WO2011108157A1

WO2011108157A1 - Endoscope

Info

Publication number: WO2011108157A1
Application number: PCT/JP2010/070695
Authority: WO
Inventors: 義久鈴木
Original assignee: オリンパスメディカルシステムズ株式会社
Priority date: 2010-03-05
Filing date: 2010-11-19
Publication date: 2011-09-09

Abstract

Disclosed is an endoscope which is provided with an inserting section to be introduced into a subject to be examined. The endoscope is also provided with a tube line inserted into the inserting section, and an opening, which has a tube line leading end portion connected thereto, and which is opened, in the outer circumferential portion of the inserting section, toward the outside in the diameter direction of the inserting section, with a width larger than the inner diameter of the tube line.

Description

Endoscope

The present invention relates to an endoscope in which a duct is inserted through an insertion portion.

Endoscopes used in the medical field are configured to include an insertion section that can be introduced into a subject. The insertion unit is provided with, for example, an imaging device for observing the inside of the subject and a conduit for communicating the inside of the subject with the outside of the subject. Examples of the conduits provided in the insertion portion include those for inserting a treatment instrument for performing treatment into the subject, and those for feeding fluid into the subject.

When the endoscope is provided with an ultrasonic probe section for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves at the distal end portion of the insertion section as in the endoscope disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-168585, the subject A balloon for interposing an ultrasonic medium that transmits ultrasonic waves is mounted between the observation target and the ultrasonic probe unit. The ultrasonic medium is introduced into the balloon via a conduit inserted through the insertion portion after the insertion portion is introduced into the subject.

Endoscopes used in the medical field are prescribed to perform predetermined disinfection treatment after use. For example, when a person performs disinfection processing of an endoscope manually, the endoscope is held so that the distal end side of the insertion portion is downward for drying after the disinfection processing using a chemical solution or the like. At this time, a pipe line for introducing an ultrasonic medium into a balloon such as an endoscope disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-168585 has a relatively small diameter on the distal end side and a radially outer side. Since the opening is changed in direction, the liquid droplet of the chemical solution tends to stay on the tip side. If the chemical solution stays on the distal end side of the conduit, depending on the aggressiveness of the chemical solution, there is a possibility of affecting the progress of deterioration of the members constituting the insertion portion.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-described points, and an object of the present invention is to provide an endoscope capable of preventing droplets from remaining on the distal end side of a pipe line inserted through an insertion portion.

An endoscope according to the present invention is an endoscope having an insertion portion that is introduced into a subject, and a conduit that is inserted into the insertion portion and an end portion on the distal end side of the conduit are connected to each other And an opening that opens toward a radially outer side of the insertion portion with a width larger than an inner diameter of the pipe line at an outer peripheral portion of the insertion portion.

It is a figure showing a schematic structure of an endoscope. It is a perspective view which shows the detailed structure of the front-end | tip part of the insertion part of an endoscope. It is a top view of the front-end | tip part of an insertion part. It is a side view of the front-end | tip part of an insertion part. It is a fragmentary sectional view explaining the form of a connection with a pipe line and an opening part. It is a fragmentary sectional view explaining the modification of an opening part. It is a fragmentary sectional view explaining the form of a connection with a pipe line and an opening part. It is sectional drawing of a front-end | tip part. It is sectional drawing explaining the structure of an ultrasonic probe part. It is XX sectional drawing of FIG. It is a figure explaining the structure of an endoscope connector. It is a fragmentary sectional view explaining the composition of the vent of an ultrasonic connector. It is a figure explaining the structure of a connection member. It is an enlarged view of the side surface of an endoscope attachment part.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In each drawing used for the following description, the scale is different for each component in order to make each component large enough to be recognized on the drawing. It is not limited only to the quantity of the component described in the figure, the shape of the component, the ratio of the size of the component, and the relative positional relationship of each component.

As shown in FIG. 1, the endoscope 1 according to the present embodiment captures an ultrasonic tomographic image of a predetermined observation site in a subject by scanning an ultrasonic beam in the subject as an example. It has a configuration called an ultrasonic endoscope. The endoscope 1 may be a so-called optical endoscope that captures only an optical image in the subject.

The endoscope 1 includes an insertion portion 10 that can be introduced into the body of a subject, an operation portion 30 that is located at the proximal end of the insertion portion 10, and a universal cord 40 that extends from a side portion of the operation portion 30. It is mainly composed.

The insertion portion 10 includes a distal end portion 11 disposed at the distal end, a bendable bending portion 12 disposed on the proximal end side of the distal end portion 11, and a proximal end side of the bending portion 12. A flexible tube portion 13 having flexibility and connected to the distal end side is continuously provided. Note that the endoscope 1 may have a form called a so-called rigid endoscope that does not include a flexible portion in the insertion portion 10.

As will be described in detail later, the distal end portion 11 of the insertion unit 10 includes an imaging device 15 and an illumination device 16 for capturing an optical image, an ultrasonic probe unit 50 for capturing an ultrasonic tomographic image, and the like. It is arranged. In addition, the distal end portion 11 is provided with a treatment instrument insertion port 17 for projecting the treatment instrument.

The operation unit 30 includes an angle knob 31 for operating the bending of the bending unit 12, an air / water supply button 32 for controlling a fluid delivery operation from the fluid delivery unit 14 provided at the distal end 11, A suction button 33 for controlling the suction operation from the treatment instrument insertion port 17, a pipe base 34 that communicates with the treatment instrument insertion port 17, and the like are provided. In addition, the operation unit 30 is provided with a treatment instrument raising lever 35 for operating the protruding direction of the treatment instrument protruding from the treatment instrument insertion port 17 of the distal end portion 11 of the insertion section 10.

An endoscope connector 41 connected to a light source device (not shown) is provided at the base end of the universal cord 40. The light emitted from the light source device travels through the optical fiber cable inserted through the universal cord 40, the operation unit 30, and the insertion unit 10, and is emitted from the illumination device 16 at the distal end portion 11. The endoscope 1 may be configured to include a light source device such as an LED at the distal end portion 11.

The endoscope connector 41 is provided with a video connector 42 and an ultrasonic connector 44 to which a video cable is connected. The video connector 42 is electrically connected to the camera control unit via a video cable (not shown). The camera control unit is electrically connected to the imaging device 15 provided at the distal end portion 11 via a video cable. The camera control unit is electrically connected to an image display device (not shown) and outputs an image captured by the imaging device 15 to the image display device.

The ultrasonic connector 44 is detachably connected to an ultrasonic observation control unit (not shown) via an ultrasonic cable. The ultrasonic observation control unit is electrically connected to the ultrasonic probe unit 50 provided at the tip via an ultrasonic cable, and drives the ultrasonic probe unit 50.

Next, a detailed configuration of the distal end portion 11 of the insertion portion 10 of the endoscope 1 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 2, 3, and 4, the distal end portion 11 is provided with an imaging device 15, an illumination device 16, a fluid delivery unit 14, an ultrasonic probe unit 50, and a treatment instrument insertion port 17. Yes.

The imaging device 15 includes an imaging optical system member and an imaging element, and takes an optical image. The imaging device 15 is disposed so as to capture at least the distal end direction of the distal end portion 11 in the field of view. Note that the imaging device 15 is not limited to a mode in which an optical image is electronically captured, and may be configured to guide the optical image to an eyepiece provided in the operation unit via an optical fiber cable. The illumination device 16 emits light emitted from the light source device into the field of view of the imaging device 15.

The fluid delivery part 14 is an opening provided at the distal end part 11 and communicates with a fluid delivery line (not shown) inserted into the insertion part 10. In the present embodiment, by operating the air / water supply button 32 provided in the operation unit 30, the fluid is delivered from the fluid delivery unit 14 via the fluid delivery line. Here, the fluid delivered from the fluid delivery unit 14 is at least one of a gas such as air and a liquid such as physiological saline.

The ultrasonic probe unit 50 includes an ultrasonic transducer and transmits and receives ultrasonic waves. Although the form of the ultrasonic probe part 50 is not specifically limited, In this embodiment, as an example, the ultrasonic probe part 50 has a form called what is called a convex scanning type. Specifically, the ultrasonic probe unit 50 includes a plurality of ultrasonic transducers arranged in an arc shape, and by driving the plurality of ultrasonic transducers at a predetermined timing, the radial direction of the arc It is possible to scan the ultrasonic beam substantially fan-shaped toward the outside.

The ultrasonic probe unit 50 is not limited to the convex scanning type. For example, the ultrasonic probe unit 50 may have a form in which a plurality of ultrasonic transducers are arranged in a straight line. Further, for example, the ultrasonic probe unit 50 may be in a form capable of three-dimensional scanning in which a plurality of ultrasonic transducers are arranged in a matrix. Further, the ultrasonic probe unit 50 is not limited to the electronic scanning type, and may be a so-called mechanical scanning type that scans by moving the ultrasonic transducer.

In addition, for example, a piezoelectric element such as piezoelectric ceramics, an electrostrictive element, or an ultrasonic transducer (MUT; Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducer) using a micromachine technique can be applied to the ultrasonic vibrator.

The treatment instrument insertion port 17 is an opening for projecting the treatment instrument, and communicates with the treatment instrument insertion conduit 18. The treatment instrument insertion port 17 is provided in a concave accommodating portion 25 provided at the distal end portion 11. The accommodating portion 25 is a groove dug in the side surface portion of the distal end portion 11 along the central axis of the distal end portion 11. The accommodating portion 25 is provided so as to open in the distal direction and the side of the distal end portion 11.

In the endoscope 1 of the present embodiment, for example, the treatment tool is inserted from the treatment tool insertion port 17 of the distal end portion 11 via the treatment tool insertion pipe line 18 by inserting the treatment tool from the opening of the pipe base 34. The treatment tool can be introduced into the body of the subject. The type of treatment tool is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include a puncture needle, biopsy forceps, and cytodiagnosis brush.

In the endoscope 1 of the present embodiment, a treatment instrument raising base 19 for changing the protruding direction of the treatment instrument protruding from the treatment instrument insertion port 17 is provided in the accommodating portion 25 of the distal end portion 11. ing. The treatment instrument raising base 19 is well known and will not be described in detail. However, the treatment instrument raising base 19 oscillates in conjunction with the movement of the treatment instrument raising lever 35 provided in the operation unit 30, and the treatment instrument raising base 19 is disposed. It has the structure which changes the protrusion direction of the treatment tool protruded from the insertion port 17.

Hereinafter, a more detailed configuration of the tip 11 will be described. The distal end portion 11 includes, for example, the imaging device 15, the illumination device 16, the fluid delivery portion 14, the ultrasonic probe portion 50, and the treatment instrument insertion port 17 on the distal end hard portion 29 made of metal or resin. It is installed and configured.

The distal end hard portion 29 is a substantially shaft-shaped member having the axis along the insertion direction of the distal end portion 11 as a central axis. The distal end hard portion 29 is formed with a slope portion 24 that is a planar portion inclined with respect to the central axis. The slope portion 24 is provided so as to be away from the central axis of the distal end hard portion 29 as it goes from the distal end side to the proximal end side of the distal end portion 11. In other words, the distal end hard portion 29 becomes thicker from the distal end side to the proximal end side of the distal end portion 11 at the location where the slope portion 24 is formed. The inclined surface portion 24 is provided with an imaging device 15, an illumination device 16, and a fluid delivery portion 14.

The accommodating part 25 is formed in the site | part in which the slope part 24 of the front-end | tip hard part 29 was formed, and is opened in the front-end | tip direction in the location in which the slope part 24 was formed. Here, the accommodating part 25 is opened toward the front-end | tip direction to the bottom face part 25a. In this way, by opening the groove-shaped accommodation portion 25 in which the treatment instrument raising base 19 is accommodated toward the bottom surface portion 25a in the distal direction, the treatment instrument raising base 19 is visually observed when the endoscope 1 is cleaned. In addition, cleaning with a brush or the like is facilitated.

In the present embodiment, the accommodating portion 25 is a space portion formed between the distal end hard portion 29 and the cover 26 fixed to the distal end hard portion 29 so as to cover the side of the treatment instrument elevator base 19. In the present embodiment, the cover 26 is formed of a transparent material such as resin. For this reason, in the endoscope 1 of the present embodiment, it is possible to easily observe visually the dirt in the storage unit 25 in which the treatment instrument raising base 19 is accommodated, and the surroundings of the treatment instrument raising base 19 can be easily cleaned. It can be carried out.

In the present embodiment, the distal end hard portion 29 constituting the distal end portion 11 and the outer peripheral portion on the proximal end side of the cover 26 are covered with the covering member 27. The covering member 27 is made of an electrically insulating material such as rubber. By covering the base end side of the cover 26 together with the distal end hard portion 29 with the covering member 27, it is possible to reduce the groove-shaped portion where water tends to accumulate in the outer peripheral portion of the distal end portion 11. By making it difficult for moisture to accumulate in the outer peripheral portion of the tip portion 11, it is possible to prevent the high-frequency current from flowing to the outer peripheral portion of the tip portion 11 when using a treatment instrument that uses a high-frequency current.

The ultrasonic probe portion 50 is disposed on the distal end side of the distal end hard portion 29 so as to protrude in the distal direction. An annular balloon mounting groove 51 carved in the circumferential direction is provided on the proximal end side of the distal end portion 11 relative to the ultrasonic probe portion 50. The balloon attachment groove 51 is for attaching the balloon 52 to the distal end portion 11. The balloon 52 is made of a stretchable material, and has a shape that covers the periphery of the ultrasonic probe unit 50 when mounted in the balloon mounting groove 51.

The balloon 52 stores an ultrasonic medium that is a liquid, and transmits ultrasonic waves between the imaging target and the ultrasonic probe unit 50 using the ultrasonic medium when an ultrasonic tomographic image is captured by the endoscope 1. Is to do. Since the balloon 52 and the balloon attachment groove 51 for mounting the balloon are well known, detailed description thereof will be omitted.

Further, an opening 20 is provided at the tip 11. The opening 20 is a recess provided in the outer periphery of the tip 11 at the tip 11. The opening 20 has a concave shape that opens outward in the radial direction at the outer peripheral portion of the distal end portion 11. The opening 20 opens with a predetermined width W in the axial direction of the distal end portion 11.

In the opening 20, an end 61 on the distal end side of the duct 60 inserted into the insertion portion 10 is connected. The pipe line 60 is for flowing a fluid composed of at least one of liquid and gas. The pipe 60 has an inner diameter of a predetermined diameter D having a value smaller than the predetermined width W at the end portion 61. In other words, the end portion 61 of the pipe line 60 opens in the concave opening 20, and the internal space of the pipe line 60 communicates with the internal space of the opening 20. The opening diameter D of the end 61 is smaller than the opening width W of the opening 20.

In the endoscope 1, a plurality of openings 20 and ducts 60 may be provided. Further, the end portion 61 of the plurality of ducts 60 may be connected to one opening 20.

Next, specific configurations of the opening 20 and the pipe line 60 in the present embodiment will be described. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, in the present embodiment, as an example, the opening 20 is provided on the distal end side of the balloon attachment groove 51 on the outer peripheral portion of the distal end portion 11. As shown in FIG. 5, the opening 20 has a groove shape with a predetermined width W carved along the direction substantially orthogonal to the axial direction at the outer peripheral portion of the distal end portion 11.

That is, the opening 20 has a substantially U-shaped cross section including a proximal side surface 21 facing the distal direction, a distal side 22 facing the proximal side 21, and a bottom 23. It is a groove. The width of the groove, that is, the separation distance between the proximal side surface portion 21 and the distal side surface portion 22 on the outer peripheral surface of the distal end portion 11 is a predetermined width W. Note that the proximal side surface portion 21 and the distal end side surface portion 22 of the opening 20 in the present embodiment are disposed so as to be substantially orthogonal to the central axis of the distal end portion 11. And may be arranged so as to cross the central axis.

The opening 20 having such a shape is provided in a region surrounded by the bag-like balloon 52 when the balloon 52 is mounted in the balloon mounting groove 51. In the present embodiment, the opening 20 is disposed between the ultrasonic probe portion 50 and the balloon attachment groove 51.

In the present embodiment, as an example, the end portion 61 of the pipe line 60 is connected to the proximal-side side surface portion 21 of the opening 20 having a groove shape. That is, the pipe line 60 is opened with a diameter D toward the distal end direction of the distal end portion 11 in the proximal end side surface portion 21 of the opening portion 20.

Therefore, when the balloon 52 is attached to the balloon attachment groove 51, the pipe line 60 of the endoscope 1 according to the present embodiment is inserted into the region surrounded by the bag-like balloon 52 via the opening 20. Communicate.

The opening 20 and the pipe line 60 of the present embodiment described above are used to introduce an ultrasonic medium that is a liquid into the ultrasonic observation balloon 52 when an ultrasonic tomographic image is captured by the endoscope 1, and It is provided for performing at least one of the purposes of discharging the ultrasonic medium in the sound wave observation balloon 52.

As described above, in the endoscope 1 of the present embodiment, the end portion 61 of the duct 60 inserted through the insertion portion 10 is inside the concave opening 20 provided in the outer peripheral portion of the distal end portion 11. In FIG. 3, the opening is opened with a predetermined diameter D toward the tip side. And the opening dimension about the axial direction of the opening part 20 opened to the side part of the front-end | tip part 11 is the predetermined width W larger than the predetermined diameter D. As shown in FIG.

In the endoscope 1 of the present embodiment, when the insertion unit 10 is held so that the distal end side faces downward, the liquid existing in the pipe line 60 is passed through the opening part 20 from the end part 61 of the pipe line 60. It flows out of the tip 11.

Here, when the amount of liquid present in the pipe line 60 is very small, the liquid in the pipe line 60 flows into the opening 20 as a droplet having a diameter equivalent to the opening diameter D of the end 61. . The opening 20 has a width W larger than the opening diameter D of the end portion 61 in the axial direction (that is, the top-and-bottom direction) of the insertion portion, and opens toward the radially outer side of the distal end portion 11. For this reason, the droplet having an approximate diameter D that flows out from the end portion 61 flows out of the tip end portion 11 without staying in the opening 20.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, even when liquid remains in the pipe line 60 during the manual disinfection process, the insertion portion 10 is held so that the distal end portion 11 is positioned downward. The liquid in the pipe line 60 is quickly discharged outside the tip end portion 11 without remaining at the tip end portion 61.

In the endoscope 1 of the present embodiment described above, the opening 20 has a substantially cross-section in which the proximal side surface portion 21 and the distal side surface portion 22 are substantially parallel, as shown in FIG. Although it is a letter-shaped recessed part, the shape of the opening part 20 is not restricted to embodiment mentioned above.

For example, as shown in FIG. 6 as a modified example of the opening 20, the opening 20 is configured so that the distal side surface 22 is directed radially outward toward the distal side. It may be an inclined form. In other words, the opening 20 of the present modification has a shape in which the opening width in the axial direction of the distal end portion 11 increases from the bottom surface 23 toward the radially outer side. The opening 20 may have a configuration in which the proximal side surface 21 is also inclined with respect to the axial direction of the distal end portion 11 and the cross section is substantially V-shaped.

The liquid flowing out from the end portion 61 of the pipe line 60 by inclining the tip side surface part 22 facing the end part 61 of the pipe line 60 with respect to the central axis of the tip part 11 as in this modification. Drops are easy to flow down. For this reason, according to this modification, the liquid in the pipe line 60 can be quickly discharged to the outside of the distal end portion 11 without remaining in the distal end side end portion 61.

In the endoscope 1 of the present embodiment described above, the end portion 61 of the conduit 60 is connected to the proximal side surface portion 21 of the opening 20. The form of connection with the unit 20 is not limited to the above-described embodiment.

For example, as shown in FIG. 7 as a modified example of the connection between the pipe line 60 and the opening part 20, the pipe line 60 is bored so as to overlap the bottom surface part 23 of the opening part 20. It may be a form connected to the bottom surface portion 23.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be appropriately changed without departing from the gist or concept of the invention that can be read from the claims and the entire specification. An endoscope with such a change is also applicable. Moreover, it is included in the technical scope of the present invention.

Hereinafter, the configuration in the vicinity of the distal end portion 11 of the insertion portion 10 of the endoscope 1 according to the present embodiment will be described. The distal end hard portion 29 constituting the distal end portion 11 is fixed to the distal end side of the bending portion 12. As shown in FIG. 8, the bending portion 12 is formed by connecting a plurality of bending pieces 73 in the insertion axis direction via a plurality of joint portions 74 that can rotate around an axis substantially orthogonal to the insertion axis. It is configured.

The distal end hard portion 29 is formed with a through hole 70 whose distal end becomes the treatment instrument insertion port 17 and a through hole 80 for inserting an ultrasonic probe portion 50 described later. In the present embodiment, the treatment instrument insertion conduit 18 for inserting the treatment instrument includes a through hole 70, a connection pipe 71 fitted on the proximal end side of the through hole 70, and an outer side on the proximal end side of the connection pipe 71. It is constituted by a space inside the inserted treatment instrument insertion tube 72.

The connecting pipe 71 is a relatively hard tubular member made of metal or resin. The connecting pipe 71 fitted into the through hole 70 extends from the proximal end portion of the distal end hard portion 29 to the distal end side with respect to the most distal end joint portion 74 of the bending portion 12.

The treatment instrument insertion tube 72 is a tubular member that is inserted into the bending portion 12 and the flexible tube portion 13 of the insertion portion 10, and the distal end portion is extrapolated to the extension portion of the connection tube 71. The treatment instrument insertion tube 72 of the present embodiment includes a soft portion 75 that deforms according to the bending of the bending portion 12 and the flexible tube portion 13, and is harder than the soft portion 75 provided on the distal end side of the flexible portion 75. Part 76.

In the treatment instrument insertion tube 72 of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, a region from the distal end to a position reaching the proximal end side from the most distal end joint portion 74 of the bending portion 12 is formed as a rigid portion 76. ing.

In this way, by setting the vicinity of the connection portion of the treatment instrument insertion tube 72 to the connection tube 71 as the rigid portion 76, the treatment instrument insertion tube 72 is not bent in the vicinity of the connection portion, so that the treatment instrument can be smoothly inserted. be able to.

Next, the configuration of the ultrasonic probe unit 50 of the present embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG. 9, the ultrasonic probe unit 50 of the present embodiment includes a plurality of ultrasonic transducers 81 arranged in an arc shape and a housing 86 that holds the ultrasonic transducers 81. Has been.

The ultrasonic transducer 81 is electrically connected to the distal end portion of the ultrasonic cable 85 via the wiring wire 84 and the wiring substrate 83 as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. The proximal end portion of the ultrasonic cable 85 is electrically connected to the ultrasonic connector 44 of the endoscope connector 41.

The housing 86 includes a recess 86 a that houses the ultrasonic transducer 81, and an insertion portion 86 b that protrudes to the proximal end side of the recess 86 a and fits into the through hole 80 of the distal end hard portion 29. Yes. The housing 86 is fixed to the distal end hard portion 29 by fitting the insertion portion 86 b into the through hole 80. The insertion portion 86b is provided with a through hole drilled in the insertion axis direction, and the ultrasonic cable 85 is inserted into the through hole.

As shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 10, the ultrasonic transducer 81 has a shield plate 88 made of a conductive metal plate or the like in the three directions except the front, that is, the ultrasonic transmission / reception direction, that is, the side and the back. Surrounded. The shield plate 88 is electrically connected to the ground potential by a wiring cable (not shown). Further, a backing material is filled in a region on the back side of the ultrasonic transducer 81 and surrounded by the shield plate 88.

As described above, the electrodes and the wiring wires 84 provided on the ultrasonic transducer 81 and the connection substrate 83 can be covered with the shield plate 88 by surrounding the side and the back of the ultrasonic transducer 81 with the shield plate 88. it can. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the electromagnetic shield of the ultrasonic transducer 81 and the connection substrate 83 can be appropriately performed.

In this embodiment, the periphery of the shield plate 88 is covered with an electrically insulating resin constituting the acoustic lens 82. As described above, the ultrasonic vibrator 81 and the shield plate 88 are integrally covered with the resin constituting the acoustic lens 82 to form the acoustic lens 82 and the insulation coating of the ultrasonic vibrator 81 and the shield plate 88. Can be performed in one step. Note that an acoustic matching layer may be disposed between the ultrasonic transducer 81 and the acoustic lens 82.

The ultrasonic vibrator 81 is fixed to the housing 86 by a filling resin 87 filled in the recess 86a. In this state, the ultrasonic cable 85 extends from the proximal end side of the insertion portion 86 b of the housing 86. The outer periphery of the portion of the ultrasonic cable 85 extending from the housing 86 is covered with a cable shield 92 made of a conductive metal wire braided in a net shape. The cable shield 92 is electrically connected to the ground potential.

The tip of the cable shield 92 is adhered to the outer periphery of the ultrasonic cable 85 by a double-sided adhesive tape 90 attached around the ultrasonic cable 85. An insulating tape 91 is wound around the outer periphery of the tip of the cable shield 92.

In this way, the tip of the cable shield 92 is adhered to the outer periphery of the ultrasonic cable 85 with the double-sided adhesive tape 90, and the insulating tape 91 is wound around the periphery of the cable shield 92. It is possible to prevent the tip portion from fraying. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the operation of covering the ultrasonic cable 85 with the cable shield 92 can be facilitated, and further, the deterioration of the effect of the electromagnetic shield due to the fraying of the cable shield 92 can be prevented.

Next, the configuration of the endoscope connector 41 of this embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG. 11, the endoscope connector 41 is provided with an optical fiber cable base end portion 43, a video connector 42, and an ultrasonic connector 44. The endoscope connector 41 is provided with an S cord connection terminal 45 protruding from the exterior member. The S cord connection terminal 45 is a terminal for feeding back a leakage current when a leakage current is generated during use of a high-frequency treatment instrument that cuts and coagulates a living tissue with a high-frequency current such as a high-frequency knife.

The video connector 42 and the ultrasonic connector 44 are configured so that a waterproof cap 46 for protecting the video connector 42 and the ultrasonic connector 44 can be attached when the endoscope 1 is cleaned and disinfected. The waterproof cap 46 is provided with a vent metal 48 having a vent 48 for performing a leak test of the endoscope 1.

Further, as shown in FIG. 12, a ventilation port 44 b for performing a leak test of the endoscope 1 is provided inside the ultrasonic connector 44. The vent 44 b communicates with the internal space of the endoscope 1 through a metal tube 93 and a resin tube 94 that extend into the endoscope connector 41. A filter 95 that does not transmit liquid but allows only gas to pass through is provided at the distal end of the resin tube 94 to prevent the liquid from entering the internal space of the endoscope 1. The filter 95 is fixed inside the endoscope connector 41.

In the present embodiment, a hard metal tube 93 and a soft resin tube 94 are connected to the ducts 44 b provided in the ultrasonic connector 44 and the filter 95 fixed inside the endoscope connector 41. It is composed by. Thus, by connecting the metal pipe 93 to the vent 44b and extending the metal pipe 93 to the inside of the endoscope connector 41, the conventional vent and the filter are connected only by the soft resin pipe. Compared to the configuration that has been used, the detaching operation of the filter 95 and the resin tube 94 can be easily performed.

The leak test of the endoscope 1 is performed by sending pressurized air into the endoscope 1 through the vent 48 of the waterproof cap 46 while the endoscope 1 to which the waterproof cap 46 is attached is submerged. This is performed by checking whether or not bubbles are generated from the endoscope 1.

In the present embodiment, when performing the cleaning process and the disinfection process of the endoscope 1, a pair of waterproof caps are provided to prevent the user from forgetting to attach the pair of waterproof caps 46 to the video connector 42 and the ultrasonic connector 44. The cap 46 is connected to the endoscope connector 41 by the connecting member 100 shown in FIG.

The connection member 100 includes an endoscope attachment portion 101 that engages with the S-code connection terminal 45 of the endoscope connector 41, a pair of chains 110 that extend from the endoscope attachment portion 101, and tips of the pair of chains 110. And a cap mounting portion 111 that engages with the vent cap 47 of the waterproof cap 46.

The endoscope attachment portion 101 is made of a resin having elasticity such as rubber, and a through hole 102 into which the S cord connection terminal 45 can be fitted is formed. In the through hole 102, a convex portion 103 that protrudes radially inward is provided in order to reduce the contact area between the S cord connection terminal 45 and the endoscope attachment portion 101.

Further, as shown in FIG. 14, the endoscope mounting portion 101 is provided with a convex portion 104 that protrudes from the endoscope mounting portion 101 in the central axis direction of the through hole 102. Thus, by providing the convex portion 104 protruding in the central axis direction of the through hole 102, when the S cord connection terminal portion 45 is indented into the through hole 102, The area in contact with the exterior member of the endoscope connector 41 can be reduced. By reducing the contact area between the endoscope attachment portion 101 and the endoscope connector 41, the entire endoscope connector 41 can be evenly immersed in the chemical solution used for the cleaning process and the disinfection process.

Also, the endoscope attachment portion 101 is formed with a pair of through holes 106 for attaching the base ends of the pair of chains 101. The pair of through-holes 106 are provided at both ends of a portion that extends in a bifurcated manner in a substantially Y shape from the portion where the through-hole 102 is provided. Further, the width between the through hole 102 that engages with the S cord connection terminal 45 and the pair of through holes 106 for attaching the pair of chains 101 becomes narrower as viewed from the central axis direction of the through hole 102. A constricted portion 105 is formed. By providing the constricted portion 105, the thickness around the through hole 102 can be reduced, and the portion where the endoscope mounting portion 101 and the endoscope connector 41 interfere can be reduced. Thereby, the engagement operation of the endoscope attachment portion 101 to the S cord connection terminal 45 can be reliably and easily performed.

A cap mounting portion 111 made of a plate-like member such as metal is connected to the ends of the pair of chains 110. A through hole 112 that engages with the outer periphery of the vent cap 47 of the waterproof cap 46 is formed in the cap attachment portion 111. In the present embodiment, the pair of waterproof caps 46 are connected to the S cord connection terminal portion 45 of the endoscope connector 41 by the connection member 100 having the above-described configuration.

According to the above-described embodiment, it is possible to provide an endoscope that can prevent droplets from remaining on the distal end side of the duct inserted through the insertion portion.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

As described above, the present invention is suitable for an endoscope having a duct inserted through an insertion portion.

This application is filed on the basis of the priority claim of Japanese Patent Application No. 2010-49411 filed in Japan on March 5, 2010. Shall be quoted.

Claims

An endoscope having an insertion portion to be introduced into a subject,
A conduit inserted through the insertion portion;
An opening that is connected to the distal end of the pipe and opens toward the radially outer side of the insertion part with a width larger than the inner diameter of the pipe in the outer peripheral part of the insertion part;
An endoscope comprising:
The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein an opening width of the opening is larger than an inner diameter of the end on the distal end side of the conduit.
3. The endoscope according to claim 2, wherein the opening has a concave shape at the outer peripheral portion.
The endoscope according to claim 3, wherein the opening has a shape in which the opening width increases toward a radially outer side of the insertion portion.
The endoscope includes an ultrasonic probe unit,
The endoscope according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the conduit is a conduit for transferring an ultrasonic medium for transmitting ultrasonic waves.
The insertion portion has a balloon attachment portion for attaching a balloon to the distal end portion of the endoscope,
The endoscope according to claim 5, wherein the opening is provided closer to a distal end side of the insertion portion than the balloon attachment portion.
The endoscope according to claim 6, wherein the balloon attachment portion is a groove portion.