JPH0856894A - Leading end part of endoscope - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide the leading end part of an endoscope making a leading end cap having an outer diameter equal to that of the leading end main body freely detachable without sacrificing the size of an illumination window or forceps channel. CONSTITUTION: In this leading end part of an endoscope constituted so that the leading end cap 50 freely detachable with respect to the leading end part main body 1 of the leading end of an insertion part is formed from an elastic member so as to have a cylindrical shape having an outer diameter almost same to the max. outer diameter of the leading end part main body 1 and the protruding part formed to the inner peripheral surface of the leading end cap 50 is engaged with the recessed part formed to the outer peripheral surface of the leading end part main body 1, the outer diameter of the foremost end part of the leading end part main body 1 is formed so as to have the same dimension as the max. outer diameter thereof and the notch part 10 engaged with the leading end cap 50 is formed to a part of the foremost end part at least at one place.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a distal end portion of an endoscope in which a distal end cap formed of an elastic member is detachably attached to a distal end body.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 6 schematically shows the distal end portion of such a conventional endoscope. The outer diameter of the distal end cap 50 is the maximum of the distal end portion main body 1 so as not to deteriorate the insertability of the endoscope. The outer diameter is approximately the same as the outer diameter.

Since the tip cap 50 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape, the outer diameter of the tip body 1 is small in the portion covered with the tip cap 50, and the tip body 1 has a small outer diameter.
The outermost diameter d of the tip of the
It is made thinner.

[0004]

A cover lens 37 is fitted in the illumination window 12 of the endoscope as shown in FIG. 6, but the outer edge portion of the cover lens 37 is formed in consideration of other components. Are often arranged as close to the outer edge side of the tip body 1 as possible.

However, the outer edge of the tip portion of the tip body 1 is rounded to ensure safety, so that the edge of the cover lens 37 does not partly protrude from the tip body 1. In order to avoid this, the cover lens 37 must be arranged inward while avoiding the chamfered portion.

Therefore, if the outer diameter of the most distal end of the tip body 1 is smaller than the maximum outer diameter as described above,
Since the cover lens 37 must be made smaller by that amount, the cover lens 3 is accordingly accompanied.
The light guide fiber bundle 100 for illumination arranged inside 7 was also thin, and as a result, the illumination ability was low. Further, the same situation occurs in the forceps channel and the like, and there is a drawback that the effective inner diameter of the channel becomes thin.

Therefore, the present invention provides a distal end portion of an endoscope in which a distal end cap having the same outer diameter as the outer diameter of the distal end main body is detachable without sacrificing the size of an illumination window or forceps channel. The purpose is to do.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, the distal end portion of the endoscope of the present invention is provided with a resilient member which includes a distal end cap that is detachable from the distal end body of the insertion portion distal end. To form a cylindrical shape having an outer diameter substantially the same as the maximum outer diameter of the tip body, and to form a convex portion formed on the inner peripheral surface of the tip cap in the concave portion formed on the outer peripheral surface of the tip body. At the distal end of the endoscope adapted to be engaged, the outer diameter of the distal end portion of the distal end portion main body is formed to have the same size as the maximum outer diameter, and the distal end cap and the distal end cap are formed on a part of the distal end portion. It is characterized in that at least one notch portion to be engaged is formed.

A band-like portion that partially covers the tip end surface of the tip end body is formed continuously from a portion that engages with the cutout portion, and is formed on the surface of an observation window provided in the tip end body. A nozzle for spraying a fluid may be formed on the strip portion.

[0010]

Embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. 2 is a front view of the distal end portion of the endoscope, FIG. 3 is a side view thereof, and FIG.
FIG. 3 is a side sectional view showing a combination of sections so as to include an observation optical system and an air supply nozzle section.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the tip end main body 1 is connected to the tip end portion of the bending portion 2 provided at the tip end of the insertion portion formed by the elongated flexible tube so as to be bendable by remote control. Has been done. Reference numeral 6 is an outer rubber tube that covers the curved portion 2.

The endoscope of the present embodiment is a so-called front-viewing type endoscope for observing the front of the tube axis, and as shown in FIG. 11, an illumination window 12 and a forceps channel outlet hole 13 are arranged, and an air supply nozzle 14 and a water supply nozzle 15 that open toward the observation window 11 are provided.

As shown in FIG. 4, the tip surface of the tip portion main body 1 is formed so that only the observation window 11 is raised in comparison with other portions so as to prevent optical vignetting. ing.

Inside the observation window 11, an objective optical system 16 is fixedly arranged in a lens frame 17. Reference numeral 18 is an aperture stop, 19 is a spacer between objective lenses, and 20 is a metal shield tube.

The outer peripheral surface of the lens frame 17 is fitted in the hole formed in the tip end main body 1, and the fitting portion has an O for sealing.
A ring 23 is attached. On the other hand, a shield pipe 25 made of metal is fitted and joined to the outer peripheral portion of the rear portion of the lens frame 17.

In the shield pipe 25, a solid-state image pickup device 26 made of, for example, a charge-coupled device (CCD) is fixed with its image receiving surface facing forward, and an observation light image is received by the solid-state image pickup device 26 by the objective optical system 16. Form an image on the surface. 27
Is a transparent cover glass, and 29 is a light-shielding mask.

In the shield pipe 25, an electronic component 31 for processing signals input to and output from the solid-state image pickup device 26.
Are mounted and arranged on the wiring board 32, and the signal cable is drawn rearward from there.

Insulating tapes 34 and 35 are respectively wound around the outer peripheral surface of the component arranged inside the shield pipe 25 and the outer peripheral surface of the shield pipe 25 to electrically insulate the shield pipe 25 from the inside and outside thereof. ing.

The present invention is directed to such a solid-state image pickup device 2
It may be applied to an endoscope using an optical image transmitting means such as an image guide fiber bundle instead of the electronic image transmitting means using 6, and may be applied to a rigid endoscope.

The exit end of the illumination light guide fiber bundle is disposed inside the cover lens 37, which is a concave lens attached to the illumination window 12 shown in FIG. 2 in order to widen the light distribution angle of the illumination light. .

Inside the air supply and water supply nozzles 14 and 15, as shown in FIG. 4, air supply and water supply holes 41 and 42 are formed in the tip end main body 1 in a direction parallel to the tube axis. From the rear, air and water supply pipes 43 and 44 are connected and connected.

The tip cap 50 is made of a material having no elasticity such as polyurethane rubber and having elasticity, and is attachable to and detachable from the tip side of the tip body 1 on the outer peripheral surface of the tip body 1. Is attached to. It should be noted that all the ridges of the tip cap 50 are formed by being smoothly rounded so as not to damage the mucous membrane in the body cavity of the patient.

The tip end cap 50 is formed in a cylindrical shape having an outer diameter dimension substantially the same as the outer diameter dimension of the tip end portion main body 1, and its rear end portion is opened in a tubular shape, but the front end side is
Only the upper half side is covered in a strip shape so as to closely adhere to the front end surface of the tip end main body 1, and the air supply and water supply nozzle 1
4, 15 are formed. However, the observation window 11 portion is a through hole.

Then, in order to accurately position the air supply and water supply nozzles 14 and 15 with respect to the air supply and water supply holes 41 and 42, FIG. 4 and FIG.
As shown in FIG. 5, the projections 51, 51 fitted into the air supply and water supply holes 41, 42 to the extent that the air supply and water supply holes 41, 42 are not completely covered are provided with the projections 51, 51 facing rearward.
Is formed integrally with.

As a result, the air or water sent through the air and water supply pipes 43 and 44 does not leak on the way and passes through the air and water supply holes 41 and 42 and the air and water supply nozzle 1
It is jetted from 4, 15 toward the surface of the observation window 11.

4 and the tip body 1 to tip cap 5
As shown in FIG. 1 in which 0 is removed, a groove 9 is formed in the circumferential direction in the middle portion of the outer peripheral surface of the tip body 1.

The outermost dimension of the tip portion main body 1 on the front side of the groove 9 is formed to be the same as the maximum outer diameter portion on the rear side. Arc-shaped notch 10, 1 notched at a certain depth from the outer edge only
0 is formed.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the illumination window 1
2 and the forceps channel outlet hole 13 are notches 10, 1
It is arranged inside a portion where there is no 0, that is, a portion having the same outer diameter as the maximum outer diameter of the tip portion main body 1.

Therefore, the illumination window 12 and the forceps channel outlet hole 13 can be arranged as close to the outer side as possible, and as a result, the thick light guide fiber bundle and the thick forceps channel can be built in the endoscope. As a result, high basic performance can be obtained.

The front end cap 50 is positioned in the rotational direction by engaging with the notches 10 and 10 of the front end portion main body 1, and the front surface of the front end cap 50 on which the air supply and water supply nozzles 14 and 15 are formed. The strip-shaped portion is connected to the side cylindrical portion via the engagement portion with the notches 10 and 10.

On the inner surface side of the tubular portion of the tip cap 50,
A projection 52 having a size that fits in the groove 9 of the tip body 1 is provided so as to project inward. Therefore, by pushing the tip cap 50 from the tip side of the tip body 1 so as to spread it along the outer peripheral surface of the tip body 1, the projection 52 of the tip cap 50 fits into the groove 9 of the tip body 1. Put in.

In this state, the tip cap 50 returns to its original shape by its own elastic force, and is locked so as not to come out of the tip body 1. In this state, as shown in FIG. 3, in the tip cap 50, only the strip-shaped portion in which the air and water feeding nozzles 14 and 15 are formed wraps forward from the tubular portion engaged with the recessed groove 9. Then, it is attached to the tip body 1, does not rotate at all with respect to the tip body 1, and does not project from the surface of the tip body 1 in the circumferential direction at all.

After use, the front end cap 50 can be pushed forward by flipping it from the rear side.
Can be removed from the tip body 1, whereby the air and water supply holes 41, 42 can be cleaned by brushing. The tip cap 50 may be disposable.

[0034]

According to the present invention, the tip cap having the same outer diameter as the outer diameter of the tip body is detachably attached to the tip body while excluding the notch portion, the tip portion of the tip body is removed. By forming the outer diameter of the same as the rear maximum outer diameter, it is possible to arrange the illumination window or the forceps channel outlet hole as far as possible to the outside, so that a thick light guide fiber bundle or a thick forceps channel is built in. As a result, high basic performance as an endoscope can be obtained.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which a tip cap is removed from a tip body of an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a side sectional view of an example.

FIG. 5 is a rear view of the tip cap according to the embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a side view of a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 tip part body 10 notch part 14,15 nozzle 50 tip cap

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A tip cap, which is attachable to and detachable from a tip end main body at the tip of the insertion portion, is formed of a resilient member into a cylindrical shape having an outer diameter substantially the same as the maximum outer diameter of the tip end main body. In the distal end portion of the endoscope in which the convex portion formed on the inner peripheral surface of the distal end cap is engaged with the concave portion formed on the outer peripheral surface of the distal end portion main body, The tip of an endoscope is characterized in that the outer diameter is formed to have the same dimension as the maximum outer diameter, and at least one notch portion that engages with the tip cap is formed in a part of the most distal end portion thereof. Department. 2. A band-shaped portion that partially covers the tip end surface of the tip end body is formed in the tip cap continuously from a portion that engages with the cutout portion, and is provided in the tip end body. The distal end portion of the endoscope according to claim 1, wherein a nozzle for spraying a fluid on the surface of the observation window is formed in the band-shaped portion.