formed on the inner surface of the inner protective film 20 by a silver mirror reaction (FIG. 2 ( b)). Further, after the silver thin film 30 is formed, the cyclic olefin polymer solution 40a is fed into the glass fiber tube 10 to form the dielectric thin film 40 on the inner surface of the silver thin film 30 (see FIG. 2C).

  Further, the outer surface coating layer 50 is formed by coating the outer surface of the glass fiber tube 10 with the above-mentioned cyclic olefin polymer, which is an organic material, by an appropriate coating method (see FIG. 1), and the hollow waveguide 1 is completed. Let

  In addition, while having such a configuration, the hollow waveguide 1 manufactured by the above-described manufacturing method was not damaged even in a bending test with a bending radius of 30 mm and a bending angle of 360 degrees. On the other hand, the hollow waveguide without a protective film that does not include the inner protective film 20 between the inner surface of the glass fiber tube 10 and the silver thin film 30 is broken in a bending test with a bending radius of 30 mm and a bending angle of 360 degrees. It was confirmed that the durability of the hollow waveguide 1 was improved by providing the inner protective film 20 between the inner surface of the glass fiber tube 10 and the silver thin film 30.

  Next, the laser treatment system 100 including the operator operation unit 112 using the hollow waveguide 1 manufactured by the above-described configuration and the above-described manufacturing method as the laser transmission path 170 will be described with reference to FIGS.

In the endoscope apparatus 110, as shown in FIG. 3, an operator operation unit 112 is connected to the apparatus main body 101a by a connection cable 111.
The operator operation unit 112 mainly includes an operation unit 113 and an endoscope tube 121.

  The operation unit 113 includes an eyepiece unit 115, an upper and lower angle knob 116, a left and right angle knob 117, an operation button 118 that receives operation inputs such as water supply, suction, zoom, or assist gas supply, and a forceps insertion port 120. Provided.

  The endoscope tube 121 is provided with a flexible tube portion 122, a curved tube portion 123, and a distal end configuration portion 130 in this order from the base portion toward the distal end. In addition, a forceps insertion path 119 that communicates from the forceps insertion opening 120 to the forceps outlet 136 of the distal end component 130 is provided inside the endoscope tube 121. The forceps insertion path 119 functions as a treatment device insertion path for inserting a treatment device such as a forceps or a laser transmission path 170.

  In FIG. 3, the diameter is enlarged from the middle of the flexible tube portion 122 to the distal end of the bending tube portion 123, but this is for easy understanding of the configuration of the distal end configuration portion 130. Actually, it has a shape with a constant diameter suitable for insertion into the living body such as the esophagus, stomach, and intestines.

  The flexible tube portion 122 has a cylindrical shape that is appropriately curved, and can insert a therapeutic device such as an appropriate forceps inserted from the forceps insertion port 120 to the distal end constituting portion 130. In this embodiment, a laser transmission path 170 of a laser treatment apparatus 150 is inserted as a treatment device.

The bending tube portion 123 is bent in the vertical direction by operating the vertical angle knob 116 and is bent in the horizontal direction by the left and right angle knob 117.
More specifically, the bending tube portion 123 is connected to the up and down angle knob 116 and the left and right angle knob 117 by a wire (not shown) inserted into the endoscope tube 121. For this reason, the rotation operation of the vertical angle knob 116 and the left / right angle knob 117 is transmitted to the bending tube portion 123 by the wire, and the bending tube portion 123 is bent in the vertical and horizontal directions. Thereby, the bending tube part 123 can be bent at an arbitrary angle in an arbitrary direction, and the distal end constituent part 130 can be directed in an appropriate direction toward the treatment target site.

  The front-end component 130 is illuminated by light guides 131 and 135 that emit light serving as illumination for imaging, a secondary water supply port 132 that is a water supply port that discharges a liquid such as a staining solution, and light guides 131 and 135. Treatment of a lens 133 that collects reflected light from a living body and acquires a captured image, a nozzle 134 that discharges a cleaning liquid or the like for cleaning the lens 133 toward the lens 133, and a laser transmission path 170 of the laser treatment apparatus 150. A forceps outlet 136 which is an outlet of the device for medical use is provided.

  The laser transmission path 170 is constituted by the outer tube 171, the tip injection port 172, and the hollow waveguide 1 described above, and is formed longer than the forceps insertion path which is also the entire length of the endoscope tube 121.

The exterior tube 171 is a flexible resin tube and is formed with a diameter that is slightly smaller than the forceps insertion path 119 of the endoscope tube 121.
The tip injection port 172 is a substantially cylindrical body having a central irradiation hole 173 penetrating in the axial direction, that is, in the length direction of the tip injection port 172, in the center in a front view.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the laser treatment apparatus 150 includes a power supply unit 152 that supplies operating power to each unit such as an operation unit / display unit 151 and a central control unit 154, a signal processing unit 153, a central control unit 154, a detection unit 155, A guide light emitting unit 156 and a laser oscillation unit 157 are provided.

  The operation unit / display unit 151 receives an operation input such as a laser output setting or an operation mode change, and transmits an input signal to the central control unit 154. From the central control unit 154, a laser output condition, an operation state of the apparatus, and the like. The display signal is received and appropriate information is displayed.

  The signal processing unit 153 processes the signal detected by the detection unit 155 and transmits the processed signal to the central control unit 154. In this embodiment, the signal processing unit 153 and the detection unit 155 constitute an OCT (Optical Coherence Tomography) apparatus.

The central control unit 154 performs various control operations on each unit. The central control unit 154 includes a laser output control unit 154a and a storage unit 154b.
The laser output control unit 154a controls the output value of the therapeutic laser beam 157a by the laser oscillation unit 157 in accordance with the output set by the operation unit / display unit 151 and the operation mode.
The storage unit 154b stores appropriate data in addition to control data such as output settings and operation mode settings.

The detection unit 155 receives the reflected guide light 155a (signal light) and the reference light, and detects the light intensity of the beat signal generated from the interference light.
The guide light emitting unit 156 emits near-infrared light with low coherence having a wavelength of 800 nm to 1 μm, which serves as guide light for indicating the position where the therapeutic laser beam 157a for treatment is irradiated.

The laser oscillation unit 157 oscillates a carbon dioxide gas laser having a wavelength of 10.6 μm as the treatment laser light 157a used for the treatment.
The guide light 156a irradiated by the guide light emitting unit 156 described above, the therapeutic laser light 157a oscillated by the laser oscillation unit 157, and the reflected guide light 155a detected by the detection unit 155 are all transmitted by one hollow waveguide 1. Is done. Therefore, these are all transmitted coaxially, and the site | part which acts on a treatment object, and the site | part to detect correspond as a treatment object site | part.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the endoscope apparatus 110 includes a power supply unit 142 that supplies operating power to each unit such as an operation unit 141 and a central control unit 143, a central control unit 143 that performs various control operations on each unit, a light An illumination unit 144 that performs illumination from the guides 131 and 135 (see FIG. 3), an imaging unit 145 that captures an image transmitted from the lens 133 (see FIG. 3) and obtains a captured image necessary for treatment, and a sub-water supply port An image display unit 147 that displays an image based on a signal transmitted from the central control unit 143 and a water ejection unit 146 that ejects liquid from the nozzle 132 and the nozzle 134 is provided.

  The operation unit 141 transmits an operation input from the operation unit 113 (see FIG. 3) to the central control unit 143. That is, the bending operation of the bending tube portion 123 by the operation of the vertical angle knob 116 and the horizontal angle knob 117, the pressing operation by the operation button 118, and the like are transmitted.

A method of use in submucosal dissection (ESD) using the laser treatment system 100 configured as described above will be described.
As described above, in submucosal dissection (ESD) using the laser treatment system 100, the operator operation unit 112 in which the laser transmission path 170 is inserted into the forceps insertion path 119 is inserted into the body, and the image display unit 147. Based on the front image of the distal-end component 130 imaged by the imaging unit 145 displayed in step S1, the distal-end component 130 of the operator operation unit 112 is inserted until it reaches the treatment target site. The site to be treated is a lumen such as the esophagus or stomach, and is an appropriate part of a living body including a human.

  Then, while confirming the image on the image display unit 147, the guide light 156 a that conducts the conduction space 1 a of the hollow waveguide 1 and the treatment laser beam 157 a are emitted from the central irradiation hole 173 of the tip ejection port 172, thereby performing treatment. The site to be treated is treated with the laser beam 157a.

  After the treatment is completed, the operator operation unit 112 is inserted from the body, and the submucosal dissection (ESD) is completed. In addition, even mucosal resection (EMR) can be performed by the same usage method.

  The laser treatment system 100 used in such a usage method uses the hollow waveguide 1 manufactured by the above-described configuration and manufacturing method, so that the therapeutic laser is not reduced without reducing the transmission efficiency of the therapeutic laser beam 157a. The treatment target site can be reliably treated by the treatment laser beam 157a that is made to pass through the light 157a to the tip of the hollow waveguide 1 constituting the laser transmission path 170 and is oscillated by control according to treatment.

  Specifically, the hollow waveguide 1 is formed by laminating a silver thin film 30 formed by a silver mirror reaction and a dielectric thin film 40 in this order on the inner surface of the inner hollow glass fiber tube 10 in this order from the outside of the glass. By providing the inner protective film 20 formed before the silver mirror reaction between the inner surface of the fiber tube 10 and the silver thin film 30, light is guided without reducing the transmission efficiency of the guided therapeutic laser beam 157a. be able to.

  In addition, by providing the inner protective film 20 formed before the silver mirror reaction between the inner surface of the glass fiber tube 10 and the silver thin film 30, durability against bending operation can be improved.

  More specifically, the inner thin film 30 is formed on the inner surface of the glass fiber tube 10 by providing the inner protective film 20 formed before the silver mirror reaction between the inner surface of the glass fiber tube 10 and the silver thin film 30. Therefore, the silver liquid 30a is prevented from directly acting on the inner surface of the glass fiber tube 10 in the silver mirror reaction. Therefore, the occurrence of minute defects on the inner surface of the glass fiber tube 10 due to the silver liquid 30a is prevented, and for example, the hollow waveguide 1 of the hollow waveguide 1 accompanying the bending operation of the bending tube portion 123 by the operation of the vertical angle knob 116 and the horizontal angle knob 117 is prevented. Due to the bending operation, durability against the bending operation can be improved to the extent that the glass fiber tube 10 is not damaged even if a bending load is applied to the glass fiber tube 10.

  The therapeutic thin film 40 is made of a cyclic olefin polymer composed of cyclohexane and a cycloolefin polymer resin, and the inner protective film 20 is composed of a room temperature moisture-curable special inorganic paint to guide light. It is possible to configure the hollow waveguide 1 that suppresses the reduction in the transmission efficiency of the light 157a and has high durability against the bending operation.

  Specifically, the inner protective film 20 is composed of a room temperature moisture-curing special inorganic paint, and the dielectric thin film 40 is composed of a cyclic olefin polymer composed of cyclohexane and a cycloolefin polymer resin. When the dielectric thin film 40 made of an olefin polymer is formed, the inner protective film 20 made of a room temperature moisture-curing special inorganic paint formed between the silver thin film 30 and the inner surface of the glass fiber tube 10 is annular. Melting with an olefin polymer solvent can be prevented.

  More specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the dielectric thin film 40 includes a microtube 60 to a microtube connected to the end of the glass fiber tube 10 having the inner protective film 20 and the silver thin film 30 formed on the inner surface. The cyclic olefin polymer is fed by a pump to form a film. At this time, the inner protective film 20 is exposed from the end of the glass fiber tube 10, but the inner protective film 20 is made of an inorganic material. The inner protective film 20 is not melted by the organic solvent contained in the dielectric thin film 40.

  Therefore, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of minute defects on the inner surface of the glass fiber tube 10 due to the cyclic olefin polymer solvent when forming the dielectric thin film 40. Therefore, it is possible to suppress a reduction in transmission efficiency of the therapeutic laser beam 157a guided by the dielectric thin film 40 and to improve durability against the bending operation.

  Further, the operator's operation unit 112 is configured, and the hollow waveguide 1 described above is inserted as the laser transmission path 170 into the endoscope tube 121 provided with the bending tube portion 123 capable of bending operation on the distal end side. The practitioner can perform laser treatment safely and reliably in a good working environment.

  Specifically, a good working environment can be obtained by a transmission path with low transmission loss and high durability, and an endoscope that can be directly visually recognized and accessed with minimal invasiveness. And since the hollow waveguide 1 which improved the durability with respect to the bending operation in the bending tube portion 123 that can be freely bent is used, the hollow waveguide 1 is damaged and the treatment laser beam 157a does not leak out. Occurrence of damage to the outer tube or the endoscope tube 121 or the optical system of the endoscope due to erroneous irradiation of the therapeutic laser beam 157a can be prevented. Therefore, the operator operation unit 112 with high safety and reliability can be configured.

  As shown by a dotted line in FIG. 1, an outer protective film 51 is provided on the outer side of the outer surface coating layer 50 made of cycloolefin and cycloolefin polymer resin, which is provided on the outer surface of the glass fiber tube 10. Also good. By providing the outer protective film 51, the durability against the bending operation can be further improved.

  Specifically, an outer surface coating layer 50 made of a cyclic olefin polymer composed of cyclohexane and cycloolefin polymer resin is provided on the outer surface of the glass fiber tube 10, and room temperature moisture having high adhesion and water resistance is provided on the outer side of the outer surface coating layer 50. By providing the outer protective film 51 made of a curable special inorganic paint, it is possible to prevent an external force from acting on the outer surface of the glass fiber tube 10 and causing micro defects on the outer surface of the glass fiber tube 10. Therefore, the durability against the bending operation can be further improved.

In correspondence between the configuration of the present invention and the above-described embodiment,
The glass tubular member of the present invention corresponds to the glass fiber tube 10,
Similarly,
The silver thin film layer corresponds to the silver thin film 30,
The laser beam corresponds to the therapeutic laser beam 157a,
The dielectric thin film layer corresponds to the dielectric thin film 40,
The protective film layer and the first protective film layer correspond to the inner protective film 20,
The outer peripheral coating corresponds to the outer surface coating layer 50,
The second protective film layer corresponds to the outer protective film 51,
The bending operation portion corresponds to the bending tube portion 123,
The laser treatment instrument corresponds to the operator operation unit 112,
The organic material and the first organic material correspond to a cyclic olefin polymer composed of cyclohexane and a cycloolefin polymer resin,
Inorganic materials are compatible with room temperature moisture-curing special inorganic paints,
The second organic material corresponds to a cyclic olefin polymer composed of tetrahydrafurone and a cyclic olefin resin,
The present invention is not limited only to the configuration of the above-described embodiment, and many embodiments can be obtained.

For example, the dielectric thin film 40 is composed of a cycloolefin polymer composed of cyclohexane and a cycloolefin polymer resin, and tetrahydrafurone that is insoluble in a solvent of the cycloolefin polymer composed of cyclohexane and a cycloolefin polymer resin and The inner protective film 20 may be composed of a cyclic olefin polymer composed of a cyclic olefin resin. Further, for example, the dielectric thin film 40 is made of a polyimide resin and the inner protective film 20 is made of an inorganic material, or the dielectric thin film 40 and the inner protective film 20 are made of two kinds of materials considering insolubility. You may comprise with a polyimide resin.
Even in these cases, the same effect as that of the hollow waveguide 1 described above can be obtained.

  The present invention can be used in various devices that treat a living body using laser light. In particular, the present invention can be used for a device that transmits and cures laser light with high transmission efficiency while having durability against bending in a limited space such as an endoscope.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Hollow waveguide 10 ... Glass fiber tube 20 ... Inner protective film 30 ... Silver thin film 40 ... Dielectric thin film 50 ... Outer surface coating layer 51 ... Outer protective film 112 ... Operator operation unit 121 ... Endoscope tube 123 ... Curved tube Part 157a: therapeutic laser beam

Claims (5)

On the inner surface of an internal hollow glass tubular member, a silver thin film layer formed by a silver mirror reaction and a dielectric thin film layer are formed in this order from the outer diameter side to form a long hollow that guides laser light. A waveguide comprising:
A protective film layer is formed between the inner surface of the glass tubular member and the silver thin film layer before the silver mirror reaction, and prevents silver liquid in the silver mirror reaction from acting on the inner surface of the glass tubular member. Provided,
The hollow waveguide which comprised this protective film layer with the material insoluble with respect to the solvent of the organic material which comprises the said dielectric material thin film layer. The dielectric thin film layer is made of an organic material,
The hollow waveguide according to claim 1, wherein the protective film layer is made of an inorganic material. The dielectric thin film layer is made of a first organic material,
The hollow waveguide according to claim 1, wherein the protective film layer is formed of a second organic material that is insoluble in the solvent of the first organic material. While the protective film layer is a first protective film layer,
The outer surface of the glass tubular member is provided with an outer peripheral coating made of an organic material,
The hollow waveguide according to claim 1, further comprising a second protective film layer outside the outer peripheral coating. A laser treatment instrument in which the hollow waveguide according to any one of claims 1 to 4 is inserted through an endoscope tube provided with a bending operation portion capable of bending operation at a distal end side.

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