JP2000023906A - Endoscope - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent a tube from being damaged because the tube is caught between articulate rings of a bent pipe portion by coating an optical fiber bundle by double flexible tubes within the bent pipe portion and excising a part on a side facing an outer edge of the bent pipe portion of the flexible tube in a region adjacent to a distal end main body within the bent pipe part. SOLUTION: In a flexible inserting portion constituted by successively connecting a bent pipe part 3 and a distal end main body 4 with a distal side of a flexible pipe portion, an optical fiber bundle 8 for illumination in which an incident tip part is connected with a light source device is passed. This optical fiber bundle 8 is coated with a flexible protective tube 8. In a part located within the bent pipe portion 3, the outside of the protective tube 81 is coated with a flexible reinforcing tube 82. The bent pipe portion 3 is formed by connecting a plurality of articulate rings 31 so as to be freely tiltable and the part of the reinforcing tube 82 on a side facing inner peripheral surfaces of these articulate rings 31 is excised. As a result, even if the bent pipe portion 3 is bent and articulate rings 31 adjacent each other are abutted, the reinforcing tube 82 is prevented from being caught between the articulate rings 31.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an endoscope using an optical fiber bundle.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In an optical endoscope, an optical fiber bundle for image transmission and an optical fiber bundle for illumination are used. Even in the case of an electronic endoscope, an optical fiber bundle is used for transmitting illumination light. In this case, the optical fiber bundle is covered with a flexible tube.

In general, an endoscope has a distal end main body connected to a distal end of a curved tube portion which is connected to a plurality of articulating rings so as to be tiltable and bends by remote control. The part is fixed.

[0004] Therefore, the optical fiber bundle may be repeatedly bent irregularly in the curved tube portion or pressed by another built-in member, and the optical fiber may be gradually broken and the performance may be deteriorated.

Therefore, conventionally, the optical fiber bundle is covered with a double flexible tube at least in the curved tube portion to improve the durability.

[0006]

However, the optical fiber bundle for illumination is generally arranged at a position close to the outer edge of the curved tube portion due to the relationship with other built-in components.

Therefore, if the covering tube of the optical fiber bundle for illumination is simply doubled, when the curved tube portion is bent, the outer tube is caught or caught between the node ring and a node ring adjacent thereto. As a result, an irregular force acts on the optical fiber bundle, and many optical fibers may be broken.

Accordingly, the present invention provides an endoscope in which even if the optical fiber bundle is covered with a double tube, the tube is not sandwiched between the node rings of the curved tube portion, and the optical fiber bundle has excellent durability. The purpose is to do.

[0009]

In order to achieve the above object, an endoscope according to the present invention comprises a bending tube portion having a plurality of articulating rings connected in a freely tiltable manner and bent by remote control. An optical fiber bundle having a distal end portion attached to a distal end body connected to the distal end of the curved tube portion is provided in the endoscope inserted through the curved tube portion into the insertion portion. A portion of the outer flexible tube facing the outer periphery of the curved tube portion in a region of the curved tube portion covered with a double flexible tube and in the region of the curved tube portion close to the distal end body. Is characterized by having been resected.

[0010] The cut portion of the outer flexible tube may be formed at a position facing a boundary portion between the node ring and a node ring adjacent thereto. In this case, the cutout portion of the outer flexible tube may be formed at a plurality of positions at positions facing the boundary between the node ring and the adjacent node ring, and may be formed at a plurality of locations. The excision part of the sex tube may be continuously formed facing a plurality of boundary portions between the node ring and the node ring adjacent thereto.

It is preferable that the cutting range of the outer flexible tube in the cutting section is less than half a circumference.

[0012]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows an endoscope, in which a flexible insertion portion 1 includes a flexible tube portion 2 and a curved tube portion 3 connected to a distal end thereof, and a distal end portion main body 4 connected to the distal end thereof. Consists of

An operation section 5 is connected to the base end of the insertion section 1. By rotating a bending operation knob 6 provided on the operation section 5, the bending tube section 3 can be turned at an arbitrary angle in an arbitrary direction. Can only be bent.

Reference numeral 7 denotes a light guide connector which is connected to a light source device (not shown).
The incident end is disposed on the light guide connector 7, passes through the insertion section 1 from within the operation section 5, and the emission end is fixed to the distal end main body 4.

FIG. 2 shows the distal end body 4. This endoscope is of a so-called side view type, and includes an observation window 11 and an illumination window 1.
2 are arranged side by side on the side of the distal end body 4. The imaging surface of the solid-state imaging device 14 is arranged at an image forming position of the subject by the objective optical system 13 arranged behind the observation window 11,
The imaging signal is sent by the signal cable 15.

On the back side of the illumination window 12, the optical fiber bundle 8 for illumination is provided.
The illumination optical fiber bundle 8 is covered with a flexible protective tube 81 over the entire length except for the portion located in the tip end body 4.
The protection tube 81 is formed of, for example, a silicone rubber tube.

In addition, at least a portion located inside the curved tube portion 3 is further covered with a flexible reinforcing tube 82 (outside flexible tube) outside the protective tube 81. The reinforcing tube 82 is formed of, for example, ethylene tetrafluoride resin.

The curved tube portion 3 is formed by connecting a plurality of (for example, about 5 to 15) node rings 31 in a tiltable manner, covering an outer circumferential surface of the reticulated tube 32, and further providing an elastic surface on the outer circumferential surface. It is configured by covering an outer skin 33 made of a certain rubber tube or the like.

FIG. 3 shows the curved tube portion 3 in a state where the mesh tube 32 and the outer cover 33 have been removed.
And the node ring 31 are rotatably connected by rivets 34. The distal end main body 4 is connected to the distal end side of the foremost node ring 31a.

Further, the distal ends of a plurality of operation wires 35 which are remotely operated by operating the bending operation knob 6 are connected to the foremost node ring 31a, and are arranged in the direction in which the pulled operation wire 35 is located. The bending tube section 3 is bent. The illumination optical fiber bundle 8 and other built-in components are inserted and arranged from inside the curved tube portion 3 into the flexible tube portion 2.

FIG. 4 shows the vicinity of the distal end of the curved tube portion 3 close to the distal end portion main body 4, in which the reinforcing tube 82 is partially cut off.
3). Note that the structure of the curved tube portion 3 is schematically illustrated, and illustration of internal components other than the optical fiber bundle 8 for illumination is omitted.

As shown in FIG. 5, which shows a cross section taken along line V--V in FIG. 2, the optical fiber bundle 8 for illumination is disposed close to the inner peripheral surface of the node ring 31 in relation to other built-in components. The portion of the reinforcing tube 82 facing the inner peripheral surface of the node ring 31 (that is, the portion facing the outer edge of the curved tube portion 3) is cut off. However, the cutting range of the reinforcing tube 82 in the cutting section 83 is less than half a circumference from the viewpoint of strength. Reference numeral 17 denotes a treatment tool insertion channel.

Returning to FIG. 4, the cutout portion 83 of the reinforcing tube 82 is formed at a position facing the boundary between the node ring 31 and the adjacent node ring 31. In this embodiment, a cutout portion 83 is formed separately for each position facing each of the three boundary portions on the distal end side.

As a result, as shown in FIG. 4, when the curved tube portion 3 is bent in the direction in which the optical fiber bundle 8 for illumination is located, even if the adjacent node rings 31 abut, the reinforcing tube 82 is not bent. Since it is cut off at a portion, it is not sandwiched between the node rings 31. Therefore, the reinforcing tube 82 faithfully fulfills the role of reinforcing the optical fiber bundle 8 for illumination in the curved tube portion 3.

It is sufficient that the cutout portion 83 is formed at a position facing at least one boundary portion between the adjacent node rings 31 and, for example, as shown in FIG.
The cut portion 83 may be formed to be long, and one cut portion 83 may face a plurality of boundary portions (boundary portions between the node ring 31 and the node ring 31 adjacent thereto). Further, the cut-out portion 83 may be formed by cutting the reinforcing tube 82 obliquely.

The present invention is applicable not only to the optical fiber bundle 8 for illumination of an endoscope but also to an optical fiber bundle for image transmission in a so-called fiberscope type endoscope.

[0027]

According to the present invention, the optical fiber bundle is covered with the double flexible tube in the curved tube portion, and the outer flexible tube is provided in a region near the distal end body in the curved tube portion. The outer tube is not pinched between the node rings of the curved tube portion by cutting off the portion of the side facing the outer edge of the curved tube portion, so that the outer flexible tube reinforces the optical fiber bundle in the curved tube portion. The optical fiber bundle inserted therein is hardly damaged even when the curved tube portion is repeatedly bent, and has excellent durability.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external view showing an entire configuration of an endoscope according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view of a distal end main body portion of the endoscope according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the bending tube portion according to the embodiment of the present invention in a state where an outer skin is removed.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a bent state of a distal end portion of a curved tube portion according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line VV in FIG. 2 of the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a side view showing, in a partial cross section, a distal end portion of a second example of the outer flexible tube according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Insertion part 3 Curved tube part 4 Tip main body 8 Optical fiber bundle 31 for lighting 31 Node ring 81 Protection tube 82 Reinforcement tube (outer flexible tube) 83 Cutting part

Claims (5)

[Claims] A bending tube portion, which is connected to a plurality of node rings so as to be tiltable and bends by remote operation, is provided at a distal end portion of an insertion portion. An endoscope in which the attached optical fiber bundle is inserted from the inside of the curved tube portion into the insertion portion, wherein the optical fiber bundle is covered with a double flexible tube at least in the curved tube portion, and the curved tube is An endoscope in which a portion of an outer flexible tube on a side facing an outer edge of the curved tube portion is cut off in a region of the portion close to the distal end body. 2. The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the cutout portion of the outer flexible tube is formed at a position facing a boundary portion between the node ring and a node ring adjacent thereto. 3. The outer flexible tube according to claim 2, wherein the cutout portion of the outer flexible tube is divided into a plurality of portions at positions facing a boundary portion between the node ring and a node ring adjacent thereto. Endoscope. 4. The endoscope according to claim 2, wherein the cutout portion of the outer flexible tube is formed continuously facing a plurality of boundary portions between the node ring and the node ring adjacent thereto. . 5. The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein a cutting range of the outer flexible tube in the cutting section is not more than a half circumference.